Conquering the Emperor

When Jeely woke up, she was alone in her bed. The only reminder and proof of her passionate tryst with Prince Kin was the soreness in between her legs and the mix of their love juices.

“Ah…” She let out a low moan as she began moving her legs to get out of bed.

Prince Kin really did like to over do it. Her body was left feeling sore every time after they made love. She hated to admit it, but her body craved for sex and pleasure. Having sex with Prince Kin brought her release and a peace of mind that followed. Ever since the first time that he gave her a taste of pleasure, she had been craving for it.

After bathing and cleaning herself, she felt fresh and ready to start the new day. Her plan of earning Rin’s trust was progressing so smoothly that she wanted to laugh at that girl’s stupidity. Today was another day of lessons with the naïve Lady White Lotus.

…

**Back to the present**

I stared at my own reflection in the full-length mirror after Auntie and the maids have finished dressing me in the dress than Ren had ordered. It wasn’t like I hated this look on me, but it was just too unusual. The dress, the make-up, the hair, the jewelry, and the head piece along with other numerous small details just made the look so outstandingly over-the-top.

I felt like I was about to step out onto a stage and perform a play. No one should be dressed like this in their daily lives. The dress was too long, dragging for meters behind me. There was so much fabric and so many layers that the outfit felt too heavy for me to move comfortably in. The large golden head piece shaped in the shape of twin birds and flowers was too big and too heavy. I wouldn’t be surprised if my neck snapped into two.

My face was heavily made up. My skin was powdered so white that I looked like a ghost and my lips were blood-red. More than ten necklaces of priceless jewelry were around my neck, spilling down at various lengths over my chest. I had a ring on almost every finger of my hands. Let’s stop there…

If I walked anywhere outside the palace walls, I would be killed on the stop just so they could tear everything that I was wearing from me. All in all, this outfit was a punishment in and of itself.

“You look amazingly royal and beautiful,” Auntie Chen said as she beamed proudly at me.

It took everything in my being to stop myself from rolling my eyes at her. People can say whatever they wanted but the truth was that this dress is slowly killing me.

“It’s…heavy…” I murmured a slight complaint.

“It’s supposed to remind you of the heavy responsibility of being the crown prince’s wife,” Auntie replied without missing a beat.

We’re not married so by all customs in my hometown, we are not man and wife. This dress or anything other dress doesn’t matter; I am not his wife. I did not say this out loud, of course. It was certainly best for me to hold my tongue right now.

There was a light tap on the door and a maid came in to inform us that the crown prince has arrived and is waiting for me in the living room. I guess, it’s time for us to go to court to settle things with Prince Kin. I bit my lower lips nervously as I worried about how everything will unfold.

On top of the stress of going to court, I also didn’t look forward to facing Ren. It seemed that my list of problems was endless this time around and there wasn’t much that I could do to be of help. All I could do was appear in court in this clown-like outfit that didn’t even match my rank in this royal palace. I wanted to scream and pull my hair out…but I couldn’t.

“I will be awaiting your return, My Lady. Please don’t worry. I am sure that the crown prince will protect you,” Auntie said with certainty in her voice.

It made me wonder why she believed so much in Ren. I wished that I too could have so much faith in Ren as well. Prior to our most recent argument, I felt like we had gotten so much closer and that he trusted me just like I trust him. However, I wasn’t sure if that was the case anymore.

Auntie held my hand to provide me with adequate support while I struggled to walk with the weight of my attire tying me down. I prayed that I wouldn’t have to walk so much today. It was one thing to walk without falling over; it was another story all together to walk in this outfit gracefully.

Ren…I wonder what reaction he would have when he sees me dressed like this. Would it make him the slightest bit happy?

…

“Crown Prince, Lady White Lotus has arrived…” Auntie said formally as she bowed low to greet Ren.

Somehow, I was able to bow slightly as I came to stand in front of where Ren was seated. I truly wanted to see his face and the reaction he had to me wearing the dress that he had chosen, but I didn’t dare look at him. Instead, I kept my eyes down on the floor.

After a brief moment of silence, Ren wordlessly got up from his seat. I could feel his eyes lingering on me, but he didn’t say anything. If I was looking forward to any compliments from Ren, I would be sorely disappointed. Ren was as cold and uncaring as could be. I wondered why I wasn’t used to this side of Ren by now.

I kept my eyes low as he walked past me. Taking in a deep breath, I finally looked up from the floor and began turning around to follow Ren outside. The shoes that matched the dress was higher and heavier than normal. Walking did not come easy and so it took a long while before I made it outside.

--To be continued…