CHAPTER 049
Past Midnight
A small figure stood on the balcony of the second-floor bedroom, gazing down at the dark pond garden below.
She listened intently to the faint sound of the breeze rustling over the pond, rising on her tiptoes and straining her eyes. When the figure she was waiting for didn’t appear, disappointment clouded her large eyes, and she lowered her head.
‘I'll just take a quick look at you sleeping, so don’t be alarmed if you hear something.’
This was what the Emperor had whispered in Arabelle’s ear, just loud enough for her to hear, as he escorted her to the entrance of the eleventh annex.
The Emperor, offering his arm to Arabelle, walked past the ten candidates who stood with their heads bowed, nervously biting their lips, and entered the annex with her.
‘I have many matters to attend to today, so I must go.’
The Emperor’s crimson eyes were focused solely on the woman in front of him, seemingly indifferent to the fact that all eyes in the annex were on him.
He gently tucked her soft, cascading hair behind her ear, his long, kind fingers lingering briefly on her delicate earlobe before moving away.
The words ‘I’ll wait for you’ hovered on her lips, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them, just standing there with a flushed face, annoyed at herself.
The Emperor had told her not to wait and to sleep, but she couldn’t sleep, her heart still racing. It had been less than a day since she parted from him, yet she already missed him. She felt like a greedy person.
A girl who had never once been greedy in her life was now experiencing a whirlwind of emotions as she awakened to love, biting her lower lip in confusion.
“Should you be biting your lip like that when it must still hurt?”
Startled by the gentle voice above her, Arabelle looked up.
Under the soft crescent moon, a beautifully shadowed face came into view. The Emperor, who had silently ascended to the second-floor balcony, brought his lips to hers, gently separating her bitten lip from her teeth as soon as he finished speaking.
Tears welled up in her eyes as his soothing kiss touched her lips, and she closed her eyes tightly, overwhelmed with joy.
His warm lips moved from hers to press softly against her cheek. The partially opened lips lingered under her tear-filled eyelids, catching her tears.
“Why are you out here in the cold? Were you perhaps waiting for the cub you left behind the other day?”
At the Emperor’s teasing tone, Arabelle’s eyes drooped lower, and she shook her head.
Feeling too shy to answer properly, she just clutched at the Emperor’s tunic, her dry hands catching his eye. His crimson eyes sparkled with genuine amusement. He could spend all day teasing her in the bedroom and never get bored.
“Then were you waiting for me?”
When the Emperor asked, Arabelle’s forehead and earlobes turned red, and she nodded.
Finding her utterly adorable, the Emperor had to restrain his desire to carry her straight to his bedroom.
“You’re freezing. What if you catch a cold?”
The Emperor swiftly brought Arabelle into his embrace and carried her through the balcony door into the bedroom.
He lay down on the bed, still holding her, extending an arm to give her a pillow. With his other hand, he gently stroked her small head.
“I had planned just to watch you sleep for a bit….”
“Will you leave right away…?”
Gathering her courage, Arabelle asked but couldn’t meet his crimson gaze, lowering her eyes. Subconsciously, she fidgeted with his tunic as if afraid he might disappear.
‘It would be better if she grabbed something other than my clothes…’ The Emperor struggled to suppress the thought of taking her hand and leading it inside his trousers.
‘Still, it’s commendable that she has the courage to hold onto my clothes now.’
He smiled contentedly.
“When you’re with me, I told you not to avoid my eyes.”
The Emperor lifted her delicate chin, letting her soft brown eyes meet his.
“Would you prefer if I left immediately?”
Arabelle shook her head, not looking away from his gaze.
Startled by the sudden blurriness in her vision, she blinked rapidly. Being in his arms felt embarrassing, yet she wished time would slow down, caught in the contradictory emotions.
The Emperor’s brow furrowed slightly as he gazed into her clear eyes, overwhelmed by chaotic feelings. The creature in his arms was so precious that it scared him.
For the first time, the Emperor, who had never known fear, was terrified of hurting, saddening, or losing those innocent eyes that couldn’t hide their emotions.
His lips covered hers again, gently parting them as he repeated the kiss he had taught her the previous night.
As she still struggled to control her breathing, he whispered between her gasps,
“I’ll leave once you’re asleep, so don’t worry.”
An orange glow with a golden rim spread across the dark sky, signaling the approach of dawn.
The Emperor watched her even breathing, her sharp features softened in slumber. He reluctantly pressed his lips to her soft cheek one last time and carefully removed his arm from under her head.
His tall silhouette slipped out through the balcony window without a sound and vanished in an instant.
***
### The Empress Selection Competition Office
“The Emperor not only spent the night with his favored candidate before the competition started, but he also appeared with her at the annex the following day. I formally object to this.”
The Grand Duchess, usually maintaining a cynical smile and calm demeanor in any situation, raised her voice uncharacteristically.
When Grand Duchess Caroline uncharacteristically raised her voice, the head judge of the competition, Countess Judy, looked troubled as she replied,
“While it’s true that His Majesty favors Lady Arabelle, he has officially stated that he will not exert any influence over the competition.”
“You believe that? We’re talking about Emperor Maxwell here. He eliminated the previous emperor’s faction within three months of ascending to the throne. He was only twenty at the time.”
‘Hush, Uncle, and Aunt, if you want to live, stay down. Otherwise, this sword might accidentally target you. After all, I should keep at least one of my father’s bloodline around so I won’t be lonely.’
This was what the Emperor had said to her and her husband in the grand hall during the ‘Festival of Blood,’ etched in the empire’s history, as he dragged his sword tip across the marble floor, bringing his crimson lips to his finger.
Remembering that moment, the Grand Duchess spoke with clenched fists, her nails digging into her skin.
“He now holds absolute power. If he wishes, he can abolish the competition and place that girl on the throne as Empress. He would decapitate any rebellious nobles without hesitation!”
“There have been many favored candidates by various emperors in the past. However, not all of them became Empresses. You know well that only the lady who wins the competition can become Empress, as per Imperial tradition.”
When Countess Judy responded, the Grand Duchess raised her voice again, frustrated.
“Emperor Maxwell is different from other emperors. Don’t you see? He will make that country bumpkin Empress no matter what.”
“Unless cheating is proven, there is nothing we can do. If you bring evidence, we will conduct a thorough investigation.”
Countess Judy, the first female dean of the Imperial University and a strict principlist, wouldn’t overlook wrongdoing, even if it involved the Emperor.
However, she wouldn’t entertain objections based on suspicions without evidence. This was why the Emperor had chosen her as the head judge of the competition.
Unable to achieve anything, Grand Duchess Caroline left the office, trying to control her breathing in her frustration.
“What a wasted trip, Grand Duchess.”
“Your Majesty, the Dowager Empress.”
Turning around at the sound of a voice behind her in the long marble corridor, she saw the Dowager Empress.
“I visited Countess Judy this morning as well. That clueless woman wouldn’t listen.”
Walking along the outdoor corridor with the Grand Duchess, the Dowager Empress spoke with a twisted smile.
“It seems our Emperor is trying to give legitimacy to his favored lady.”
“I thought the same. It’s absurd that he’s trying to elevate a worthless woman from a fallen house to Empress.”
The saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend seemed fitting. The fox and the snake, who had been at each other’s throats, found themselves in agreement for once.
“If Arabelle wins the competition that he has ostensibly left alone, it will grant her undeniable legitimacy. Even the highest-ranking nobles and royalty won’t be able to deny her.”
“And if she loses, he will intervene then. He will do whatever it takes to place that girl on the throne.”
Both women knew well how terrifying the Emperor’s face could be behind his dignified exterior.
“Why don’t we form a temporary alliance until this thorn is removed?”
“Gladly. I was about to suggest the same.”
Hiding their animosity, the two women smiled at each other, baring their white teeth.
***
Lady Grace’s Annex
“Tell me everything without leaving out a single detail.”
Lady Grace and two ladies from her circle sat in the parlor, looking at the girl in front of them with arrogant eyes.
Millie, who had been standing with her lips tightly shut, finally spoke.
“He visited her late last night and left at dawn.”
Thud. Unable to control her anger, Grace slammed her fist onto the armrest of her chair.
As her fist, quickly turning red and swollen, trembled, she spoke in a chilling voice.
“My aunt told me to wait patiently, but I can’t just stand by anymore. I will get rid of her myself.”
Not only had the Emperor’s attention been stolen by something insignificant, but she had also been publicly humiliated, receiving a cold warning from him for speaking ill of his beloved Arabelle. She had been so furious that she couldn’t even sleep.
Grace’s friends, who knew how vindictive and cruel she could be, swallowed nervously.
Those who became the target of Grace’s wrath often met a miserable end. She was capable of such cruelty that it was hard to believe she was a noble lady raised in a grand ducal family.
“Perhaps we should wait to see the results of the first competition tomorrow. What could an uneducated country bumpkin be good at?”
“Yes, Grace. She will likely fail on her own tomorrow. She’ll only bring shame upon herself.”
As the ladies tried to persuade her, Grace nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. Tomorrow’s test will be unimaginably difficult for that girl. Let’s wait a bit.”
Just as Millie was about to return to Arabelle’s annex, Grace’s sinister voice stopped her.
“Stay. I have another task for you.”
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