I just walked all the way through the long corridor, but I couldn’t see a single royal knight, let alone him.

I became more and more nervous. By now, my father might have stopped by the captain’s office. If I didn’t solve this matter quickly, my father would clearly try to stop me from making the oath of blood.

When I was walking heavily around the corner, somebody suddenly grabbed me. I barely swallowed moaning and tried to identify who he was, standing before me.

He was none other than the emperor who stood up like a wall in front of me.

Although I was looking for him anxiously, I got cold feet when I ran into him. When I faced his cold look, my heart was beating fast.

“Your Majesty.”

“Where are you going so urgently, Sir Monique? Let’s talk for a moment. ”

When I stepped back, overwhelmed by his scary posture, I suddenly felt something cold touching my back. I looked up at him, trembling in spite of myself. I was becoming more and more timid, but I opened my mouth, vowing to stay calm, “… Actually, I was going to see you at the palace.”

“Why?”

“Please think twice about it and accept my oath…”

“I already said no. I don’t want you to mention it again.”

“But Your Majesty…”

His big shadow was cast all over me.

He approached me in no time and looked down at me, holding a pole with both hands.

I stiffened so much that I couldn’t say a word, so I slowly shut my mouth. I could do nothing but look up at him with trembling eyes.

“Aristia.”

“…”

“I love you.”

“… Your Majesty.”

“I love so much that I can’t even bother about what others think about me. No matter how hard I try to hold back my longing for you, I can’t.”

Although he said he loved me, I could see his navy blue eyes still burning with fury.

I freaked out when my eyes met his. My brain ordered me to run away, but my frozen hands and feet refused to carry out the order. I felt as if I was thrown in front of a crouching lion.

He slowly pulled his shoulders and bowed his head slowly.

He was getting closer to me.

If I could have my way, I could push him out, but somehow my body wouldn’t move. I swallowed when I felt his warm breathing on my face. My heart started beating faster.

His blue eyes disappeared under the eyelids, giving way to the shadow of his blue eyelashes.

Soon something soft touched my lips. I blushed when I felt his warm breathing when he kissed me.

Suddenly, he untied the hair tie in my hair with his hand and touched my hair as it tumbled down around my shoulders. I closed my surprised eyes slowly.

At the moment I grabbed his clothes to support my collapsing legs, he kissed my lips firmly. Because of his hot breathing and licking my mouth gently, I was spaced out. When he caressed my face carefully, I opened my mouth unconsciously.

Something soft was pushed into my mouth. My tightly closed eyelashes trembled at the strange sensation. My frozen body began to melt when he kissed me deeply.

When I grabbed his neck unconsciously, carried away by his deep kiss, he hugged me tight while caressing my back.

I felt his heart beating fast, too. I moaned because of his intense deep kiss, and I was short of breath because of his more aggressive move. My head was in the clouds.

Though I knew I was rude, I twisted my whole body and pushed him away.

His lips broke apart from mine.

He pulled me when I was gasping for breath, and patted my back gently. I blushed when I saw his strong chest that was moving up and down because of his short breath.

‘Oh my God, what did I do now?’

He said nothing, even though I disengaged my body quickly, which could be seen as very rude. He was just looking at me with an indescribable expression. He also seemed very confused with anger in his blue eyes gone now.

I came to my senses when I noticed his look.

Ooop! I didn’t want to do it!

“Aristia.”

“… Yes, Your Majesty. ”

“That…”

As if he had no idea what to say, he opened his mouth after hesitating for a while, “I’m sorry. I promised you that I would not force you to do what you didn’t want, but I was out of my mind for a moment. ”

“… No, Your Majesty. ”

“But… ”

He swallowed trying to say what he wanted to say, and after a while he opened his mouth again.

“But Aristia, I’m serious about what I told you a moment ago. I want to have you stay by my side as a dear woman I love, not as a loyal vassal.”

“… ”

“Can’t you be my wife? Can you marry me and live with me instead of being the head of the Monique family?”

“Your Majesty?”

I was at a loss about what to do when he asked seriously. My head was spinning like a top.

No way! This is not what I want! How did this happen?

I really didn’t know he would refuse my oath. Wasn’t he regarded as better than the late emperor in making a rational judgment? How could I have expected that he, blinded by passion, would kick out the strong supporter who would absolutely protect him throughout his reign?

I was very confused. I had no idea what to do or how to act.

He said with a sigh, watching me at a loss about what to do.

“You always make me impatient.”

“… ”

“I thought that I was better at controlling my emotions than anybody else, but I can’t do it about you. If I take a step back, you run away two steps, so I find myself coming closer to you for fear of losing you. I know that you are not ready yet, but I have come to act foolishly like this.”

“… Your Majesty.”

“This time I just tried to watch you from behind, but you are trying to get away from me in an extreme way again. Why are you rejecting me?”

His serious voice and earnest look. As someone who used to hide what he felt, he was now beginning to confide in me, which made me speechless.

“Aristia.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. ”

“I know it’s premature, and I also know that you are shunning me. I will no longer ask you to come and stand by me. I won’t ask you to come to me…So, please don’t run away from me. ”

I avoided his glance furtively.

I had mixed feelings at the fact that he wanted me so desperately that he was so submissive instead of being so proud and arrogant. Fear, joy, bitterness, and excitement. As I was afraid of the joy arising from my empty heart, I looked up at him with trembling eyes, trying to calm down, and said, “Why are you acting like this, Your Majesty? Please think twice and make a wise judgment. How can you give up the absolute loyalty of the Monique family because of your fleeting affection for me? It’s not like you at all, Your Majesty!”

“Fleeting affection in exchange for absolute loyalty? Well, you seem to be convinced that I’ll change my mind quite soon. ”

He sighed as if he was frustrated and said, placing his hand on my shoulder and looking at me,

“I don’t know why you think so, Aristia. Well, I would have accepted the suggestion of the late emperor and the noble faction if I had treated you lightly. If I had accepted Lady Jena, I would have easily taken you as my concubine. Why do you think I’m sticking it out for you even when I’m being pressed so much?”

“…”

“It’s because I wanted to win your heart. If I had been so reckless to change my mind so easily, I would have taken you as my wife a long time ago without having to ask your opinion. Besides…”

He stopped while trying to say something when a royal knight approached him. Then he turned and stopped in front of me and said, “What’s the matter?”

“Your Majesty, the Captain of the 2nd Knights Division is coming this way. What shall I do? ”