Although she considered using pain as an excuse to send him away, the other person was Leopold.

Her rudeness in sneaking out without saying goodbye could have caused the entire house to explode.

May brought a light blue dress. Delicate lace adorned the neckline and sleeves, and the embroidered designs throughout the dress added brilliance.

“Well, how about this dress?”

“It’s fine.”

Ariel nodded without even looking properly. Anything would do. She would rather appear very ugly than run away.

Ariel stood up and, with May’s help, took off her indoor clothes.

After wearing a corset and a chemise, Ariel put on the dress reluctantly, pursing her lips in discontent.

‘How long do I have to do this?’

She hadn’t even looked at a corset in nearly ten years. It was unbearably stuffy.

But with a resigned attitude, Ariel entrusted her body to May’s hands.

When Ariel stood with her legs inside the dress on the floor, May lifted the dress up and, one by one, put Ariel’s arms into the sleeves.

Then she pulled at the dress, fitting it snugly onto Ariel’s body.

Her exposed chestbone, visible through the deeply cut V-neckline, seemed velvety to the touch.

The lace on the neckline provided glimpses of the delicate skin beneath, revealing a patchwork of jewels that shone like a cluster of stars.

It was enough to capture the attention of anyone who looked at Ariel to linger near the neckline.

There was no need for the young lady to win the emperor’s heart. However, May wanted to show him that her mistress was the most beautiful woman in the Atlan Empire.

This was a possible thought because she was unaware that the two of them had spent the previous night together.

With a proud expression, May tidied up the ruffles of the dress that were draped below Ariel’s hips and then gently grabbed her shoulders, turning her around.

Facing the mirror, Ariel bit on her lips, which were adorned with rose-red lipstick.

Perhaps due to the extra effort invested this time compared to when she attended the victory party, she looked incredibly beautiful in the reflection, even to her own eyes.

To the point where the discomfort caused by the corset was easily forgotten.

“The Marquis said to come down quickly. We spent too much time getting dressed. Let’s go down quickly, Miss.”

Contrary to her words, May was busy fixing the ribbon tied in Ariel’s hair with no intent to stop.

“Do it quickly, May. We must go downstairs.”

“I’m all done now, Miss.”

After the dressing was complete, May stood behind Ariel, holding up the trailing dress in her hands to prevent it from catching on the stairs.

Soon, Ariel slowly descended the stairs, intending to meet Leopold. Unaware of what words would come out of his mouth.

***

The servants were lined up in front of the dining room.

When the person responsible for bringing the emperor here appeared, the servants, who couldn’t help but turn their heads, glanced at Ariel.

Everyone was curious about why His Majesty had personally come to the Marquis’s mansion to meet the young lady.

But soon, wonder and excitement were evident on their faces.

It was not the faded appearance of a sickly young lady they had seen before.

Of course, back then, her stunning beauty had left them speechless, but her current beauty was beyond earthly standards.

Seeing the servants’ gazes focused on Ariel, butler Henry quickly dispersed them.

Ariel stood in front of the dining room with a cold expression on her face, unaffected by the chilly winds.

Her attempt to hide her nervousness and not display any emotion only exposed her tightly-wound face.

May was deeply concerned by the look on her face, but she could no longer delay.

It was because on the other side of this door, the supreme ruler of the empire awaited her mistress.

Finally, May’s hand pushed open the door to the dining room.

As the door opened, Leopold’s figure was seen leisurely leaning on the sofa inside the room.

Across from him sat Ariel’s father, Marquis Louis Clark.

Leopold was looking down at the teacup in his hand, but when he sensed a presence, he raised his head and stared at Ariel.

In a fleeting moment, his red pupils met Ariel’s gaze.

Despite being at a distance, Ariel could clearly see his eyes. His twirling and swirling red irises.

When their gazes met, Ariel felt a wave of nausea and quickly turned her gaze away.

It was because that momentary glance reminded her of the joy she felt being in his arms.

She remembered his firm chest and his arms, which held her tightly against his waist.

Her face blushed crimson.

Ariel, aware of her own state, let out a bitter laugh.

The look in his eyes made her forget the fact that he had come to her unannounced and the discomfort she felt because of it.

Her determination to firmly express her refusal was quickly becoming ridiculous.

It was bad enough to look at him from afar, what if she met his face up close?

Because of the yearning Leopold imprinted on her body, she felt that she wouldn’t be able to say a word she had prepared.

Her two feet felt frozen.

As she stood in front of the door, she stared blankly at his shoulder with trembling pupils.

While she was going through this little internal struggle, Leopold watched her intently, not wanting to miss a single change.

Then he quickly figured out the reason why her face was turning red.

‘She definitely remembers what happened yesterday.’

Leopold averted his gaze from Ariel and whispered something to Marquis Louis with a refreshing smile.

In response, the Marquis stood up from his seat and approached Ariel.

“What happened between you and His Majesty yesterday?”

Marquis Louis whispered with a worried expression.

His emerald eyes, which Ariel inherited from him, scanned her face.

Since returning from Kolnman, his daughter hadn’t shown any signs of weakness, yet now, confusion was clearly evident on her face.

Something definitely happened last night.

But Ariel avoided the Marquis’s gaze and lowered her head.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell her father that the person responsible for making his daughter disappear was none other than the Emperor.

Seeing her like that, Louis shrugged his shoulders in resignation and left the dining room.

The door closed with a thud.

Only Ariel and Leopold remained in the isolated space.

A subtle tension hung in the air.

Leopold raised his chin and stared intently at Ariel’s face. He thought she was hungover, but he was glad to see that she was okay.

His gaze lingered on her face for quite a while.

‘It feels suffocating.’

Ariel felt burdened by his persistent scrutiny.

Finally, she broke the silence.

In an attempt to gain an advantage in the silent battle of nerves.

“I see the Glory of Atlan.”

Ariel lightly bowed her head, clutching the hem of her dress and bending her knees gracefully.

“Sit.”

A pleasant, baritone voice resonated through the reception room¹T/N: I’m also confused about where they are. Previously, the author wrote 다이닝 룸 (dining room) but here the author said 응접실 (reception room).

Ariel recalled how she had tried to get Leopold to reveal this voice before. Of course, he had found it bothersome even to utter a single word to Ariel.

Recalling the original situation, Ariel sneered and soon sat on the opposite sofa.

Ariel, who held onto her fading consciousness from their first night, looked straight at him.

‘If I get entangled with this man’s pace, things may go just like the original. I need to stay alert.’

Her emerald eyes, facing the window, were scattered with sunlight filtering through the curtains. It seemed as though her determination was shining brilliantly.

Leopold caught a glimpse of her persistent gaze, his sparkling eyes that met hers head-on, his cheeks tinged with a reddish hue, and her chiding lips that scolded him for breaking the promise.

An uneasiness stirred in the deepest part of his heart.

Leopold stared intently at her face for quite some time without saying a word.

It was fortunate—really, sincerely fortunate.

It wasn’t the stoic face he’d seen in the ballroom. It showed emotion. Even if it was dissatisfaction towards himself, it was good.

‘She must hate me. After promising to forget about what happened, I suddenly showed up like this.’

Leopold raised the corner of his mouth, thinking that perhaps hatred was also a form of interest.

The smile that emerged was born out of relief that she didn’t have a face that seemed to have given up on life.

With his heart at ease as he observed her lively face, Leopold’s gaze finally shifted to another place.

His eyes moved from her adorable button-like nose and plump lips, to her slim neck.

His downward gaze suddenly halted.

It was because of the faint red mark that intermittently peeked through her shining golden hair.

‘It’s like an emperor’s seal.’

It was the place where he had passionately kissed her delicate skin to mark her as his possession.

It showed how possessive Leopold had become of Ariel yesterday.

Even though he already possessed everything, his heart was always empty. Even if it was the Emperor’s throne.

But the mark he made on her white and smooth skin gave him such great satisfaction.

An unprecedented fulfillment emerged and overflowed from within him.

His scattered pupils settled uneasily near her chest, and in an instant, his cheeks turned red.

Down her neck, the deep plunge of her dress exposed her collarbone. Just by looking at it, it felt as if he could almost feel the softness of it in his hands.

The shadow of desire cast itself over Leopold’s mind.

As he imagined her figure that moaned under his touch, Leopold covered his mouth with his hand and turned his head abruptly.

The cute little girl who had shown kindness in the past has grown into a noble yet sensual woman.

Remembering that enchanting night, he recalled the reason for being here once again.

He had to bring her to the palace, unconditionally. No, he had to make her his wife. Once he had done that, she will never be taken from him.

Leopold sighed and buried his face in his hand that covered his mouth.