CHAPTER 036
“Your Majesty!”
The sudden appearance of the emperor left the people momentarily speechless, but they quickly recovered and began to greet him hurriedly.
His crimson eyes briefly lingered on the small brown crown of a maid with bound hands standing beside the maid, then fell away as he spoke,
“Well, it seems that Grandmother and Aunt are also present. It seems the Imperial Contest Committee's notice about direct relatives of the candidates refraining from entering the detached palace was not properly communicated.”
The emperor spoke with a smirk, prompting Empress Dowager Natalia and Grand Duchess Caroline to step out from the crowd with awkward smiles.
“I don’t know how often the grand duchess visits the detached palace, but I haven’t crossed its threshold for the sake of the contest’s fairness. I rushed here upon receiving word that Princess Lilibet had become a victim of a great theft.”
“I, too, was merely dropping off books at the front gate for my niece, who loves to read, but upon hearing of an incident in the detached palace, I couldn’t overlook it as an elder of the imperial family. It’s been so long since I last visited that I even got lost.”
The emperor displayed a benevolent expression toward the two women who were making excuses while trying to outdo each other.
The other ladies and maids, noticing how the empress dowager and the grand duchess lied without changing their expressions, exchanged knowing smiles.
Every time these two powerful women of the imperial court visited the detached palace, the noses of Princess Lilibet and Lady Grace would rise to the sky.
The remaining eight ladies were frustrated by the arrogance of the two, but they knew well that they had to stay on their good side, as they were the most likely to succeed.
While being chosen as the empress was everyone’s ultimate goal, even if they didn’t achieve it, having a connection with the empress would prevent any disadvantages to themselves and their families.
“With Grandmother and Aunt personally setting an example for the candidates here, there’s no need to worry about discipline within the imperial household.”
The emperor’s praise made the two women, who had bowed their heads, straighten their shoulders, not noticing the cold glint that passed over the red eyes above.
“Your Majesty, if you had informed us, we would have prepared to welcome you. I apologize for showing you this chaotic scene.”
Headmaid Bridget stepped forward and bowed deeply, her hands respectfully clasped. The emperor, still wearing a charming smile, turned his gaze to the ladies and said,
“I felt guilty for not dancing with the ladies yesterday, so I stopped by to have some tea together. I thought the detached palace was a very quiet place, but it seems to be quite lively and interesting. If I had known, I would have visited more often.”
“We were in the process of arresting a maid who tried to steal Princess Lilibet’s jewels and transporting her to the prison, Your Majesty.”
The head of the palace guards reported, bowing his head, as Empress Dowager Natalia interjected with a dignified demeanor.
“Your Majesty, it is said that Lady Arabelle’s maid was caught trying to steal an expensive jewel from Princess Lilibet’s bedroom this morning. The jewel in question is a golden egg crafted from the egg of our kingdom’s Red Chaos bird.”
The golden egg made from the egg of the Red Chaos bird of the Sevils Kingdom was a top-class jewel throughout the continent.
It was the only egg that could withstand being filled with molten gold without breaking. The ruby color that rippled through the golden hue created during the pouring process was a unique characteristic of the Red Chaos bird’s golden egg.
Notably, its color didn’t change even after hundreds of years, and it was difficult to break, making it a favored gift for weddings among many royal and noble families.
At that moment, Princess Lilibet, appearing like a tragic heroine, emerged from the crowd with the support of a maid and spoke to the emperor. She blinked her beautiful blue eyes plaintively and didn’t forget to let her voice tremble slightly, still appearing shaken by the incident.
“Lady Arabelle’s maid was caught by my maids rummaging through my wardrobe in an attempt to steal the jeweled egg from my bedroom…”
“Oh dear, the princess must have been terribly frightened.”
“Sniff, my heart is still pounding furiously.”
Princess Lilibet responded, tracing her fingers down her ample bosom and biting her plump lower lip.
For the emperor to come, the heavens must be helping. This was the perfect opportunity to expel the thorn in her side from the detached palace.
Her downcast blue eyes were filled with joy. The anger that had surged when Arabelle dared to meet her gaze without flinching felt like it was being soothed.
“But why was another lady’s maid in your quarters?”
“What…?”
Taken aback by the unexpected question from the emperor, Lilibet stammered, her lips moving wordlessly.
Foolish girl. So focused on bringing down Arabelle that she hadn’t thought things through. Grace, standing behind, smirked, thinking,
“Lady Arabelle’s maid Rosa has been begging our princess to take her in as a maid, claiming she couldn’t endure Lady Arabelle’s verbal and physical abuse. Our kind-hearted princess couldn’t bring herself to refuse, but who would have thought she would betray her kindness in such a way?”
“This morning, too, she came crying and begging to be taken in, and while we were momentarily distracted, she sneaked into the princess’s bedroom and tried to steal the golden egg, Your Majesty.”
“I saw it with my own eyes. She took the golden egg from the princess’s jewelry box in her wardrobe. To think she would take advantage of the princess’s kind heart, she deserves divine punishment.”
Princess Lilibet’s maids answered eagerly on her behalf. As expected of the imperial maids assigned to her, they were the perfect fit for the greedy but not very bright princess.
“So that’s what happened.”
The emperor nodded as if he understood, prompting Rosa to shout,
“That’s not true! My lady knows nothing about this. I didn’t steal the golden egg! I was returning what Princess Lilibet had given me… Ah!”
Rosa’s words were cut off as she clutched her cheek where a fierce slap had landed, causing her to fall to the ground.
“How dare you shout and lie in front of His Majesty? Shameless!”
The empress dowager lowered her hand and commanded sternly.
“Aunt, please calm down. Rosa wasn’t acting alone in this. She’s a victim as well. Please have mercy on her.”
Princess Lilibet, tearfully clutching the empress dowager’s arm, spoke in a trembling voice, prompting the empress dowager to ask loudly for everyone to hear,
“What do you mean, princess? Are you saying Rosa is not the true culprit?”
“Rosa didn’t even know I had the golden egg. The only people who knew about the Red Chaos bird’s golden egg in my jewelry box were my maids and my closest friend who came with us from the kingdom, Lady Margaret, and…”
Princess Lilibet turned her head to look at Arabelle and said in a clear voice.
“Recently, I have only grown close to Lady Arabelle.”
“That’s right. I remember Lady Arabelle being invited by Princess Lilibet out of pity because she had no friends. During that visit, the princess showed her the golden egg in her bedroom. Lady Arabelle asked many detailed questions about the price and the trade of the Red Chaos Bird’s egg as if she had never seen one before.”
Margaret, the daughter of a count from the Kingdom of Sevilles, stood beside Princess Lilibet, speaking calmly. The Empress Dowager’s eyes crinkled in satisfaction, having signaled Margaret to assist the princess.
Instantly, all eyes gathered around the pond turned towards Arabelle. The Emperor’s jaw tightened as he looked at her.
Fearful of causing any harm to the Emperor, her brown eyes didn’t dare to look in his direction and stayed fixed on the ground. Standing among the others, her shoulders trembled slightly, appearing more fragile than ever.
“So, you’re saying that Lady Arabelle instructed her maid Rosa to steal the golden egg? How could she plot something like that?”
“This is terrifying. To think there’s a thief among us in the palace. We each have at least one valuable item from our families; I should go check on mine.”
The daughters of a baron from the empire and a princess from the satellite state of Le Coiffe exclaimed dramatically, aligning with Princess Lilibet. Other ladies frowned and nodded in agreement.
No one believed that Princess Lilibet had invited the ostracized Arabelle to her bedroom to show her the precious golden egg. However, this was a rare opportunity to oust a candidate personally brought by the Emperor.
“If this is true, it’s not just a simple theft. If a candidate for empress is involved in a theft, or worse, orchestrates it, she should be disqualified immediately.”
“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is right. This matter shouldn’t end with just the maid’s arrest. We need to take Lady Arabelle for questioning to uncover the truth. Please order Lady Arabelle’s arrest.”
For once, the usually contentious Empress Dowager and Grand Duchess agreed and presented their case to the Emperor with one voice.
With clear evidence and witnesses, even the Emperor would have no choice. Torturing Rosa to get a false confession implicating Arabelle would be easy.
They had caught their prey too easily.
Standing there without a word, listening to the accusations against her, Arabelle seemed incredibly weak and foolish in their eyes. They felt foolish for ever worrying about her.
“Is this the famous golden egg?”
The Emperor’s emotionless voice spread softly across the pond.
“Yes? Yes…”
One of Princess Lilibet’s maids brought the box containing the golden egg to the Emperor.
When the Emperor took the golden egg out of the box and held it in his palm, it sparkled brilliantly in the late morning sunlight. As everyone marveled at the beautiful jewel, the Empress Dowager proudly explained,
“The shell of the Red Chaos Bird’s egg is extremely delicate but unbreakable. Unlike other jeweled eggs, it won’t shatter even if Your Majesty drops it. It’s unaffected by the storms at sea or the blizzards on mountaintops.”
“Let’s put aside the golden egg for now. Since Your Majesty has graced us with a visit, shall we prepare a picnic lunch? And let’s send Lady Arabelle and Rosa to the interrogation room.”
At the Grand Duchess’s suggestion, the guards hesitated, glancing at the Emperor for guidance.
“If a crime has been committed, punishment is due. But we haven’t heard from the main person involved in this case.”
Rolling the golden egg in his hand, the Emperor asked,
“Lady Arabelle, do you have anything to say?”
The Emperor asked calmly, suppressing his anxiety.
In such a situation, silence was detrimental. Even if she couldn’t think of a defense, she needed to loudly proclaim her innocence, but the woman before him seemed incapable of that. Or perhaps she lacked the confidence.
If words failed her, she should cry to convey her unjust feelings, yet she stood there with no reaction.
Standing amidst everyone’s scrutiny without speaking made her seem truly guilty. If she said something, perhaps there would be a way to help. The Emperor involuntarily swallowed dryly, gazing at Arabelle who had her head bowed.
“The evidence is clear; what more is there to say? Let’s not ruin such a wonderful day Your Majesty has graced us with. Please order her taken to the interrogation room and consider the other candidates waiting for you.”
The Empress Dowager finished speaking with a victorious smile.
“Rosa did not steal the Red Chaos Bird’s golden egg from Princess Lilibet. I... I did not instruct Rosa to steal the princess’s jewel.”
Arabelle’s voice was soft but clearly heard by everyone. The Emperor’s eyes glinted with a bright light.
“Would a thief admit to their crime? How can you believe her? We have witnesses.”
As ladies on Princess Lilibet’s side sneered, other ladies nodded in agreement.
“Do you have any proof you didn’t steal it? Princess Lilibet has witnesses and evidence against you.”
The Empress Dowager coldly questioned Arabelle. No matter how much she protested her innocence, it wouldn’t matter.
As the silent derision of the gathered ladies fell upon her, Arabelle slowly approached the Emperor.
Just as the Emperor was about to say, “Since the lady claims innocence, I will take her and ask her myself,” his eyes widened in surprise.
Arabelle knelt by the pond, cupped her hands, and dipped them into the water. She carefully lifted her hands filled with pond water.
‘Has she gone mad?’
As the women gasped in shock at Arabelle’s unexpected action, she disregarded them, bringing her hands over the golden egg in the Emperor’s hand.
As the pond water trickled over the golden egg,
Crack.
The golden egg began to crack and, to everyone’s astonishment, shattered into pieces in an instant.
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