The collar of my dress made my body shiver, but I had no choice but to endure the situation. The woman treated me as if I were a gift, one that if presented correctly to the Emperor, would earn her a great reward.

"Try not to speak. Whatever he says, you must accept. And remember, you are just an ordinary angel whom the Emperor has shown mercy to."

I nodded in agreement. We stood in front of a large door made of divine wood. There was no handle on the door. The servant knocked on the door and began to speak softly.

"Your Highness, I have brought your guest."

There was no response from the woman. I could imagine what kind of face was behind that door. That man never responded to anyone, perhaps rarely spoke, just like the first time I saw him. He remained silent again. Suddenly, after a long pause, the door opened by itself. The light was so intense that I couldn't see anything for a few moments.

"You may enter."

"Yes, Your Highness."

I could only hear the voices of those two. The woman gently pushed me forward. I took a step forward. When my eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight, I was once again faced with that emotionless and ruthless face.

"Come inside."

I took a few more steps forward. At that moment, the large door began to close. The man moved towards the chair in front of his desk and removed the glasses he used for reading from his eyes.

"Your name?"

"Jesa."

"Jesa? Just Jesa?"

"Uh, I don't know my family name."

"Do you have a family?"

I hesitated to answer that question. Who would want to say that their family was a bunch of cruel and disgusting demons who only cared about themselves?

"Other than my mother, I have no one. My father left us a long time ago."

"Where is your mother?"

"She's dead."

...

I could guess why he was staring at me with those jewel-like red eyes. It was true. How could a child answer such a question with a normal face and not even pause to say it? On the other hand, everyone knew that when they saw that man, they had to lower their heads because those red eyes were always watching them. This was one reason why everyone feared his gaze, as if a snake was coiled around their neck, suffocating them.