CHAPTER 022
"Marriage is not my will."
Emperor Maxwell turned his head to gaze at the distant cathedral bell tower as he spoke.
When the wind brushed his slightly lengthened bangs to the side, a lonely expression appeared. Every time the usually confident emperor looked tired and lonely, Arabelle felt a pang in her heart.
It was a different feeling from the sympathy one might feel for a pitiful person or animal. It wasn't pity or compassion; it was a sorrowful desire to ease his pain.
“It’s because of the imperial family's law. A useless decree stating that the Emperor must marry an Empress before turning twenty-six, for the sake of heirs.”
He turned back, his red eyes meeting Arabelle's gentle gaze as he continued.
“No matter how much I have lived ignoring human duties and beliefs... I am not such trash as to marry and ruin a woman's life with my cursed body. Unlike previous emperors who married in their early twenties, I have held out until now for this reason.”
In three months, he would turn twenty-six. No matter how powerful the Emperor was, he couldn't change the traditional decrees of the imperial family overnight.
By then, he must unravel the curse. An Empress, whether an ally or an enemy, would eventually learn his secret and hold his weakness.
“Sir Jacob and Sir Peter have scoured the continent for clues to break my curse, but... they found nothing. Then, by chance, I met you.”
The word “fate” briefly flashed through his mind but he didn't speak it aloud.
Jacob and Peter, his father's close friends, were the only ones who knew his secret. When he first transformed into the black panther, he managed to escape their arrows and fled into the forest.
Two days later, after returning to human form, he found them searching the forest for the missing Emperor. The knights listened breathlessly as the naked Emperor recounted his tale.
When he finished, the two knights knelt and swore an oath of blood. Their vow to protect the Emperor with their lives had held until now.
When Maxwell’s father passed away, the two knights were on the battlefield. They returned to the capital just before Emperor Maximus’s death and met Maxwell.
Soon after, they were banished to the frontier by Regent Gustav, who had taken control. It was no secret that the two knights protecting Maxwell were thorns on Gustav’s side.
Since reuniting with sixteen-year-old Maxwell, who had been thrown into a major war against the Northwestern Allied Nations, they had remained by his side.
“It is fortunate that Your Majesty has good people by your side.”
“Good people…”
Maxwell’s gaze lingered in the air before returning to Arabelle. Her eyes were red from the effort of holding back tears as he spoke about his curse with calmness. He gave her a wistful smile.
He had never considered Jacob and Peter good people. Rather, he had tried hard not to think of them that way.
He had learned too early how miserable it was to be betrayed by those he believed to be good.
Once, he believed his grandfather, the Empress Dowager, Uncle Gustav, Aunt Caroline, and everyone who showed warmth to the lonely young prince were good people.
When he realized the truth, it was initially sorrowful, then miserable, and eventually, anger followed. The disappointment and hatred toward himself for believing in them were the worst. Now, there was not a shred of those feelings left in his heart.
Humans, including myself, use and are used by one another. The winner is determined by who uses others better and is used less. If I apply this rule of human relationships to everyone, I feel no disappointment, anger, or hatred.
Looking at his reflection in Arabelle’s clear eyes, the Emperor spoke.
“Everyone stays beside those who are worth using. Just as I keep them by my side because I need them, they gain power and fame through me.”
He was about to add, ‘Just like I keep you by my side,’ but the words wouldn't come out.
He realized that Arabelle wasn't by his side to gain something from him.
For a moment, they silently looked at each other. The warmth of the silence between them made the Emperor unconsciously close his eyes and take a deep breath.
He felt that this moment, sitting quietly, was the closest to the word “comfort.”
Rejecting this ridiculous emotion, he shook his head and returned to his usual confident expression, speaking in a slightly playful and somewhat gruff voice.
“But you haven't said a word of comfort to me. The Arabelle I know would be crying her eyes out, offering kind words by now. You’re surprisingly cold.”
At the Emperor's grumbling, Arabelle smiled softly.
Honestly, the Emperor was grateful for Arabelle's considerate silence. If she had cried and struggled to find the right comforting words, he would have felt even more miserable.
But suddenly,
‘Is it because she has no affection for me at all, that she feels nothing?’
Another thought arose in his mind. Hot air surged from his belly to his throat. Various unfamiliar emotions bubbled up in front of this girl, stimulating his reason.
Even as he gave her a crooked look, Arabelle met his gaze with crescent-shaped eyes. She wasn't flustered anymore by the Emperor’s gaze.
If she spoke, she felt she would burst into tears.
How much had his heart been scratched and torn until he closed it off to others? Though fearful of the unbroken curse, the Emperor lived suppressing his emotions. She wanted to overstep her bounds and embrace his shoulders.
Arabelle couldn't utter words of comfort and lowered her head.
When she raised her head again, the Emperor was no longer there.
And in that moment,
“Aaah…!”
Arabelle’s startled voice filled the garden by the fountain.
The Emperor had walked up behind her and pushed her swing without warning. With the swing, her body soared lightly into the sky.
The crisp autumn air enveloped her cheeks. Like a shy flower bud blossoming, her lips broke into a wide smile. Her clear, pure laughter tickled the Emperor's ears.
“I pushed the swing to punish you, yet you seem delighted...!”
The Emperor continued pushing her swing, a constant smile on his lips.
Her soft brown hair fluttered like petals in the wind. As the sweet scent tickled his nose, he silently laughed along with her, as if a burst of flower pollen had exploded in his throat.
Looking at the fluffy white clouds floating just within reach, Arabelle softly murmured to herself.
“Just as Your Majesty is a good person to me, I want to be a good person to you. I want to break your curse.”
***
It was the evening of the fourth day after leaving Lord Laurel’s domain. After completing the day’s march, the Emperor’s party set up camp in the forest and began to reorganize.
Inside the Emperor’s tent, as comfortable and spacious as a noble’s bedroom, Sir Peter entered and reported to the Emperor, who was engrossed in a marine map.
“Prince Eric has safely arrived in the capital.”
Without lifting his eyes from the map, the Emperor spoke while stroking his sharp yet strong-looking chin.
“The Empress Dowager must be thrilled. Her son, cast into the battlefield, has returned to her skirts. Of course, he must be somewhat injured, showing signs of mild shock and temporary aphasia. He absolutely needs rest.”
“Did you foresee that the Empress Dowager would act this way?”
Kyle, the advisor, and the knights Jacob and Peter asked simultaneously, to which the Emperor replied with a sardonic smile.
“The Empress Dowager acts so predictably that sometimes I wonder if it’s intentional. Occasionally, I regret that someone with quicker wit hasn’t taken her place and challenged me. The Empress Dowager is easy to deal with.”
The Emperor placed his long middle finger on a small kingdom marked on the map, Seville, and added,
“I’ll give her a little more leeway out of respect for my grandfather.”
The three knights shivered, feeling a chill run down their spines.
It was evident that the Emperor was planning not only to eliminate the Empress Dowager but also the forces connected to the late Emperor Maximus, including her homeland, the Kingdom of Seville. The knights felt a renewed sense of gratitude that they were on the Emperor’s side.
“Is it time for the lesson?”
“Yes? Ah, yes. She should be here soon.”
As Kyle responded, a guard outside the tent announced,
“Your Majesty, Lady Arabelle has arrived.”
The tent flap was lifted, and Arabelle entered, followed by her three maids. The maids, who accompanied her to the palace, looked exceedingly bright and excited. However, Arabelle herself appeared deeply confused and dejected.
As Arabelle sat on a chair behind the table, Kyle walked over and bowed to her. Although they could have held the lessons in Arabelle’s tent, the Emperor insisted they take place in his own tent.
Holding a long, thin quill, Kyle displayed a large piece of paper set on a stand.
“We will now begin today’s lesson.”
[Brief History of Imperial Intrigues.]
The title was said to have been chosen by the Emperor himself.
The lessons that began after leaving the former Earl of Laurel’s estate were initially thought to be about the history and current genealogy of the Helterde royal family. However, Arabelle soon realized it was a misconception. The lessons were solely about intrigues within the royal family.
Empresses colluding with knights to assassinate the Emperor, Emperors killing their first Empresses and elevating maidservants to the status of second Empresses, widowed Marquesses swapping their children with the Empress's sons to place them as crown princes, brothers inserting venomous snakes into each other's ears to claim the throne...
Hearing these tales for four days made Arabelle’s stomach churn. While everyone else listened with rapt attention, Arabelle’s eyes, heavy with fatigue, wandered around.
The scandalous stories of royal scandals were endlessly fascinating. Even the Emperor often interrupted his work to provide additional explanations, using more gruesome and vicious adjectives.
Eventually, unable to keep up, Arabelle, feeling extremely apologetic to the passionately lecturing Kyle, began to daydream.
“Since time is short, let’s end the topic of royal intrigues here and move on to the most important lesson.”
The Emperor, noticing Arabelle’s drowsy struggle, gave an order.
“So, for today, the last day, we will discuss the bloody intrigues and schemes that arose among the candidates in the Empress selection competition.”
Unfortunately, throughout the lesson, she felt like she was learning a foreign language, barely comprehending anything. Her large eyes, filled with confusion, flickered helplessly as her face grew paler with each shocking tale.
Late into the night, Kyle’s lesson finally ended. Arabelle, her face vacant and exhausted, was supported by her three maids as she returned to her quarters. Kyle sighed lightly as he watched her leave the tent.
“It must be incredibly difficult for Lady Arabelle. She doesn’t have a suspicious or cynical nature, so it must be hard for her to understand the examples provided here.”
“Indeed. Even if we teach her how to counter schemes, it’s uncertain if she could put it into practice.”
“To counter a scheme, one must first recognize it as a scheme, but she doesn’t seem to grasp that concept...”
The three knights exchanged concerned opinions while watching the Emperor. Though he said nothing, the Emperor shared their thoughts.
Sir Jacob was correct. One cannot fight back if they don’t recognize an enemy’s intentions or schemes.
Arabelle, in particular, would likely offer kindness and help to anyone in need, regardless of their intentions. She would surely be ensnared by schemes before the two-month competition ended.
That’s why these lessons were conducted. For the first time, the Emperor felt a sense of defeat that evening.
***
Knock, knock,
Arabelle’s large eyes gazed in wonder at the scenery outside the carriage window when she heard a knock from the opposite window. She slid smoothly along the long bench and drew back the curtain. When she opened the half-moon-shaped window, a handsome face came into view.
Reining in his horse, the Emperor met Arabelle’s gaze. His red lips parted, and his voice, heavy and firm, reached her.
“We are about to pass through the gates of the palace. Lady Arabelle, welcome to Helterde Palace.”
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