The man lowered his gaze in contemplation, his expression unreadable.

After a moment, he leaned back and met her gaze with a steady look.

"Why do you think?" he asked calmly, his tone neutral, giving nothing away.

She found herself unable to decipher the Emperor's inscrutable gaze.

Tilting her head slightly, she calmly unfurled her previously folded sleeves as she spoke, "If I have to make a guess, I'd say I'm someone who's not supposed to be here."

She meticulously and continuously straightened the sleeves of her shirt. The sleeves, extending past her palms in their full length, defied the regulations enforced within the school walls, necessitating their perpetual folding whenever on campus.

She had always maintained the habit of covering her hands, a preference that remained steadfast and unchanged over time.

With the Emperor maintaining his silence, she resumed speaking, "I assume that, being one of the rulers, you were informed about the arrival of someone from a different world, prompting you to take an interest in this matter?"

"That's a valid assumption as well. However, rulers don't typically take notice of individuals arriving here from various worlds," he replied.

She adjusted her posture, directing her gaze squarely at him.

"I believe, Your Imperial Majesty has much more pressing matters to attend to rather than to await my conjectures, and I lack the necessary information to make accurate guesses." She reiterated her point bluntly, prompting an unreadable smile from Theodore.

He stood up, gracefully crossing the room to reach the expansive floor-to-ceiling window. With a poised demeanor, he began to speak,"To put it plainly, you're special."

She remained silent to his vague words and waited for him to continue.

"When an individual is born or passes away within the three royalties, a distinctive surge or decline in power can be sensed by the other royals. This sensation is distinct for each of the three royalties," Theodore clarified.

A moment of contemplative silence followed as Theodore's tranquil gaze drifted beyond the window, lost in reflection.

"Today, every member of each royalty sensed the power surge originating from the Golden Royalty," Theodore revealed.

She lifted her cup to her lips with serene composure, her attention fully engaged in his words.

'I hope it doesn't has anything to do with m—'

"It belonged to you," he interjected, his gaze shifting back to her.

Her actions came to a halt, and she blinked her eyes twice, a subtle frown forming on her face. Before she could voice her thoughts, the Emperor resumed speaking.

"It's still radiating from you, the power of the Golden Royalty."

She set the cup down gently on the table before addressing him.

"Your Majesty mentioned that this sensation occurs within royals, yet I'm not even from this world."

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"That is true," he acknowledged simply and offered no further explanation, allowing a weighty silence to fill the room.

She cast her gaze beyond the window, where the serene, warm blue sky stretched endlessly, relishing in the tranquility of the moment.

As she savored the peaceful scene, her mind wandered, imagining the sheer delight of spending an entire day lost in the beauty of the picturesque scenery, unburdened by the complexities and enigmatic events that had abruptly engulfed her life.

Theodore stole a glance at the girl, who remained serenely captivated by the scenery outside.

It was impressive. Despite the whirlwind of events and revelations, she remarkably retained an astonishing composure, almost unnaturally so.

He turned, leaning his back against the glass, his gaze fixed on the girl.

"Do you wish to return?" he inquired, capturing her attention instantly with his question.

"Your majesty can send me back?"

She asked without taking a second, yet her demeanor did not betray any eagerness to return.

"I can, yes. But it's a very long process."

She wondered if he had ever done that before but she refrained from asking. After all, that was none of her business.

"I don't think it's favorable for me to go back," she admitted quietly.

The situation back there was bloody.

Literally bloody.

But she wasn't sure if the situation here would be any less so.

She wasn't sure why she was having a conversation with the Emperor and what his intentions were.

'I am a person with power that only exists in his family.'

The thought made her narrow her eyes.

"Your Majesty, if I said I wanted to go back..would you send me back?"

Her attention remained fixed on him as he raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, a subtle smile forming on his lips as he replied, "No."

'Doubted so.'

She had a feeling that the Emperor had different intention than helping her go back.

Why would he, the Emperor, extend his aid to a stranger like her?

"Why did you really bring me here for, Your Majesty?" she pressed, her voice steady, a flicker of suspicion dancing in her eyes as she considered the Emperor's true intentions.

"You possess a power of formidable strength and destructiveness, young lady, and it belongs to the Golden Royalty."

"I wield a power that is exclusive to Your Majesty's family, so I cannot be left unobserved."

The Emperor nodded.

"I am, I believe, essentially an inconvenience to Your Majesty," she stated with composure. "So, how do you intend to handle someone possessing something she shouldn't?"

The Emperor's expression remained inscrutable as he posed his question. "What do you think will happen to you?"

"Isn't it a reasonable course of action to get rid of me?" she countered bluntly.

"Are you implying that I should dispose of you, young lady?" The Emperor's lips curved into a faint smile, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Such a suggestion doesn't seem to be in your best interest."

"I don't mean 'getting rid' in the sense of 'killing', Your Majesty. You can send me back to where I came from?"

"I can't send you back."

"You said you could, even though the process is long."

"I can, but I won't, young lady," the Emperor declared, his voice firm yet tinged with a hint of finality.

The Emperor leaned casually against the glass wall, arms crossed, as he closed his eyes and lapsed into silence.

"Are you implying that you're disposing of me in the 'killing' sense then, Your Majesty?" she asked sarcastically, her annoyance bubbling beneath the surface as the conversation appeared to lead nowhere.

"Do you think I'll kill you?" the Emperor asked seriously.

"No," she answered candidly.

The Emperor's blood-red eyes opened, fixing wholly on her. Despite his placid and composed demeanor, his piercing gaze exuded an air of ruthlessness and dominance.

"Trust in a stranger, young lady?"

"I don't trust you, at all, Your Majesty."

Trust.

A concept that had proven elusive for her to extend to anyone.

Her blunt words, devoid of hesitation, elicited a vague smile on the Emperor's face.

"That's good. Never bestow your trust upon others too readily, young lady. It only leads to misfortune," he remarked, a gentle smile playing on his lips, yet a subtle expression she couldn't quite decipher lingered in his features.

The Emperor straightened his posture as he made his way over to the sofa opposite her, taking a seat.

He gave a confident smile as he spoke, "You can exist without being an inconvenience to us."

"...By me serving Your Majesty."

Her response deepened the Emperor's smile even further.

"Correct. By serving the Golden Royalty."

"...Are you offering me to work for you?"

"Yes."

Oh, how she would love to ask back, 'Why should I?' or 'What benefit does it bring me?' but she couldn't. Unfortunately not.

The Emperor's offer came at the expense of her very life.

"The power you possess is undoubtedly formidable, yet for one newly acquainted with it, it poses equal peril," the Emperor elucidated.

With a chilling gaze fixed upon her, the Emperor continued, "Untamed and untrained, your power could easily become the harbinger of your own demise."

She didn't know how she was supposed to respond.

Did she even have any other choice other than agreeing to the Emperor?

No. There was none.

Internally sighing, she collected her thoughts before speaking.

"How do you propose I serve you while wielding this power?"

The Emperor nodded once as he commanded, "Let us commence with a simple test. Close your eyes and focus on the image of fire consuming the vase that's on the table."

"..Pardon?"

"Focus all your concentration on igniting a flame," he instructed.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and her mouth opened, only to close again as she hesitantly shut her eyes.

Inhaling deeply, she focused her mind on conjuring the vivid image of a relentless inferno.

"Now, keep your composure, open your eyes, and fixate your gaze upon the object you intend to ignite," the Emperor advised.

In compliance with the Emperor's instructions, she did as she was directed.

'Is that all—'

Suddenly, with a menacing roar, a unique shade of blue flames, mirroring the very color of her eyes, engulfed the intended object.

Her eyes widened in awe at the extraordinary yet ominous flames. However, a realization quickly dawned upon her.

"My apologies." She rose abruptly, startled.

It wasn't just the flower vase; the entire lavish table was ablaze alongside it.