Douglas knelt down neatly.

It was strange how he didn’t look submissive at all, even while taking a posture of subjugation.

“Elizabeth is a benefactor to me and my family.”

“And?”

“Miss Elizabeth does not wish to marry Your Majesty. Please accept the sacred object and consider her wishes.”

Nikolai let out a short laugh.

The corners of his mouth curved upwards.

It was the most chilling smile I had ever seen.

‘Was this the same playboy who smiled brightly? He’s not a tyrant, but a murderer! Douglas, run away!’

While cold sweat formed on my hands, Douglas’s expression remained unchanged.

This seemed to twist Nikolai’s mood.

“The imperial order was given to that woman, not you.”

“Your Majesty!”

“Only the Nettleton family, who owns the sacred object, has the right to refuse. That woman who broke off her engagement with you has no rights.”

“But…!”

“Escort the Empress to her chambers!”

The guards seized me.

I frowned involuntarily at their strong grip.

“Let go!”

“Please do not resist. You will get hurt.”

A cold fury settled on Nikolai’s beautiful face.

He seemed angry at the knights for not quickly removing me from his sight.

“Elizabeth!”

Douglas reached out his hand towards me.

I wanted to grab that hand too.

“Lord Douglas!”

But the knights did not allow it.

Neither did the Emperor.

“If you wish to live with your body intact, do not act rashly.”

Nikolai spat out the words.

A killing intent that pierced the lungs flowed from his body.

Douglas did not yield and held up the box containing the sacred object with both hands.

“Please accept the honor and loyalty of House Nettleton.”

“You dare to defy me to the end?”

“If I were to marry Elizabeth, wouldn’t she gain the right to refuse?”

“!”

“I, Douglas Nettleton, hereby take Elizabeth Emster as my wife!”

A silence like cold water being poured descended.

The nobles in shock looked at the young head of the fallen marquis family.

Unwavering determination shone in Douglas’s brown eyes, which had been as moist and soft as freshly baked bread.

He had not brought the sacred object, but himself prepared for death.

All to save me from the hands of the tyrant Nikolai.

“I have brought the marriage contract. Please grant your approval.”

As if thinking determination alone was not enough, Douglas pulled out a neatly folded paper from his breast.

I widened my eyes.

It was the marriage contract that the original Elizabeth had written 5 years ago to torment Douglas.

“Get on your knees and beg, Dougie. I might accidentally get this document notarized, you know?”

To think he kept the marriage contract even after enduring such humiliation.

With what feelings had Douglas waited for Elizabeth?

What did Elizabeth mean to him?

It was too difficult and frightening a question for me, who had never experienced dating or love.

“Hahaha!”

At the end of the suffocating silence, Nikolai burst into laughter.

But his teal eyes were colder than ever, flashing like a sharpened blade.

I instinctively sensed danger.

It was because Nikolai had completely thrown off his Casanova mask.

“There’s no law against remarrying a woman you’ve broken off with. But I never let go of a woman I want.”

“Your Majesty!”

“Did you think you could stop me with this scrap of paper?”

Nikolai tore the marriage contract to shreds.

Douglas’s affection scattered in all directions.

Despair flashed briefly across his neat face, but Douglas did not give up.

“Please remember the promise of the first Emperor!”

Nikolai picked up the box containing the sacred object with an expressionless face.

“Very well. I shall accept the sacred object.”

“I am deeply grateful.”

“I cannot approve the marriage with House Nettleton, but I will withdraw the order to make her Empress.”

“I will devote my life to repaying this grace! I swear as the head of House Nettleton!”

“Do not forget that oath.”

The tension seemed to drain from Douglas’s shoulders.

The nobles who had been frozen stiff also looked relieved.

But I could not shake off my uneasiness.

Sure enough, the corners of Nikolai’s mouth curved upwards.

It was a chilling smile that showed why the villain was the villain.

Then came his voice.

“Instead, I will make Elizabeth Emster the Imperial Consort.”

“Wh-what do you mean?!”

“Empress and Imperial Consort are clearly different, are they not? If you wish to defy this order as well, try offering another sacred object.”

Nikolai wiggled his fingers as if telling them to hurry and bring it.

‘He’s making me Imperial Consort? This man must be insane!’

A shock comparable to heaven and earth turning upside down swept through the audience chamber.

The nobles trembled as if struck by lightning.

Nikolai seemed unsatisfied with just that.

His gaze flashed ominously sharp.

“If you so desire to be with Elizabeth, I’ll give you the opportunity to work as a servant of the imperial family. You’ll have chances to see the Imperial Consort occasionally, won’t you?”

Though his words were mocking, all the nobles and influential figures froze at the winter frost-like rebuke of the tyrant.

“Your Majesty, please withdraw your words…”

“Not enough? I’ll give your younger sister the honor of serving the Emperor as well.”

“Y-Your Majesty!”

Douglas, pale as a corpse, collapsed to the ground.

As he left the audience chamber, Nikolai arrogantly added:

“This is the birth of the Imperial Consort that all the people have been waiting for. Prepare a splendid ceremony that will go down in history!”

***

I was moved to a place within the imperial palace.

Unlike other places that were oppressively luxurious, this place was brightly decorated in white and mint.

The landscape paintings on the walls, velvet cushions with tassels, silver candlesticks, porcelain decorations – everything was harmonious and refined.

With separate bedroom, dressing room, bathroom, and reception room, there was no inconvenience in living.

There was even a small garden attached to the terrace.

Though it was surrounded on all sides by a dense holly fence like a prison.

“Knights will guard day and night. Please rest easy.”

The knights’ attitude became noticeably more polite.

Even so, they were just guards watching over a prison.

There was a click as the lock engaged outside the door.

“Damn that tyrant. What does he intend to do with me?”

My head throbbed.

Too many things had happened in a short time.

It was an issue that involved not just my future, but Douglas and Susan’s as well.

Guilt surged every time I recalled Douglas’s desolate figure being dragged away.

Nikolai’s expressionless face as he coldly looked down at that sight.

Had I ever felt such fierce hostility before?

He was as bad as, if not worse than, the original.

I regretted the moment, brief as it was, when I thought he might be a decent man.

The kiss I gave him, the kiss on my hand – it was all unbearably shameful now.

“Let’s organize the situation first.”

I sat at the desk and picked up a pen.

I had a lot to do.

I couldn’t just dance in the palm of Nikolai’s hand like this.

Suppressing my anger and frustration, I wrote:

1. He is completely insane.
(Sadly, he seems intelligent?)

2. He intends to use me.
(Is he trying to find rebellious nobles?)

3. He has no mercy.
(How to save Douglas and Susan?)

The more I wrote, the more bleak it seemed.

‘I played a small trick just in case… but there’s no guarantee it will help.’

The second special ability was of no help either.

Rather, if Nikolai discovered Morasyncia’s eyes, it felt like he would suck me dry to the bone.

I didn’t know how to find a new sacred object, or when my soul would disappear.

As I was chewing on the pen, I heard a rustling sound from the garden.

The holly leaves acting as a fence shook with a rustle.

A cat? Or a mouse?

I approached the window and craned my neck.

“Who’s there?”

Was it the wind? There was no answer.

I returned to the desk. But the presence did not disappear.

I felt a gaze on the back of my head.

Someone was definitely watching me.

“Ah. I must have been mistaken.”

I deliberately raised my voice.

Pretending to be distracted, I leapt outside the terrace when the other person seemed to have let their guard down.

I couldn’t let a stalker peeping into a woman’s room go free!

“Aaaah!”

The stalker screamed.

I almost screamed too.

It was because a very different figure from what I had imagined popped out.

***

“Your Majesty. You must withdraw the imperial order even now.”

Nikolai remained calm despite seeing his loyal subject’s serious expression.

“Didn’t you say we can’t leave the Imperial Consort position empty?”

“Didn’t you say you would use Miss Elizabeth as kindling?”

“Isn’t she excellent kindling? Everyone made interesting expressions. Especially the old men of the four great families.”

Nikolai spoke as if amused.

Of course, he knew the situation was not so simple.

Bringing her into the palace as if kidnapping her, provoking by mentioning the Imperial Consort – it was all quite impulsive.

Unfamiliar anxiety often causes impulses.

He failed to control that impulse.

Was it due to the desire to possess Elizabeth as soon as possible?

“Instead of smoking out rats, you might end up blowing up the ammunition depot. Miss Elizabeth will suffer in the process as well.”

“Since when did you worry about her?”

“The more I see her, the more admirable she is.”

“…What?”

“I misunderstood due to malicious rumors, but seeing her up close, I’ve never met someone as beautiful and elegant as Miss Elizabeth.”

“Did you eat something strange? Are you alright?”

Nikolai cut off Careth’s words.

Careth gave a slight bow as if to say he would gratefully accept only the sentiment.

“I am fine. May I speak more about Miss Elizabeth?”

“Stop it.”

“You need to know her true worth as well, Your Majesty. Just as I did.”

A faint blush rose on Careth’s cheeks.

‘Why is Careth, who only cares about work, acting like this? He’s never shown personal emotions, let alone interest in women.’

After staring at his loyal subject spouting nonsense, Nikolai rang a golden bell.

“Did you call, Your Majesty?”

An attendant approached with quick steps.

“Summon the court physician. The Minister of Internal Affairs is gravely ill.”

“Pardon?”

“He seems to have hurt his head. Hurry.”

“I’ll bring him right away!”

The attendant withdrew.

Careth put on a serious expression.

“Didn’t you say you would use Miss Elizabeth to divide the four great noble families?”

“And?”

“If you force her enthronement as Imperial Consort, they will unite in resistance rather than divide.”

“You mean the benefits are small and the risks are great?”

“They might plot even more dangerous things.”

“For example?”

“What if they attempt to assassinate the Imperial Consort candidate?”

A ripple passed through Nikolai’s green eyes.

Even a cornered rat will bite a cat.

Let alone rats who believe themselves to be tigers – they might bare their claws and attack.

‘Elizabeth gets assassinated because of me? Someone takes a life that belongs to me, in my own imperial palace?’

A fury that made his blood boil in reverse swept over him.

Nikolai clenched his fist.

“But I said I would not make Elizabeth Empress.”

“You must keep your promise since you accepted the sacred object.”

“I can’t send her out of the palace either. She is already mine.”

“What if there’s a way to keep Miss Elizabeth in the palace without making her Empress?”

“It wouldn’t matter if she becomes Imperial Consort either?”

“Of course not.”

Careth’s eyes sparkled.

He had a somewhat entranced expression, but Nikolai was very curious about what his loyal subject would say.