Chapter 2

“Y-Your Majesty, the Emperor.”

Theodor hurriedly stood up and awkwardly offered her respects.

Perhaps it was because she was such a coward. Even though they were simply alone together in the room, an overwhelming sense of intimidation emanated from him.

‘W-What am I supposed to do?’

Her lost gaze wandered aimlessly through the air.

She was sure Gentle had told her something, but her mind had gone completely blank, and she couldn’t remember a single thing.

Her blue eyes rolled restlessly.

At that moment, Theodor’s gaze briefly landed on the emperor.

‘Eek.’

Her shoulders jolted violently in surprise.

She had only caught a fleeting glimpse of him, but his golden hair, illuminated by the soft candlelight, shimmered like the sun.

Yet despite his beautiful appearance, the only emotion Theodor could feel at that moment was fear.

Raud’s presence was exactly like that of a tiger she had once encountered in the royal hunting grounds when she was very young.

Furthermore, he was wearing a long toga-like robe so loosely that it would not have been an exaggeration to say nearly half of his body was exposed.

Still not knowing where she should look, she simply lowered her head deeply.

At last, after silently staring at her for some time, Raud lazily parted his lips.

“Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor, the glory of the Lasol Empire.”

“…Pardon?”

His tone sounded as though he were teaching a child, and Theodor instinctively raised her head.

“When you look at me, you are to greet me that way.”

“Ah… Ah, yes. Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor, the glory of the Lasol Empire…”

Only then did Theodor realize that she had used the wrong form of etiquette, and she hurriedly corrected herself.

“Enough. That’s fine.”

Yet Raud coldly cut her off, as though he had never used that gentle tone in the first place.

He then slowly approached her and lifted her chin with his fingers.

Their eyes met.

Ripples seemed to spread across Theodor’s blue irises.

As she stared into those intensely deep red eyes, her entire body inexplicably began to tremble.

She desperately restrained herself from shaking and tightly bit her lip.

“You’re ugly.”

But the cold voice that struck her ears immediately snapped her back to reality.

“I-I’m sorry…”

Trembling, she barely managed to force the words out.

Yes.

This was her place.

The ugly and powerless attic princess.

No—she was probably nothing more than a worthless trophy now.

There had been other princesses with beautiful appearances, but by some stroke of luck, she was the one who had survived and ended up standing here.

“There is no need to apologize.”

He released Theodor’s chin without hesitation.

“I like that you’re ugly.”

“…What?”

What on earth was he trying to say?

It was impossible to understand what was going on inside his mind.

Theodor merely lowered her head and blinked.

“Ah, I almost forgot.”

Raud stared at her for a moment before taking out a key.

“Sit.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Your Majesty…”

Theodor sat down on the sofa with a bewildered expression.

Then he approached her and lowered himself onto one knee.

“Y-Your Majesty.”

Startled, Theodor stood up with a flushed face.

She might have lived like an idiot in an attic, but she wasn’t stupid enough not to know that the emperor of a nation should never kneel before her.

“Stay still.”

Raud gently caught her wrist and guided her back into her seat.

Then he carefully lifted her foot.

Theodor’s face instantly flushed bright red.

His manner was far too gentle to be merely the way one treated a war trophy.

His touch was soft, almost as though he were handling a precious treasure.

Every place his fingertips brushed seemed to grow warm.

For a moment, she even wondered if he was deliberately tickling her.

Unable to endure her embarrassment, Theodor lightly bit her lip.

“All done.”

Having finally removed all the chains, Raud stood up, brushing his hands together.

His eyes moved lazily toward Theodor.

Eventually, his gaze landed not on her flushed cheeks but first on her tightly pressed lips.

“Your lips.”

“…Yes?”

“Why are you biting them?”

His voice seemed to have become sharp again, causing her to stammer instinctively.

“B-Because… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do…”

“Don’t bite your lips.”

“…Ah, yes… Your Majesty.”

“I’m tired.”

Frowning as though he were annoyed, Raud walked over to the bed and lay down.

Theodor stood up after him, becoming even more restless as she nervously rubbed her hands together.

She didn’t know whether she was supposed to lie down beside him, turn off the lights, or even take off her outer clothes.

She knew nothing.

No one had ever taught her.

She regretted, for perhaps the first time in her life, that she had never even read a common romance novel despite reaching this age.

“…I’m sorry, Your Majesty. If you could tell me what I’m supposed to do…”

Even though her voice trembled with fear, she somehow managed to speak.

Being frightened was one thing, and being grateful was another.

She didn’t know what he wanted from her or why he had placed her in the position of secondary consort, but regardless, Raud was the person who had saved her life.

Even though he was the man who had killed her entire family, she felt no resentment toward him.

Family was only family if there was affection between them.

She couldn’t call people who saw her perhaps once a year—people who spent their time thinking about how they could kill her—her family.

‘So, if there is something I have been given to do, I should fulfill it properly…’

To be honest, what the emperor had done to her was not so much plunder—stealing her country and family—as it was something closer to salvation.

The attic of the Selene Kingdom had been a hell that was slowly starving her to death.

Clenching her eyes shut, Theodor struggled to continue speaking.

“Then I’ll do my best…”

“Pfft. Your best?”

He openly lifted one corner of his mouth and sneered at her.

“‘I’ll do my best,’ you say. Isn’t there only one duty a secondary consort, rather than the empress, has toward the emperor?”

“…As you know, I spent a long time… in an attic, so I don’t know much about matters between men and women either. So…”

“Are you asking me to teach you?”

Raud stretched out comfortably and lazily rolled his eyes toward Theodor, staring directly at her.

“How impertinent.”

She couldn’t answer and simply closed her mouth.

His red gaze seemed like vines creeping up from the tips of her toes, wrapping themselves tightly around her entire body.

The ruler of the continent, the emperor standing before her, was certainly frightening.

And yet, strangely, her heart was pounding.

Perhaps it was because she hoped that she might finally have some use now, after being nothing more than a useless attic princess.

“However…”

The fluttering excitement in her chest instantly turned back into anxiety at his next words.

“You don’t have to do anything.”

“…What? N-Nothing?”

“That’s right.”

Raud muttered coldly, his face showing nothing but utter boredom.

“Because I have no expectations of you.”

At those words, Theodor’s heart sank.

Just when she thought she might finally be useful for something, had she come all the way to this distant place only to discover that there was still nothing she could do?

The tears she had been holding back until now forced their way from the corners of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

“B-But then, why did you…”

Trying desperately to suppress her sobs, she hurriedly wiped away the tears.

She had never bothered counting the years she had spent holding back her tears.

Ever since her mother died when she was young, she had endured everything, no matter how much people criticized or mocked her.

Perhaps it was because she had foolishly hoped that even if she were treated as the emperor’s plaything, at least here she could have some role to fulfill.

The tears continued to flow endlessly down her plain, hollow cheeks.

Yet even as he watched Theodor cry, Raud spoke dryly, showing not even the slightest hint of sympathy.

“There is exactly one thing you have to do. As my trophy…”

His red eyes gleamed fiercely, like those of a beast.

“Stay alive.”

In the utterly emotionless expression on his face, Theodor felt as though she could hear the sound of her hopes shattering into pieces.

She sank down onto the sofa.

Those deep red eyes were still watching her.

Despite their intensely fiery color, how could they be so cold?

“If I’ve made myself clear enough, you understand, don’t you?”

“…Yes.”

Before she had even finished answering, all the lights in the room went out.

“Your Majesty.”

Hiding her sobs, Theodor somehow managed to finish her response.

Her blue eyes, still wet with tears, turned toward Raud, who was lying beneath the blankets on the bed.

His silhouette was faintly visible in the darkness.

Without even touching her with so much as a fingertip, he had already closed his eyes and was trying to sleep.

Theodor stared at him for a long while.

Then, slowly, she lay her exhausted body down on the sofa.

Even though the chains that had bound her ankles had been removed, her body felt heavier than before.

‘Even here, I am completely alone.’

Overcome by a loneliness so intense that it made her tremble, Theodor could do nothing but desperately try to fall asleep.