Darkholm Translation

CHAPTER 006 "In history books, those who defied the Emperor's orders..." Emperor Maxwell's dry voice trailed off as he ran his long fingers across his lips. Though his voice lacked emotion, the air in the dining room grew cold and heavy. "Not only that person but often their entire bloodline faces severe punishment." Arabelle's long eyelashes trembled as she lowered her gaze to her lap. "If you resist, I can mercilessly drag you to the underground prison and lock you away from the sunlight for life. Or, I could ruin your entire family. Defying the Emperor is essentially treason." He hadn't planned to be this blunt with his threats, especially not against a small and powerless woman. Until now, no one in the Empire had ever rejected the hand he graciously extended. They had all eagerly awaited the chance to grasp it. He had never felt the need to go this far. Maxwell watched Arabelle's reaction with a sense of self-loathing, his jaw clen...

CHAPTER 005 An old and cheap rectangular dining table for eight stood alone in the first-floor dining room. It was an embarrassment to call it the lord's dining room. Emperor Maxwell sat at the head of the table, crossing his long legs, enduring the extras in this setting. “I have dressed and fed Arabelle better than my own daughter Margot. She’s practically my daughter. Arabelle also treats me, her great-uncle, as a father.” “Even when the budget was tight, Arabelle always had a dedicated maid, Your Majesty. I raised her with plenty of love, in place of her runaway mother.” Baron and Baroness Cander, seated on either side of the Emperor, continuously emphasized how much they had invested in Arabelle. Listening to them, it seemed like the financial issues of the estate were due to Arabelle. Not to be outdone, “I have three daughters, but Arabelle is the most special to me. Since childhood, I favored Arabelle so much that my other two daughters were quite displeased. They had to hel...

CHAPTER 004 Maxwell de Fonte August, the 27th Emperor of the Heltard Empire, the strongest empire on the continent, was not a villain. However, he was not a saint either. He was certainly not someone who would stake his life for ideals or greater causes. His worldview divided not into good and evil but into strong and weak, rulers and the ruled. And the position of ruler of this world was his. It was not a belief or hope but an unchanging truth. In the twenty-five years of his life, there had been fifteen assassination attempts on Emperor Maxwell. And all fifteen times, the heads of the assassins were displayed in front of the palace gates the next morning. Of course, alongside them were the heads of those who had sent the assassins. The fact that the one who dealt with the assassins was the Crown Prince was only revealed after he ascended to the throne. The Crown Prince, who had lost his parents, was like a sailing ship in a storm. From his grandmother, the Empress Dowager, with whom ...

CHAPTER 003 Among the tall trees, strands of long brown hair fluttered in the wind. A small and delicate figure deftly navigated the steep mountain path like a baby squirrel. This was a rough mountain, with barely any paths, that would be challenging even for a typical adult man. Yet Arabelle moved without hesitation, using the scattered branches, rocks, and stones around her to run. If there was one thing in the world Arabelle was confident in, it was her ability to navigate mountains. It had been that way since she could first toddle. She had explored all the local mountains with her mother, gathering herbs. Especially the mountains behind her great-uncle Baron Cander's estate, known throughout the empire for their treacherous terrain, were a delightful playground for Arabelle. From a young age, quiet and introverted Arabelle found spending time with animals far more comfortable and enjoyable than being with people. Hiding and treating an injured beast in a cave was a bold move t...

CHAPTER 002 “...Black Panther…?” Arabelle whispered softly, looking into the ruby-red eyes. She tried to avoid his gaze, but those crimson eyes had already trapped her own. The man’s gaze burrowed into her confused eyes, commanding her to look only at him. His large hand gently stroked her soft cheek, scratched by tree branches. The searing warmth made her small shoulders shiver. The man’s throat bobbed as he stared at Arabelle, his gaze predatory. He licked his dry lips with a bright red tongue before speaking. “How strange. You chew food for the beast, stroke its ears and belly like it’s a pet cat.” His firm fingers brushed over Arabelle’s lips, still tinged with purple. “Yet you seem to fear me, a mere human.” “That’s…” Arabelle swallowed the words she was about to say. She couldn’t muster the courage to tell him, ‘The black panther didn’t look at me like food, but your eyes look starved, as if you could devour me any moment.’ The man holding her felt more dangerous than the wild be...