The engagement ceremony of the most powerful man on the continent was underway. Two men stood leaning against a wall, tucked away from the crowd.
“Obruxen is barely surviving thanks to the daughter of some lowly merchant.”
The man snorted as he watched the swarms of people gathered to catch a glimpse of the bride-to-be. It felt as if every soul on the continent had descended upon the place.
“Please, calm yourself,” a voice whispered, trying to soothe the disgruntled man. “Doesn’t this mean the future of Obruxen is bright? If they produce an heir, the blood of Obruxen will flow through the veins of the Haiderk imperial family.”
Obruxen, defeated in the war against Haiderk, had been on the brink of destruction. People were slaughtered; others were sold into slavery. In desperation, King Caleb assembled a delegation of young women. They were called a “delegation,” but in truth, they were nothing more than tribute.
“So, Your Majesty, please attend the engagement with a light heart.”
The King himself, the man who had ordered the creation of this tribute delegation, was in attendance. He had been looking around with a sour expression for some time. The young King of Obruxen possessed striking features—deep navy hair and rare violet eyes that commanded everyone’s attention.
Marquis Delco, busy trying to pacify Caleb, stole a glance at his liege. No matter how many times he saw him, he could never quite get used to such a stunning appearance.
“We have created a Haiderk Empress with our own hands. This is something to be proud of.”
There was a reason the delegation had been composed of daughters from families with minor titles rather than commoners. If one of them was lucky enough to marry a Haiderk noble, it would provide excellent leverage for future negotiations.
But an engagement to the Emperor himself? When rumors first swirled of an affair with the Emperor, everyone thought they had misheard. Only after realizing the rumors were true did they start actively supporting “that woman”—even secretly sending her books on the “arts of the bedchamber.” Today’s engagement was the fruit of those efforts.
“Since we’re here, let’s at least see her face.”
“Why would I want to see the face of someone so lowly?” Caleb sneered.
Since they had communicated primarily through letters, Caleb didn’t even know “that woman’s” name or what she looked like. The Marquis might have mentioned her name once, but there was no way he would remember such a trivial thing.
“They say she’s a temptress who bewitches men’s hearts.”
“A temptress? Good heavens!” Marquis Delco jumped in surprise.
The Emperor of Haiderk, Arthur Haiderk, was famous for keeping no women near him. There were even rumors that he was physically unable to be with one.
“Still, you should at least know her name,” Marquis Delco pleaded in a tearful voice, frustrated by his master’s indifference. “Her name is, well…”
“Eoret.”
Startled by the voice behind her, she spun around. The room should have been empty, yet this man always appeared without a sound.
Arthur Haiderk.
As their eyes met, he offered a picture-perfect smile. Despite the ceremony being moments away, he was only in his shirt. His hair was slightly windswept as if he’d just returned from a ride, and he carried the faint scent of the outdoors. Unlike Eoret, he looked perfectly relaxed, devoid of any tension.
“What were you doing?”
After finishing her preparations, Eoret had been left alone in the room. This was the Chamber of Mirrors—a secret space hidden within the walls, filled with mirrors on every side. It was a highly private area known only to a few, used for dressing before major events.
But there was another secret. Through the mirror on the western wall, one could peek into the adjacent room. Because the walls were thin, every conversation could be heard clearly.
“I was just listening to what people were saying about me.”
As she answered, Eoret turned her eyes away from the mirror where Caleb had been reflected. Arthur’s gray eyes followed her gaze.
“Were you looking at the King of Obruxen?”
His voice sounded gentle at first, but there was an unmistakable edge of displeasure beneath it. It sounded like the low, threatening growl of a predator just before the hunt. Was it greed for his prey, or a warning? Eoret took two steps back. He always made her nervous. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, she felt a sense of dismay.
“How long has it been since you last saw him?” Arthur asked nonchalantly.
“Two years.”
Perhaps it was because she hated him enough to want him dead, but now that she saw his face, she found it hard to look away.
‘They say she’s a temptress who bewitches men’s hearts.’
The word “temptress” stung her heart as if it were being shredded. Once they called her a barren woman; now they call her a temptress. Recalling the past, Eoret gave a cold smile. Two years ago or now, Caleb only ever mocked her. They were once lovers, but he betrayed her and became her enemy. The emotions that once boiled like fire had cooled into a hard stone, pinned in the center of her chest.
“Will you dress me yourself?”
Eoret, who had been staring at the mirror, looked up in a daze.
“…Pardon?”
Seeing her wide eyes, Arthur let out a short laugh.
“Is this not the body you will be seeing constantly from now on?”
“Are you serious?”
Entrusting his body to someone other than a valet right before a major event? Looking at his expression, he wasn’t joking.
“Of course.”
As if to prove it, Arthur slowly began to undress. The man before her was breathtakingly beautiful—flawless, like the son of a sun god from myth. A man who would become a legend of Haiderk even after death. The hero of Haiderk remained sharp and imposing even while disrobing.
“Will you help me?”
His tone held a hint of amusement. It would be a natural reaction to shrink back when someone reveals their naked body, but the man before her was completely unshaken. Instead, it was Eoret, fully clothed, who was overwhelmed with embarrassment. Even though it was the Emperor standing there bare, she felt as though she was the one exposed. She didn’t know where to look.
If she left him be, he seemed the type to attend the engagement exactly as he was. Finally, she picked up the neatly folded formal attire and approached him.
Earlier, Caleb had said the Emperor of Haiderk could not embrace women. And yet, Eoret was witnessing live evidence that those rumors were nonsense—very “large” evidence, in fact. Eoret bit her lip, conscious of Arthur watching her with interest. He seemed to be enjoying her reaction. Despite her attempts to act unfazed, her hands trembled as she held his shirt. Noticing this, Arthur wore a mischievous, playful smile. He even chuckled softly when she squeezed her eyes shut to avoid looking down.
Reflected in the mirror, Arthur looked like a god of war descended to earth. His dark hair and gray eyes were chillingly beautiful.
“Thank you.”
Once he was fully dressed, Arthur spoke to her kindly. Though it had only been about five minutes, Eoret was drenched in a cold sweat. She let out a sigh of relief. Her eyes instinctively flickered back toward the mirror. Caleb had already disappeared, likely having moved while Arthur was changing. The guests would be heading to the main hall now.
‘Did he ask me to do this just to pull my gaze away from Caleb?’
[Your Majesty. It is time to move.]
At the servant’s voice from outside the door, Arthur reached out. Startled by the sudden touch, Eoret turned her head and met his cold, sunken eyes.
“Eoret.” Arthur gently stroked her cheek. “You made me a promise.”
His hand moved from her cheek to the line of her neck and shoulder. As his rough, calloused hand brushed past, her breath hitched. She instinctively tensed and bit her lip.
“That you would be mine.”
“…….”
“Do not forget the oath you made then.”
Her eyes wavered in sync with her thumping heart. Eoret clutched the fabric of her dress to hide her agitation.
“After we leave this room, you must not cast a single glance at that man again.”
Arthur was right. Her life was now past the point of no return. She must not forget the wounds she received that day. Eoret’s eyes clouded with sorrow and anger.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Crowds flocked to the Imperial Palace, but only a select few were permitted to attend the ceremony. Every guest was someone of immense influence: Maria Zerkin, the holiest knight of the Temple; Randolph Excelion, the great hero who saved the people from a terrible famine; and the dazzlingly beautiful Princess Shuen.
Eoret greeted those who approached her with kindness. Despite the curiosity, slight hostility, and the heavy weight of the gazes fixed upon her, she kept her head held high.
“His Majesty, King Caleb Obruxen of Obruxen.”
Before long, Marquis Delco introduced the man she had been waiting for. Finally, their eyes met.
“…You.”
His indifferent face froze like frost. He could never have imagined it—that the woman he had sold to an enemy country with his own hands, the woman he had personally ordered to be taught the arts of the bedchamber, was his former lover and fiancée.
Caleb looked as if he had been slapped. But Eoret was equally shaken. She never expected to reunite with the man she once loved in this manner. It was a horrific feeling. She had once loved him enough to devote her life to him; Caleb had once been her entire future.
“How… how are you…?”
He looked as if he were seeing a ghost. In truth, he probably thought he was; after all, it was Caleb himself who had driven her toward death.
But Eoret was alive.
