CHAPTER 050
Imperial Palace Second Banquet Hall
“I hereby charge you and your knights with a quest.”
From the altar, the Emperor laid the blade of his sword on Count Corald’s head and shoulders in turn as he spoke.
Receiving the sword from the Emperor with both hands while kneeling, Count Corald lowered his head and replied.
“I will heed Your Majesty’s command and return with the citizens of the Empire.”
The ceremony for Count Corald and his knights' extraordinary quest was held simply in the banquet hall of the Imperial Palace.
The quest was to retrieve citizens of the Empire who had been sold as slaves to five kingdoms.
Over five hundred commoners had been smuggled out of the country by nobles in collusion with human trafficking gangs, and the Emperor had already sent delegations to request cooperation from the kings and queens of those five kingdoms.
The official communication was filled with refined and dignified phrases, but in essence, it was a threat to replace the kings if they did not return the citizens sold into slavery.
Additionally, it included a firm suggestion to compensate for the free labor provided by the Imperial citizens, with interest.
“Once again, I must rely on you.”
“It is a natural duty. I will bring back every single one of them to the Empire.”
“If any have formed families, make them free citizens as well, and if they wish to come, bring them along. They will be granted Imperial citizenship.”
“I will do so, Your Majesty.”
As Count Corald lowered his head, his son Timothy and the twenty knights standing behind him also bowed in turn.
Emperor Maxwell was the ruler who had brought about the Empire’s greatest period of prosperity, a figure no one could oppose.
Count Corald believed this was only the beginning. Under the young Emperor's rule, the Empire would become even stronger and greater.
However, the Emperor focused on the grand vision, and paid little attention to the minor details that made up the larger picture. He only turned his attention to these minor details when they threatened his perfect grand vision.
The Emperor cared about nobles or commoners only when they were useful to his vision of the Empire; otherwise, he was indifferent.
He was like an architect building the most beautiful and solid house in the world, without considering the people who would live in it.
The unfortunate truth was that the beautiful yet ruthless Emperor lacked interest in others and was deficient in the human emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure.
Count Corald briefly furrowed his brow as he remembered the late Crown Prince Luca, who had a warm and kind nature and would have become Emperor if he had not been killed by a black panther.
If Crown Prince Luca and Crown Princess Devine were still alive, Emperor Maxwell might have learned love and trust for humanity. However, tragically, the Emperor first had to learn hatred and betrayal from humans.
The Count felt a pang in his heart as he looked at the Emperor, whose view of the world was so different from his son’s.
That’s why this quest was highly unusual. The low-ranking commoners sold into slavery were not needed by the Emperor.
Punishing the high-ranking nobles and confiscating their assets was expected; they had deceived the Emperor and caused economic losses to the Empire by not paying taxes.
However, the Emperor went a step further, ordering a special quest to retrieve the citizens sold into slavery, despite the diplomatic disputes it might cause with other countries.
The Emperor was not someone who would spend his precious time on insignificant low-ranking commoners...
The Emperor’s decision and actions, such as solving the resettlement of former tenants after demolishing the slums and nullifying contracts that were akin to serfdom, had a butterfly effect throughout the Empire.
The commoners began to praise the Emperor as a benevolent ruler who cared for the weak in society.
Nobles who had been accumulating wealth through illegal activities behind the central government’s back feared they might be the Emperor’s next target. They voluntarily freed their tenants from debt traps and even paid taxes that had not yet been assessed.
The highest-ranking nobles were wary of what scheme the Emperor was planning with this appearance of a virtuous ruler and lowered their stances without resisting his policies.
Whatever his intentions, Count Corald smiled subtly at the unexpected changes brought by the Emperor.
“When you return, I will hold a banquet to award Timothy with a special imperial medal. There’s no more room on your shoulders and chest for medals, so it would be better to give them to your heir, Timothy.”
At the Emperor’s words, Count Corald and Timothy exchanged surprised glances and bowed their heads in gratitude.
“I have a request to make.”
Feeling Timothy’s anxious gaze, Count Corald spoke up.
“What is it?”
“I believe Your Majesty knows my son’s savior, so I am bringing this to your attention.”
At Count Corald’s reply, the Emperor’s red eyes narrowed momentarily, and he asked in a dry voice.
“Whom are you referring to?”
“Lady Arabelle Delsancres, who was with Your Majesty at the Topaz Jewelry Store last evening.”
Before Count Corald could answer, Timothy hurriedly interjected.
“Lady Arabelle Delsancres...”
As the Emperor stroked his chin thoughtfully with his long fingers, Timothy continued.
“She is the lady I have been searching for a long time. I had no way to contact her and was anxious... If you could inform her that I wish to meet her, or give me her contact information, or... No, that would be disrespectful to the lady... So...”
Without noticing the Emperor’s increasingly chilly gaze, Timothy began to ramble, his face turning red.
“I should give her my contact information, or... Oh, Your Majesty already knows my contact information since I am my father’s son... So, if you could arrange a meeting... No, no, that would be too much to ask... But...”
It looked as if he was begging the brother of the lady he admired for a chance to meet her.
Gently pressing down on his son’s arm, Count Corald calmly asked.
“I request that you arrange a meeting between my son and Lady Arabelle.”
The previously warm atmosphere in the hall turned cold with the Emperor’s silence. Standing before them without a word, the Emperor’s presence felt unnervingly sharp, causing the father and son to swallow simultaneously.
Tilting his perfectly sculpted chin slightly upward and looking down with a chilling gaze, the Emperor finally spoke.
“Arranging a meeting is not a problem, but I will join you. I will find time.”
“Your Majesty as well?”
When Timothy asked with wide eyes, the Emperor narrowed his eyebrows and replied.
“It’s better to prevent unnecessary rumors in advance. Such as rumors of an affair between Count Corald’s heir and the Emperor’s lady.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Both Count Corald and Timothy raised their voices in unison, to which the Emperor responded nonchalantly.
“You should not be meeting separately with the eleventh candidate for the Empress, whom I personally brought to the palace.”
A sharp glint flickered threateningly in the emperor's red eyes, contrasting with his gentle tone, then quickly vanished.
***
The First Day of the Competition
“Miss, there’s nothing to be nervous about.”
Despite Vera's brave words, her hands trembled slightly as she smoothed Arabelle’s dress for the final time before the competition.
“Exactly, Miss. His Majesty the Emperor stands firmly behind you,” Rosa added, handing Arabelle a pair of lavender-colored long gloves. However, everyone knew the Emperor had declared he would not exercise any influence during this competition.
“From what I’ve seen, there’s no one better than you, Miss,” Dina remarked, though her face reddened.
Of course, there were plenty of ladies slightly prettier, taller, more shapely, from better families, and more educated in lady-like manners than Miss… To stop her spiraling thoughts, Dina shook her head vigorously.
“At least we’ll all be able to watch the first competition together,” she continued.
“But with so many guests, any mistake would be even more embarrassing, so it’s not entirely a good thing,” Dina’s tactless comment earned her sharp glares from Vera and Rosa. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands and glanced at Arabelle.
“She’s right,” Arabelle sighed, her nose twitching slightly.
Moreover, today’s competition would take place in the newly expanded outdoor theater of the palace. Arabelle worried that any mistake she made might lead to ridicule of the Emperor.
If they were to ask her to sing an opera piece or perform a royal dance that noble ladies had learned from childhood… the mere thought made her dizzy.
She had never learned such things. The only dance she had ever done was when His Majesty had taught her a social dance.
Her face felt as if it were cramping from her forced smile.
“It’s time to head to the competition venue.”
At Millie’s words from the doorway, the four pale-faced women moved towards the door.
“Miss.”
As Arabelle, followed by Vera, Dina, and Millie, left the annex, Rosa called out to her softly.
Turning to look at her, Rosa spoke clearly and sincerely, her eyes reflecting pure honesty.
“No matter what anyone says, you are already the Empress to me. You are someone I would give my life to serve. I want you to know how extraordinary you are.”
The genuine emotion in Rosa’s words brought a confident nod from Arabelle, her clear eyes forming a crescent shape.
***
Semi-Circular Outdoor Theater on the Central Roof of the Imperial Palace, Sixth Floor
The semi-circular theater, which could accommodate a thousand spectators, was already filling with the families of the invited candidates, delegations, important nobles, and officials.
As the theater seats filled to a third, the palace orchestra’s music ceased, and a hush fell over the audience.
The side door of the stage opened, and the eleven candidates appeared, taking their seats in the front row of the auditorium. Their maids stood along the wall, ready to assist their ladies at any moment.
Two rows behind the candidates sat the judges, their serious expressions unchanging as they avoided eye contact with anyone. The candidates, striving to maintain calm demeanors, mentally reviewed the anticipated competition topics they had pondered all night.
The presence of the Imperial Orchestra indicated that the candidates would likely be tested on their musical and dance skills. For noble ladies, performing was not just about showcasing their talents in song or royal dance. The pieces they chose and the dances they performed demonstrated the quality of their education and, more importantly, the taste and capability of the future empress, who would represent the Empire's art and culture.
They might even be asked to compose an impromptu piece to the orchestra’s music, or perhaps to create and perform a dance to the composed piece.
All the candidates present had been groomed from birth to be the finest women of the Empire and the kingdoms, receiving the most tailored education for this role.
Except for one.
Ten of the candidates exchanged subtle glances, smirking at the country girl who seemed to have never seen a theater before. No matter how poorly they performed, they took comfort in knowing they would do better than that girl.
They were greatly disappointed that the Emperor was not present. They had hoped he would witness firsthand how much his favored lady paled in comparison to the other candidates.
Arabelle’s hands were cold as she looked up at the large—no, she had never even seen a small—stage. Sitting among the noble ladies in this emerald-colored marble theater adorned with gold seemed utterly beyond her.
She had no right to be here... She had been greedy. Her feelings for His Majesty had grown so strong that she couldn’t hide them and had presumptuously insisted on participating.
She didn’t care if others mocked her and pointed fingers at her. She was used to it. But if the Emperor were to be ridiculed because of her... She already felt guilt tightening her chest.
At that moment, the sound of lively footsteps heading toward the center of the stage echoed. It was Baron Gabriel, the competition’s vice-chairman.
Everything about him stood out, from his splendid mustache and curly hair cascading to his shoulders to his ahead-of-its-time, colorful fashion.
With keen purple eyes, he surveyed the ladies sitting in front of him one by one before speaking.
“I warmly welcome the eleven candidates. Without further ado, let me announce the first test of the competition.”
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