(178) Hell is here (2)
"The Princess must have been in a very difficult situation."
Ariana was nervous at the Emperor's warm voice.
'Why is he being so nice to me? He surely doesn't have many good feelings toward me, the daughter of the Eastern Lord.'
Hiding her suspicions, Ariana answered neatly.
“No, it is my fault for not behaving properly.”
“Right, right. The more I look at it, the more I realize Eastern Lord raised his daughter well.”
"I am deeply humbled, Your Majesty."
"Then, shall I make you feel humbled one more time?"
"Yes?"
"It is an imperial decree."
Ariana held her breath.
At this point, the imperial decree is not good. Just as a chill ran down her spine, she met Victoria's eyes, which held a mocking smirk.
With her rapidly racing mind, she guessed the imperial decree that would flow from the Emperor's mouth.
'You used your head, Victoria. Right, that's how it should be.'
Knowing it actually calmed her mind.
As everyone knelt, awaiting the imperial command, the Emperor spoke with dignity.
“Princess Ariana White of the Eastern Kingdom shall become the consort of my beloved son, the Fifth Prince Puniken Blenwit.”
At that moment, everyone was so flustered that they forgot they were in front of the Emperor and suddenly lifted their heads.
Although the Emperor can order a marriage by imperial decree, this practice has long since ceased to be used because it is deemed unjust for imperial power to intervene in private matters.
But to think he would interfere in the marriage of none other than the Princess of the East.
The ones most surprised were Isabelle and Wiona. Having heard something from Ariana, the two were enjoying a party in a slightly distant location when the Emperor suddenly appeared with an imperial command; they were dumbfounded and could only move their lips.
As Isabelle finally came to her senses and tried to jump up, Wiona barely managed to hold her back and sit her down.
"Let go of me, Wiona."
“Stay still, Isabelle.”
“How can I stay still?”
"Look at that."
Wiona pointed toward Ariana with her chin. Ariana was kneeling politely, holding her hands slightly behind her back and making a small gesture.
Upon closer inspection, they saw that she was drawing an X shape.
"The Princess must have something in mind."
“But... marriage all of a sudden? Ariana is only 20. Besides... what about the Northern Lord?”
While everyone was in confusion, Victoria watched Ariana with a wry smile.
'Now, what will you do? Will you cry and beg the Imperial decree to be revoked, or will you accept it? What are you going to do? If you accept the decree, you’ll have to let that Northern Lord go.'
She felt like she was about to burst out laughing.
It was the first time in a long while that she felt so relieved and good.
Then, Ariana answered calmly.
"I will obey the Emperor's command."
"Alright, lift your head."
There was no bewilderment, sadness, or shock on Ariana's face as she lifted her head. She was calm, as if she had expected this to happen.
'Hmph, she must be fuming inside. What a sly woman. She's good at keeping her expression.'
In a situation where everyone thought 'this won't work,' Ariana herself asked the Emperor as if that wasn't necessarily the case.
“Then, Your Majesty, am I now becoming Your Imperial Majesty’s person?”
“Of course. Even though the ceremony hasn’t been held, my imperial decree has been issued, so naturally, you are my man.”
"It is an undeserved honor."
Ariana, who answered as if she were happy, turned her head and met Rachel's eyes.
Rachel, who was dazed and didn't know what had happened, snapped back to reality as if she had been struck on the back of the head when her eyes met Ariana's.
'The Emperor's man!'
The Emperor said so himself. That Ariana is now his person.
This means that framing Ariana is tantamount to harboring rebellion against the Emperor.
'No, no, no...'
Although she had taken precautions to ensure the damage would not fall back on her, there was always a possibility. Touching the Emperor's people would result in an even more thorough investigation.
Just as Rachel was rolling her eyes, looking for the bribed butler, the Emperor was about to lead his knights out of the party hall as if his business were finished. Meanwhile, Ariana accepted the glass of wine offered by the butler who had come over to her side.
Rachel's eyes fell upon Ariana, bringing the glass to her lips. Ariana tilted her glass while staring straight at Rachel.
Rachel could not breathe under the piercing gaze.
'I know what you did.'
It was as if the blue eyes were saying just that.
'But I'm on top.'
A smile played on Ariana's lips. And.
“Cough...!”
Fresh blood flowed down the white chin.
The Princess of the East, who was to marry the Fifth Prince by imperial decree, collapsed after drinking poisoned wine. The Emperor was also present.
Before even a few minutes had passed, the Marquis Materin estate was blockaded. The Emperor's knights guarded the Emperor with gleaming eyes, and several Imperial knights stood in front of the bedroom where Ariana had been moved.
Investigators rushed over and tried to catch the suspicious person, but strangely enough, they could not find the person who had given Ariana the alcohol.
After issuing the order, “Find him without fail and make him pay for his crime with his death!”, the Emperor returned to the imperial palace, and Ariana was also transported by carriage to the White family mansion.
Imperial knights followed the carriage heading toward the mansion. Now, the White family mansion would be guarded not only by the knights of the Eastern Territory but also by the Imperial knights.
Isabelle and Wiona stood beside Ariana's bed with somber expressions. Ariana had her eyes closed with a pale face, and her face looked even whiter because of the black dress she had not yet changed out of.
"Excuse me..."
Isabelle poked Ariana's forearm.
“Everyone left. Only Lanster is at the door.”
The eyelids, which seemed as though they would never move, suddenly sprang up. Blue, lively eyes turned toward Isabelle and Wiona.
“How was it? Did I really look like I was going to die?”
“Yeah, you act really well. Why don’t you become an actor?”
"I might think about it if I run out of ways to make a living."
Ariana stood up, answering as if singing.
Wiona asked worriedly.
“Princess, are you really alright? Still, you drank poison... The palace doctors summoned earlier said the poison remaining in the cup is extremely potent.”
"Even the deadly poison can't defeat Sir Isaac Ferren."
In the meantime, Ariana had been consistently taking the medicine Isaac had prepared for her. This was because poisoning was the method Victoria and Rachel most frequently used to eliminate their rivals.
The blood spilled earlier was from chewing the flesh inside the mouth.
Isabelle nodded smugly at Ariana's words.
"Isaac makes an amazing medicine."
"The Princess praised Isaac, so why are you prouder of him?"
“When did I ever say I was proud? I’m just stating the facts.”
Ariana chuckled as she watched the two of them bickering.
It’s really fascinating. The space where Rachel and Victoria are always is damp, as if covered in pitch-black storm clouds, yet being with them makes her feel so refreshed.
Contrary to concerns, the White family took the malice and hatred Ariana harbored lightly. When she said she wanted terrible revenge on Victoria and Rachel, they even reacted with a sense of relief.
"Yeah, that's exactly how it should be! We can't just let those lunatics live well!"
Ariana was afraid that if she didn't act like a pretty, lovely, and useful child, her family's eyes would change, but now she realizes that was a foolish fear.
“Anyway, what do you plan to do about the Imperial Decree? I looked into it a bit, and it seems the Fifth Prince is a truly terrible fellow. Putting his appearance aside, I heard he has a vicious temper and has killed several people. He treats women harshly, too.”
“Hmm... the Imperial Order will work out somehow. If you intend to use me with the Imperial Order, I plan to make good use of it in return. Thanks to His Majesty, we’ve ended up under the protection of the Imperial Knights, haven’t we?”
“Is protection the problem right now? What are you going to do if you really end up marrying the Fifth Prince? We can’t revoke the Imperial command.”
“I’ll think about that when the time comes. Don’t worry too much, Sister. If things really don’t work out, the Northern Lord will figure something out.”
“Will the Northern Lord really be able to make even the Imperial Decree change?”
"Well..."
Ariana shrugged.
"More than that, what matters right now is that I am the Emperor's man. No one will dare touch me now. Rachel Bronte probably won't be able to sleep at night, not knowing when the net of investigation will close in on her. And probably, Victoria, too."
"Well, I suppose no one knows that Shini kidnapped the guy Rachel Bronte bribed first."
The butler was currently imprisoned in the dungeon of White Manor along with the assassins who had targeted Geor and Averaster. His mouth was gagged and his body bound so that he could not easily commit suicide.
"Please spread the word that I won't be able to decipher the code for a while and won't be able to regain my senses."
Since Louis did not go to the party, she only found out what happened there after Ariana returned.
"To think a marriage partner was chosen by imperial decree. Lanster, I think my hearing is a bit off."
"Your hearing is normal. It is the Emperor and his crazy antics that are abnormal."
Lanster answered with a sigh. Louis frowned and asked.
“Is it true? That the Emperor who chose a marriage partner for the Princess consort and issued an imperial decree?”
"Yes, it's true."
“Who is the opponent?”
"They say his name is the 5th Prince, Puniken Blenwit."
“The Fifth Prince...”
Louis recalled Puniken Blenwit from her records. His temperament, appearance, habits, and where he currently lives.
“If the prospective spouse disappears, the Imperial decree will have no choice but to be revoked. Please tell the Princess Consort to wait a moment. It will take about a week.”
Lanster nodded, having no intention of stopping her. If he were not in a position where he had to protect Ariana, Lanster would have gone south first, beheaded the Fifth Prince, and returned.
Just as Louis was about to disappear, the door opened, and Isabelle and Wiona came out. Isabelle glanced at Louis and Lanster, who were standing unusually close together, and spoke.
“Louis, Ariana says not to kill the Fifth Prince. She says she has a plan.”
Louis looked back at Lanster with a touching expression.
“Did you see? The Princess seems to have a complete idea of how I will act.”
Lanster narrowed his eyebrows.
"Is that something to be so proud of?"
“It means that she has taken a keen eye on my character. It is always a joy to receive the Lord’s attention.”
“Why is our Princess your lord? The Northern Lord must be disappointed.”
"Don't you know the saying that a married couple is one in heart and mind?"
“That is the problem right now, isn’t it? If we want the two of them to become husband and wife, we have to deal with the Imperial Decree first..."
“Hoho. It seems Lord Lanster does not trust the Princess.”
Lanster's gray eyes turned fierce at the words, doubting his loyalty.
"I trust our Princess."
“In that case, since the Princess said she has a plan, I suppose we can trust her.”
He felt defeated by his laid-back tone, but he had nothing to say in rebuttal. It was always like this whenever he dealt with Louis.
It's not like Louis is aggressive or anything, but he doesn't know why he always feels like he's losing.
Louis stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, tapping his forearm with his index finger and muttering.
“But no matter how much the Princess has her own thoughts, we cannot just sit by and watch.”
"The Princess must have been in a very difficult situation."
Ariana was nervous at the Emperor's warm voice.
'Why is he being so nice to me? He surely doesn't have many good feelings toward me, the daughter of the Eastern Lord.'
Hiding her suspicions, Ariana answered neatly.
“No, it is my fault for not behaving properly.”
“Right, right. The more I look at it, the more I realize Eastern Lord raised his daughter well.”
"I am deeply humbled, Your Majesty."
"Then, shall I make you feel humbled one more time?"
"Yes?"
"It is an imperial decree."
Ariana held her breath.
At this point, the imperial decree is not good. Just as a chill ran down her spine, she met Victoria's eyes, which held a mocking smirk.
With her rapidly racing mind, she guessed the imperial decree that would flow from the Emperor's mouth.
'You used your head, Victoria. Right, that's how it should be.'
Knowing it actually calmed her mind.
As everyone knelt, awaiting the imperial command, the Emperor spoke with dignity.
“Princess Ariana White of the Eastern Kingdom shall become the consort of my beloved son, the Fifth Prince Puniken Blenwit.”
At that moment, everyone was so flustered that they forgot they were in front of the Emperor and suddenly lifted their heads.
Although the Emperor can order a marriage by imperial decree, this practice has long since ceased to be used because it is deemed unjust for imperial power to intervene in private matters.
But to think he would interfere in the marriage of none other than the Princess of the East.
The ones most surprised were Isabelle and Wiona. Having heard something from Ariana, the two were enjoying a party in a slightly distant location when the Emperor suddenly appeared with an imperial command; they were dumbfounded and could only move their lips.
As Isabelle finally came to her senses and tried to jump up, Wiona barely managed to hold her back and sit her down.
"Let go of me, Wiona."
“Stay still, Isabelle.”
“How can I stay still?”
"Look at that."
Wiona pointed toward Ariana with her chin. Ariana was kneeling politely, holding her hands slightly behind her back and making a small gesture.
Upon closer inspection, they saw that she was drawing an X shape.
"The Princess must have something in mind."
“But... marriage all of a sudden? Ariana is only 20. Besides... what about the Northern Lord?”
While everyone was in confusion, Victoria watched Ariana with a wry smile.
'Now, what will you do? Will you cry and beg the Imperial decree to be revoked, or will you accept it? What are you going to do? If you accept the decree, you’ll have to let that Northern Lord go.'
She felt like she was about to burst out laughing.
It was the first time in a long while that she felt so relieved and good.
Then, Ariana answered calmly.
"I will obey the Emperor's command."
"Alright, lift your head."
There was no bewilderment, sadness, or shock on Ariana's face as she lifted her head. She was calm, as if she had expected this to happen.
'Hmph, she must be fuming inside. What a sly woman. She's good at keeping her expression.'
In a situation where everyone thought 'this won't work,' Ariana herself asked the Emperor as if that wasn't necessarily the case.
“Then, Your Majesty, am I now becoming Your Imperial Majesty’s person?”
“Of course. Even though the ceremony hasn’t been held, my imperial decree has been issued, so naturally, you are my man.”
"It is an undeserved honor."
Ariana, who answered as if she were happy, turned her head and met Rachel's eyes.
Rachel, who was dazed and didn't know what had happened, snapped back to reality as if she had been struck on the back of the head when her eyes met Ariana's.
'The Emperor's man!'
The Emperor said so himself. That Ariana is now his person.
This means that framing Ariana is tantamount to harboring rebellion against the Emperor.
'No, no, no...'
Although she had taken precautions to ensure the damage would not fall back on her, there was always a possibility. Touching the Emperor's people would result in an even more thorough investigation.
Just as Rachel was rolling her eyes, looking for the bribed butler, the Emperor was about to lead his knights out of the party hall as if his business were finished. Meanwhile, Ariana accepted the glass of wine offered by the butler who had come over to her side.
Rachel's eyes fell upon Ariana, bringing the glass to her lips. Ariana tilted her glass while staring straight at Rachel.
Rachel could not breathe under the piercing gaze.
'I know what you did.'
It was as if the blue eyes were saying just that.
'But I'm on top.'
A smile played on Ariana's lips. And.
“Cough...!”
Fresh blood flowed down the white chin.
***
The Princess of the East, who was to marry the Fifth Prince by imperial decree, collapsed after drinking poisoned wine. The Emperor was also present.
Before even a few minutes had passed, the Marquis Materin estate was blockaded. The Emperor's knights guarded the Emperor with gleaming eyes, and several Imperial knights stood in front of the bedroom where Ariana had been moved.
Investigators rushed over and tried to catch the suspicious person, but strangely enough, they could not find the person who had given Ariana the alcohol.
After issuing the order, “Find him without fail and make him pay for his crime with his death!”, the Emperor returned to the imperial palace, and Ariana was also transported by carriage to the White family mansion.
Imperial knights followed the carriage heading toward the mansion. Now, the White family mansion would be guarded not only by the knights of the Eastern Territory but also by the Imperial knights.
Isabelle and Wiona stood beside Ariana's bed with somber expressions. Ariana had her eyes closed with a pale face, and her face looked even whiter because of the black dress she had not yet changed out of.
"Excuse me..."
Isabelle poked Ariana's forearm.
“Everyone left. Only Lanster is at the door.”
The eyelids, which seemed as though they would never move, suddenly sprang up. Blue, lively eyes turned toward Isabelle and Wiona.
“How was it? Did I really look like I was going to die?”
“Yeah, you act really well. Why don’t you become an actor?”
"I might think about it if I run out of ways to make a living."
Ariana stood up, answering as if singing.
Wiona asked worriedly.
“Princess, are you really alright? Still, you drank poison... The palace doctors summoned earlier said the poison remaining in the cup is extremely potent.”
"Even the deadly poison can't defeat Sir Isaac Ferren."
In the meantime, Ariana had been consistently taking the medicine Isaac had prepared for her. This was because poisoning was the method Victoria and Rachel most frequently used to eliminate their rivals.
The blood spilled earlier was from chewing the flesh inside the mouth.
Isabelle nodded smugly at Ariana's words.
"Isaac makes an amazing medicine."
"The Princess praised Isaac, so why are you prouder of him?"
“When did I ever say I was proud? I’m just stating the facts.”
Ariana chuckled as she watched the two of them bickering.
It’s really fascinating. The space where Rachel and Victoria are always is damp, as if covered in pitch-black storm clouds, yet being with them makes her feel so refreshed.
Contrary to concerns, the White family took the malice and hatred Ariana harbored lightly. When she said she wanted terrible revenge on Victoria and Rachel, they even reacted with a sense of relief.
"Yeah, that's exactly how it should be! We can't just let those lunatics live well!"
Ariana was afraid that if she didn't act like a pretty, lovely, and useful child, her family's eyes would change, but now she realizes that was a foolish fear.
“Anyway, what do you plan to do about the Imperial Decree? I looked into it a bit, and it seems the Fifth Prince is a truly terrible fellow. Putting his appearance aside, I heard he has a vicious temper and has killed several people. He treats women harshly, too.”
“Hmm... the Imperial Order will work out somehow. If you intend to use me with the Imperial Order, I plan to make good use of it in return. Thanks to His Majesty, we’ve ended up under the protection of the Imperial Knights, haven’t we?”
“Is protection the problem right now? What are you going to do if you really end up marrying the Fifth Prince? We can’t revoke the Imperial command.”
“I’ll think about that when the time comes. Don’t worry too much, Sister. If things really don’t work out, the Northern Lord will figure something out.”
“Will the Northern Lord really be able to make even the Imperial Decree change?”
"Well..."
Ariana shrugged.
"More than that, what matters right now is that I am the Emperor's man. No one will dare touch me now. Rachel Bronte probably won't be able to sleep at night, not knowing when the net of investigation will close in on her. And probably, Victoria, too."
"Well, I suppose no one knows that Shini kidnapped the guy Rachel Bronte bribed first."
The butler was currently imprisoned in the dungeon of White Manor along with the assassins who had targeted Geor and Averaster. His mouth was gagged and his body bound so that he could not easily commit suicide.
"Please spread the word that I won't be able to decipher the code for a while and won't be able to regain my senses."
***
Since Louis did not go to the party, she only found out what happened there after Ariana returned.
"To think a marriage partner was chosen by imperial decree. Lanster, I think my hearing is a bit off."
"Your hearing is normal. It is the Emperor and his crazy antics that are abnormal."
Lanster answered with a sigh. Louis frowned and asked.
“Is it true? That the Emperor who chose a marriage partner for the Princess consort and issued an imperial decree?”
"Yes, it's true."
“Who is the opponent?”
"They say his name is the 5th Prince, Puniken Blenwit."
“The Fifth Prince...”
Louis recalled Puniken Blenwit from her records. His temperament, appearance, habits, and where he currently lives.
“If the prospective spouse disappears, the Imperial decree will have no choice but to be revoked. Please tell the Princess Consort to wait a moment. It will take about a week.”
Lanster nodded, having no intention of stopping her. If he were not in a position where he had to protect Ariana, Lanster would have gone south first, beheaded the Fifth Prince, and returned.
Just as Louis was about to disappear, the door opened, and Isabelle and Wiona came out. Isabelle glanced at Louis and Lanster, who were standing unusually close together, and spoke.
“Louis, Ariana says not to kill the Fifth Prince. She says she has a plan.”
Louis looked back at Lanster with a touching expression.
“Did you see? The Princess seems to have a complete idea of how I will act.”
Lanster narrowed his eyebrows.
"Is that something to be so proud of?"
“It means that she has taken a keen eye on my character. It is always a joy to receive the Lord’s attention.”
“Why is our Princess your lord? The Northern Lord must be disappointed.”
"Don't you know the saying that a married couple is one in heart and mind?"
“That is the problem right now, isn’t it? If we want the two of them to become husband and wife, we have to deal with the Imperial Decree first..."
“Hoho. It seems Lord Lanster does not trust the Princess.”
Lanster's gray eyes turned fierce at the words, doubting his loyalty.
"I trust our Princess."
“In that case, since the Princess said she has a plan, I suppose we can trust her.”
He felt defeated by his laid-back tone, but he had nothing to say in rebuttal. It was always like this whenever he dealt with Louis.
It's not like Louis is aggressive or anything, but he doesn't know why he always feels like he's losing.
Louis stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, tapping his forearm with his index finger and muttering.
“But no matter how much the Princess has her own thoughts, we cannot just sit by and watch.”
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