CHAPTER 142
Tristini's eyes blurred with tears.
Her cracked lips trembled uncontrollably.
She had been so sure that Arabelle wouldn't know hardship or pain, looking into those immaculate, radiant eyes.
Despite such a cruel past, Arabelle had managed to protect herself.
She had not allowed the dark emotions of hatred and envy to take hold of her.
To those who were mean and cruel, Arabelle must have appeared as nothing more than a timid and shy girl. But Arabelle had not let their wickedness consume her soul.
Even in despair, she had not lost her dreams. Even in hatred, she had not lost her capacity to love. Even in darkness, she had not lost her light. That was why, even now, she retained her composure.
Then, Arabelle’s clear voice sounded softly, “Bergen caused you immeasurable pain. And I understand that you deceived me because of his threats. You must have been afraid.”
This time, Tristini couldn’t respond. Arabelle’s small but firm voice resonated in her ears.
“But that doesn’t mean I understand or forgive you. You had a choice, and you chose not to take it. Even if I were to understand or forgive you, it wouldn’t lighten the burden you have to carry.”
Tears streamed down Tristini’s cheeks, rolling down her face without pause.
“The reason I’m asking His Majesty to spare you is…”
The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched momentarily.
He had never shown mercy to those who betrayed him.
If he showed a crack and let one rat escape, it was only a matter of time before the crack widened, and a flood of rats would come pouring through.
But this was just like Arabelle—to make such a request. If Arabelle asked him to spare ‘this,’ he would have to comply. It was in the beast's nature to yield to its master’s command.
The Emperor’s red eyes coldly observed Tristini.
Surprisingly, the one most taken aback by Arabelle’s words was Tristini herself.
She shook her head in denial, her breath coming out in short, hot gasps. Arabelle tightened her grip on Tristini’s hands.
“It’s because of Aunt Kisha. Aunt Kisha raised me with love and protected me. When she disappeared, I thought she had abandoned us. But now that I’ve learned so much, I believe there must have been another reason.”
Tristini had said that Kisha had left to save Elenya, who was in danger, only to be captured by Vesilchia. Of course, that was a lie Tristini had made up to lure Arabelle into a trap.
“To repay Aunt Kisha for raising me, I’m asking for your life to be spared.”
Arabelle turned her head to look up at the Emperor, her light brown eyes meeting his deep ruby ones.
“If she hadn’t taught me about the mountains, I would never have met Your Majesty.”
As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. The Emperor’s sharp jaw tightened with frustration.
‘How could she know so much about the mountains?’ he had asked Arabelle in surprise as they made their way back to the imperial palace.
The girl, who seemed so timid and innocent, knew everything there was to know about the rugged and dangerous mountains.
She moved through the terrain with the ease of a squirrel, climbing and descending at will, her knowledge of the landscape and ecosystem rivaling that of an expert.
Arabelle’s ability to save the Emperor, who had been gravely injured in his beast form, was largely due to her understanding of the wilderness.
She had known about the cave behind the waterfall, where she could hide the beast from other large predators like tigers or wolves, and from the pursuers.
She had been able to stop the bleeding with medicinal herbs she gathered and quenched his thirst with wild berries.
‘I wasn’t even walking yet when my mother carried me up various mountains to gather herbs. She taught me about the creatures that lived there,’ she had told him.
Kisha, aware that Jonathan suspected Arabelle’s parentage, had tried to distance Arabelle from him and his family in any way she could. Thanks to Kisha, who had taken her up the mountains often, Arabelle had gained a deep knowledge of the wilderness, which ultimately saved the Emperor’s life.
Arabelle’s eyes sparkled with expectation as she looked at the Emperor. “I believe His Majesty will grant my request. I will make sure she is able to leave the empire and return to Kubyl.”
The Emperor’s sharp gaze softened. He nodded slowly, wordlessly.
“Sob…” Tristini’s body collapsed forward, leaning into Arabelle. She buried her face in Arabelle’s hands, which were still holding her own.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I knew it was wrong, but… sob… I couldn’t stop, I couldn’t admit it… I’m so sorry, Your Majesty… sob.” Tristini pressed her lips to Arabelle’s hands repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. Her sobs of apology filled the reception room for a long time.
***
After the Emperor and Arabelle had left, Tristini sat alone in the reception room.
“Lady Tristini, does this mean we’ll leave for Kubyl tomorrow?” a maid who had served Tristini for a long time asked in a trembling voice. Despite the Emperor’s order just moments ago, she looked as if she still couldn’t believe it.
She had thought they would all die, let alone return to their homeland. When the Emperor and Empress had visited Tristini earlier today, everyone had resigned themselves to death.
No one knew what had happened to King Bergen after the Emperor had visited him on his ship. But no one expected to see him again. The reign of the Laicanoir family had ended with King Bergen. Laicanoir had become a colony of Helterde, and the governor appointed by the Emperor had already arrived in the capital.
Tristini nodded to the two maids left in her quarters.
“Oh, thank the gods, thank you! We can return to our homeland!”
“I thought I would die without seeing my children again, sob, sob.”
The two maids clasped hands and burst into tears.
Thanks to the Empress’s mercy, Tristini would return to Kubyl, retain her title, and live comfortably.
For the first time, she had truly stepped out of Bergen’s shadow.
Somehow, her heart raced more with anticipation than fear. She wondered what she would be like, free from his influence.
But soon, Tristini had to grit her teeth against the sharp pain that pierced her flesh.
The scar on her arm burned as if it had been seared with a red-hot iron.
Ugly blisters rose and boiled on her pale skin.
It twitched as if even dreaming for a moment would not be allowed.
A sneer crept onto Tristini's lips as she looked at the scar.
Yes, this is my reality.
Because of Arabelle, I momentarily deluded myself into thinking I could find happiness on my own.
“My lady, couldn't we tell the Empress? Couldn't we ask for her help?”
“Jenna is right. The Empress would surely help you.”
These were the maids who had stayed by Tristini’s side since she became Bergen’s companion.
They were well aware that Bergen had wagered Tristini as collateral to Besilkeia.
The moment they arrived in Kubul, Besilkeia would come for Tristini.
If Tristini fled from the witch or refused to follow her, her body would be engulfed in flames and turned to ashes.
That was the black magic the witch had left on Tristini’s forearm.
Tristini shook her head vigorously.
“No. I can't do that. I absolutely won’t burden the Empress ever again.”
“But… the witch will drain every drop of your blood. You know what that means, don’t you?”
“I know exactly what it means. That's why I’ll handle it on my own. I can’t put the Empress in danger again.”
The dark brown eyes, which always carried a weak and sorrowful light, now revealed a firm resolve.
***
The Emperor's bedchamber.
“M-My Lord…”
A startled voice escaped softly from the bed.
Even her breath trembled with embarrassment.
She looked so unbearably lovely, unable to run away due to their promise.
It was so tempting that the Emperor's mouth watered at the thought of devouring her whole.
Thick, long fingers began to unbutton the gold buttons on his uniform jacket.
On any other day, he would have thought even the time spent unbuttoning was too precious, and would have torn off not just the jacket, but the vest inside, along with his shirt and tunic in one go.
But now, he wanted to savor this moment a little longer.
Though, of course, the beast within him was roaring to break free.
He slowly unbuttoned three buttons on his jacket and tossed it onto an armchair.
His skilled hands moved to the buttons of his vest, and then settled on the first pearl button of his shirt.
Every time the Emperor’s clothes peeled off layer by layer and landed on the chair, Arabelle’s slender shoulders quivered.
Even though it was the Emperor undressing, it felt as if each layer of her own clothing was being stripped away.
The ruby-red eyes glimmered with pleasure as they bore into Arabelle’s.
She felt shy, her large eyes rolling away to avoid his gaze, only to be captured by him once again.
It was like a secret game of hide-and-seek with their eyes.
Crossing his arms, he grabbed the hem of his tunic and pulled it over his head, tossing it aside.
His always neatly groomed black hair fell messily across his forehead.
Just from a little disheveled hair…
The aura of strict authority had disappeared, revealing a younger, more carefree side befitting his age.
No matter how many times she saw it, Arabelle could never get used to the Emperor’s beauty.
Her heart pounded in her chest, filled with excitement.
She was embarrassed by the sound of her heartbeat, which seemed to fill the entire bedchamber.
Arabelle’s cheeks turned the color of a ripe peach.
This fluttering feeling would never go away, even on the last day she closed her eyes.
Already, the Emperor’s broad, muscular torso cast shadows under the chandelier.
His red eyes deepened immeasurably, never losing sight of Arabelle.
He pulled one side of his mouth into a smirk.
Deliberately, he didn’t climb onto the bed but instead stood at the foot, casting a long shadow over the sheets.
It was the image of a predator savoring how it would consume its prey.
The Emperor bent his knees and placed them on the bed, his palms pressing into the sheets, arms straightening.
He truly looked like a beast on all fours before its prey.
The Emperor crawled slowly toward Arabelle, who was sitting with her back against the headboard.
When he reached her tiny, rounded toes, he leaned forward and extended his head toward her.
His red lips came close to her dusky earlobe as he whispered.
“You promised me, didn’t you? That today, you absolutely wouldn’t run away or resist.”
Her long eyelashes fluttered atop her round eyes, unable to hide her embarrassment.
The Emperor pulled back, straightening his back.
As if he could no longer hold back, his red eyes darkened, their depth unknowable.
His large hand brushed against the wiggling toes tangled in the sheet.
He gently grasped her slender ankle, which seemed delicate enough to break between just his thumb and forefinger.
His burning lips pressed against the inside of her ankle.
A tingling sensation spread through her veins like tiny electric sparks.
A soft, sweet sound escaped Arabelle's lips, which she quickly covered with her hands.
“Just as you keep your promises, I will keep mine, so don’t worry. As promised, you won’t have to do anything from now on.”
The Emperor whispered, now towering over Arabelle’s crown like a shadow.
He reached for the blanket beside him and pulled it over her head.
It was a gesture meant to protect his still shy wife.
With his large hands, he grasped her slender waist and effortlessly pulled her downward...
In an instant, the two of them were hidden beneath the blanket.
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