The throne room was suffocating with silence.
Himeka stood before the Emperor, a ceremonial sword clutched in both hands. Her body trembled, but her eyes shone with defiance.
"I challenge you," she said, her voice cracking but steady. "To a duel. Not for power. Not for the throne. For you to acknowledge me."
Gasps rippled through the court. Ministers whispered in disbelief. Generals muttered prayers under their breath.
The Emperor rose slowly from his throne. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the torchlight, his expression as unreadable as stone.
"…Very well."
A chill passed through the room.
---
The Duel Begins
They stood in the center of the hall, the court forming a ring around them.
The Emperor drew his sword with effortless grace. The sound of steel leaving its sheath was like a death knell.
"Do you understand what you are doing?" he asked, voice calm.
"Yes," Himeka said, tightening her grip. "And I won't stop until you see me."
The clash began.
His blade moved like lightning. Her arms shook as she parried the first strike, the impact rattling her bones. She stumbled back, gasping for breath.
"You cannot win," he said flatly. His eyes never flickered.
"I don't need to win," she shouted back, raising her blade again. "I just need you to know—my love is real!"
Gasps. Murmurs. Ministers scoffed. Generals exchanged grim looks.
---
Struggle
His strikes came faster, sharper. Every swing of his blade carried the weight of absolute precision. To the crowd, it looked like the duel was already over.
Himeka staggered. A shallow cut blossomed across her arm. She cried out but did not stop.
Her chest heaved with every breath. Her tears blurred her vision. She raised her blade again and again, though her strength was failing.
"Why?" she shouted, her voice trembling. "Why won't you see me? Why won't you answer me, even once? Am I so worthless to you?"
The Emperor's sword nearly knocked hers from her hands. His face remained unreadable.
To him, she looked like a child swinging a stick. To the court, it was humiliation.
But she kept standing. Kept fighting.
Each step forward was an act of defiance. Each strike of her blade was a scream from her heart.
---
Breaking Point
At last, the Emperor raised his sword high, preparing to end it.
The crowd fell silent.
Himeka's blade hung weakly at her side. Her body shook with exhaustion. Blood dripped from her wounds. She looked up at him through blurred eyes.
And then she smiled through her tears.
"…If I die here, I'll die as your Empress. Loving you."
The hall went deathly still.
His sword should have fallen. His strike should have ended her.
But instead—at the final moment—his movement slowed. So subtly that none could see.
Her trembling blade, weak and desperate, grazed his shoulder.
The Emperor staggered back half a step.
The court erupted in shock.
---
The End of the Duel
The Emperor lowered his sword. His face was blank, eyes cold as ever.
"…I lose."
Gasps. Silence. Awe.
Himeka fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She had done it. She thought she had won.
The court bowed their heads. Generals lowered their eyes.
The duel was over.
Only he knew the truth.
---
Years Later
The Empire thrived.
The Emperor ruled with the same merciless strength. His decrees were absolute, his punishments swift. To the world, he was still a monster cloaked in regal robes.
But beside him sat Himeka. She was no longer a silent shadow. Her voice carried weight. Her words were considered, sometimes even obeyed. He respected her opinion — not as his equal, but as his Empress.
They had a son. Crimson-eyed, bright, and smiling like his mother. The palace echoed with laughter it had never known.
The Emperor never softened before the world. But in private, when no one could see, he let her rest her head against him. He brushed her hair back when she was tired. Sometimes, rarely, he kissed her forehead before sleep.
Cold affection. But real.
---
Closing Scene
One night, as their son slept beside them, Himeka whispered softly:
"…Do you remember the duel? The day I defeated you?"
The Emperor's crimson eyes shifted toward her. His face was unreadable.
"…I remember."
Her heart warmed. She smiled through her tears. "…I'll treasure that forever."
Silence stretched. His hand brushed against her cheek. Cold. Steady.
"…I lose," he whispered again.
And though his face was blank, her tears fell freely.
Because she knew—he had lost more than a duel that day.
He had lost to her.
The Finale !!!