Your Majesty, I’m Not that Man - Chapter 5: I Won’t Give You a Chance to Escape (7)

The seemingly endless intimacy finally ceased when Lavinia’s stamina gave out. Cassion gently picked up her limp body and disappeared into the bathroom with her in his arms. Ipherion, feeling a mix of relief and regret, leaned against the metallic frame of the chandelier.

Not long after, maids entered the room to clean up the traces of the emperor’s lovemaking. Taking advantage of the open window meant for ventilation, Ipherion quickly slipped out of the bedroom.

Hiding himself in a nearby thicket, Ipherion forgot to transform into another form as he caught his breath, his heart pounding uncontrollably. It was as if it might burst.
‘

The daughter of the Wendell family, was it?’

He couldn’t shake the image of her sobbing in pleasure, utterly consumed by ecstasy. Ipherion suddenly realized he had begun superimposing his image over Cassion’s in his imagination, and he shook his head sharply.

She was the emperor’s concubine. Just the thought of her, even as a fleeting fantasy, was dangerous.

But she seemed so sweet, so intoxicating. Her very presence felt as though it carried a fragrance capable of driving a man mad.

Finally snapping out of it, Ipherion transformed into a sparrow. However, in this form, his racing heart only felt stronger, as if his very heartbeat had grown erratic. He wondered if it was some kind of arrhythmia.

‘Ugh…’

Scurrying out of the thicket, Ipherion flew high into the sky, hoping the cool air might quell the heat coursing through him. Instead, it only seemed to worsen, as though the blush on his face was spreading further. His heart raced so intensely that even flying felt difficult, prompting him to hasten toward his quarters.

Diving through an open window, he slipped behind the curtain and quickly reverted to his human form. Even without looking into a mirror, he knew his face must be bright red.

Though unintentional, he had ended up witnessing someone else’s intimate act. And worse, he realized he might have lost his heart to one of them—Lavinia.

‘This is wrong… it shouldn’t be like this.’

Not just anyone, but Cassion’s cherished concubine. How could he even imagine taking Lavinia away from Cassion’s arms?

Overwhelmed with confusion, Ipherion clutched his head and sank to the floor. His heart still pounded uncontrollably, filled with thoughts of Lavinia.

＊ ＊ ＊

Maxim couldn’t stay still in one spot and was pacing back and forth in the study. Although he would usually calm down at the sight of Hans’ face, today even that didn’t work. When Maxim told him to leave, Hans tried to lighten his mood but failed and walked out with a displeased look.

Hans was likely busy right now, tending to Albert’s attire for his impending entrance into the palace. Having defended Albert in front of numerous employees already, Hans, perhaps feeling exposed, was now openly showing his preference for Albert.

Albert, however, found Hans’ attention burdensome, so it seemed their relationship hadn’t yet been discovered.

Maxim clenched his fist in frustration.
Hans! It was all Hans’ fault!

The reason Maxim was in this awkward position, the reason he had to enter the Imperial Palace tomorrow and meet the Emperor—it was all because of Hans! Why did Hans have to harbor such out-of-place ambitions?

“I want to kick him out right now, but…”
He couldn’t live without the nights he spent with Hans anymore. He had already realized this when he sent Hans away to a countryside villa for a while. Even though it was just physical pleasure, and perhaps he could forget it by meeting another man, Hans was still a special presence within Maxim. Despite the fact that he had driven Maxim into this predicament!

“Still no word from Lavinia?!”
Maxim snapped at Robert, who had just returned with tea. His voice was louder than intended. The butler looked at him with a calm expression.

“No word yet, Your Grace.”

“How cold-hearted she must be! Even knowing how much I struggle with the Emperor, how could she be so indifferent? Now that she’s entering the palace and winning the Emperor’s favor, am I no longer in her sight?!”

Maxim’s growing irritation prompted Robert to study him carefully. He knew nothing he said would get through to Maxim in his current state, but the harsh words about Lavinia felt too much. After all, wasn’t it the Duke and Duchess themselves who didn’t even see Lavinia off the day she left for the palace?

“…I’ve heard it’s easy to send items into the harem, but difficult to get news out of it,” Robert carefully replied.

“She’s earning the Emperor’s favor, so how could that be difficult? Even after receiving that grand palace as a gift, are you telling me she can’t even send a single letter?!”

‘Would Your Grace be willing to help a father who now, of all times, sends a pitiful letter asking for aid?’

Though this thought filled his mind, Robert bit his tongue to avoid speaking it.

“I always knew she was cold like her mother! How ungrateful she is…”

Maxim fumed, pacing again in front of the door. Robert wanted to suggest that Maxim wait at the front entrance instead, but he knew that would only invite more wrath. Placing the tea on the table, he bowed his head.

“I’ll issue orders to bring the message to you as soon as there’s word from the palace.”

“Good!”

Leaving behind Maxim’s furious tone, Robert exited the Duke’s study. If the young lady had truly earned the Emperor’s favor, then surely Wendell House’s letter had reached her safely. However, Robert hoped Lavinia wouldn’t lend Maxim her aid.

‘It’s no wonder issues arise when he’s trying to bring that absurd man back into the Wendell family as an adopted son.’

Meanwhile, the knights Maxim had dispatched with Hans found something in an abandoned temple. It was in a collapsed area, making it difficult for the knights to fit their bodies through. So, they resorted to throwing in torches to see what was inside.

Once it was confirmed Hans had left the village, the knights hired someone small enough to crawl into the space. As expected, they uncovered a buried chest after digging.

Being loyal men, they brought the chest directly to Robert without opening it. Inside, Robert discovered the late Duchess’s jewels, which sent a chill down his spine. These were items that should have been safely stored in the Wendell family’s vault.

“It’s been nearly a month now.”

Today was the first day Lady Lavinia, who had entered the palace, would be allowed to leave its confines. Robert planned to show her what they had found and ask her what should be done about it.

With the young lady receiving the Emperor’s favor, Robert believed that the Wendell family could still be preserved. Surely, Lavinia would bear several children with the Emperor, and one of them would eventually inherit the title of Duke of Wendell.

If that were to happen, Robert felt he could die without any regrets.

＊ ＊ ＊

Even after finishing her meal, Lavinia still felt languid. Cassion, as if sensing her weariness, stayed close by her side, practically glued to her. Considering his usual temperament, the fact that he hadn’t already carried her off to bed was a surprising display of restraint.

“Isn’t this getting worse by the day?”

One would think that as time passed, people would grow tired of one another, but Cassion only seemed to crave more time with Lavinia. Earlier, he had even followed her into the bath, his hands roaming all over her body, leaving her utterly flustered. She thought about complaining, but since he was the Emperor—and considering the fact that his touch consistently drove her to the heights of pleasure—there didn’t seem to be much point in protesting.

“Are you sleepy, Lenny?”

Cassion’s gentle voice reached her ears as he pressed his lips to her temple. Lavinia, knowing she should respond, found herself simply nodding.

“This isn’t proper…”

Yet after countless moments of intense ecstasy, her mind was too muddled to think straight. Cassion pulled her closer, lying her down as he spoke. They had been sitting side by side on the sofa.

“You can sleep. I’ll give you my lap as a pillow…”

Though Lavinia knew Cassion’s lap made an excellent pillow, it felt utterly inappropriate to rest her head on the Emperor’s legs. Before she could voice any protest, Cassion was already laying her down.

“It’s fine, my Lavinia. Go ahead, rest.”

To top it off, he kindly fetched a soft, plush cushion and placed it under her head. Lavinia looked up at Cassion’s handsome face and let out a sigh.

The reason she was this exhausted was entirely his fault. So surely, it wouldn’t hurt to borrow his lap for a short nap, right? It was all Cassion’s doing, after all.

“Relax… Don’t think about anything. Just sleep, okay? Lenny…”

His soothing voice lulled her further into drowsiness. As her heavy eyelids finally surrendered and she drifted into sleep, Cassion stretched out his hand to the side.

The aide, guided silently by a servant, approached without making a sound. Cassion glanced at him briefly and raised a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet. Waking Lavinia from her slumber would surely cause trouble.

The aide gave a quick nod and handed a document to Cassion, who, while leisurely stroking Lavinia’s hair, examined the papers with his other hand.

He hoped Lavinia’s tendency to sleep so much was because she was carrying his child. However, their chambers were still equipped with magical contraceptive artifacts. He wanted to dismantle them immediately, but he suspected Lavinia wouldn’t agree to it.

“If she refused the position of Empress to avoid me, then even more so,” he thought grimly.

Perhaps if she bore his child, she’d give up on trying to escape him. That thought briefly crossed his mind, but another, darker thought followed: she might flee with the child. If that happened, the baby could be endangered during her escape. It was too risky.

“No, this is all pointless speculation. There’s no proof Lavinia wants to run away…”

But when he looked back on her actions, everything seemed to align too perfectly with that assumption. Cassion let out a deep sigh as he gazed at Lavinia’s sleeping face.

He knew he had given his heart to Lavinia, just as he knew she didn’t love him. Lavinia never lied about it; she never said she liked him or that she’d stay by his side.

While Cassion admired her honesty, it left a cold weight in his chest.

I will never let you go.

After all, he had finally—finally—found someone who touched his heart. Someone who stirred his emotions so deeply and made him so desperate. Lavinia was the first.

Cassion was certain she would be his last. He’d never felt this way about anyone before, so he was always careful. He wanted to ensure Lavinia wouldn’t consider running from him. He wanted her to feel happiness by his side. He tried his best to love her gently.

That worked most of the time—except in bed. There, his restraint would slip. Lavinia was simply too irresistible, and he couldn’t help but tease her to see her many reactions. He’d pushed her to the brink of exhaustion, overwhelmed her with pleasure until she reached climax for hours.

Watching Lavinia, flushed and trembling from the overwhelming sensations, made him feel as though she was entirely his in those moments. When her consciousness was clouded with pleasure, and she looked at him with sweetness in her gaze, he was filled with indescribable joy. That’s why he always pushed her to her limits.

And yet, why? Why didn’t Lavinia react like the others?

The other concubines, when treated with such affection, would clamor to return to his embrace. They would flirt, desperate to seduce him again. But Lavinia was different.

It seemed she had grown to enjoy being in his arms, but she never begged for it. And that irritated him, just a little. It was why he’d resorted to using an aphrodisiac. He wanted to see her desperate to be held by him, craving his touch. Unexpectedly, it had brought him even greater enjoyment.

“It’s worth every bit of gold I spent on it,” he thought with a smirk.

There was still plenty of the potion left. It wasn’t just an aphrodisiac but also contained ingredients that built resistance to poisons. He intended to use it frequently. If Lavinia were to bear his child, the palace would not leave her alone. It was better to prepare her now to resist any threats.

His child.

The mere thought filled him with joy. If he had a child with Lavinia, he felt certain he could love it.

The reason he had avoided women for so long was his fear of parenthood. Cassion, who had felt detached from everything, hadn’t been sure if he could give his child the love it deserved. He had worried that his child might suffer the same lonely childhood he had endured.

But after meeting Lavinia and learning to love her, he felt as though he finally understood what it meant to love someone.

And so… I will never let you go, Lavinia.

As he gazed at Lavinia’s sleeping face, he made a solemn vow. He was the Emperor, a transcendent being. No one would be able to take Lavinia from him.

＊ ＊ ＊

The sharp crack of the whip echoed violently, splattering blood with each swing. Flesh tore open, and pieces of skin were stripped away, but Yanis showed no sign of stopping. The maid, who had already fainted multiple times, screamed and begged for mercy.

“Guh…! Aaaahhh!”

The maid, writhing in agony, soon went limp, unconscious once more. The attendants who had tied her to the bedpost looked at Yanis with pale faces.

“What are you waiting for?! Do you want to end up like her?!”

At Yanis’ roar, the attendants hurriedly grabbed a bucket of water and splashed it over the maid. The maid groaned weakly but didn’t regain consciousness. One of the attendants nervously tried to rouse her by lightly patting her cheeks.

“…Yanis.”

The irritated voice made Yanis snap her head around, her sharp gaze shooting up. Raphael had entered the room, accompanied by several guards.

Raphael had once served as Lavinia’s personal guard, though his role was closer to protecting the entire harem rather than Lavinia alone. For that reason, he hadn’t followed Lavinia when she moved to the Hyacinth Palace. Lavinia, who had no particular connection with Raphael, hadn’t requested the Emperor to send him with her either. Raphael’s involvement with Albert, which the original story focused on, had nothing to do with Lavinia.

“His Majesty has forbidden the spilling of blood in the palace for personal reasons,” Raphael said coolly.

“His Majesty?”

Yanis raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Of all people, the one who seemed to delight in bloodshed the most was the Emperor himself, making this decree incomprehensible to her.

“It must be because of her,” Yanis hissed, grinding her teeth.

The one she truly wanted to tie to that bed wasn’t her maid but Lavinia. Having been confined to her chambers for a month with nothing to do, she had taken out her frustrations on the unfortunate maid instead.

Raphael, ignoring Yanis entirely, gave an order to the guards.

“Take her to the infirmary.”

The guards stepped forward and untied the maid from the bedpost. Limp and unconscious, the woman was dragged out of the room.

The maid wasn’t from Adalaxas but rather someone Yanis had brought from her own tribe. Raphael found this detail suspicious but knew he couldn’t question it. Yanis could simply claim the maid had done something wrong, and that would be the end of it.

“Well then,” Raphael said with a brief nod, turning to leave.

Yanis moved to block his path, unwilling to let him leave without confirmation of what she needed to know. Though she knew there were only a few days left, she wanted to be certain.

“My confinement will end in five days, won’t it?”

“…How could I know His Majesty’s intentions? When the time comes, you will receive his orders.”

The Emperor’s decree to confine Yanis to her chambers for a month wasn’t something that would automatically expire once the time was up. She could only leave if Cassion personally gave permission to lift the confinement. Raphael had made this clear before leaving Yanis’ quarters, leaving her seething as she glared at his retreating figure, grinding her teeth in frustration.