The wind in the garden gently lifted the delicate petals of the flowers as Neonidas’ smile deepened.
"Do you want to rule over ?" his voice filled with a taunting challenge.
Allea lowered her head and looked at her ring once more. "Yes," she admitted honestly. "But now... I know it will be much harder."
Neonidas stepped toward the edge of the stone pathway. He reached out and plucked a deep red flower from a branch.
As he stroked its velvety petals with his fingertips, he murmured, "Difficult, but not impossible." When his gaze returned to Allea, an unusual spark flickered in his eyes.
Allea knew he enjoyed this ga. Neonidas was accustod to dominance, both on the battlefield and in personal relationships. But he was more than just a conqueror—he was also a strategist who played with finesse.
"What do you intend to do?" Allea, scrutinizing his gaze.
Neonidas smiled faintly. "I might let you rule over ," he said slowly. "But only... in the way I choose."
Allea narrowed her eyes. "So, by your rules?"
Neonidas inclined his head. "Ruling isn’t just about giving orders, Allea. An emperor does not govern his people through power alone; he must also appeal to their desires. If you want to control , you must first give what I want."
A cold smile touched the corners of Allea’s lips. "And what is it that you want, Neonidas?"
Neonidas extended the flower to her. Allea hesitated for a mont before taking it. As her fingers brushed against the petals, Neonidas stepped closer and whispered,
"I want to have you. But only in the way I choose."
Allea’s heart quickened for a brief mont, but she didn’t let it show. Maintaining her composed mask, she looked at the flower.
She knew exactly what Neonidas was trying to do—he was pulling her into his ga. But Allea had no intention of being just a player in it.
After inhaling the flower’s scent, she lifted her head. "If you want to rule over , Neo. Then first, you must feel that I am ruling over you."
Neonidas let out a laugh. "I can’t wait to see that, Allea."
---
In the Kingdom of Hindonpon, ti seed to move more slowly for Neonidas. During the day, he was occupied with the kingdom’s internal affairs and the preparations for the upcoming ceremony. At night, he either indulged in pleasurable monts with his new concubines or engaged in conversations with Allea.
anwhile, the effects of the war that had taken place months ago still echoed throughout the continent. The so-called useless duke achieving such a grand victory had been shocking to everyone. So noble families had been so certain of Neonidas’ defeat that they had made strategic moves accordingly. But now, the tables had turned completely. Neonidas was undeniably the empire’s new superstar.
At grand balls, everyone was talking about him. Won showered him with admiration for his appearance, while experienced noblen discussed his achievents. However, the truly intelligent ones focused on the brilliant strategies he had employed in battle.
Just a year ago, Neonidas had faced overwhelming hatred and opposition, but now, much of that hostility had faded. Unless an extraordinary event occurred, he was destined to be the future emperor. Of course, the real power would remain in Allea’s hands, but even so, Neonidas was now stronger than ever.
So nobles regretted not offering their daughters to him as concubines—or at the very least, failing to establish good relations with him. It was well known that Neonidas already had five concubines, and the possibility of him accepting more was uncertain. In fact, they weren’t entirely wrong—Neonidas was already complaining about having too many won. He had no desire to take on additional concubines.
His initial plans had been much simpler. When he had envisioned his future, he had expected to have no more than three concubines, plus Allea—making a total of four won. But now, including the empress, there were seven won around him.
Neonidas sighed as he rose to his feet, gathering the papers on his desk and stacking them into a file. After tidying up his workspace, he exited the room. The situation in Hindonpon had stabilized; aside from a few minor uprisings, there were no serious threats. In fact, Neonidas had already begun disbanding parts of his army and sending them back to duchie.
As he walked through the vast, interconnected corridors, he eventually arrived at a room even more luxurious than his own. This was, of course, Princess Allea’s chamber.
For the past few nights, Neonidas had been spending his ti in the bedchambers of Elenora and Celeste. He had devoted considerable effort to ensuring that they conceived, sotis spending the night with just one of them to help them gradually adjust to his presence.
But as he spent more ti with them and spoke less with Allea, Neonidas began to notice cracks forming in her carefully maintained mask. And now, he felt it was ti to make his move.
He paused for a brief mont in front of the door. The faint scent of incense wafting from inside reflected the room’s tranquil atmosphere. Running his fingers over the door’s surface, he then knocked with a firm yet gentle touch. Inside, Allea quickly glanced at her reflection in the window, adjusted her hair, and cleared her throat.
After a brief silence, her voice ca from within.
"You may enter."
As he stepped inside, he saw Allea standing by the window, bathed in moonlight. Her gown, made of delicate fabrics, fit her figure flawlessly, giving her both elegance and an air of distance. She had her hands clasped together as she gazed out into the night.
Neonidas shut the door behind him and walked toward her. The room was as orderly as ever, yet the air felt different—charged with an invisible tension. Allea acted as if she wasn’t aware of his presence, but Neonidas could tell she was on edge.
"You’ve missed ," he stated, his voice devoid of mockery but filled with certainty.
Allea smiled faintly but did not turn her head. "What makes you think that?"
Neonidas slowly stepped behind her, clasping his hands behind his back and tilting his head slightly. "You haven’t asked lately."
"Haven’t asked what?"
A smirk played on Neonidas’ lips. "Who I’ve been spending my nights with."
Allea maintained the cold smile on her face, but her fingers tensed slightly where they were clasped together. Neonidas was watching her—catching every gesture, every faint tremor in her breath. Her silence wasn’t a sign of defeat; on the contrary, it was proof that she was planning an even greater ga.
"Maybe I don’t care anymore," Allea said, her voice indifferent, yet there was sothing trembling beneath it.
Neonidas slowly closed the distance between them. "Is that so?" he whispered. "But it doesn’t seem that way to ."
At last, Allea turned to face him. Her red hair shimred under the moonlight, taking on an almost ethereal glow. Her eyes held their usual cold glint, but Neonidas saw sothing else beneath the surface—a spark he himself had ignited, one that needed only a breath to turn into a fla.
As soon as he caught that flicker in her gaze, Neonidas smiled. But it wasn’t a smile of victory—it was the beginning of a much bigger ga. The distance between them had vanished, yet an invisible boundary remained—untouched, uncrossed, but ever-present, keeping them both on edge.
Allea tilted her head slightly without breaking eye contact. "If you’re so certain, then why are you here, Neonidas?"
Neonidas stroked his chin, pretending to be lost in thought. But this, too, was part of the ga. "I ca to ask you a question."
Allea arched an eyebrow. "What question?"
Leaning in, Neonidas whispered in her ear, "Are you jealous of ?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of Allea’s lips. "Do you expect to be jealous of sothing that already belongs to ?"
Neonidas laughed, but his eyes never stopped analyzing her every move. "Really? Then why are you so tense inside?"
Allea locked eyes with him, her face unreadable. But Neonidas could see the depths within her gaze. This was a mont between two commanders on a battlefield—asuring each other, drawing closer without ever lowering their weapons.
"If you’re looking for jealousy, you’ve chosen the wrong woman," Allea said.
Neonidas tilted his head slightly, observing her more closely. "And if you’re looking for the desire to possess," Allea continued, "are you telling I’ve chosen the wrong man?"
Neonidas narrowed his eyes. This was the kind of challenge he enjoyed. He took a deep breath and clasped his hands behind his back. "Not at all. Because I want you exactly as you are, Allea. Cold, distant, intelligent… and sohow, inexplicably, intertwined with ."
Allea paused for a mont. Then she inclined her head slightly, studying him more closely. "Perhaps that’s because you’re used to wanting things you can’t have"
A glint of amusent flashed in Neonidas’ eyes, but he didn’t smile. "Perhaps. But maybe you’re doing the exact sa thing… without even realizing it."
Silence settled between them, heavy like the night air filling the room. Neither of them was willing to take the first step. They were pulling toward each other, yet both were ready to push away at a mont’s notice.
"I killed you in a past life… for another man, no less," Allea said, her voice laced with sothing that sounded almost like… genuine curiosity. Like a cat poking at a coil just to see what it would do. "Shouldn’t you hate instead of wanting ?"
A flicker of amusent danced in Neonidas’ eyes, but this ti, he didn’t smile.
"Actually…" he murmured, his voice deep and deliberate, "I still desire you just the sa."
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