ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 190: The Emperor

The Emperor stared at him for a long moment.

Once, the Kosler family had been one of the Empire’s pillars the largest financial contributor to the border wars, the primary supplier of winter logistics, a house with vast trade networks. They were not minor nobles easily replaced.

That was precisely what made this situation so destabilizing.

"Protection?" the Emperor repeated softly.

The Marquess nodded quickly. "This is slander. A political attack. Duke Morvex he is the one behind this. He is furious, and now he seeks to destroy us!"

The Emperor did not respond immediately.

He walked slowly back to his desk, picked up one file, and threw it onto the floor in front of the Marquess.

"Is this slander as well?" he asked sharply.

The Marquess lowered his gaze to the document a list of slave transactions disguised as ’contract labor.’

The color drained from his face.

The Emperor picked up another document.

"Embezzlement of imperial funds."

Then another.

"Bribery of port officials."

His voice grew colder with each word.

"You ask for my protection... from crimes committed against the Empire I rule?"

The Marquess trembled. "Your Majesty, our family has contributed greatly for decades! Without us—"

"Contribution does not erase crime," the Emperor cut him off.

The chamber fell silent.

"And do not misunderstand," he continued, his voice now low but firm. "If Duke Morvex truly initiated this, then he did not act without cause. Evidence like this does not appear overnight."

The Marquess clenched his fists. "We can fix this. We can repay it. We can—"

"You are too late," the Emperor said.

He looked directly at the Marquess, and for the first time in his life, the older man truly saw a ruler of the future not merely a crown prince.

"A formal investigation will begin today. All Kosler family assets will be frozen temporarily. And if even half of this is true..."

He paused.

"...then it will not only be your reputation that is destroyed. Your name will be erased from history as an honorable house."

The Marquess fell silent, his body suddenly weak.

Outside the palace, the news spread like wildfire. Other nobles began distancing themselves. Trade partners terminated contracts. Those who once stood behind the Kosler name now pretended they had never known it.

The family that had once been among the Empire’s greatest contributors.

had now become its greatest example of betrayal.

And far away at Morvex Castle, Demian stood upon a high balcony, gazing over his territory without expression.

He did not smile.

He did not look satisfied.

For him, this was not about politics. It was about one simple thing, Anyone who stood between him and Valerie would be destroyed down to the very roots.

The news spread faster than wildfire in the dry season.

The name Kosler once praised for its generous grain contributions and wartime logistics was now shouted in marketplaces as a symbol of greed.

In the capital, citizens gathered before the palace gates.

"Demand justice!""Punish the traitors!""Drive out the corrupt nobles!"

Inside the grand hall, the Emperor stood before his ministers. Reports continued to pour in without pause. Public pressure could no longer be ignored.

"The people are demanding decisive action, Your Majesty," the Prime Minister said gravely.

The Emperor looked out through the palace’s tall windows. A sea of people filled the courtyard below.

"The Empire does not stand upon one family," he finally said. "If the law is not enforced because of contribution, then the law itself has no meaning."

The decision was announced formally: full asset seizure, detention of involved officials, and an open trial for the Kosler family.

Their name collapsed before the public.

But political ruin was not the end.

Because at Morvex Castle, personal destruction awaited.

That night, rain poured heavily.

In a study lit only by the fireplace, Demian stood with his back to the door.

He already knew who had arrived even before the guard announced him.

Marquess Kosler.

The man entered without the pride of nobility he once carried. His cloak was soaked with rain. His hair disheveled. His face pale.

As soon as the door closed, he dropped to his knees.

Truly knelt.

His forehead touched the stone floor.

"Duke Morvex... I was wrong. I admit my mistake. I underestimated you. I underestimated your anger."

Demian did not move.

Only the fire cast long shadows of his figure upon the wall.

"I will do anything," the Marquess continued, his voice breaking. "Withdraw the report. Stop the investigation. I will surrender assets. I will swear loyalty before the Emperor. Anything."

Silence.

Only the sound of rain against the windows.

At last, Demian turned around.

His gaze was empty. Cold. There was no explosive rage only certainty.

"You said anything?" he asked quietly.

The Marquess nodded quickly. "Anything."

Demian stepped closer. His pace was slow, yet each footstep sounded like a verdict.

"Remove your daughter."

The room seemed to freeze.

The Marquess looked up, the color draining from his face.

"W-what?"

"Kill Ivanka," Demian repeated without changing his tone. "Erase her name. Publicly sever your blood ties with her. Let her become the scapegoat for all your crimes." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The Marquess trembled violently.

Demian held his gaze without blinking.

"And you," he continued calmly, "will retain a portion of your legacy. I will ensure your punishment does not wipe out your entire bloodline."

It was not an offer.

It was a test.

The Marquess remained silent for a long moment. His breathing grew ragged. His eyes blinked rapidly, as if trying to convince himself he had misheard.

"Ivanka is my daughter..." his voice was barely audible.

Demian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"And Valerie is my world."

For the first time, something stirred behind his cold gaze not softness, not sorrow.

Obsession.

"You sacrificed many people for your ambition," Demian continued. "Now I want to see... whether you dare sacrifice your own flesh and blood."

The Marquess lowered his head again.

His body shook violently.

Outside, lightning struck.

Inside that room, what was being tested was no longer politics but the final boundary of a father.

Demian turned back toward the fireplace.

"You have until dawn," he said calmly. "If Ivanka is still alive after sunrise... then nothing of Kosler will remain."