Emilia's body trembled, but she didn't obey him, which made Lucas even more furious.
"I don't want to see you," he yelled again, but Emilia only moved backwards, creating a distance between them.
"Since you are so furious and don't want to see me," she said, her voice trembling with restrained anger.
"Then let me leave the Dragon Palace altogether and return to my own quarters."
"In your dreams," Lucas snapped, inching towards her.
Emilia's fingers dug into her skirts, and she stared at him in disbelief, seething.
"Why?"
"You have countless women at your disposal to warm your bed."
"There is no reason to keep me here," Emilia voiced angrily.
Lucas's face clouded with fury. The words struck a nerve, and then he remembered Catherine's words when she recounted the incident to him earlier.
Catherine kept emphasizing the fact that Emilia was envious of his visit to her chambers in recent days and that might have driven Emilia to frame her.
Lucas clearly doesn't believe her claim, but something in him couldn't help but want to believe that she was really jealous and hearing her speak about it made him even more curious.
"Are you jealous?" he asked, his voice cold.
Emilia blinked, taken aback and her expression twisted in disgust.
"Jealous?" she scoffed.
"How can I be jealous that you visit your other wives?"
"I just don't want to suffer any more humiliation," she said.
"If you are angry with me, then punish me however you want, but I do not want to live in your side chambers like a prisoner."
Lucas's fury snapped, and he shoved the table aside with a violent crash, scaring Emilia.
The sound of it dragging across the floor was sharp and jarring.
"You don't get to dictate how I punish you?" he growled and closed the distance in two strides, seizing her left hand and forcing her back against a pillar. His grip was unyielding, and his eyes locked into hers with dangerous heat.
"If I say this is your punishment, then it is so."
Emilia struggled, her chest heaving, and her eyes aflame with defiance.
"Let go of me!" she cried, twisting her hand to get free.
But his hold only tightened, trapping her between the cold pillar and the burning storm in his gaze.
His hand suddenly grabbed her waist, and Emilia's breath hitched as he pulled her against his body.
"Lucas…" Emilia called flushed, but her voice faltered. She places her palms on his chest, trying to push him back, but his strength overwhelmed her.
Lucas pinned her closer, breathing heavily, then he stopped for a second.
"If you truly feel humiliated, then…" he began, but he let his words hang in the air.
Lucas's hand lifted slowly to her face, his fingers tracing the curve of her jaw as his thumb brushed the corner of her mouth with unnerving gentleness.
Emilia's body freezes at his touch.
The fury that burned from his eyes a second ago morphed into something far more dangerous.
"Don't…" Emilia mumbled, shaking her head slightly to disapprove.
"I would accept any punishment," she whispered, her voice trembling now,
"Anything but this."
Lucas's lips hovered close, and his gaze softened, just slightly.
"You don't get to choose," he mumbled, and then he kissed her.
Deep and full of force. She tasted like rain and recklessness, her lips soft against his.
Emilia stiffened, her breath cut in her throat. She wants to shove him away, but her body betrays her.
Her hands pressed against his chest but didn't push him away.
The kiss deepened, her mouth full of him. Lucas's hand cradled the back of her neck as their breath tangled, cupping her into submission.
Then the door swung open and Thomas walked in.
"Your Majesty, I have sent…" his voice faltered, and he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened as he instantly turned his back.
Lucas broke the kiss and turned slightly, stopping Thomas.
"Stay."
Thomas bowed, keeping his face averted.
Lucas released Emilia slowly and called out toward the hall,
"Nathan."
"Yes, your Majesty," he responded from outside and stepped inside immediately.
"Prepare the Queen for bed," Lucas ordered without looking at Emilia.
"I would spend the night with her."
Emilia's face burned with lingering sensation, and then she shivered at his order.
She straightened her dress and went out of the room, unable to protest.
Thomas shifted uncomfortably, still facing away.
Lucas returned to his chair, brushed a hand over his mouth as if nothing had happened.
"Go ahead," he said, sitting again with an air of cold command.
Thomas nodded.
"I found out who tried to harm the Queen." He began, steadying his voice.
"It's a servant named Cole. He used to serve Consort Eleanor, then served Queen Helen for a while before she died and now, he is back at Consort Eleanor's palace.
Lucas's brow lifted subtly.
Helen was his first Queen, and he remembered clearly that she was sent to the cold palace because she was caught having an affair with a servant in her quarters.
When the case was reported to him, Lucas let Georgina handle it because he was busy.
She was to be stripped of her title and expelled publicly, but he changed the decision and asked that she be thrown into the abandoned palace for life.
Shortly after, she died from a terrible sickness.
Lucas realizes now that he never learned the identity of the man she committed the affair with back then.
With his jaw clenched, Lucas gave Thomas an order.
"I want every detail on this Cole. When did he enter the palace and at what time did he return to Eleanor's quarters? What he did. Everything."
"I have already sent someone to dig more into it, your Majesty" Thomas informed him.
"Also," Lucas paused, giving it a thought one more time.
"Inform Robert that, from now on, he would serve at the Queen's side and ensure her safety," he instructed.
Thomas's eyes froze at his order, not moving, and he pursed his lips, hesitating.
Lucas narrowed his eyes impatiently.
"What is it?"
Thomas exhaled slowly.
"About Robert serving the Queen… are you sure?" he queried and Lucas furrowed.
"Why?" he asked.
Thomas scratched his neck, not able to find the right word to describe his argument.
Although he knows Lucas is anxious to protect Emilia and her sister because of his promise to Markham, he has also seen him in the last few days after he saw Robert being close to Emilia.
"She is comfortable with him," Lucas muttered, his hand resting on his palm.
"It doesn't feel right to have someone she is so comfortable with by her side always," Thomas answered, hoping he gets his meaning.
But Lucas simply leaned back, his expression calm still.
"Why don't I let you take up the task then and follow the Queen?" he suggests.
Thomas waves his hands in disapproval instantly, giving a strong shake of his head.
"No. It's better Robert do it."
Lucas waves him off.
"That's enough. You may leave."
Thomas bowed and exited quietly, shrugging.
Alone again, Lucas leaned forward, his elbowed on the table. His gaze drifts toward the empty closed door and places a hand over his chest.
His heart is still racing.
And for the first time in a long while… it's not from anger or fear.