Destructive Enchantment

Chapter 12: Departure

POV: Emperor Zander Kruos

After the ball (continuation).

I close the door behind me. Covering my face with my hand, I can't help but feel my lips curve upward manically.

'My my... I didn't think she would do it.' I think back to the kiss we shared in her room.

I primarily offered it as a way to see her get flustered and angry at such a preposterous demand. While she did do both of those, I certainly did not expect her to actually follow through.

I guess she really meant it when she would do anything to prove she would atone for her mistakes.

Oh, how fun it was to entice such delectable expressions from her. She continues to surprise me every single interaction.

I can tell it was her first kiss, too, a fact that made it much more enjoyable. Knowing that I took that luxury from her was simply bliss.

Unfortunately, tonight confirmed two things.

One, I was not interested in her for only physical reasons. Instead of flushing her out of my system, it has only made me crave more and more of her very essence. I wished to own every inch of her body, soul, and mind.

And two, she did not call for me so late at night in hopes of seducing me. Disappointment had entered my body briefly at the sight of her scantily-clad body, wondering if she truly was like all the other ladies. I had expected her to sugar coat an apology and attempt to woo me, though that never happened.

In fact, she didn't even pay heed to the time of night nor her attire until I had pointed it out, instead immediately stating she wished to apologize because she would be departing tomorrow.

The nail in the coffin was her denial at being told she was to be a candidate.

I had told her she had been selected as a candidate partially as a bluff and partially because I did genuinely want her to participate.

Since she wasn't actually selected, I said it to see how she would react and if she would drop the facade. But, she seemed genuinely adamant about not wanting to be chosen.

The other part was me not wanting to let her go just yet, and if that meant planting a seed in her head, then so be it. She was such an amusing interaction, and this selection process would be boring without her.

But, tonight confirmed it. (Y/n) had zero interest in getting with me or becoming empress, and her mannerism was not because she wished to be with me, but because she was just genuinely a little klutz.

Those things only made me wish to own her more. Since I already got her to agree to being selected, then she will.

With that thought, I stride back to the office room.

———

"Your majesty, we have selected the candidates who will be participating." My advisors stand at my arrival.

"Show me." I demand. He quickly hands me a packet with names, pictures, and information of the women selected.

I sigh in annoyance at the prospect of having to deal with childish women. I've talked to most of the single noblewomen a handful of times, and every single time I wished that their fathers weren't so hopeful of marrying them off to me and just sent them off to other men.

It would've saved me the headache of them trying to woo me. Such pesky little goblins.

While most nobles married their daughters off as soon as they turn of-age, when my father announced that I was born and would be taking over the throne, those who had daughters around my age waited it out until I grew older, in hopes that I would choose one of them.