The Hated Empress Tames the Tyrant

‘Damn, just wait and see.’

Even though she was in a corner, people’s gazes were still on her.

There were people who stared openly, and those who glanced furtively. But Arundel clenched her fist to avoid creating the situation Zion wanted.

Arundel looked at the center of the banquet hall, which had turned into a ballroom.

The colorful dresses spread out in all directions were beautiful. She had never danced before and didn’t know how to dance, but she felt a bit envious of the beautiful men and women holding hands and dancing beautifully.

Arundel blankly watched the beautiful men and women dancing.

“What are you staring at so blankly?”

She felt like she knew who it was without having to look, thanks to the now familiar baritone voice.

“Royden!”

Arundel greeted him happily.

Seeing Royden in party clothes instead of his usual armor was a bit awkward because he looked so cool.

Royden, who usually had his bangs down, looked different with his hair swept back. His gray outfit also matched well with his black hair.

“Do you want to dance so badly that you’re staring like that?”

“No! I just enjoy watching the dance.”

At Arundel’s excuse, Royden laughed lightly.

People avoided her vicinity as if there was a fence around her, and she was very grateful to Royden for coming to her.

“Today, it seems like the Empress, not the Emperor, is the main character.”

At Royden’s words, Arundel tilted his head.

“Everyone is only looking at the Empress.”

At Royden’s affectionate joke, Arundel laughed lightly.

Every time she met him, Arundel felt like she was always indebted to him, and she was both sorry and grateful. This time too, he comforted her in a witty way.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just, like last time, and today too.”

Arundel conveyed her sincerity.

At Arundel’s words, Royden bowed his head with a slightly flushed face.

Royden spoke lightly in jest to cheer up Arundel, but when he said she seemed like the protagonist, he meant it.

In fact, Royden had been watching her since Arundel entered the banquet hall.

Not only Royden, but most people were the same.

Of course, it was because she was the empress, but more than that, it was because she looked particularly beautiful today.

At the sight of her, who looked like a goddess of the forest had appeared, Royden was completely captivated.

Unfortunately, Arundel did not notice such a Royden.

He wanted to approach her, who was standing awkwardly and uncomfortably, but surely Zion would not stay still.

It took a lot of courage and determination for Royden to speak to Arundel.

But he couldn’t break his heart after all.

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“No, I’m really grateful.”

Arundel spoke again with a gentle smile. Royden seemed quite embarrassed.

“Ah, there’s something on your face…”

Royden reached out to Arundel’s face as if he had found something.

At that moment.

Thump-!

“What are you doing?”

Emperor Zion grabbed Royden’s hand with a fierce face.

Arundel, who had not noticed him approaching at all, was surprised and looked at Emperor Zion with wide eyes.

Royden, whose hand was caught, did not seem very surprised. Rather, he looked calm.

“I was just trying to remove the dust that had gotten on Her Majesty’s face.”

“Insolent fellow.”

Zion harshly threw away Royden’s hand he was holding.

“You, let’s talk later.”

Zion spoke as if warning Royden.

Zion, turning to look at Arundel, took Arundel’s hand and moved outside the banquet hall.

At the sudden turn of events, Arundel just walked as he led, like a paper doll.

Bang-!

The door closed with a loud noise.

The place where the two were was an empty room. It was bright enough not to need to turn on the lights, thanks to the moonlight seeping through the window.

Arundel found herself trapped between the door and Zion.

Moreover, her wrist was still being held, which was very awkward and uncomfortable.

“This is a bit…”

As Arundel looked down at her wrist and spoke, Zion hesitated and let go of her wrist.

And then he looked at Arundel again with a fierce expression.

“What’s going on between you and Royden? When did you two conspire?”

Zion asked coldly. He seemed to have no leisure today.

“No. Royden…We just exchanged greetings a few times before I became the empress.”

Arundel fumbled appropriately. Zion’s expression was still cold, as if he didn’t like the answer.

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

Zion spoke in a low voice. His gaze was so ominous that Arundel was momentarily at a loss for words.

“You know what you are to me, and so does that bastard Royden.”

“…”

“If he ignores my warning and approaches, it can’t be a normal relationship.”

A cynical smile hung on the corner of Zion’s mouth.

His eyes were already out of their senses. He might not believe whatever she says. Of course, she couldn’t speak honestly either.

‘He needs someone to soothe his wounds.’

The words of the old woman passed through Arundel’s head, who was anxiously thinking. She didn’t trust it much, but she had no choice now.

Arundel sighed briefly and blinked her pupils with a distant expression.

“Why do you doubt me so much…? I really only have His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Hah, that’s funny.”

Arundel was anxious at Zion’s unshaken appearance, but she couldn’t back down like this.

Arundel approached him closely. The two were close enough for their breaths to touch.

At the sudden closeness of Arundel, Zion frowned. It seemed like he was thinking, ‘What kind of trick is this?’

“My family abandoned me because of money…”

“…..”

“Now, the only family I have is His Majesty the Emperor… He’s my husband…”

Fortunately, Zion did not sneer or laugh.

She looked up at him just in case, but his face was stiff. He kept a poker face.

Arundel didn’t stop there and asked in return.

“Who was the woman with His Majesty?”

“…It’s none of your business.”

Arundel, who safely changed the subject, sighed with relief inside.

“I don’t like it. I wish His Majesty the Emperor only had me.”

“….”

“I also want to be His Majesty the Emperor’s only family, and his wife.”

Saying so, she cautiously leaned her face on his chest.

Fortunately, he didn’t harshly push her away like last time. Zion’s body felt stiff as if it was frozen.

“…That’s not even funny.”

At Zion’s words, Arundel lifted her head that was leaning on his chest.

His voice was still cold, but his expression was close to expressionless.

It was a face where emotions were impossible to discern.

But the good thing was that he wasn’t laughing as usual. When he laughed, it meant he was emotionally at ease.

Now, he was definitely being swayed by her.

Zion took about a step away from Arundel. At his reaction, which seemed like avoidance, Arundel tilted her head and approached, and Zion spoke coldly.

“I told you not to touch me.”

Arundel made a sulky expression.

It seemed a bit better, but he still didn’t allow even a touch. But it was fortunate that she got out of the topic about Royden.

“Please make a place for me in the future.”

Arundel, who was hesitating whether to speak or not, opened her mouth with a feeling of ‘whatever’.

It seemed like she gained some kind of absurd confidence at his softened reaction.

“Please make a place for me in official places in the future. I am the empress. I am your wife.”

Arundel, who had already committed, spoke again with a ‘whatever’ feeling.

“Hah, are you crazy?”

Zion exhaled shortly and spoke as if he was dumbfounded.

Arundel was taken aback by Zion’s reaction, wondering if she had gone too far, but it was already a spilled milk.

“I just…want to be by your side.”

Arundel, who lost her confidence at his colder than expected attitude, murmured with her eyes downcast.

Therefore she couldn’t see what kind of expression he was making. She didn’t have the courage to face his expression.

She had already exhausted all the courage she could use in a day.

“The party ends here today. Go back.”

Arundel, who lost her confidence, slowly nodded her head.

When she opened the door, a man who looked like Zion’s aide was fidgeting.

“If going out like this…”

“Escort the Empress to the palace.”

Ignoring the aide’s almost tearful words, Zion spoke coldly.

The aide, hesitating, led Arundel, telling her to follow.

Arundel could no longer face Zion’s cold expression and couldn’t look at him with her head bowed.

Not long after they went outside, a carriage arrived. The man who looked like an aide saw Arundel off with a gloomy face.

When they arrived at the Empress’s Palace, it was almost midnight. Arundel, who entered the bedroom, took off her shoes haphazardly.

As she was struggling to take off her clothes quickly, Belle, who entered the bedroom, rushed over to Arundel.

And Belle, who was diligent, separated Arundel from her clothes in an instant.

“Do you know how worried I was? You went out with His Majesty the Emperor and it was almost a disaster.”

Arundel nodded weakly, saying, “I guess so.”

She didn’t have the strength to reply. Today, too many things had happened to Arundel.

She nodded to Belle, who said she needed to wash.

She really didn’t want to wash today. She just wanted to fall asleep quickly and end the day.

Arundel, who lay down without even washing, thought of Zion’s face.

‘I shouldn’t have said that.’

She deeply regretted asking him to make a place for her, only now.

Until then, the atmosphere didn’t seem bad.

But fortunately, the strategy that the old woman mentioned wasn’t bad. His momentum, which seemed to devour her while probing her relationship with Royden, had greatly subsided.

‘I’ll touch him more next time.’

His attitude, which hated touching as if a bug was touching him, was a bit hurtful.

And thinking about it, he was the one who first held her hand and left the banquet hall.

 ‘So, it’s okay for him to touch, but not for me?’

Arundel was belatedly angry.

Thinking about the eventful day, Arundel fell asleep without realizing it.

Unaware of what was to come.