Chapter 2 Part 1

Dim light shone through the palm-sized window. Irina looked at the sky outside the window. Dawn was breaking. 

The sun rose, a new day began, but her future seemed dark.

Her mind was confused, her heart restless. Perhaps that’s why she recalled Rumpel’s cold body temperature remaining on her body. It was an unbelievable chill for human warmth, now he’s disappeared without a trace, but their lovemaking was still vividly etched in Irina’s body.

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Irina looked at the position of the bed where they laid together, unconsciously recalling the moment she was intimate with Rumpel. But all she could think of was the erotic and stimulating things they had done, her face turning red.

Rumpel was a very beautiful man. He shined so brightly that she felt like she was committing a sin just by looking at him. His sturdy body, hidden beneath a neat robe, made her forget that his body temperature was icy cold. 

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Moreover, the pleasure he gave was unimaginable. From time to time, Olga, her maid and other servants would talk to Irina about sexual intercourse.

Every time, Irina told them not to talk about such indecent things, but  she secretly listened without realizing. However, the conclusion was always that, unexpectedly, there were not many men who satisfied women, and things would end with lack of steam.

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But Rumpel was different. He wasn’t that kind of man. He completely shook Irina with such dizzying stimulation that even she, who was having sex for the first time, could tell. 

‘I’m too… Why am I thinking about this so shamefully?’ 

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Without anyone to blame, Irina couldn’t bear the embarrassment and slapped her cheeks with her palms. Her already flushed cheeks turned even redder. But the more she thought about it, the more vividly she remembered what happened the night before. 

Irina shook her head, trying to erase the wild memories filling her mind.

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Fortunately or unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the moments of intimacy that had been tormenting Irina were erased from her mind. The reason was simple. It was because she felt a presence outside.

‘…They’re here.’ 

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Not just one, but dozens of footsteps. Irina knew that the Emperor and his minions would soon arrive.

“His Majesty the Emperor!” 

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Sure enough, a voice announcing the emperor’s arrival echoed. Irina bit her lip involuntarily and stared at the door.

Soon, she heard the sound of  the latch being undone, and the door burst open. The moment the door opened felt incredibly long. 

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“G-gold!” 

“It’s really gold…!”

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 “You’ve made gold again!” 

As the door opened completely, the people who followed Emperor Knezh frowned and expressed their admiration in unison as they saw the light emanating from the countless gold nuggets. They looked around the tower with wide eyes, as if they couldn’t believe it.

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Gold was everywhere they looked. The only thing in the tower that wasn’t gold was Irina. Even her hair was so golden that she looked like gold. 

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.” 

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Even in the surreal scene, Irina calmly held the hem of her dress and  slightly bent down to show respect. 

Emperor Knezh raised his chin slightly, scanning Irina. He was also greatly surprised but tried his best to ignore it.

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Clearly, everything around her was gold. Pure, bright yellow gold without a speck of dust. 

Could this woman really have the ability to create gold? 

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Seeing her turned straw into gold thread, stones into gold nuggets, he had to admit she could make gold. 

But there was something that bothered him. In the first place, he was the one who started the rumor that Irina’s father claimed she could make gold.

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He planned to make Baron Lehman, her father, a braggart, drive him to the edge, and seize his gold mine.

But she actually happened to be able to make gold, which was an uncanny coincidence. 

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Surely Irina Lehman had done something, but he couldn’t figure it out. However, Knezh wasn’t impatient. 

Irina had already found a way to create a massive amount of gold, as she had figured out how to make gold.

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“I guess it’s time to acknowledge Lady Irina’s extraordinary ability.” 

“…Thank you.” 

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Irina did not relax even as she expressed her gratitude for Emperor Knezh’s words. She couldn’t tell what that snake-like man was thinking.

Would he really trust her and let her go because of this? No way. Judging by his character, such a thought was absurd. 

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“Do you remember what I said when I asked you to prove your ability?” 

Irina’s eyes widened at his words. She swallowed dryly. 

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The day she almost lost her father in an instant, Irina vividly remembered the brutal air of that day. So, of course, she remembered Emperor Knezh’s words clearly. 

 

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“Irina Lehman, try making gold like your father used to talk about. If so, not only will your father be saved, but I will also reward you greatly.”

 

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Emperor Knezh’s words echoed in her head. He said he would give her a great reward. It was a good thing for the Emperor to give a great reward. But that was only in normal cases. 

Now that she knew that Emperor Knezh’s greed was as high as the sky, even his promise of a reward didn’t sound pleasant to Irina. On the contrary, she felt an inexplicable sense of unease and anxiety. 

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Irina stared at Emperor Knezh with trembling eyes. He looked straight at Irina, the corners of his mouth curled.

Trapped in his gaze, Irina felt her neck stiffen with instinctive fear. It was like facing a giant carnivore. She knew she had to run away, but she couldn’t. That’s why Irina was even more afraid. 

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“Irina Lehman.” 

“…Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor.” 

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Irina’s voice trembled slightly as she answered. The Emperor must have noticed that Irina’s voice was shaking, but he seemed amused. His eyes glistened greedily.

“I grant you the position of Empress.”

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For an instant, the air froze. Everyone here could not believe their ears.

Emperor Knezh had never taken a consort. Despite countless proposals from the most prominent noble families within the empire and even from neighboring countries, Emperor Knezh had remained unmarried. 

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Despite reaching the age of marriage, he did not even look for a woman to become Empress, let alone marry her. Because of this, rumors had circulated about him, some suggesting he preferred the company of men, others that he was simply incapable. 

To that extent, Emperor Knezh did not seem to be interested in finding the Empress, let alone in the affairs of the woman itself. The fact that such a person announced that he would welcome the Empress would be great news both inside and outside the Empire.

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Moreover, the woman chosen as Empress was from the lowly Baron family, which added another layer of intrigue to the situation. 

It was even more shocking to those who had heard the news first and from the Emperor’s own mouth.  Seeing the woman in front of them with such great abilities, and knowing she was to become Empress, they felt unreal.

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Yet, no one dared to speak. It was only natural. They all knew the Emperor’s cruelty.

“Wh-what’s that… ….” 

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Only Irina could not hide her embarrassment and barely opened her mouth. Her words drew the attention of people to her.

“Exactly what I said. I’m granting you the position of Empress. That means I’m going to give you the honor of being my wife. Why are you not pleased?”

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Irina gasped at the haughty question. She wanted nothing more than to scream at him to stop all this nonsense. But he was the Emperor, and there were too many eyes to see and ears to hear.

“Your Majesty’s words are heartening, but they are too sudden. Moreover, I’m not qualified to be the Empress.”

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It was the best she could come up with, a polite refusal that wouldn’t provoke him. 

Irina swallowed dryly and nervously looked at Emperor Knezh.

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“Hmm, is that so?” 

Fortunately, the emperor’s reaction was not bad. He was calm, as if he had expected her answer.

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Irina breathed a sigh of relief and consoled her shocked heart. However, with Emperor Knezh’s words that followed, her anxiety arose again.

“I have something to discuss with Lady Irina alone, so everyone please leave.”

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‘Something to say alone?’

She had no idea what he was going to say. Irina bit her lower lip and clenched her fists.

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Her nails dug deep into the flesh of her palm, but she didn’t feel any pain. There was no time to feel any other sensation  because the entire mind was on high alert for the Emperor.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

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The Emperor’s minions bowed and quickly left the tower. 

Irina glanced at them as they hurried out of the tower, then turned back to the Emperor again. There was no doubt that there was resentment and anger in her gaze, but Emperor Knezh only stretched his lips in amusement.

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There was a lot of tension between the two of them. Meanwhile, only two people remained in the tower, and everyone was gone. Irina tried to suppress her anger and spoke as calmly as she could.

“Your Majesty, I beg you to reconsider. I am not a woman worthy of being the Empress.” 

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Despite her trembling voice, she was able to convey what she wanted to say. Irina took a deep breath while waiting for his answer.

But Emperor Knezh twisted the corners of his mouth and smiled. Irina felt a little uncomfortable with his smile and quietly chewed on her delicate cheeks.

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“I’ll decide whether or not one is worthy to become the Empress. All you have to do is be grateful and obey the command. Quietly. I just hate women who talk a lot.”

At the sarcastic tone, Irina glared at Emperor Knezh with wide eyes. Then, for some reason, he shook his head.

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“You don’t seem to want the position of Empress. The position of Empress of the Asilien Empire, which is desired not only by women within the Empire, but also by women outside the Empire.”

“I never wanted to be Empress.”

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“You will want it.”

“I wouldn’t want it.”

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Irina, who was furious at Emperor Knezh’s confident words, responded without giving up. The air became frozen as the two people sharply confronted each other.

Emperor Knezh’s words were like a command. These were words that were suppressed with authority and power, as if there was no way to refuse.

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That’s why Irina couldn’t lose to his words even more. She couldn’t make him do what he wanted.

“Let me be clear. There is nothing in this country that I cannot have.”

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He spoke as if he had seen through Irina’s heart. It was natural to feel repulsed by this.

Even if he was the Emperor, Irina, who was already full of resentment and anger towards him, did not want to easily accept his words. No, she didn’t want to accept it even if she died.

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The position of Empress was something she had never wanted from the beginning. She never thought of it as hers, and she never would.

Moreover, it was even more terrible if the position was the wife of Emperor Knezh. He wanted to destroy her family. Being the wife of such a vicious and cruel man was something she hated more than dying.

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