“Oh my, silver hair and purple eyes! The Astian Princess?”  

“To think His Majesty would spare Astian royalty… The Emperor is truly merciful.”  

“They say she’s the most beloved in the harem! It must be because of that mysterious appearance!”  

Evelyn stood in her ornate silver dress, sipping wine as the whispers of Peshar nobles swirled around her. Even when she remained still, their eyes lingered on her. After the coronation ceremony concluded, Jenkins—now officially Emperor—sat beside the Empress Dowager.  

Though Evelyn hadn’t seen Jenkins in some time, her stomach churned with growing unease. Thoughts of how he had conquered her homeland, driven the Astians into desperation, or outright killed them filled her mind. When she had once lived peacefully with Josh, far from her homeland, such hatred hadn’t consumed her. But now, it was impossible to ignore.  

Even when she tried to forget Astia, her bloodline wouldn’t let her. Had meeting Jenkins at the border been an ill-fated encounter from the start?  

Sigh… 

“The dress suits you very well.”  

Ian Harper appeared before her with an overly bright smile. Seeing the shameless traitor before her, Evelyn’s eyebrows twitched in irritation. Dressed impeccably in an elegant suit, Ian looked calm and composed, as though nothing weighed on him.  

“Do you know how many people died because of your one life?” Evelyn asked, her voice sharp.  

“I know,” Ian replied smoothly. “But Lady Evelyn needs to be clear about this too. How long will you defend the traitors who tried to attack Jenkins?”  

“What…!” Evelyn’s voice faltered as the murmurs of nearby nobles reached her ears.  

The crowd scattered suddenly as Jenkins, now wearing the imperial crown, approached Evelyn. Draped in the red cloak reserved for emperors, his cold gaze fell upon her and Ian.  

“Ian Harper.”  

Ian immediately knelt before Jenkins, his behavior servile to the extreme—a perfect display of the traitor he was.  

“Your Majesty the Emperor. It’s an honor to be invited to such an occasion,” Ian said, his tone honeyed.  

“…Act arrogantly, and you’ll die without anyone knowing,” Jenkins warned, his voice icy.  

“Such frightening words…” Ian replied, his smile unwavering. “You mustn’t forget that I saved Your Majesty’s life. Lady Evelyn here conspired with them to kill Your Majesty.”

Despite Ian’s provocative words causing a stir among the nobles, Evelyn remained composed, her dignity intact. She was no traitor; she had merely been captured and brought here by Jenkins. Her country, the Astia Empire, might have vanished from the map, but it still lived within her heart.  

Jenkins turned his terrifying gaze toward Ian.  

“Ian. Say another word, and I’ll cut out your tongue.”  

“Haha. Understood,” Ian replied with a brazen smile before quickly retreating from the scene. Evelyn glared at his back, frustrated by the difficult position he had put her in.  

Suddenly, a large, rough hand covered her eyes.  

“Are you looking at another man right in front of me?”  

“…Jenkins.”  

His warm touch and body temperature made Evelyn feel secure. She realized that if Hector’s attack had succeeded, Jenkins wouldn’t be standing here now. Nor would this warmth.  

When she imagined Jenkins dying, confusion overwhelmed her.  

‘No. Without Jenkins, I…’

She had known about the attack but hadn’t said anything. She wasn’t a traitor like Ian; she was a princess of the Astia Empire.  

“I…”  

Evelyn tried to explain herself, but no words came out. Even though she loved Jenkins, she hadn’t been able to act for his sake.  

Jenkins turned away first, leaving her standing there, helpless. Evelyn could only watch him go, unable to do anything. She had thought his absence from the harem was due to his busy schedule, but now she wasn’t so sure.  

* * *

Even after the party ended, Jenkins didn’t return to the harem. The women there assumed he was preoccupied with imperial matters. Evelyn, however, remained isolated in her palace, plagued by constant nausea.  

“Ugh…!”  

Her stomach churned violently, and she vomited after every meal. The strain left her with blood vessels visible in her eyes, her appetite completely gone.

“Haa.”  

“I’ll call for a physician,” the elderly maid said, her voice filled with concern.  

Evelyn shook her head, her expression weary.  

“…It’s not necessary.”  

“Even if Lady Evelyn refuses, I must bring a physician. If it’s pregnancy…”  

“It’s not pregnancy,” Evelyn interrupted firmly. “I drank too much at the party.”  

In truth, she hadn’t consumed much alcohol at all. However, the possibility of pregnancy would complicate things immensely, and Evelyn had no intention of allowing a physician to confirm such suspicions. 

Despite her status as a slave, her current life was far from that of a typical slave. She could freely command maids who were once Peshar nobles, a privilege that highlighted her unique position.  

‘…Evelyn. Don’t you have anything to say to me?’  

Jenkins’s voice echoed in her mind. Since when had he known? That she had met Hector.  

Had Hector truly died? 

At this point, Evelyn couldn’t even be sure. Worse, her own life hung by a thread. No matter how much Jenkins cared for her, he would never forgive her if he believed she had conspired with those who tried to kill him.  

‘Even though I didn’t actually do anything.’  

“Lady Evelyn, if it’s pregnancy, it’s an important matter,” the maid continued insistently. “His Majesty the Emperor is too busy to come now, but if you’re pregnant, he’ll come gladly. Lady Evelyn’s status might even be elevated.”  

“…Elevated?” Evelyn asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.  

“Yes. He might grant you a title,” the maid replied with confidence.  

Evelyn could only laugh bitterly at the suggestion. She thought she understood now why Jenkins had reduced her to the status of a slave. He must have harbored resentment toward her ever since she disappeared from the border. 

They had only spent one night together, and they weren’t even in a proper relationship, yet he claimed to feel betrayed.  

‘What if I really am pregnant?’  

The thought struck her like a thunderbolt, leaving her conflicted. After a moment of hesitation, she looked at the maid and spoke.  

“Call for a physician. It’s probably just indigestion, but just in case…”  

“Yes! Understood!” the maid replied eagerly, hurrying off to fulfill her request.

The maid ordered a servant girl below her. Watching the servant girl run off after receiving orders to bring a physician, Evelyn lay down on the bed. Even though she hadn’t done anything, her body felt tired and sleepy.

* * *

How long had she slept?

When she woke up, Jenkins was looking down at her. Not having seen his face in who knows how long, Evelyn sat up in surprise.

“Jenkins…?”

It was dark outside. If a physician had come, enough time had passed for them to leave. The fact that Jenkins was here – could it mean she was pregnant? Evelyn gently stroked her belly.

“The physician came by.”

Jenkins sat on the bed and brushed Evelyn’s hair back. His warm attitude made Evelyn wonder if she really was pregnant. Jenkins had wanted pregnancy too.

“You’re not pregnant.”

“…What?”

“Well, of course you wouldn’t be pregnant. You’ve been taking contraceptives all along… The vomiting is a side effect of the contraceptives.”

“…I’ve been taking contraceptives?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Evelyn frowned. She had worried about what would happen if she became pregnant. But thinking ‘if you can’t escape, enjoy it,’ she had secretly thought having Jenkins’ child wouldn’t be so bad…

Evelyn grabbed Jenkins by the collar. She didn’t know why she felt so betrayed.

“…Didn’t you want me to get pregnant?”

“Would you want a woman who spreads her legs for anyone to bear children? A child whose father is unknown?”

“…!”

It sounded like he was referring to what happened with Ian Harper. Had she been under surveillance then too?

Jenkins pressed his finger firmly against the center of Evelyn’s chest.

“Evelyn. I gave you many chances, but you were never honest even once. If the Astian Emperor’s surprise attack had succeeded and I had died, would you have been happy?”

His eyes darkened. His still-cold blue eyes seemed to shine like blades even in the dark night. Evelyn wasn’t wearing clothes. Since clothing wasn’t permitted in this palace, she was still n*ked.

Jenkins’ hand squeezed her br*ast tightly.

“Ngh…!”

“Tell me. Are you still thinking of killing me now?”

“Mmgh.”

The finger rubbing her n*pple was sinister. With her face bright red, Evelyn couldn’t even block his hand and just groaned in distress.

“No… That’s not it. I never thought of killing you directly.”

“Hmm?”

Jenkins sucked on her n*pple with wet sounds. He examined her face, then laid Evelyn’s body down on the bed. Jenkins climbed on top and removed his pants.

“Then did you hope another man would kill me?”

Because of Jenkins slowly rubbing his menacing c*ck against her entrance, Evelyn’s body flinched.

“No. That’s not it either… It’s just that I…”

“You?”

“Because I’m a princess of the Astia Empire…”

She wanted to fulfill her responsibility as a princess, her feelings toward Jenkins, and Hector’s wishes all at once. Even knowing well that these were incompatible things, she couldn’t help it. With a squelching sound, his c*ck scraped against her vaginal walls as it entered.

“Ngh…!”

Perhaps because it had been so long since she’d been intimate with Jenkins, his member was still thick and long, filling her completely below. Every time he moved inside her v*gina stretched to its limit, tears trickled down.

‘Thinking about it long-term, taking contraceptives was fortunate…’

Evelyn spoke to Jenkins as he slowly moved his hips.

“Jen…kins. So how about… ngh, letting me go…?”

“…Why? To go to another man?”

She didn’t know why he twisted her words like that. Evelyn glared at him with a sullen expression.

“It’s not because of men… I don’t know… ngh… how to treat you… We can’t… work out.”

“Why can’t we work out?”

Thwack, his c*ck thr*st deep inside.

“Haah…!”

Evelyn’s body gradually felt overwhelmed by Jenkins’ weight. Her br*asts pressed against his firm chest as he came closer than anyone else. Their pubic hair rubbed together and their pelvises collided painfully. Feeling like she might suffocate, Evelyn wrapped her arms around Jenkins’ neck.

“Haa, haa… ngh. Jen…kins.”