Thank you to chanii_sha on instagram for this weeks fanart! It looks beautiful, fantastic job! If I haven't yet posted your fanart, don't worry! I'll get to them soon.



You had been fully prepared for the wedding by the maids specially appointed to you. Not only had they flushed you with a flood of compliments one after the other while getting you ready, they made you look the best you ever had in your whole life.

You were wearing the grand rouge and traditional gown uniquely prepared for you, and a veil that was delivered to you by a butler sent by Kai who was now patiently awaiting you in his seat at the wedding. Heart thumping in your chest, you could barely keep your fingers from trembling as your maid delicately attached the veil to your head whilst you were inside the carriage.

Due to the venue being in an open location, you'd have to walk down the aisle as soon as you left the carriage. You felt yourself sweat nervously with your uncomfortable wedding outfit not making things any better. You were thankful that this was the only time you'd have to wear something like this.

The wedding venue came into the view, and you felt a lump form in your throat. There was a small platform made of stone with a matching arch. There were flowers spilling out of the ancient cracks, as if neatly placed by the goddess of spring. Under the arch stood your undeniable future, in an outfit much alike to yours - pure and majestic red embroidered with what seemed like an endless amount of gold. His hair tied back with his signature red ribbon as always, and his facial expressions much softer than you had ever seen them before. His piercing red eyes seemed to burn into you with the flames of compassion and need, the incomprehensible amount of love in his eyes spilling out and taking form as a stream down his cheeks.

Takahiro seemed overjoyed at the sight of you arriving and immediately taking your first few steps on the aisle. Everybody's heads craned towards you as they sat on either side. Taking a short pause to regain your composure and ready yourself, you scanned the crowd watching you. The crowd mostly consisted of high-class people whom you had never seen before, presumably close friends of the royal family. This made you tense up under their crushing gazes, only until your eyes interlocked with Kai.

Kai was there in flesh and blood for what felt like the first time in forever. He gave you a reassuring nod and smile, urging you on. Before you could even smile back to acknowledge him, the music began to play. Your heart skipped a beat as you only now took notice of the great ensemble off to the side, playing a traditional piece much treasured by the upper-class.

You slowly took your steps forward, making sure not to trip over yourself. Your eyes slowly and eventually made their way up to Takahiro. Your heart was throbbing in your chest just at the sight of him; you were unsure if you were feeling love or fear at this point. Your nervous footsteps under the eagle gazes of the crowd eventually let you to the main stage. You gulped as you took your place in front of Takahiro.

You peered up at the seemingly flawless individual and he gazed back at you with a type of love you had never seen before in somebody's eyes. You continued to stare at one another as the Priest began to read through the traditional scripture that was required to be read out at weddings. As he spoke, you drew closer and closer to making your marriage with Takahiro official. This was just the beginning of what was to come. You were going to be the empress of Intuuin.

Your heart skipped a beat as Takahiro finally spoke his vows which you had known he had practised over and over in order not to mess up a single syllable: "I, Takahiro Nathaniel Xiang Wang, Emperor of Intuuin, take you [Name] Fuyomui to be my wife and the empress of this country. I promise to be true to you in good times, in sickness and in health. I will love and honour you all the days of my life. I will never leave your side and ensure that you do not leave mine."

The priest motioned his hand to you, urging you to say the practised vows which you had been taught to say. "I, [Name] Fuyomui, take you Takahiro Nathaniel Xiang Wang to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times, in sickness and in health. I will love and honour you all the days of my life. I accept you as my Emperor and I accept my new position as your wife and Empress of Intuuin," You managed to declare from your lips with the minimal amount of mistakes, causing you to feel a wave of accomplishment wash over you.

Ideally on cue, Takahiro gently took your hands into his own as the priest proceeded: "Do you take [Name] Fuyomui as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do," Takahiro stated with complete certainty, his gaze focused entirely on you as his thumbs tenderly glided over your skin.

"And do you take Takahiro Nathaniel Xiang Wang as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?" The priest questioned you.

You looked up at Takahiro who gazed at you hopefully, just like everybody else spectating. You pursed your lips and paused for a moment, noticing this slight doubt beginning to build up within you. Takahiro's predatory gaze that had no getting used to, glared into you threateningly.

"I-I do," You shakily answered, to which Takahiro seemed to immediately snap back into his sweet and loving self.

Takahiro's best man, Eli, stepped forward and timidly brought the pair of wedding rings, made from pure glimmering gold, to the priest. The priest took the rings which had been presented to him on a maroon, velvet cushion and proceeded to bless them.

You and Takahiro said in unison: "I take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the great gods that will watch upon us for the rest of our days together." And with that, you both slipped the golden bands on one another's fingers.

"Go in peace with the Gods and Goddesses," The priest concluded the wedding to which Takahiro swiped you off your feet, carrying you bridal style. He placed a deep and loving kiss upon your lips with his own, not caring that there was an audience to view this. He twirled once or twice with you in his arms before proceeding to carry you down the aisle. The guests stood up and clapped proudly. While leaving the venue, you caught sight of Kai, teary-eyed and looking as if he were going to burst with joy at any second.

Now, it was time for the wedding party. To say the least, the wedding went swimmingly.

The two of you stepped into a grand carriage led by pure white steeds to head over to the location of the wedding party, with many less magnificent carriages lined up behind the two of you for the guests at the wedding.



"Your Majesty," Via Resniyi announced from the shadows. Thanks to the imperial grandmother, she had been granted access to Takahiro's private chambers.

Recognising her voice all too much and already realising the plan that his grandmother had pieced together, he sighed blissfully in the thought of not having to put up with any more trouble from his grandmother.

He glared into the mirror, his predatory gaze piercing painfully into Via's timid frame, mostly concealed by the darkness.

"Your grandmother granted me access to your private chambers... I wanted to visit you one last time before you are to be wed," She slowly advanced towards the Emperor, taking cautious steps.

"And why is that?" He retorted back in disgust.

"I want to try and convince you not to marry [Name] Fuyomui. Please, it is not too late. I am much more fit to be queen. I have hurt you in the past but.. I promise I will not hurt you again." Via muttered to the Emperor, her voice echoing through the silent room. The moonlight finally illuminated the solemn and pitiful expression on her face as she looked at the man who she had adored and waited for her entire life.

"I had given you one last warning Lady Resniyi-"

"At least call me by my first name! Nathaniel, please! I want to marry you-"

Before she could even finish her objection, she halted herself. The deadly glare in the Emperor's eyes had nearly given her a heart attack. She had crossed the line, especially by calling him by that name of his in particular. She cleared her throat and apprehensively broke eye contact with the Emperor's reflection, frightened.

The Emperor stood up from his dressing table and sighed as he slowly approached Via, hands in the pockets of his night robe.

"Your majesty-" She got cut off by a soft hug from Takahiro. She gasped, surprised. Had she managed to convince him?

Yet it was all too good to be true. As quickly as Via rejoiced in the Emperor's embrace, she felt a pain pierce into her back.

The Emperor had swiftly taken out a silver blade that had now been stabbed into Via's back. She gasped, unable to comprehend the immense amount of pain. Before she could even scream to express the pain surging through her veins, the Emperor's hand clutched over her mouth forcefully, muffling her cries and shouts.

Via knew that she had gone too far and his patience finally ran out. She knew that if she didn't run away, she'd die. Frightened, she struggled against his firm grip on her frail and now weakened body with all the strength that remained inside of her.

Thanks to adrenaline, Via managed to bite on Takahiro's upper arm which caused him to flinch, his grip softening for a split second. A split second was all she needed.

Breaking from the man's grip, she fellalls to the floor and quickly scrambled to her feet as she bulletted for the door, screaming maniacally for her life. The Emperor made his way after her to the door, which was much to her dismay, locked. Did she genuinely think the Emperor would not notice her presence? That he wouldn't plan ahead?

"Did you really think I'd let you come in between me and [Name]? I warned you in that letter, did I not? I warned you - if you dare object against our marriage or do so much as step onto the site of our wedding venue, I will kill you with my own hands. Or did your twisted, desperate little mind really believe that you could win my affections by doing something so daring... yet stupid? I thought you were smarter than this, really," The Emperor suspirated in a sing-song type of tone as he advanced towards her struggling body once again.

She had made a terrible enemy. His eyes burnt holes into her frame, her blood spilt across the floor. The emperor grabbed onto her ankle and pulled her towards him, taking the dagger out of her back before stabbing her repeatedly in the back until there was no movement to be seen from her. No breathing, not a single muscle moving. Her blood was splattered just about everywhere, on his clothes, skin, the wallpaper, floors - everywhere.

He chuckled at the sight of the woman's dead body. "What a mess," He uttered under his breath in an all too charming tone for the murder he had just committed.

The Emperor stood up pridefully and gave the woman's body one last kick as a laugh erupted from his lips. "Did you really think I could ever love you? I have [Name]. You thought.. you could really come in between true love? What a sad fate you have suffered, Lady Resniyi." He whispered to her body as he unlocked the door of his bedroom quarters and opened the door.

There stood Eli, waiting patiently at the seems. Eli was not wearing his usual yukata, yet a pitch-black suit that covered every inch of his skin up to his neck. He had black gloves on too, and several butlers behind him.

He peered past the Emperor, a small smile on his lips. "I see the deed is done, Your Majesty. It was about time we got rid of her. Who knows what she could have done to your reputation? She had badly affected the people's trust in you before, so we shall not let that happen again. These butlers and guards surrounding the premises have sworn secrecy of this to you," Eli said as the Emperor stepped to the side, allowing Eli to step in with the butlers. Immediately, they began to clean up efficiently, making sure not to leave even a single trace behind of the woman's cold murder.

"I recommend you go to sleep in your other bedroom tonight, Your Majesty. I scheduled the butlers to go there in the morning to wake and dress you for the wedding," Eli informed the emperor.

"Ah, [Name]! Aren't you thrilled to be wed?" The Emperor asked you as you both sat in the elaborately decorated wedding carriage together.

"Indeed. The days leading up to it felt so slow but the actual wedding seemed to fly by," You responded, deciding it would be best to just relax around the Emperor, especially since it was your wedding day.

"My sweet empress, there is nothing that can come in between us. I will always make sure of that." Takahiro purred to you affectionately. He had never been so happy. With his grandmother and Via Resniyi out of his way, he had nothing left to worry about but the black snake group. For once in his life, the Emperor felt more secure than he ever had before. The warmth of your skin reminded him of the warm days in the sun spent with his mother in the last few days of her life. He felt so safe next to you, yet so vulnerable.

You found your hand resting upon his, and his other hand upon that one considerately rubbing the wedding ring on your finger. His eyes wandered down to this ring and a smile eased upon his features, "I couldn't go living on without you [Name]. If it was for your sake, I wouldn't hesitate to kill anybody. You're mine."

"I am," You confirmed. He was not wrong after all, even if his words shook you to your core. You were now his wife and the empress. It was only a matter of time before the rest of Intuuin would learn about their new empress. "Do you think I can be an Empress fit to rule by your side? I have no training, barely any etiquette and-"

"You can learn, can you not? With me by your side, I will teach you everything you need to know. We will make this empire unstoppable," Takahiro assured you, a sweet smile still on his pink lips. He leaned forward and locked a kiss onto your lips, much less fierce than the first one you had received from him.

It was soft and full of love. It seemed to last for barely even a second as he caressed your cheek gently before he eventually pulled away.

"My wife is gorgeous," He snickered as he looked at you, a soft pink tint coming across his face as he looked away in a flustered manner. "You seem to look more beautiful with each passing day," He confessed as his eyes finally met with your [E/C] ones once again. "Every time I look at you, I feel myself falling in love all over again. I can never get sick of this feeling, I could spend the rest of eternity with you and not a single moment would be dull," His words spill into your ears lovingly.

A light blush formed on your cheeks as you cleared your throat nervously, "Thank- Thank you..." You managed to stutter out after feeling flustered from his romantic language.

"Look at you blushing once again, how precious," He muttered before pulling you close to him and into a tight embrace. His eyes caught sight of the strap of the lingerie he had bought especially for you. "[Name], I did not expect you to wear the lingerie. Are you expecting to-"

"No- No, not at all!" You exclaimed, flustered at what he was most likely thinking about.

"Ah, I see. I was just asking, no need to get all worked up," Takahiro laughed at your shy behaviour.

The palace soon came into view, and you looked up at Takahiro who you found to be looking right back at you. "The wedding party is going to be held in the ballroom, [Name]. The ballroom is a place of great importance to the royal family after all. I want to spend my time there with you now that the ceremony has concluded. We are to celebrate until the late hours of the night!" He proclaimed, chirping with glee as he grasped onto your arm tightly.

And so you did. The party was extravagant, with high-class folks whom you had never met before, exotic cuisines from places you had never been to before and a romantic tune lingering in the air that you had never heard before. Just about everything here was foreign to you - except Kai.

Your pale-headed brother had dashed towards Takahiro, who had his hand wrapped snugly around your waist. After all, you were now his, and he was not going to let you out of his sight today.

"[Name]!" Kai exclaimed in a joyous tone, glad to finally meet you face to face after months and months of you being absent from his daily life. He rushed over to you happily, only to stop dead in his tracks at the unforgettable presence of the Emperor glaring down at him. He swallowed a nervous lump, feeling oppressed just by the Emperor's intimidating gaze.

"Who are you? How do you know [Name]?" The Emperor hissed at Kai, pulling you closer to him. After all, he had no idea what your brother looked like. He would have expected Kai to look similar to you, however, you two were barely recognisable as siblings.

"I'm [Name]'s brother, Your- Your Majesty!" Kai stuttered out nervously, bowing over and over again to the emperor.

Nearly immediately, the tension in the air eased as the Emperor let out a hearty laugh, "Hello, brother-in-law!" He hollered cheerfully, only to pause and stare at him curiously.

"Is-Is there something wrong... your majesty?" Kai questioned.

"Are you adopte-"

"I'm glad you could make it Kai," You cut in, wanting your brother's attention since it had been such a long time.

His attention reverted to you, and he perked up, a broad grin on his lips. "It's been too long, dear sister!" He exclaimed excitedly and reached to give you a warm hug, only to have you pulled out of the way by the Emperor, causing him to stumble forward past where you once stood.

"Why did you do that, Takahiro?" You interrogated him, concerned about why he would treat your brother in such a way.

"I don't like people touching what's mine." He stated bluntly, causing Kai to rub the back of his head awkwardly.

"He's my brother, Takahiro-"

"And you're my property, are you not?" The Emperor argued back.

"She is not your property, she's her own person," Kai interrupted, a somewhat disgusted expression on his pale features.

"Excuse us for one moment," The Emperor dismissed himself and you along with him, grabbing your wrist and leading you to a small stone balcony hidden behind the buffet tables and floral decorations. As you stepped out onto the balcony, you felt the cold air brush against your skin. It was beginning to get colder outside as the sun was about to set in an hour or so.

You strenuously attempted to pull your hand from his grip but to no avail. He sighed tiresomely and aggressively pulled you against the bannister. Your back hit the cold, ancient stone and the Emperor's hands caged you in, placed on either side of your frame.

"What are you doing, Takahiro-!"

"Don't be arguing with me on our wedding day, [Name]. He was getting much too close to you," He cut you off.

"He's my brother, Takahiro. Why are you so possessive? It's not like he can steal you away from me-"

"And he is my brother now too. However, I am not comfortable with anybody else coming into contact with you. What if they damage your skin? What if they hurt you? If anything, you are my empress and the only person whom should be able to touch you is me. Me, me, me!" He repeated himself, a petty rage beginning to spark within him.

"Don't be ridiculous! Nobody is going to take me away, Takahiro. I'm your wife now, and even if I wanted to leave, I have no way to," You tried to calm the fiery man down.

"But- But what if somebody does? That's why I had to get rid of that stupid woman! She was going to come in between us! And my grandmother too, [Name]!" He took in a deep breath before continuing to calm his nerves, "They have been taken care of now. You are right, I have nothing to worry about now. Nothing at all," The Emperor smoothly grasped the back of your head, his fingers intertwining with your [H/C] strands as he pulled your face into his chest. You could feel his refreshing scent flood your senses, and the silky fabric of his shirt caressing your face, his heart steadily beating in his chest now.

You couldn't help but pull away and look up at him in fear, dreading the worst. "What- What do you mean, Takahiro? That you got rid of them? That they've been taken care of?" You interrogated him, wide-eyed in fear, like a deer startled in a forest of confusion.

"It is nothing for you to stress your pretty little mind over," The Emperor insisted, a tiny yet mischievous smile now on his lips.

"I think I have every right to know if you had done it for me, don't you agree?" You pressed on.

"Well, if my empress demands it. I have given imperial grandmother a fatal poison, and have disposed of Via Resniyi who showed no hopes of giving up her desperate yearning to become empress. I told you I'd protect you, didn't I? Who would have known what they could have done to you? Thankfully, I do not have to stress over that at the very least," The Emperor confessed to you with an unmerciful and nearly careless undertone.

"Was there no other way to do that? Why would you do that to them? You could have just locked them up- or-"

"Yes, yes, but then there would be the possibility of them escaping or making some sort of plot, or just causing a large mess in general. I was not going to risk that happening. After all, to tackle a problem, you have to tackle the source," He explained.

"I understand your point, but I don't know how to feel about this!" You exclaimed in a now panicked state.

"Oh, please, [Name]. I told you myself that I would kill for you if I had to. I don't know why you're acting so surprised," He sighed and rubbed the sides of your arms in an attempt to calm down your nerves.

"I didn't expect you to actually kill-"

"I'm the Emperor, for goodness sake. I have the whole world in the clutch of my hand. If anything, the only people who defy me are that black snake group and yourself. Do you think I got Intuuin to be the strong nation it was today by sitting around doing nothing? I have the blood of thousands - if not millions, on my hands. Just an additional two is nothing to pry about," He cut you off once again.

"I know that for a fact! I'm not sure what the exact name of the country I come from is, but I believe it is you who had taken over it-"

"Most likely, yes. I assume you were fairly young, just as I was when I had begun my task of taking over the world. If anything, you should thank me. You've had a blissful life in Intuuin now, haven't you?" He asked.

"You-! Do you even know what happened in some of those small countries you've taken over?" You interrogated him.

"Well, I can't say I have. If anything, I left taking over such small, powerless nations to Octavi. Ah yes, Octavi. I hope you don't say I should've just locked him up too-"

"You killed Octavi?" You interrupted him, your voice aching with disbelief.

"Indeed, I did. It was for your safety. Besides, was that man really the Octavi we knew anymore? To bring him back to his initial state of mind would have been a long process. The only person whom would be able to have fixed him quickly would have been Eli, and he already has many matters to take care of as the first personal assistant. If anything, he's been busier now that Octavi is gone. Now, he has to take the roles of the first, second and fourth assistant."

"I... I guess that makes sense," You knew there was no use arguing with him, he wouldn't stop until he was victorious. "What happened to the third assistant? I don't see them around anywhere, can't they help with the workload too?" You asked out of curiosity and need to make the atmosphere less tense.

"The third assistant has been working overseas, that is why you have not seen him. He was enough matters to take care of, and if anything, he is quite the mischievous and disobedient flirt. I'm glad he is away, or else he would've tried to add you to his harem of women. Which, we can't have. Anyway! There's no need for you to think about him. I'm the only man who you should be pondering so deeply about my dove," The Emperor said, a broad smile on his lips to try and revert your attention to be solely on him. He hated hearing you speak of other men, no matter who they were. If anything, he wished he were the only man you knew.

"Ah, I see. Well... I think I need a few moments alone to process everything you have confessed to me in such a short time," You told him, a nervous lump forming in your throat.

"There is nothing to process or worry about. Everything is fine! Stop worrying about these things!" He yelled. The guests, however, could not hear a word of your conversation out on the balcony due to the loud chatter and music still lingering on inside the golden lit bedroom.

"Why are you getting so angry? All I asked for was a moment or two alone. You have to admit it's a bit much to process easily," You questioned him.

"What- What if you love me less because of the things I've done? I... I won't have it. You still love me the same, right [Name]? You don't love me any less? You love me just as much as I love you, right?" He shot question after question at you, his red eyes flurrying with doubt and desperation as he now clenched onto your arms painfully.

You winced in pain and tried to pull away, "I don't know! Let me go; you're hurting me!"

"Don't you dare try to run away! Don't even think about it!" He shook you back and forth forcefully as if trying to shake some sense into you.

"I'm not! I'm not! Stop it!" You begged him, struggling in his aggressive grip. You could feel yourself getting dizzy.

"I... I'll kill you too if I have to! I'll kill myself too! You're mine! Mine, mine, mine! If you don't want me, you'll learn to want me!" He shouted at the top of his lungs in a turbulent rage, his eyes surging with a deadly red poison into your [E/C] ones.

You began to tear up before he pinned you to the balcony's bannister, part of your body hanging over the edge at this point. If he kept shaking you like this, you were bound to fall off.

"Why are you crying? Are you afraid of me? There's no need to be afraid of me! I'm just doing what's best for us. I can't bear losing you like I lost my mother! I am not going through that again, [Name]! Nothing and nobody can take you from me! If Death takes you from my clutches, I will join you in the world of the dead! I'll always be a part of your life, even when it's over," He told you, a crazed look in his eyes.

Finally, he stopped shaking you so violently and pulled you into a deep and tender embrace. Your heart was thumping with terror in your chest, hands shaky and fearful for what this man could do to you. You felt like you could have died just a moment ago; you felt like he was going to kill you. And yet now, so suddenly, he was so loving. You looked up fearfully at the Emperor's predatory stature, noticing his violent eyes had subsided and he was tranquil once again. You had millions of questions about this man that could not be answered. He indeed was fearsome. What had you gotten yourself into?

"It's your dream to stay with me, isn't it? Don't worry my darling," His hands affectionately stroke your hair. "I will make our dream come true, no matter the cost. Nothing else matters. It's not like you have a choice," He whispered in your ear, "After all, you can't go against an all-powerful and deeply infatuated Emperor, now can you?"

You remained speechless, your mouth not managing to form any words as you were shaken to your core.

"Now, act natural darling! People will start to wonder where we've gone. Let's celebrate before the party ends soon," The Emperor grabbed your hand and dragged you with him back into the ballroom.

The moment the two of you hurried back into the ballroom, the pair of you caught the sight of a wandering Eli who seemed to have been on the lookout for the two of you. He rushed over and smiled brightly, "Congratulations, my dear Emperor and Empress! Your Majesty, do you wish for us to proceed with the banquet now? It is getting fairly late despite the sun only beginning to set. After all, it is nearly summer now. The days have become much longer. They are due to leave in several hours before you get to enjoy some alone time with your bride."

"Very well, there is no doubt that the feast will take quite a while to get through. Let the feast commence," The Emperor confirmed with Eli, who then proceeded to bow before hurrying over to a guard with a gilded horn in his clutches, ready to announce anything to the boisterous crowd.

"Let us make our way before everybody else, my darling," The Emperor said, now sliding his hand around your waist as he guided you out of the ballroom and just across the corridor to a large dining hall, nearly identical to the ballroom yet more narrow and with different portraits illustrated on the walls and ceiling.

You made your way to the end of the table. However, before you could even pull the seat out to take your place, the Emperor pulled you away to continue down the dining table with him.

"My dear, we must sit opposite one another in the centre of the dining table. That is the way things are, no matter how fun it is to be at the head of the table," He informed you, leading you to a grand seat in the middle of the table. He pulled it out himself, allowing you to sit down on the soft, cushioned seat before he pushed you in and advanced to take his seat across from you, hastening around the table. Just as he took his place, the guests began to flood into the room, taking their respective positions.

It was easy for you to confirm that they were of high class, especially since they each knew exactly where to take a seat at the table in order of their ranking.

As chatter began in the room, an appetiser was served to each member of the party by dozens of esteemed butlers. You gawked at your plate, stomach twisting in hunger as you had not eaten in over a day at this point. You look around, curious as to what cutlery to use from the plethora that you had been given.

You looked over to the Emperor's hands, that were gently tapping the golden cutlery you were meant to use. "Thank- Thank you," You stuttered out, embarrassed with your lack of etiquette. Takahiro began to eat - and at a fairly sluggish pace. It was most likely because everybody would stop eating when he was finished with his own dish, so he must have been wanting to take his time.

A stinging gaze made you uneasy, and your [E/C] orbs wandered over to the man beside you. He had a tall and slender figure, and his ivory-white hair was perfectly cut into a simple bowl that contrasted with his beautifully honey tanned skin. His face was caked with makeup to conceal any imperfections, but at a glance, there was not a single flaw or bump of any sort on his face.

You jumped slightly; his eyes were an emotionless void of grey just drilling into your frame. He gave you a small, forced smile that seemed to pain him deep down just by showing some kindness.

"Oh! Hello there, thank you for attending," You told him, hoping to at least acquaint one or two high-class folks.

"Not at all, I'm bursting with joy for the pair of you," He responded in a monotone voice, "Congratulations, I wish you a long and happy marriage."

"Thank you very much. I hope you're enjoying the party," You continued with the small talk, slowly eating your gourmet appetiser as you did so.

"Very much so." He left it at that, reverting his attention to the plate in front of him, gesturing that he wished to leave the conversation there. You wondered why, but your curiosity was soon answered when your head turned over back to Takahiro, who was glaring raging daggers into the man.

A small, inaudible sigh escaped your lips. You knew you had to be incredibly careful with your words and actions from here on out. If you stepped too far out of line or made him doubt your love for him, either you - or many other people could end up dead. The Emperor had proved what he was capable of and so now, you had no doubt in your mind whatsoever that he could murder if it came to it. You wondered why you had doubted his obsession with you in the first place when it was blatantly apparent. Thankfully, the two deaths that had already occurred were not due to your foolishness. However, a chill would run down your spine when you thought about him hurting Kai. The only family that you had left.

Noticing your silence due to your thoughts, the Emperor decided to speak up. "My darling, how is the food? Quite scrumptious, is it not? The royal chef really has outdone himself this time," He started the conversation.

"Indeed, I've never had anything quite as delicious in my life. This fancy food is wonderful," You responded.

He cleared his throat, a small rosy blush forming on his cheeks. 'Fancy food'? He found you inevitably adorable.

"Well, there is more to come," The Emperor said as he finished up his dish. You had barely any scraps left on your plate, so decided it would be fine to miss out on the last few pieces you hadn't eaten - after all, there was more food to come, and you wondered if you could stomach it all.

Butlers swooped in and began taking the dishes back before returning with the main course, which guests had been asked to take a survey for before they arrived so they could get what they most desired from the selection offered.

It seemed like the majority had ordered the steak, as they had heard that was what you and the Emperor had decided to order.

"Ah, fancy steak! I am truly being fed well tonight," You announced to Takahiro, a pleased smile on your lips as you started to dig into your meal.

The Emperor closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. 'Fancy steak'? This was getting too much for him. He didn't know that a peasant of all people could be so cute. However, you were no longer a peasant. In fact, you were the empress of Intuuin.

As the Emperor dug into his meal, he made sure to keep an eye on the man whom you had conversed with. After all, he wasn't a fan of any other man even talking to his empress. If he could, he would lock you up in his bedroom and spend the rest of his life there with you in solitude. Well, he could. But he was sure that you wouldn't be a fan of it and he hated it when you whined or argued to him as it pained him-

"What do you think of the fancy steak, Takahiro?" You asked him, interrupting his train of thought.

"Well, it was cooked perfectly. I enjoy it medium-rare," He answered.

"I do too! I love fancy food," You maintained the conversation.

"'Fancy food', hmm? You act like you aren't served gourmet meals every day, my love."

"Ah, yes. I suppose you're right, but today the food tastes especially delicious. Perhaps it is because we're married now, and I'm so happy," You laughed, wondering if you spoke words that were true or false.

He grinned at the sound of your tender words, his eyes lighting up with glee. Time seemed to fly by as you continued the meal with a few uncomfortable stares from the guests, especially from the man beside you. Nevertheless, none of it mattered as the few loving words you had spoken to Takahiro seemed to put him in a childishly chipper mood for the rest of the feast; catching the eyes of the guests who were not used to even seeing the Emperor himself look so delighted, nevermind smiling as well. He was usually so cold and distant, yet the woman sitting across from him managed to switch his bleak behaviour as if it were nothing.

The guests soon took their leave, and the Emperor sat with you in the royal bedroom suite. You were now in your ivory nightgown with several small crimson flowers embroidered into it, making a cute little pattern.

"You have made me the happiest I have ever been, [Name]," Takahiro whispered into your ear as he cradled you in his arms.

"I adore being alone with my empress. You are my perfect match, my one true love. I would not trade you for anything, my turtledove," He hummed gently into your eardrums, his voice as sweet as honey. You still couldn't help but feel slightly shaken from what had happened earlier, as it had left you with suspicions answered but a mass of questions in your mind.

"Look at me."

Your heart skipped a beat at his mellow voice, and your head craned up to look at his pulsing red eyes. Never had they been so soft, so loving. The warmth of his touch was interrupted by the chilling breeze entering through the open balcony door. You shivered, urging Takahiro to lift the duvet covers and gently tuck you in. The moonlight illuminated his best features, and you realised that you were truly a lucky woman to be with him, but still burdened by his uncontrollable possession. You had not even managed to speak more than a few sentences with Kai, however it was fairly cute seeing the Emperor ease up around him later in the evening.

Even after the dilemma, the Emperor was excited to have a brother. Unexpectedly, the Emperor had also given Kai a stuffed cat doll done by needle felting. It was messily done, as if nearly by a child, indicating that it was most likely the Emperor himself who had made it. Kai was honoured by the gift, to say the desired least.

"I'm going to take a bath now. The maid has drawn the bath for me. Of course, unless you are tempted to join me?" He muttered to you. Your heart skipped another beat, and your eyes widened at his statement, cheeks flushing red.

He laughed through a smirk at your reaction, his large and pale hands trailing through your [H/C] locks. "Do not fuss, I'm only joking. I think you've had a long day," He mumbled in your ear before pulling away and making his way to the en-suite bathroom, leaving you in the dark bedroom, only illuminated by a warm lamp on the bedside table that contrasted with the cool and blue-toned moonlight flooding in.

You sighed and made your way out of the large bed and over to the balcony, stepping out and taking in a deep breath of the frosty air. Freedom. Freedom was something you could only dream of now. The Emperor had made it clear, that even if you wanted to leave, you couldn't. If anything, you felt frightened of him. With conflicting feels of love and fear for the Emperor, you had no idea how you truly felt about him. It was up to you to decide over time, presumably.

Your elbows rested on the stone of the balcony as you buried your face into the palms of your hands. "I don't know what to do," You sighed to yourself, confused about the situation. You were the only person in the whole world going through something like this and had nobody to confide in, especially since the Emperor would barely even let you hold a normal conversation with anybody other than him. He was taking utter control of your life.

"Then why don't you run away, [Name]?" A nonchalant and grave voice that sounded all too familiar spoke to you. You jumped up from your position, to meet face to face with somebody you had never expected to see again in a lifetime.

Perched on the railing, he was squatted down and tying a rope firmly onto the bannister. Looking up from what he was doing, piercing purple eyes etched into your form. The man had a noticeable tattoo of a black snake ending at the middle of the right side of his neck, and a uniform dyed pitch black.

His pale face illuminated by the moon and tranquil blue locks dancing in the breeze - you came face to face with none other than Octavi Kirayo, who was now supposedly convincing you to run away from the palace with him.