"H-Hey, wait—what are you doing?"
Aira stammered, panic bubbling in her voice as the emperor slowly advanced toward her.
"Are you… on drugs? I mean, did you drink too much alcohol, coffee, or something? Or maybe my scent is making you act… like this—"
But the emperor didn't answer. He just stared, unblinking, his crimson eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her knees feel like jelly.
"Hey…" she tried again, but instead of stopping, he seemed even more… out of his mind.
What the heck? Is he sleepwalking? Or is he actually—oh no—trying to do something to me?
Panic surged as she wrapped her arms around herself. She wasn't ready—not even close!
"W-what are you trying to do to me?!"
Aira's voice trembled, wide-eyed as she met the emperor's ravenous gaze.
His jaw was tight, teeth grinding as though he were holding back some wild beast inside him.
Aira's imagination immediately spiraled. Is this it? The moment straight out of those ridiculous romance novels? The part where the mysterious, insanely handsome male lead loses all control and attacks the heroine?
Except, she wasn't the heroine. She was stuck in an all-men world. And no matter how handsome or mysterious he was… she was not about to let herself lose herself to him. Not today. Not ever.
Well… maybe a tiny, terrified part of her brain thought, he is kind of hot, but—NO!—definitely not enough to hand over her dignity.
His eyes glowed red. Dark. Dangerous. The kind of red that could probably consume her whole if she blinked the wrong way.
Aira started panicking. She slowly stepped back until she landed on the edge of her silk-covered bed and sank into a sitting position.
Okay, relax. He won't—probably—do anything—wait, what is he doing?
Before she could think of a plan or scramble to her feet, he moved.
In a single stride, he grabbed her waist and crashed his mouth against hers.
Aira's eyes shot wide open.
What the—he's too fast! Way too fast!
His kiss wasn't gentle. It was fierce, demanding, and full of an inexplicable hunger that made her heart pound like a drumline. His hands gripped her waist like iron bands, pulling her impossibly close, leaving her no room to escape.
Uh… nope! she thought desperately, pushing against his chest with all the strength her tiny arms could muster.
The harder she resisted, the more relentless he became, as if her protest fueled his intensity.
Her lungs burned. She wanted to scream. She wanted to tell him to stop, but her body refused to cooperate.
Her lips quivered under his, her resistance faltering despite every protest in her brain screaming, This is insane! Who kisses like this in real life?!
Aira thought in horror.
How did I even get here?! How is this man allowed to just—just—dump me into this scene without my consent?!
Somewhere between terror, disbelief, and panicked confusion, she realized one thing, she was trapped, caught in a kiss so fierce it could have been written by a dramatic author with absolutely zero sense of personal space.
Her mind raced. Do I fight? Do I bite? Or… do I just… survive this kiss?
The kiss grew more intense as his hands moved up her waist toward her chest.
Wait—my chest?! Before he could reach, she immediately blocked his hands.
But the more she resisted, the deeper his kiss became. One hand clasped hers, and his other hand tightened almost possessively around her waist, anchoring her in place.
This is getting way too intense! she thought, panicking.
How am I just letting him do this? I'm not some fragile woman! And not a single man has ever—EVER—kissed me like this! I'm a virgin! Inexperienced!
And now… in just the first moments in this world, the emperor is already taking advantage of me?!
Despite her mental protests, she felt the kiss soften slightly. Somehow, his lips became gentler, almost… intoxicating… even delicious.
Wait, intoxicating? Delicious? What am I even thinking?!
Her brain was spinning with panic and confusion, but a small, reluctant part of her body was starting to respond. If before she could still flinch or wiggle away, now she felt herself sinking into the kiss, swallowed by its intensity.
Urgh… I don't care anymore! she thought, a tiny spark of rebellion flickering.
It's the first time someone's kissed me… maybe it's okay to… enjoy it… just a little?
She tentatively considered matching his movements, trying to take back a bit of control.
But just as she was about to respond, the emperor suddenly pulled back slightly, his forehead almost brushing hers. His crimson eyes bore into hers sharp, unyielding, impossible to ignore.
Aira blinked, gasping softly, her heart hammering in her chest.
Why did he stop?!
Wait… what am I even saying?!
She gasped for air, fumbling backward on the bed.
"Y-You… you can't just—just—do that!"
He said nothing. Instead, his hand lingered at her waist, and his gaze softened just slightly, as if he didn't entirely know what he had done.
Her heart pounded violently. This is insane. Completely insane. But… why do I feel like I'm not supposed to run away?
"You… what have you done to me?" the emperor asked, frowning as he touched his lips.
"W-what? You don't know what you've done? You… you murdered my lips and almost… almost r—rape me!"
Aira exclaimed, stumbling backward from the emperor, her arms flailing as she exaggerated.
"Murder?" his brows furrowed as if trying to understand the word. His gaze studied her intently. "You… I didn't know what it's called, what I did, but is it something bad?" He truly seemed clueless.
Wait… don't tell me he didn't know what he just did?..
"You kissed me!" she shouted.
"Kiss…? What is that?" he asked flatly, tilting his head.
The heck? He doesn't know what a kiss is?!
"It's when you murder my lips by smashing your mouth onto mine! That's what a kiss is!" she snapped.
Instead of answering, he just stared at her for a long moment, like he was mentally analyzing her words. Then he muttered softly, more to himself than to her.
'Kiss… so that's what a kiss is, according to the prophecy… I can't believe I just heard that word.'
Wait, don't tell me… he didn't know what a kiss was? But how could he kiss me like that if he didn't know?
Is he… an inborn expert? Or has he been practicing it but just doesn't want to admit he doesn't know what it is?
"Did you… kiss someone before?"
"Kiss… do you mean what I did to your lips?" he replied innocently.
"Yes!" she shot back, incredulous.
"We didn't do that here," he said, still calm, "there's no way I would put my lips on some dirty mouth. So I wonder… why did I do that to you? Did you… bewitch me?"
"What?!" Aira shrieked, her disbelief tipping over. She threw her hands up and stared at him, blinking rapidly.
Did he just… accuse me of bewitching him?
The emperor tilted his head.
"You… you didn't put a spell on me, right? Because if you did, I must admit… I feel strangely… compelled."
Aira blinked. "I… I'm not a witch… what the heck? Are you serious?!"
He leaned closer, one eyebrow raised, still studying her with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "Hmm… very well. Then why… did I do that? Was it… pleasure?"
Pleasure?! Aira thought, her cheeks heating. She waved her hands frantically.
"No! Absolutely not! You have no idea what you're saying! This is insane! You just—just kissed me like some kind of wild animal!"
He suddenly became serious, as if what she said was some kind of insult.
"Wild… animal…? Are you comparing me, the emperor, to some wild animal?"
Aira groaned, throwing her head back. "Yes, bad! Very bad! Stop pretending you don't know what a kiss is when you clearly—clearly did it perfectly!"
For a moment, the emperor simply studied her.
"So, are you saying I'm good at it? What does a kiss mean to you in your world? Is it a kind of punishment? Or… is it pleasure?"
Aira couldn't help it—she groaned dramatically and flopped back onto the bed, hands covering her face.
Oh no. I've officially lost to this man. How is he this clueless yet this… good at kissing… I mean, good at annoying me?
What kind of emperor is this?!