33

When Knox woke up, he found himself locked in a prison. His hands and feet were tightly bound with strong chains. After struggling and receiving a few shocks, he realized he couldn’t break free. The door creaked open, and Joseph walked in, calmly pulling up a chair to sit directly in front of him. Knox glared at him with narrowed eyes, but Joseph’s expression showed no sign of hostility or acknowledgment of any past conflict.

“If we had spoken face to face earlier, none of this would’ve happened, right?” Joseph’s tone was calm as he sought a response.

Knox remained silent, his eyes flashing with anger. “I never needed to talk to you then, and I don’t need to now,” he retorted, his voice sharp.

Joseph looked at him sadly. “If you wanted to rule this planet, you could’ve told me. I wouldn’t have refused.”

Knox’s response was icy. “I don’t need your pity or your help.”

Joseph shook his head thoughtfully. “What do you think about your life?”

Knox’s cold stare didn’t waver. For a moment, Joseph grew serious, leaning forward to rest his arm on the table between them.

“There’s something more you need... You’ve always known this planet would be yours eventually,” Joseph said. Knox’s expression faltered, showing a flicker of helplessness.

“What do you want?” Knox finally asked, his voice heavy.

Joseph’s gaze didn’t leave him. He already knew the answer but wanted to hear it aloud.

“Anna,” Knox said at last, his voice firm as he stared into Joseph’s eyes. Joseph exhaled deeply and leaned back in his chair.

Meanwhile, Anna grew restless after staying in the same room for too long. To pass the time, she began exploring the house. The place had a modern design, with neatly arranged rooms and a small kitchen. It felt like a man’s house. While looking around the kitchen, she noticed a small door embedded in one of the walls. Curious, she opened it and discovered a room filled with books.

The light in the room was unusually bright, but she couldn’t see any bulbs or light fixtures. She couldn’t figure out where the light came from.

The room held books of every kind. On her way out, she grabbed a couple of them to keep herself occupied.

Back in her room, she lay on the bed, flipping through the pages of one book. The illustrations caught her attention, and she paused on a particular page. The book was ancient, written in English. She skimmed through a couple of pages before settling on a chapter to read. As she delved deeper, her face turned red with excitement.

Reaching the last page, she quickly sent a signal to Joseph, urging him to meet her as soon as possible. She believed she had uncovered the root of Knox’s problems, and solving them now seemed within reach.

Joseph, meanwhile, was seated in a secluded part of the control room where no one else could enter. He needed a moment of solitude to process what Knox had revealed.

Though he had released Knox, Joseph was confident Knox posed no threat to anyone and, most importantly, couldn’t reach Anna. It wasn’t that Joseph couldn’t defeat him—he could’ve killed him instantly if he wanted to. But Joseph was bound by the wisdom and principles passed down by the previous king, who had entrusted him with this responsibility.

As king, Joseph couldn’t harm anyone, no matter how great the provocation. Even if he ignored those principles, Joseph valued life deeply, even that of someone like Knox. However, the sacrifice being demanded of him this time was different.

Could he give up Anna?

Joseph knew he couldn’t. He was in love, and love often makes people selfish. He couldn’t imagine a life without her, and he didn’t want to let her go.

But this wasn’t just about him. Anna was a person with her own will. He couldn’t hand her over to anyone without her consent.

It wasn’t just about Anna anymore—it was also about himself. Could he live without her?

Absolutely not.

Knox would have to understand that Anna loved Joseph. Even if Knox claimed her by force, he’d never win her love.

Joseph’s mind was made up. He stood up and left the room, determined to have a blunt, honest conversation with Knox.