Darkholm Translation

CHAPTER 074 Imperial Palace Guest Room The door to the guest room reception opened and then closed firmly. "Your Majesty." The Emperor stood before the door, casting a long shadow on the marble floor, and took in the sight of Arabelle, who greeted him cheerfully by name. Her honest face, unable to hide her excitement, flushed pink as she quickly crossed the wide reception room to him. Just a few steps away, Arabelle suddenly remembered the etiquette lessons she had heard that morning and stopped abruptly. Her wide eyes momentarily wandered, unsure of what to do, before she bowed her head. Holding the hem of her emerald velvet dress skirt between her fingers, she slightly bowed her head and waist, greeting the Emperor with decorum. The dignity of the royal family, etiquette, and propriety. These were the lessons Arabelle had been hearing all morning. "The Emperor and Empress must always maintain a proper distance between them. Public displays of affection, such as holding...

CHAPTER 073 Creak Count Corald opened the narrow and low prison door. With the Count's help, Sir Derek stepped through the open door. It was the first time in 25 years that the prisoner crossed the threshold of the cell. All three men passed silently through the double prison and stood before a narrow and steep spiral staircase. Count Corald, who had been supporting Sir Derek's unsteady body with his arm around his shoulder, looked troubled. It was impossible to support Derek down the narrow staircase, designed for one adult man at a time. "From here, I will go down on my own." Reading Count Corald's troubled thoughts, Sir Derek spoke quietly. His body was damaged by severe torture, lack of exercise, and malnutrition. Even walking on flat ground seemed precarious; descending the steep staircase from the eighth floor seemed impossible. Just as Count Corald was about to suggest carrying him down, thinking it was too dangerous, "You lead the way with the lamp....

CHAPTER 072 "Did she die by the hand of my father, who had become a beast? Answer me." The Emperor's voice cracked with despair for the first time as he spoke through gritted teeth. Count Corald, glancing between the Emperor and the prisoner, clenched his fists, feeling sweat accumulate in his palms. Derek, whose head had been bowed, slowly lifted it to meet the deep crimson eyes in front of him. "The Crown Prince never harmed the Crown Princess. Even at the moment, he lost his sanity after transforming into a beast." Derek's voice, without a hint of hesitation, contained only the truth. Swallowing the hot air rising in his throat, the Emperor asked through clenched teeth. "Then, my mother...?" "It was the Crown Princess's choice. She left the palace with the Crown Prince." As Derek answered, the Emperor's eyes twitched momentarily, then settled. The muscles in his shoulders, which had been tense, relaxed at the realization that h...

CHAPTER 071 Thud. As Emperor Maxwell and Count Coralde stepped into the cell, the heavy sound of the iron door closing echoed behind them. Clomp, clomp. The sound of footsteps descending the stairs could be heard as the two guards who had been standing watch at the cell door obeyed the Emperor's command and left. A damp, moldy smell filled their nostrils. A few more steps brought them to another low door, its frame barely visible in the dim light of a nearby torch. The inside, visible through a narrow slit likely used to pass in food, was pitch dark. Count Coralde took the key from the guards and unlocked the rusty door, which had not been opened in 25 years. He pushed it open, putting his shoulder into it as it creaked and scraped against the floor. The Count entered first, and the Emperor followed, bending low to get through the door. The cell was utterly dark, isolated from any outside light, and barely large enough for two grown men to stand side by side. The moldy smell was no...

CHAPTER 070 The Emperor spoke about his curse in his usual manner, as if narrating someone else's story, with a straightforward and concise tone. Not a trace of emotion could be heard in his voice. Even Count Coral, who had spent over half a century dealing with countless monsters and black magic on the continent, found it difficult to grasp the pain and weight of the curse the Emperor was experiencing. However, the Emperor, who didn't even twitch an eyebrow while talking about his curse... The keen eyes of Count Coral noticed the slight tightening of the Emperor's jawline the moment he uttered the name "Arabelle." As the Emperor recounted events from their first meeting up until the events of last night, he appeared tense. The Emperor had never lost his arrogant composure, even while creating a stifling tension around him. This was the first time. It was the first time Count Coral had seen such an unfamiliar expression on the Emperor's face. The desperation t...