"Name your price." He said without hesitation, his eyes filled with a silent fury that fully transcended his patience.
"I'm not sure I follow, Your Majesty." Scarlett said with feigned innocence, secretly enjoying the way Lex's expression darkened with anger. "Weren't you the one that brought me here in the first place?"
"Cut the bullshit, Scarlett. You know exactly what I mean." Lex demanded. "I've no patience to play your stupid games."
"... Do you really think I'm doing this for money, Your Majesty?" Scarlett asked, her voice devoid of any of the humor it had before.
"Then you're telling me you're doing all this just for sex?" He leaned in closer, though there was no desire that motivated the way he moved. "If so, I'm quite flattered. To think someone would go through all this trouble just to get in bed with me."
"Don't think it's going to be so easy getting rid of me, Emperor." She smiled slyly, her hands trailing from his broad shoulders all the way up to his neck. "Not after what you've done to embarrass me years ago."
"That was the result of your own actions." He said accusingly, trying to pull away. "I simply saved myself from unnecessary trouble."
"... You act just like him." Her words made him freeze up, his eyes widening in shock. "No wonder you managed fool everyone for so long."
"You seem quite surprised by my revelation, Your Majesty." She stated casually, her keen eyes boring into Lex's every expression. "Did you truly believe your secret would stay hidden forever?"
"You asked me why I'm doing this, but all I want from you is simple, Emperor." She leaned closer, their lips now barely inches apart. "Entertain my little whims, and your secret is safe with me."
"After all, you wouldn't want your dearest human to learn of this cursed secret of yours, would you?" She asked, catching the flicker in his eyes at the mere mention of Kaari. "What will she think of you then? An insatiable Roseabelle struggling with two different personalities sounds pretty terrifying for someone so delicate, doesn't it?"
Before Lex could react, Scarlett quickly pinned him on the soft cushion beneath her in one swift motion, catching the emperor completely off guard.
"At first, there was no point in going after Kaiden while his sister was around, but now things have changed with you here. With your help, I can finally climb the ranks, and all I need is for you to play along."
"You'd be a fool to think I'd make it easy for you." Lex retorted, his words did little to sour her mood.
"Well, I do enjoy a good challenge." She replied casually, her smile widening as Lex's expression grew noticeably colder.
"So, back to the conversation from earlier." She implored, pulling him closer. "I can't help but be wary of your relationship with the princess, given how fiercely you defend her."
"... She's not involved with me in the way you're thinking." He kept insisting, but deep down he knew there was no point in trying to defend himself when he had already given it all away.
"Then who is she to you?"
The silence between them was stifling, and it only fueled Scarlett's growing curiosity.
"... Don't tell me... you actually have feelings for the princess?" Scarlett said with a humorless smile, her eyes glinting with a manic sort of delight.
"She means nothing to me." Varen lied dejectedly, knowing that it was what she wanted to hear. "I keep her by my side simply because I haven't gotten tired of her yet."
"...Good," Scarlett purred with satisfaction, finally pulling herself away from him as she turned to leave the room. "Keep that energy, and I just might make things easier for you."
The room went still with her departure, and instead of getting up, he simply laid there, the familiar tightness in his chest still lingering.
He didn't know it then, but one thing was certain, and that was things were about to get a whole lot worse from here on out.
=================
The ceiling spun in multiple directions as she absent-mindedly stared at it for hours on end.
Her eyes and cheeks were red from crying all night, but nothing could fill the emptiness left by what she had discovered a few hours earlier.
Nox had tried to ask her what happened, but it was only greeted by Kaari's indistinguishable whimpers, until the creature ultimately decided it was best to just keep her warm and comfortable while she cried to her heart's desire.
"Your Highness?" Nox finally greeted the princess as the first rays of the morning came to be. "We're afraid it is time for us to leave."
"A-alright." She replied, her voice carrying an unusual nasal tone, which did little to reassure the worried creature.
"Will you be alright?" It asked, nudging her legs but to no avail.
"I will be fine, Nox." She stammered through her sentence. "Don't worry about me."
"... Very well."
'I really am hopeless, aren't I?' She thought, closing her eyes with a sigh, the ache from all the crying starting to wear her down. 'What good could possibly come from these tears, anyway?'
The quiet in Kaari's room was broken now and then by her soft sniffles, but her sadness didn't last long as a knock at the door came, accompanied by the maid's voice calling out to her.
"Your Highness? Are you awake?"
"...Come in." Kaari said, pulling the covers over herself to hide her swollen eyes. She had only just stopped crying and wasn't in the mood to explain anything right now. "Is something the matter?"
"I've just received word that His Majesty would like to have tea with you, Your Highness." The maid explained, while she placed some food on a nearby table for Kaari in case she was hungry.
"...Is that so?" She murmured, the mention of Lex making the knot in her stomach tighten.
"Yes, he said he will be waiting in the royal gardens and insists you can take your time preparing-"
"Is my presence... required?"
"... Pardon?" The maid was taken aback by the unexpected response, especially since Kaari had seemed so eager to see the emperor just the night before. "W-well, I don't believe so, but His Majesty seemed rather expectant to-"
"Then please pass on my apologies and let His Majesty know I shall not be attending. It seems that I have overworked myself, and I'd rather not be a burden during such an important event."
"...Understood, Your Highness. I'll be sure to pass along the message. Is there anything else, I can do for you?"
"That would be all for now, thank you."
"Of course." The maid nodded before closely the door with a soft click, leaving Kaari on her own with her thought yet again.
'How will I ever face him again? Especially when just thinking about him makes me feel this miserable?' She wondered, feeling her eyelids growing heavier each time she blinked.
Unsurprisingly, the exhaustion from crying all night began to take its toll on Kaari, and before long, she drifted into a deep sleep, her mind still thinking of the one who had caused her this heartbreak in the first place.