RXN 13

Chapter 13

So she knew very well that, in order not to lose this miraculous opportunity, she had to please the emperor and act obediently, like a tongue in his mouth. Yet Roxanne still hesitated to say Aslan’s name.

“Why won’t you tell me his name?”

At the deliberately stern voice, Roxanne lowered her head.

“Because I am afraid that he may be punished even though he has done nothing wrong.”

“Why do you care about him?”

“……”

Unable to say anything, Roxanne was forced to raise her head when he held her chin and made her look into his eyes.

Contrary to what she expected, the emperor’s eyes held a playful look. His lips, curved into a smile beneath the half-mask, somehow felt familiar.

Perhaps because of that, Roxanne unknowingly blurted out what was in her heart.

“Because… I like him.”

“Are you daring to confess that you have another man in your heart? In front of me? Without any fear? You don’t expect to stay alive after saying that, do you?”

Hearing the emperor’s angry shout, Roxanne closed her eyes as if she had given up on everything.

So this is really where my life ends. I should have just kept my mouth shut. Why did I say that I liked another man? Father, my two brothers, please forgive me for not being able to take revenge.

Amid the regret that came too late, Aslan’s face appeared in her mind for no reason.

Since leaving Shengart, Aslan had been the savior who helped Roxanne find the smile she had lost and opened her closed heart.

But at the same time, he was also the destroyer who had pushed Roxanne’s life into the depths of despair because of what he had done.

Thinking that Aslan would never know this truth, even until the day he died, made her heart bitter.

Just then, a purple handkerchief suddenly dropped in front of Roxanne, interrupting her thoughts.

What is this?

Roxanne raised her head and looked at it in confusion.

“Spend the night with me tonight. If I become captivated by you, I will forgive both you and that man.”

When Roxanne came to her senses, she was already sitting inside a large bathtub.

Compared to the large public bath of the harem, it was much smaller, but its beauty and luxury were incomparable.

Roxanne could hardly believe that she was sitting in a huge, magnificent bathtub decorated with golden tiles while slaves were bathing her.

The slaves continued doing their duties without paying any attention to Roxanne’s confused feelings.

They washed her entire body with soap, sprinkled perfume over her, dressed her in a thin and beautiful outfit, and decorated her hair with jewels.

When everything was finally ready, a black eunuch appeared. He looked Roxanne up and down before speaking in a voice without any emotion.

“Follow me.”

Black and white eunuchs stood in lines along the hallway, holding weapons without making even the slightest sound, like statues.

With nervous steps, Roxanne walked between them and was led to the emperor’s bedroom.

“Kneel.”

Roxanne knelt down.

The eunuch bowed to the emperor and then left.

Only the emperor and Roxanne remained in the room.

A heavy silence settled over the room. Only the light from the tray flickered faintly, illuminating the surroundings.

To tell the truth, Roxanne had wanted to meet the emperor more than anyone.

Although the emperor had paid an enormous amount of money at the auction to make Roxanne his possession, he had never visited her after bringing her to the harem.

Roxanne wondered if the emperor had forgotten about her, but she was never disappointed.

Since she was living in the harem, she believed that someday, even by chance, she would meet the emperor at least once.

If that opportunity came, she could not afford to waste it.

So Roxanne learned and practiced everything she could. She learned the Run language and the court manners of the harem. She even learned sewing and embroidery, although she had no interest in them.

And finally, the moment she had waited for had arrived.

Yet now that she actually had to spend the night with him, her head felt dizzy.

“Raise your head.”

His voice was quiet but carried an undeniable force.

Roxanne slowly raised her head as if hypnotized.

Through the flickering light, she could see the silhouette of the emperor sitting elegantly in a large chair.

“Come to me.”

Without taking her eyes off the emperor, Roxanne stood and slowly walked toward him.

Soon, they were close enough to touch if they reached out their hands.

The emperor was still wearing his mask, but beneath it she could see his sharp nose, tightly closed lips, and strong jawline.

As Roxanne stared at his face, the emperor reached out and began to untie the ribbon at the front of her dress.

She was startled and instinctively grabbed the edge of her clothes.

“Are you going to reject me?”

For a brief moment, Aslan’s face appeared in her mind.

But it was quickly buried beneath the image of Shengart burning in flames.

Her desire for revenge was far greater than the feelings of that moment.

To get her revenge, she absolutely needed the emperor’s power.

After hesitating, Roxanne slowly released the clothes she had been clutching.

The thin, soft fabric slipped down to the floor.

Her naked body was suddenly exposed to the cool air, and she instinctively shivered.

But Roxanne forced herself to straighten her back and raise her chin.

The emperor looked at her pale, almost transparent skin and the hair that flowed all the way down to her hips, shining in the flickering light.

He reached out and gently touched her hair.

“What an unusual color. Sometimes it looks golden, and sometimes silver. And…”

The emperor stopped speaking as his hand slid from her hair to her shoulder.

“I have never seen skin this smooth and clear on any woman. It is almost like transparent crystal.”

The skin touched by his hand felt hot, as if it had been burned.

Roxanne could not help but flinch.

The emperor seemed to like her reaction. He slightly raised the corner of his lips in a smile, then stood up and lifted her into his arms.

Roxanne instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

The emperor gently placed her on the bed and looked into her eyes.

Roxanne endured his heated gaze.

Then she slowly reached toward the half-mask covering his face.

“Show me your face.”

The emperor firmly caught her wrist and whispered near her ear.

“Are you curious about the face hidden behind my mask?”

Roxanne nodded.

He shook his head.

“But I cannot allow that yet.”

His voice was firm, but there was a faint hint of playfulness in it.

He brushed back the hair covering Roxanne’s forehead with his fingers and lightly kissed her earlobe.

“Mm…”

Roxanne let out a soft sound and shrank her shoulders.

But the emperor gently bit her earlobe before moving his lips down to the back of her neck.

He slipped his long fingers through her hair and gently grasped it, then bit her pale, slender neck.

The blue veins beneath her clear skin throbbed visibly, making her look both pitiful and alluring, like a young prey caught in a snare.

“I think I understand why vampires bite the necks of beautiful young women.”

He murmured without lifting his lips.

His teeth brushed against her neck, sending a chill through her as if she had been attacked by a wild beast.

But the unexpectedly soft feeling of his lips slowly relaxed her.

Seeing Roxanne let out a quiet sigh of relief, the emperor smiled faintly and slowly began to draw her into his world.

“Ah!”

An unfamiliar sensation made Roxanne’s vision grow faint and her mind go blank.

At the same time, a strong sense of shame as a young woman washed over her.

Suppressing the instinct to push his hands away, Roxanne bit her lip.

Pull yourself together!

The man touching her now was the emperor of the Run Empire, a man with absolute power.

She needed his power to take revenge on Marquis Crottin, who had taken the lives of her father and brothers, and on her maternal uncle, Grand Duke Altenburg, who had betrayed her.

Roxanne decided not to think about anything except revenge.

If she could take revenge in exchange for giving her body to the emperor, she was willing to accept him.

If he wanted, she could even crawl like a dog and kiss his feet.

With her mind made up, Roxanne released the sheet she had been clutching and wrapped both arms around his back.

The moment her hands touched his back, he froze and did not move.

Although his face was hidden behind the half-mask, Roxanne could feel his intense gaze.

Meeting the emperor’s eyes, Roxanne slowly pressed her lips against his chest.

The emperor flinched.

She had decided that she would do anything, but she could not stop herself from trembling.

“Are you trying to seduce me?”

“Yes. If I can, I want to seduce you.”

At Roxanne’s bold and daring answer, the emperor’s lips curved into a slight smile.

“Why? You clearly said that you liked another man.”

“Because you are the emperor.”

“Because I am the emperor…”

“That is quite an honest answer. Good. Then seduce me. You only have one chance. If you cannot captivate me tonight, I will never come looking for you again.”

The emperor turned while holding Roxanne in his arms, and their positions suddenly changed.

Before she knew it, Roxanne was sitting on his waist with both hands against his chest.

Her face turned bright red.

“I wonder how you planned to seduce a man when you are this embarrassed.”

“I…”

Roxanne was about to make an excuse, but instead she reached out and traced the strong line of his lips with her finger.

Then she lowered her head and kissed him.

His lips were much softer and warmer than she had imagined.

At Roxanne’s shy kiss, the emperor smiled and willingly responded.

He slipped one hand into her hair and used the other to gently stroke down her back, deepening the kiss.

He kissed her skillfully, savoring the moment as though tasting something sweet.

After a long while, Roxanne finally lifted herself, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sensations she had experienced for the first time.

He held her with a deeply satisfied expression.

While resting in the emperor’s arms, Roxanne carefully reached out once again to remove his half-mask.

Unlike before, the emperor no longer stopped her.

With trembling hands, Roxanne slowly removed the mask.

As the emperor’s face was gradually revealed, Roxanne’s eyes widened.

“Aslan!”

“Surprised?”

“Why are you here? Could it be that you…?”

Roxanne could not finish her sentence.

He looked at her with a mischievous smile, like a young boy playing a prank.

When Roxanne saw his bright amber eyes shining at her, all the strength seemed to drain from her body.

The reason his face had somehow seemed familiar when she first met him in the back garden was probably because of those eyes.