With both hands behind his back, standing tall with a straight posture, he gazed out the window.
The ashen eyes, the trademark of the Stühleitz imperial family, sparkled with a golden glow.
A black onyx brooch, matching his deep hair color, firmly secured the cravat.
The splendor, not only from the elaborate gold and silver embroidery on the formal attire but also from the intrinsic dignity, was felt.
“I greet His Majesty, the Emperor.”
Regina, who had been looking at him for a moment, gently gathered her dress, bent her knee, and offered a greeting. The Emperor’s gaze, which had been looking outside the window, flowed towards Regina. The Emperor’s response to Regina’s polite greeting was a few beats late.
“Ah, Miss Regina.”
A high-quality dress, a necklace and earring set resembling Regina, gloves concealing her hands, and shoes hidden beneath the dress.
The Emperor scrutinized each of the gifts he had given. The awkward silence intensified due to the Emperor silently staring at Regina.
“Have I kept you waiting?”
Regina’s question made Balter open his mouth only then.
“No. But…”
After a brief pause, the Emperor slowly asked, “Are you okay?”
A silent tension passed, and Regina’s lips parted slightly.
“What do you mean?”
Observing Regina, who answered a question with another question, Balter took a step closer.
“No, don’t worry about it.”
Balter changed the subject with a light smile.
“But by the way, do you remember the secret passage I told you about before?”
Regina nodded without saying anything.
“If anything happens, feel free to come anytime.”
“I hope there won’t be a need for that.”
Her words still conveyed a sense of distance. However, Balter’s smile remained unwavering.
“Well then, shall we go?”
Balter extended his arm to Regina with a polite gesture.
After a moment of hesitation, Regina, with white silk gloves, placed her hand on his arm, accepting the Emperor’s escort. As they silently walked away, various dazzling things passed by them.
Murals depicting gods soaring into the sky, sculptures depicting the legends of past emperors—all expressing the greatness of the empire—filled the corridors. However, none of them captured their attention.
Upon reaching the entrance to the banquet hall, the imperial guards immediately raised their long spears as the Emperor nodded lightly, and a loud sound echoed.
“The Emperor is entering!”
As the enormous door to the imperial banquet hall opened, a brilliant light poured in. The light, touching the golden-adorned walls, sparkled even more brightly.
The shimmering luster on the nobles’ clothes and the light emitted by the jewels added to the overwhelming brilliance. In the midst of the light, it was impossible to open their eyes as if being engulfed.
Regina took a deep breath, slowly opened her eyes, and absorbed the brilliance of the hall. The sharp gazes of the people mixed in with the light, piercing relentlessly.
“Dear guests.”
Standing at the center of the hall, the Emperor naturally gathered the attention of all the nobles and began to speak.
“Making the sea our empire’s border and pioneering trade routes have long been the aspirations of our Stühleitz Empire.”
The Emperor received a glass filled with crimson wine.
The Emperor received a glass filled with crimson wine.
“Since the reign of the former Emperor, preparations have been made to fulfill a long-cherished desire, and that wish has now come true. Through this recent war, the Southern Three Nations—Roeni, Kirence, and Iorenti—”
Having said that much, the Emperor briefly cast a glance at Regina standing beside him.
Regina held the wine glass delicately with both hands, her gaze lowered.
Although her expression maintained composure without change, the long and lush eyelashes reflecting light trembled ever so slightly, something impossible to hide.
The Emperor diverted his gaze from Regina, looking straight ahead as he continued to speak.
“The territories have been annexed into the empire, and we have gained a port to lead Southern maritime trade. This paves the way for the empire’s glory to shine far and wide.”
The Emperor took a moment to catch his breath, surveying the surroundings.
“All of this has been made possible through your support and the blood and sweat shed by the youth of the empire. Let us take this opportunity to comfort those who sacrificed for the empire today and celebrate the empire’s victory.”
The Emperor raised the glass he held leisurely.
“For the infinite glory of the Stühleitz Empire.”
Nobles responded to the speech celebrating the empire’s victory.
“For the glory of the empire.”
The Emperor smiled gently, looking directly ahead.
A sharp gleam passed through his ash-gray eyes.
While waiting for the nobles’ responses to finish, the Emperor added a few more words.
“And for the Grand Commander Aaron Bergen, who led this war to victory.”
The banquet hall buzzed for a moment.
As if parting the sea, the nobles made way, their gazes collectively directed towards the end.
There, at the end, was Aaron Bergen, the Grand Duke, gazing at the red glow of the wine in his hands without lifting his eyes.
As Aaron slowly raised his head to look at the Emperor, his fine silver hair shook gently.
The emblems attached to his uniform sparkled sharply with the movements of Aaron.
In the air of cruelty emanating from the Second Prince who had left the palace due to the war, nobles held their breath.
All attention gathered with a small gesture as Aaron lifted his glass.
With Aaron’s lips slowly opening, a chillingly low voice echoed through the hall.
“For the glory of the empire.”
Only then did the nobles collectively join in the cheers.
“For Grand Duke Aaron Bergen.”
Aaron listened attentively to the elegant cheers of the nobles and took a sip of the crimson wine.
His captivating gaze was directed at the Emperor.
No, precisely, it was aimed at the woman beside the Emperor.
Standing unwaveringly at the celebration of the empire’s victory, congratulating the defeat of Iorenti—the woman.
Aaron’s persistent and sharp gaze was focused solely on one place.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
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