CHAPTER 068
Splash, splash.
Warm water gently lapped against her weary body, soothing her. The careful touch washing away the wounds on her skin was respectful and considerate.
Slowly, her eyelids lifted, revealing wide, round eyes as she began to wake. The sight of fragrant soap bubbles filled her vision.
The scent of jasmine and tea rose cleared Arabelle’s mind, letting her know she was lying in a bathtub.
It was a large square porcelain tub, so big its edges seemed endless. The warm steam filled the spacious bathroom like a light fog.
Her body, which should have been lying on the hard surface of the tub, felt completely comfortable. The firmness of the tub was unmatched, but the fine resilience and embracing comfort eased her mind.
She was now familiar with the warmth, scent, and muscular contours of her beloved.
As Arabelle remembered the morning she woke up next to the man who had transformed back from a beast, her lips curled into a smile.
A rough thumb traced her pink lips lightly, tickling them, before pressing down slightly to steal her smile away.
A slightly hoarse, low voice fell upon her crown.
"At this moment, you are forbidden from smiling."
The round head that had been comfortably resting on his chest was lifted to the side.
Her large eyes traveled up his long neck, finally capturing the ruby-red eyes of the emperor.
Seeing the emperor’s eyes, no longer clouded with pain but gleaming with a cool and beautiful ruby light, Arabelle’s eyes turned into crescents.
"And also, you are forbidden from looking at me like that."
The serious voice echoed in Arabelle’s ears as his large palm momentarily covered her eyes.
Startled, Arabelle grabbed his hand with both of hers and called out to him.
"Your Majesty…?"
His other hand's finger pressed against her lips, silencing her, as the emperor spoke firmly.
"Until we leave this bathroom, you are not allowed to call me, or speak."
Initially, Arabelle’s heart fluttered, thinking he was teasing as usual. But his earnest tone made her bite her lower lip in confusion.
At that moment, hot air was exhaled onto her crown, and with a swoosh, a long silhouette rose from the tub, lifting Arabelle’s body with it.
Sensing his self-control was at its limit, the emperor, without hesitation, carried Arabelle out of the tub.
The reason he hadn’t entrusted Arabelle’s bath to the imperial maids or her own maids was because of the wounds scattered all over her body.
What explanation could Arabelle possibly give them? It was clear it would only result in scandalous rumors. While he didn’t care about any rumors about himself, he couldn’t tolerate any tainted gossip about Arabelle.
Most of all… he didn’t want to leave the wounded Arabelle, who had been hurt because of him, in anyone else's care. The emperor’s jaw clenched as he looked down at the lover cradled in his arms.
However, as time passed in the tub, desire shamelessly reared its head, undermining his pure intention to care for her. The emperor hurriedly tried to move Arabelle to the bed, but she woke up in the process.
All Arabelle did was smile, look at him, call him, and bite her lip, yet to the emperor, they were irresistible sweet temptations.
Wrapping Arabelle’s body in a large towel, he walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
Long, wet footprints formed on the dark blue marble floor. Even while heading to the bed, the emperor’s hands were busy drying Arabelle’s wet hair.
He carefully laid Arabelle on the bed and handed her a fresh chemise and nightgown prepared nearby.
"Can you dress yourself?"
Arabelle’s cheeks flushed a deep red as she nodded slightly. While the emperor turned his back and waited, Arabelle swiftly removed the towel and changed out of the chemise she wore in the tub into the new clothes.
The thick droplets of water that trickled down his neck and back, and the water dripping from his wet black pants, formed small puddles on the floor.
As she tied the strings of her nightgown, Arabelle realized. There had never been a moment when her chemise strings were untied during their intimate moments, nor had his pants ever disappeared.
Last night, he had desperately pushed her away when she ran to him in pain. She could feel his fear of possibly hurting her as she held him.
As she looked at his broad back, scarred from numerous battles, fights, and curses, Arabelle’s eyes wavered.
‘I promised that no one would treat you carelessly, and that includes myself.’
The emperor’s words from last night at the villa echoed in her ears.
When Arabelle reached out and took his fingers, the emperor turned to face her.
"Does it hurt…?"
Cupping her cheek with one hand, he asked quietly.
His eyes, which seemed to hurt more than hers, made her throat tighten, and she could only shake her head in silence.
Trying to steady her voice, she replied,
"I’m not in pain at all. Most of these wounds are from my hurried arrival."
The emperor sat on the edge of the bed and gently lifted Arabelle’s chin to look into her eyes.
"You’ve become good at lying because of me."
His low voice slipped through his teeth as he looked at her wide, clear eyes.
"When you first came to the palace, you said you weren’t tired even when you were. You didn’t show when you were wronged. And now, you say you’re not in pain when you are. All because of me."
"It’s not true. I’m really not in pain."
Arabelle shook her head vigorously, placing her hands over his on her cheek. To convey that she wasn’t lying, she looked steadily into his deep, somber eyes.
The emperor’s unreadable gaze stayed on her as he leaned forward, bringing his face close to hers.
"Nevertheless, forgive me for being selfish and keeping you by my side."
As his lips touched her pink ones, her slightly parted mouth opened a little more, and the emperor’s grip on her chin gently lowered.
The lips of the two lovers longingly embraced each other, diving deep and sharing a breath.
***
The emperor’s third audience chamber.
The imperial family and elder nobles were waiting for the emperor.
They were gathered to express their opposition to the emperor’s announcement to abolish the Empress Selection Tournament. When the highest-ranking nobles of the empire entered the palace, none of them expected the emperor would meet with them so readily.
"How can you even consider abolishing the Empress Selection Tournament that has continued for hundreds of years? And in the middle of the tournament! It’s tantamount to declaring that you’re disregarding the traditions of the imperial family."
"If you abolish the Empress Selection Tournament, you might also abolish other imperial traditions next. You could even talk about eliminating the special pensions granted to the imperial family and the elder noble families."
"Honestly, our families are heavily involved in businesses connected to the Empress Selection Tournament and other imperial traditional events. If these disappear one by one, we will suffer enormous losses."
"Haven’t I said before? If we band together, not even His Majesty the Emperor can ignore us."
"We’ve been too submissive until now. To ensure the prosperity of the empire, we have supported the young emperor without objection, and he has come to look down on us."
"Let’s show our united strength this time. His Majesty must understand the influence we can exert on the empire when we stand together."
The imperial family members and elder nobles continued their conversation, filled with bravado. It was as if they believed their past silence on Maxwell’s actions was a gracious favor to the empire.
"If the Empress Selection Tournament is abolished here, I won’t stand idly by as the Empress Dowager, the late emperor’s wife."
When the Empress Dowager spoke with a piercing gaze, the representative of the diplomatic delegation from the Kingdom of Sevilles, seated beside her, nodded with a stern expression.
The guards outside announced the emperor’s arrival, opening the doors to the audience chamber wide.
Without a cloak and dressed in a plain black velvet uniform, the emperor’s presence alone dominated the restless atmosphere of the room.
From his dark blue-black hair to the black gloves on his elongated hands and the black boots reaching just below his knees, everything about him amplified his chilling aura.
Ignoring the people who rose to greet him, the emperor arrogantly signaled to Kyle, his aide.
As Kyle nodded to his secretaries, several men in uniforms distributed long envelopes to those seated at the table.
As the emperor raised his chin, those gathered in the audience chamber, with rigid expressions, opened the envelopes stamped with the emperor’s seal and took out the contents.
"To avoid wasting time,"
The emperor began to speak slowly, making eye contact with each person present, his red eyes devoid of emotion yet subtly smiling.
"I’ve written my responses to your concerns and worries about the empire in here. Read them. If there are still objections to abolishing the Empress Selection Tournament afterward, I will sincerely listen."
Determined not to be swayed by the emperor this time, their eyes promised unity.
Reluctantly, they read the documents, their eyes widening in unison, then twitching and convulsing before finally displaying the compliant gaze of a submissive flock of sheep.
Even the Empress Dowager, unable to speak, merely twisted her lips, clutching the corner of the document in her hand.
The document, handwritten by the emperor, contained his work plans for the next six months. And there were two plans.
One was the emperor’s schedule, filled with preparations for the engagement, wedding, and honeymoon after the unanimous abolition of the Empress Selection Tournament that afternoon.
The other detailed his schedule if the tournament proceeded, ending with two more rounds and a final round if no winner emerged. It included the process of invalidating the tournament if his ‘fiancée’ didn’t win, and the emperor’s activities during this time.
In summary, he would thoroughly strip the imperial family and elder nobles of their assets.
Even without extensive efforts, the emperor could easily expose their wrongdoings if he wished, but he wrote that during the waiting period, he would conduct a ‘careful and thorough’ investigation.
This included examining the wealth amassed by exploiting special privileges, tax and land inheritance investigations, and even tracking hidden assets abroad.
The emperor had noted cryptic numbers next to each family’s name, indicating the number of unreported businesses they were involved in, as if he already knew everything.
To those sitting with ashen faces, forcing smiles of loyal subjects, the emperor spread his arms wide. With a face full of benevolence and a voice dripping with affection, he spoke.
"If there are any objections to abolishing the Empress Selection Tournament, speak now. I will listen with an open heart. I didn’t bring my sword, lest you fear. See? So feel free to speak your mind."
The emperor turned his head and addressed the Empress Dowager in a familiar tone.
"I heard the Princess of Chatel voluntarily withdrew today. It’s fortunate that two of the remaining three candidates are ladies of our empire, and one is a princess of the Kingdom of Sevilles. If we had mishandled this, it could have led to diplomatic friction. I trust you will explain this well to Sevilles, as you are not from Sevilles but from the Helteran Empire."
The audience chamber fell into a silence so deep that even a pin drop could be heard.
The emperor’s once warm red eyes turned cold and dark, his deep, weighted voice pressing down on those present.
"If there are no further objections, I hereby permanently abolish the Empress Selection Tournament. Any further complaints will be regarded as a direct challenge to me and will be dealt with accordingly."
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