The jewelry store, which caught the eye even on a busy street, was a two-story building made of bumpy but majestic white travertine stone.

The four-leaf clover pattern, granted only to jewelers representing the empire, was intricately carved into the rectangular frame of the main entrance.

The long windows surrounding the building were all covered with thick satin curtains, but the massive crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the second-floor balcony sparkled enticingly to passersby.

The building, with its interior hidden from view, seemed to warn that while one could dream of the splendid chandelier, they couldn’t enter carelessly.

In front of the main entrance, five or six sturdy and imposing security guards, comparable to the imperial soldiers, were stationed, checking the identities of those entering and exiting.

As the Emperor and Arabel were let inside after showing fake lower nobility identification, the head of the security guards said,

“As you know, you can only browse on the first floor.”

“Why…?”

“The second floor is reserved for nobles with first-class or higher identification. If you try to go up to the second floor, you might face the embarrassment of being thrown out onto the street. Please be careful.”

The head of the security guards answered, trying to ignore the cool, arrogant gaze of the man who was well over six feet tall.

The head had worked here for over 7 years. Now he could tell at a glance who belonged on the second floor and who belonged on the first floor without even looking at their identification.

Just by observing the gait of the man escorting the petite young lady, he noticed that he was no ordinary person.

He was preparing to guide them directly to the second floor… but surprisingly, the identification the man presented was that of a lower nobleman. Though the question was not at all threatening and brief, for some reason, the back of his neck felt chilly, and the head had to swallow dryly while discreetly observing.

Upon hearing the security guard’s explanation, Emperor Maxwell simply nodded and entered with Arabel.

As he said, the first floor was bustling with wealthy merchants, commoners, and lower nobles, while four or five men wearing the same uniform as the security guards at the front door were guarding the stairs leading to the second floor.

Arabel, who had entered the interior, stood on her tiptoes and quietly asked the Emperor.

“Are we starting the appraisal now?”

At the thought of conducting a secret investigation, Arabel’s heart began to pound uncontrollably. However, the idea that she could do something for the Emperor and the empire made her a little excited, causing her cheeks to flush.

Arabel had never thought of herself as useful in her life. Rather, she grew up believing she was an annoying existence that only consumed food and got in the way of other people’s lives.

Just as her father, elder sister, and younger sibling had said, she was a child who was ‘irritating and unlucky just by existing’. Looking into the beautiful ruby-like red eyes that gently held her, Arabel thought.

When I’m with Your Majesty… I feel like I can be someone needed by someone else, someone precious to someone else, rather than just being an annoying or irritating existence.

The Emperor’s red eyes wavered as they gazed into the clear eyes that couldn’t hide their feelings. He bent his waist and head deeply and whispered softly to Arabel.

“Of course, we need to proceed with the investigation. But if we start the appraisal right here, we might arouse suspicion.”

The Emperor said, “This is how we make people not doubt that we are lovers,” as he gently tucked Arabel’s hair behind her ear with his long fingers, adding,

“So for now, we need to buy as many jewels as possible and then appraise them at another location.”

Arabel, whose forehead had turned red from his warmth still lingering on her earlobe, nodded.

“Your role is very important for the success of the investigation.”

“What should I do?”

When she asked with sparkling eyes full of determination, the Emperor smiled pleasantly and replied.

“From now on, you need to buy all the accessories you like. The more we buy, the more we can know how many fake jewels have infiltrated the store.”

Led by the Emperor’s arm to the booth displaying the most expensive jewels, Arabel’s round eyes began to waver, losing their focus. Dazzlingly expensive jewelry she had never seen before was competing to show off its beauty.

“I’ll assist you.”

A clerk appeared behind the glass display case of accessories and greeted the Emperor and Arabel.

On behalf of Arabel, who was frozen without any response, the Emperor briefly said, pointing from one end of the glass display case to the other with his long finger.

“Everything in this row.”

“According to the rules, I can only show you one item at a time.”

At the clerk’s words, the Emperor narrowed his eyebrows for a moment and replied.

“I didn’t say I wanted to see them, I said I wanted to buy them all.”

The startled clerk and Arabel looked at the Emperor simultaneously.

There were at least twenty pieces, the most expensive jewelry on the first floor.

If any other man had said this, they wouldn’t have even snorted. But the experienced clerk, who had encountered countless men trying to show off in front of women, stole another glance at the man.

It would be difficult for a lower nobleman to buy even one set of the displayed jewelry in cash, but there was something about the man with the extraordinary aura that couldn’t be ignored.

As the clerk busily took out the jewelry from the glass display case and put them into velvet boxes, the Emperor frowned as if displeased.

“Up close, it’s as crude as I expected. I’m going to check the second floor, can you wait here?”

The clerk exhaled through his nose, dumbfounded that the jewelry design, known even on the continent beyond the empire, was called crude. Arabel nodded towards the Emperor.

“You can’t go up to the second floor carelessly…?”

Ignoring the clerk speaking timidly, the Emperor strode away with his long legs.

As Arabel was rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling a bit dizzy from continuously looking at the dazzling jewels,

“Aren’t you Lady Arabel…?”

A pleasant, crisp voice was heard from behind her. The trembling in the voice was transmitted directly.

When Arabel turned her head, a young man with blonde hair entered her large eyes.

The gazes of people in the store poured onto the beautiful man at the boundary between a pretty boy and an attractive youth, but the young man’s gaze was focused on Arabel.

“Yes, I am.”

As Arabel nodded, the man’s expression brightened with joy, and he asked in a still trembling voice.

“Do you perhaps remember me?”

After thinking for a moment, Arabel shook her head with an awkward expression and replied.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s understandable. A lot of time has passed, and besides, our meeting was very brief.”

Arabel bowed her head, feeling somehow sorry as the man’s voice, trying to sound cheerful, was tinged with disappointment.

“Two years ago, on Mount Hampurt, when I was on the brink of death after eating poisonous mushrooms, you saved me…”

At the man’s words, Arabel’s eyes grew rounder as she took in the man before her. The man slowly and clearly stated his name as he took a step closer to Arabel.

“I’m Timothy Korad. Do you remember?”

Arabel, covering her mouth with both hands in disbelief, asked,

“Mr. Timothy?”

Timothy replied, his eyes forming crescent moons,

“You remember. I was anxious that you might have forgotten even my name, thank you.”

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you right away… I never imagined I’d see you here.”

Arabel smiled brightly, her round eyes also forming crescents with joy. Timothy’s cheeks turned pink and lifted as he faced Arabel.

“You might have wanted to erase the memory of my terrible appearance back then.”

As Arabel burst into laughter at Timothy’s joke, he started laughing along.

Just then,

“I’d like to know what’s so amusing to you two.”

A chilling voice, along with cold air, pierced down above Timothy’s crown.

As two pairs of kind and clear eyes, green and brown, simultaneously looked at the sharp red eyes, the Emperor’s eyes narrowed before quickly returning to their normal state.

“Your Majesty the Emper…”

As Timothy hurriedly tried to bend his knee in a knight’s salute, the Emperor quickly grabbed his shoulders with both hands and lifted him up.

“I’m incognito now, so act naturally.”

At the Emperor’s instruction, Timothy carefully nodded and straightened his back again.

“It seems you need to pay now. Or we’ll have to put the items back in the display case.”

As the clerk pointed to the large box containing the velvet boxes and spoke to the Emperor, the Emperor nodded.

“Take the box up to the second floor and wait. I’ve instructed to package it together with the jewels I’ve chosen upstairs.”

As the clerk stood with his mouth open in disbelief, the Emperor raised one eyebrow and glanced at him. As if finally coming to his senses, the clerk bowed deeply and hurriedly headed towards the stairs to the second floor with the box.

Timothy stood beside Arabel and introduced her to the Emperor in a small voice.

“Your Majesty, let me introduce you. Lady Arabel of the Del Sainte-Clair fami…”

Before he could finish speaking, the Emperor’s red lips opened.

“Lady Arabel, time is of the essence, so we should go upstairs.”

As the Emperor bent his arm and extended it forward, Arabel gracefully stepped forward and placed her hand on the Emperor’s arm. The scene looked so natural, as if they were lovers, that Timothy’s eyes wavered in confusion.

“It’s regrettable, but we must part here for today. We’ll arrange a separate meeting later.”

Without giving Timothy and Arabel a chance to say anything, the Emperor escorted Arabel away.

As the confused Timothy tried to take a step to follow the Emperor and Arabel, the Emperor’s arm, on which Arabel’s hand was resting, unfolded and wrapped around her shoulders.

In a flash, Arabel, embraced by his arm, was drawn into the Emperor’s arms and hidden behind his large cloak.

At the same time, the Emperor turned his head and cast a glance at Timothy. A warning from the cold red eyes not to follow under any circumstances.

He had heard much about the Emperor’s blood-red eyes that turned the surroundings into a crucible of fear. However, he had never given Timothy that rumored savage look. At least not until now.

Timothy’s face turned pale as he got goosebumps from the Emperor’s gaze, which he encountered for the first time.

The joy of finally finding the woman he admired and who had saved his life was short-lived, as his emerald eyes, following Arabel who had disappeared into the Emperor’s embrace, wavered pitifully.