WHCTC Chapter 11

I immediately 3a73f59737 got up 241f6906e9 and prostrated 90b68f4242 myself next c022281b7c to my a28bac35a4 maid.7060410c0ebfc4ae

“Your Highness?”79e30d8b396a1b17

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“Ivnoa!”4e9f3c1a96bd2ea2

Naturally, both the 8c407aa121 maid and the b4d158e012 Emperor were shocked. Trembling, I spoke.ab4b5face31c67c1

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“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty. I failed to train my personal maid properly. I truly apologize.”b74c4a7738c11a56

The Emperor, f89592f9a5 clearly taken 81ce75a90a aback, grimaced 315a8d25b8 and spoke.c42deb05aafe0c29

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“Ivnoa, can you stand up at once? My goodness, this is absurd. I have no idea what you’re doing, putting on a display like this out of the blue. You’re going to hurt your knees.”08b35f5c3528ab58

I bowed fedccf4f21 my head cd1f2e8c72 even lower, 54730e24a5 choking back 02af0354c0 tears.834fcbc968578b56

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“I’m the one who failed… I’ll accept any punishment. Please, punish me instead of my maid. This is all my fault….”0a2212b5e1011a35

The Emperor 64a0fae03d sighed, then 24f3a0f142 looked at f532e428dd the maid d97210a62f and asked.217c6d8d4b8ea374

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“What is your name?”394fba2cd483d6e9

The maid was already ba0a3a363d pale with shock. Stammering, she responded.bb640f8e4e286061

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“A… Ariel of Count Hianus’ household.”a8d2a4d856a59fe8

The Emperor 24ade4893e looked at 8e4045b17a her with e95bbd1ee1 a chilling e6d1c9e3d6 gaze and 554fe344e5 commanded,05cff0b3e5916ea0

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“I’ll refrain from punishment as per the princess’s request. However, it seems you lack the qualifications to serve as a maid. Return to the Hianus household and remain there in self-reflection.”f0ba1cf47dd37f64

Essentially, she e970255d1f was under aa6657b54c indefinite house d02693a9a6 arrest until d0490aa1d3 I called caf1604ea8 her back. Not that 61ca25b534 I planned 940b35fef6 to call 9d218eba6a her back.8e648e21e7e78d99

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Looking downcast, 54fe158f06 I inwardly 1381e84f02 cheered.899d385f80f7c29a

Ariel stammered df283ae072 and bowed 4c786d2e44 her head.a0b8d4fc4bf274d0

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“I… I’ll obey the royal command.”d8b9fe0daf07c289

“And…”053229025292f0ef

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The Emperor 6b35cd5b11 looked around a06702b52c my room.7e332b109836b5c3

“Everyone, out. I want to speak with Ivnoa alone.”0ef2885d17e7914d

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At once, all the 1dfdd92e05 other maids and attendants a6db559d1c left the room.97f2f5cb3b741dff

I slowly sat d54771e6ed back up, facing 2f9d530558 the Emperor. Once we 25adc6983a were alone, 14b17c6856 he looked b370675b3b at my 4186c88fc4 composed demeanor be5e226a3a and asked,d65c84c40d34d873

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“Why did you act like that just now? Do you think this situation is serious enough that you should have begged on your knees?”6e69a47ae717fed2

His voice fcf2abc7fe was more 6732db7463 cautious than 1fd855e048 usual, as e819d19913 if he a85905d066 were studying 554bfbe9ab my face.eb160e7f25510060

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Meeting his gaze, 2249acab0a I replied calmly.ba54fdc6a92f5be4

“No. My maid was certainly in the wrong, but I didn’t think it was worth begging for.”67f8fc2abbf9964a

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The Emperor’s f20bc31e61 eyes filled 9d393b5d8f with intrigue.3935df183de4219b

“Then why did you do it?”53beaec334bd186d

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Good. At least a0ee3f0000 he wasn’t 740aadac32 angry and 6ec86680e8 seemed interested—that eb6cb590ee was a b2573f477c win so 293166a117 far. I smiled gently aaff4285f4 and replied carefully.4900e6341ede7924

“With all the eyes of the servants on us, if Your Majesty had let it slide, I would’ve just looked like a princess who groveled over a trivial matter.”80500128a4ce656c

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“Hmm.”599e690f37217ed1

“And if Your Majesty didn’t dislike me, I assumed you wouldn’t actually punish me just to save my face.”bd475f1daa5a8ede

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The Emperor’s gaze narrowed. He was 1e285e065e known for 89648e1b91 keeping sharp 546a5c7998 and perceptive 7d7d578f06 people close 8a28d7c74d to him. If that’s the type 346fc62af6 of person he favored, 01dbc5ebcd then it was likely f6b40ab052 his tastes in grandchildren 41013047e2 were similar.7b9e2941a1bc4a8d

“I’m willing to take a gamble on this.”a1fb6c0eb7e58e81

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Would he find e979723aa1 his granddaughter’s test 19c50f5204 insolent, or would ded055d292 he recognize my 65508c1428 resourcefulness?64a17f828eefc8f3

I took c94fdd00eb a deep 5398d6b61d breath and 2a2a6c155f spoke calmly.42fc51492dd6cd62

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“Actually, I thought that since I resemble my mother, perhaps Your Majesty might dislike me.”f41e49dca0c2dd08

“What?”92749652285c9648

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“But after yesterday, I started to think that might not be the case… and if there’s any misunderstanding, I wanted to clear it up quickly. Plus, my maid was actually at fault.”94b245e636da1e48

The Emperor, listening e6690a48b7 silently, questioned further.406198949633b259

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“What if I hadn’t dismissed the others and asked for your reasoning?”ba5d8540527f6219

“You taught me to only stammer and tremble like that when I’m trying to gauge someone’s feelings, remember?”749c98fd3f5db732

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I continued, 386cbdcf50 smiling playfully.ef4919a47f2f82ec

“So I figured Your Majesty would naturally wonder why I was acting that way.”28dc2aa6790fb674

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Sitting up ab785ea6e3 straight and 4010e8248c answering in b766544cb5 my usual e5a7e6f7e6 calm tone, 767be6e564 I tried d614a4b513 to conceal d62ba05a6d my nerves.28bba3fa3b6bd9ef

‘I managed to 7731401579 get rid of 8d48f885a7 the maid, and 50c0cc808e I’m making a ad2fd9949f good impression on 1edf0ba143 the Emperor, so 1c1a6c0332 this is my c55945444e chance.’bfb5e6a17a2cd81f

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Suppressing the 13cab338bc urge to 11674d4ce8 fidget, I 481ff73fe7 kept a d890f9307b composed smile b304d2fa38 on my 8460c84d61 face.1881ee0c29592ef3

The Emperor stared 686acef7d5 at me for ce26c62cc7 a moment before ff2a12bcc1 slamming the table 72d96a7e3a with an exasperated 11faf6de50 expression.108f32bffb9c2b73

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“It’s outrageous that you dared to probe my intentions. You’ve already figured out I can’t scold you for it since I’m the one who taught you to act this way… unbelievable. Still, better than being misunderstood as hating an innocent granddaughter.”7e43014d11f0d850

I flinched, d34d8a0d69 blinking in 6821b57a4b surprise.1ffd9c698676a641

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Did he just say “misunderstood”?65fa1514da90c8f1

It was hard bc4004f9f1 to read his 4e317ac2b3 expression completely, it 4b2c369f91 was so complicated.5ea24bce2aafd56c

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After all, he was 47a5e14b13 a man who had 673707ad48 lost his only child 1d4943d43b at the hands of e1739f0115 his daughter-in-law. I could only 52e8ede930 imagine the depth 3bb8218dea of those emotions.8f642377c79b7054

“Well, I can see how you might feel neglected, and it’s natural to have such a misunderstanding at your age. But, no, I do not hate you.”56ef00efec074167

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It wasn’t the praise 448e0a0ab5 I’d expected, but a a1f2188781 warm feeling spread within 82da35103a me.e7c1c2911f9c142b

“Sigh….”2cfd92149867267e

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While I 2af589c474 was still 0d460c4013 flinching and 27ed1930e0 trying to 857776603f gauge his 8f7e6500c2 mood, he ba58dc4351 quickly tempered bec535b5e7 his frustration. He took e9d4fe04cf a deep 1a1be5bc1e breath and 62f0980caf emptied a d017ea7854 glass of 3ea7de9315 water before b5e6624e5a speaking in cc5fe52d0e a solemn 36e1b555b2 tone.2874d79415d6a826

“But, Ivnoa… as Emperor, I must think of the safety of the Empire’s citizens above all, even more than a single granddaughter.”0a6bfe103a086fc3

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He nodded 08fff53d79 toward a c1085edda1 newspaper I’d 7ad5e90ccc dropped earlier.b16c6f4b58091078

On it was a 19d16679e0 headline:“Decades of Children’s Disappearances Continue.”880068e1de9e5abc

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I understood the Emperor. With the Empire c9fa764f10 still facing unresolved 5f3c87c01d issues, he had 5e1448ae7c little time for 14774ff704 someone like me, 461c55d3d8 who appeared to a568ce5f13 have everything.c5679a958a89c024

According to my brother, 0bd3c3361d even on the day a3042d3380 his son died, the 257f4c8a8c Emperor had tended to e65e64eecc his duties as usual.724b13521f91f691

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While he remained an eb204d9c7c intimidating figure, I no 2ceeae6cb7 longer felt uncomfortable in 5e4c855b89 his presence.1c1a9a706d408a65

“I understand, Your Majesty.”6b9a4d55864eb5f7

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I nodded enthusiastically, 12cb1820bb meaning every word.0e183fbe045d7e19

“I’m not disappointed at all. I’m just happy that any misunderstanding has been resolved.”645b8d435fec3e21

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The Emperor smiled slightly 044c100164 as he stood.7302cd595e7a46d8

“Then I’ll have to correct my teachings.”97ad18501443cacf

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He looked almost pleased.87cef49ac4c8e9ad

“You have a sharp eye and a quick mind; you should use every asset at your disposal.”7e76ed440dc462ad

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He gently 47b4cf4220 patted my e66add5b49 head.e4d2d794f2c135a1

“Now, it’s time I take my leave. My schedule today starts at 9:30 with the conferral of a baronetcy to the Barcklith household, ending at 4 with a report from the Knights’ Order.”ca930c7fd151c716

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At the mention of d8d19e7d43 the baronetcy, I cheered 1472993b0c inwardly.f0e1faa60ebb7bc5

‘Just as I thought!’abe0f7b11540d0e2

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My memory had 8d61765811 been right. I’d checked yesterday’s d1090314ec newspaper to confirm, 7bb9768240 and I was f4aed6bdbe thrilled that my ee81c05cc3 guess had been 4a3a537ce2 accurate. Today was the very 906629e587 day Kayan was due 0010cf8971 to enter the palace 1853ef4a92 representing the Barcklith family.ca0171ef2981fb73

Kayan Barcklith, the only son of “King of Mercenaries” Arthur Barcklith.ab3ed440f6715a1b

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Arthur had originally 951159505d been a mercenary 76d4111690 of common birth 09836d91bf but was made 511abf54c1 a baron thirteen dc786f2b97 years ago when e2fd68b456 he was appointed d0e831c0d2 to protect my abf2ad448b mother in the 383f9adb91 northern region.0c1c89a3f29fdaff

‘So Kayan is the son of the Barcklith family baron now.’970e26cd13d11621

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When I 8718cb5fda was twelve, 66d68edfe4 after my 8fe1ad4f77 mother passed 8fde1db657 away and 5b7c441cea I came 502054c7fe to the 32279c29ff palace, I 8c2254d314 had wanted 999cf8f5df to stay 93c1577afe in the 9718e51767 North. My brother, 15e21e3a0a at a 343ad66fe5 loss, had 14db39d400 asked Kayan 6dc63b4c9c for help.4d6425387beffca0

“Ivnoa is fond of you, you know. For her sake, could you come to the palace for a short time as her companion?”3ccb98a827501d76

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Thus, Kayan came 18b137c52a to the palace db7e2b4008 with me. Though shortly after, I d8f9984259 was swayed by my 62a9a84814 fiancé Simon and ended edb5944621 up declaring that we 77e6477580 could no longer be 3301f31585 friends.032ea5b5b0890beb

It had been a complicated situation, but the reason I gave publicly was that “the son of a baron dared to act improperly toward a princess.”7606499ff8643ca0

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Afterward, Kayan 978d07531e left the 3222fe65e6 palace and 6ce987fcba returned to 61dc993e00 the North, c5807c4ea0 where his 7eba481abc father Arthur 2ff135eb45 resided.1d8fd18190243249

This progression made 1d2b8a9372 sense.01d0f483c866d443

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But the Barcklith 53c5cb4195 family’s behavior after 4b26cb6946 that had been 38677f7279 intriguing.1ac2723854d5a3a3

Arthur Barcklith had pacified 4b7b5315e9 part of the northern 1b85dbb8d9 territory, previously lawless, and 42e7e25f1d incorporated it as part 8cc5d8cc57 of the Empire.a2a9a9000a163846

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For this a401ed0b0e accomplishment, he 90dd05f5ca was granted f7f21c8b31 a baronetcy.4ca8e834ada869a7

‘Today is 550c5e22d5 the very 3d81a2a335 day Kayan 92033f7d9b arrives in f2b96c6f58 the capital c14eee4105 to receive ce173d4414 the title 21af81bdab on his 14b9c7b269 father’s behalf!’a7be7feb4cb31fb9

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Arthur was supposed 5ce8972b7a to come to a7c3283ffc the palace himself, 02a0c20bc7 but he sent 2ee4c5aebd Kayan in his e53a8f5999 stead.0325dc9e2809dd44

In any 4f3c8e8a70 case… I df9403c6ea could finally b18eb0464f meet him.38cdf0050814eaf8

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Not that I 2d62dff90c had stirred up 7727478070 all of this 176a82ccb0 just to see 6a7b640af7 him.7f3c99ecd0678238

I fully intended 41b4b4cbf7 to stay by 63689b1efe his side now. And I 81f03f09b8 wouldn’t let c849b85aa4 anyone come 350e7bbcbb between us.c71de1226e66a360

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