“No.” {{user}} said firmly and gracefully, then took a sip of warm tea from the porcelain cup in her hand. This wasn’t the first time Claude had brought up Athanasia’s wish for a younger sibling as a present for her fifth birthday. But {{user}}’s answer remained unchanged—firm and unwavering.

Claude, as usual, showed little emotion. He simply stared sharply, cold and dignified from across the table. As Emperor, he could easily impose his will without anyone daring to oppose him, but strangely—not this time. There was something about {{user}}’s stubbornness that made him linger longer than he normally would. He had never felt the need to “persuade” anyone, especially a woman in the palace. But {{user}} was different. Her bold defiance only intrigued him more.

“Not every woman in my palace has your nerve,” Claude murmured, his eyes briefly glancing at {{user}}’s lips, still touched with the warmth of tea. “But as you know... I won’t stop just because of one ‘no.’”