Chapter 78
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Chapter 78
It wasn't a mistake. The Emperor truly stood before me in silence.
"Ah... Hello?"
My flustered greeting came out awkwardly. Shouldn't I have dropped to one knee instead?
"There's no need."
The Emperor stopped me as I began to bend my knees, his firm hand lifting me up. Was it my imagination, or did he seem flustered by his own gesture?
The Emperor wore his mask today as always—one that revealed not a single glimpse of his eyes.
I found myself wondering if he could even hunt while wearing such a thing.
He said nothing, yet he neither moved away nor looked away from my face.
Unlike his previous appearances in formal imperial regalia, The Emperor in combat attire cut an imposing figure.
Though the day was warm, the forest's chill demanded thick clothing, which only accentuated his already formidable physique.
Among all the well-built men gathered for the hunt, The Emperor stood apart.
'Truly a male lead straight out of adult fiction.'
Was that irreverent?
"I'm delighted you could attend."
The Emperor's voice was low and gentle.
When I took his extended hand out of courtesy, he hesitated before bringing it to his lips.
It was merely a greeting, yet he performed it as though it carried some deeper emotion.
All I could discern up close was the golden hue of his hair. After his courteous greeting, he made no move to leave.
He simply stood before me, as though he had something to say.
Like a creditor come to collect a debt.
"?"
The many people around us were watching me with expressions brimming with anticipation, which struck me as odd.
"Miss, the handkerchief. The handkerchief."
"Oh, that's right."
As I withdrew the box from my bosom, whispers erupted from all directions.
"May fortune favor Your Majesty."
I presented the handkerchief with utmost respect.
The moment the handkerchief's design was revealed to all, the air turned frigid.
"...."
"I embroidered it with devotion, day and night, thinking of Your Majesty."
I understood why those around us had fallen silent.
The embroidery was an absolute disaster.
It was so pathetic that even the recipient seemed taken aback. The dragon symbolizing The Emperor resembled some hybrid of a rabbit, a snake, and a deer, complete with visible holes from my fumbling stitches.
While my intention had been to displease The Emperor, I hadn't deliberately botched the embroidery like this.
I'd only meant to ruin it moderately, but my actual skill proved far worse than I'd anticipated.
They say even dog droppings have their uses in medicine, and my embroidery skills—equally worthless—proved marginally helpful in this moment.
I say this with confidence: among the hundred-odd handkerchiefs that would be exchanged here, mine would surely be the ugliest.
'He'll be furious with a partner who gives him such a handkerchief.'
The embroidery was so poor it could be mistaken for an insult to the imperial family.
He probably wanted to have it removed from sight immediately.
The people around us couldn't even manage their expressions. They looked anxious, worried The Emperor might lose his temper.
"...."
The Emperor who received the handkerchief stared quietly at my embroidery.
It was the kind of skill that would make someone want to break an engagement in disgust. Even I had to admit the handkerchief was truly pathetic.
"How glorious that you stitched this while thinking of me day and night."
Huh?
A delighted tone reached me from behind his mask.
"Thank you."
"...Yes?"
"I gratefully accept the lady's heart."
I was too bewildered to speak. Was he genuinely grateful? Even after seeing this? When the embroidery looked like... that?
I was the one left confused by words worthy of a sage.
I couldn't tell if it was irony or sincerity.
I stared blankly at The Emperor.
"I shall repay the lady's support with victory."
"Yes...?"
Watching The Emperor tuck the handkerchief I'd given him directly into his breast pocket rather than hand it to his Aide left me even more bewildered.
What confused me most was that despite wearing a mask that hid his face, his resolve came through clearly.
"Your Majesty, I didn't mean to burden you. You don't have to win. Just come back safely."
If The Emperor got injured because of me, that would be a problem. I don't wish for your exhaustion or your suffering.
"I will certainly achieve victory."
But my words had no effect on The Emperor whatsoever.
At the same time, deep sighs from the Aides echoed from all around.
This wasn't....
This wasn't supposed to go like this...?
* * *
"Oh no. It seems I've really caught The Emperor's eye."
I sighed as I spoke to Emma.
"I had no idea The Emperor had such peculiar taste in embroidery."
"...."
"Who would have guessed he'd fancy something so bizarre?"
I never imagined his personal tastes would run toward collecting such oddities.
Though I had created it myself, it was embroidery that could never be called well-made, even as a courtesy.
'If things go like this, my plan will have problems.'
I sat in the tent camp, scribbling notes. The object in my hands was a single book.
A novel written by my aunt—Madame Cozette.
"It's really similar."
Everything was identical: the meeting with The Emperor, the marriage, the subsequent circumstances, the family's downfall, and even the protagonists' descent into madness.
However, when I asked Father about it, he said Aunt Corinne had never exhibited any strange behavior or shown signs of personality change at any point.
Though I didn't know how Aunt Corinne came to write a book so similar to the original work, I found a clue in it.
Approximately 1,281 romance novels read to completion so far.
Romance novels contain a foolproof formula for falling in love.
It's love that blooms amid crisis.
"This time, I'll go with this strategy."
What kind of place is the Hunting Grounds? A dangerous one.
The brain cannot distinguish why the heart races faster.
It cannot distinguish between fear and love. In other words, fear can be mistaken for love.
If The Emperor cannot feel love from other women, then making him feel fear is also an option.
This plan was 'creating true love for The Emperor.'
It's the law of romance novels that love deepens as you overcome crises together.
Even when The Emperor was only at the Castle, I arranged covert and seemingly chance encounters to have him meet women.
But they all failed.
However, using that experience as fertilizer, this time I won't fail, and I'll create a new lover for The Emperor.
"You understand? What your job is."
I spoke to the woman who stood quietly wearing a robe.
This woman was a mercenary I had secretly hired—the one who would help The Emperor bloom with love amid crisis.
A mercenary, but not for the purpose of killing The Emperor, rather for the purpose of acting out love.
"Leave it to me, my client."
"No obvious approaches. And don't pretend to be injured in the forest and meet by chance. The Emperor will certainly suspect."
He's not that naive.
"Your concept is a tribesperson living in the forest. When The Emperor is about to catch his prey, shoot the same game from nearby. That's how you draw his attention for the first time."
I provided her with quite a substantial sum of money.
"There's not much time. Go quickly."
"Yes. Where should I go?"
I pointed to one location on the Hunting Grounds map.
"The Emperor went to the Forest of Sleeping Giants. It's a Hunting Grounds with a massive stone statue. Go there. Don't get caught under any circumstances. You've prepared the clothes, right?"
"Yes."
She had prepared the minority tribe's clothing perfectly.
"Then go ahead."
"Yes, ma'am."
The woman vanished like an arrow.
How did I know The Emperor's location? Thanks to the handkerchief.
I had secretly embedded a tracking device into it.
It was a thread-thin device specially commissioned from the Alchemist.
I had woven it into the embroidery.
Even The Emperor would find it difficult to notice such meticulous work.
This plan absolutely had to succeed.
* * *
Two hours had passed since the hunt began.
The dark weather improved, then clouded over again, cycling endlessly.
Watching the capricious weather, I thought of Grunvalt's climate. I wondered if the weather in Grunvalt, where Dale was, looked like this too.
"In weather like this, even pulling weeds must be difficult."
Even though I had hired servants, given Dale's meticulous and careful nature, he would certainly finish certain household tasks on his own.
What was Dale doing right now?
It was lunchtime—was he eating properly prepared meals, or was he eating carelessly without me there?
And without me...
He wasn't having friendly conversations with other women, was he?
"No, that's not strange for Dale."
That was Dale's freedom, after all.
But we had a marriage contract, so even without me, Dale shouldn't be acting like a bachelor.
Even if he faced temptation from those around him.
'There were always plenty of women who had their eyes on Dale even when I was around.'
Not just Adeline, who had been the young lady of Kidland, but Dale had always been popular.
Whenever we went on dates together, burning gazes would follow us.
"Dale isn't the type to take a contract lightly."
Dale was someone who would uphold his duties well even without me.
...Though it's true that you never know what people might do.
While activating The Emperor project, I suddenly felt uneasy.
Falling in love suddenly wasn't something only The Emperor could do—Dale could do it too.
I was only trying to find The Emperor's love, yet my imagination kept expanding.
Now I was away from home...
And Dale was popular...
"Ah, Dale wouldn't do that."
Besides, Dale's private life wasn't something I should meddle in. But...
But you wouldn't bring another woman into our newlywed home, would you?!
Riiiiip!
"Oh."
The book tore apart from the force I'd applied.
I quickly taped the torn book back together.
"Hm? There's more content in the back."
I'd thought it ended since several pages were blank in the middle, but the story continued after skipping many chapters.
There was more written about the hunting grounds there too. Is this truly the law of romance novels?
[It was from that moment that The Emperor began to suffer from nervous exhaustion.]
For some reason, the first sentence that caught my eye felt deeply unsettling.
[The Emperor was born with a cold-blooded disposition, yet he did not reveal his true nature. However, after enduring countless hardships and finally facing a catastrophe, he was tormented by a paralyzing terror that consumed his mind.]
What is this inauspicious and ominous sentence?
I skimmed through the pages before and after. This was a passage describing The Emperor's past.
[Trapped in darkness by the shipwreck, The Emperor wandered through the pitch-black gloom for days and nights, memories of his childhood resurfacing. The recollection of those days spent in abuse seemed to strangle his very breath anew.]
[He could not escape the painful memories of his youth. The terror he experienced in that darkness seized The Emperor once more.]
[From the moment he finally defeated the monster and escaped into the world beyond, The Emperor's mind began to crumble.]
[Unlike his childhood, it was beyond his control.]
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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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