Princess, Please Fall in Love with Me

Chapter 1: The Withered Rose Blooms Anew

"At last, Your Majesty, your throne will soon belong to me."

Loka leisurely wiped the blood-stained dagger in his hand.

Beneath him lay a pile of corpses of nobles and ministers, and before him was the old emperor, clutching his chest, barely clinging to life.

All alone, I had slaughtered my way through this hollow palace.

Soon, my followers would incite a massive rebel army to storm the city.

With a single command, this vast empire would be overturned in an instant.

"Duke Loka, you already stand above ten thousand others. Why spare not even me?"

Loka coldly glanced at the badge on his chest, symbolizing the authority of the duke house.

This was inherited from my dear father—that man who saw me as a bastard, who coldly watched as I was abused, humiliated, and tormented, that lofty duke.

But when he reluctantly passed the duke title to me, his only heir, this dagger was destined to be sharpened with the blood of his heart.

"Sorry, Your Majesty, but you and that man are the same kind. As someone despised and loathed by you all, I naturally won’t leave any threats behind…"

Loka casually kicked aside the corpse of a minister blocking his path.

Just two days ago, this fool was still endlessly ranting against me, a bastard, inheriting the duke title.

Hmph, because of an accident, I wasn’t allowed to exist in this world?

Then let me overturn this foolish world—my justice is absolute justice!

Loka toyed with the dagger, one hand gripping the emperor’s heavy, ugly royal cloak.

His laughter grew increasingly manic as he aimed the dagger at the emperor’s heart.

With a thud, a heart was pierced.

Loka’s eyes widened in disbelief—it was his heart!

A silver sword, stained with blood, had appeared silently from behind.

The cloaked figure behind him shed their gray disguise, revealing a girl with flowing golden hair.

Her amethyst eyes were as cold as the northern ice, indifferent and merciless.

In the dead silence of the palace, this icy beauty seemed even more enigmatic.

"Your Highness Yiwen, the rebel leader has been executed on the spot, and the rebels outside the city have been subdued!"

"The army has successfully taken control of the capital in your name, and the palace is now surrounded by our forces!"

Reports of victory echoed through the palace from all directions, but the girl’s face remained as calm as a still lake, merely gazing coldly at Loka’s pierced body.

"So it was you. Even I was deceived, haha, Yiwen Kelake!"

Feeling the blood draining from his body, Loka clutched his face and laughed hysterically.

I never imagined that, despite all my calculations, I overlooked this insignificant variable—Yiwen Kelake, the only unresolved sixth princess!

The sixth princess, forgotten by the entire palace and the nation.

Her mother was a mysterious dancer who died early, her name not even recorded in the royal annals—a bastard daughter.

She only began to show her prominence after the royal heirs were nearly wiped out.

I had planned to use her as a puppet, but who would have thought…

Feeling his life nearly completely drained, Loka collapsed against the wall.

His gaze lingered on the emperor, who crawled toward the young princess like she was his lifeline.

"You are… Yilai, no, Yiwen! Quick, my good daughter, save me!"

Before he could feel any excitement, the emperor’s ecstatic smile rolled down the steps along with his head.

Yiwen looked at the severed corpse without attachment, silently wiping her silver sword.

Seeing the flash of coldness in her eyes, Loka understood everything.

His body could no longer make a sound, only his soul whispered in its final moments.

"Yiwen Kelake, we are the same kind of people. But this time, you were more ruthless, more unscrupulous… We were destined to understand only each other."

A soul’s voice could not be heard by all.

Yiwen merely glanced at his corpse, then turned and sat on the blood-stained, icy throne.

The sound of knights rushing in and pledging their oaths was the final scene for Loka’s soul.

"To the supreme Empress, we offer our loyalty! We offer our lives!"

A deep, endless darkness stretched on in silence until a noisy voice abruptly woke him.

"Hey, you filthy thing, what are you spacing out for?"

A spoiled rich young master glared disdainfully at the dazed girl, then ruthlessly kicked her in the stomach.

A long whip followed, slashing a deep gash across her cheek.

Where am I? Didn’t I die? The pain on my face, and this person—Balesha! How is he still alive, and still like this?

Loka looked down at his body: arms covered in glaring scars, tattered clothes patched and filthy, the arrogant rich young master before him, and this all-too-real pain…

I’m back.

I’ve actually been reborn, back to my childhood!

But I remember my hands weren’t this delicate, and my voice shouldn’t be this soft…

"Hehehe, hahaha… hahahaha!"

Seeing the girl, who had been cowering moments ago, suddenly laughing like a maniac, Balesha began to feel a twinge of fear.

Balesha swung his whip at her in disgust, but in the next second, she caught it with her bare hand.

"I’ve wanted to do this for a long time."

Loka yanked the whip hard, pulling it back with her bloodied hand.

Despite the difference in size, Balesha stumbled forward, caught off balance.

Then came a fist, smashing hard into Balesha’s face.

The pampered young master clutched his nose in pain, glaring furiously at the girl who seemed like a completely different person.

"You crazy girl, you dare lay a hand on me! I-I’ll tell Father and have you thrown out!"

But in the next second, Loka grabbed his left hand, smiled, and snapped one of his fingers.

A scream followed.

Loka knew her current status was lower than a dog’s, and she couldn’t just attack this spoiled, wealthy young master.

But having lived through over a decade of slaughter, she knew exactly how to inflict the cruelest pain with just a single finger.

"Go ahead, tell me—as long as you don’t kill me, the next time, it won’t just be one finger you lose…"

As she spoke, Loka gently snapped another of Balesha’s fingers.

His expression shifted from disbelief to fear, terror, and dread of death, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Monster…"

The two screams had already drawn hurried footsteps.

Loka smiled at the pale-faced Balesha, then gently released his hand.

"Balesha, my child, what did this wretched thing do to you!"

A gorgeously dressed woman rushed over, then viciously kicked Loka to the ground.