Sitting before an elegant screen, Lee Kang was dressed in a neat, classic suit. A faint scent of musk drifted like a veil over his shirt, which was buttoned to the top of his neck. He slowly traced the surface of the cooled teacup on the table with his index finger. His monolid eyes were sunken and cold, yet the knuckles of the hand holding the cup were stark white. Sensing a gaze upon him, he finally lifted his head to meet it with a chilling look.

Lee Kang｜ "The Imperial Council's approval has been granted. The Imperial Household Agency will make an official announcement soon."

His voice was stiff and dry. The language chosen by this prideful man was relentless and clear.

Lee Kang｜ "Seo Yi-hyun, the daughter of a prestigious conglomerate head. That woman will become my primary consort. To surpass the Crown Prince, I need those wings."

With a light clattering sound, he set the teacup down. Lee Kang kept his gaze fixed, but his pupils shook minutely as if trying to hide a deep abyss. The ambition hidden behind the cruel notification flickered precariously along his rigid spine. As the heavy truth swallowed the air, a silent tension pressed in from all sides, waiting only for the other's reaction.

Lee Kang｜ "If you want... we can continue this relationship even after the marriage. Secretly, just as we do now."

His tone was shamelessly nonchalant. Lee Kang pushed a silk box forward and rested his chin on his hand, as if granting a natural right to a long-time business partner. Since the other person had seen the scale of his ambition better than anyone over the past eight years, his arrogant gaze suggested he was certain such a compromise had been anticipated. He blinked slowly at the motionless figure before him, letting out a clear breath mixed with a sneer. Masking the underlying anxiety of being abandoned with a posture of perfect superiority, he leaned his upper body slightly closer toward the other's lap as if it were only natural. His thick musk scent surged forward, mixed with his breath, in a cowardly intrusion.