CHAPTER 038
The emperor, stepping outside the annex, felt a reassuring sense of superiority knowing he was a full head taller than the guards escorting him. This meant that his lips, twitching with a smile he couldn’t suppress, would remain unseen, preserving his imperial dignity.
How could she be so impressive... The image of Arabelle, her little nostrils flaring as she explained everything, lingered in his mind, causing his heart to flutter.
The sight of Arabelle clenching her small fists and delivering a powerful blow to Lilibet had been so endearing and beautiful that he nearly scooped her up and stormed the palace.
‘Since when did I care about others' opinions and procedural fairness? I’d rather take her from the filthy cesspool.’
The emperor had almost reached out to Arabelle, ready to whisk her away from the pond where she was being humiliated. He’d decided he would crush anyone in the palace who dared object.
But Arabelle not only cleared her name and that of her maid, but she also provided a solution to the rampant counterfeit gemstone fraud troubling the empire.
Arabelle, true to her word about being more at home in the mountains than in the palace, possessed unparalleled knowledge of the natural world.
The one regret... The emperor's brows furrowed slightly as he sighed.
He had signaled Arabelle repeatedly to demand a public apology from Lilibet, but Arabelle hadn't understood. She was simply overjoyed at her maid's release, not thinking about revenge or restitution.
Well, you can’t have everything at once.
Heading to his third office for a meeting with the foreign delegation, the emperor gave his secretary an order.
"Tell the soldiers who took Lilibet's maid to the interrogation room to have lunch at the palace army mess hall. Also, have the royal maids who were in the annex eat at the main palace's maid hall before returning to the annex."
After a moment's thought, he added, "And instruct the head maid to send them to the storage area to assist the staff with receiving today's essential supplies."
His secretary looked puzzled, not understanding why the emperor, who had never given such an order before, was doing so now. Kyle, the emperor's aide, smiled knowingly.
The palace might require discretion to survive, but it was also a hotbed of rumors. Gossip spread from the palace to the entire capital and beyond in no time.
The emperor intended for today's events to be known far and wide. By having the guards and maids who witnessed the commotion spread the word during their meals, the emperor ensured the news would travel swiftly throughout the empire.
In the hallway leading to his third office, the emperor encountered Commander Jacob and gave him an order.
"Immediately divide the fifth special investigation guard unit into three groups and investigate the jewelers in the capital market and their connections to black-market dealers. Use the water from the palace pond as your supplies."
Commander Jacob, puzzled by the instruction to use pond water, watched the emperor walk away. Kyle explained.
"Lady Arabelle has shown us how to detect the fake Red Chaos gemstones that have been rampant lately."
"Lady Arabelle? The same Lady Arabelle who came to the palace with us?" Commander Jacob's disbelief grew, and Kyle nodded as he followed the emperor into the office.
***
“Ahhh!”
Back in her bedroom, Lilibet raged, throwing things across the room.
“Ouch…!”
One of her maids, unable to dodge a flying vase, clutched her bleeding cheek, groaning in pain.
"It hurts? How dare you say it hurts? Because of your incompetence, I suffered this humiliation, and you dare speak of pain?”
Lilibet continued to smash glass ornaments on the floor, stomping her feet in fury. Her once elegantly styled blonde hair was now a tangled mess from her own hands, and her angelic face had transformed into one filled with rage and malice.
It was the first time she had ever felt such shame. The world had always been kind and indulgent to the beautiful princess, with people around her vying for her favor.
To be bested by someone as insignificant as that girl…!
“Ahhh!”
Unable to believe what had happened, Lilibet clutched her head and screamed, cursing her maids for her downfall.
Even her aunt, Empress Natalia, had been too embarrassed to visit, returning directly to her palace quarters instead.
“You should lie low for a while. Or better yet, do nothing until I instruct you otherwise,” she had said with biting words.
“P-Princess…”
A maid from downstairs, pale-faced, entered the room.
“What is it?”
“There’s a messenger from the competition committee…”
“What does the committee want? Speak. Speak!”
“You need to go downstairs, Princess.”
“Move, you useless thing!”
Shoving the maid aside, Lilibet stormed downstairs to the reception room.
The competition committee official, waiting in the reception room, was taken aback by the sight of Princess Lilibet. Known for her stunning beauty, she stood there with disheveled hair and smudged makeup, looking anything but regal.
“What brings you here?”
Lilibet asked, masking her fury with a voice full of refined civility. The official, struggling to avoid looking directly at her face, replied.
“I’m here to inform you of the committee’s decision. Due to today’s events at the annex, Princess Lilibet of Seville loses 25 points…”
Just as the emperor had said, she had lost 25 points before the competition had even properly begun. Her hands trembled with rage, forming fists, as the official continued.
“Accusing a competitor of theft without evidence is a serious matter. Therefore, besides the point deduction, you are to offer a public apology to Lady Arabelle.”
Lilibet's face contorted with fury as if she might lash out and pull the official’s hair. The official hurriedly moved past her, adding,
“The public apology will take place the morning after tomorrow.”
The official left the annex quickly, shaken by the princess's savage expression, and returned to the palace, thinking, "Was the princess always so crude?"
In fact, the public apology had not been part of the committee’s original decision. It was only after Kyle, the emperor’s aide, conveyed the emperor’s opinion to the committee that it had been included.
Emphasizing that the emperor did not intend to enforce it but rather to instill caution among the ladies, Kyle suggested the public apology as necessary.
The emperor was right. Despite the committee’s warnings, such incidents continued to occur during the competition. More than just a point deduction was needed.
Watching Princess Lilibet now destroying items in the drawing room, her maids suppressed their laughter.
Previously, they would have made sure to tidy the princess's appearance before she met the committee official. But this time, they had left her in her disheveled state.
It was a small act of revenge against the princess who had shown no regard for their loyalty and sacrifices.
Unbeknownst to the foolish princess, a rift of distrust and resentment had begun to form between her and the maids who had served her since childhood.
***
Piazza, the capital of the Helterde Empire.
"If you stand so stiffly, you’ll be discovered in no time. You could endanger the guards as well."
The emperor, feigning a serious tone, spoke to Arabelle, who was walking beside him.
Arabelle's eyes widened as she looked up at the emperor, alarmed by the thought that her behavior might jeopardize the undercover guards.
"To appear more natural as a couple, it would be best if you walked closer to me. Walking so awkwardly will only raise suspicion."
The emperor's voice was dry as if giving instructions for an undercover operation. He glanced down beside him. Arabelle cautiously moved closer to the emperor, reducing the distance between them as they walked.
As they walked close enough for their arms to almost touch, the emperor spoke again.
"Unfortunately, no one here is likely to believe we’re a couple. Typically, couples would…" The emperor bent his right arm at the elbow and held it close to his side.
"The woman should take the man's arm and walk as if escorted."
Clearing his throat, the Emperor raised his bent arm slightly, and Arabelle reached out to place her hand on it. As the Emperor looked down at her cheeks, red like ripe apples, both corners of his mouth lifted. His normally cool, unflappable red eyes seemed to genuinely sparkle with joy as he gazed at the top of her round head.
Late in the afternoon, the Emperor had taken Arabelle to the capital square, stating that he needed her abilities for this undercover mission. Contrary to Arabelle's expectation of helping the Emperor and the guards detect fake gemstones, the Emperor dismissed the guards and said nonchalantly, “We’ll pose as lovers and go into the jewelry store to conduct an undercover investigation. If we rush in with soldiers, the real culprits will smell the danger and flee.”
Understanding his explanation, Arabelle nodded and began walking with him through the busy streets of the square. As she placed her hand on the Emperor's firm arm, she felt reassured yet also increasingly anxious, causing her to stumble now and then.
Each time she stumbled, the Emperor would wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his embrace to steady her and speak to her in a playful voice.
“You can run up steep mountain paths so well, but you struggle to walk on flat ground.”
Avoiding looking up at him, she kept her gaze on the ground until she felt the Emperor’s lips draw close to her ear, whispering seductively before pulling away.
“If you want me to carry you, I could do that. Just say the word.”
Startled, she turned her head to the side, and the Emperor's handsome face filled her vision, causing her to gasp.
A long finger gently traced over her soft lips.
“You need to exhale.”
Bending deeply at the waist and neck to make eye contact with her, he smiled before straightening up again.
The warmth left on her lips spread like blossoming pollen, tickling her throat.
Walking through the square dressed in ordinary noble attire, the Emperor and Arabelle looked unmistakably like a young couple in love. Their uncontainable excitement was evident in their steps, and a warm aura enveloped them both.
It was a first for Arabelle, but also for Emperor Maxwell. He had never imagined walking arm-in-arm with someone down a street. To him, dating seemed like a pointless waste of time, as his marriage would inevitably be determined by treaties between empires, kingdoms, and noble families.
Feeling the warmth of Arabelle’s body through his arm and inhaling her sweet, fresh scent unconsciously, he realized that just walking together, even in silence, made his heart swell with happiness. He now understood that this was not a waste of time.
“There, that place looks good. Let's stop by there first.”
At the Emperor's words, Arabelle snapped out of her daze and turned to look at the shop he indicated. Among the busy street’s numerous stores, a particularly ornate two-story jewelry shop stood out.
"Since this is an undercover mission, I expect you to give your all in our lover’s act, Lady Arabelle. It’s for the peace of the empire."
Hearing his earnest tone, her kind brown eyes sparkled with determination. Arabelle nodded vigorously, clenching her fists tightly.
Comments
Post a Comment