“Really? You’re going to put that country bumpkin in the First Maid Division under Empress’s Palace?” asked an attendant.

“Are you mad? As if I would lower our standards. We’ll just get rid of her after the competition ends, pin some crime on her, just like the last ones.”

“And the golden egg?”

“Of course, it’s fake, just shiny on the outside. The maids can’t leave during the competition, so how will she ever get it appraised? She’ll find out when she tries to sell it. Ah, what a pity. I wish I could see her face then. Haha.”

As Princess Liliebet continued to laugh, holding her stomach, her attendants joined in with their own sycophantic, rotten smiles.

“Really?”

“Yes, I’ve gathered this information using all my connections, so it should be accurate.”

“I can surely triumph in the first competition. Thank you, Aunt!”

Grace was overjoyed, clapping her hands upon hearing the first competition information brought by Caroline, the Duchess of Lersang.

Despite the influence of Duchess Lersang and Empress Dowager Natalia in the royal and social circles, they couldn’t reach the final selection committee of the empress’s competition.

Contrary to their wishes, they were not even able to secure a spot as honorary judges for the final competition.

The decision by the Emperor and the council of senior nobles was to ensure the fairness of the competition, with the Emperor also promising not to exert any power over it.

The nine-member committee for the final competition consisted of representatives from the arts and culture sectors and the greatest scholars of the time. Additionally, two honorary judges were included in the final showdown, whose identities were kept secret according to royal law.

The final competition judges had been isolated in the Crystal Palace, a former temple, with no outside contact, six months prior. Finding a companion for Emperor Helterd Maxwell was of utmost importance, affecting not only the empire but the entire continent’s geopolitical landscape.

Depending on which family or kingdom the empress came from, the geographical and political map of the continent could change, as was the case with Empress Dowager Natalia’s home country, Seville. Once an insignificant kingdom, Seville became a wealthy and influential kingdom that couldn’t be ignored on the continent.

And the ripple effects of this would impact not just one kingdom, but the entire continent.

“The first challenge is the Agarte language, isn’t it?”
“That’s the case. Although the format of the exam isn’t clear yet, the fact that a large collection of Agarte texts was moved from the judge’s house to the palace assures me the information is accurate.”

“I remember you telling me every night when I was studying the difficult Agarte language. You said it would definitely be useful during the Empress competition. Aunt, you were right!”

As Grace began reciting poetry in Agarte, Duchess Lersang watched her with a bittersweet smile.

She and her husband had used every means to eliminate Maxwell and seat her older nephew Jeremy on the throne, but all that returned to her was the corpse of her son, who had been sent abroad to study. Jeremy had died of a plague that year while Maxwell was pushed into the battlefield.

Since then, she had adopted her orphaned niece Grace as her foster daughter, grooming her to be the most optimized candidate for empress. With twelve private tutors, Grace was transformed into one of the empire’s most talented individuals.

Now, the moment to reap the fruits of her efforts was approaching. Duchess Lersang closed her eyes, listening to Grace’s melodious voice reciting poetry in a language she couldn’t understand.

Silence enveloped the emperor and Arabella as they walked down the long corridor.

The emperor was conscious of the soft, delicate hand in his own, while Arabella was aware of the warm, large hand enveloping hers. Without speaking, they both acknowledged each other’s warmth as they walked.

Emperor Maxwell, who had grabbed Arabella’s hand impulsively and moved forward, soon became conscious of her presence in his hand and clenched his teeth.

He should let go… but he didn’t want to. Feeling connected to her this way brought him comfort.

As the emperor adjusted his stride to match Arabella’s, his thoughts wandered.

Watching Arabella, who had stepped on the ginkgo leaves he had dropped and ran in a frenzy, he felt a tightness around his neck, as if he couldn’t breathe.

She wants to leave this place… to escape this palace.

Bitterness arose as Arabella called for her ‘master’ while running over the leaves he had dropped, twisting his heart.

His rational mind argued that she couldn’t leave before the curse was lifted, but the curse wasn’t the issue. He would ensure she could never leave, never escape.

Even if she never showed him a kind, clear smile again, he would keep her within the palace, his domain.

His twisted rationale almost made him take Arabella from the palace then and there.

But just as he was about to reach out to her slender neck, Arabella’s smile caught his eye.

Her clear, deceit-free eyes reflected his distorted figure. Her words about being so glad to see him that her heart felt like bursting with joy, and her embarrassment at possibly crying, made his heart drop.

He had almost lost the chance to see that smile again, sending shivers down his spine.

“Why don’t you ask for my help? You came here to help me, and I think it’s only fair for me to help you. I’m an emperor who values fairness.”

Reaching the end of the corridor, the emperor looked down at Arabella and asked.

Arabella, without avoiding his gaze, hesitated for a moment before answering.

When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem

This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Synopsis:

“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”

Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.

Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.

While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the  Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…

Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.

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