Once again, I snuck out of the palace, letting no one know about it aside from Mildred. From Zero's letter, he would meet me in that underground meeting room where we first met. Since it was just the two of us, I came prepared.

'I'll just kill him if he pulls off something funny,' I told myself as I raised my hand, about to knock on the door. However, before I could, the door creaked open from the inside.

My eyes slowly raised and caught the playful smirk on his lips. "That's unexpected, but thank you, Your Majesty."

"I was looking forward to meeting you, Duchess." He grinned as he stepped to the side to make way. "Did I look excited about our… date?"

"Date?" I chuckled as I trudged in. "Sure, call this however you liked."

"I've charmed too many women in my life, but your nonchalance breaks my heart, dear." His tone was playful as he closed the door and followed me in.

"You must've had a frail heart then, Your Majesty." I pulled down my hood and glanced at him.

"That's also a new discovery for me." He smiled and beckoned me to sit. "I'll make you some tea. Please, sit and get yourself comfortable."

"Thank you." I bowed slightly and trudged towards the chair while Zero busied himself by preparing tea.

I studied him before scanning the room. There was not a single person here, but I knew someone was just around the corner, protecting him in the dark. I would've brought Yul with me, but our increasing time together would surely garner unwanted attention.

'Even if Zero had ulterior motives, he wouldn't cross me just yet,' I thought as I watched him approach the table with a tea set on the tray.

"Here." Zero happily offered me a cup of tea before taking his, sitting comfortably in the chair across from me.

I locked eyes with him for a moment and offered a weak smile. "Thank you."

"It's nothing, my dear. I can make you different teas," He humored as he quirked a brow. "Just visit me anytime, and I will always make time for you."

My lips parted, but no words came out. I wanted to tell him how I underestimated his infamy, but never mind. I'll play along with him just a bit more.

"My Duchess, how can you be so cold with your fiance?" he gasped with my lack of response.

"I'm married," I answered after a sip, and placed the teacup on the saucer. "I think you already know the reason I asked you to meet me in secret."

Zero let out a low and soft chuckle. "Yes. You want to break our engagement, correct?"

My eyes narrowed as I couldn't hide my dismay flickering across my eyes. How could my marriage with Sam not bother him? Even if I was engaged to him even before I was born, there were other means of sealing this alliance aside from marriage.

"My dear Duchess, do you hate the idea that much?"

"To be frank, I do. I suppose you had heard about the environment I was raised in, so even if you don't care about my marriage, I do." My eyes were full of conviction as they were fixed on him. "You don't understand, but it feels awkward when you are showing a bit of affection to a married woman."

"Haha! You're frank, indeed, but yes, I do not understand what's so wrong in charming a married woman."

I opened my mouth to enlighten him, but I figured it was pointless. Arguing with him about it would be an endless discussion and a waste of time.

"Duchess, I have this habit that the more challenging something or someone gets, the more determined I am to have it." Zero smiled, but his eyes glinted. "However, since we are allies, I am trying to respect your relationship with the duke."

"If the vessel of the core is a woman, a marriage will seal the alliance. But, if it was a man…" I raised a brow and cocked my head to the side. "… I know there is a separate way for that."

The corner of his lips curled up into a smirk. "You're correct. If it was a man, he will swear allegiance to me by forming a blood contract."

"A blood contract?"

"That he and I will be sworn brothers. Just like how sire works, we will blindly support each other. Your clan is a bit cunning, you know." Zero explained before sipping on his tea.

Sire… that word had grown painful in my ear. By recovering my memories and knowing where my core at, Stefan's words wouldn't be as powerful as they were initially. However, to get myself involved in something that was similar to that was the last thing I would do.

"Of course, you will not want that, and neither do I," Zero continued. "Supporting someone blindly is the last thing you and I want."

"That's why you want this marriage?"

Zero nodded and smiled politely. "With our current plans for you to usurp the throne and we starting an empire, you can always keep your husband as your lover. I do not mind sharing."

'Well, you better asked my husband about that.' I chuckled, as my husband was not the type of person who wouldn't even share what was his, even just for an example.

"I keep wondering ever since our first meeting, which kingdom will absorb which?" I asked, diverting the subject as I might flip the table at him if it continued. "Are you perhaps, thinking, that once I usurp the throne, it'll be easy for your kingdom to build an empire by putting our kingdom under your reign first?"

His expression brightened up, and that was enough of an answer for me. I knew it. After a long of pondering, I knew that was his plan all along. In conquering territories, one should conquer the strongest threat, so it would be easy to unify the other lands, since many smaller kingdoms would avoid war.

"Are you also thinking of doing the same, my Duchess?" he asked with an amused smirk, and I only smiled back, and kept my silence.

It would be the other way around if my plans didn't change. However, I would have to keep that as a secret and keep making him believe about my 'ambition'.

"On the first day of the founding week, I will fill the seat of the Bloodfang that had been empty for many years," I said as I assisted myself up. "Until then, I don't want a word about this engagement or this blood contract."