Please Divorce Me, My Emperor

CHAPTER 8

The air in the quiet, firelit bedchamber grew thick and heavy with unspoken tension.

Kaelen did not release her hand. Instead, his thumb gently traced the sensitive skin of her wrist, sending electric shocks pulsing straight up her arm. Aurelia knew she should pull away. She knew that maintaining her emotional distance was the key to securing her freedom when the ninety days were up.

Yet, she couldn't move. She was utterly paralyzed by the warmth in his eyes.

"Kaelen..." she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackle of the fireplace. "You should rest."

"I have rested for three days," Kaelen murmured, his voice a low, rough hum. "Right now, I am entirely awake."

He reached up with his free hand, his long, warm fingers gently cupping the back of her neck. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled her closer. Aurelia’s eyes widened, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped storm, but she didn't pull back. She couldn't.

"Tell me to stop, Aurelia," Kaelen whispered against her skin, his lips hovering a fraction of an inch from hers, his warm breath fanning against her face. "Tell me you want me to let you go... and I will."

Aurelia opened her mouth to say the words. She tried to summon the image of her peaceful countryside estate, her hydrangeas, her quiet life of solitary freedom. But all she could see was the man before her—the man who bought her a dragon music box, who shielded her in carriages, who risked his life for his realm, and who looked at her as if she were the only bright light in his dark world.

"I..." Aurelia choked out, her voice trembling. "I can't."

Kaelen let out a low, breathless groan.

He closed the remaining distance, pressing his lips to hers.

The kiss was slow, hesitant at first—a gentle, questioning press of warmth that made Aurelia gasp. Taking advantage of her soft parted lips, Kaelen deepened the kiss, his grip on her neck tightening, pulling her flush against his chest. It was a intoxicating mixture of tenderness and deep, dormant passion that consumed her completely.

Aurelia’s head spun. Her hands, acting entirely on their own accord, slid up his chest, wrapping around his neck, her fingers tangling into his soft black hair as she kissed him back with equal intensity.

The world outside the bedchamber vanished. The cold rain, the divorce petitions, the political wagers, the crown—everything melted away into the heat of his mouth, the scent of his skin, and the wild, thunderous beating of their shared hearts.

When Kaelen finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, both of them were breathing heavily, their lips swollen and flushed.

Kaelen looked into her starry, bewildered blue eyes, a triumphant, fiercely tender smile spreading across his face.

"Day thirty-five, Empress," Kaelen whispered against her lips, his hand resting gently against her burning cheek. "How is your exit strategy coming along?"

Aurelia stared at him, her face burning, her mind completely shattered by the intensity of what had just happened. She scrambled off the bed, clutching her chest, looking like a caught thief.

"I... I am going to fetch more tea!" she blurted out wildly, turning on her heel and bolting toward the double doors.

Behind her, Kaelen’s deep, rich laughter echoed through the firelit room—a victorious, intoxicating sound that followed her all the way down the corridor.

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The morning air in the Sun Palace was crisp, but inside the Grand Council Chamber, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

Aurelia sat in the high-backed velvet chair to the left of the Emperor's throne, maintaining a posture of perfect, unyielding grace. Across the long mahogany table sat Duke Valerius—a man with sharp, fox-like eyes, graying temples, and a smile that never reached his cold gaze. Standing beside him was his daughter, Lady Seraphina, draped in silk that matched the royal colors far too closely for modesty.

"Your Imperial Majesty," Duke Valerius began, bowing with deliberate slowness. "The Council is deeply concerned. Three years have passed since the imperial union, yet the sun line remains without an heir. The stability of the empire cannot rely on hopes and agricultural dikes alone."

Aurelia felt a subtle tightening in her shoulders. The attack was indirect, but its edge was unmistakable.

"The Empress’s time has been spent on... unconventional projects," Valerius continued, casting a disdainful glance at Aurelia. "Valid, perhaps, for a minister of trade, but hardly the primary duty of the mother of the realm. A faction of high lords believes it is time to reconsider the imperial bloodline before the winter assembly."

A wave of uncomfortable murmurs rippled through the assembled lords. Lady Seraphina lowered her head modestly, though her lips twitched with quiet triumph.

Aurelia opened her mouth to deliver a sharp, calculated rebuttal, but before she could utter a single syllable, a heavy sound echoed through the chamber.

Kaelen had slammed his palm against the armrest of his obsidian throne.

The entire hall fell dead silent. The Emperor did not raise his voice, but the sudden drop in temperature was palpable. His violet eyes locked onto Duke Valerius with lethal precision.

"Lord Valerius," Kaelen said smoothly, his voice dropping into a register that made several younger lords instinctively take a step back. "Am I to understand that you are lecturing this court on the duties of my wife?"

Valerius swallowed, bowing deeper. "I merely speak for the stability of the realm, Sire—"

"The realm is stable because the Empress prevented a rebellion in three provinces while you were busy calculating tax exemptions for your estates," Kaelen interrupted coldly. "If any lord in this room wishes to question the Empress's position again, he will do so in a formal duel against my sword. Is that clear?"

Silence hung heavy over the room. Valerius paled, his throat working silently before he managed a weak bow. "Understood, Your Imperial Majesty."

As the assembly was dismissed, Aurelia walked beside Kaelen down the long, arching corridor toward his private quarters. Her mind was a whirlwind. The memory of their kiss weeks ago still burned in her thoughts, making every shared moment electric, yet this public display of ferocious defense rattled her even further.

"You didn't need to threaten a duel, Kaelen," she murmured once the guards were out of earshot. "I am capable of dismantling Valerius myself."

Kaelen stopped, turning to face her. He reached out, his long fingers casually straightening the gold clasp at her shoulder. His touch was brief, but it sent a tremor along her skin.

"I know you can, Aurelia," he said softly, his eyes searching for hers. "But as long as you bear my crown, no one in this empire will disrespect you. Not while I draw breath."

Aurelia looked away, her pulse hammering against her ribs. The shadow of treason was growing in the court, but the real threat to her heart was standing right in front of her.