12

A week after my encounter with Emperor Blake, I avoided him with all of my might because every day, I felt that the curse was getting weaker, and I had my last resort so Emperor would come under my curse again, and tonight was the night that I was planning.

I am done preparing my outfit and will have dinner with Emperor Blake.

Even if it risks my life, I'll do it because my safety will be at risk if I don't move. This is my new life, and I got into this kind of life slowly; it was hard at first, but who am I to waste an opportunity.

"Her royal highness, it's time to have dinner with Emperor Blake." I stood up and parted my hair while walking.

Holding tight to my dress and watching the servants bow their heads when they saw me walking on my way to Emperor Blake.

The servants opened the dining room door, and Emperor Blake was sitting at the dining chair, waiting for me, and when he saw me, his expression changed.

"How's your day, Princess Delaney?" Emperor asked when I sat down at the chair and smiled at him.

The servants leave the food and leave when the Emperor insists they must leave the dining room.

I slowly removed my silk eye cover, separated my hair from my face, and kept my smile to him, and Emperor didn't move for a second, and I saw his reaction; he held his forehead and groaned softly.

"I have my lessons with Lady Critesa. She is nice and didn't miss a single piece regarding my education." I sipped at the wine and looked straight at Emperor Blake, but I felt a shiver, my chest ached, and the Emperor looked at me, grinning.

He's aware, his mind is really strong, as what I've expected with the emperor of Gribe.

He's not an easy opponent, and I am not aware what is the limitation and how this curse works, all I know is I can manipulate them on my own will.

"I know what you're doing; I will overcome this as soon as I can; perhaps you control me every time, and I will make you suffer once I broke at this curse." He holds the knife and cuts the steak. But his gaze was looking at me, he's resisting with all of his might.

Smiling and shaking make me feel some headaches. I shook my head. "Look at me." Emperor Blake dropped the knife and looked straight at me.

He's glaring at me, his teeth is gritting and I can see that his lower lip is bleeding this time.

"Be nice, and obey me," I said, and he kept smiling at me, shaking, and now I didn't know what I needed to do.

I can feel a pain in my chest, but I know that I can hold for a little more.

Once the Emperor breaks the curse, that will end my reign here, I'll be dead and I know that no one can found my remains.

"I said obey!" I hissed, and he leaned back at the chair, looking at the ceiling, and my headache and chest pain faded. He faint for a second, before opening his eyes, and didn't move.

He looks lifeless again. "Emperor Blake?" I called his name, and he didn't respond.

I can breathe normally now; the Emperor is not talking or moving, and now I feel nervous.

"Hey, are you okay?" I said and stood up, went closer to the Emperor, and he didn't blink, even though I waved my hand to his face.

Now, I feel a bit nervousness once more. What if he didn't move and won't obey me?

"Why you're not moving?" I asked, and I looked at every corner of the room, and a servant knocked, and I held the face of the Emperor, panicking, and when the servant was about to talk, I had no choice but to kiss him.

"I am sorry for interrupting his majesty!" It's the voice of the Emperor's knight.

The door close instantly after he apologized, and when I distanced myself from Emperor, he held my waist tight and forced me to sit down on his lap.

I'm surprised, he's acting like he's on his own, because I didn't do anything or not controlling him at the moment, but I know that he's under the spell of mine.

I tried to distance myself from him, I feel uncomfortable now. I can also feel a bulge between his lap, that makes me blush now.

"S-stop." I hold his board shoulder and look away from him. He's handsome, I know but the thin distance between his face and mine is making me uncomfortable.

"You're gorgeous; I didn't notice." He said and slightly caressed my cheeks, and even though I said to stop him, he didn't obey.

Does my curse didn't work? If it doesn't work, then my mission here is like a suicide.

"It's too bad if I didn't have a taste of you before killing you." I started to breathe rapidly, and he kept his creepy smile.

His touches, how the emperor squeeze me, I wanna puke now.

"Stop." He automatically dropped his hand and landed on my lap, but he was still smiling. I can also feel a dizziness now, he's stronger than me. He's indeed resisting.

I started to caught my breath, until his hand move on it's own, and my head is aching bad. My body, it's like betraying me, enjoying what the emperor's way touched me.

"I love to see it more, the fear in your pretty face; you're good at manipulating." Emperor Blake held my nape and claimed my lips, hard and sloppy kisses, making me breathless.

My hands hold tight to his shoulder, closed my eyes and I can feel that I will give up in oblivion at any time, I have to focus.

Focus Delaney, focus!

The way he kissed my lips, he wanted to leave bruises; that's why I pushed him and distanced my body from him because the Emperor was acting on his own.

I glared at him, I am fuming mad now, I wanna slap his face, leave some bruises to his body and kill him, but it's not me. I am not capable of hurting people, even all they do is to harm me in all way that they can.

"Kneel," I said and still gasping for breath. He kneels down above me, and his eyes look empty, just like the first time he is under the curse.

My hands are shaking, grab his hair to look at my face now, my lips feel numb, but my mind badly wanna punch his face, how cocky he is.

"Kiss my feet." He held my feet and kissed them while looking at me now.

He's not resisting this time, but the effect of what he did to my mana is really draining. I am not trained at all, I don't know the basics of magic.

My body feels heavy now; this is the first time I have thought of this kind of heaviness. I am fighting him, no. I am fighting for my life this time. I gotta be strong, before the assassin will kill Blake.

"Now go, have some rest and remember to obey me." I walk out of the door before he answers. "Yes, her royal highness of Drivike."

I hope the servants didn't discover my schemes to this empire, and I am also afraid that Kier discover this, it will be the end of my friendship with him.

I hold my chest while walking out of the dining room, and my vision is getting dark and about to fall down, and a hand hold my waist.

I gasped and try to push whoever catches me.

"Are you okay? Why is your mana almost draining?" I looked at the face of the owner of the voice that I heard, and it was Prince Kier.

I feel a relief, but it fades when he notices that my mana went low. Does he know what I am doing behind that door with his older brother?

"I don't know, I just feel that my body is heavy, and my chest seems heavy too." Prince Kier picked me up, and my head was leaning on his chest now.

But at the same time, I feel safe that I am laying at his chest, resting and he's helping me now.

"I'll help you to have some fresh air." I didn't notice that he was walking now, and the heaviness of my chest was starting to lessen, and my vision went clearer.

He's so nice to me, I hope that I knew him before my engagement with his brother, so I can have some more time with him, but when his brother died, my relationship with him will end, I'm sure of it.

Prince Kier lay me down under the big tree. "This garden is created to regenerate the mana, and exclusively for the royal family only." Prince Kier sat down beside me; he looked concerned about my situation.

Gently put his hand at my forehead, and stoped looking at me when it seems that he notices something.

"What happened to your lip?" His finger slowly touched my lower lip, and I remembered what Emperor Blake had done to me.

I am kind of horrified, and embarrassed as well.

"Nothing; I just bit it while eating my dinner." I reasoned out, and he seemed didn't believe me at all.

"Is my brother forcing you or hurting you?" he asked, and I smiled.

If he knew the reason why I got this bruises at my lip, he will definitely hate me.

"No, there's nothing to worry about. I am okay; I will be okay soon." I looked away and started to panic when my silk eye cover was not with me.

I look around, and I didn't see my eyes silk.

"God, my eye is not covered." Prince Kier, still looking at me, started asking some questions that were hard to answer.

"I can't understand it; if you're a cursed princess, why am I not affected by the curse?" It left me speechless for a second, thinking about the best answer for him.

"Maybe because you're a good man," I chuckled and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Your beauty is too much, and maybe they put a curse on you because being beautiful is really a curse." He joked and still looking at my face.

I am afraid, what if the prince discovered that his brother has been cursed by me, manipulated by me? Can he still smile at me?

"You're the only person who said that I am beautiful, and I don't really believe it at all." I looked away and a soothing feelings makes me relax, maybe my mana is getting better this time.

"Simply because they didn't see the beauty within you, due to fear by getting curse." Kier hold my hand and kissed it gently.

"Don't ever think that people lied to you, just because you used to heard a lot of lies at your environment before, because this time, everything will be alright." He patted my head at it makes me close my eyes for a while.

He's really a good man.

"Do you really think that I am a good person?" I asked Prince Kier, and he faced me and smile sweetly, again.

"Yes, and I am sure that you also know that you're a good person." I can't help but to smile and laugh gently.

He really makes me calm down, often helped me when I needed it the most.

The girl that Prince Kier will love is indeed lucky.

"I don't think that I am a good person lately, but thank you for making me feel light tonight, you don't know how thankful I am tonight." I went closer to Prince Kier, hug him tight and close my eyes.

I can sleep here, it's comfortable and makes me feel that I am safe when Kier is beside me.

"I am indeed thankful, thank you for always there for me." I said before I feel that I fall asleep.