The Solitude of an Emperor [TO BE UNPUBLISHED]

36 : Reginald

"Why does it feel like I am dealing with a child?" That was what Darya first thought upon having a conversation with the Corstan Crown Prince. She never thought that all he did was just for fun to add 'thrill' on their first formal meeting, as he stated. She felt like she got played by a mentally ill man.

"Your Highness."

Again, this Corstan Crown Prince is calling for her whenever she gets silenced for a few minutes. She provided him a room in her palace for surveillance. She could not just put him to prison because it will cause war between the Empire and the Corstan Kingdom. As of now, she will monitor this Crown Prince until he finally comes back to his senses and makes up the mess he made.

Luckily, he only held the Alvellor people captive as he made it look like he invaded the town. The reason? It is because he wants to meet her in person, as a Crown Prince of the Corstan Kingdom. However, she will not let him slide for causing property damage and fear to the people who are victims of his play.

She stood up from her seat to leave him in his room but then he stood up as well. "Have you decided, Your Highness?"

Darya stopped and glared at him. "I have not mentioned a sentence agreeing with your declaration, Crown Prince Reginald." She started walking again.

"But you will have to accept my proposal right?"

That made her stop again, making Reginald's smile wide. "You will have no choice but to make me your consort, Your Highness, for the sake of peace between your Empire and my Kingdom."

Darya closed her eyes and clenched her fist in annoyance. This man is really persistent on becoming her consort. What made him this persistent? However, this could be a good deal right? If she agrees to Reginald's proposal, the tension between Largoth Empire and Corstan Kingdom will decrease, causing a least possibility of war. He can also make use of this to make him feel what it felt like to be played.

She sighed and just chose to calm down. She turned to look at Reginald and smiled. "I will have to think about your proposal, Crown Prince Reginald. I will have to tell the Emperor about it."

Hearing that, Crown Prince Reginald nodded. "I am glad to hear that." He smiled as he walked close to Darya while looking intently at her eyes. He leaned close to her face to capture her lips but Darya was able to cover his mouth before he could touch it.

"This action is not permissible, Crown Prince Reginald." She looked at him coldly. But then Reginald started kissing her palm, making Darya push him away.

He was grinning ear to ear again. "Ah, you're the type to be aggressive, Your Highness?"

"What?" Why is this man so weird compared to how she met him in her third life?

"You do not have to be wary of me, Your Highness. Soon, we will get married and I will make you happy, everyday."

Why does it feel like he is pertaining to something erotic? Judging by the look on Reginald's expression, she knows that she is right about what she thought. "I think there is no point staying here for long, Crown Prince. I will be leaving."

"Yes. Good night, Your Highness." Reginald waved his hand to Darya before the door was closed.

As soon as she left the room, Darya sighed so loud, feeling relieved that she had finally gotten out. While dealing with Crown Prince Reginald, it felt like she was having mind games with him. Who would have thought that he was actually a sociopath?

She walked towards her room to rest, only to see Duke Esteban waiting outside her room. Right, she is married to this guy for over a month now. It also passed a month since they last saw each other. Silla also mentioned earlier that the Duke arrived at the Imperial Palace and was worried sick when he found out about the battle. And now that she arrived, he seemed to have waited until she was done with Reginald.

"I greet Her Highness."

"Greetings, Duke Esteban."

He opens the door so she could come inside before he follows her in. Darya rang the bell to call for the maids so she could change her dress. Reading the atmosphere they had, Duke Esteban walked to the balcony to give Darya privacy. To distract himself, he just looked at the garden lights. However, as soon as his eyes landed on the peonies, he knew that he would not only fight for his rationality but also his feelings.

This will be their first night after their marriage, a not so good night because he knows what will happen the next morning. He asked himself, "Am I ready for this?" He expected to be Darya's consort but neither be a concubine or a man sharing the same wife with another man. He desired for her... Her feelings, her love, and her body, he wished to have them all but it was gone a month ago. All his desire to have her is all gone after he was haunted by his regrets in his past life. Knowing that Darya remembers all her lives, he could not even look at her eyes because of what he had done. He could not bear to think about how she felt at that time. How foolish he was. How pathetic he had become.

"It is cold out there."

Upon hearing Darya's voice, he turned around only to see her just turning back on him while walking inside. Just by the view from her back, he knows that he is going to fight for his life.

As he walked inside the room and closed the window to the balcony, his eyes would tail her but he refrained himself from getting too much attracted. However, as soon as Darya lit the lampshade, emphasizing her thin undergarment under her beautiful dresses, he had come to question where was his pride as a man who could control his desires?

Her long black hair covered her back but he could see half of her beautiful face. He could see the fairness of her skin to his bare foot and calves. When she turned around to look at him, all the moments they had in their past lives came to his mind. He still remembers how his heart went crazy when he looked at her beautiful eyes. Those puffy rosy lips that would wrap to his mouth as their tongues collide. To when she pulled him close wanting to show him how she desired for him. To when she allowed him to touch her plump breast and devour her sensitivities. And to that moment he had to experience a pleasure he never thought he was going to find over and over again. Those touches they shared with each other, he could feel how his blood runs in heat all over his body as if it will be his first time to touch her again.

"Duke Esteban,"

Darya looks at his eyes, not even feeling anything by the expression on his face. He looked like a man who fell in love at first sight. But she was not the Darya who would be really happy to see this. In this life, she will never desire for his feelings as she will keep breaking his heart over and over again.

"I will be taking the Corstan Crown Prince as my second consort."

As soon as his eyes expanded in surprise of hearing it from her personally, her eyes became lifeless. "With respect as my first consort, I would like you to know about it and about the future that I will be taking Captain Theobarlt as well."

Seeing how his eyes lost its spirit like his heart was shattered into tiny pieces, she turned around to go to bed, and covered herself with the blanket to sleep.

***
END OF CHAPTER 36
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Chapter character

Reginald - Corstan Crown Prince