Picked Up a Beast, Turns Out He's an Emperor (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
Between the tall trees, a long brown braid fluttered. Her small, delicate frame descended the steep mountain path with remarkable ease, like a baby squirrel.
It was a rugged, untamed mountain—so rough that even grown men would struggle to navigate, let alone find a proper trail.
Arabella paid no heed, racing down by leaping from branches, rocks, and stones scattered around her. If there was one thing in the world she was truly confident about, it was climbing mountains—nothing else compared.
It had been this way since she first took her toddling steps. She had scoured every mountain in the region alongside her mother gathering medicinal herbs. In particular, the hills behind Baron Cander’s estate—the very same stern great-uncle’s land, notorious even within the Empire for its harsh terrain—had become Arabella’s favorite playground.
Quiet and introverted since childhood, Arabella always felt more comfortable and joyful in the company of animals than with people.
Her bold act of secretly sheltering and nursing an injured magical beast in a cave hardly matched her usual disposition.
Anyone who knew her would likely burst into laughter at the notion—it was simply unthinkable. After all, Arabella was known to be timid, passive, and just a bit naive.
But that was merely how Arabella appeared through the eyes of people worn down and jaded by the world. No one cared to see—or even understand—the “true” Arabella.
By nature, Arabella shied away from attention and never made efforts to showcase her talents. Though she often seemed like a fearful, timid girl, she wasn’t foolish or slow-witted as others assumed.
How could a slow-witted girl possibly memorize the names and effects of hundreds of medicinal herbs, map out every mountain and river in the region, and recall the names and traits of countless animals and insects?
People mistakenly assumed Arabella was simple-minded simply because she was inherently kind and forgiving—always willing to suffer loss for the sake of others.
Even her own family took her kindness for granted. To Arabella, animals were her true family and friends. They never lied to her; they loved her exactly as she was.
Thus, she couldn’t possibly walk past the black panther dying from human spears. To Arabella’s eyes, humans who cruelly harmed animals and nature were far more dangerous than any monster.
[This is the timeline separator]Click. A slender hand quietly opened the old kitchen side door of the manor. Through the crack, large eyes cautiously surveyed the surroundings. The few remaining servants bustled about, busy preparing the noble family’s late breakfast.
In an instant, a cold hand seized Arabella’s thin wrist firmly and yanked her inside.
It was her older sister, Camille.
“Where have you been? You’re only showing up now?”
“I’m sorry—I went up the mountain and got trapped by the downpour. I accidentally fell asleep in a cave.”
“The whole manor was turned upside down looking for you, and you fell asleep?”
Camille, a full head taller than Arabella, frowned in disbelief. Roxie, Arabella’s younger sister, appeared out of nowhere and glared at her with unmistakable contempt.
“Don’t lie again. You were off tending to some injured animal in the mountains again, weren’t you?”
“I—I didn’t….”
“What do you mean ‘you didn’t’? It’s written all over your stupid face. We already know you took the rabbits from Father’s lab and released them in the mountains. Just wait—Father’s furious.”
Though only a year apart in age, Roxie never called Arabella “older sister” and now issued her warning sharply.
“With so few hands to spare already, do you even realize how many people had to climb the mountain because of you? You even made Father go out himself. Good job.”
“I wish you hadn’t gone through all that trouble on my account….”
Though guilt pricked her heart, a warm feeling unexpectedly rose within. So Great-Uncle, Great-Aunt, and even Father had worried about her after all. Arabella lowered her head, her nose stinging.
Two years ago, when a landslide trapped her in the mountains for three days, no one had bothered to look for her.
That winter, she’d climbed the mountain to pick the truffles Great-Uncle loved so dearly. Since everyone in the manor knew she treated the mountain like her backyard, they’d simply pushed her out the door.
Then the landslide happened. Shivering in a rabbit burrow, she hadn’t resented anyone for not coming to rescue her—it might have endangered them, after all. In fact, she’d considered it fortunate that no one came.
But it had still hurt a little when, after three days, the truffles she’d painstakingly gathered from the cliff’s edge froze solid and became useless—and she was punished with hunger.
“Don’t make me laugh. You don’t seriously think anyone looked for you because they were worried about you, do you?”
“The pregnant racehorse is already throwing fits because she’s anxious—shouldn’t you be calming her down?”
“If anything happens to Prince Eric’s prized mare, do you think you’ll be the only one punished? We’ll all get dragged into it!”
Camille and Roxie relentlessly berated Arabella. Soon after, Head Maid Mary and Maid Annie gathered behind them, chiming in.
“What if something happens to Young Master Eric’s beloved mare because of you?”
“Tsk, since you’re living off Baron Cander’s generosity, you should at least have some sense. Now even my husband’s about to get scolded because of you!”
Head Maid Mary’s husband, Jerry, managed the stables. Caring for the pregnant mare was his responsibility—yet everyone was still blaming Arabella.
It was as if delivering the mare’s foal overnight, nursing feverish pigs, and coaxing milk from dry cows were all solely Arabella’s duties.
The Baron Cander household staff had long regarded Arabella’s family—dependent on the Baron’s charity—as their equals, if not beneath them. Especially the overly gentle, pushover Arabella, whom they eagerly burdened with their own chores.
And no wonder—the Baron Cander’s estate was desperately poor.
The land, surrounded by layer upon layer of mountains, was barren and unsuitable for farming or cultivation. It lacked any notable local specialties, and even precious medicinal herbs were scarce. It was, quite simply, worthless land.
If the lord and lady had been wise and virtuous, things might have been manageable—but they were the worst possible stewards. Baron Cander and his wife were not only foolish but also extravagantly wasteful and greedy beyond measure. Their children, Eric and Margot, were no better.
Life was so harsh that neither the manor servants nor the few villagers had room for compassion or generosity toward others.
“Oh, right—Lily’s due to give birth to twins any day now. I should hurry. She’ll be so scared.”
Lily, Cousin Eric’s prized mare, trusted Arabella more than her own master. Arabella dashed up to her attic room on the fifth floor to change clothes.
As she passed the second-floor landing, *smack!*—Arabella’s head snapped around, stars bursting before her eyes. Clutching her rapidly swelling cheek, she stared ahead at her cousin, her same-age cousin, blinking through watery eyes.
“How dare you steal my favorite dress and wear it without permission?”
A yellow dress was flung onto Arabella’s face as she stood trembling-lipped.
“With that stupid, vacant expression, who were you trying to fool? This was meant for Lord Hawthorn’s banquet on Saturday! You ripped it and tried to hide it?”
“I—I didn’t….”
“What do you mean ‘you didn’t’? Who else cleans my room besides you?”
Margot’s hands trembled as she glared with snake-like eyes. Helping with chores around the understaffed manor included cleaning bedrooms—and that fell to Arabella.
“Did you tear Margot’s dress?”
At the commotion on the stairs, Baroness Cander—the girls’ great-aunt—appeared.
“I—I….”
“She can’t even answer properly because she’s guilty, Mother. Head Maid Mary said she saw this one wearing my dress in front of the mirror, grinning like an idiot!”
Margot pointed at Arabella, who stood speechless, mouth agape.
The Baroness fixed Arabella with a cold stare and called out, “Mary!”
“Yes, Milady.”
“Is it true you witnessed this yourself?”
“Yes, yes—I saw Miss Arabella wearing the dress in Miss Margot’s room the day before yesterday morning.”
Head Maid Mary lied smoothly, exchanging subtle glances with Margot. Margot had grown tired of wearing outdated fashions and needed an excuse to buy a new dress.
With the household finances already strained from covering up Prince Eric’s assault incident, her mother would never agree so easily. Clever Margot had struck a deal with Head Maid Mary.
Margot had personally torn the shoulder of her own dress, and Mary agreed to falsely claim she’d seen Arabella secretly wearing it.
Of course, the scheming maid didn’t help out of kindness. The only young maid left in the manor, Annie, was a thorn in her eye.
She’d caught her flirtatious husband exchanging secretive glances with Annie more than once. Buying an expensive new dress required funds outside the budget—funds equal to three months’ worth of Annie’s wages.
“Wah, Mother, what should I do? This banquet is incredibly important… nobles’ heirs from the capital will be attending! Wah, wah!”
“Don’t worry. We’ll dismiss Annie and hire a new maid. Until then, Arabella can cover Annie’s duties. After ruining such an expensive dress specially brought from the capital, she ought to manage that much. You should be grateful I’m not telling your great-uncle about all this today.”
The Baroness comforted her sobbing daughter, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
The dumb girl couldn’t even utter a squeak against their fabricated accusations. Mary’s lips curled upward as she deliberately avoided Arabella’s gaze.
Arabella was a hundred times better than lazy, spineless Annie—diligent and hardworking. This way, her own workload would shrink by a third—a two-for-one deal.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps approached Arabella, who had just been assigned Annie’s duties as well. Her father, Jonathan, strode toward her with a grim expression.
“Father… I’m sorry for worrying you….”
Arabella lowered her head, too ashamed to meet his eyes. Words sharper than blades rained down upon her crown.
“How is it that you’ve become nothing but a burden—to my life, to Camille and Roxie’s, to all of ours? You know how vital that racehorse is to this household—yet you vanished instead of helping? How much longer will you just leech off us like a parasite?”
Tears splashed onto Arabella’s worn-out shoes. But the harsh words from his angry lips showed no sign of stopping.
“If only you hadn’t been born… no, if only you’d inherited our family’s blood properly—if only you’d been born with the healing ability like Camille and Roxie!”
“Brother, please stop causing a scene—go inside. If Baron Cander hears another commotion today because of your family, he’ll be upset again.”
After warning her younger brother, the Baroness departed with Margot. Arabella’s father left as well, ignoring his weeping daughter.
Back in her attic room, Arabella bit down hard on her lower lip to keep her sobs silent, wiping away tears with her calloused hands.
If only I’d been born with healing abilities like Camille and Roxie, as Father said… Guilt surged over her like a tide.
The House of Del Sacre had once enjoyed the Imperial family’s trust thanks to their healing powers.
Of course, that was ancient history. Originally commoners, the Del Sacre rose to prominence through their healing gifts, eventually earning a special comital title from the Emperor and living in prosperity for generations.
But like foolish humans often do, they began misusing their blessed power.
With each passing generation, their unique ability grew weaker. Relying solely on their dwindling gift, the Del Sacres squandered their wealth on gambling and indulgence.
By the sixth generation, they were destitute—reduced to peddling herbs and clinging to minor nobles in rural estates just to survive. The few remaining bloodlines scrambled to endure, clinging to whatever faint healing ability they still possessed.
Arabella’s father, a direct descendant of the main line, was no exception.
He lived as a dependent on Baron Cander’s estate alongside his daughters, his own feeble healing power barely enough to treat minor injuries that even an ordinary physician could handle.
His key realization was that when all Del Sacre bloodlines combined their powers, their individual healing abilities slightly amplified.
Unlike his eldest daughter Camille and youngest Roxie—whose healing gifts manifested at age five, per family tradition—his second daughter Arabella never showed any sign of the ability.
If only Arabella had inherited it too… her father endlessly resented her, lost in delusions of their combined power becoming extraordinary.
Of course, this stemmed from his gross overestimation of their abilities. Even together, the three of them could barely heal a sprained ankle—adding Arabella wouldn’t have made any real difference.
Yet he blamed Arabella for his poverty and humiliation. It was easier than admitting his own failure.
Tragically, Arabella believed her father’s words—and blamed herself for her family’s misfortunes.
[This is the timeline separator]“If only my ability had manifested… Mother wouldn’t have left us, would she?”
Arabella whispered, sitting atop the stable’s vines, gently stroking the pregnant racehorse Lily. She hadn’t eaten dinner, but the stable felt far more comfortable than being inside the manor.
When Camille was eleven, Arabella nine, and Roxie eight, their mother vanished without a trace.
“It’s because of you. Your mother left us in disappointment because of you.”
“You made us lose our mother. If not for you, we could’ve grown up cherished by her love.”
“Everything went wrong because of you alone. If someone else had been born instead of you, our house could’ve risen again.”
For over ten years, these cruel words had become truth—for Arabella and everyone around her.
“Lily, even if your foal isn’t as magnificent a racehorse as you, you’ll still love it, won’t you?”
Arabella lovingly combed Lily’s mane as the mare rested her head on Arabella’s lap, blinking sleepily.
Just then—
“So your hobby is talking to animals at any time, day or night, I see.”
A resonant baritone voice rang out behind her.
Somehow, it carried a familiar arrogance—an unmistakable confidence.
Arabella turned, her eyes widening like full moons. At the stable entrance stood the young man—the black panther, or rather, the man who had been the black panther.
He was no longer naked, nor alone.
He wore a deep navy uniform of fabric too fine for any village to procure, draped over it a crimson robe edged in gold.
He was flanked by at least twenty soldiers clad in silver plate armor, above which gleamed the Imperial golden dragon crest.
Beside him stood Baron Cander, the Baroness, and Arabella’s father—all bowing deeply, heads lowered. Behind them, Margot, Camille, and Roxie kept sneaking glances at the young man.
As the man took a single step forward, a royal guard swiftly unrolled a red carpet before his feet.
His crimson eyes glinted with amusement as they locked onto Arabella’s wide, trembling orbs. Soon, a long shadow fell over her head.
Emperor Maxwell extended his hand toward Arabella.
“Didn’t I promise to take responsibility? I’ve come to take you with me.”
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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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).