Chapter 3 (2/2)

How long has it been? I raised my head, surprised to hear the door open loudly. He was standing there, losing his temper. How did he come here? I was very puzzled, but I got up and bowed to him out of courtesy.

“I’m honored to see the Sun of Empire, Your Majesty…”

At that moment, he slapped me in the face.

My head was turned back. I barely held back a groan, covering my burning cheeks with both hands, thinking, ‘I should not show him the ugly side of mine. ‘

He stared at me for a while and he said in a cold voice, “What did you say to Jiun? Did you tell her you were the legitimate empress? ”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Then, why is she crying? Why did you tell her to leave? ”

“That’s because…”

I was speechless for a moment. I couldn’t figure out what to say. While hesitating, he seemed already convinced that I had spoken some evil words to her. When I met his cool eyes looking down at me contemptuously, I felt heartbroken just like I used to whenever I met his eyes.

Although I felt resentful, I didn’t use any harsh language towards her.

I felt it regrettable that she became the empress, but I’ve never thought that the position of the empress was mine. Actually, I had never thought so even before she appeared because he was

never warm to me.

“Do you really want to be my wife?”

“Your Majesty?”

“For what? I know that love is never the reason. There is no chance that a cold woman like you who doesn’t moan when I hit your cheek can love me. If so, what is it? Your family is still living in splendor and honor, so you don’t have any reason to be the empress for your family. Why are you acting like this? Are you going to give birth to the next emperor for the interests of your faction?”

Everything he said turned into a dagger and stabbed my heart. While I was standing by his side, I just tried to protect myself against those who tried to find my mistakes all the time. Even though I wasn’t loved by him, I wanted to be a woman who could love him freely and help him with what he was doing.

“Take it off.”

“… Pardon?”

I could hardly believe my ears when he said that unexpectedly. When I looked up at him with trembling eyes, I noticed his eyes sparkling strangely. I felt goosebumps at his twisted smile.

“If you want to be my wife, let me make you mine now.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Why are you pretending to hesitate? Didn’t you say that, expecting me to do this? ”

“No, Your Majesty! Please don’t!”

While I was trying to get out of his rough grip, I begged him to stop.

I was so scared when he undressed me as if he was taking my clothes off violently. I was seized by extreme fear at the moment.

The moment I struggled to pull my hands from him, I suddenly recalled that he had never come to Jiun’s bedroom before. I don’t know why, but it was certain that he didn’t, because that’s what the court ladies standing outside her room said.

‘If that’s the case…’

I was trembling when I thought that. If I accepted him now, could he treat me a bit differently? If I had his baby, would he take care of me? Isn’t he a man who grew up alone without any relatives? If he had a child who could succeed him, couldn’t he care for me as the child’s mother?

I slowly stopped moving my body. I took a deep breath while trying to calm my heart that was beating like crazy. I said in a calm tone, opening my trembling lips, “Although I’m not your official wife, I’m your concubine, so this is not the right way for you to treat me. I want to undress myself, so please respect me.”