CHAPTER 016
Count Laurel's former estate, 'Mountain of the Lake.'
"I never realized how much the Emperor cares for the people."
"To think that His Majesty wouldn't shy away from such laborious work..."
"As expected, Lord Maxwell is truly a heaven-sent person."
Voices full of admiration for the Emperor echoed throughout the forest.
The eyes of those gathered to restore the forest after the fire were fixed on a young man working most diligently.
It was an unbelievable sight even though they were witnessing it with their own eyes. The dignified Emperor Maxwell was personally involved in the forest's restoration.
As the villagers cleaned up the traces of the wildfire set by a nefarious arsonist, a hundred soldiers from the former Count Laurel's estate appeared, accompanied by thirty members of the Imperial Guard, supporting Emperor Maxwell and his retinue.
The villagers were so surprised to see the Emperor in such a filthy scene that they bowed their heads in greeting. The Emperor spoke.
"From now on, the army will join the villagers in the restoration work. Under the command of Sir Jacob, form teams and execute your respective roles."
The Emperor's declaration of deploying the army left the villagers dumbfounded, unable to grasp his intent.
In times of such natural disasters, the aftermath was solely the responsibility of the villagers. Especially in territories far from the central administrative capital, the quality of life of the people was determined purely by the lords.
The former Count Laurel, who pursued superficial glamour, brought the latest trends from the capital, ensuring the village was never out of vogue.
However, he had little interest in managing natural resources like mountains or rivers, and the estate's economy, unable to support proper pasturing or farming, was rotting away.
Until now, the lush prosperity of 'Mountain of the Lake' had been purely a gift from nature.
"Indeed, working systematically like this makes it much easier."
"It feels like we've cut the time by more than half."
"Planting trees and building stone walls along the forest edges leading to the village should mitigate concerns about floods or landslides."
The villagers' expressions brightened as they formed teams to remove damaged trees and plant saplings.
And the Emperor, who they believed would soon return to the castle, threw off his uniform jacket and vest, shouldered a large log felled by the flames, and helped with the restoration work.
In the late afternoon sun, the Emperor exuded a powerful presence, creating an illusion that the sun followed only him. His lean muscles, defined under his sweat-soaked tunic, offered a spectacle to the exhausted villagers.
Whenever thick sweat drops traced his sharp jawline and ran down his long neck, the women momentarily forgot to breathe. Every time his biceps and triceps bulged while lifting fallen logs from the ashes, the men had to roll down their shirt sleeves.
"I thought he would soon return to the castle, but to think he would personally help with the work is surprising."
"Wasn't the restoration work not even planned?"
Sir Jacob and Sir Peter, covered in sweat despite the late autumn chill, paused for a moment to catch their breath and talked.
Their gazes followed the Emperor, who had paused in moving the ashes, and saw that his red eyes were fixed on something.
As if on cue, the two knights followed his gaze and saw Arabelle tending to the exhausted and injured wild animals, giving them water and treating them.
When Arabelle noticed the Emperor and smiled, his eyes and lips simultaneously formed arcs, and he began walking towards her.
"Aren't you tired?"
"No. Are you not exhausted, Your Majesty?"
"Do you think I would be tired from something like this? Do you not know who I am?"
"You are the most gracious and excellent Emperor on the continent."
At Arabelle's sincere and unhesitant response, the corners of the Emperor's lips lifted towards the sky.
He had been wary of those who flattered him with such praises. However, when he heard Arabelle's somewhat cheesy compliment, he found himself wanting to hear it again. The Emperor thought as he tried to suppress his foolishly twitching lips.
It might have started when he heard Arabelle's praise in the shabby dining room of Candor Castle, saying, 'Your Majesty is the best person I have ever met.' Being seen as a good person by just one person wouldn't be a bad thing.
The Emperor, returning from the boutique, changed into the shabby clothes he brought in a bundle and encountered Arabelle coming down the stairs.
"I want to help with the mountain restoration. The villagers are gathering in the mountain now."
"Why do you want to help with their work? It would be better to rest today if we are to leave tomorrow."
"It's not just their work. The mountain's ecosystem is connected to everything. If the mountain dies, it will greatly impact not only the life within it but also the village. I want to help, even if it's just a little."
Arabelle spoke firmly, puffing her nostrils, to the Emperor, who frowned, seemingly displeased.
"Especially knowing it was the act of an arsonist and not a natural disaster, I can't help but assist. As a fellow human, I feel so sorry for the burned mountain."
The Emperor's eyebrow twitched momentarily at Arabelle's words, as she clenched her fist.
"How can you be so sure? I was told it was a natural disaster."
"I checked it myself on the way back. The fire spread quickly because someone dropped embers in a diamond pattern among the trees. They even poured maple oil to make the flames spread faster."
The Emperor had forgotten. The girl who loved the mountain, climbing it as nimbly as a squirrel.
"The person who set the fire is truly terrible. Really awful."
At Arabelle's words, spoken with trembling lips, the Emperor staggered as if he had been punched in the stomach.
"I will return by dawn tomorrow."
Arabelle bowed her head in greeting, and the Emperor slowly opened his mouth.
"I will help."
***
"Oh my, how skilled you are... You know more about the land than we do, even though we've been farming these rough fields."
"If Lady Arabelle hadn't taught us, we would have cut down all the burnt trees without knowing any better. We almost killed precious trees."
"I've been climbing mountains for 40 years, but I've never seen anyone with such extensive knowledge about them. To distinguish between the land that nature should handle and the land that needs human help..."
"Did you see how the wild animals follow the lady? She's so gentle and attentive in her care. I was moved just watching her."
"I heard she's a candidate for Empress, so I thought she wouldn't be able to handle such rough work, but I'm just amazed."
"Oh, tell me about it. Noble ladies usually act like they'll catch some disease just being around us commoners."
"Such a person should become the Empress..."
Listening to the villagers' conversations while busily moving with the saplings, the soldiers nodded in agreement.
"To be honest, I wasn't happy when I heard we were being mobilized for the restoration work. I thought it was just another bothersome task. But now that I've actually helped, I feel good."
As one soldier hesitantly spoke, the other gathered soldiers began to share their thoughts one by one.
"I felt bad when we set the mountain on fire. But helping out like this has lightened my heart."
"To be honest, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this work. Planting saplings, and moving injured animals to safety. I want to learn more about this when I return home."
"I feel proud that we directly helped the people."
Sir Jacob and Sir Peter nodded in agreement, though they didn't say anything.
***
"I will call a doctor."
"No, there's no need for that. Let's return to the castle."
Late at night, after the restoration work was completed, a large tree branch fell on the Emperor's shoulder. Kyle, the advisor, urgently spoke to the bleeding Emperor, but he shook his head. Arabelle's face turned as white as a sheet as she started to help stop the bleeding.
"I will escort you."
Sir Peter brought a horse to the Emperor and said,
"Don't make a fuss. I'm not injured to the point where I can't ride."
The Emperor mounted the white horse with one hand and extended his hand to Arabelle, who shook her head.
"I will ride separately to avoid straining your injured arm."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You need to hold pressure on my shoulder to stop the bleeding. What if the bleeding worsens while descending the mountain?"
As the Emperor persisted, Kyle whispered to Arabelle,
"His Majesty is right. It might get worse, so please ride with him."
Arabelle nodded and approached the Emperor, who swiftly pulled her slender waist onto the saddle.
"Here, and here, no, a bit lower. Yes, place your hands there; it will help stop the bleeding."
As they descended the mountain, the Emperor guided Arabelle's hands over his wound.
Though his left shoulder was the only injured part, the Emperor claimed his chest was also hurt, making Arabelle keep her hands on both his shoulder and chest as they returned to the castle.
It was a rather embarrassing position if seen by others, with the woman seated in front, facing the man and seemingly embracing him.
Whenever Arabelle's hands tensed at the feel of the Emperor's skin through the thin tunic, he relentlessly placed her hands back on him.
The warmth of her small hands seemed to spread to his heart, somewhat lifting his previously low spirits.
He had felt irritated watching Arabelle tenderly treat an injured boy, so he approached her. Suddenly, a branch broke and fell on his shoulder.
Though the injury wasn't severe, the sight of Arabelle rushing to him with a pale face made the Emperor's mind race.
It wasn't very painful, but it did sting to some extent. Moreover, he had lost precious blood. By grimacing and expressing his pain, he fully captured Arabelle's attention.
Moments ago, her focus had been on the injured animals and people, but now her soft gaze was entirely on him. The Emperor's mood improved as he entrusted his body to Arabelle's care, despite the rising corners of his mouth that he struggled to suppress.
***
"Where are you going?"
"Huh...? To my bedroom..."
As Arabelle headed to her bedroom after returning to the castle, the Emperor, narrowing his eyebrows, stopped her.
"What about me, who was just seriously injured? Are you going to leave me untreated?"
"You said you didn't need a doctor... Should I ask Advisor Kyle to call one?"
"If you call a doctor, the villagers will feel very guilty, thinking I was severely injured while helping them. They wouldn't be able to rest at home. Moreover, if it gets out that I suffered a serious injury, it won't be good for my security."
The Emperor emphasized "serious injury," and Arabelle nodded, finally understanding.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think of that."
"If you're sorry, then go to my bedroom quickly and treat my injury. If you pity my face twisted in pain."
With eyes filled with pity, Arabelle looked at the Emperor's grimacing face. Clenching her fists, she answered resolutely.
"Yes, I will do my best to treat you."
The Emperor's red eyes sparkled and glimmered as he watched Arabelle hurry ahead into his bedroom.
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