I unknowingly made a sound and stared at him in a daze.

His handsome face with its neat and stubborn appearance, combined with a strangely emanating decadent sexiness, was absolutely, without a doubt, perfect.

While servants and maids were busy checking the appearance of the Emperor and empress, my gaze was directed solely at him.

His deep teal eyes felt so profound that once you fall in, it seemed impossible to escape.

Large, horizontally elongated eyes without double eyelids. Those eyes would surely become half-moons if he smiled, but he wouldn’t smile, would he? That man…… I want to confirm it.

Just then, when Charte slightly frowned at the red handkerchief on his ceremonial outfit, a maid quickly removed it and began refolding it.

Why does he become sexier when he frowns?

Moderately plump red lips…… He doesn’t seem to be wearing lip balm, so why are they so moist?

His was a face that made viewers feel infinite admiration and spontaneously exclaim in wonder.

That man has everything. He’s perfect. To think I would meet a man I could never encounter in my life, in this way now.

To think that a face that brings happiness just by looking at it actually exists!

I barely grabbed hold of my lost mind and began to collect myself.

Though we’re married, I shouldn’t think of that man as my man. That perfect man belongs to the perfect woman, Leila. Get a grip!

When he approached me, I flashed a bright smile to show courtesy to a handsome man.

However, he blatantly ignored my smile with a cold face.

Due to the Emperor’s perfect dismissal, the good mood I had until just now completely vanished, and I felt deep anger.

Dismissal is his daily routine! Terminal emperor disease with no cure!

Cold expression, rude gaze. An ominous premonition that my future here wouldn’t be comfortable either covered my entire body.

Then, a commotion erupted from the far end of the corridor, and a sharp woman’s voice was heard.

When Commander Rad moved to act, Charte raised his hand to stop him.

A woman gorgeously adorned in a red dress appeared before Charte, slightly lifting her skirt in greeting, and his cold gaze turned to Viscount Catano.

“Your Majesty, she is the daughter of Baron Saint-Joseph¹T/N: I took liberties in this name since 샹쥬센/Shangjusen sounds made up and the 27th concubine.”

“Twenty-seventh?”

Surprised by the shocking number in the tense atmosphere, I shouted, and everyone’s attention turned to me.

They say handsome men live up to their looks…… He’s a concubine collector.

“Congratulations on your marriage. I wanted to greet Your Majesty personally, so I came despite the impropriety.”

Lady Saint-Joseph, 27th concubine, gave Charte a flirtatious smile.

She seemed determined to catch the Emperor’s eye.

“Lady Saint-Joseph has clearly forgotten my words. Viscount Catano.”

Not only Viscount Catano’s gaze but also Lady Saint-Joseph looked at Charte with a puzzled face, opening her eyes wide as if trying to appear cute.

I was also curious about what he meant.

“It seems you’ve already forgotten that you can only live if you don’t catch my eye.”

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold, like cold water had been poured, and I stood blankly, not understanding the meaning of his words.

“Deal with her.”

Viscount Catano and Commander Rad hesitated and exchanged glances.

“Your Majesty, on a day like today……”

“What about a day like today…… Are you disobeying? Commander Rad.”

“No, sir.”

When Rad signaled, two imperial guards dragged away Lady Saint-Joseph.

Only then did Lady Saint-Joseph realize the situation and began to scream while being dragged away.

“Please save me. Please save me, Your Majesty.”

Watching the woman being dragged away, I turned pale and my whole body began to tremble.

What does that “deal with” mean……

Does it mean to deal with a person?

While I was too shocked to think, Viscount Catano’s voice was heard.

“Your Majesty the Emperor. You must enter now.”

Then he reluctantly extended his hand toward me.

However, I was too frightened to take his hand and just stared at it.

How could such slender, beautiful hands give such a cruel order…… Well, he’s not dirtying those fine hands.

Seeing my dazed, frozen state, his expression grew increasingly irritated, and Madam Peggy slightly pulled at my dress.

Finally coming to my senses, I carefully placed my hand on his, thinking I shouldn’t upset this tyrant’s mood.

However, when my hand touched his, the Emperor immediately frowned, and the fear that had dominated me until just now disappeared, replaced by a surge of anger.

What! This psychopath!

I placed my clean, innocent hand on his dirty hand that just ordered someone to be “dealt with”!

Anyone watching would think I had just killed someone.

Then suddenly, he withdrew his hand and took out a handkerchief to wipe it.

Madam Peggy quickly approached and wiped the sweat from my hand.

Due to what had just happened, I had unknowingly sweated from fear and tension.

Damn it! How embarrassing! Emperor, you created the fearful atmosphere that made me sweat.

It’s not like there was blood—couldn’t you just pretend not to notice? To humiliate me in front of so many people……

Anyway, we had to enter, so I gently placed my hand on his outstretched hand again.

No matter how slender and beautiful your hands are, my hands aren’t made of dung!

Making such a fuss over a little sweat! What a completely petty, obsessive-compulsive jerk!

What use is an Emperor with such a small vessel!

While I was grumbling inwardly, the palace servant guarding the door shouted loudly.

“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the empress are entering.”

When the doors opened, the Emperor’s demeanor completely changed to one overflowing with dignity and charisma, and I, standing beside him, felt the full force of that pressure.

I also gathered myself to avoid being overwhelmed by the aura of the person next to me.

I am Leila Whyman. Don’t tremble, act like an empress! Act confidently.

However, when the gazes of people packed into the unexpectedly huge banquet hall focused on me, my earlier resolve faded away, my whole body trembled, and my legs felt weak from tension, like I might collapse.

What, what is this? Why is it so spacious and why are there so many people?

Seeing the unfamiliar environment filled with unfamiliar people, my hand—no, my entire body—began to grow cold with tension.

But the more my hand grew cold, the more warmth transmitted from the hand touching mine.

Without his warmth, I might have fled on the spot out of fear.

Too tense to think about anything, I simply walked, relying on Charte, to the Emperor and empress’s seats located at the center end of the banquet hall.

He escorted me to the empress’s seat and then went to sit in his own place.

The attending maids poured pink alcohol with a sweet fruit scent into both our glasses.

He raised his glass toward me, and I, like the protagonist, raised mine in response.

“Clink!”

When our glasses collided in the air with a clear, cheerful sound, the court orchestra began to play, and the nobles attending the party also raised their glasses.

I emptied my glass completely, thinking it natural to down the first glass in one shot, and looked at him, but he merely touched the glass to his lips before putting it down and looked at my empty glass with disgust.

However, that psychopath quickly hid his expression, rose from his seat, and approached me.

Then he asked me to dance with a face that said he would deal with me immediately if I didn’t take his hand.

The first dance at a wedding ball is performed by the protagonists, but not knowing this fact, I looked at him with a terrified face and trembling pupils.

Having never danced anything but freestyle, I looked at Emperor Charte with a worried face and reluctantly took his hand, feeling like a cow being led to slaughter.

In the empty dance floor at the center of the banquet hall, only he and I existed, and everyone’s gaze was directed at us.

Drink alcohol and talk, please. Is being an attention seeker a requirement for the imperial family? Or are they idols?

When the music started, he, holding my hand, began to move.

Extremely tense, I made repeated mistakes that others might not notice but he certainly could—stepping on Charte’s feet at first, repeatedly going in the opposite direction, and floundering around not knowing the movements.

He looked at me with a puzzled face.

When the mistakes continued, he put strength into the arm holding me and began to lead the dance.

Feeling him take the lead, I relaxed my tension and strength, surrendering my body. While dancing, our gazes unintentionally met each other.

Meeting those deep teal eyes, I momentarily wondered what he was thinking.

The two didn’t know, but most people present sincerely wished for the happiness of the seemingly perfect imperial couple.

However, there was one who looked at the young and beautiful imperial couple with eyes of jealousy—Ivester.

The Emperor to whom he had sworn loyalty to, and Leila, whom he considered his eternal love……

Separately, they were both clearly people he considered precious and cherished, but seeing the two together felt like his heart was being torn apart.

With a miserable heart, Ivester stood alone in a corner, only drinking.

‘On such a joyous day, why does the face of the Rad Empire’s next Prime Minister candidate look so devastated?’

There was one person who was closely watching Ivester, who was drinking with a face like one who had lost his country……

It was Mary, the illegitimate daughter of Baron Anderson.

Mary’s mother was a maid who did the most menial work in a noble household, so she grew up receiving all kinds of mistreatment and contempt at home.

Called the family’s disgrace, she wasn’t even allowed a social debut, so she had never properly received an invitation to a party.

However, today was an occasion that all nobles of the Empire had to attend, so neither her stepmother nor her sister could stop her.

Mary, who had resolved to make today a turning point in her life, observed them continuously with eyes burning with desire.

The imperial couple’s dance ended safely, and now the nobles began to come out to dance and enjoy the party.

Back in my seat, I sent subtle glances to Emperor Charte, wanting to thank him, but when he didn’t look at me even once, I eventually sent him direct glances.

However, he never looked at me even once until the end, so I couldn’t say thank you.

In fact, the people attending the celebration ball had hoped that the imperial couple would dance for a long time.

If they had, it would have been clear evidence that Charte had taken a liking to Leila. Evidence that there was hope in their relationship.

At his wedding with Yasrin, Charte had danced passionately for a very long time, until he went in to spend the wedding night.

Their gazes had never once separated and remained intense.

Knowing this fact, Nathan Whyman appeared outwardly calm but felt heavy-hearted, feeling like he had driven his daughter into a dangerous situation.

When the imperial couple danced only one song formally and went in, Ivester felt both happy and sad.

The fact that they didn’t love each other made him happy, but thinking about Leila’s future made his heart ache.

Leila had said she never wanted to live in a loveless marriage……

Many noble ladies present were waiting for Ivester’s invitation to dance, but he was only looking at Leila.

Contrary to the initial concern for the imperial couple, the atmosphere of the ball heated up as time passed.

Several people were already seen dancing continuously without changing partners or taking breaks.

Everyone except the bride and groom, who should have been the happiest on their wedding day, looked happy.