She was sorry that she couldn’t keep the promise not to get hurt in a place where he wasn’t…
But it can’t be helped.
In any case, the swelling on her cheek would subside in a few days. The scandalous incident that occurred in the Crown Prince’s palace would not be known beyond the walls of the Imperial Palace, so Nobert would never know that she had broken her promise.
Ariella thought that was very fortunate and endured the throbbing pain as she left the Crown Prince’s palace.
So far, everything was going according to her plan. Aaron, succumbing to her provocation, using violence in his anger, and the Emperor, witnessing this, feeling a bit guilty and granting her an audience.
Now that she had resolved the most uncertain situation, there was nothing more to worry about. The conversation with William IV would also surely flow to the result she wanted. Ariella believed so.
But she soon realized that her expectations were wrong. Even before she had a proper conversation with the Emperor, not long after leaving the Crown Prince’s palace.
In front of the garden closest to the Crown Prince’s palace, on a path where fresh greenery sparkled under the sunlight and colorful flowers bloomed, stood a large man.
It wasn’t very close, but Ariella couldn’t help but recognize him.
A man standing in a place with not much shade, waiting for someone during the hottest time of the day, even though the heat had subsided.
Even from afar, the atmosphere was unusual, and that man was none other than Nobert, the one she had dated a few days ago.
It seemed that he had recognized her as well. No, from the beginning, he had been waiting for Ariella.
Worried that something might have happened to her at the hands of that Crown Prince. He had been guarding the place not far away, concerned about that.
Without knowing that there was no need to.
Soon, his gaze locked onto Ariella. Towards her cheeks, flushed red, precisely.
She didn’t even have time to cover her face.
Just seeing his fiercely distorted expression, she knew he had already seen her face.
Startled by the unexpected encounter, Ariella flinched for a moment but quickly composed herself. She couldn’t afford to show the Emperor a flustered face while standing beside him.
If the Emperor were to spot Nobert and invite him into their conversation, her plans would be ruined.
As if reading her mind, Nobert remained rooted to the spot, merely watching her without approaching any closer.
His intense gaze lingered on Ariella’s face before briefly sweeping over the Emperor standing before her, then returning. His eyes were now cold, a stark contrast to before.
Witnessing this, Ariella understood.
Simply by seeing her walking with the Emperor, Nobert had deduced everything that had happened in the Crown Prince’s palace, even her intentions. And perhaps, that she had disappointed him.
A sudden tingling sensation in her chest made Ariella bite down hard on the tender flesh inside her lip. Her light steps grew heavy, and her clear purpose became blurred.
But Ariella quickly plastered a bright smile on her face. Then, engaging in lighthearted conversation with the Emperor, she nonchalantly passed Nobert in the garden.
She desperately wanted to turn back and see his expression, but she resisted the urge.
She would have the opportunity to meet him soon enough. For now, she needed to focus on the task at hand.
Quickly forgetting any unhelpful emotions.
The Imperial Palace, which she hadn’t visited in a while, was even more extravagant than before. Seeing unfamiliar ornaments and sculptures scattered everywhere, it seemed as though the Emperor was trying to fill the emptiness left by the loss of his beloved mistress with material possessions.
Ariella settled into a seat in the antique drawing room. Unlike in the Crown Prince’s palace, this time she was even served warm tea.
“So, Miss Arrie Bedford, what is it that you so desperately wanted to tell me? Enough to request a meeting like this?”
William IV went straight to the point as soon as she took a sip of her tea and set it down.
“I simply wished to have a conversation with Your Majesty after a long time…”
“I have known for a while that my son’s fiancée is a very clever girl. I know even better that you wouldn’t request an audience without a purpose. So tell me, what is it that you wanted to talk about so much that you requested this conversation without even treating your cheek?”
“…As expected, Your Majesty knows everything. Yes, Your Majesty is right. The reason I dared to request this meeting is because there is something I desperately want to tell Your Majesty.”
Ariella lowered her head and paused for a moment.
Then, with a determined expression, she raised her head and said,
“Your Majesty, as a citizen of this Juvenil Empire, I dare to say something. Please, stop my father, Duke Bedford!”
The sudden topic made William IV’s eyebrows furrow.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I apologize for saying this, but my father’s ambition is crossing a line that cannot be tolerated. If he doesn’t stop here, something terrible will surely happen. I cannot stop my father with my own strength, so please, Your Majesty, have mercy.”
“Ambition? Explain yourself properly.”
“As you know, my father is a strong supporter of His Highness the Crown Prince. From the moment Aaron became the Crown Prince, my father has supported him, and other nobles who follow my father have also lent their strength. But, Your Majesty, the reality is different. My father does not serve His Highness the Crown Prince as his liege. He is trying to use him like a chess piece.”
The word “chess piece” made William IV’s face contort.
But Ariella continued without stopping.
“My father meets with the Speyers separately every week, and he is spreading the Solarem doctrine to the nobles. Even though the Empire has clearly designated Maranatha as the state religion. The forces he has formed do not follow His Highness the Crown Prince, but my father. He treats His Highness the Crown Prince like an easily manipulated simpleton in front of them.”
The Emperor clenched his teeth.
It wouldn’t be strange for him to explode in anger right away, but his reaction was calm in comparison. In fact, William IV already knew everything.
The fact that Duke Bedford was pretending to give Aaron strength while using him was a fact that all the nobles suspected. The Emperor was no exception.
But at some point, the power of the Bedford family had reached a level that even the Emperor could not dare to suppress, and so William IV had condoned it.
After all, the Duke was a strong supporter of his son, and he was someone he couldn’t afford to have as an enemy, so he rationalized that it was okay as it was, ignoring the slight humiliation.
And he was about to repeat the same mistake this time.
“…Arrie, your concern for Juvenil is commendable, but it must be a misunderstanding on your part. How could the Crown Prince’s future father-in-law-”
She couldn’t let him ignore it like this.
And so, Ariella willingly decided to touch the Imperial family’s sore spot.
“Also, it is clear that my father is the one who made the kind and wise former Crown Prince, Prince Harrison, the way he is now!”
As if unable to accept the words that came out of her mouth, William IV stared at her with a blank look for a moment.
But it didn’t take long for the golden eyes that were directed at Ariella to burn with anger.
“How dare you…!”
The Emperor’s voice trembled at the end because he was too excited.
Soon, a frantic voice filled the drawing room of the Imperial Palace.
“How dare the Bedford’s daughter mention Harrison in front of me!”
Bang!
William IV slammed the tea table while shouting at the top of his lungs.
Then, Ariella immediately stood up from her seat, knelt on the floor, and bowed her body.
“I apologize, Your Majesty!”
Her forehead, as white as it was transparent, roughly met the floor.
First Prince Harrison, a pitiful man who was driven mad by a terrible madness and confined to a villa in a remote province.
William IV particularly cherished his eldest son, who was intelligent and kind, and as such, he suffered greatly from the grief of losing him.
If there was a turning point that made the Emperor, who was once as fierce and energetic as a tiger, so weak as he was now, it was Harrison’s abdication.
“But Your Majesty, don’t you also know? The one who benefited the most from Prince Harrison becoming like that was my father, and he was also the most suspicious person! That’s why you are even more angry now that I, the daughter of Bedford, have mentioned Prince Harrison, isn’t it?”
As Ariella raised her voice with her forehead pressed to the ground, William IV flinched for a moment, ceasing his fiery anger. He had been caught off guard.
In the past, Duke Bedford had claimed that Second Prince Aaron should be raised as the Crown Prince as if he had been waiting for Harrison to show signs of madness.
