CHAPTER 060
As Emperor Maxwell left the Second Reception Room and headed towards his office, he was in an exceptionally good mood.
For an emperor who rarely displayed emotional fluctuations, being in a good mood indicated that his plans had either been successfully executed or were on the brink of completion.
Indeed, the Earl of Korald's quest team had successfully returned all the Empire's citizens who had been sold into slavery, and the Emperor's plan to eradicate the Venom Pirates along the southern coast had been a resounding success.
Moreover, the corrupt loan sharks and human trafficking organizations that had extended their reach from the Eastern Continent to the Empire had been dismantled. Not only had these groups been thoroughly eradicated, but the nobles who had cooperated with them had also been uncovered and stripped of their titles. The immense wealth they had amassed, hidden from the Empire's eyes, was confiscated and transferred to the Empire's treasury. The dispute over the Western Continent trade routes also concluded faster than expected, favoring the Empire.
Additionally, Grace of the Lussan family, who had tried to disgrace the eleventh candidate and drive her out of the palace, was exposed, along with two other candidates who had aided her. They were all expelled from the palace.
The Emperor's investigation team and the Imperial Executive Branch swiftly concluded the investigation and executed the sentences within a day.
The scandal involving the empress candidates in the separate palace not only shook the Imperial Palace but also the entire Empire, and led to an unexpected outcome. Two of the remaining eight candidates voluntarily withdrew, leaving only six.
Arabelle, envisioning the disapproving eyes of her large, disappointed eyes looking at him, made the Emperor halt his rampant schemes.
Just the fact that the Emperor's footsteps, as he walked towards his office, were not filled with malice was enough to brighten the expressions of his accompanying secretaries.
That was until the Emperor glanced at the wide grassy garden, overlooking the lake, while walking along the outdoor corridor.
The Emperor stopped in his tracks and, with a chilling voice through gritted teeth, asked,
"Are those women over there the empress candidates?"
Under the clear late autumn sky, young men and women were laughing and running around the grassy field joyfully. Although he couldn't remember the faces of the other women, one of them was definitely Arabelle.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The empress candidates are having a self-defense class in the lake garden today."
When Secretary Lax, who managed the events and schedules within the Imperial Palace, answered, the Emperor raised an eyebrow.
With a sharp turn of his chin toward the lake, the Emperor spoke in a lower tone,
"And who are those with the ladies? Judging by their uniforms, they seem to be the sons of noble families rather than soldiers."
"Yes. For today's self-defense class, we arranged for the heirs of selected noble families to instruct the ladies."
At Secretary Lax's response, the Emperor's eyes flashed sharply, and an unusually agitated voice escaped his lips.
"Who dared to allow young nobles to teach the empress candidates?"
Secretary Lax flinched and glanced at the Emperor nervously.
"It was your directive during the competition period, Your Majesty."
"Mine?"
"Yes... Originally, Your Majesty was supposed to personally conduct the self-defense classes for the empress candidates, but you found it tedious and assigned the task to the heirs of noble families who had received knighthoods."
"......."
"You specifically mentioned it was a great opportunity to match those who wouldn't be chosen as empress with the heirs. It would be very beneficial for the Empire to have political marriages between the kingdom and the noble families... Even when the competition committee and the elder nobles opposed it... Ow!"
As Secretary Lax explained, the two other secretaries, Kyle and Antonio, elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
The previously clear sky suddenly seemed darkened with ominous clouds, as if a storm was about to break. The atmosphere around the Emperor grew chilly, almost freezing.
Despite the greenery of the lake garden being bright and fresh, the area around the Emperor felt as if thunder and lightning were imminent.
The Emperor's sharp eyes briefly twitched. His red gaze caught sight of Arabelle, happily laughing, and beside her, smiling shyly... was Timothy, the son of Earl Korald.
"Is Sir Timothy of the Korald family also on the list?"
Secretary Lax nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty. You selected him first, saying it would be a great marriage gift for the Korald family. It seems he's already getting along very well with one of the ladies. As expected, Your Majesty has great foresight... Ouch...!"
Secretary Lax, who had poor eyesight, didn't notice that the young lady next to Timothy in the distant lake garden was Arabelle. Kyle and Antonio, to prevent him from speaking further, stepped on his feet simultaneously.
The Emperor, with an expressionless face, resumed walking. His strides, always measured and precise, suddenly quickened as he descended the stairs and crossed the wide garden.
The Emperor, who had been walking briskly, slowed to a deliberate pace as he approached the entrance of the lake garden, passing through the maze garden lined with ancient gods' statues.
Behind him, his secretaries, out of breath from trying to keep up, were signaled to stop with a low hand gesture from the Emperor.
As he approached the lake, the sound of joyous laughter filled the air.
***
"Hold it like this... Yes, just like that. And then, twist your wrist once."
With eyes more clear and blue than the lake, Timothy gazed at Arabelle, who was diligently practicing according to his instructions.
Arabelle struggled to rotate the long self-defense stick, which was as tall as she was, in her small hands.
The sight of her earnest efforts, with her pink lips pouting in concentration and cheeks flushed from exertion, made Timothy feel a tickle in his throat.
Every time a stray strand of her hair fluttered in the wind, or a sweet scent reached his nose, his heart raced. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at her.
"Ha, ha. It's okay. You're doing well."
"It looked easy when you showed it, but it's quite difficult to do it myself."
As Arabelle spoke, she attempted to rotate the long stick and thrust it forward, but she failed.
"Hold it like this..."
Timothy moved beside her, placing his hand over hers on the stick. As soon as his hand covered hers, she quickly withdrew her small gloved hand.
It was an impulsive move. Timothy widened his eyes in surprise at his own bold action and looked at Arabelle.
"I-I apologize, Lady Arabelle. I made a mistake trying to teach you correctly."
As he apologized with his head bowed to the slightly stiff-looking Arabelle, a deep voice, rich and weighty, came from behind.
"It's alright. Anyone can make a mistake."
Timothy and Arabelle turned simultaneously to see the Emperor standing there with a subtle smile.
The Emperor's sharp red eyes locked onto Timothy's nervous blue eyes, and in a slightly lower voice, he continued,
"But if the same mistake is repeated, people will call it a calculated plan."
Timothy's face, which had paled as if he had committed a serious offense, quickly flushed red. His innocent expression was full of embarrassment, as if someone might mistakenly think he had done something improper with the Emperor's woman.
Before Timothy could apologize, the other noble heirs and empress candidates, who had noticed the Emperor, hurriedly approached and greeted him.
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, we greet you!"
"Your Majesty, Lionel of the Veldor family greets you."
Finally, Timothy, who had been standing stunned, regained his composure and saluted the Emperor with the formality befitting a knight. The Emperor responded with a benevolent smile.
Among those present, the most pleased by the Emperor's unexpected visit was Arabelle. Her innocent face, incapable of lying, lit up with joy the moment she saw the Emperor.
As the Emperor lifted one corner of his mouth and extended his arm toward Arabelle, she moved closer, placing her hand on his arm. Timothy, standing beside her, felt the emptiness where she had been.
"I planned to arrange a meeting since I heard you two knew each other, but it seems you've met already," the Emperor said casually, glancing between Timothy and Arabelle. Although he hadn't planned to arrange a meeting, he pretended he had.
With a bright voice, Arabelle looked up at the Emperor and replied,
"I was surprised too. I came out to the lake garden for the self-defense class, and there was Sir Timothy! I've been struggling with the lessons, and Sir Timothy has been helping me so much."
The Emperor smiled as Arabelle, her large eyes sparkling, recounted how Timothy had been helping her all afternoon.
It was adorable to see Arabelle, who seemed much more comfortable with palace life, speaking to him openly and looking him in the eye in front of others.
However, the Emperor's smile faltered slightly, unnoticed by anyone else. He recalled how, during their first meeting, Arabelle couldn't meet his gaze for quite some time. He had even had to resort to threats to make her look him in the eye.
Yet here she was, conversing comfortably and meeting Timothy's eyes, as if they had known each other for years, despite having only briefly met at the Kander estate.
As his brows furrowed imperceptibly, the Emperor turned his head toward the lake, where he caught sight of their reflections in the water. Between two innocent-looking herbivores stood a menacing predator.
He didn't want to dwell on who the herbivores and predator were supposed to be. The Emperor pulled Arabelle closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
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