Once again, the events that had occurred within the imperial palace spread to every corner of the capital and throughout the empire in less than half a day.

This was even before the official announcement of the abolition of the empress selection competition.

Although the imperial court had not officially announced which candidate had been selected as empress, there was no one who did not know her name.

In the assembly hall of the palace, in the outdoor corridors, in the offices, in the gardens, and even in the training grounds, people were gathered in small groups, deeply engrossed in gossip.

The topic, of course, was the abolition of the competition and the woman who would soon ascend to the position of empress.

“The competition committee earnestly appealed to the emperor. They said it was meaningless to continue the competition any further.”

“Honestly, isn’t that correct? Lady Arabel has already won twice, and she’s likely to win the remaining competitions, so they probably thought there was no reason to drag it out further.”

“That’s true. Although another lady won the still life competition, that wasn’t really a difficult event. From what I heard, everyone’s skills were about the same, and people who attended the exhibition unanimously said that the winning lady’s work wasn’t anything special. Isn’t it a well-known fact that all the events Lady Arabel won were the most difficult ones?”

“I heard that the candidates resigned en masse. Those who lived together in the annex would know best. How outstanding a talent Lady Arabel is, I mean. They probably gave up in advance because they had no confidence in winning.”

“From what I’ve heard, not only the competition committee but also the imperial family members and elder nobles unanimously agreed on abolishing the competition. They say there’s no candidate who can surpass Lady Arabel.”

“Originally, they had been pleading with His Majesty to abolish the competition from before, but His Majesty had politely refused until now, fearing people might misunderstand.”

“I heard that Lady Arabel opposed the abolition of the competition, saying that winning twice wasn’t enough for her. She seems to be quite competitive.”

“His Majesty has truly brought in an extraordinary empress candidate. How remarkable must her abilities be to cause the abolition of the empress selection competition that has been held for hundreds of years.”

“But we all need to be careful with our words now. She’s not an empress candidate, but the empress-to-be. Ho, ho.”

“Oh my, I almost made a big mistake. You’re right, madam. From now on, we should call her the empress-to-be, not lady. Ha, ha.”

Not everything they were saying was a misunderstanding or incorrect.

It was just slightly twisted information with a spoonful or two of truth, reinterpreted.

Now, no one questioned Arabel’s qualifications, who had demonstrated her ability to perfectly use Agreterre and protect herself and the emperor’s bloodline from assassins in front of numerous people.

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Already, large shops in the capital market were promoting clothes and accessories imitating the fashion of the empress-to-be, whose name had not even been announced yet.

Dresses in the colors and styles favored by the empress-to-be, whom they had never properly seen, along with shoes, accessories, and even bath soaps, were being competitively displayed in front of the shops.

The capital’s top merchants traveling across the continent had been preparing swiftly since the start of the competition.

These shrewd businessmen knew that all attention would be focused on the empress-to-be once the competition ended.

Using information bought from imperial maids, the merchants had learned the styles of four or five winning candidates and were fully prepared, waiting only for the announcement of the empress-to-be’s name.

Despite the sudden abolition of the competition, they were able to showcase the fashion of the winning candidate that very day, and their shops were packed with noble ladies and young women eager to imitate the style of the empress candidate, with no room even to squeeze through.

In particular, yellow satin dresses, cream-colored shoes, long gloves, and light green handkerchiefs, made based on the words of imperial maids dispatched to the annex and those at the pier, were all selling like hotcakes.

Even stuffed dolls similar to the cotton bundle the lady was said to have hugged while running were so popular they couldn’t keep them in stock.

It was a day when the purses of women who vowed to adorn themselves like the empress, even if they couldn’t become the empress beside the emperor, were opening,

And it was the moment when a woman whose cheeks still burned bright red when wearing a dress with an exposed collarbone became the empire’s fashion icon.

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The annex of the empress candidates.

A group of women could be seen surrounding the door of the eleventh empress candidate’s quarters.

The candidates’ maids and those dispatched from the imperial palace blocked the way of Arabel’s trio of maids and Milly as they were leaving the quarters.

Arabel’s three maids and Milly, as if on cue, placed their hands on their waists and glared at the women in front with narrowed eyes.

These ones… Have they come to pick a fight again?

From the day they arrived at the annex, they had tried to find fault and trap Lady Arabel somehow. And when that didn’t work, they would make unreasonable demands and pick fights.

Vera, acting as the leader, straightened her shoulders proudly and lifted her chin.

“What’s the matter? We’re busy, so please move aside.”

Now we serve the empress-to-be.

We can’t fight recklessly and bring shame to our lady, but it wouldn’t be bad to have one last bout before we go.

As if reading Vera’s thoughts, Rosa and Dina also loosened their neck and shoulder muscles while facing off against the women in front.

“This…”

As one maid raised her arm, the trio of maids automatically moved their arms into a defensive posture and took a step back.

“Take this. Last time when Lady Arabel, no, the empress-to-be, said she needed bath oil, we couldn’t give it to her because we were short on supplies. I rushed to get some today, so take it.”

It was an imperial maid in charge of distributing supplies.

The basket in her arms was full of precious bath oils and soaps that had always run out when it was Arabel’s turn.

Rosa frowned and snorted.

“You were so stingy when we needed it. The best items in the empire will be the first to enter the empress’s palace, so we don’t need it.”

The women, who had been eyeing each other, brought out gift bundles and spoke in affected voices.

“This is the finest silk fabric produced by our lady’s family. Our lady asked us to give it to Lady Arabel. Please make sure to deliver it. The reason we didn’t give it to Lady Arabel when we distributed it to other ladies was… because the fabric was of too poor quality. You know what I mean, right?”

“These are the precious tea leaves that Lady Arabel couldn’t have when the ladies had their tea time last time because we ran short. Our lady couldn’t bear to offer it to Lady Arabel then because the tea taste was too bitter.”

“When the ladies shared friendship pearl bracelets, our lady was so sorry she couldn’t give one to Lady Arabel. She said the pearl bracelet was too shabby compared to the beautiful Lady Arabel at the time. Look at this. The other ladies’ bracelets are single-stranded, but the one for Lady Arabel has three strands.”

Vera looked around once, turning her head left and right, then,

“Where are these flies buzzing? We don’t have time. Let’s quickly go to the imperial palace.”

As she spoke loudly, Rosa and Dina cleared the way with their shoulders, and the trio of maids and Milly proudly passed through the women.

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The empress dowager’s brow was noticeably furrowed as she emerged from the main gate of the annex.

And for good reason, as she had to endure Lilibet’s tirade upon hearing the news of the competition’s abolition, and had to apologize as an elder of the Helterd Empire to the delegation from Sevils.

Although it didn’t matter whom Lilibet married if she couldn’t become empress, the thought that her son Eric would not become the crown prince of Sevils filled her with rage.

The timid and cowardly Eric had not set foot outside the empress dowager’s palace since returning from his fake abduction by pirates, fearing he might be dragged into war.

The plan to set fire to the annex during the competition period also seemed to have gone to waste.

Arabel, who had gone to the emperor’s chambers, didn’t seem to have any plans to return to the annex.

From what she heard, Arabel was to stay in the imperial guest room and move to the empress’s palace as soon as it was ready.

The empress dowager couldn’t believe that a plain country girl from a fallen family, whom she had neither heard nor seen, was becoming the empress.

As the empress dowager walked with a grim expression under the parasol held by her maid, a voice came from behind.

“It must be quite bitter to have to withdraw as if being expelled from a competition with only three remaining.”

It was the voice she least wanted to hear right now.

The empress dowager started walking faster without stopping.

The Duchess Caroline, taller than the empress dowager, caught up with her in long strides and was soon walking beside her.

“Where are you going in such a hurry? There should be no more plots left to harm the empress candidate.”

The husky voice that sounded like scraping metal soon penetrated the empress dowager’s ear, irritating her nerves.

“You go too far, Duchess. Don’t misunderstand and equate me with the Duchess who tried to drive the empress candidate out of the palace by framing her with a sordid accusation.”

“Of course, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and I are very different. How could I be the same as Your Majesty who broke the promise to join forces overnight?”

As sharp words came from the Duchess’s smiling lips, the empress dowager turned her head to glare at her before quickly averting her gaze.

“It’s already a great sin to try to frame the lady with false accusations, but how could I side with the Duchess’s niece who, as a virgin and an empress candidate, became intimate with an outsider?”

At the empress dowager’s provocative words, the corner of the Duchess’s eye twitched slightly for a moment before becoming calm again.

Hiding the glint in her eyes under her eyelashes, the Duchess retorted in a nonchalant tone.

“Since Your Majesty the Empress Dowager personally intervened and my niece Grace’s honor has fallen, I must surely repay you. But the fate of Princess Lilibet, who must soon marry a barbarian, is so pitiful that there’s little meaning in repaying the princess…”

The Duchess smiled at the empress dowager, who was glaring at her as if she wanted to tear her apart, and finished her words.

“I must surely repay your only younger brother, Prince Eric. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to participate in this Western Continent subjugation expedition, but there will be an opportunity soon, won’t there? At that time, our family will raise our voices. We should help Prince Eric become a war hero and return in glory.”

As she watched the Duchess’s retreating back, the empress dowager’s clenched fists began to tremble.

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When Count Korad was guided into the emperor’s tea room, the sun was beginning to set in the sky.

In the spacious tea room, the emperor was sitting alone, waiting for the count.

Under the glass ceiling, the emperor’s slender silhouette with his long legs crossed came into the count’s view.

The sunset draped over the emperor’s shoulders like a deep orange cloak, and his red eyes mixed with the sun’s heat, emitting an intense golden light.

Sitting with his elbows on the armrests and hands clasped, the emperor exuded both restrained elegance and dangerous wildness.

The undisputed sole absolute monarch of the continent silently turned his red gaze to Count Korad.

The count unconsciously swallowed dry saliva as his gaze met the emperor’s in midair.

The emperor was not wearing his mask now.

The seductive smile on his lips and the restrained red gaze he showed when dealing with people could not be found.

Count Korad thought as he sat across from the emperor at the table.

The emperor before him was showing his bare face to him now.

A cynical mouth tightly closed in a straight line, devoid of any smile.

Merciless, sharp red eyes that seemed capable of cutting anything with just a glance.

And he was not trying to hide his air that exuded a suffocating tension, pressing down on the surroundings.

Count Korad quietly returned the emperor’s gaze, who was looking at him without saying a word.

How much time passed in silence?

The emperor, who had been sitting with his back slightly against the chair, leaned his upper body forward and slowly opened his mouth.

The emperor knew that what he was about to say to Count Korad could become a massive weakness for him.

He, who never trusted others,

He, who always acted only after calculating the winning outcome…

For the first time in his life, it was a moment when he was exposing his vulnerabilities to another person in a situation where he couldn’t be certain of the outcome.

For the safety of the woman he loved.

Having clearly confirmed this time that Arabel was related to his curse, the emperor could no longer remain idle.

Knowing that Arabel would endure any sacrifice for him, a more in-depth investigation was needed into not only his curse but also the source of her abilities.

The guide he needed was the continent’s monster hunter, Count Korad.

“I want to entrust you with a special investigation.”

The emperor, as if having made up his mind, began to speak while looking at the count with an unwavering gaze.

In a dry and calm tone, he spoke about the curse that had befallen him, without omitting anything.