Picked Up a Beast, Turns Out He's an Emperor (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
The “Lake Mountain” of former Count Laurell’s fief.
“I had no idea His Majesty cared so deeply for his people.”
“To think His Imperial Highness would not disdain such hard labor with his precious person…”
“That’s why His Majesty Maxwell is truly heaven-sent.”
Emotional voices praising the Emperor erupted here and there through the forest.
All eyes of the crowd gathered to restore the fire-damaged woods remained fixed on the young man working most diligently among them.
Even seeing it with their own eyes, they could scarcely believe it: His Majesty Emperor Maxwell himself had come to personally aid in the forest’s restoration.
Before the villagers clearing away traces of the arsonist’s wildfire, over a hundred soldiers of former Count Laurell appeared—accompanied by Emperor Maxwell and thirty of his Imperial Guards.
So astonished were they at the Emperor’s presence in such a grimy place that they could only bow deeply in greeting, but the Emperor spoke:
“From this moment, the military will join the villagers in restoration efforts. Under Sir Jacob’s command, divide into teams and carry out your assigned duties.”
At the Emperor’s declaration to deploy the army, the villagers stood dumbfounded, jaws agape, unable to grasp his intention.
In such natural disasters, cleanup had always fallen solely upon the villagers. Especially in distant territories far from the capital’s central administration, the quality of life for common folk depended entirely on their local lord’s will.
Former Count Laurell, obsessed with superficial splendor, had been quick to import capital city fashions, ensuring the village remained trendy and prosperous.
Yet he’d shown little interest in managing the forests or rivers, and the fief’s economy—unable to sustain proper grazing or farming—had gradually rotted away.
Until now, the lush abundance of “Lake Mountain” had been purely a gift of nature.
“It’s so much easier now that we’re working systematically like this.”
“It feels like we’ve cut the time needed by more than half.”
“Now that we’re planting trees and building stone walls along the forest’s edge leading to the village, we won’t have to worry about floods or landslides anymore.”
As villagers divided into teams to clear damaged trees and plant saplings, their expressions brightened.
And His Imperial Majesty, whom everyone assumed would surely return to the castle… had instead shed his formal jacket and waistcoat and was now hoisting a massive charred log onto his shoulder to assist with restoration.
The Emperor radiated such an intense presence that the late-afternoon sun seemed to follow him alone, revealing to the exhausted villagers the sharp, glistening contours of countless lean muscles rippling beneath his sweat-dampened tunic.
Each time thick beads of sweat trickled down his sharp jawline and over his taut neck, women momentarily forgot to breathe; whenever he flexed his biceps and triceps to lift a fallen log, men hurriedly rolled down their sleeves.
“I thought he’d return to the castle soon—yet to help with the labor himself like this is astonishing.”
“Wasn’t restoration work entirely absent from his plans to begin with?”
Despite the chilly late-autumn air, sweat poured from Sir Jacob and Sir Peter like rain as they paused briefly to catch their breath and speak.
Their eyes turned toward the Emperor, who’d halted his steps amid shifting ash—and noticed his crimson eyes fixed intently on one spot.
Following his gaze in unison, the two knights saw Arabella at a distance, tending to exhausted and injured wild animals, offering them water and care.
When Arabella spotted the Emperor and smiled, his eyes and lips curved simultaneously into gentle arcs—and his steps were already heading toward her.
“Isn’t it exhausting for you?”
“No, Your Majesty. Aren’t you the one who’s weary?”
“To ask if I’m weary from merely this much? Do you not know who I am?”
“You are the kindest and most admirable sovereign on this continent.”
Sincerely and without hesitation, Arabella’s reply made the Emperor’s lips curl upward toward the sky.
He’d always distrusted those who showered him with flattery—but hearing Arabella’s earnest praise… he found himself craving to hear it again and again. The Emperor silently resolved, pressing his lips together to hide their involuntary twitch.
Perhaps it had begun when he’d first heard Arabella’s compliment in the humble dining room of Cander Castle: “Your Majesty is the finest person I’ve ever met.” It wouldn’t hurt, after all, to appear genuinely good to just one person.
Upon returning from the boutique, the Emperor had encountered Arabella descending the stairs in plain clothes she’d brought back in her bundle.
“I want to help restore the mountain too. The villagers are gathering there now.”
“This is their affair—why must you, my lady, go out of your way to help? You’d be better off resting today if we’re to depart tomorrow.”
“It’s not just their affair. The mountain’s ecosystem is connected to everyone. If the mountain perishes, it will deeply affect not only the lives within it but also the village. Even a small contribution from me matters.”
Frowning slightly, the Emperor clearly disapproved—but Arabella flared her nostrils and insisted:
“Especially knowing this wasn’t a natural disaster but arson—I couldn’t possibly stand by. As a fellow human being, I feel deeply ashamed toward this scorched mountain.”
At her words, delivered with clenched fists, the Emperor’s eyebrows twitched involuntarily.
“How can you be so certain? I was under the impression it was a natural disaster.”
“I saw it myself on my way back. The firestarter dropped embers between the trees in a diamond pattern to accelerate the spread—and even poured maple oil to help the flames race faster.”
The Emperor had forgotten—forgotten the girl who once scampered through the rough mountains like a squirrel, loving every inch of the wilds.
“What a terrible person—who set this fire. Truly despicable.”
A terrible person. At Arabella’s trembling utterance, the Emperor staggered as if struck hard in the gut by a massive fist.
“I’ll return by dawn tomorrow.”
As Arabella bowed to take her leave, the Emperor slowly opened his mouth:
“I’ll help you.”
“Goodness, your hands are so deft—even more knowledgeable about the soil than we who’ve toiled in rough fields for years.”
“If Lady Arabella hadn’t instructed us, we’d have recklessly cut down all the burned trees. We nearly destroyed precious trees for good.”
“I’ve climbed mountains for forty years, yet never met anyone with such profound understanding—distinguishing which areas nature should heal alone and which require human aid.”
“Have you seen how the wild animals follow her? The tenderness and care she shows them moves even me watching from the side.”
“I’d heard she’s a candidate for Empress and assumed she’d be utterly unfit for such rough work—yet I’m simply amazed.”
“Oh, don’t even get me started. Noble ladies usually make a fuss as if they’ve caught some disease just by sharing space with us common folk.”
“Someone like her truly deserves to become Empress…”
Hearing the villagers’ bustling chatter as they carried saplings, nearby soldiers nodded in agreement.
“To be honest, I wasn’t happy when I heard we’d been assigned to help with restoration. Felt like just another tedious chore. But now that I’ve actually helped, it feels good.”
One soldier hesitantly spoke up, prompting others gathered nearby to gradually open their hearts.
“I too felt uneasy when the mountain caught fire. But helping like this has lifted a weight off my mind.”
“Frankly, I’m surprised this suits me so well—planting saplings, moving injured animals to safety. It’s made me want to study more about it when I return home.”
“It feels genuinely rewarding to give direct help to people.”
Though Sir Jacob and Sir Peter said nothing, they nodded in silent agreement with the soldiers’ words.
[This is the timeline separator]“I’ll call the physician.”
“No, that’s unnecessary. Let’s return to the castle.”
Late at night, after restoration efforts concluded.
A large tree branch fell squarely onto the Emperor’s shoulder. As Counselor Kael hurriedly spoke to the bleeding Emperor, the Emperor shook his head. Arabella’s face had turned ashen white, and she immediately moved to staunch his wound.
“I shall accompany you.”
When Sir Peter brought a horse and addressed the Emperor,
“Don’t make a fuss. I’m not so injured I can’t ride.”
With one hand, the Emperor mounted his white steed, then extended the other toward Arabella—but she shook her head.
“To avoid straining your injured arm, I’ll ride separately.”
“What nonsense is this? Don’t you need to press your hands against my shoulder to stop the bleeding? What if it bleeds more on the way down the mountain?”
When the Emperor refused to withdraw his outstretched hand, his voice edged with command, Kael cleared his throat and whispered to Arabella:
“His Majesty is right. It might worsen on the way—please ride with him.”
Arabella nodded and stepped toward the Emperor, who swiftly wrapped a firm arm around her slender waist and lifted her onto the saddle.
“Here and here—no, a bit lower. Yes, right there… pressing your hands like that will help stop the bleeding.”
On their descent, the Emperor grasped Arabella’s hands and guided them over the wounded area.
She knew clearly only his left shoulder was injured—but the Emperor insisted his chest was hurt too, leaving Arabella no choice but to place both hands on his shoulder and chest all the way back to the castle.
To onlookers, their posture was rather embarrassing: the woman seated in front had twisted her upper body backward to face and embrace the man behind her.
Each time Arabella’s hands instinctively curled away from the Emperor’s bare skin beneath his thin tunic, he firmly unfolded her fingers and placed them back.
The warmth of her small hands seemed to spread straight to his heart, lifting his previously dampened spirits.
Earlier, watching Arabella gently tend to an injured boy’s wounds, he’d felt inexplicably irritated and strode toward her—when suddenly, snap, thud!—a branch broke and crashed onto his shoulder.
Though the wound wasn’t severe, the sight of Arabella’s pale face as she rushed toward him sent his mind racing.
It didn’t hurt much, but it was somewhat painful—and after all, he’d lost precious blood. As he grimaced in pain, Arabella’s full attention settled solely on him, forgetting everything else.
Just moments before, he’d been irked that her concern went to injured beasts and villagers—but now his crimson eyes softened slightly. Suppressing the corners of his mouth, which kept curving upward, the Emperor surrendered his body to Arabella’s care.
[This is the timeline separator]“Where are you going?”
“Huh…? I was heading to my chamber…?”
Back at the castle, as Arabella moved toward her room, the Emperor halted her, brows furrowed.
“And what of me, who just suffered a serious injury? Do you intend to abandon me without treatment?”
“You said you didn’t need a physician… Shall I ask Counselor Kael to summon one?”
“If a physician is called, the villagers will blame themselves heavily, thinking I was gravely hurt while helping them. They won’t rest peacefully at home. And if word spreads that I’ve sustained a major injury, it won’t bode well for my safety.”
Emphasizing “major injury,” the Emperor’s explanation made Arabella finally nod in understanding.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think of that.”
“If you’re truly sorry, then quickly come to my chamber and tend to my wound. If you pity the pain twisting my face right now, that is.”
Her warm, hazel eyes filled with concern as they took in the Emperor’s grimace. Clenching her fists, Arabella replied resolutely:
“Yes. I’ll do my utmost to treat you.”
The Emperor’s crimson eyes sparkled as he watched her hurry ahead with brisk, purposeful steps into his chamber.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
I’m not yet convinced this is a curse. There are a lot of questionable events. Why would a black panther kidnap a princess?
I’ve been wondering just how he intends to keep her alive and unharmed enough to even attempt lifting the curse. I don’t believe these classes will be enough if she only had four days.
Is she not concerned because the emperor told her she wasn’t going to become the empress regardless? He explicitly stated she only needed to break his curse & that she wouldn’t become the empress as she wasn’t qualified (I don’t recall his precise wording).