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Brought to you by ‌‌‌Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy ‌the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 71

* * *

"What was ‌‌that? The Emperor's visit felt like a dream."
"He hasn't left yet, Miss. His Majesty has gone to the Duke's chambers and they are conversing."
"That's not the ‌‌‌point! The Emperor came here. Emma!"
I paced frantically ‌‌‌‌through the Garden, unable to remain still. The reality demanded movement. ‌‌‌‌
The Emperor himself had come.
The Emperor carefully selected which official occasions warranted his presence, wielding his power through selective appearances.
He was a man who need not do anything he wished to avoid, and since he had deposed the Previous Emperor and ascended the throne, none dared question such choices.
Yet this very Emperor had walked of his own accord to House Lockhart's event.
While his arrival would astonish others, for me it was cause for alarm many times over.
Because this was the 'original male lead Emperor's' arrival.
The Emperor had appeared in person and entered my life.
I had not anticipated this first meeting event with the Emperor occurring today.
'Meticulous. And sharp.'
Had the Emperor seized the moment when I lowered my guard?
The more I considered it, the more extraordinary he seemed.
The Empress's edict had not been ‌‌brought by the Emperor himself, and until now I had never even glimpsed his shadow.
Yet today, a stranger—a shadow of darkness—had suddenly invaded my space.
Wait.
I stopped walking and stared at Emma.
"Did I just ‌‌get married today?!"
"Calm yourself! ‌‌‌‌It shouldn't be yet. If he came to abduct you, there might ‌be a possibility, but not an immediate marriage."
"Right? No, not even abduction! ‌‌‌‌Because I—"
I hastily lowered my rising voice and whispered urgently.
"I'm a married woman! Emma, you know this!"
I cannot marry the Emperor.
My marriage is registered at the Temple, and my family knows nothing of this fact.
"I cannot allow my House to be seen as having deceived the Emperor."
The gallows creaked ominously in my mind.
We would all meet the same fate as the original ‌‌‌story—complete annihilation of the family line.
"This is my doing. My family bears no guilt. And... Dale too!"
The marriage certificate at the Temple does not bear only my name. Dale's name is inscribed there as ‌‌well.
Though the Empire cannot exert influence over the Temple, a mad Emperor might prove an exception.
The Emperor had drawn far closer than I had anticipated.
It was a first meeting quite different from the original story.
Yet it seemed The Emperor's lack of sanity ‌remained unchanged.
"Why did The Emperor purchase the teddy bear I put up for auction at such an exorbitant price?"
"Perhaps His ‌Majesty desired to possess something that had touched the young lady's hands?"
"Don't ‌‌say such frightening things."
Upon seeing the teddy bear I had offered, The Emperor ‌‌‌‌simply stood in silence.
Observing the strange expressions that crossed the faces of The Emperor's Aides, I sensed something was amiss.
"Emma. That teddy bear you mentioned... could it be...?"
"Yes?"
"Is ‌‌it famous for having some kind of curse attached to it?"
"What? Hahahaha! Young lady, you're quite the jester! Where would such a thing ‌‌‌‌exist?"
"Then why did the Aides react that way?"
They alternated their gazes between the bear and The Emperor, shaking their heads back and forth.
They had been doing so even before The ‌‌‌‌Emperor ‌‌purchased the teddy bear.
'But the teddy bear couldn't possibly be a gift The Emperor gave me. If it's the doll I played with as a child, that would have been before The Emperor even held power.'
I still don't understand why The ‌‌Emperor bought the teddy bear.
Why ‌‌‌could it be...?
Does he simply favor the bear's ‌‌‌shape?
Could it ‌be that the Aides were startled because there happened to be an item so perfectly aligned with The Emperor's tastes...?
My mind spun endlessly with speculation.
The Emperor paid ten times ‌‌the price I had anticipated.
By calling out such a substantial sum from the start, he had utterly deflated the confidence of every noble in attendance.
The mere fact that The Emperor coveted the item meant no one else would dare ‌‌bid on the teddy bear.
"It was twice the final bid price of the ceremonial sword."
The teddy bear had surpassed even the Imperial Family's ceremonial sword, selling for the highest price of the day.
Today marked the second time the highest auction price of ‌‌the charity bazaar ‌had been broken.
"Why did ‌‌‌‌His Majesty spend such an enormous sum?"
"Well... from what Emma can ‌‌surmise...?"
Emma, who had tilted her head in confusion, suddenly smiled with sinister knowing.
"You ‌‌‌‌know that reward promised to the highest bidder at the charity bazaar? I suspect His Majesty ‌‌‌was after that."
"That reward?"
"A single request that can be made of House Lockhart—the right to demand anything."
"A request right?"
What request right? I had no knowledge of such authority.
"Such a thing existed? Since when?"
"Since the very first day the Lockhart ‌‌‌‌Family held their charity event. That's why everyone is so eager to attend the Lockhart Duchy's bazaar, you see?"
"I've never heard of it? Wait, hold on."
Now that I thought about it, Mother had said something similar.

"The highest bidder deserves a gift befitting their generosity. Since you're hosting this time, Enya, don't forget to remember that. We wouldn't want you caught off guard later."

...That's what he'd said.
I grabbed my head and tugged at my hair. ‌‌‌
"Emma! Why were you just watching! You should have stopped me, even if it meant hitting me!"
"How could I ‌‌‌possibly intervene when The Emperor was present? I'm merely a servant."
"You look like you were enjoying it."
Emma smiled faintly, but that wasn't the point.
The Emperor had gained the authority to demand anything from me. And he must have known that our family's charity event came with such a special clause attached.
Logically speaking, no one would pour that much money into a jewel-encrusted teddy bear.
He wasn't a father with children, and The Emperor was simply an unmarried man.
What would he possibly do ‌‌‌‌with that bear?
"Right, so what exactly was he planning to do with that teddy bear?"
I began to think through what had happened, step by step from the beginning.
Perhaps the teddy bear wasn't the important part at all—maybe it was the opposite.
"He poured money into it to gain the right of request. The ‌‌Emperor might have appeared ‌‌‌to bid the highest price on whatever I put up for auction, regardless of whether it was the teddy bear or not..."
Thinking of it that way, everything fell into place.
The important thing wasn't the teddy bear, no.
The important thing was the right of request—yes, that was it.
When I examined it more carefully, The Emperor hadn't even been invited to the charity event.
Yet he simply came.
This fact would never be revealed, but if it leaked ‌‌‌out, it would be nothing but a disgrace ‌‌‌‌for The Emperor.
However, under the plausible pretext of supporting me, ‌‌‌his betrothed-to-be, ‌‌he elevated my honor as well, displayed his affectionate side, and caught two birds with one stone.
By purchasing a useless teddy bear, he even presented himself as a devoted lover who cherished me.
Regardless of the truth, many nobles witnessed this display.
"...In the end, ‌‌‌The Emperor obtained everything ‌‌‌‌he wanted from the charity event."
I shook my head slowly. His ability to calculate was several steps ahead of mine. The Emperor was definitely someone to keep a close watch ‌‌‌on.
'Given this situation, Dale's existence must be hidden even ‌‌‌‌‌more carefully.'
Dale, who had done nothing but help me, absolutely had to be protected.
'The Emperor..., he possesses both meticulous planning and decisive action.'
Since the charity event was held under ‌‌‌‌the name of House Lockhart, I had no choice but to fulfill whatever request The Emperor made.
I hadn't intended to refuse, but regardless, a definite element of coercion had been added.
"Emma. When ‌‌‌can the right of request be used?"
"It can ‌‌‌be used whenever desired—that's why it's called a right of request. Typically, it's been used to promote goodwill ‌‌between families. Since the host of the bazaar has always been the lady, it's been conducted for social purposes."
"So you're saying there's no limit to what can be requested? Any demand at all?"
Emma avoided answering by feigning ignorance instead.
That meant there truly were no restrictions.
"Surely he can't ‌use it to forcibly demand something like marriage, right? That crosses a line."
"...."
"...."
A chill ran down my spine.
I spoke to Emma with utmost seriousness.
"If ‌‌that ‌day comes, I'll pretend to be mad instead. If I'm ‌‌‌‌the only one who sacrifices, everyone will be happy, and The Emperor will abandon me."
"Miss...!"
Emma embraced me, her voice trembling with tears.
"Please, I'm begging you. If that day ever comes."
I glared at Emma.
First, that wasn't something to worry about now, and ‌since The Emperor was with Father, there was something else I needed to attend to at this moment.
"By the way, where did Portnum Viscount's Daughter go?"

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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