Chapter 13

Her lustrous jet-black hair and ruby-red eyes signified the highest bloodline in the Garjudo Empire.

Prince Gilbert, from the moment of his birth, was promised the position of the next emperor. He inherited a legitimate bloodline from his father and an extraordinary beauty from his mother, who was a princess of a neighboring country, and was celebrated from a young age.

One day, at the age of nine, while enjoying a graceful tea time in the garden gazebo, he received the news that a young girl had been chosen by the divine artifact. It was the first time in two hundred years that a wielder of the golden bracelet had appeared in the country, but upon hearing that a girl from a small village had been chosen, his reaction was merely, "Huh."

At nine years old, Gilbert, who was surrounded by numerous beautiful women every day, had no interest in a country girl. However, he was told by his father, the emperor, to attend the ceremony to form a subservience contract, and he reluctantly went.

In this country, those chosen as wielders of the divine artifact must form a subservience contract with the emperor and be branded with a curse mark to prevent them from fleeing to other countries and to ensure they serve as obedient pawns until death.

Gilbert was immediately captivated by Fiona, whom he saw there. She had sky-blue hair that didn't reach her shoulders and purple eyes, and her fair skin and well-proportioned features, though not exceptionally beautiful, were striking.

Despite this, he couldn't suppress the deep longing that welled up within him. The girl was right in the middle of his type, more appealing than any woman he had ever met. He decided that this girl would definitely become his. He went straight to the emperor to make his request, offering to take over as her master.

The emperor, who doted on his son, hesitated for a moment but accepted his request. He emphasized that the life of the valuable wielder of the divine artifact must not be endangered and then relinquished his position as her master.

Thus, Gilbert became the girl's master. However, he couldn't grant her freedom. As the divine artifact had the property of infinitely amplifying the owner's magic power, the girl needed to hone her knowledge and skills as a magician from morning till night.

The only thing he could do was occasionally call her to spend tea time with her. This brief time became invaluable to him, and a feeling he had never experienced before began to stir in his chest.

He also had a good impression of the girl's slightly absent-minded and calm demeanor. While he sometimes felt frustrated by her lack of flattery and her matter-of-factness, even this became an irresistible stimulation for him.

By the time the girl turned fifteen, she had acquired more than enough knowledge and skills as a magician and was already being given missions, achieving many successes. Although Gilbert was the master of the curse mark, the emperor, as the highest authority in the country, gave her direct orders.

He commanded her to visit him between missions. Tea time with her was still a blissful moment for him. The girl, who was usually expressionless, would smile happily only when given sweets. Even when he praised her beauty, she wouldn't smile or express gratitude.

A mix of frustration and an indescribable emotion had been lingering in his chest for a long time.

As time passed, the girl began to exude a womanly charm. To vent his growing lust, he would indulge with convenient women, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't suppress the desire that kept surging up.

No woman had ever refused his invitation to his bed. The women he embraced would all drown in pleasure, falling deeper and deeper into ecstasy. Gilbert decided to summon her confidently and order her to share his bed. However, he was completely rejected.

At first, he thought she was just being shy, but even when the pain from the curse mark and the copious blood she spat didn't deter her, she refused to change her stance. She would die if this continued. Panicking, he rescinded the order and called a healer to treat her. She left the room silently without even looking at him.

An overwhelming sense of frustration and sorrow. He had been rejected by someone for the first time in his life. To vent his wounded pride, he reduced the quality of her food to the bare minimum. Disobeying a prince was a crime punishable by death.

He intended to forgive her if she apologized cutely. But that day never came, and she remained expressionless and matter-of-fact.

Around this time, his father, the emperor, began to suffer from an unknown illness. He grew thinner day by day, spent more time in bed, and eventually became bedridden, losing consciousness.

Gilbert inherited all the emperor's authority and took on the role of regent. With this decision, he began his invasion. He dispatched her and the magicians to a neighboring country he had long had his eye on. This place, known as a magic mine, was rich in high-quality magic stones and existed in various locations such as forests, rocky areas, and canyons.

Magic stones could only be obtained from areas known as magic wells. The empire had no such magic wells, so it had to rely on other countries for magic stones. Seizing this place would eliminate the need to import them at high prices from other countries. With her power, the invasion would be easy.

However, she refused to take lives. She would again be forced to spit blood and collapse due to the curse mark, requiring healing.

"Why don't you follow my orders? You don't want to die, do you?" he asked, and she replied matter-of-factly, "I'd rather die than become a murderer."

His frustration with a woman who wouldn't bend to his will grew. And the emotion that had been smoldering in his chest, which he didn't know how to handle, continued to linger.

Reluctantly, he assigned her the role of repelling the enemies who came at them, and she obediently complied. He postponed the invasion and focused on plundering magic stones. The secret development of a magic device required a vast amount of magic stones. Once he secured enough, he thought he could proceed with the invasion without relying on her power.

However, there was a miscalculation. The Elsida Kingdom also had a wielder of a divine artifact. This man, who wielded a blue sword, possessed power equal to hers, and the empire was forced to retreat whenever he appeared. The kingdom had several magic mines, so he targeted the places and times when the man was not guarding them, gradually taking them over.

He worked her tirelessly without giving her adequate rest. The feeling of dominating her and the dark emotion in his chest were satisfying, and it felt incredibly good.

But it was time to reflect. Just a little more, a little longer. After pushing her to her limits, he would give her rest and lavish meals. He would heal her exhausted heart and imprint pleasure on her body, making her unable to live without him. Yes, Gilbert intended to warmly welcome her when she returned from her mission, gently enveloping her body and soul.

But she didn't return. He was stunned to receive the report that the blue-sword wielder from the Elsida Kingdom had taken her away.

"Fiona..."

He whispered the name of the girl he had intended to hold in his arms that night. She wouldn't return. The reality of this fact squeezed his heart, and the emotion he had harbored in his chest overflowed.

He wanted to see her. She was lovely and hateful, a presence that clung to his heart. He missed Fiona. Yes, the emotion he had harbored all along was love. He had been in love with her all this time. He finally realized this only after she was out of his reach.

"Fiona... I will definitely get you back."

Gilbert made up his mind. He would use any means necessary to get her back and hold her in his arms.