Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP Chapter 319 : The Empire is Done For [3]

A flicker of remorse touched Jax as he surveyed Isadora's bruised countenance. Yet, the thought that the world operated on unfair principles, and that this woman, alongside two emperors, needed a harsh lesson, quickly quelled his guilt.

He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice imbued with a warmth capable of melting the iciest winter. "I understand this is difficult. But please, you must try to calm down."

From the terrifying visions of the future Jax had conjured with his fabricated tale, Isadora's eyes had already begun to well with tears. And his story had only just begun.

Her voice trembled, breaking with nearly every syllable. "How... how can you ask me to be calm? You're sitting here, telling me I must spend the remainder of my life with a man who isn't even... who isn't a man at all?"

Her voice cracked further. "How can I possibly coexist with someone who is aroused merely by the touch of his male best friend? I apologize for speaking ill of your dearest companion, but my life feels utterly ruined at this moment."

She roughly swiped at her face with the back of her hand. "I am not like those other women who seek after riches or a claim to the throne. Such things never mattered to me. All I desired was a life worth experiencing. A husband who would genuinely love me. Children whose smiles could erase every one of my anxieties."

Her lip quivered. "I simply yearned for a home built on authentic memories. Not a frigid palace constructed upon falsehoods."

She succumbed entirely to her grief, her hands covering her tear-streaked face as her shoulders shook with uncontrollable sobs.

Jax laid his hand softly on her lap, his soothing strokes only intensifying her weeping. "I recognize your pure spirit, Isadora. And it genuinely pains me that you are being offered as a sacrifice simply to preserve Damian's pride."

She looked up at him, her lashes still wet, as if silently imploring him to elaborate on his meaning.

Jax released a sigh so profound, it felt as though each subsequent word was being wrenched from him against his will.

"That imbecile is the root cause of all this. It began during a council meeting several months ago. Certain senior members were engaging in malicious gossip about Damian behind his back. They were sharing outlandish tales, disseminating inflammatory rumors that had permeated every crevice of the palace."

He massaged his temples, as if the recollection inflicted physical pain. "I merely observed, watching Damian's expression as those council members fabricated accusations while openly backbiting in a secluded corner. They accused him of orchestrating the assassination of my girlfriend – my Yuline."

His jaw clenched. "They asserted that Damian had always harbored animosity towards her, that she was drawing me away from him, and that he uttered curses whenever he witnessed us together."

He slowly shook his head. "But their slander did not end there. They began questioning why the Emperor had never shown the slightest interest in any woman. They claimed the reason he remained uninterested in choosing a bride was because he harbored no desire for women at all. They openly accused him of indulging in forbidden desires – desires that conventional society, and perhaps even I, would find utterly reprehensible."

Jax leaned forward, his voice thick with feigned sorrow. "I witnessed my best friend utterly break down that day. Following that meeting, he disappeared. I didn't see him for an entire week – an event entirely unprecedented for Damian. I knew something was gravely amiss."

He paused. "And then, one morning, he simply appeared at my doorstep and declared that he had reached a decision. That he intended to marry you."

He gazed at Isadora, his eyes swimming with manufactured guilt. "Initially, I was delighted. But then I understood; he wasn't marrying out of love. He was marrying to quash the rumors, to create a diversion."

He swallowed hard. "And you, Isadora... you were the veil he chose to conceal himself behind."

Isadora was utterly devastated. Every dream she had harbored about this impending marriage crumbled within her mind, floor by collapsing floor. Jax himself marveled at how seamlessly she connected non-existent dots. For a fleeting moment, he genuinely questioned if this fabricated narrative was, in fact, the truth, and he had merely stumbled upon it.

She spoke, her voice devoid of any remaining emotion. "What am I to do? I cannot live like this."

Jax moved closer, his face mere inches from hers, so near their breaths mingled in the rapidly diminishing space. He raised both hands, gently cupping her face. His thumbs tenderly wiped away the tears beneath her eyes with a softness that caused her chest to ache more profoundly than any physical wound.

He spoke across the small divide. "To be entirely candid, Isadora, I should have ended your life the moment you considered standing by my best friend's side as a form of punishment. At the very least, I would have compelled you to recite your vows at swordpoint."

His thumbs continued to caress her tear-streaked cheeks. "But I simply cannot. You bear such a striking resemblance to her, my Yuline. Your features are identical, your voice possesses the same soothing melody, your hair shares that silken silver hue, and your eyes, those gentle eyes, once gazed upon me as if I were the only soul in existence."

His voice softened, becoming a nearly inaudible whisper. "Upon first sight, I believed the universe itself was mending its most grievous error, returning her to me. Yet, the stark realization dawned that you were promised to my dearest friend. This truth alone has been the dam holding back my own selfish desires, for Damian's well-being eclipses my personal happiness."

Isadora's tears now fell directly onto his thumbs as she whispered, "Your Majesty, what course of action should I take? Pray tell, for I am utterly lost."

Jax drew back just enough to meet her gaze fully. "Isadora, articulate your deepest desires. Set aside the wishes of others and reveal what you truly need in this moment. I pledge, with all within my power, to fulfill it. Have faith in me. Unburden your heart and confess what your mind is vehemently crying out for right now."

She closed her eyes, a profound silence enveloping them. Upon reopening them, the raw vulnerability shimmering within her gaze sent another pang of guilt, swiftly suppressed, through Jax.

"I wish for an annulment," she stated, her voice trembling slightly. "I desire the marriage to be dissolved without any repercussions befalling me or my family." Her eyes pleaded with him. "Can you provide me with such a guarantee?"

A slow nod emanated from Jax, as if contemplating a matter of greater weight than any kingdom. "To be candid, Isadora, this endeavor presents immense difficulty. Damian's obstinacy is legendary, and an affront to his ego doesn't merely provoke retaliation; it invites utter annihilation. I understand him perhaps better than any living soul. Should I attempt to intercede on your behalf, his inherent suspicion will undoubtedly ignite. He will relentlessly pursue the truth, and I assure you, the subsequent devastation would shatter your entire lineage."

He observed the flicker of hope extinguish from her eyes, only to catch its dying ember just before it vanished.

"However," he continued, "there exists a singular path forward."