CHAPTER 202: THE EMPEROR, THE ARCHMAGE, AND THE LOVE

[Lavinia’s POV—Lavinia’s Chamber—Continuation]

For the first time since he stepped from the shadows, Rey’s smile faltered. Briefly. Just for a flicker of a heartbeat. Then it was back, sharper, hungrier—like a wolf baring its teeth.

"Who am I?" he echoed, voice rolling low with amusement, though his eyes glimmered with something darker. "What do you mean, princess? I’m Rey—a normal guild master."

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "A normal guild master? Please. My patience is short, Rey. I inherited Papa’s temper."

He blinked, then chuckled and dipped his head. "I can agree with that."

This bastard!

"Will you speak the truth or should I—"

"Careful, princess," he cut in smoothly, his grin returning. "Some answers... aren’t meant to be given so easily."

I frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means," he said, tilting his head with infuriating calm, "that I’d rather watch you discover it on your own."

I stared at him flatly. "...What are you, some mysterious fairy god with riddles?"

He blinked once, then smirked wider. "If that’s what makes it easier for you, sure. Though, personally, I prefer the term irresistibly enigmatic man of intrigue."

Tch. Mysterious idiot.

I sighed dramatically and sank onto the couch. "Fine. One way or another, I’ll uncover your secrets."

His smirk deepened, eyes glittering. "I like that fire of yours, princess. It suits you."

I gave him a long look. His amusement, his shadowy aura, his unpredictable antics... Suspicious? Yes. But bad? I wasn’t so sure. He could be an idiot, even a shameless pervert sometimes—but unlike the conniving nobles, Rey didn’t strike me as the type to conspire behind my back.

I exhaled. "Enough about you. I need you to look into someone."

He leaned in, curiosity piqued. "Oh? A new person? And who could possibly earn your suspicion?"

"Caelum," I said clearly. "The adopted son of Marquis Everett."

Rey hummed, tapping his chin. "Caelum... that name does ring a bell. Familiar somehow. But I can’t place it."

"You’ve heard of him?" I pressed.

"Only in passing, princess. But don’t worry, I’ll dig him up for you." Then his lips curled into a foxlike grin. "Of course, you’ll need to prepare the proper amount of gold."

I arched a brow. "I’ll pay generously once you bring me results."

His eyes practically sparkled. "Then it’s settled. I’ll start immediately."

He strode toward the balcony with his usual flair, cloak swishing dramatically. Just as he reached the edge, he paused and glanced back, that wolfish grin tugging at his lips.

"By the way... you turned sixteen, didn’t you?"

I blinked. "Yes. Why?"

His grin sharpened. "Then it’s time you enter the Holy Temple, princess. Perhaps... you’ll find the answers you’re chasing."

And just like that, he vaulted over the balcony, vanishing into the night.

I stared after him, baffled.

"The Holy Temple?" I muttered. "What does he mean?"

Then it clicked. Papa once told me that only an emperor could step foot into the Holy Temple’s library. My eyes widened.

"...Wait." I jabbed a finger at the empty balcony like Rey was still standing there. "Is that shadow-brained lunatic telling me to... snatch the throne and crown myself Empress?"

The very thought made me groan so hard I flopped back onto the couch like a dying seal. "Ughhh. I can barely manage not tripping over my skirts, and now I’m supposed to juggle a whole empire? No thanks!"

Stretching my arms above my head, I yawned so wide it nearly cracked my jaw. "Forget it. My brain’s leaking smoke already. Let’s think tomorrow. Future-me can handle it. Present-me requires... sleep."

With that, I surrendered to sleep, snoring like a tiny dragon hoarding her blanket treasure.

***

[Emperor’s Pov—Dawnspire Wing—Ground—Near Lavina’s balcony]

"Yaaawn..." Rey drawled, stretching his arms behind his head. "She sure gives me a looooot of work."

SHLICK!

My blade was at his throat before the last syllable left his lips.

"Long... time... no... see... Archmage Rey Morvan," I said, each word dragged out like the crack of a whip. My tone was sharp, merciless—a tyrant’s decree.

For a heartbeat, he didn’t turn. The air itself seemed to tremble under the weight of my voice. Then, slowly, deliberately, that insufferable smirk curled across his mouth.

"Finally," he whispered, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Finally you found me... Emperor."

I tilted my head, lips curling into a predator’s smile. "Of course I did. Did you truly believe..." I pressed the blade harder against his skin, making a thin line of crimson beads at his throat. "...that you could slither in the shadows forever?"

Rey had the audacity to widen his eyes, feigning innocence. "Hide? Meee? Emperor, don’t flatter yourself." He leaned into the blade, purring. "I see your precious daughter every... single... day. It is not I who has been hiding. It is you... who has kept me waiting."

He sighed dramatically, lips twitching. "I missed you."

The smirk—the tone—it grated like a thorn under my skin. With a sharp hiss of steel, I lowered the sword, though my glare stayed fixed on him, molten with threat.

"We... need... to talk," I said, my voice rumbling low, laced with command that brooked no refusal.

Rey tilted his head, like a snake amused by the boot raised above it. "Ah... the mighty Emperor finally wants a conversation." He let the words roll, savoring them. "Tell me... do you want to know... whether your darling daughter remembers her past life?"

Ravick flinched beside me, hand moving to his hilt. My jaw clenched, though I let only a cruel smile show.

"So..." I dragged the word out, slow and sharp. "...you already know why I have been hunting you."

Rey’s smirk turned razor-edged, his eyes gleaming with cruel delight. "Know? My dear Emperor..." He leaned forward, voice dropping into a whisper that felt louder than a scream. "...how could I not, when I am the one who bent time itself... for her?"

The silence that followed was suffocating, heavy with power. Even the air itself dared not stir.

My grip tightened around the hilt. That face. That damned face. The same eyes. The same hair that caught the firelight as though it were woven from the abyss. The same smirk he wore when I held Lavinia in my arms and went to him—and he dared to bow before her and utter the words "Master of Rakhsar."

How could I forget? How could I forget him—the man who twisted time for her sake?

Rey straightened, tilting his head just so, as if savoring the storm boiling in my silence. His smile widened. "I will answer every question you ask me, Emperor..." His tone slithered, teasing, "...but know this—there are truths even I cannot touch."

My eyes narrowed, the blade still lingering near his throat. "What... do you mean?" I growled, voice stretched thin with warning.

He lifted his gaze toward the balcony above—toward Lavinia’s chambers. A rare seriousness darkened his expression, if only for a flicker.

"I cannot read her soul," he murmured, almost reverent. Then, as swiftly as the shadow passed, the smirk returned, sharp as broken glass.

"And that, emperor, makes her all the more fascinating." His eyes gleamed as he looked back at me, lips curling. "Shall we... share a cup of tea, Emperor?"

My teeth clenched. Every word, every gesture of his was designed to ignite my rage. This man, with his riddles and insolence, his snake’s tongue and mocking grin—he was fire in human skin.

***

[Osric’s POV—Same Time]

"Shall we... share a cup of tea, Emperor?"

I hid behind the pillar, ears straining, my gaze fixed on them as they turned toward the emperor’s chamber. My fist clenched tight, nails digging into my palm.

So... it was true. He’s the one who brought my Lavi back?

I should feel grateful. I should bow to him, thank him, even. But instead, a bitter fire roared in my chest, scorching reason into ash.

Is he the one the Emperor has chosen for my Lavi?

The thought sank deep, twisting like a blade, and I ground my teeth until my jaw ached. Rage coiled through me, black and heavy, at the image of another man standing beside my girl.

And that fury... was all I could feel.

But no—I forced myself to breathe, to steady the storm raging in my chest. I dragged my hand through my hair, tugging at the strands until my scalp stung, trying to anchor myself in the pain. My voice came out low, trembling with a resolve I had buried for too long.

"I will not lose her this time."

The words felt like a vow, like steel being forged in fire. My Lavi—my reason, my light. Once, I had been powerless. Once, I had let her slip away, stolen by fate and my foolishness. But this time... this time I would carve destiny with my own hands.

"I am not letting go of the love of my life for someone else. Never again."

I clenched my fists until my knuckles whitened, the bones creaking under the force. Images flashed before my eyes—her laughter, her hands reaching out to me, her golden hair catching the light.

That was my Lavi. Mine to protect, mine to cherish, mine to fight for.

"This time..." I whispered, the sound shaking in the silence of the corridor, "...no one. Not a single person will separate Osric and Lavinia."

If the gods themselves stood in my way, I would tear them down.

"If I have to fight the Emperor himself..." I muttered, eyes narrowing with unshakable determination, "...then so be it. I am ready."

The vow echoed in my chest, heavier than chains, stronger than steel.

This time, nothing—not power, not fate, not even the Emperor—would take Lavinia away from me.