All Chapters of The Return of the Emperor: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

18 months ago "Someone got them before us," Jonathan, the mafia consigliere told his boss, Zane. "Who the hell?" Zane yelled, his hand balled into a fist out of fury. "L-Lorenzo K-Kim," John stammered, causing Zane's anger to soar beyond bounds. Lorenzo Kim! This bloke from the rival Kim clan, had been causing him constant troubles for the past year, sweeping off all of his contracts, associates, and whatnot, being a constant threat to him and his position of Korea's biggest mobster. And, at the time, they were addressing the same concern in Zane's office in order to find a solution to it. "And how the f*ck you have no clue about it?" He demanded an answer from Vanessa, the gun-moll, the woman he had ingeniously fed his adversary, to become his confidante and sneak his secrets to him. "We've just been seeing each other for a couple of months," she explained. "I don't f*cking live with him to know what he's up to." "Then why haven't you moved in with him yet?" Zane shouted at he

Zane beamed proudly, impressed at how earlier she was not confessing, but rather deftly diverting Lorenzo's attention, to let his guards down in the influence of emotions and lose sight of the weapon."Boss!" Vanessa threw the knife at Zane, who grabbed it and began cutting the ropes off his feet while she now held the gun at Lorenzo's temple."I love you and he's only using you. He'd leave you once you're not useful to him. There's only one man who loves you and you know that it's me. Is this what I get as a prize for loving you?" Lorenzo faked sobs in his attempts to convince Vanessa otherwise."I'm not someone who is loved. I'm a fantasy. I belong with no one," she replied coldly."I suppose my doom has arrived then," he chuckled. "Would you grant my last wish? I want to kiss you before I die.""You think you can distract me with that?" She clenched her jaws."You're not focused enough to begin with," he grinned. "You'd have pulled the trigger by now if you were."He knew her for m

"You are, indeed, dumb," he laughed at her. "You realize you're rejecting something that many others only wish for? I'm offering you freedom, as well as a rich and wealthy lifestyle. Enjoy everything while you can, you're just nineteen.""I don't want freedom, and I've never tasted happiness," she said. "Mr. Jonathan is a very attractive man, but I'm not sure I'd want to sleep with him or any other man. I'm not a fan of clubs either. If something I've always wanted, that's a family, and no matter if it's a mafia family, I'd serve it with total sincerity. We should rather focus on teaching me whatever you want me to learn. I vow I'll do my job with zeal and devotion. Because, Mr. Kang," she paused, and he cocked his head, eagerly awaiting her final words."Although I may appear hopeless, the truth is, the moment you rescued me from that filth, I pledged to owe you with my life. You don't have to entice me to buy me. For money cannot buy what a simple act of kindness can," her lips quiv

Vaani had a plan—a ridiculous one, but a plan nonetheless. She made her way to Prince Vir’s tent at the tourney grounds, determined to carry it out. Wandering among the rows of tents, she came across a servant who kindly pointed her in the direction of her brothers’ quarters. Following his instructions, she pushed aside the flap of what she thought was Vir’s tent.But as she stepped inside, she found it empty. No one was there. Her eyes fell on a pile of garments carelessly tossed onto the bed—a black hanbok, exactly like the one she had noticed a man wearing outside."You’re not supposed to be here," a cold voice interrupted from behind, making her spin around."I’m sorry, I—" she stammered, her words faltering as she took in the man before her. Clad in a green hanbok, his face concealed by a piece of cloth, he stood stiffly, his hands clasped behind his back. His piercing brown eyes fixed on her, and she felt as if they were boring straight into her soul."Your brothers’ tent is the

“Apologies, Your Royal Majesty. My sister can be uncontrollably childish at times. She doesn’t always think before she speaks,” Lakshya said, rising from his seat with a bow. “Perhaps it’s due to her health. Please excuse us for a moment.”With that, he pulled Vaani and Vir out of the dining hall, Vir trailing behind with a confused expression.Once they were out of earshot, Lakshya whirled on them, his voice low but seething with frustration. “I knew this birdbrain would never be good enough to face a skilled swordsman.”“But I—” Vir started to defend himself, but Lakshya cut him off with a sharp glare, offering no support.“How could you both be so negligent?” Lakshya hissed, his eyes narrowing with displeasure. “Do you have any idea who that was? Our entire future depends on this alliance. The survival of our nation relies on it!”“It’s not his fault,” Vaani mumbled, her voice quiet but firm. “I locked him in the dresser.”“When will you grow up, Vaani?” Lakshya snapped, exasperatio