CHAPTER 052
Rumors spread faster than wildfire, and people’s hearts were less steadfast than reeds.
No sooner was the name of the first competition’s winner announced on stage than the result swept through the Imperial Palace, the capital city, and began to reach every corner of the empire.
Before the velvet cloth with Arabelle’s name from the Delsancres family, trimmed in gold, was even hung at the palace gate, even the children in the marketplace already knew the outcome.
“She’s fluent in Agrathe. I heard she studied humanities directly under the empire’s top scholar, Professor Coubert.”
“My goodness, Agrathe, which even the elder nobles struggle with…! There’s clearly a reason why His Majesty favors her.”
“This is really a secret… but they say His Majesty met Lady Arabelle not in a rural estate but in the Kingdom of Semper.”
“Oh, I heard that too! Her family, regretting her brilliance being wasted, disguised her as a man and sent her to study at Semper National University, where she met His Majesty. It’s like something out of a romance novel, isn’t it?”
“Now it all makes sense. His Majesty personally sought out someone who suits him.”
“So, the initial rumors were complete nonsense. The tale of an uneducated, insignificant woman from the countryside seducing the Emperor with her body was completely fabricated.”
“Thinking back, it was such a ridiculous rumor. His Majesty wouldn’t keep someone unworthy by his side. It was all lies made up by those envious of Lady Arabelle. We almost got deceived.”
“But there’s also talk that Lady Arabelle deliberately let such rumors spread. That way, she wouldn’t become an unnecessary target from the start and could identify her true enemies.”
“Oh my, if that’s true, then Lady Arabelle is as cunning as His Majesty. Incredible.”
Everywhere, people of all ages were buzzing with talk about today’s winner.
In an instant, the country bumpkin lady from a fallen family transformed into a disciple of a renowned scholar, a student from Semper National University, and a strategist rivaling the Emperor.
The competition, previously thought to be a two-horse race between Lady Grace of the Grand Duke of Lessang and Princess Lilibet, the Empress Dowager’s niece from Seville, now had a remarkable dark horse. People’s waning interest reignited.
***
After the first competition, the families of the candidates gathered in the annex, authorized to enter the separate palace.
They were having heated discussions on how to respond moving forward, advising their daughters intensely.
“We need to observe the competition closely, but for now, it’s time to lie low. Do not visibly align with anyone.”
“If she can wield Agrathe that proficiently, it’s no longer viable to question her education and intellectual abilities.”
“Your father’s right. If you act rashly, you might suffer instead. If Lady Arabelle suddenly uses Agrathe against you in public, it will only expose your lack of intellect.”
“At least none of the others understood the play except for Lady Arabelle, which is fortunate. Everyone thought Lady Grace would win for sure. Hmph. Turns out, Lady Grace of the Grand Duke of Lessang isn’t much either.”
“Princess Lilibet of Seville was humiliated before everyone last time, and now Lady Grace, who was so confident, is embarrassed. She was praised as the jewel of the empire, but tsk.”
“So, don’t make an enemy of Lady Arabelle. Especially since she’s favored by His Majesty. You must act wisely for the sake of our family.”
“I’ll give you plenty of the precious tea leaves we acquired recently. Invite Lady Arabelle for tea time. I’ll also send some perfume made by our family; share it with her.”
“We must instruct the maids properly too. Have them befriend Lady Arabelle’s maids.”
Though they fervently wished for their daughters to become Empress, they knew it was unlikely. Thus, they advised them to support the most likely candidates, Grace or Lilibet.
They were aware their daughters had been shunning and ignoring the eleventh candidate brought by the Emperor. This had seemed natural, but now the situation was taking an odd turn.
Rumors had it that Arabelle believed abandoned by the Emperor upon returning to the palace, had accompanied him on a covert mission, spending a night alone with him. Furthermore, the Emperor reportedly warned that any disrespect toward Arabelle would result in their families being utterly destroyed. This had caused a stir in social circles.
The winner of the first competition was none other than Arabelle, favored by the Emperor.
Fearing that backing the wrong candidate could bring dire consequences to their families, the nobles now tasked their daughters with the difficult job of maintaining relationships with both Grace and Lilibet while also befriending Arabelle.
The once-haughty ladies, now forced to navigate among the three women, looked distressed.
***
The greatest shock from the first competition was palpable in Lady Grace’s annex.
The annex had the somber, gloomy atmosphere of a funeral. Grand Duchess Caroline and Grace, sharing an equally devious disposition despite not being blood-related, sat in the drawing room.
The two pairs of eyes, always arrogant and condescending, now wavered with unease.
Even the maids, usually confident like their mistress, barely dared to breathe, knowing how dangerous the situation could become if their mistresses got angry.
“This was bound to happen. The Emperor wouldn’t bring an unknown country bumpkin into high society without a reason. He was testing us, to see how we would treat the lady he brought.”
The Grand Duke, now fully believing the swirling rumors about Arabelle, looked around nervously.
“She seemed so innocent and clueless at the banquet, yet she studied at Semper disguised as a man. The Emperor brought a partner, not a wife. This was all an act. Chilling.”
Ignoring her husband’s ranting, the Grand Duchess turned her gaze to Grace.
“Today’s competition was essentially your debut as the most qualified candidate for Empress. But you completely ruined it. Your name is now a laughingstock. They say the empire’s top talent lost completely to an unknown woman.”
“I’m sorry, Aunt. I will definitely redeem myself. Sob, sob.”
Unable to contain her anger and humiliation, Grace let her tears fall at the Grand Duchess’s cold tone.
She had never imagined losing to that girl who sat frozen as if visiting the theater for the first time.
The Grand Duchess’s eyes narrowed as she watched Grace biting her inner lip almost to the point of bleeding. She stood up, meeting Grace’s gaze with a chilly voice.
“You know well that competitions aren’t won only in the arena. Are you just going to sit here and cry like the other ladies? I’m very disappointed.”
The Grand Duchess’s eyes reminded her niece how she had previously discredited a strong competitor in the semifinals, causing their downfall.
Grace's formidable rival was eliminated under the disgrace of having an affair with a knight and subsequently sent to a convent.
Though she had never even spoken to the knight, Grace's scheme of planting both their undergarments in his quarters had led everyone to believe they had been secretly meeting and sharing love in the dead of night.
Grace's previously dejected eyes now glinted with determination as she silently nodded at the Grand Duchess.
"The Empress must be a figure of fear to all. Show them your power."
The Grand Duchess, opening her fan and heading towards the door, was followed meekly by the Grand Duke.
***
The Emperor's Third Guest Chamber.
Emperor Maxwell was having a late dinner with the day's competition winner.
The prize for winning the competition was time spent with the Emperor, and today’s victor was the eleventh candidate, whom no one had predicted to win.
Despite trying to suppress her laughter, the corners of Arabelle's charming red lips kept curling upwards. Her usually cold, arrogant eyes gleamed brightly like rubies, genuinely delighted.
Not wanting their private moment to be disturbed, the Emperor dismissed everyone as soon as the door was closed and immediately reached out his arms to Arabelle, who was sitting next to him.
Laughing, he lost his composure and scooped up her light frame, placing her onto his lap.
Her cheeks, flushed like ripe apples, twitched with embarrassment, but her round eyes did not shy away from meeting his crimson ones.
Gently stroking her slender back with his large palm, the Emperor whispered close to her plump earlobe.
"How do you know Agrathe?"
The result of the competition had even surprised the Emperor.
The play performed by the visiting troupe from the Kingdom of Kedan was a tragedy called *The Enchanted Princess*.
The princess, who fell in love with a magician and was used by him, ended up cursed. She and everyone in the castle were transformed into forest animals, living out a sad existence with the princess’s love thoroughly trampled.
The comical gestures and sounds that made the audience burst into laughter were actually desperate cries for help.
The star of the show, the Bluebird, perfectly reenacted the actress's lines, lamenting her foolishness for being abandoned by the man she loved and losing her kingdom.
The play concluded with the Bluebird, embodying the princess's soul, escaping the cage thanks to a kind magician, and returning with a magical garland to punish the evil magician.
That Arabelle had understood the content of the play perfectly was astounding. His Majesty couldn’t help but laugh in sheer delight.
As the Emperor’s warm breath accompanied his pleasant voice into her ear, Arabelle’s shoulders twitched momentarily.
"Tell me, how do you know Agrathe?"
Her eyes widened even more, and she tilted her head slightly to the side.
"I don’t know Agrathe…?"
One of the Emperor’s eyebrows arched as he asked quietly,
"Then how did you understand the performance? Your acting in the final scene was flawless."
Arabelle’s eyes drooped a bit as she mumbled.
"I don't know why I won. When my name was called, I was so nervous and surprised that I couldn’t say anything and just returned to the annex... Until Your Majesty summoned me, I thought my name was called by mistake."
"Then why did you open the birdcage? People say you tearfully set the Bluebird free."
Without revealing that he had used the secret stairs to reach the rooftop theater, the Emperor asked.
Arabelle frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before responding slowly.
"The Bluebird… The Bluebird was crying throughout the play. It cried, saying it wanted to leave the cage, spread its wings, and fly in the blue sky. I tried not to cry at first, but the bird's pitiful cries, begging for someone to save it, made me cry too."
"The Bluebird cried, not laughed…?"
"Yes, the Bluebird's words were so sad. Betrayed by the one it loved and feeling guilty for endangering those who loved it, it wailed. In the end, I couldn’t hold back my tears, and... wanting to help, I opened the cage when it was my turn. I was so surprised when it returned with the garland. I didn’t realize I was acting."
Arabelle’s clear eyes met the Emperor's red ones as she spoke shyly.
"I truly believed the Bluebird was the enchanted princess. Remembering Your Majesty's curse, I couldn’t just ignore it. But when I found out it was an act, I felt so foolish and couldn’t lift my head. I still can’t believe I won…"
You thought of my curse while watching the crying Bluebird, and you helped it escape the cage without thinking about how you might look on stage.
Hot air rose in the Emperor’s throat. His arms tightened around Arabelle’s waist.
She was so lovable that he wanted to shower her with kisses, but he had to ask the crucial question that had just crossed his mind.
Suppressing the urge to devour her delicate lips, he asked softly,
"How did you understand the bird's words? Do you… understand animal speech…?"
Though it was a ridiculous question, the Emperor swallowed dryly and waited for Arabelle’s answer.
Her eyes widened even more as a slightly astonished voice flowed from her pink lips.
"Your Majesty can’t understand animals?"
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