CHAPTER 077
Imperial Villa Outside the Capital
"You will confirm tonight whether Lady Arabelle has the blood of a Lumen Saviour and how strong that power is," Count Corald said to Sir Derek, who was recovering in the villa’s bedroom provided by the Emperor.
Jacob and Sir Peter, who had arrived at the villa and met Sir Derek before Count Corald, asked in unison, their voices filled with anticipation and hope, "If Lady Arabelle is indeed a Lumen Saviour, she can help His Majesty, right?"
Count Corald nodded affirmatively in response.
The reason His Majesty narrowly escaped a grave crisis was due to Lady Arabelle. It was she who saved the beast in the mountains that was on the brink of death and prevented the transformation of the Emperor into a beast on the night when the white moon was unexpectedly eclipsed by the black moon. Moreover, according to His Majesty, she has the ability to communicate with animals.
Everything indicated that she was a descendant of the Lumen Saviour. Although there was no clue yet that a Lumen Saviour could lift the curse transforming humans into beasts, the hearts of the four men in the room were filled with hope.
"Are you planning to have Lady Arabelle stay by His Majesty's side tonight?" Sir Derek asked, breaking the silence.
Count Corald directed his gaze toward the headboard of the bed. Tonight was the night when the black moon would eclipse the full white moon. The unexpected eclipse of the white moon four nights ago had been unforeseen.
"His Majesty still hesitates to involve Lady Arabelle in this matter, but it can't be helped. In two months, he will turn twenty-six, and we must try everything before then," Count Corald responded.
Sir Peter, feeling somewhat frustrated, furrowed his brows and spoke, "Wasn't the reason His Majesty brought Lady Arabelle to the palace in the first place to see if she could help lift the curse? But since returning to the palace, he's had three opportunities yet hasn't kept her by his side; instead, he went to Lake Innis alone."
The Emperor had ignored three significant opportunities since returning to the palace. The fact that the usually cunning Emperor missed these chances worried Sir Peter deeply.
"You've never been in love, so you can't understand the heart of a man in love," Jacob said, raising an eyebrow and teasing his younger brother. "His Majesty's heart changed from the moment he met Lady Arabelle, although he tried to deny it."
Sir Peter retorted with a grimace, "Who doesn't know that? He's changed so much that it's hard to adapt. The original Emperor would have confined her to Lake Innis, conducting all sorts of experiments until the curse was lifted. And you, learning about romance through secret love novels, dare to lecture me?"
The friendly banter between the two knights lightened the previously heavy atmosphere in the room.
"Will His Majesty permit this?" Jacob asked, worried. "He's always so concerned about her safety, especially on the night the curse manifests."
Count Corald smiled and replied, "I believe he will. If Lady Arabelle firmly requests it, His Majesty won't be able to refuse."
Count Corald was the only one in the room who had experienced love, and his words were spot on. Emperor Maxwell, who had never cared about anyone else's opinion, was utterly helpless against the stubbornness of a petite woman who barely reached his chest.
Emperor's Chamber
"If you don't allow me to stay by your side this time..." Arabelle said firmly, pushing away the Emperor's large hand and fastening the front of her dress.
Her rounded nose flared with determination, and her eyes shone with resolve. "I will no longer have conversations of love with you."
The hands that had just been moving sensuously on her skin were now left aimlessly in the air. Shocked, the Emperor looked at his empty hands, the room's warmth plummeting.
Recovering from his surprise, the Emperor leaned in with his enchanting smile, his face close to Arabelle's. His lips, full of seductive charm, tempted her with a smile, spreading sweet breath over her lips.
Just as his lips were about to meet hers again...
"…!"
The Emperor was stunned as Arabelle turned her head, swiftly escaping his arms and standing by the bed.
Her lips trembling with refusal, he stared at her in disbelief. She took a few steps back and said, "Conversations of love are between two people who love each other. Lovers rely on each other during hard times, but you refuse to lean on me."
Her voice clear and firm, Arabelle declared, "I will no longer have conversations of love with you."
Momentarily speechless, the Emperor spoke slowly, "I cannot bear to see you in danger. The beast that I become… if the beast inside me attacks you…"
Unable to finish his sentence, the Emperor swallowed hard.
Last night, with Arabelle's help, he had endured the pain and not transformed. But he couldn't keep her by his side without knowing the extent of her powers. If the beast's strength was not restrained and it attacked her...
The thought alone sent a cold sweat down his back.
The Emperor buried his face in his hands, recalling the scratches all over Arabelle's body from the previous day at Lake Innis. The thought that he could endanger the woman he had come to love filled him with fear for the first time in his life. He had never felt such fear even after the curse had manifested.
'Did my father feel this fear too? He must have been anxious every day, fearing that he might harm his beloved wife and son with his own hands.'
His head fell weakly into his dry arms, warm body heat slowly warming his cold heart.
“When I broke my promise to you and returned to Lake Innis, I vowed that I would never leave you alone again. I promised to always stay by your side,” Arabelle whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Is it pity…? You can't just walk past pitiful beasts, so you stay with me, a beast?" The Emperor's face twisted in self-loathing as he spat out words he didn't mean.
Arabelle's slender arms tightened around his head. She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word, and her voice resonated in the Emperor's ears.
“Because I love you.”
The moment Arabelle saw the Emperor writhing in agony, unable to even moan from the excruciating pain while left alone at Lake Innis, she realized just how much she loved him. She vowed never to hide her feelings timidly again.
As she embraced him and confessed her love, an inexplicable power surged within her. It was strange; Arabelle had never considered herself useful or believed she had any special abilities. She had always thought of herself as a pitiful, bothersome existence. But as she held the Emperor, who was struggling in pain, a strong energy she had never felt before emerged from within her.
The energy growing stronger inside her wasn't frightening; it felt familiar as if it had been waiting for this moment for a long time. A part of her that had been dormant awakened, making her feel complete. As she closed her eyes, she saw a sphere of radiant light. The light sphere expanded and contracted, moving swiftly like a hawk or gliding gently like a koi fish, following her commands.
As she grew accustomed to controlling the light in her mind, the Emperor's pain subsided. The joy of being able to protect her beloved filled her light with even more brilliance. A deep sense of fulfillment enveloped her, and she confidently defined it as happiness.
“I want to find out how I can help you tonight. Please, allow me to stay by your side,” Arabelle pleaded earnestly, her eyes clear and unwavering.
“If I do not lift the curse by my twenty-sixth birthday, I will have to live forever in this monstrous form. Do you understand what that means?” The Emperor's hand gently cupped her cheek, her soft skin moving slightly under his touch. For the first time, he shared the burden that had weighed heavily on his heart since he fell in love with Arabelle.
A feeling he had never experienced or acknowledged before: guilt.
“A decent man would let go of the woman he loves. A woman living with a beast must live in hiding or face death if caught. She would always live in fear and anxiety, fearing death at the hands of a mad beast or those hunting it.”
The Empress, who once held the highest position and was the envy of all women, was now presumed dead or alive. That was the price she paid for choosing to stay by her beloved husband's side. And Arabelle could face the same fate.
Arabelle kissed his calloused hand, whispering, “You promised me at the lake that you would never let me go, no matter what. As the Emperor, I believe you will keep your promise.”
“Haa…” The Emperor sighed deeply, realizing he would willingly grant her any request, unable to resist her plea.
Arabelle would always be the victor in this relationship, and he knew he would happily accept his defeat. He moved his hand from her cheek to her slender nape, bringing her face closer to his.
“Tonight, let us return to Lake Innis together,” the Emperor said, gazing at her earnest face.
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