Chapter 4 · I Will Make You Addicted to Me

Before the splendid clamor of the coronation had even subsided, Isadel was shoved back into the silence of the tower.

Through the rattling iron door as it opened, damp air pierced the tip of her nose.

“Let go.”

Isadel sharply shook off the guards’ hands.

With the heavy noise of the lock engaging, a familiar stillness settled.

But that too was only brief.

Crash!

A glass on the shelf struck the wall and shattered to pieces.

The finely broken fragments sprayed in all directions.

That alone was not enough.

Isadel threw whatever she could grab at random.

The hand mirror and crystal vase the maids had newly procured, and even the lamp stand.

Crash!

Shatter!

The successive bursts of breaking sounds slashed at her eardrums.

At last, Isadel began tearing at her own dress roughly.

The sound of the silk skirt hem being ripped away was like the sound of flesh being torn off.

At last, Isadel began tearing at her own dress roughly.

The sound of the silk skirt hem being ripped away was like the sound of flesh being torn off.

Rip!

Teeear!

The pearl ornaments densely studded along the waistline poured down onto the floor in a cascade.

“Hah, hah…”

Isadel staggered and leaned her body against the wall.

Perhaps because she had completely abstained from food for days, her vision wavered dizzily.

But she could not stop.

She could not endure it without vomiting out the anger surging up inside her.

She gritted her teeth and raised herself again.

And just like that, she swept everything off the table.

Silver candlesticks and ornaments rolled across the floor, and the mirror on the dressing table struck the floor and cracked like a spiderweb.

It was when there was nothing left to throw or break.

Clank.

Into the desolated room came the sound of the door opening again.

“Get out.”

It was a statement spat out without even thinking of checking who it was.

But when there was no answer, Isadel turned her head irritably.

“I told you to get out.”

A shadow stretched long through the gap of the door slowly invaded the room.

The empire’s crown, which had finally found its new master, glinted coldly atop it.

Erhan scanned the wrecked room once, then opened his mouth leisurely.

“How was the coronation?”

The blue eyes revealed between the golden hair turned toward Isadel.

“Was it worth watching?”

When Isadel gave no answer, Erhan slowly took off the imperial crown and placed it on the shelf.

The jewels holding the sunset light scattered brilliant colors and created a strange atmosphere.

“The man you considered worse than a worm has become emperor.

How does it feel?”

“Shut up.”

Isadel spat coldly.

Just standing in the same space as him made nausea rise.

As if enjoying her reaction, Erhan approached and stood right before her.

Then he persistently took in Isadel’s face.

As a starving snake would search out its prey, his gaze passed over her sweat-beaded forehead and slowly swept over her faintly trembling eyelids and her redly bruised lips.

“Yes, this is exactly that face.”

Erhan burst into laughter.

“I was curious what kind of expression you would make after having everything taken from you by me.”

“……”

“Waiting was worth it.

That is exactly the expression.”

Eyes that looked ready to tear him apart at any moment.

Lips pressed so tightly that blood might gather.

Shoulders heaving roughly.

It was all exactly as he had imagined.

‘Just how long has it been since I saw this face…’

Erhan could hardly take his eyes off her face.

As if a long craving had finally been satisfied, his eyes were stained with mad ecstasy.

At that moment, Isadel could bear it no longer and raised her hand.

Smack—!

With the sharp sound of impact, Erhan’s head turned to the side.

Because she had struck with all her strength, Isadel’s palm stung numbly.

Erhan, by contrast, slowly ran his tongue over his lips and smiled faintly.

She had thought it would split, but not a single drop of blood came away.

“Did you already lose your strength just from starving for that long?”

When he was young, a single blow had surely made his vision flash.

Now, far from hurting, that flimsy resistance was almost pitiful.

“More.

Hit me more.”

Erhan provoked her openly, but Isadel did not obligingly get drawn in.

“Fine.

I’ve even shown you the expression you so desperately wanted, so now tell me your real purpose.”

Isadel glared at him and spat coldly.

“You surely don’t intend to keep me alive.

You killed my father and my siblings to your heart’s content, so next is my turn.”

She stepped closer and pulled at Erhan’s collar.

“Kill me.

Tear me apart or burn me alive—do as you please.”

At her words, Erhan slowly curled up the corners of his mouth.

“…Why would I?”

At the unexpected answer, Isadel’s eyes wavered.

“What…?”

Still held by the collar, Erhan slowly lowered his head.

A strange heat lingered in the eyes looking at her.

“Think carefully, Isadel.

If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done it long ago.

Why would I have kept you alive?”

Isadel could not readily understand his words.

She had thought that launching the coup and massacring the Lacent imperial family had all been to take revenge on her.

So she had believed that after taking everything she had, he would eventually take her life as well.

But now he said he would not kill her.

‘Surely not…’

The moment she met the abyss cast in Erhan’s eyes, the blood in her whole body ran cold.

A premonition rushed over her that a punishment more terrible than death awaited her.

“Yes.

Now you finally have the face of someone grasping the situation.”

Erhan gently removed Isadel’s wrist from his collar.

Lightly smoothing his crumpled collar, he whispered low.

“Isadel, I will not kill you.

Nor will I leave you to die.”

“……”

“Instead, I think I’ll drag you down to a slave and present you with hell.

Life is truly funny, isn’t it?

Once you were the princess and I was your slave, and now we’ve completely reversed.”

Even at Erhan’s twisted whisper, Isadel did not blink an eye.

“Hah.

You think my life will become hell just because I fall to slavery?”

Isadel stared at him with a sneer.

“Try it.

Make me a slave, tear my limbs apart with torture—try everything you can.

I will never be broken by the likes of you.”

Erhan made no reply for a while.

He merely looked down at her quietly.

Meanwhile, Isadel slowly clenched the hand hidden beneath her skirt hem.

A shard broken off from the shattered glass was concealed in her palm.

‘Impudent bastard.

You’ll die sooner than I become your slave.’

It was the moment Erhan’s gaze wavered for an instant.

Without a speck of hesitation, Isadel raised her hand.

But just as the sharp glass shard was about to stab down into his neck.

Thwack!

Her wrist was caught in midair.

The firm grip constricted her wrist as if to crush the bone.

“When did you hide something like this?”

Erhan looked down at Isadel with a sneer.

“Let go.”

“……”

“Let go of me with that filthy hand!”

Isadel gritted her teeth and struggled to pull her wrist free.

But even as she twisted her whole body in resistance, Erhan’s hand did not budge.

“Let go of me!!!”

As if finding her desperate struggle laughable, Erhan let out a low chuckle.

Then he roughly pulled the wrist he held and threw Isadel onto the bed.

“Ah!”

Her back struck the mattress hard, and a short groan burst out.

Before she could even steady her flashing vision, Erhan climbed over her.

Pinned beneath him, Isadel struggled desperately.

“What are you doing?!”

The hand she swung was subdued with absurd ease.

Looking down at her from above, Erhan let out a deflated laugh.

Soon his eyes sank cold.

“I just remembered.

A way to make you break for me.”

“What…?”

“I, the one you loathe most, will become your hell.

Because that will be the greatest punishment for you and the greatest revenge for me.”

“What are you talking about… Let go of me!”