* * *

“Anything?”

He asked back as if he was pleased to hear it. His dark blue eyes looked at her as if he was going to hypnotize her, then she stated her answer as if she were possessed.

“…anything, Your Majesty.”

Hazel nodded her head slowly. She couldn’t help but be servile toward him. Because there was only one person she could depend on for now, that was Achilleon.

No one could ignore her position if she became the woman of Emperor Demophos, a person who everyone feared and looked up to. Even if she wouldn’t become the empress.

Since the empress position was currently vacant, if she gave birth to a prince before that, she may be crowned as the empress. Of course, everything was in the hands of Achilleon to decide.

And above all that.

She could order Sisef and Lorette around so they wouldn’t forget her existence. She really wanted to stand on a higher place than them so she would be able to look down on them.

“I’m not sure what you are thinking about,”

Achilleon smiled sweetly as he held Hazel’s chin and turned it to face him.

“But you have to know that you can’t reverse what you had said with your own mouth by now.”

“…….”

Hazel’s big green eyes were filled with complete fear when she looked at him. Hazel was frightened by the sensation of the tip of his tongue licking on her earlobe as if to soothe her.

“And I wouldn’t share you with anyone else.”

“I’m… umph.”

“You completely belong to me. If you accept it, you can achieve everything you want.”

Hazel moaned deeply as Achilleon’s firm body came closer to her. She nodded her head as if she was getting crazy when he demanded from her. She didn’t have any other options anyway. Because she chose to be his woman on her own.”

“I will.”

“Again.”

“That… I will do as you- umph.”

His lips roughly crashed against her, dominating her in an instant. When their bodies touched each other again, Hazel inhaled as she was out of breath already.

Once again, two people who had become a clump fell onto the bed.

“You’re mine, aren’t you?”

He repeated the same question over and over again, as if he was demanding confirmation from her. Each time, Hazel simply answered with yes while just obeying him.

“Yes, yes… umph!”

The movement lasted beyond what she could handle. He still flaunted a huge impact for Hazel. Even if she was going to spend countless nights with him, she didn’t think she would get used to this.

“Slowly… slowly, please. Ungh…..”

When Hazel finally cried and clung on to him, the speed that seemed to slow down a bit was quickened by him again. The result was the opposite of what Hazel had been wanting, forcing her to cry louder.

Hazel cried out and lamented throughout the night before falling asleep under the strong but affectionate touches and gestures.

The next day, Hazel suddenly felt an unfamiliar air after she woke up from her sleep.

Something seemed off today. She somehow seemed to feel the cold air, but when she woke up, the warmth that had always surrounded her was gone. There was no feeling of the arms that hugged her tightly as if it was tying around her body.

She felt a strange feeling of emptiness when her arms and legs, which had been stubbornly entangled, all disappeared.

Having adapted to such feelings even though just a few days have passed by, Hazel felt strangely empty.

“…….”

When she lifted up her heavy eyelids, she could see a bright light pouring into the previously dark bedroom. All of the curtains in the bedroom which had blocked the ray of sunlight seemed to have been pulled off. There was no piercing light because the curtains on the bed had gently blocked it.

She closed and opened her eyes again several times while looking around the brightened surrounding. When she got used to the light, she realized that the seat next to her, which had been occupied all the time, was empty.

There was no sign of Achilleon anywhere on the wide bed. Without him, the already wide bed looked even wider, and Hazel shivered with an even greater feeling of emptiness.

Achilleon left her in bed alone.

What was that simple and clear fact trying to tell her now? Did he become tired of her now? So he left after he felt satisfied with her, so he thought that’s enough and left her alone.

She sighed deeply when an unknown emptiness came all the way to one corner of her heart.

“Have you woken up?”

Hazel leapt up and sat herself down at the sound coming across the bed curtain. The window curtains were pulled away, which meant someone had come in, but she didn’t know there was also someone else in the bedroom.

“W-Who…!”

The voice outside the curtain was heard again, the frightened Hazel hurriedly gathered sheets around her to cover her naked body.

“May I draw away the curtains?”

“…yes.”

Hazel unknowingly answered to the person with an utterly polite speaking manner and voice.

After some time, the curtains surrounding the bed were drawn away and she couldn’t close her mouth to the view before her.

This was because the maids were on their knees, sitting around the bed and bowing their heads.

“Everyone… Who…”

They all didn’t lift and kept bowing their heads. No one made eye contact with Hazel, it was as if they didn’t dare to do so.

Upon closer inspection, they were all holding something in their hands. It was a perfectly prepared outfit, including dresses, shoes and even underwear.

There were also maids holding colorful accessories such as necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

They were all used by the imperial family, not supposed to be used as everyday’s attire. It wasn’t until she saw the accessories that were decorated with intricate and delicate craftsmanship that could be only used by the empress, jewelries adorned by expensive gems that were emitting sparkling light under the pouring sunlight.

A dazzling bright diamond crown was laid in the middle. In the center of the crown was a golden griffin with a large diamond inside its mouth.

“What …is this.”

It was when she murmured absent-mindedly. Then the woman who seemed to have the highest-ranking among the maids spoke. There was nothing in her hand.

“My name is Lize, the head of the Imperial Palace’s handmaiden. Your Majesty sent me to attend to the Empress.”

“The Empress…?”

To Hazel, who spoke with a puzzled face, the maid of honor continued. The handmaiden continued when Hazel mumbled with a bewildered face.

“May I raise my head?”

Hazel nodded at her polite question.

“……Please raise your head.”

When Hazel said that, the handmaiden raised her head and bowed to Hazel to show her respect.

“What happened to me? Please explain for a bit…”

“Yes, Her Majesty. His Majesty will announce the Princess of Land, Miss Hazel as the Queen of the Demophos Empire today.”

“What?”

Hazel asked back, wondering if she had heard it wrong.

“What did you say, now?”

“Your Majesty The Empress, you are now the owner of the empress position. Congratulations.”

As the handmaiden knelt down on her knees and bowed her head even lower, other maidens also followed suit.

Hazel’s gaze fell on the luxurious crown. She could tell at a single glance that the crown wasn’t just used to make her look good and pretty.

But she still couldn’t believe that she had become an empress.

It happened too suddenly in just one day. Hazel couldn’t guess Achilleon’s intentions at all.

Since Achilleon became the emperor, many have wondered who would occupy the empress position that was next to him. The influential noble families of Demophos, and royal princesses from other continents, were keenly aiming for that position.

The list of dowries they would bring was also extravagant. Fortresses in the important point, beautiful castles and even gold coins.

Achilleon could pick any of them. As the emperor, he was able to make the most profitable choice for the Demophos Empire.

However, Land was relatively small territory and not particularly wealthy compared to other countries.

At least the reason why he chose her was not because of those. Then for what reason…

‘Really, me?’

She remembered what Mary said when teasing her. If he was really sincere about being with her, and that he has a great ambition.

“His Majesty is waiting for Your Majesty. I’ve prepared some water for washing up, so I’ll help with the makeup after Your Majesty took a bath.”

Hazel was surprised when the maid talked to her while her mind was still wandering everywhere.

“Th-then…”

The other maids approached Hazel, who was still sitting in a daze after the handmaiden beckoned at them.

“Help Her Majesty wash up first.”

Hazel went into the bathroom led by the gentle touch, sat in the bathtub and bathed while being served by the maids.

It felt strange for her to sit in the emperor’s bathroom alone. She has been with Achilleon all the time when she was here.

He had personally attended to her ever since he locked Hazel inside his bedroom.

Washing was one of the things he did for Hazel. When she opened her eyes after being hugged like crazy, she was sat in the bathtub and he left her as soon as she started washing up.

Most of the time she was either dozing off or just half-awake, so she couldn’t even remember how big the bathroom was or what the bathtub looked like, therefore the current sight felt unfamiliar to her.

When she had come out of the bath, it was time for her to be dressed up with the outfit and accessories she saw that were brought by the maids earlier.

She has never enjoyed wearing such a luxurious dress as the princess of Land. Now that she thought about it, the people of Demophos who came to Land were all dressed up in luxurious attire.

Lize said while looking at Hazel who was momentarily embarrassed by her luxurious attire.

“Oh, the people of Demophos tend to dress more lavishly than people of Land. This is nothing compared to the robes Your Majesty will wear for your coronation.”

She was going to wear something more luxurious than this?

“All of these accessories are only made and used by the empress. No one can put it on.”

Lize carefully picked up the necklace with the red velvet gems laid over it and fastened it around Hazel’s neck. Her earlobe was then filled with earrings and bracelets on her wrist. It was the first time for her, a princess, to see such a luxurious accessory.

“You’re done.”

The last thing left to wear was the Empress’s crown adorned with golden griffin. The maids left it in front of the mirror and walked out of the room.