“Be my concubine.”

When Charlen said that, Katharine’s lips trembled like someone encountering a strange foreign language she had never heard before, and she couldn’t give any answer.

At first, she couldn’t even understand his words.

Then, as the word “concubine” was engraved in her brain and she gradually began to understand what it meant, Katharine’s already pale face turned even whiter like a blank sheet of paper.

“What are you…”

Katharine shook off his arms constricting her waist as if they were filthy sewage and stepped back a few steps.

But only the cold wall touched her back, and there was nowhere else to retreat.

Charlen approached Katharine and picked up a cherry rolling on a plate and swallowed it.

The sight of the small red flesh being crushed and mashed between his teeth couldn’t have looked more chilling.

“Why are you so surprised? Isn’t this something you expected to some extent?”

“Have you finally gone mad?”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly sane.”

“No. You’re not in your right mind now. If your mind was fully intact, you wouldn’t be able to make such a proposal to me.”

“Regrettably, it’s not a proposal but an order.”

“Please stop this nonsense.”

Katharine barely squeezed out her voice, so agitated that the whites of her eyes were clearly marked with red blood vessels.

She only now realized that when a person is too shocked, they can’t even speak properly.

“Katharine. I must have told you once before. The Khan Kingdom is mine. The Khan royal family is mine. And you, who stay and work in that royal family, are also mine.”

“No. You can never have me, even if you die and come back to life. Do you know why?”

Katharine continued, putting strength into her eyes.

“You once had me completely, but you pushed me away with your own hands. Without giving me time to overcome the wounds. Without even caring whether I rotted and decayed in a corner.”

“……”

“And now, what, you want me to be your concubine?”

For a moment, a faint trace of wavering flashed across Charlen’s face.

But he responded with thorough disregard, as if Katharine’s words were unimportant.

“Tonight we’ll return to the Khan Kingdom. I’ll treat you as my official concubine with proper formalities and systems, and grant you corresponding territory and titles. You’ll live a luxurious life with royal support until you die, don’t you like that?”

His petty thought that he could capture her heart with wealth and power was utterly arrogant and cunning.

Katharine barely suppressed the heat rushing to her head by taking a deep breath calmly, like her usual self.

“What are you trying to do by making me your concubine? You must have some reason prepared as an excuse, right?”

“You have crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”

“A line?”

“I clearly warned you several times. Not to get close to Emperor Farnese.”

Charlen rummaged through his inner pocket and took out the lapis lazuli hairpin he had taken away.

The lapis lazuli, as if the deep sea itself had been transplanted, glimmered lonely among the delicate gold threads.

He waved the gold thread in the air, as if tormenting an innocent butterfly.

“In the Renel Empire, lapis lazuli is called the eye of god and treated as the highest jewel. It’s usually a precious item given when proposing in the imperial family, but surely Emperor Farnese wouldn’t intend to make you empress. Then there’s only one answer.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“Emperor Farnese intends to make you his concubine.”

“……”

“You know too. The rumors that the emperor has dozens of hidden concubines, and they live locked up in secret villas that no one knows about.”

“What’s your basis for claiming those baseless rumors are true?”

“I’ve seen it a few times. Emperor Farnese disappearing somewhere suddenly. Occasionally riding out far on horseback and returning only at dawn. Each time, he seemed to come back with large and small scratches on his body. It must be because he has violent and bizarre tastes. Well? Do you feel inclined to believe me now?”

“No.”

Katharine answered immediately without a moment’s hesitation.

Charlen’s brow twitched and convulsed.

“I’ve decided not to judge someone recklessly based on unfounded rumors. Just as Emperor Farnese didn’t judge me at face value.”

“I can somewhat understand how you managed to gain that cold-blooded emperor’s favor.”

Charlen strode over and grabbed Katharine’s chin.

“While your personality is problematic, your appearance is quite decent, so you must have flattered him with that pretty face and said appropriately pleasing words. You must have had the grand delusion that you could become empress and succeed.”

“Think what you will. Trying to explain myself to someone like you would only hurt my mouth. But you know what?”

Katharine said, pushing away Charlen’s hand.

“You seem to have forgotten the fact that you too are trying to make me your concubine with inappropriate intentions.”

“No. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not doing this because I have other feelings for you. It’s to safely monitor you, who might betray our Khan Kingdom someday.”

“Then I should bite my tongue and die as soon as possible. Rather than living a humiliating life as your concubine, wandering this world as a ghost would be a much more rewarding life.”

Katharine snatched the pitiful butterfly from Charlen’s hand and left the dining hall without looking back.

As she came out into the corridor, she saw a familiar pair of feet and white skirt hem disappearing hurriedly around the corner.

It was definitely Rose.

“I will treat you as my official concubine with proper formalities and systems, and grant you corresponding territory and titles.”

Rose, who was about to go ask Charlen if he knew anything about the suspicious man called Aster, witnessed the shocking scene of Charlen proposing to Katharine to become his concubine.

Rose, nearly losing her mind, ran out to the garden and collapsed onto the grass.

As if mocking the mental shock she had suffered, the beautifully blooming tulips were swaying idly in the wind.

“I-impossible. This can’t be. I-I must have heard wrong.”

“What’s impossible?”

Rose jumped in surprise and looked up.

Aster was standing there with a slight question and a light smile on his face.

“It’s none of your business, so leave.”

Rose hurriedly got up and brushed the dust off her skirt.

Aster let out a prolonged “hmm” and carefully approached to remove a blade of grass stuck to Rose’s hair.

Rose stared at him with wide eyes, as if finding him strange.

“Why do you keep hovering around me? If you want something from me, don’t even dream about it!”

“I don’t want anything.”

“What?”

“Ah, there is one thing.”

Aster gently pulled up the corners of Rose’s mouth with two fingers.

“I’d like to see Her Majesty the Queen smile brightly. That would be enough.”

“W-what are you saying? Are you d-daring to trifle with the Queen of Khan?”

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to tease you. I was just concerned about why you always wear such a troubled expression with that beautiful face.”

Rose touched her cheeks in bewilderment.

This was a first for her.

She had been busy being compared unfavorably to her sister, who never went a day without receiving courtship from gentlemen, but she hadn’t even heard the word “beautiful” from Charlen yet.

“Have you been watching me?”

“I know it may sound presumptuous, but the truth is I’ve been watching Your Majesty the Queen for quite some time. No, rather than watching, I found myself cheering for you without realizing it.”

“What do you mean?”

“There were times when you would rarely attend small parties following Katharine, right? Ever since I noticed how you strived despite not being favored within your family, how you tried your best to face people with a smile even though socializing was difficult for you, I couldn’t help but take notice.”

I’m sure this must feel unpleasant.

Aster smiled apologetically, lightly touching his neck.

Rose couldn’t help but be surprised to learn that she had been receiving positive attention from someone without her knowledge. This had never happened before, so she didn’t even know how to respond.

He continued:

“I also believe there must have been a deep misunderstanding about what happened at the recent reading. I couldn’t attend due to other engagements, but I found it admirable how you tried to stay strong and dignified despite that.”

“That’s… well, I’m the queen after all. It’s only natural that I don’t crumble so easily.”

“It’s not natural at all. I think you have every reason to be confident.”

Rose composed herself, smoothing her disheveled hair.

As unfamiliar praise poured in, she found the man before her even more suspicious, yet at the same time felt an inexplicable thrill.

“On the other hand, Katharine is nothing like Your Majesty the Queen.”

“You know my elder sister?”

“Yes. I saw her in passing a few times while attending the Royal School. But once she bumped into my shoulder without apologizing, and she seemed to toy with other gentlemen’s attention.”

Aster quietly rolled his eyes between his narrowed lids, observing Rose’s expression.

As her eyes wavered slightly, Aster continued to fan the flames that had just begun to rise, in order to make them grow even larger.

“Unlike Katharine, who always calculates gains and losses and puts reason first, I thought Your Majesty the Queen was someone who valued people’s hearts.”

“So what are you trying to say?”

“I’ve always felt it was a shame that Your Majesty’s potential and talents were overshadowed by Katharine. From what I can see, Your Majesty was born with much more excellent qualities. If you have any concerns, please tell me. I might be able to help.”

Rose finally looked at Aster’s face properly, trying to suppress her heart that was rippling with unfamiliar joy.

Upon closer inspection, he was quite an attractive man with a charming atmosphere.

She thought it might not be bad to at least remember the face of someone like this.

“Actually, I just happened to have a concern.”

Rose looked at Aster with a subtle gaze, trailing off at the end of her sentence.

Aster bowed personally and smiled benevolently.

“Please tell this Aster anything, my dear Queen.”

Breaking down the other person’s guard with insincere smiles and flattery.

That was one of the things Aster did best.