The tone in his voice changed, tingling my sensitive ears. What are you doing?!

Noticing I was flustered, he pulled back slightly. He flashed me a small smile, the irritation in his eyes diminished as he continued to stare at me. His golden eyes were just so captivating. He sat down on the carpet and made himself comfortable and leaned against my legs, slipping his hand down my shoulder to entwine with my hand. “Your hand is cold.”

He chuckled softly. He pulled my hand closer to his face and placed a gentle kiss on the back, the change in his demeanor startled me especially when his lips pressed on my skin. My body went rigid like I’ve been struck by lightning.

What are you doing so suddenly?!

Heat rose to my face at the unexpected contact, and it felt like the world was spinning around me.

I was never experienced when it came to love; I was too preoccupied with work and labor that it was something that entirely slipped my mind. Never have I given a man any attention, so the way the emperor was behaving really caught me off guard. He leaned his head on my thighs, unaware of the inner turmoil I’m currently having. “Lily.”

The warmth in his breath brushed against my skin every time he talked, making my heart tremble even more.

“The ones I cut earlier were Count Beben and Count Ligrath.”

Him talking about the people who were at the receiving end of his wrath just a few moments ago made me flinch uncontrollably.

The words that came out of his mouth contrasted the softness in his demeanor. The fright must be evident on my face since his eyebrows creased in worry, quickly rubbing comforting circles on the back of my hand.

“Those incompetent people kept talking back at me, so I had to punish them.” He reasoned.

He really was a tyrant. The heat that filled my body earlier simmered down in understanding, thinking that if he punishes them again, people would definitely have to bury bodies.

He was known to be a good leader by the civilians. But the nobles always saw him for the bloody tyrant he was, when they were the complete reason why he became a tyrant in the first place.

And in fact, reading about it in the original novel felt refreshing to me. Mainly because the male protagonist suffered quite a trauma, and it was just pitiful.

“Does Lily by any chance hate seeing me like this?” He asked suddenly, and I could hear the slight hesitation in his voice.

I looked away immediately, unable to bear him looking so forlorn like a puppy left in the rain. I was almost tempted to respond that he was very good, but the only thing that came out of my lips was my soft breathing. Luckily he didn’t see how conflicted I was, just staring straight into my eyes, waiting.

Should I answer him?

But then his eyes remained fierce as ever, and not a sliver of regret could be seen in those golden depths. Chills overwhelmed my senses when I realized that his question was a trap.

I gripped my skirt tightly to prevent my hands from shaking. I would have died the instant I opened my mouth. If I nod yes, he would point his sword at me and say that I couldn’t bring myself to hate him, since the original weren’t able to as well. And if I shake my head no, he would still point the sword at me nonetheless, and he would accuse me of lying to his face. This was a question that had no right answer.

When I didn’t respond, the emperor repeated his question once again. “Why aren’t you answering? Do you really hate me?”

Despite the cold sweat dripping down my back, I gave him no reaction and remained silent as he leered. I have to endure! If I answer him, I would lose and that would surely lead me to my death. Dying was not something I wanted to face anytime soon. My lack of answer angered the emperor, however, that his face tightened in irritation as he bellowed, “Answer me, Liliana!”

I glanced just in time to see him throw a vase onto the opposite wall, and I gasped silently at the sharp sound of pottery breaking into minuscule pieces. His strength was just extraordinary. He looked like a struggling, seething wild beast in front of me and yet here I am, face bearing little to no reaction.

The memories of the previous owner of this body I was transmigrated into remained. Ever since the original owner of this body lost her mother at the age of ten, smiling and showing expressions became unfamiliar to her. Her face had become stiff, falling short on portraying what always felt inside.

But even with how nonchalant I appear to others, I could not say the same for how I internally feel, and right now I think I would actually die.

All this because of the tyrant emperor.

I knew what kind of person he was. In the original novel, he was seen as someone who was indifferent to other people’s plight and behaved at his own will, but I know that deep down he is very rational. I squirmed where I was seated and carefully glanced to see his reaction and just as I expected, the emperor was quietly studying me with those golden eyes, testing me as the new doll.