CHAPTER 056
"Reveal yourself!"
The commander of the palace's special guard drew his long sword and aimed it at the man crouching on top of the wall. The man, half inside the palace and half outside, quickly scanned his surroundings. The soldiers had already surrounded the area to prevent his escape.
However, the man had no intention of escaping. He needed to appear as if he was trying to flee to avoid suspicion, but his goal was to be caught within the palace.
"Do not get caught easily. That way, you won't be suspected."
Grace had told the young soldier as she handed him a pouch of gold coins.
The man hesitated for a moment before leaping from the wall, only to be restrained by the soldiers who rushed at him. After feigning a struggle, he was captured and dragged back into the palace by the guards.
"Is this the man who fled from Lady Arabelle's quarters?"
"Yes! I saw him with my own eyes. He jumped from the balcony on the second floor of the eleventh candidate's quarters."
"That's right. I shouted when I saw a shadowy figure jumping down like a stray cat, and then he started to run away."
The commander asked the maids who first spotted the man, and they nodded vigorously.
"The eleventh quarters...?"
"Yes, Lady Arabelle Del Sancour's quarters."
The commander hesitated with a troubled expression, while Grace's maids answered in unison, raising their voices.
The commotion had woken the candidates and maids, who began to gather by the pond in the quiet night.
"The second-floor balcony connects only to the lady's bedroom."
One of Grace's maids added this detail as if revealing a secret, and the women gathered around gasped. After a moment of stunned silence, they began to chatter like a swarm of wasps.
"So, are you saying that an outsider was caught fleeing from Lady Arabelle's bedroom at this late hour?"
"Yes, I remembered the blanket left on the outside chair and went to check, only to see a shadow jumping from the second-floor balcony... Oh, my heart is still racing."
"Oh my goodness... How could such an outrageous thing happen in the quarters of a candidate for empress?"
"We must inform His Majesty and the selection committee immediately! We cannot stay in the palace with an immoral woman for even one night. This concerns all our reputations."
None of the candidates or maids by the pond believed the situation outright, but they couldn't miss the chance to eliminate a competitor.
Honestly, after seeing the Emperor himself, how could any woman harbor feelings for another man? Even disregarding his status, comparing other men to Emperor Maxwell was meaningless.
In short, there were two types of men in the world: Emperor Maxwell and everyone else.
Moreover, Arabelle was the only candidate receiving the Emperor's favor. Clearly, someone had devised a plan to tarnish her reputation and eliminate her from the competition.
And the one who concocted this scheme was likely the owner of the quarters where the maids who first spotted the man worked.
The nine candidates glanced surreptitiously at Grace, who stood silently in the background. Though they sensed the situation, none objected, instead clamoring for an immediate investigation.
The commander harshly removed the hood from the resisting man.
"Isn't this the guard stationed at the palace gate?"
As the hood was removed, revealing the rather handsome young man's face, one of the ladies pointed and exclaimed. The captured man closed his eyes tightly, resigned.
"Why were you fleeing from Lady Arabelle's quarters at this late hour?"
The commander demanded, and Grace, standing at a distance, corrected him.
"Ask specifically about Lady Arabelle's bedroom."
The commander cleared his throat and asked again.
"Why were you fleeing from Lady Arabelle's bedroom? Were you stealing something?"
"With no coat, wearing only thin clothes, how could he be stealing... He must have been stealing her heart all night."
One of the maids sneered, and the women giggled behind their hands.
"What nonsense is this?"
Vera, who had arrived breathlessly, shouted as she stepped forward in front of the commander. Dina and Rosa elbowed their way through the crowd of women.
"You're saying this man came out of our lady's bedroom? This is absurd. Tell them it's not true!"
Vera demanded threateningly, looking as if she might grab the young man by the collar.
"Tell the truth now!"
Dina and Rosa shouted in unison at the silent man.
Seeing the young soldier say nothing, the commander's eyes also wavered in confusion. In such cases, even if it were true, one would usually deny everything, but this young man was not making any excuses.
Grace's maids, hands on their hips, raised their voices.
"We saw him clearly. He came out of your lady's bedroom. Stop wasting your breath."
"He can't even make an excuse because he was caught red-handed. You've been hiding your lady's secret meetings, so you're accomplices. You're guilty too!"
As the trio of maids glared and took a step closer,
"What did you say? Don't speak so carelessly. We won't let you tarnish our lady's name!"
Rosa shouted, clenching her fists.
"Commander Cassidy, don't waste time here. Investigate the scene immediately. There will be evidence left in the bedroom."
Grace spoke calmly, and Commander Cassidy hesitated, looking troubled.
"We cannot enter the quarters of the ladies without permission. We must first obtain permission from the Royal Guard commander, and a female investigator must accompany us. I've already sent someone, so please wait a moment."
"What do you mean by that? What if the evidence is destroyed? Will you take responsibility, Commander? Besides, the man who came out of Lady Arabelle's bedroom is one of your soldiers. Are you trying to buy time to help hide the evidence?"
Grace's rival, Lilibet, stepped up to the commander's face and spoke harshly. The other ladies, eyes alight with suspicion, nodded in agreement.
"If you do not investigate immediately, the families gathered here will hold you personally accountable."
Under the piercing gazes of the ladies from the Empire's and the continent's top families, Commander Cassidy swallowed dryly.
"This is unacceptable!"
"Even if you're from the guard, you need authorization to enter a candidate for Empress's quarters. You know that a female investigator must accompany you."
The trio of maids blocked the door to the quarters, but they could not stop the commander, who had already made up his mind.
After pushing past Vera's broad shoulders, Commander Cassidy and his soldiers entered the quarters and headed straight for the second floor.
As the ladies had said, the captured man was indeed one of his soldiers.
Judging by the situation, it seemed that one of the most popular and handsome soldiers in the guard had an affair with the Empress candidate. If an investigation wasn't conducted swiftly, both he and his guard unit could lose their heads.
Despite their constant vigilance over the palace, this had happened. He felt as if he might faint from the shock. The trio of maids tried to block his way, but they were restrained by the soldiers.
Standing in front of Arabelle's closed bedroom door, Commander Cassidy knocked and spoke in a respectful tone.
"Lady Arabelle, this is Commander Cassidy of the special palace guard. We must conduct an investigation. Please open the door."
"..."
Hearing no response from inside the bedroom, Cassidy tried again.
"My lady, please open the door. This is a serious matter, and we cannot delay."
"Could you please wait a moment? I was already in bed and was not properly dressed to open the door."
As he was about to reply, the ten ladies and their maids, who had somehow followed him up the narrow hallway and stairs, shouted in unison.
"What are you waiting for? Are you deliberately giving her time to destroy the evidence?"
"She's in her nightwear, so it would be a great offense... I was just trying to..."
Intimidated by the ladies' fervor, Commander Cassidy mumbled his response as Grace stepped forward. She glared at the commander as if displeased and spoke in a harsh voice.
"If you won't open the door, I will!"
"Lady Grace! You cannot open another lady's bedroom door without permission!"
Vera, surrounded by soldiers and maids, fought her way forward.
But it was too late. Grace's hand had already turned the doorknob, and she flung the bedroom door wide open for all to see.
"..."
The triumphant gleam in her eyes froze as if she had seen a ghost.
Not only Grace but the other nine ladies, their maids, and the guards, including Commander Cassidy, were all stunned and pale.
In the center of the white bed, the Emperor himself lay with his bare torso reclining against the headboard. On a sofa by the fireplace sat Arabelle, fully dressed.
The Emperor's red eyes gleamed sharply, and his crimson lips parted to release a cold voice.
"I distinctly told you to wait."
"My apologies, Your Majesty!"
Realizing the situation, Commander Cassidy bowed his head, and the soldiers behind him quickly followed suit.
The Emperor rose from the bed, skillfully wrapping a sheet around his lower half, and slowly approached the door.
Despite the cozy and pleasant fragrance of the lady's bedroom, the Emperor's approach made the atmosphere feel chillingly eerie.
Even a slight curve in his lips sent a shiver down their spines.
The ladies, unused to anything but scheming and pampering, trembled in the face of the Emperor's intimidating presence. Grace was no exception. Paralyzed by fear, she stood frozen, hand still on the doorknob, staring at the approaching Emperor.
When the Emperor's long, barefoot stopped in the doorway, a long shadow fell over the heads of those in front.
"You seem to be under the impression that being candidates for Empress means you're already Empresses. Otherwise, why would you act so presumptuously, barging into a rival's quarters without permission?"
The Emperor leaned down to meet the ladies' eye level and whispered seductively.
"I was waiting to tell you not to stop out of fear. Continue behaving in ways that suit your lowly nature. By flaunting my rule not to interfere in palace affairs, you'll give me the justification to personally clean up this mess."
---
Two days earlier.
The evening Grace and Milly met.
"Milly."
"My lady...!"
As Milly was about to sneak over the wall, Arabelle's voice called from behind.
Grace's words about her sister had been unbearable. She had to see how Adele was doing, even from a distance, to ease her anxiety, so she had planned to sneak out of the palace and head beyond the palace grounds.
Having worked in the eastern wing of the palace before joining the special guard, she knew the way and wasn't worried about getting lost.
However, she hesitated, knowing that returning late at night might be problematic due to the increased number of guards inside and outside the palace. But she had to see it for herself.
As Milly prepared to come down, thinking she had been caught by Arabelle...
"I'll keep watch here. Be careful and hurry back."
Arabelle's eyes curved into crescent moons as she whispered.
Without asking where Milly was going, Arabelle simply waved her on, urging her to hurry.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Milly nodded.
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