Not a single glance could hold his attention.

‘How can I marry Elizabeth? If the proposal succeeds, what should I do first?’

The wolf advised to give up on Elizabeth.

If he truly loved her, he should do that.

Nicholas acknowledged that fact and almost accepted it.

‘Love is an unnecessary emotion for an emperor. It’s useless for protecting the empire. Especially in a life coexisting with the wolf. Just watching over the underworld flowers makes every day like a war.’

That’s how he tried to convince himself.

He tried to keep the imperial injunction of not loving and not being happy.
But Nicholas was a human being.

He was also a man with a passionate heart.

A woman he wanted, even if he had to give up everything, had appeared.

Even if labeled as selfish, it didn’t matter.

With Elizabeth, he could endure anything.

Her fragrance and sweetness alone were enough.

“I will wash your back, Your Majesty.”

Maidens rubbed the soap bubbles on the sea surface between his fingers.

The sensation of Elizabeth still lingered in the grip.

The thin fingers that seemed to break when squeezed and the smooth skin like a glass artwork caused a sigh, igniting the possessiveness that had been pressed down like a wildfire.

“I will clean your ears, Your Majesty.”

With silk towels, the maidens carefully wiped away the water droplets on his face.

When the towel touched his lips, Nicholas felt the desire for Elizabeth bubbling up as if about to burst like a freshly bloomed rose.

The fragrant and enchanting lips, like petals that had just burst open, swayed in his memory.

‘How could I live without Elizabeth? It feels like I’ll go crazy just imagining it. I have to hurry before the moiré takes her away.’

She was chosen by the goddess of Morashionia.

She was the only one who discovered and used the divine water.

The priests, including Arkanso, would surely spread the news of the saint’s reincarnation.

Elizabeth’s status would change overnight.

Perhaps Elizabeth could leave a greater legacy than the revered emperor praised by historians and theologians.

Before arriving at the palace, I wanted to hear Elizabeth’s answer.

I wanted to cut off the anxiety that she might be lost.

There was such impatience behind Nicholas’s abrupt and clumsy proposal.

‘I will make her happier than any other woman in the world. I just need to protect the greatest and most beautiful empress with my own hands. So that not even the wolf can touch her.’

Feeling scared and hesitating, he found himself foolish.

There was no man who could cherish Elizabeth more than he did.

Fate and duty were all nonsense in front of Elizabeth.

First, he had to turn her hesitant heart around.

If necessary, he was determined to use all means, whether it be power or strategy.

‘A failed proposal is the end. I will definitely succeed and welcome Elizabeth as the empress!’

Without warning, Nicholas jumped up.

“Ack!”

As water splashed from the bathtub, the maidens exclaimed, whether in a scream or admiration.

Shortly after, he knelt on the bathroom floor, bowing his head.

“I-I apologize, Your Majesty!”

While begging for forgiveness, the maidens subtly glanced at Nicholas’s sculpted physique.

Of course, he had no intention of caring about them.

He promised to come back when leaving the palace.

The palace had become as familiar as my own home.

Therefore, it was even more frightening.

The countless desires embedded in the palace were laid bare, like fingerprints on the palm of a hand.
Except for one person, Claudia.

“You’re here.”

A creaky and awkward voice escaped from the lips.

Claudia, who noticed my presence, sheathed her sword.

Sweat dripped down her alabaster-white forehead.

“How did you find me?”

Claudia asked indifferently.

It seemed more curious than unpleasant.

“I have a friend who is well-informed about palace news.”

Using magic, it was easy to follow Claudia.

I quickly learned that she used the serene and pleasant emperor’s ceremonial hall as her personal training ground.

Claudia shrugged as if she didn’t expect the secret to be kept.

“Tell Her Majesty that I’ve been rude.”

“I won’t tell Her Majesty that I met Claudia here. Even if the other party is Her Majesty.”

“Do as you wish.”

Claudia’s blue eyes stared at me.

It seemed like she meant to talk about the purpose of my visit.

‘Every time I see her, I feel it again. She’s truly beautiful. Much more than the Claudia I imagined. I wonder if she knows how much I loved those blue eyes.’

She would never know how much I adored those blue eyes.

Her confidently straightened shoulders and the well-trained body of a knight.

The silver hair tied into one and the unchanging expression in any situation.

She didn’t know that I admired all of it.

‘I wanted to be you. At least, I wished to be your comrade. You were always in a place I couldn’t reach. Even more so after possessing Elizabeth.’

Claudia felt more distant than when I was a reader.

A whirlpool of rushing waters flowed between the original female lead and the original villainess.

I wanted to cross that river.

I believed that only then could I completely escape from the guillotine.

But do I really have to?

Can’t we walk in the same direction along the river?

Our strides and speeds may be different, but won’t we eventually reach each other if we just keep going in one direction?

“I have something to ask.”

“Ask.”

“What do you think you’ll do if I become the empress?”

Claudia showed no signs of disturbance.

As if she had predicted such a situation.

The short silence felt stifling.

As I fiddled with the hem of my clumsy dress, she questioned me.

“What… do I… have to do?”

Is she pretending not to know?

Or is she testing my reaction?

After taking a deep breath, I looked directly into Claudia’s eyes.

“Doesn’t Claudia know my past better than anyone else?”

“So?”

“Her Majesty, despite knowing that I, a villainess, will become the empress. Don’t you think she considers me an irredeemable tyrant?”