It was the first time the emperor had come to her at dusk, not late at night, and though Isabel was quietly startled, she made sure not to show it on her face.

“What brings you here?”

She asked softly, as the setting sun spilled through the open door. The emperor’s black hair glowed against the backlight, tinted red by the sunset, as if it were burning.

A deep, vivid crimson dyed his entire body.

And not just that—he was covered in blood.

As the emperor, who had been leaning by the door, stepped into her room, the stench of blood grew stronger.

“What else could it be?”

The emperor closed the distance in an instant and, with a hand around the back of Isabel’s neck, locked eyes with her. He leaned in, bringing his face close to hers. The embrace she’d been forced to grow accustomed to was as unyielding as ever.

“What else is there for us to do, if not this?”

The emperor’s mocking arms gave her no chance to escape.

Held tightly, Isabel tried to endure a moment longer, but she looked away. She found herself staring at his body, so close she could feel his breath—more precisely, at the parts of him soaked in blood.

The thick, sticky liquid could not possibly have come from a beast. Its colour and texture were completely different. As she absentmindedly followed the murky crimson trails across his body, the Emperor gave a short, dry laugh and spoke.

“Why are you staring at my body like that?”

His tall, solid frame—at least a hand and a half taller than Isabel—cast a dark shadow over her. Before she could answer, he pressed his lips to hers once more.

No matter how many times it happened, the sensation of his lips never felt familiar. His hand, cupping her cheek, left her no way to retreat.

“Don’t tell me you actually want to bathe me yourself?”

The tone was oddly familiar — was it indulgence or mockery? As he paused, Isabel gasped silently for air.

When the relationship began, she’d expected nothing but to be treated worse than an animal. Yet sometimes, the way he pulled her in and gazed down at her made her wonder if he was merely admiring his spoils of war. It left her wondering.

“If that is what Your Majesty wishes, then yes.”

Turning her head slightly, she felt the searing heat retreat by a step. Lowering her gaze, she played at being reserved.

“I will prepare to serve you right away, if that is your desire.”

“Haa…”

The emperor let out a low sigh and clicked his tongue. As if my lack of reaction had ruined the mood, he lowered his gaze and took hold of Isabel’s wrist.

Without offering any resistance, she was led to the bath. Their footsteps echoed in the spacious bathroom as she followed him. The crimson afterglow of the sunset streamed through the large windows, bathing the white marble tiles and their bodies in its light.

“Well, go on, then. Show me.”

“As you command—”

Isabel started to reply, but stopped when the emperor continued walking even after reaching the half-filled bathtub.

They were both still fully clothed, yet he stepped into the water as if it were no big deal. Startled, Isabel was too taken aback to say anything more, so she simply sat down beside him.

Instead, she sat quietly beside him.

His white robes soon became soaked through, but Isabel remained silent.

“But why do you always pretend to be so obedient?”

Just as she was about to answer, Isabel noticed the unfamiliar layout of the bathroom behind the emperor, who frowned slightly.

It was not far from her room, but she never had any reason to come here unless dragged in by him. It felt awkward and strange.

Yet, in the end, nothing had really changed.

Today, the location simply wasn’t the bedroom, but what followed was always the same—being pulled along by him and forced to endure whatever came next.

As the blood clinging to the emperor’s body was washed away, red ripples swirled around him, tracing the path of a crimson serpent.

The scent of blood stung her nose, sharp and piercing.

Isabel opened her mouth, expressionless.

“My apologies, if I have displeased you.”

She hadn’t always played at being so obedient in front of him.

Having witnessed the tragic fates of everyone distantly related to the late king, except Kailhart himself, few could face him with their heads held high.

Although he was both feared and revered, Isabel had never truly feared the emperor.

However, it had only been a short time since he had executed her maid in her place after falsely accusing her of a crime.

Losing someone so close to her so suddenly left Isabel stunned.

Why? Why?

When she’d managed to grit her teeth and ask him, the answer she received was this:

“Because punishing someone close to you is far more effective than punishing you directly.”

Just as she’d suspected on their wedding night, the emperor had never intended to treat her as a person.

After that incident, Isabel kept no one close. She let no one near her. She couldn’t afford to. She never knew when the emperor’s whim might have someone else beheaded in her place.

And so, Isabel chose isolation of her own accord.

She had learned it painfully early in life: The more hostile your surroundings, the greater your chances of survival if you kept your mouth shut and hid your emotions.

The emperor, who had been caressing Isabel’s cheek with the back of his hand, shifted her position again, pulling her to straddle his waist. Isabel steadied her breath.

Just as he had said, there was nothing to do here except prepare his bath. At his curt gesture, she began to undress him, focusing silently on the task at hand.

His uniform today resembled a military coat, but Isabel thought it did little to flatter his sturdy build. It was strictly utilitarian.

It was designed so that, even if it was torn off in battle, it wouldn’t trap the wearer inside it. It wasn’t easy to remove, but after several attempts, his body was finally exposed.

Listening to the gentle splash of water, Isabel moved her hands. With her eyes downcast, she mapped the places that he responded to when touched, committing them to memory.

As she worked in silence, a low moan escaped the emperor’s lips.

“Was it another rebellion?”

Even soaked in water, the blood on the crimson cuffs refused to wash out, the clear water turning dark red.
As she glanced sideways at the stubborn stains and asked, the emperor gave a faint smile.

“Yes. After I beheaded their leader, the rest lost their will to fight. Cleaning up didn’t take long.”

“I see.”

She could picture the scene without seeing it: The emperor at the center, subduing chaos in an instant—a disaster sweeping through the region, silenced in less than a day.

The borderlands were always plagued by conflict and often became the emperor’s arena. Rather than dispatch imperial troops, Kailhart would go himself and personally behead the rebels.

Although Kailhart was no warmonger, he had an overwhelming talent for fighting and taking what he wanted by force. This could mean stirring up a stagnant situation or inciting others to action.

“The blind prophet has brought an end to this world!”

He was the sworn enemy of Isabel and the people of Sainte-Au. Even before his army had marched, Kailhart had sent agents throughout her homeland to cause division among the supporters of Crown Princess Isaya.

They shouted, “To usher in the age of men, we must first kill the gods and cast every idol into the flames!”

Their voices drowned out the quiet prayers of the faithful, and amid the chaos that ensued, opportunists betrayed their own people by feeding information to the invading soldiers.

By the time Kailhart’s army arrived, the war was almost won. Once considered contemptible, Kailhart had become a leading contender for the throne.

Proving himself on the battlefield was the only thing left for him to do before succession.

“And is that all you have to say about it?”

Isabel had intended to stay silent, but at the emperor’s insistence—not to just sit there like a mute but to say something, anything—she reluctantly opened her mouth to reply.

“If Your Majesty moves personally… won’t it cause inconvenience and extra work for those under you?”

Even now, years after he ascended the throne and established military and administrative stability within the empire, he has never hesitated to lead his troops into battle when necessary. Just as he did today, the Emperor led his troops in person to quell the unrest.

This wasn’t just for show — he often went to the front lines himself. As he sometimes muttered in bed, if the man at the top led by example and fought with everything he had, those beneath him would fight just as fiercely.

“Let them be busy and uncomfortable.”

“Pardon?”

“They only talk so much because they’re comfortable, don’t you think?”

The emperor gave a short laugh and reached out, stopping Isabel and wrapping his hand around her wrist.

She reflexively tensed, and he dipped his head, resting his forehead on the shoulder exposed between the folds of her damp gown.

“Didn’t you hear me?”