CHAPTER 006
"In history books, those who defied the Emperor's orders..."
Emperor Maxwell's dry voice trailed off as he ran his long fingers across his lips.
Though his voice lacked emotion, the air in the dining room grew cold and heavy.
"Not only that person but often their entire bloodline faces severe punishment."
Arabelle's long eyelashes trembled as she lowered her gaze to her lap.
"If you resist, I can mercilessly drag you to the underground prison and lock you away from the sunlight for life. Or, I could ruin your entire family. Defying the Emperor is essentially treason."
He hadn't planned to be this blunt with his threats, especially not against a small and powerless woman.
Until now, no one in the Empire had ever rejected the hand he graciously extended. They had all eagerly awaited the chance to grasp it. He had never felt the need to go this far.
Maxwell watched Arabelle's reaction with a sense of self-loathing, his jaw clenched tightly.
Normally, she couldn't even meet his gaze, and now she surely wouldn't be able to lift her head out of sheer fear. As expected, Arabelle remained silent, biting her lower lip.
She must be very scared.
The Emperor was about to speak more gently to ease the tension when...
"Your Majesty..."
Arabelle lifted her head and met his red eyes, speaking slowly.
"I'm not afraid because Your Majesty wouldn't do that."
The Emperor's usually composed and handsome face momentarily hardened. He hadn't anticipated this reaction at all.
"Why do you think that? Aren't you afraid of your Emperor?"
"Your Majesty is the kindest person I've ever met."
Her genuine eyes and sincere voice struck the Emperor's heart.
"You think I'm kind?"
"Yes."
"Why do you think that? I just explained what an Emperor can do."
"But Your Majesty didn't forget that I helped you and came to find me. Even though it was just what I should have done, you're offering me a great reward. You're even considering putting me on the list of candidates for Empress, despite my lack of qualifications."
Arabelle's round eyes folded into crescent shapes as she smiled softly.
"For someone as insignificant as me, Your Majesty is the best person in the world. Thank you. This is the first time anyone has ever cared for me so much..."
The Emperor opened his mouth to respond, but his throat was blocked, and no sound came out.
Her smile, filled with happiness and devoid of fear, was so blinding that Maxwell's brows furrowed.
"Ah, since my master exists, you are the second-best person I've ever met."
As she said, Arabelle didn't know how to lie.
Enchanted by her smile, the Emperor snapped back to reality at the mention of her master.
Maxwell decided he could no longer resort to threats or force to bring her to the palace. He feared that if he took her by force, he would never see that smile again.
However, unwilling to admit this, he concluded that abusing his power over a weak woman was not the action of a true strongman.
'I must make her willing to come with me to the palace.'
Maxwell thought as he looked at Arabelle, who was not as compliant as he had expected.
For the first time, his usually sharp mind was not working properly. He realized that no matter what he said or how he threatened, she wouldn't change her mind.
She thought in a way entirely different from anyone he had ever dealt with. For the first time, Emperor Maxwell decided to take a gamble he had never considered.
To become Emperor, he had hidden his true self and, after becoming Emperor, had never revealed his true feelings, freely navigating the line between lies and truth for his purposes. Slowly, he spoke.
"I need your help to break my curse."
Never before had the Emperor spoken of his weaknesses. He had never asked anyone for help, knowing that doing so would invite predators to tear him apart.
Though his rational mind advised against it, words spilled from his mouth.
"I don't know how you did it, but after spending the night with you, my wounds healed completely. And..."
He paused, swallowing dryly before continuing.
"Usually, I return to my original form after three days of being a beast, but after meeting you, I returned to normal in two days. You are clearly connected to my curse. Can you help me break this nightmare of a curse?"
After speaking, the Emperor leaned back in his chair.
Soon, a calm yet firm voice reached his ears. When he opened his eyes, he saw her gentle, round eyes looking steadily at him.
"I will help you. I will do my best to assist you, Your Majesty."
Arabelle added, clenching her small fists.
"I will go to the capital with you."
Ha, it was that simple. A faint sigh escaped Maxwell's lips.
What could persuade Arabelle wasn't wealth or threats, but asking for her help honestly.
The Emperor felt his throat burning and took a gulp of the cheap wine in front of him.
"Then, what about your rendezvous with your master?"
"My master will understand. Once Your Majesty's curse is broken, he will allow me to follow him. Please let me leave a letter in the cave before we depart."
She wasn't saying she wouldn't go at all, but for now, this would have to suffice.
Forcing a smile, the Emperor thought, determined to uncover the true identity of this supposed master who had tricked her.
"Then, there's no problem leaving tonight?"
"Well..."
Arabelle awkwardly smiled, scrunching her nose.
"Speak."
"Could we leave early tomorrow morning instead? Lily, my cousin's racehorse, is due to give birth to twins tonight. If I'm not there, she'll be very agitated and suffer a lot. She cried all night yesterday because I wasn't there..."
To Arabelle, helping the Emperor or assisting a racehorse seemed equally important.
Maxwell, feeling a strange sense of unease, forced a confident expression and nodded.
***
Lotus Palace, Imperial Palace of the Helterde Empire
Empress Dowager Nathalie strolled through the lotus garden with the second princess of the Kingdom of Sevilles and the daughter of a count from her homeland.
"Are you comfortable staying here?"
"Thanks to your care, I am doing well."
"I am also very comfortable. Thank you."
As Empress Dowager Nathalie fed the golden koi in the pond, she spoke.
"Soon, the final contest will begin, and we won't have the chance to see each other privately. If there's anything you need, let me know in advance. I'll make the necessary arrangements."
"I don't know how to repay your kindness, Your Majesty. It is thanks to you that I have made it to the final contest."
When the count's daughter from the Kingdom expressed her gratitude, Empress Dowager Nathalie's expression turned icy.
"You seem to be under a significant misunderstanding."
"Pardon?"
"Your role is to do your utmost to ensure Princess Lilibet becomes the Emperor's consort. That is why you made it to the final contest. Remember this. Otherwise, your father and family will face significant difficulties."
At the Empress Dowager's cold warning, the count's daughter turned red to her neck and nodded.
Turning to her family's direct descendant, Princess Lilibet, Empress Dowager Nathalie spoke in a gentle voice.
"I have high expectations for you, Princess. Ensure you become Empress and continue our kingdom's tradition. Besides this girl, I have also placed the daughter of Count McGuire as a candidate for your sake."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Do not worry. I will certainly become Emperor Maxwell's wife."
With eyes bluer than the autumn sky, Princess Lilibet responded affectionately, bringing a satisfied smile to the Empress Dowager's face.
Her niece Lilibet, the strongest candidate in this contest, was a dazzling beauty who stood out even from afar.
Her ambition matched her beauty, and she was relentless in achieving her goals. She would do whatever it took to remove any obstacles in her path.
The Empress Dowager was very fond of her niece, who resembled her in many ways.
The Kingdom of Sevilles, lacking natural resources, boasted the striking beauty of its royal bloodline as its greatest asset. Just as Empress Dowager herself had done, Lilibet would become Emperor Maxwell's wife and greatly benefit the Kingdom of Seville.
Should Lilibet become Empress, the Empress Dowager's brother, the king, promised to appoint her only son, Eric, as the crown prince of Seville. She must ensure her niece stands beside Maxwell in two months.
The Empress Dowager's eyes gleamed as she handed Lilibet the expected test questions.
***
"How is the Empress Dowager's side doing?"
Caroline, the Emperor's aunt, and wife of Grand Duke LeSsang, asked her husband as she put on her dress for the banquet.
"She is mobilizing all her resources to make her niece Empress."
"How dare she be so presumptuous! If only Mother hadn't passed away early, she would never have dreamed of marrying Father."
"Are you confident? The princesses and young ladies of the Kingdom of Sevilles have been chosen as queens of various kingdoms, no matter how small the kingdom. Princess Lilibet's beauty is already famous outside the palace."
"No matter how beautiful she is, what does it matter? She is as ambitious as her aunt, but not very bright. Without the Empress Dowager's help, she would have been eliminated in the preliminaries."
Confidently lifting her chin, Caroline fastened a diamond necklace around her neck.
"No matter how exceptional Lilibet's beauty is, she cannot outshine your niece, Grace. Just wait and see. In two months, the bride holding Maxwell's hand and walking into the chapel will be Grace."
Among the most esteemed candidates, the daughter of Baron Bernardo was involved in a scandal with her guard knight, getting expelled from the contest before it even ended.
The mastermind behind this was Grace, who placed the baron's daughter's handkerchief under the knight's bed sheet and hid the knight's undergarments in the Rose Palace where the baron's daughter was staying.
While Lilibet might have superior beauty, Grace's quick thinking set her apart. If Grace, whom Caroline had raised like her own daughter since infancy, became Empress, the power of the Grand Duke's house of LeSsang would soar.
Thinking of outshining her stepmother, Empress Dowager Nathalie, in social rank brought a smile to Caroline's face.
At that moment, her steward entered and reported.
"A messenger from His Majesty the Emperor, who is inspecting the provinces, has arrived."
At the steward's report, Caroline turned and extended her hand.
Simultaneously, Empress Dowager Nathalie leisurely opened the Emperor's letter envelope, delivered by a messenger in her reception room.
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