"Leave."

I watched how the guard dragged the battered Jin'er out. Tears burned my eyes. My heart felt so heavy.

'I never thought.. just who does he think he is? How dare him touched my people? Male lead, you're a bad person!'

"Don't blame me. Persuading your servants to confess their master's scheme proves to be challenging. Devotion and loyalty– hah, you must be very kind to your servants."

"So I thought, what's the need of their tongues if they won't tell me anything significant?"

"Li Han." My fingers clutched my blanket.

"I am a royal. Carelessly addressing me by my given name; don't you want your head, my lady?"

I raised from the bed; walked towards the male lead and slapped him across the face.

'Fu

The slap stunned him for seconds before Li Han's face turned scarlet and he balled his hands into fists.

He was pissed!

'But who cares? I'm also mad'

Then in the next second, there was a conflicting emotion of amusement, displeasure and lust in those deep set of eyes.

"Are you angry because I touched your people? So does that mean, you're not afraid of me anymore?" His lips slowly curved into a dangerous smile.

That smile. 'Male lead, why are you smiling? Hey, stop smiling! You're scaring me!'

Wait. This lines.. this scene.. It seems familiar.

Ah, because this is a sadomasochistic novel; when the female lead slaps the male lead, it arouses Li Han's sexual desire. This action.. unbelievably lit the fire in him.

'This dog male lead!'

My legs trembled. Because after the 'slap scene' is the.. papapa scene!

The main characters engaged to a heated round of makeup papapa.. the entire night.

The novel highlighted that Chu Wanwan was very satisfied with the wild and rough papapa with the prince.

My tears froze!

The author even emphasizes some things.. like how the bed creaked all night, how the female lead's loud moans made the guards and servants outside the room uncomfortable and guilty as they couldn't hide their red faces.. and how the female lead spent the next three days in bed due to sore waist and trembling legs.

'God. Lord. What did I do?'

I remember that in that chapter, there were thousands of comments from the readers, complimenting that perverted author!

The side of my lips twitched.

I never slap someone in this world or in my world.. until him. I got mad okay. It was a reflex. Would the male lead believe me if I say I didn't mean to slap him?

When Li Han grabbed my hand, unable to run, I panicked. 'What to do?! I don't want to be eaten! Mommy! Mommy!'

When I met his gaze, my stomach tensed. Suddenly my legs gave out as they went weak, my body sliding down to the floor.

'Mom!' It was a psychological reaction. He scares me.

He stood in front of me as I knelt. Li Han was silent, dazed even.

His smile vanished.

Now I realized, looking at him with a serious expression.. it scares me the same. I think no matter what expression he wears, the male lead would still scare me.

'Of course, because he bites people! He's a dog!'

"I beg you, Your Highness. Please let my people go." I can't let him send Jin'er and the others to the Red District. And my twin guards.. Lu Kai and Lu Yi.. I can't let them become eunuchs!

My poor and lovable servants, I must protect them. If I must beg the fourth prince to save their lives, I'll do it. If he wants my own life then.. I'll give it to him.

"Please, I beg you."

I jolted when Li Han also went on his knees, then he held my pale face with his warm hands.

"Bai Suxin, daughter of the Prime Minister, famous for being magnanimous and forgiving– a person with a virtue of great mind and heart. Your benevolence and sophisticated upbringing have impressed the whole nation."

"Haa." He chuckled. "Then again, you'd do something to prove me wrong."

"Cunning and ambitious– a purposeful and determined person. You won't let anyone to get in the way. Oh right, you'll bet anything to get anything you want even it kills you."

His thumb touched my upper lip.

"Surprisingly sometimes, you're compassionate and loyal. Kind and fair. Other times, you're unscrupulous that disregards justice and conscience. I wonder how can a person be both?"

"You schemed to kill Wanwan. The next moment, you tried to save her. Then you went back at scheming to kill her again."

"Hah!" He chuckled again.

"Just like years ago. You saved me every time, helping me to survive in the palace. But at same time, you take advantage of someone's misfortune, you made sure to let me suffer more."

Li Han pulled my face closer to his.

'What? What?!' I cried inside. 'Stop. Let go. Male lead, take your handsome face away from me!'

"I am someone who bears grudges. So I don't know if.. should I be grateful to you or.. just like what I did to others.. must I also take a revenge on you?"

And because Li Han was taller than me, he bent down for our eyes to meet.

"Bai Suxin, why.. are you so hard to read? It's difficult to understand your motives." His dark eyes heavily stared into my wary eyes.

"These days, I am.. tired and confused for trying to figure you out."

The male lead rested his forehead to mine; his eyes softened, stealing my breath away.

"Can you tell me, what you want? What do you really want?"

"Some days, you make me want to care for you, pamper and spoil you. But these days, you make me want.. to just kill you."

"No. I won't kill you."

"Suxin, I vow to make you suffer. I'll marry you. By my side, you will spend your whole life in misery as my woman."