CHAPTER 027
The yellow ginkgo leaves that had fallen from the red cherry trees began to create a path before Arabelle's small feet. Falling like they were sprinkled from the sky, the ginkgo leaves split off from the gravel path of the dense forest, forming a new path.
Seeing this unfamiliar leaf path unfold, Arabelle paused and looked up at the sky.
Her round, light brown eyes grew larger and larger,
"Master...?"
A word barely audible escaped her lips.
Unable to contain her overwhelming emotions, Arabelle started running along the yellow path that appeared before her. The only person who could drop yellow leaves in a place with no ginkgo trees to send a signal was... her master.
Not knowing where the yellow path was leading, Arabelle ran quickly like a squirrel, someone hurriedly chasing after her.
However, soon...
"Hah, hah, she's really fast."
Milly, who had lost sight of Arabelle, panted heavily and looked around.
The forest, designed like a maze to keep the separate palace hidden, made it difficult to find someone once you lost track of them.
'Why did she suddenly start running? It's not like she doesn't know I'm following her.'
The yellow ginkgo leaves, already scattered by Arabelle's footsteps, did not particularly catch Milly's attention as she frowned.
How far had she gone? Arabelle soon passed through the forest and reached a green vine taller than her. She couldn't go any further, but she found a yellow leaf right in front of the vine, and she tilted her small head.
"Master, where are you?"
Arabelle whispered as she looked around repeatedly, then noticed a ginkgo leaf stuck in the middle of the vine before her.
As she reached out to take the leaf, her eyes widened.
The first reason was, 'The vine isn't real. It's an artificial forest!' The bigger reason was that the vine rotated 180 degrees, and Arabelle's body followed the rotation, moving her to the opposite side of the vine.
As she calmed her pounding heart, Arabelle whispered.
"Master, are you here?"
Behind the vine was a dark indoor corridor where even sunlight couldn't reach. Her eyes, not yet adjusted to the darkness, blinked repeatedly as she took one step at a time. She walked down the long corridor, feeling the rough wall with her hands.
Then,
Crackle, a thin stream of smoke rose to the ceiling, and a white light appeared, illuminating the corridor.
Her eyes squinted at the sudden light, but soon she saw the lamp. The long fingers holding the lamp and the shadow standing behind it also came into view.
"Were you expecting your master? I'm very sorry to disappoint you."
A cold, eerie voice whispered into Arabelle's ear.
***
Arabelle's Candidate Quarters No. 11.
"Where did you go?"
"Oh? Just... wanted to get some fresh air."
"How's your injured wrist?"
"It's still a bit sore, but it's not too bad."
Rosa, who had suddenly disappeared and then returned, avoided her friend Dina's gaze and mumbled her reply.
"Why did you fight with a royal servant... It's no good for you or the lady. We have no allies here."
Among the three maids, Dina and Rosa had been the closest friends since childhood.
When they heard nothing about the etiquette class today, the maids questioned the schedule manager from the Royal Competition Committee, but the response was an absurd lie.
'What are you talking about? I clearly told you yesterday. Yes, you with the red hair. I told you there would be a class right after breakfast!'
Unable to believe it, Dina, trying to keep her temper, asked when that had happened. The schedule manager, a girl around their age, sneered.
'If you heard and still forgot, it's your slow brain to blame. Why take it out on me? They say maids reflect their mistresses... tsk.'
Not wanting to cause a scene, Rosa and Dina turned away, clenching their trembling fists, as the other maids began to make snide remarks.
It seemed they no longer cared to use honorifics for Arabelle, repeating the very words the ladies openly said to her.
'Do you think she can catch up just by attending one class? She'd be better off relaxing in the villa eating snacks instead of sitting there clueless. She should be thankful for the opportunity to eat food she's never had in her life.'
'It would help everyone if she did nothing rather than inconveniencing others. Why is she trying so hard to follow everything? If your lady lacks sense, at least her maids should be more competent.'
'Damn it, what did you just say?'
Hot-tempered Rosa leaped into the group of maids, and soon the outdoor class amphitheater turned into chaos.
"Don't act rashly. Getting hurt will only harm us. Our healthy bodies are all we have."
Dina sighed as she spoke to Rosa, who remained silent after returning to the quarters.
"It looks like the dream of becoming Empress is gone. The Emperor seems to have completely forgotten about her. There's nothing good about making enemies here. When the competition is over, we should just save our wages and find our way."
"About that..."
Rosa hesitated, about to tell Dina something when the bedroom door opened, and she quickly shut her mouth.
"Have you finished organizing the lady's dresses? If you're done, come and help clean the rug in the sitting room. Let's dust it off and relieve some stress."
Nodding at their superior Vera's words, the two maids followed her out.
"What were you going to say?"
"Nothing... really."
Rosa mumbled, shaking her head at Dina's question.
'Our lady seems to have taken quite a liking to your sharp temper. Come over secretly when you collect the bedding tonight. The lady has something important to say.'
The right-hand maid of Princess Lilibet had finished her sentence with a sly smile.
“You're really in luck. It's a chance to serve the future Empress, so don’t think too hard and just take it.”
“Is today the day to get new bedding?”
“I, I'll go.”
As Vera said this while pounding the carpet with a broom, Rosa, who was helping beside her, quickly answered.
***
“Oh dear. It seems you've been waiting for your master for a long time. You must be very disappointed.”
The shadow of a man who had approached cast an eerie presence over Arabelle's head.
Even though his voice was devoid of emotion, it felt like ice water was being poured down her spine, causing Arabelle's shoulders to tense up.
“Moreover, you must be doubly disappointed to see the face of someone you didn't want to meet.”
In her large, blinking eyes, a handsome face with a mocking expression came into view. There was no trace of the playful glint he often showed in his crimson eyes which were now filled with coldness.
It was the same look she had seen once before when he had saved her during a forest fire. A suffocating calm before the explosion.
“Y-Your Majesty… how are you here…?”
For some reason, her voice wouldn't come out properly.
It wasn't because she was scared, but because her heart was pounding with joy. Feeling embarrassed, Arabelle took a step back and quickly bowed her head. Her face felt so hot that she wanted to hide.
Seeing Arabelle stutter and avoid his gaze, the Emperor's jaw clenched tightly.
It was as if they were back to square one. To the moment in the stables of Kender Castle where she stood rigid, unable to even meet his eyes.
His feelings twisted in an indescribable way. Was she crying by any chance? Had she been unable to contact him despite wanting to, and had been pacing anxiously? Did she want to run away?
He had discarded his dignity as an Emperor, hiding like a thief in a tree, dropping ginkgo leaves to guide her. He felt humiliated and furious at himself for worrying dozens of times a day.
For a woman who never sought him out once after returning to the palace… The fact that he had discarded his pride and come looking for her with his own two feet felt utterly pathetic and shameful.
The woman before him had been waiting for someone else. The Emperor's taut neck muscles twitched angrily.
“Did you send a note to your master? Asking him to come and take you away?”
She had clearly called out 'Master'. With an excited voice, looking at the yellow ginkgo leaves falling before her.
As if she had wanted him to come and save her.
As he stood before Arabelle with slow strides, his large shoes nearly touched her small ones.
Arabelle shook her head, answering.
“No. I just thought that the only person who could send ginkgo leaves from the cherry trees was my master. I didn’t expect Your Majesty to come…”
“I'm sorry that it's me, not the master you were eagerly awaiting. Why, are you disappointed that you've lost your chance to run away?”
Arabelle shook her head again at the Emperor's cold voice. Each word from him was like a sharp ice shard, making her throat sting.
Missing the kind Emperor, Arabelle bowed her head even deeper.
“If it's not true, then why can’t you look me in the eye? Didn't I tell you? When you are with me, look me straight in the eyes. Here…”
The Emperor took a deep breath before continuing.
“Were you waiting for your master here because you wanted to escape? Is that why you can't look me in the eye, with your deceitful eyes?”
His reason was slowly slipping away. Unlike his usual self, the Emperor was pressing the woman in front of him.
‘I shouldn’t have brought her as a candidate for Empress. Instead of leaving her to endure humiliation in the separate palace, I should have secretly brought her here and kept her hidden. If she were in my grasp, she couldn't run away.’
His eyes gleamed ominously as he contemplated changing his plans and taking Arabelle away right then and there.
“No, I absolutely didn’t think about running away.”
The Emperor spoke to Arabelle, who still had her head bowed.
“You can't even raise your head because you're afraid your lie will be exposed. Raise your head look me straight in the eyes and say it.”
“No, no, that’s not it.”
“Then what is it? Why can't you raise your head?”
“…”
Over Arabelle's bowed head, the Emperor's voice dropped chillingly.
“Speak clearly. Otherwise, I will believe that you intended to run away with your master.”
“I'm embarrassed…”
“Are you saying you're embarrassed because your intention to run away was discovered?”
“No…”
In the Emperor's narrowed crimson eyes, he saw the small head shaking repeatedly.
“Then what is it? Is it because you were waiting so eagerly for your master?”
“No, that’s not it…”
Arabelle slowly lifted her head to meet the Emperor's gaze. Her kind eyes were filled with the icy stare of the Emperor's red eyes.
“I’m so happy to see Your Majesty that my heart feels like it’s about to burst. And… when I look at you, I feel relieved and tears well up…”
Arabelle quickly bowed her head again and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I’m sorry for showing you such a weak side. I should be helping Your Majesty… but I keep causing you worry.”
Haah… A small sigh escaped the Emperor’s lips.
Seeing her crying was infinitely pitiful and heartbreaking… but hearing her say that she was so happy to see him that her heart felt like it would burst made all his negative emotions vanish instantly.
With his large hands, he gently wrapped her slender, trembling back and pulled her into his embrace. Her sweet, pure scent both stimulated his senses and calmed him.
“If you had shown me your happiness at seeing me right away, there wouldn’t have been such misunderstandings.”
The back of the Emperor's neck flushed as he realized how harshly he had pressed her without giving her a chance to speak.
“There’s a place I want to take you. I’ll send a message to Vera, so don’t worry and come with me.”
Taking the large pendant on his brow with his long fingers, the Emperor spoke in a gentle voice.
Relieved by the Emperor’s warm smile, Arabelle nodded.
As the Emperor naturally took Arabelle’s hand and led her out of the cave… it was like watching a black panther coaxing a naive deer back to its lair.
However, Arabelle, with a happy smile of reassurance at meeting the Emperor, followed him without hesitation.
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