Enough time had passed that she should have woken up several times by now.

Even if she hadn’t noticed the alarm, her boss would have called asking if she was going to be late because of her phone.

‘Not hearing that means I either died in my sleep or I’m unconscious.’

The more she thought about it, the more depressing it became, so Chohee shook her head. The Empress didn’t notice even that, looking around the shabby room with satisfaction.

“Remember this, Crown Prince. If you act like a lover toward this breeding vessel, this mother won’t hesitate to report it to His Majesty. Hohoho.”

Claes glared at her so fiercely that veins stood out on the back of his hand. The Empress flinched momentarily when she saw it, but the corners of her mouth curved up smoothly.

“Are you rebelling right now?”

“…No.”

Claes turned his gaze toward Chohee. His eyes held such tenderness that the moment Chohee met them, she felt a sharp ache in a corner of her chest.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Don’t forget what I said.”

The Empress left one maid behind as a spy and departed. Claes wanted to say something to Chohee, so he strode over to the maid and commanded her.

“Get out right now.”

“But Her Majesty the Empress…”

“I’m the one acting as His Majesty the Emperor’s proxy. If you want to be expelled from this Imperial Palace immediately, feel free to stay as you please.”

A chilling murderous intent leaked from Claes’s eyes.

Seeing this, the maid froze and trembled as she bowed her head.

“Understood.”

Watching the maid scurry away, Claes gazed at Elysia again. He kissed her gently.

“Claes…”

“I’m sorry, Elly.”

Between the soft sensation of lips, his tongue slipped through. That tongue heavily licked her lower lip, then crossed her teeth and touched the membranes inside.

Watching Chohee absorbed in the kiss, he rubbed tongues with her and finished by swallowing saliva. When a silver thread stretched between them, he wiped it with his thumb and pressed his forehead against Chohee’s.

“Just for a while. His Majesty will pass away soon, so can you endure until then?”

Chohee slowly nodded her head.

“Thank you for understanding my heart. And my position too… I have no choice but to be cruel to you… but none of this is what I intended. After His Majesty passes away, you’ll become my official Empress. We have evidence that the oracle was false, so I’ll reveal the lie before everyone.”

Claes whispered with his eyebrows drawn together sadly.

“I’ll say it again—no matter what I say or what I do, you are never just a breeding vessel. You’re my lover and the person who will become my wife. So… even if I sometimes act in ways I can’t help, don’t accept it as my true feelings.”

“Claes…”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Elly.”

He covered her lips lightly again. Watching him slowly pull away, Chohee could feel a corner of her chest aching like it was being carved out.

‘If this… is still a dream.’

She wished she could wake up all at once.

Then if she returned a few months later after the Emperor passed away, she wouldn’t have to experience these painful memories.

“Then… I’ll be going now. I’ll send maids to attend you, so don’t leave the room cold—make sure to heat it. This annex palace is a place where wind seeps through easily, so it gets cold if you leave it alone. Understand?”

“I understand, Claes. Come see me often.”

Claes nodded at those words. Then he pressed his lips to Chohee’s forehead and pulled away. When he lifted her hand and kissed the back of it too, Chohee strangely felt her anxiety gradually subsiding.

‘Right. Claes has no choice but to treat me as a breeding vessel. It might be okay. Lars didn’t receive a direct order from the Emperor, so he won’t treat me as a breeding vessel.’

Claes stroked Chohee’s hair with an affectionate touch. Then he kissed the ends of her black hair too. But the time for that sweet moment to end had come.

“Her Majesty the Empress has returned.”

The maid’s voice held laughter. Someone who would take her side had come. Claes bit his lip and separated his body from Chohee.

“Oh my.”

At the same time, the Empress threw the door open. But all that reflected in her eyes was Claes standing apart from Chohee. The Empress thought it was unfortunate and licked her lips with her tongue.

“Hmm… If you have nothing to say, how about leaving the palace?”

“I was just discussing the maids.”

The Empress swept her cold gaze over Claes and Chohee. Under that piercing stare, Chohee felt something stabbing inside her chest.

‘I wish the Emperor would pass away quickly.’

In the dream world, the Emperor hadn’t been a particularly benevolent father. Karad’s inferiority complex was because of the Empress the Emperor had taken in, and young Claes’s *buse was also because of her.

Yet the Emperor had never once tried to stop the Empress’s torment. According to what she’d heard from Claes before, the Emperor had directly said that such torment should be overcome with willpower.

‘He’s not even a father…’

How could a mere ten-year-old child overcome an adult’s torment with willpower? The Empress had tormented Claes, then Karad, then Lars under the Emperor’s neglect.

That’s how Karad came to have an inferiority complex toward Claes, who tried harder and harder to be perfect, and fortunately in the midst of it all, Lars was able to become a kind adult under Claes’s protection.

“Right. You mustn’t treat her as a lover. As I already said, Elysia is merely a breeding vessel.”

The Empress smiled brightly, seemingly delighted. Chohee wanted to punch that face but endured and lowered her gaze.

‘Claes probably feels the same way I do.’

Claes looked at the Empress with an expressionless face, then turned his head to look at Chohee. Faint emotion spread through his expression, but he soon hid it.

‘Claes…’

One side of Chohee’s chest ached.

She had decided to hide the fact that she could speak for now, and with the Empress present, it was difficult to comfort him with any words. Seeming to understand Chohee’s complicated feelings, Claes said with an emotionless face:

“Then, I’ll be going now. As Her Majesty the Empress said, we are no longer lovers.”

The Empress’s expression grew even more pleased at those words.

“Yes. Go ahead. I’ll be leaving soon too.”

When Claes opened the door, it made a creaking sound. The annex palace was neglected and unrepaired to that degree. The image of Chohee, who would live here, looking troubled floated vividly in his mind, but Claes gritted his teeth and left the room.

He no longer had the face to look at Elysia. He had tried to give her everything he could as his wife, but with one command from the Emperor, his promise had fallen through.

‘Claes…’

Lars would come soon, so she just hoped the Empress would leave quickly. The Emperor hadn’t restrained Lars’s actions, so he would maintain his previous attitude.

Chohee sat on the sofa covered with white cloth, aware of her growing sadness.

Creak.

The sofa was old and hard, and the spring sounds were loud. But Chohee was so sleepy. Even knowing the Empress was observing her, she dozed off nodding.

‘Because I didn’t sleep after having s*x with Claes and Lars…’

The Empress confirmed there was no dissatisfaction on Chohee’s face. Her nodding off seemed to indicate she didn’t care about being in such a place. Only then did the Empress’s brow furrow slightly, but she snorted and left the room.

‘Let’s see how long you can last.’

Most Elysias couldn’t maintain their sanity for long while being treated as breeding vessels. The Elysia of the generation right before Chohee had also suffered from depression.

While she was devoted to her children, she also felt much pain because of mental illness.

Chohee stood at the starting point of becoming like that.

“…”

By the time Lars came and lifted Chohee up, she had fallen into a deep sleep. Since fatigue from s*x clearly remained, Lars carefully laid her on the bed without waking her.

Chohee shed one or two tears from her eyes, seemingly dreaming of something. Watching this, Lars also felt like his heart was being torn apart.

“I won’t leave you like this.”

Lars’s pale blue eyes shone as he firmed his resolve.

“I’ll somehow save you from this treatment as a breeding vessel. So please wait just a little, Elysia.”

‘Only for you.’

Lars wished and wished desperately.

* * *

“Please wake up, Lady Elysia. His Imperial Highness Second Prince Karad has arrived.”

When she woke from sleep as deep as death, Karad stood before her with a cruel smile.

Chohee looked up at the handsome young man with red hair. Her eyes were dazed, sleep not yet fully gone, and her slightly parted lips stimulated his desire.

“How comfortably you’re sprawled out. How does it feel to be abandoned by Claes?”

Karad sat beside the bed with a smirk. When the maid bowed and withdrew, he reached out without hesitation and grabbed Chohee’s chin.

“…”

Chohee only looked at him without saying anything. He reflected in her jet-black eyes, but no emotion mixed into them. As displeasure slowly spread, Karad frowned and released her chin.

“Even in this situation, you still trust Claes? He has no power now. Even if I violate you as much as I want, he can’t stop me.”

Chohee’s lips moved slightly. But no words came out. She simply turned her head away from Karad and lay down again. What Claes had said to her still remained vivid.

‘I’ll say it again—no matter what I say or what I do, you are never just a breeding vessel. You’re my lover and the person who will become my wife. So… even if I sometimes act in ways I can’t help, don’t accept it as my true feelings.’

‘Claes…’

‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Elly.’

Tears welled in her eyes. Chohee wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. When he could no longer see her face as she lay on her side, Karad clicked his tongue.

But the moment he tried to turn her face toward him, a slapping sound rang out and his hand was deflected. Chohee pulled the blanket up with tears brimming in her eyes. Karad only realized a moment later that he’d been rejected.

“…Do you still think you’ll become Crown Princess Consort?”

“Ugh.”

Karad mercilessly yanked the blanket down. Chohee stared at him with tear-filled eyes. At that sorrowful yet pure appearance, Karad felt his c*ck stirring.