Chapter 3

“Your Majesty, I heard news of your victory.”

“….”

“King Herace and my brothers trembled in fear when they heard it. You should have seen how pale their faces turned—a bastard prince, a mere prisoner, became emperor? They couldn’t believe it.”

At last, Saydin met Luan’s gaze. Same as always, his violet eyes remained just as astounding.

Among her half-siblings, the eldest was crueler; he always mocked those eyes, vowing to gouge them out with an iron skewer.

Saydin lived in fear. Even though she knew that in the original Luan never lost his sight, she had always been afraid that he would get hurt.

Lost in these memories, Saydin parted her dry lips and spoke.

“That was enough for me. I have no fond memories of the palace, but that alone—”

She smiled—the first sincere smile in a while.

“It became a precious memory.”

Saydin bit her lip hard, but soon, as if nothing had happened, she continued gently.

“…Of course, that doesn’t mean I ever thought of Your Majesty in a special way.”

“….”

“Ah! I suppose I did think of you in particular. I often wondered when Your Majesty would finally march upon the kingdom. As you know, my treatment in the palace was far from kind. Hehe.”

Saydin laughed foolishly, hoping to shake off Luan’s gaze—growing hotter now, turbulent with emotion. Pressing her back against the bedpost, she chattered on, eager to fill the space between them.

“But Your Majesty, you were still thinking of your childhood friend. It’s been 10 years since the insolent kingdom has stood in the empire’s way. In such a chaotic situation, you seized the throne—how difficult must it have been to restore order among the vassal states?”

Luan—who had been watching her every move as if engraving her laughter, her chatter, and her very expression into his mind—spoke languidly.

“So, Princess… Are you saying you wish to be friends?”

Friends.

If she wanted to alter the original course of events while staying by Luan’s side, being a friend might be better than a vassal. As Saydin hesitated, Luan gazed at her and murmured tenderly.

“How lovely. A boy friend, no less. What a peculiar title.”

Momentarily stunned, Saydin held her breath before speaking in a low voice.

“D-Don’t say things that could create misunderstandings!”

“I said it so you would misunderstand. Because I want it to be true.”

Luan’s violet eyes gleamed as he spoke—so innocent yet fervent.

‘…Hey. Are you even listening to a single word I’m saying?’

And yet, the way he looked at her was unsettling—so much so that Saydin swallowed back the scolding.

It was strange. It shouldn’t be happening, and yet… her heart pounded wildly.

Luan’s gaze burned so intensely, so desperately. The boy she had once known was almost unrecognizable. Now stood a man whose features had sharpened and refined with time. Slightly tousled black hair; the calm glimmer of amethyst eyes; and strong, well-defined lines on his face. And beneath that straight nose—lips tinted a deep red.

Staring blankly at those lips, Saydin was struck by time.

How had the silent, tormented boy—who had never once spoken back during his days as a prisoner—grown into someone so shameless?

Watching him now, she could only swallow dryly. She stared blankly at the male lead, who was rushing toward a literal world-destroying ending simply because he liked her. For the sake of world peace, it was her duty to crush Luan’s first love.

‘That’s right! I can do this!’

Saydin steeled herself. Folding her arms tightly, she narrowed her eyes and spoke again, her voice firm.

“Your Majesty, even if I cared for you when you were a prisoner, I’m still a member of the Herace royal family. While it’s true that I was mistreated—”

“I see.”

Luan nodded slowly, his eyes bending lightly. His expression was that of a diligent student attentively listening to a lecture, giving Saydin a sliver of hope.

‘Maybe he’s actually listening to reason.’

“That’s why,” she continued, “I could never address Your Majesty with such an indecorous title as ‘boyfriend’—our statuses are simply too differe—”

“There is no one in this empire who would dare treat you with disrespect. A princess who stands above even the emperor—”

“That’s quite a terrifying thing to say, fufu.”

Saydin forced a laugh, putting on a brazen front. However, that very sight only made Luan’s heart burn even more intensely.

He finally had rescued his first love. He had placed her on his bed. Was that why? His heart burned hotter than ever. He thought just how immense her presence was in this imperial palace.

At last, Luan reached out—still clad in that loosely draped robe that seemed ready to slip from his shoulders at the slightest movement. He extended his arm, and in an instant, Saydin found herself pressed against his chest.

Startled, she gasped. It wasn’t because the distance suddenly narrowed. Rather, it was the unbearable temptation of touching him—more precisely, his firm, well-defined chest.

‘Ugh—no! Control yourself!’

Desperately, Saydin curled her fingers inward—shrinking them back just as one would a roasted sweet potato skin crisping under heat. Just then, Luan reached past her and pulled on a long cord behind her.

Ding. The soft chime of a bell rang from the bedside, and at that sound, a flood of attendants rushed into the Emperor’s chambers.

“My gosh!”

Noticing the movement outside the bedroom, Saydin blinked and panicked. Frantically, she pulled the blanket up to cover herself before the servants saw her in her satin sleepwear.

She was about to bury her face in the blanket, but that was a mistake.

As the crumpled blanket shifted, Luan’s posture faltered—just enough for his robe to slip completely off his shoulders, exposing his tautly sculpted abs and chest.

And that sight alone sent a tremor through Saydin’s heart. Unfortunately for her, in this world, no one was more breathtakingly beautiful than Luan.

‘D-don’t think that!’

“Princess.”

“Your Majesty, I-I’m not feeling well. I’d prefer to be alone right now.”

“The physician examined your physical and magical condition before you woke up. He said you merely needed rest. But are you saying you’re still unwell?”

‘That damned physician.’

Of course, Saydin felt perfectly fine. She could probably do a backflip right now if she wanted.

‘Ugh.’ She pouted slightly, but quickly pressed her lips together.

If she wanted to establish herself as merely a friend, this was the moment. Being a loyal subject was out of the question—there was no way she could convincingly play that role in this situation.

So, the tragic male lead’s female friend was the perfect niche to claim.

Just then, Luan spoke again, cautiously.

“If you are feeling well, I would like to introduce you to the attendants assigned to serve you. No one in this imperial palace would dare treat you with anything less than the utmost respect.”

“Pardon?”

It was a strange thing to say. Could they really treat a princess of a fallen kingdom with such high regard?

As if to prove his words, Luan rang the bell once more. At the sound, a group of servants entered the bedroom with solemn reverence.

In that moment, Saydin faced the undeniable reality—

She was the woman who had taken possession of the emperor’s bedroom.

⋆｡°✩    ★    ✩°｡⋆

That night, Saydin was polished and cleaned with the help of the maids. But was still in the emperor’s chambers.

Every time she attempted to step outside, the maids would make a great fuss, preventing her from leaving. Perhaps she could have insisted, but truthfully, she was too mentally drained to put up a fight.

Before long, she drifted into a deep sleep. The more troubled her mind was, the sleepier she became. Amidst the exhaustion and fatigue of sleep, she thought of Luan’s face. The war, which had been the turning point that led her to see him again, also crossed her mind.

Perhaps that was why, when Luan returned from his duties, she spoke to him as she once had long ago. Like the princess who took care of him when he was a captive.

“Luan?”

Luan, who had quietly entered, smiled faintly. Looking at the sleepy princess, who laid her head on the pillow with her hair disheveled, he whispered.

“Did I wake you?”

He had carelessly thrown the emperor’s cloak onto the floor.

With confident strides, he approached and sat down beside her; the bed sank deeply under his weight.

Startled, Saydin woke up fully and raised herself, straightening her posture and clearing her throat.

“Your Majesty, it seems I spoke carelessly in my drowsiness.”

“That’s alright, Princess. I enjoy your carelessness quite a lot.”