As they walked through the large and almost empty hallway, Emery could not help but look around and be mesmerized at the internal design of the palace that even the high ceiling had intricate designs inscribed on it.
“I wonder how much was spent to build this palace,” she mumbled to herself.
Her attention shifted to Castor when she heard him chuckle.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just unusual to hear someone wonder how much this palace costs.”
Emery simply shrugged.
“But Sapphire, I was just wondering… what made you change your mind about the of
On Emery’s first day at work in the Euthoria mansion, she woke up as early as five in the morning. After washing up, she left her room and went to the kitchen, where the other maidservants were already preparing breakfast."You’re Sapphire, right? The emperor’s new attendant?" one of them asked.Emery nodded, and a few seconds later, she was handed a tray of freshly brewed tea."Make sure to knock three times before entering His Imperial Highness’ room. And if you find him still sleeping, wait for him to wake up or else he will be mad as hell. If the tea grows cold before he wakes up, come back here and we will give you a new set."
Even after what Lady Serena said, the emperor remained unfazed since he did not display any sign of interest.“Seeing that kind of reaction, it seems like you already know it. What do you plan to do after bringing her here?”“You are already aware of what’s going to happen. Why bother asking?” the emperor stated, still not sparing the lady a single glance.Lady Serena chuckled out of amusement.“Then, what are you going to do if I refuse to let her be crowned an empress? Everyone knows that I am going to be your wife, and nothing will change that whether you love me or not. Besides, even your advisors and ministers agree that only I can take the throne next to you.”
“What do you mean I am hiding something?” Emery asked rather calmly, despite worrying if she had just busted herself.The emperor then flashed her a smile and replied, “By any chance, is your husband hurting you?”Emery’s serious expression changed into a dopey one because of the sudden change of topic. And not to mention, he was talking about someone who does not really exist. Anyhow, she was relieved that the emperor was not referring to her secret.“How did this become about my husband?”“Well, it seems like you are the one who is enduring a lot, Sapphire. Why don’t you just divorce your husband and devote yourself to me as my first concubine?” If that h
“She can either be protecting something or just not being open about herself.” Castor looked at the emperor. “Why don’t you just ask her yourself? I mean, wouldn’t that be easier?”This time, it was the emperor’s turn to shake his head.“It’s no use since she is wary of me. She would simply lie to me or won’t take me seriously. Why don’t you ask her? She seemed to trust you more.”Castor chuckled because he did not expect to hear such words from him. But just like the emperor, he was not confident that he would be able to get an honest answer from her since Emery was also keeping her guard around him. As the two try to look for some other ways to know more about Emery, the person of their interest was wi
Leaning back on his seat and resting his chin on the back of his hand, Emperor Claus looked at Castor with a grim expression.“A spy? How did you come up with that idea?” he asked the knight.“As I told you before, the king of the Silex Kingdom could possibly be suspecting us as the mastermind of the ongoing massacre of their soldiers. Sapphire’s appearance here at this time is just too suspicious to call it a simple coincidence. And not to mention, she said a while ago that she came from that kingdom.’’The emperor thought for a while and was reminded of the times he spent with his new attendant. So far, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary with her but Castor also had a point so he did not want to dismiss his speculation just yet.“Since this is still not proven, continue monitoring her and digging into her background. There is still a possibility that she is not a spy because no spy would reveal even one trut
When the morning came, there was a knock on the door that awakened the emperor from his slumber. Sitting, he noticed that Emery was still asleep so he lay her down on the sofa. Upon realizing that he could see the outline of her undergarments, he cursed at himself as he looked away. He covered her with his shirt before opening the door. “Your Imperial Highness, an urgent report from the south just came.” Castor handed him a letter from the lieutenant assigned in the south border. Reading it made the emperor sigh because it was his half-brother again who was stirring some trouble. “Are there six of you available?” he asked the knight. “Only five.” “That’s enough. Prepare to leave. We will go south this afternoon.” He turned on his heels and saw Emery still sleeping soundly. “I found her in the library going through some books last night. I think she is up to something so keep an eye on her as well.” Castor nodded. Despite wanting to ask how Emery ended up sleeping in the emperor’s
Assured that the letter would be delivered to Raphael, Emery went back to the Euthoria mansion where she saw the carriage already at the entrance. The emperor also came into sight and when she decided to approach him, she came to a halt upon seeing a woman speaking with him. It was someone she never saw before. Standing on the side, she overheard their conversation.“King Lawson will be staying here for a week so prepare the Eldford Hall for his stay. My daily scheduled meal with Serena will be on hold within that week since she will transfer here for the meantime. Formal meetings will be done for four days. Keep the first day only for formal introductions. The last day would be a ball for every noble,” Emperor Claus said before handing her the scroll, containing the detailed plans for the king’s visit.“I will make the necessary preparations within the palace, Your Imperial Highness. I will also make sure to update you with the progress.”As of the moment, Emery could not sense anyth
Upon stepping into the hall where the emperor’s room was, Emery was left speechless. Right before her, Castor was banging the door, asking Emperor Claus if everything was okay. It was clear that he was worried sick because when the emperor never opened the door, the knights forced their way in. The next thing she saw sent chills down her spine. Right across from her was the emperor looking at her directly in the eyes with a gaze so sharp and evil. A devil’s grin marked his lips from ear to ear. This was the version of him that she had never seen before, freezing her in place and unable to look away from him.“Your Imperial Highness, calm down,” Castor said, trying not to provoke him as much as possible since the worst could happen with his current state.However, the emperor ignored the knight’s words and pointed at Emery.“Chain her legs and lock her in her room,” he demanded.The knights looked at each other, unsure of what to do.“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Emperor Claus said a