Chapter 100

Azela answered briefly. Perhaps that brief answer was not what the Emperor had hoped for, he frowned in reply.

The Emperor, who put the teacup he was holding down a little roughly, asked back.

“…Really?”

To answer that question, she strengthened her voice to drive a strong wedge.

“Yes, there actually was an assassin trying to kill Duke Ferial. I clashed swords myself.”

At that moment, Azela’s undrawn sword counterattacked the Emperor’s sword.

“I see.”

Even as she struck her sword against him, the Emperor remained unfazed and calm.

“I can’t believe that was true. That is a big deal.”

“Yes. So, I have to get back to Duke Ferial quickly…”

“Miss Vellista.”

The Emperor was outspoken in cutting her words. When he started to speak, Azela had to stop what she was saying and shut her lips.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You must be wondering why I called you.”

“….”

When she didn’t answer, the Emperor smiled benevolently.

To put on such a benevolent and kind face yet try to kill people from behind… Azela suddenly remembered what Chises had said, ‘You have to manage your expression well.’ She wondered if he might have been influenced by this person after all.

“I rate your swordsmanship skills very highly. I can’t call it the best in the Empire, but the sword you wield is beautiful. I’m sure Miss Vellista heard it before you got married.”

“…Yes.”

“I thought you could serve as the commander of the imperial Knights. If the knight commander is too much, at least the deputy knight commander. You must not know how grieved I was when you put down the sword just because you were getting married.”

He was visibly sorry when Azela said she would put down the sword after marrying Daniel, that much was true.

“Not only your swordsmanship skills but also your passion is highly valued.”

The Emperor paused for a moment and turned his gaze to the void. Clapping his hands, he drew a happy face as if he recalled the past for a moment.

“So, I was very happy when I heard that you took up the sword again.”

“….”

“Of course, even if it’s not as good as before, where will that skill go? You’ll be able to wield great swordsmanship again like before.”

Time passed helplessly. With the meaningless conversation, Azela glanced up at her watch, showing a look that she wanted to go back. She didn’t know why she had to sit here talking to the Emperor like this.

As she frowned in boredom, the Emperor saw it and smiled.

“Then, don’t you want to work under me?”

Azela, who had a bored look, hesitated and she looked at the Emperor with wide-open eyes.

What was she supposed to do? Wondering if she had heard something wrong, she felt like she had to ask again. But as Azela was thinking about it, the Emperor continued.

“Talented people like you are precious to me.”

“….!”

“Miss Vellista, whatever treatment you are receiving now, I promise to treat you better than that. As the Emperor, I am speaking directly, so there is no need to doubt it.”

“What do you mean…”

“Have you ever wanted to sit in the position of the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights?”

It would be lying to say she wasn’t shaken. It was only for a moment though Azela’s eyes lit up at the Emperor’s words. It was because working in the Imperial Family was what every human being wanted at least once.

Azela also used to think of herself working there at one time. To the point where she thought that if the Emperor had made such a proposal to her in the past, she might have delayed her marriage to Daniel.

“I…”

Azela pursed her dry lips.

After all, she was a human being. She couldn’t help herself. At that moment, she suddenly remembered the face of the handmaid in Todd’s mansion, who coveted her jewelry. A feeling full of greed that was not hidden at all.

Wondering if her face was like that now, Azela raised her dry hand and hid the left side of her face.

“There is plenty of time, so think slowly. However, I will not make a second offer.”

The Emperor smiled generously, gazing at her complicated expression, and enjoyed the cooled tea… No, maybe he was putting pressure on her by pretending to enjoy it. As Azela lowered her gaze, Zagnac’s face appeared in her mind.

‘…You shouldn’t have tried to give me lingering feelings in life.’

If she had lingering feelings in life, she would have greed. Humans always become ugly in front of greed.

Azela raised her head and looked at the Emperor. As she was about to open her lips, the sunlight through the window illuminated the jewel on the hilt of her sword that hung on her waist. Azela turned her head to look down at it. The sword he made was shining as if to say, ‘Don’t forget me.’

“…It’s not my job.”

Looking at the sword, she uttered in a daze. After all, it was thanks to him that she could sit here and listen to such suggestions. The reason she was able to feel this greed was because he put this sword in her hand.

She couldn’t abandon him….

When Azela turned her head and looked at the Emperor with a face full of conviction, his calm look was crushed in an instant.

“Why?”

The Emperor furrowed, perhaps not expecting the refusal.

“I’ll be the one to decide whether you’ll be doing it or not. In my view, you are the right person for the position.”

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“Doesn’t make sense…”

The Emperor laughed at her resolute refusal.

Following him, Azela also smiled in surprise. It was on a different level from what Crown Prince Chises had suggested. The Emperor was saying that he would give her the position of deputy commander of the imperial knights.

If interpreted differently, it carried the same meaning that the highest power in the Empire would serve as Azela’s backing.

“I don’t think it’s something I can do since I put down my sword for a long time.”

Nonetheless, she had already made up her mind.

Azela uttered as she placed her hand on the sword hanging from her waist. The Emperor wanted Zagnac to be isolated. That was why he must have offered her the position of deputy commander of the imperial Knights.

The Emperor was wary of him… He sincerely wanted to kill Zagnac.

“Let’s be clear.”

“Yes?”

The Emperor growled in a low voice as he began to reveal his teeth in earnest to her, who shook off the hand he had offered to her. Cold sweat ran down Azela’s forehead with the sudden change of atmosphere. Her instinct was screaming.

Run away and don’t look back.

“Are you refusing the job or not?”

“….”

In the Emperor’s eyes, there was an indescribable murderous energy.

Like a spell was cast on her, Azela was unable to move. Her nape felt chilly. Even though the window was clearly closed, she even felt a cool breeze blowing from somewhere. He was clearly sitting far away from he though it gave the illusion that he was aiming his sword close at her.

The Emperor of an empire was like that.

“Are you refusing to be mine?”

The Emperor’s gaze at her was sharp. Azela’s throat became parched. To put it bluntly, even if he killed her here and now, no one would say anything. If the Emperor had that intention, he could have condemned ‘Azela Vellista’ as a traitor and forever dishonored her.

As the thought struck her, Azela pressed her lips together. She began to be terrified of this sleazy behavior of the highest power.

“Be honest.”

Seeing Azela trembling in fright like a scared deer, the Emperor hid his exposed teeth and disguised his face with a benevolent smile again.

“If you speak your sincere heart, I will also give up.”

However, just because he was the most powerful, she couldn’t just cower. Azela held her trembling hand and straightened her shoulders, pretending to be calm. She then erased her frightened face and acted with a calm face.

“You told me to be honest, so if I had to argue, it should be from both sides.”

There was silence for a moment.

The Emperor, who nodded his head, looked rather intrigued. Then, as if he couldn’t stand it any longer, he laughed loudly. His laughter echoed in the parlor. Hearing his sudden laughter, Azela glanced at him and lowered her head. Nevertheless, his laughter continued.

The Emperor, who had been laughing for a long time, finally stopped his laughter and said,

“You are firm.”

“….”

“I haven’t seen anyone so adamantly refuse to be mine in a long time.”

Was it a compliment or an insult? Azela didn’t say anything much to his words. Well, how many people in this Empire would reject his offer?

“Since you refuse like that, I have nothing more to say.”

“….”

“Because even an Emperor doesn’t have the power to change people’s minds.”

“I apologize.”

“Right.”

The Emperor smiled pleasantly. His face looked really happy, yet he was so thorough with his facial expressions that she couldn’t tell if he was serious.