The knights and all the men surrounding her looked ready to explode, but not one of them dared step forward.
Aira's lips wobbled.
"W-wait! I don't belong to anyone—"
Before she could even finish, the Emperor just… scooped her up. Like she was a bag of rice from the market.
"Silence," he said, his voice hot against her ear. "If you want to live, stay by my side. Only I can protect you from them."
Aira blinked up at him in disbelief.
Protect her? Or kidnap her? Because right now, this looked a lot more like a kidnapping.
The hall behind them erupted again, men glaring at the Emperor like they wanted to attack, some of them literally crying like kids who had just lost their favorite toy.
But no one dared make a move. Not against him.
As the Emperor carried her out, Aira's stomach dropped.
Great...
She was in a world full of men who hadn't seen a woman in centuries… and she had landed in the arms of the most dangerous one of them all.
And if she wasn't mistaken, wasn't this exactly like the harem manhwa she'd been reading? Which meant—oh no. Oh no no no.
If she remembered right, the man holding her right now was the obsessive male lead who wanted to own the heroine completely.
The worst of them all. The danger level around him? MAXIMUM.
Damn it! The female lead in the story—what did she do at this part again?!
Aira tried to remember, but her brain had instantly turned into mashed potatoes.
She didn't even notice when the scenery shifted around her, the air shimmering like magic.
One second she was in one grand hall, and the next she was in another entirely. Did she just… witness magic?
The door slammed shut behind them, making her flinch.
Her heartbeat was going wild. She pushed against his chestplate, but wow—this guy was basically a walking fortress.
"P-put me down! I don't belong to you!
The Emperor said nothing, just kept walking, his boots clicking like doom against the marble floor.
Soldiers lined the halls, kneeling. They didn't dare raise their heads, but Aira felt their eyes burning holes into her. Creepy much?!
Finally, they reached giant golden doors. The guards opened them, and inside was a massive room glowing with golden light.
Silk curtains draped the walls, the floor gleamed like a mirror, and the bed in the center looked big enough to hold a whole basketball team.
Aira stared. '...This looks like trouble.'
"This is my chamber. From now on, it is yours as well." the Emperor said calmly.
Her blood went cold. Yup. Definitely trouble.
He set her down, but didn't actually let go. His hand clamped on her wrist like she was a runaway puppy.
"I said I don't belong to you!" Aira snapped, jerking her arm. "Send me back! Back to my world!"
The Emperor's golden eyes narrowed. "World?" He said it like the word was foreign. His lips curved, not kindly, but in a way that made her stomach twist.
"You speak as if you come from beyond ours."
Aira froze. Crap. She hadn't meant to say that out loud.
He studied her like she was some rare animal in a cage. Then he leaned closer.
Aira went stiff. Oh no. Oh no no no—why was he so close?!
That faint fragrance, her fragrance spread again in the room.
She saw it hit him instantly. His jaw tightened, his breath hitched, and his eyes darkened like he was about to bite her.
"You…" His voice dropped low. "Do you know what you're doing to me?"
"Uh, no?!" Aira shook her head so hard she was surprised it didn't fly off. "I don't even know what's happening! Just let me go already!"
The Emperor slammed his hand against the wall beside her head, caging her in. Aira jumped, her knees almost giving out.
Holy crap. She'd read scenes like this in her harem manhwa, but actually living through it?
Ten times scarier! It wasn't even hot and swoon-worthy like she had imagined when reading scenes like this—it was terrifying!
"Every man in this palace, every man in this kingdom—will lose themselves to you," he growled. "Even I…" His voice cracked for a moment before he forced himself to pull back. "…Even I am not immune."
Immune? Aira's brain screeched.
What was she, a virus?!
Her lips trembled. Then he leaned in again, close enough to sniff her.
Aira recoiled instantly, clutching at her clothes. "E-excuse me?! Are you a dog?!"
The Emperor's brow twitched, his jaw clenching like he was barely holding himself together.
"Tch. You're weird."
Now she was the weird one?!
"You don't realize it, but your scent alone is dangerous. You will make everyone go mad just by existing. That is why you must stay here."
What was he even saying?
So basically… she was like a walking perfume that turned men insane.
Wow. Great. Exactly what she didn't want in her life. She just wanted to live a happy-go-lucky life, secretly squealing over harem manhwa where the female lead got fought over. But not this. Not actually living through it!
Did she commit some sin by reading those stories? Or was there some weird system that dragged her here to complete strange tasks like in those manhwas and novels?!
What should she do now to escape? Because this wasn't funny anymore!
The Emperor finally tore himself away and barked an order. Two guards rushed in.
"Until I find a way to contain this power of hers, no man is to approach her without my permission. Kill anyone who dares disobey."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" they chorused before retreating.
The Emperor turned back to her, his expression serious. "You will stay here. You will not leave unless I allow it. Do you understand?"
Aira swallowed. A gilded cage was still a cage.
"I'm not your prisoner.." she whispered, though her voice wobbled.
"Prisoner? No." His gaze softened, just a little. "You are far too rare… too precious. You are my treasure."
Treasure? Aira wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Treasure sounded nice, until you remembered treasures were usually locked in vaults and never saw the sun again.
And just like that, he turned and left, leaving her in a golden prison with a bed that looked way too suspicious.
Aira flopped down on the edge of it, clutching her hair.
"What the hell kind of manhwa did I fall into?!"