I had fled the room when I found out the man I was speaking to was the emperor, and it had been a day since then. I was already regretting my decision of running away from the Dragon, but what else was I supposed to do in that panic-induced situation? Running, at the time, seemed to be my only option. It was a very stupid decision I had made and I was already dreading the consequences.

Maybe the emperor would kill me?

I was sitting in one of the rooms that had been given to the potential concubines, all of us sitting around sipping tea and talking to each other. It was like all the other days; all of us were boringly sitting around, like we were sheep waiting to be inspected. Everyone was dressed and pressed to perfection, waiting and hoping for the emperor to walk in and choose his concubine.

“The emperor is coming,” a servant suddenly said at the doorway of the room. He bowed down until he was kneeling. “His Royal Majesty, Drakkon Meilin.”

In mere seconds, the Dragon stepped inside the room, looking as intimidating and beautiful as yesterday. His long hair was pulled back, and a crown was missing from his head; there were rumors that the emperor didn’t like jewelry, accessories, or silk clothing, and it wasn’t until I saw him now that I truly understood the rumors. He was dressed in a loose, long-sleeved shirt with a black under shirt, a sash wrapped around his waist with swords and daggers strapped on, and pants and boots.

He was gorgeous and deadly, and every girl in the room realized that as they stared at him.

He strolled into the room casually and sat on the long, adorned couch in the center of the room. His gaze swept throughout the room and he smiled when he saw me, his eyes raking up and down my figure and stopping at my face. I froze under his gaze, my heart racing in fear and my fingers trembling ever so slightly.

“So sorry, ladies,” he said in a smooth, almost bored voice. “I wasn’t able to entertain you with my presence.”

“No, no, Your Majesty, it is an honor to be in your presence,” one of the women said with a wide grin as she pressed her hands on the ground and bowed.

He watched her with mild interest before glancing around the room. “Bohai, are these all the women that were brought?”

Commander Bohai and two other men were standing near the emperor. Commander Bohai was dressed in dark military attire and had a bored look on his face. He bobbed his head at the emperor. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hmmm, I see.” He leaned back in his seat. “I suppose I’ll get to know them.”

His gaze fell on me and I shivered under his scrutiny, scooting back and staring down at the ground. Why was he staring at me? Was it because he was planning on hurting me? Maybe he really was going to kill me?

“You,” he finally spoke, pointing his finger at me and waving me over. “Yin Daiyu, was it?”

My spine stiffened with fear and my stomach roiled in anticipation. I was so anxious that I barely registered that he remembered my name. With jerky movement, I stood up from my position and made my way towards him. When I was a couple of feet away, I bowed down as gracefully as I could, though it wasn’t very graceful at all. “Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Come here, my little rabbit,” he said with a tint of amusement as he watched me quiver slightly.

I raised my eyes to meet his and felt the glares of the women around me. Fear moved me forward and I stopped until I was a foot away from him. Instantly, he reached over and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me onto his lap easily. I gasped and stared into his eyes; he was so close to me, my hands pressed against his chest.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his dark eyes dancing with emotions I couldn’t decipher. “You’re not scared, are you?”

I shook my head in muted silence, fear getting the best of me. I shifted on his lap and clasped my hands together tightly, my gaze averted and a flush creeping up my cheeks. He was leaning back on the couch nonchalantly and had an arm around my waist, his fingers pressed against my hip bones.

“You,” he said to one of the random women. “Why do you want to be my concubine?”

She blinked in surprise. “Your Majesty, it would be the greatest honor upon my family and—”

“How old are you?” he asked her.

“T-Twenty-two.”

“Are you widowed?”

“N-No—”

“But you’re a virgin?” He smiled when she hesitated. His very presence was intimidating and it was hard to think about anything while sitting on his lap. She sputtered a response but he lost interest in her and focused on another girl, berating her with questions until she too was stammering.

“And you, little rabbit?” He stroked my hip and stared into my eyes, the corner of his lip lifted into a half smirk. “How old are you?”

I swallowed; touching him and being this close was unnerving, to say the least. “T-Twenty-four, Your Majesty.”

“Twenty-four?” He raised his brows. “And you’re still not married?”

I shook my head.

“Have you slept with a man?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“But you’re so beautiful,” he said as he examined my face. “It’s hard to believe you’ve never slept with a man when you’re twenty-four. Why is that?”

I hesitated. “M-My betrothed died during the war and as a result I didn’t marry and—”

“Hmmm,” he said suddenly, tilting his head to the side as he watched me. “I don’t care for you past anymore, I suppose. What happened, happened.”

“I—”

“Are you scared of me?”

Of course. I was terrified.

“N-No,” I said.

He smirked, placing a finger under my chin and raising my eyes to meet his. “You will not be my concubine, little rabbit.” He leaned forward until his forehead was touching mine, my eyes wide while his were full of amusement. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

My mouth was dry and I heard a few snickers around us from the jealous women around me. They were happy that I wouldn’t be chosen as the emperor’s concubine, and although I wanted to feel relieved, I couldn’t since I was touching the emperor.

“You cower in fear and your eyes are so innocent.” He leaned back on the couch and grinned wolfishly, his eyes glimmering with lust. “Innocence that burns a twisted dark soul like mine.”

I had no idea what he was talking about.

“I’ve chosen, Bohai,” Meilin said with a satisfied grin. “She will be my wife and empress.”

All eyes were on me and I couldn’t believe my ears as I stared at the emperor, my fingers shaking and my mind blanking out.

Empress?

Wife?

“Y-Y-Your Majesty,” I stammered. “I—”

“You’re mine from now on,” he said as he pulled me closer to him. “And soon, I’ll be yours.”

Heat flushed my face and I didn’t know how to react to him.

“But right now, I have other meetings to attend to,” he said as he easily picked me up and moved me to the spot next to him. He rose to his feet and glanced over at his men. “Send these other women back home and give Daiyu her own room. Bohai, what other plans did we have today? Did Fang leave for the border?”

“Yes, he left yesterday.”

With that, the emperor left, leaving me alone in a room full of women staring at me. Some of them looked jealous, others looked confused, and a few actually looked relieved—I suppose many were scared of the Dragon and Usurper.

I was to be his wife and empress.