“We’re going to change the country. Don’t you want that?” Aki asked from beside me.

I sat next to him in the front of my apartment, drinking coffee. Or he drank coffee. I just stared at the wall.

“Of course,” I whispered.

“It doesn’t have to be hard you know. Just cooperate. Work with me instead of against me. You’re the regent. I did that for you. Not your sister. Not your father. I did it.”

“I never asked for that.”

He stared coolly at me over the rim of his cup. “No, but you wanted that, didn’t you? You’ve always wanted that.”

I blinked. How could he be so wrong about me? How had I been so wrong about him? I tried to scour my brain for any warning signs but… There were none. He had always been kind. Sweet. I had enjoyed his company because he was so low effort. All both of us had wanted was to just… Be with each other.

I had been utterly blind. Of course, no one just wanted to be with me. Despite being illegitimate, I was still royalty. I still had blue blood in my veins. My father had always said someone always wanted something from us. It was hard to find people who didn’t. Even my stepmother tried to teach me that.

She could’ve demanded I was kicked out with my mother, but she didn’t. She demanded I was raised with Al. We had the same tutors. Did the same things. Got the same treatment, basically. She had never been a mother to me, but she had never been cruel either. And she too tried to teach me that people would try to use me for their own benefit.

And I didn’t listen. I invited people into my bed with no second thought. And this is where it got me. I had only myself to thank for this.

“Quinn, you’re so ugly when you’re sad,” Aki said and cupped my cheek with the palm of his hand. “Nothing has truly changed. We’re still here, being friends. I can make things be as they were before if you would just let me.”

Tears spilled out of my eyes and ran down to my ears. “Can you resurrect my sister?”

He clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes. “As if that would even matter to you.”

“I miss her,” I whispered.

Aki rose to his feet. “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.” He straightened his jacket a bit, and I stayed where I was. I just wanted him to leave already. I hated how he occupied space in my apartment. I hated him.

He slammed the door to my chambers behind him, and I stared back at the wall again.

I didn’t even understand why he still came to me. He didn’t have to pretend to like me anymore. He had me where he wanted me. I was afraid of him and what his men would do to me if I didn’t do as they said.

He didn’t have to come here.