Darkholm Translation

CHAPTER 030 Seeing herself reflected in the red eyes felt endlessly unfamiliar. Even amidst her shyness, her excitement was unmistakable. The strong, large hand holding hers, the broad and firm chest beneath it, and the reassuring arm around her waist, supporting her core. As she began to recognize every part of his body anew, her cheeks flushed red like ripe apples, revealing her innocent honesty. "Avoiding eye contact while dancing means you don't like your partner. Do you not like your partner in front of you?" A gentle voice fell on the top of her bowed head. Arabelle lifted her large eyes to meet the beautiful ruby-red eyes. The red eyes seemed to soothe her wandering gaze and completely trapped it. As her clear eyes entwined with his without avoiding, a satisfied smile spread across the Emperor's face. Swiftly, the Emperor’s long left leg stepped back, and his hand on Arabelle’s back gently pulled her body forward. His left hand holding hers led her body to tilt...

CHAPTER 029 "That would be upsetting." "Me...? Do you think I would be upset if you asked for help?" "N-no..." "Then who would be upset?" Maxwell raised an eyebrow at Arabelle’s response. However, his voice lost its earlier chill and was now gentle. His red eyes, round and filled with warmth, did not rush her and patiently waited. ‘Why are you so frustrating? Just speak up, speak!’ ‘Why can’t you answer properly? You must be hiding something or have done something wrong, right?’ These were words Arabelle had heard since she was a child. The reason she couldn’t immediately answer questions wasn’t because she was slow-witted or trying to hide something. She was very sincere and cautious. She wasn’t trying to say what others wanted to hear, cover up mistakes, or make up beneficial words. She needed time to convey her true feelings. People often misunderstood her cautiousness as frustrating and pushed her into a corner. If such misunderstandings happ...

CHAPTER 028 “Three days from now, the banquet will mark the beginning of the competition. You'll escort the lady into the competition hall. Do you understand?” “Yes.” “From what I see, she seems to be the weakest among the candidates, so we shouldn't have to take any extra measures ourselves. But don't let your guard down.” “Yes.” Millie stood in Bridget, the head maid’s room, answering her instructions with short replies. “What is the lady doing right now?” “…She went for a walk because she felt stuffy.” “At this late hour? The separate palace was built on the side of a mountain, so it’s not easy to find your way if you stray too far from the pond. That’s why we marked the perimeter with vines.” “She goes for a walk whenever she has time… She hasn’t gotten lost yet. From now on, I will follow her more closely.” Bridget narrowed her wrinkled brow and spoke slowly. “I thought you were smart, but I guess not. What I mean is that if the lady accidentally strays outside the sep...

CHAPTER 027 The yellow ginkgo leaves that had fallen from the red cherry trees began to create a path before Arabelle's small feet. Falling like they were sprinkled from the sky, the ginkgo leaves split off from the gravel path of the dense forest, forming a new path. Seeing this unfamiliar leaf path unfold, Arabelle paused and looked up at the sky. Her round, light brown eyes grew larger and larger, "Master...?" A word barely audible escaped her lips. Unable to contain her overwhelming emotions, Arabelle started running along the yellow path that appeared before her. The only person who could drop yellow leaves in a place with no ginkgo trees to send a signal was... her master. Not knowing where the yellow path was leading, Arabelle ran quickly like a squirrel, someone hurriedly chasing after her. However, soon... "Hah, hah, she's really fast." Milly, who had lost sight of Arabelle, panted heavily and looked around. The forest, designed like a maze to keep ...

CHAPTER 026 Every three months. Precisely thirty minutes. This was the time the Emperor allocated to members of the imperial family, related by blood or marriage. "The former emperors used to do this pointless task twice a month, for over two hours. I suppose I should endure this much. After all, that's what makes a wise ruler." Maxwell thought as he looked at the eight members of the imperial family gathered in the second reception room of the imperial palace. With a subtle smile on his lips and his cool, red eyes revealing no emotion, he greeted them as usual. Today, the gathered members had been passionately discussing a single topic for over twenty minutes since they had barely sat down on the sofas in the reception room. Usually, they would be busy trying to gain the Emperor's attention in the short thirty minutes, but this time, they were united in their chatter. "He’s a noble not even in the regional nobility council. How incompetent must one be to hold a ...