A Heart For The Emperor 소설 & 이야기

Being Dharakand’s princess had trained her to read the deceit lurking behind familiar faces, and to suspect the motives wrapped in an emperor’s summons. “Greetings, Your Majesty,” she said, curtseying. He gave the smallest nod—acknowledgment without warmth, the kind of gesture that said her respect was expected, not earned. Typical of a man who thought his crown made him the measure of all things. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his tone smooth—pleasant on the surface. But she could see the calculation beneath it. The question unsettled her. Why does he care about her health? Kings don’t ask out of kindness—they ask to see where the cracks are.

I whispered, phrasing my words to hide my real intentions of keeping her hostage and unable to contact anyone for help till the case is successfully resolved. I always trust my gut feelings, I'm rarely wrong. And this Erica of a girl keeps rubbing me the wrong way. She's nothing like the girl we met at the alpha king's ball, her eyes seem overly gentle but hiding bitterness and hatred beneath. Almost as if she had a blood feud with Richard. I have caught her looking at him like that a few times in the past, but the emperor doesn't seem to notice. It makes me wonder if she gave him a love potion. The emperor had this unique ability of being able to tell when someone had bad intentions for him

The two things were entirely different. Yet the king of Velmoria had not said so. He had told her, very plainly, about the wolf-debt. He had not uttered a single word about the secondary pulse in her chest, even though it was currently the loudest thing in her body in the soft yellow light of the blue chambers. And the King of Velmoria—who had carried her for three days west across his kingdom in his own arms, who had measured her shifts by candlelight in a forest clearing, and who had personally ordered the gowns in her wardrobe—was not the kind of observant man who would fail to notice a second heartbeat in the chest of the woman he held.

My heart twisted so painfully that I could barely breathe. All I could do was reach out and hold Mother's ice-cold fingers as tightly as my small hands could manage. A flash of embarrassment crossed Cedric's face, but it was quickly swallowed by anger. "So what? Would you have me give up the woman I truly love for the sake of some arranged marriage? Even the Emperor himself defied every advisor in his court to keep his heart devoted solely to the Empress. How is it wrong for me to do the same?

She wanted the world clean, small, and private. She picked up the envelope. It was thick and smelled faintly of smoke. Her name on the front, the old surname. Her hand shook. “Open it,” Sophia said. She slit the paper with a nail. Inside was a single card. No letter. No stamps, no signatures. Just three words: I KNOW THE TRUTH. The room grew small. Elara’s throat made a tight sound. She put the card down like it might burn. “Who brings a threat with no hand?” she said.

I imagined eyes watching me from the dark, eyes of people who would know me, eyes of those sent to find the Emperor’s mysterious helper. My mind played the beggar’s words over and over: "The Emperor… marrying the girl who saved him… Liora…" How simple it was, how impossible, it was almost funny. If only they knew. If only *he* knew. The Emperor, the powerful ruler of Kaldor, was about to marry a lie without knowing it. And the person who had made that lie happen was now running away, scared of what would happen.

❤️ A Reluctant Submission ❤️ Principal Archmiagus continued pacing the floor of his office, his heart pounding with anxiety. He had no idea how long he had been following Emperor Tharros’s orders, but he dared not stop. The Emperor’s sharp command still rang in his ears.

“Seduce you? With me in the next room? Bold.” I walked over to him and stopped just in front of him. “She does not understand. No one does.” He looked up at me. “Understand what?” I reached out and cupped his face with one hand. “That I cannot stop thinking about you. That every time you are near me, the rest of the world fades. That I would burn this empire to the ground before I let anyone take you from me.” Aziel’s eyes widened slightly. Then that quirky smile returned. “Careful, Emperor. You are starting to sound obsessed.”

"You don't care about anyone, do you?" Jared paused, looking down at me with a gaze that was completely devoid of warmth. "Let’s be crystal clear, Amelia. I don't love you. I don't even particularly like the drama that follows your family. This is business. I am using you to get Quinnix. I am using your grief and your anger to build my empire higher."

He struggled, attempting to free himself from my grasp; his voice strained as he managed to mutter, "Get away, you bastard." His plea fell on deaf ears. I maintained a steely facade, my grip on his neck unrelenting. The lack of oxygen was turning his face an alarming shade of blue, but I remained resolute and unyielding. A chilling smirk curled at the corner of my lips, a reflection of the satisfaction that swelled within me. My words dripped with a frigid coldness as I delivered my declaration, "Kindness doesn't find a place in my heart, especially not for those who pose a threat to my family." My grip tightened, a stark reminder of the power I commanded. "You should remember, I didn't asce