“Because I don’t want to!”

He seemed genuinely surprised.

He murmured to me quietly, “That’s shocking to hear. You are the first woman who ever refused me in bed in my 27 years of living. Even my first wife, who tried to kill me several times, didn’t refuse me once.”

It made sense. No one could deny he was blindingly hot. Until recently, he was the only heir to the throne. Any woman would have welcomed him into her bed even if they knew it was only for a night.

However, I wasn’t from this kingdom. I wasn’t even from this world. I knew the truth about him. Despite his good looks, he was a cold-hearted killer.

Definitely not good husband material.

I said to him bluntly.

“Besides, you don’t love me.”

“…”

“And I don’t love you either.”

He seemed flabbergasted.

After a few seconds of silence, he smiled and asked, “Why would there be a need for love between a man and his wife?” He sounded resigned.

There was something wrong with this guy.

Perhaps it was the norm here. Not for me. I shook my head.

“You and everyone else here may think that’s okay, but not me. I don’t want to get involved with someone I don’t love. Even more importantly, I can’t trust you. To sleep with someone I can’t trust… I don’t want it.”

“Well, I guess I understand the last part at least, but you are not considering my situation.”

“Your situation?”

He raised my chin with his finger and whispered to me. I could hear my own heart beating fast.

“I desperately need an heir. If the dowager empress gives birth to a daughter, it won’t be as important, but if she has a son, it will be a huge problem. I need a son as soon as possible.”

“T, then get more wives or concubines!”

He shook his head. “If I announce my intention to take more wives, the dowager empress will interfere. When it comes to the wife selection process, the dowager empress has the most influence and say in the matter. Haven’t you noticed she is still living in the empress’s quarter? The only reason I was able to marry you was because I moved so fast and unexpectedly.”

That was why he placed me in this position.

He continued, “Get it? Until the dowager empress is gone, I can’t have any more wives. She will get me to marry women of her choice, and I will be in even more danger. Until the dowager empress is defeated, you are and will remain my only wife. That means the only way for me to get a son is through you.”

I tensed.

Really? Was he really going to do it? To get a son, you had to do it, right?

I started to tremble. His hands wrapped around my shoulder and my waist tightly.

Was he really going to…!?

I wanted to scream. It was like a déjà vu of my first night in this castle. However, at that time, the old emperor ended up being murdered so nothing happened! Not this time! Of course, this was better since the current emperor was so much better looking, but…!

I closed my eyes tightly.

I expected to feel his hands on my body, but instead, he whispered in my ear.

“But I’m too… tired tonight. We… will get to the heir part… later.”

“…”

I relaxed.

When I opened eyes, the green eyes were looking at me. When I became speechless, he grinned.

“You look disappointed.”

“No way! If you aren’t going to do anything, let me go! I want to slee…!”

He ignored me and hugged me even tighter.

“You are so warm, it feels really nice. You need to just… get used to me.”

“U, used to you?”

“I will be coming here… three to four days a week, so…”

What was he talking about!

Before I could protest, he fell asleep. His eyes closed firmly.

What should I do?

I tried to move, but he was too strong even when he was asleep.

“Gosh… But he is so gorgeous… Damn it!”

I didn’t get any sleep at all that night.

***

The next day, I heard shocking news. The former emperor’s assassin was arrested.

I was told the man who hired the assassin was found to be Count Glane. The name sounded unfamiliar.

Apparently, his daughter was also sent to become the former emperor’s concubine before me. However, the next morning, after the wedding night, she was found dead in the emperor’s bed. Her body was covered in bruises. It was obvious what had happened, but no one would dare to say or do anything against the former emperor. The count had to bury his own daughter. This happened three months ago.

The rumor was that the count had been planning this assassination for the last three months and finally succeeded.

I asked desperately, “… And the people believed this story?”

Lucretius smiled confidently. “That’s not important. What matters is that we have clear proof and a motive.”

The count recently committed suicide after the death of the former emperor. He apparently left a letter stating his prayer has been answered when the emperor got murdered. He was satisfied and had nothing else left to live for.

“But this sounds too perfect and planned.”

He laughed evilly. “It sounds more plausible than the truth, which is that the heir killed his own father in cold blood. It is also more likely than the story of how my wife came from a different world.”

“…”

Touché.

The count committed suicide, and he had no other children. There was no one left in his family. All his wealth would be confiscated by the royal family. No one would care.

Except for one.

“Would the dowager empress accept this story?”

“Of course not. She already sent her own people yesterday insisting a more thorough investigation.”

“So what’s going to happen?”

Lucretius gave me an annoying smile and replied, “It doesn’t matter. I just need to go with this story. The former emperor is dead and I am the new emperor. Time is on my side.”

He seemed so confident.

However, I couldn’t help feeling anxious.