《The Emperor and the Knightess》 Chapter 1: Winter Book 1 Story 1: Winter Chapter 1. Poliana¡¯s life was average. People like to talk about other people¡¯s lives. Some may question how such an unlucky and tragic life could be considered average, but another may retort that one¡¯s ambition for power and revenge was a normal part of life. For Poliana, she was indifferent about her life. Her life may have been a bit different from others but it was not. Her life started out the same way as everyone else¡¯s, and it will end the same way as well eventually. What happens in between may be slightly different, but eventually, everyone¡¯s life ended the same way. You were born, you live, and you die. Simple. Poliana lost her mother early and her father remarried immediately to gain a male heir. Her stepmother did give birth only a year after her marriage, but it was another girl. Poliana didn¡¯t know why, but after the birth of her stepsister, her father and her stepmother stopped trying for another child. In fact, they decided that the family name and fortune would be inherited by one of their daughters. It was no surprise that it wasn¡¯t Poliana who was going to be their heir. Poliana lived in a kingdom named Aehas, which was a small country in the northern part of the continent. Although it was a tiny nation, Aehas maintained its unfriendly rtionships against its neighbors. It was no wonder Aehas suffered from constant war. Many died, and when the knights and the noble families began to avoid participating in these wars, a neww was made in Aehas. Any nobility that doesn¡¯t provide at least one member of its family to participate in the wars would lose their status as a noble. To prevent the noble families from forcing their very-distant rtives to the war, thew specifically stated that only a direct member of the family, or even the heir him or herself, had to participate. And if the family only had daughters and decided to send a distant male cousin to war, then, that cousin or their direct family member were to inherit their noble title. It was also illegal to marry off the daughter to a random man and send him off to the war. In cases like this, then the woman would still not be able to inherit that title even if her husband died in a war. Poliana was born to a mediocre noble family in Aehas. For her stepsister Liana to inherit the title, as their parents hoped, one of the sisters had to serve time in the military. It was no surprise that Poliana was chosen by her parents to serve this time. Her little sister Liana led a favored and extravagant life. Her hair was brushed to silkiness many times a day and she adorned with the most expensive ribbons. Her dresses were decorated withvishces and she enjoyed the most luxurious perfumes. Learning to y the piano and harp, reading the popr romance novels by the cozy firece, and being loved unconditionally by her adoring parents¡­ And while Liana was being pampered senseless, Poliana was resigned to the harsh life of a knight. Her hair was cut short at all times and she only wore pants. One unique thing in Aehas was the fact that it was the only country that allowed a woman to fight in wars. A female knight. Knightess. In other countries, women were sometimes given honorary knighthood but they were never allowed to actually fight. It was different in Aehas, however, it was very rare. In fact, it was considered an embarrassment for any noble family to send in a knightess to represent them. If it was absolutely necessary, then the family would often bribe their way in to make sure that their knightess would be given a desk job instead of being sent to the battlefield. But Poliana¡¯s parents didn¡¯t take these precautions. Rather than bribing to ensure Poliana¡¯s safety, they chose to cut her hair, dress her in boy¡¯s clothes, and give her a sword. Their intention was obvious. Go fight and die. Some may think that her parents did this because they realized Poliana was a talented fighter. A genius swordsman? An amazingbatant? But in truth, this was not the case. There has never been any notable solider in Poliana¡¯s family history, and both of Poliana¡¯s birth parents were of average health. As time passed where Poliana trained to be a knight, she quickly realized her physical limits. No matter how hard she tried, she could never win a single fight against the others since she was weaker and slower. To survive, she needed to be talented. She needed to be much more talented than everyone else but, unfortunately, she had no aptitude forbat. Her teacher, an old knight, informed Poliana¡¯s father that she needed to give up on being a knightess or else she would die, but Poliana¡¯s father didn¡¯t care. He thought that it was her duty to enter the war and die so that her little sister Liana could inherit the family title. It was essential for Poliana to die or else, she would inherit the family title after she had served her time. The old knight had no choice but to teach Poliana how to fight. He said to her, ¡°Survive. No matter what happens, you must live. That will be the biggest revenge you can have against your parents.¡± If Poliana returned alive after 10 years of military service, she would inherit the family title, but the chance of her surviving this long was unlikely. The old knight suggested to Poliana that she should try her best to get close to her superiors or any high-ranking soldiers so she could get a desk job. That was the only way for her since she had nothing to offer. She had no money to bribe anyone and no one at the front would be sympathetic towards her. It had to be her father who needs to take care of this, but he was unwilling to do so. The old knight exined, ¡°Poliana, make sure to study the art of war. Study the strategies of warfare and do not blindly trust your superiors. If it looks like your side is going to lose in a battle, you need to run. You won¡¯t be called a deserter as long as you¡¯ve returned to your base.¡± One fortunate thing was that at least, Poliana was of noble birth. Any nobles automatically started out as officers, not foot soldiers. The most and immediate deaths during a battle urred to the foot soldiers fighting at the front line. If Poliana survived a few battles, she would be promoted and therefore be a bit safer. The old knight¡¯s best advice for her was to study battle tactics because no matter how hard she tried, she was never going to be a good soldier. Thankfully, Poliana was intelligent and her brain was her only talent. Her skin was burnt from training outside so much. She was covered in scars, especially her hands. Her hair was shorter than many boys¡¯ and she was extremely thin. She still looked like a boy. When her period started, the old knight exined her worst-case scenario. ¡°If you are caught by your enemies, you will be raped.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Most women found in battlefields were either prostitutes or wives of the soldiers. In this world, killing prostitutes and raping regr citizens were banned. However, a knightess was different. If a woman holding a sword was captured, they would be allowed to kill or rape her. They were to be considered as a soldier and therefore, they were treated like a man. In Aehas¡¯ history, there have been a few renowned and revered knightess. They were amazing soldiers, but in the end, they were all killed. Raped and murdered. The old knight continued, ¡°It might not even be your enemy who rapes you. It could be someone in your own army as well.¡± ¡°I know that too.¡± Women were considered bad luck in battles and most men would not even acknowledge a female¡¯s presence at the frontlines. It was public knowledge that some of those famous knightesses were actually murdered by their male fellow soldiers. This was why most knightesses didn¡¯t make it to the battle. A case like Poliana¡¯s was extremely rare. ¡°Why do you work so hard, Poliana? What are you working for?¡± The old knight asked Poliana, who looked calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Ack of goal can ruin a person.¡± ¡°I have nothing else to do other than to work hard, to try my best.¡± She knew that it didn¡¯t matter. No matter how hard she worked, she knew how her life would end, but despite it all, Poliana still tried. If she was a man, everyone would have praised her for her hard work, but because she was a woman, everyoneughed at her. Only Her own little sisterughed at her. Liana ate her sweets and smiled sweetly. Her beautiful long hair was her pride and joy, and Liana often teased Poliana about her short hair. Whenever Liana made fun of her, the old knight told Poliana to p her. What Poliana had to go through, and what she had to face in the future, were all because of her. Once, Poliana considered breaking Liana¡¯s nose, but she decided against it. Her own parents abandoned her, and so Poliana felt nothing for her family. She was not even angry at them. It was odd how Poliana didn¡¯t feel anything. She didn¡¯t feel happy, but she didn¡¯t feel unhappy either. She didn¡¯t know the purpose of her life. Poliana wondered if she would be able to feel happiness in a battle. If she won, would she feel something? Happiness? Joy? If she seeded in surviving the war and returned home, would she feel gleeful? If she was given the chance to let her hair grow and learn piano, would her life be better? She wanted to find happiness, and for now, the only thing she could do was to do her best to survive. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 When Poliana turned 14 years old, she was drafted. Other boys from different noble families that were also drafted either cried or gritted their teeth in anger. They were in a simr situation as Poliana. They had to go to war just as she did, but at least, their parents or rtives paid the price for them to at least ensure their safety. Poliana was the only girl in the bunch, but none of them realized that she wasn¡¯t a boy. First of all, she was taller than most boys and she still had no curves which weremon for the others around her. She was dark-skinned from the sun and was covered in scars. Most of all, her hair was too short. No women in the kingdom, not even a peasant, would cut their hair this short. Even many of the noble men kept their hair long. On top of that, Poliana wore something that was simr to the other boys. A pair of pants, a piece of armor, and a belt with a sword. No one could imagine her to be ady. Everyone who saw her assumed that she was a bastard of a noble family. The boys were sent off by their families, but Poliana was all alone, except for the old knight who came to say goodbye. The boys¡¯ families cried and gave gifts of handkerchiefs, which symbolized luck, but Poliana received nothing. The only thing her father gave her was armor and a new sword. They were of poor in terms of quality, but at least, they were something. Poliana didn¡¯t care. She felt nothing for her family and they weren¡¯t important to her. They¡¯ve been in war with Kukda, a kingdom adjacent to them for a long time. They took breaks during the farming seasons, which were spring, summer, and fall, but as soon as the first snow falls, they would go to war. And when spring begins, they would call a truce so they could back to toil theirnds once again. Such a long war took a huge toll on both countries¡¯ coffers as well as their people¡¯s morals, but the royal families didn¡¯t care. They refused to call a permanent truce between them. On the first day, while she¡¯s on her way to her assigned position, Poliana was kicked out of the carriage. It was because she was a girl. During the ride when the boys introduced themselves to each other, they learned Poliana¡¯s name and were shocked. ¡°You¡¯re a girl?¡± They kicked her out immediately and the other boys didn¡¯t see Poliana as ady. Ady was supposed to have beautiful long hair, have the sweet smell of perfume, and wear a dress. Poliana had short hair, she was skinny, she smelled like sweat, and wore pants. War was no joke. The boys yelled nasty things out to her as they pushed her out of the carriage. They told her to go work in the kitchen and bring out her brother instead for theing battles. She fell to the ground but thanks to her armor, she was able to avoid any severe injuries. She stood up quickly and started to walk. There were many carriages, some were carrying the drafted boys while others held their supplies, and Poliana moved fast not to lose sight of them. If she didn¡¯t keep up and reach the military base, she was going to be considered a deserter who¡¯s bound to be executed immediately. Poliana briefly considered running away, but she had nowhere else to go. Rather than dying while roaming around aimlessly, Poliana decided it would be better to at least experience a battle before her death. Her armor saved her from getting injured, but it was too heavy for her. It impeded her movement and yet, she couldn¡¯t just throw it away. She was sweating heavily underneath it since it was still autumn, but the battle would take ce in winter where she would definitely need it for warmth and for her safety. Some of the low-born boys who were drafted were walking to their destination as well and when they saw Poliana, they thought at first that she was another noble boy who was being bullied by the other high-born boys. They initially offered to carry her armor for her, but when they learned that she was kicked out from a carriage because of her gender, they frowned and spat at her. One of themon myths among the soldiers was that if they touched a woman before their first battle, they would die soon. It was believed that abstinence before the war would bring soldiers good luck. The boys continued to spit at her before they walked away. Only Then suddenly, one of the knights on a horse ahead of them announced firmly, ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t make it to the base on time will be considered a deserter!¡± Poliana flinched and started to limp as best as she could. One of the knights on a horse behind her saw her and asked her name. When she gave him her answer and when he checked the document, he frowned and grumbled loudly, ¡°Dammit, you¡¯re a girl¡­ Useless.¡± The knight didn¡¯t want her, but if she didn¡¯t make it, she was going to be executed. He told her to hurry. ¡°Take your helmet off. Maybe it will be easier for you if you do.¡± Although men hated women on the battlefield, many also had a secret desire for a knightess. In popr stories, a beautiful female knightess would take her helmet off to reveal her gorgeous long hair and face. Of course, Poliana was not one of these knightesses. To wear the helmet, she had to cut her hair very short and she was certainly not beauty. When the knight on the horse saw her face, he was clearly disappointed. If she was pretty, he nned on allowing her to ride the horse with him, but when he saw her, he just rode away. Poliana wiped her face with a towel as she walked. She was so tired, but shockingly, this was only the beginning of her long journey. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The young people that were drafted were initially given a low rank. In the past, any noble would receive their knighthood immediately, but thew was changed recently. Knighthood shall be given to one that had survived three battles. This change was made to save the country¡¯s money. There were a lot of cases where nobles would get themselves killed or captured on their first battle that resulted in Aehaspensating for their loss more than those who belong in the lower ranks. Poliana¡¯s name was announced, ¡°Cranbell¡¯s and Sir Bassette¡¯s offspring, Poliana Cranbell!¡± The military base Poliana was assigned to was at the base of a mountain. It was considered one of the more dangerous areas amongst the other bases that Aehas controls because their enemies could utilize the terrain around it. Many deaths have urred here as recorded in their previous battles. Most of the nobles bribed the higher-ups to make sure that they didn¡¯t end up here, but Poliana was sent here with other boys from poor families along with the unlucky ones. Three battles to be a knight. Theirmander studied the recruits with sharp eyes. The boys and Poliana stood tall and rigidly, hoping to be favored by him. The recruits¡¯ immediate superior, a knight, announced the rules and news while the highmander continued to examine the neers. He kept going back and forth between his papers and his new men. The paperwork included portraits of the recruits and themander was making sure that they matched. Then suddenly, themander raised his left eyebrow. ¡°A girl?¡± Poliana swallowed hard. Themander, Sir Batre, had a fairly good reputation but as a soldier, not as a person. At least, he was considered to be a talentedmander and tactician. Poliana answered, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s correct, sir!¡± ¡°Are you a virgin?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± When Poliana looked up in shock, themander got irritated and pped her hard. She almost fell to the ground, but she gritted her teeth and remained standing. ¡°I asked you if you are a virgin.¡± ¡°Yes! That is correct, sir!¡± When Poliana answered and while hiding her mortification, themander nodded and replied, ¡°I was hoping to get a taste of fresh meat, and yet, what we ended up with is an ugly thing like you¡­ Dammit.¡± Poliana clenched her teeth but she couldn¡¯t stop trembling. She was horrified and to hide her embarrassment, she lowered her face but when themander saw this, he pped her again. ¡°Look up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir!¡± She could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on her. She didn¡¯t have to look around to know. She knew that they were allughing at her and that they all despised her. Poliana kept her chin up, trying to prevent her tears from rolling down her eyes. One of the boys whispered viciously, ¡°Why did she bothering here? This is war and this is not a ce for a girl She should¡¯ve stayed back home and get herself pregnant. Although looking like that, I doubt anyone would marry her.¡± Poliana remained quiet as she shivered in pain and when suddenly, she heard themander call out another name. The name belonged to a blond boy with a pretty face and when his name was called, the boy stood straight and answered. Why did themander call this boy¡¯s name? Everyone wondered, but what he said next answered the unspoken question. Themander ordered, ¡°You, you wille to my tent tonight.¡± It was clear what themander wanted. Poliana no longer felt sad for herself. It seemed that Sir Batre liked a pretty face and he didn¡¯t care if it belonged to a boy or a girl. Every morning, a trainee would leave themander¡¯s tent with an ashen face. Any recruit with good looks were called to his camp every night. Amander of a base was considered to be the god and everything that he ordered had to be carried out without question. Abusing his power to sexually assault recruits was illegal, but no one could do anything about it. One of the knights stated that at least, themander had his pride and therefore only touched the noble recruits. He never showed interest in prostitutes or civilians. It was an unfair and ridiculous situation, but there was that they could do about it. Many boys grumbled in frustration and shame, and whenever Poliana saw this, she felt thankful. At least, she wasn¡¯t called to his tent. She, however, wasn¡¯t so na?ve to believe that she would be safe forever. Someday, it would be possible that she might end up in themander¡¯s tent but she didn¡¯t care. Many of the recruits had to go through this, so if her timees, she will ept it. And then, it happened. She expected this, but what actually happened inside the tent was a shock to her. As soon as she walked in, she was pushed down on a table on her stomach, and she was sodomized. She struggled in pain, but Sir Batre continued and as he climaxed, he shuttered and whispered, ¡°You are still a noble woman, so I will be generous and allow you to remain intact.¡± Indeed, she still technically remained a virgin just like all the other boys before her. When she left the tent, she went into the forest to kick and punched a tree angrily, just as the other victimized boys have done before her. She was raped, yet her eyes remained dry. Other knights called her a touchy b*tch because she didn¡¯t cry. Poliana thought about pretending to cry, but she decided against it. If she cried, they would¡¯veughed at her and say that she was weak because she was a girl. Time passed like this, and soon enough, the first snow fell. *** Battles took ce only during winter. It was an unspoken and a necessary rule. If the nations fought all year round, what would happen to the farms? Spring, summer, and fall were the times of truce so that farming could go on. Poliana saw six first snowfalls during the war and she survived each and every one of it. She became an official knightess and the head of a small army. 6 years of abuse from everyone around her made her stronger. She was now 20 years old and a fully-grown woman, but Poliana still looked like a teenage boy. Most women in normal circumstances would have had a narrow waist and beautiful curves, but not her. The sheerck of food and constant battles made her skinny. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t have any curves, it¡¯s just that her thick metal armor hid most of them. Only If she was fully clothed in her battle gear and didn¡¯t speak, no one could tell that she was a woman. She looked like any other knight in this war. But she wasn¡¯tpletely unknown. In fact, she was somewhat infamous. A knightess surviving 6 years of war was unusual. The enemies called her a whore or a witch. Some even taunted Aehas,ughing at the fact that it had to send a woman to do man¡¯s job. Most men on her own side, her fellow soldiers remained hateful towards her. But Poliana remained steady and confident. It wasn¡¯t her fault. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Even at her own home, most people med her for everything. Her father, her stepmother, and her stepsister ignored her when she returned home to take a break from her service. Poliana, in turn, ignored them as well. At home, she ate and slept to her heart¡¯s content. Her room was long gone, so she just walked into an empty room in her home and took residence. She deserved this vacation and she was going to enjoy it no matter what. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 One morning, Poliana woke up to her stepmotherining that she went to bed unwashed. She was sleeping in one of the guestrooms and her stepmother grumbled that Poliana was ruining it. Poliana went downstairs for breakfast when suddenly, she smelled something sweet. It wasn¡¯t food, but it was perfume. When she looked up, she saw her stepsister Liana at the top of the stairs looking like a doll. She saw an expression of disgust and hatred on her face. As Liana slowly walked down the stairs, her long silky hair danced around her. Poliana gaped at her gorgeous little sister. She had to admit that Liana has grown into a beautiful woman in six years. She was what an idealdy was supposed to look like and Poliana could imagine men fighting each other for Liana¡¯s attention. Liana said to Poliana sharply, ¡°What is wrong with you? Why do you look so disgusting?¡± Liana pinched her nose and Poliana sniffed herself. Sweat, blood, dust, dirt, urine, an unwashed body, and clothes. The stench of death. Poliana shrugged, thinking she didn¡¯t smell any different than usual. Liana, still irritated, continued, ¡°Are you crazy? Why did youe here now, of all times? Is it because it¡¯s my birthday soon? Are you trying to ruin it?¡± Poliana had no idea it was her sister¡¯s birthday soon. She came here because she had spent 6 years of her 10-year term, and she was beginning to feel hopeful that she might survive this. The situation at the battlefront, however, wasn¡¯t going very well, so she thought she should use up her vacation time and think about some strategies. But obviously, Liana thought that everything was all about herself. Poliana shrugged again. ¡®Oh well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped since I didn¡¯t exin anything to anybody why I came here.¡¯ Poliana walked to the kitchen and started to butter her bread liberally. The servants offered to cook her something, but she refused. She was perfectly happy with bread and butter. Liana followed her to the kitchen and stared at her angrily. When Poliana ignored her and continued to eat, Liana screamed, ¡°Leave this house right now!¡± ¡°Liana, if I survive another four years, it will be you who needs to leave this house.¡± Liana¡¯s face became pale. If Poliana survived the 10 years of military service, she was indeed going to inherit the family title. Poliana didn¡¯t n on kicking her sister out, but it was still fun to say it out loud. Poliana was also sick of people calling her a naive idiot. Everyone who knew Poliana¡¯s situation told her to p her sister if she disrespected her. It was for Liana¡¯s benefit that Poliana was in this situation after all. Liana wanted Poliana to die. Poliana had all the right to hit her sister. She was her older sister, but if Poliana really did hit Liana, she knew exactly what the people would call her. A vindictive b*tch. Poliana watched in amusement as Liana trembled. Did Liana think she was really going to hit her? If she did, Poliana knew that Liana would faint. Just then, their father came hurriedly and yelled, ¡°How dare you!¡± He pped Poliana, and because he wasn¡¯t wearing a gantlet, she didn¡¯t even flinch. Having father on her side, Liana snorted confidently. Liana truly hated Poliana. She looked at her older sister up and down in disgust. The war hasn¡¯t been gentle on Poliana. She was covered in scars and her face wasn¡¯t spared from it. Her hair was cut short and ugly, and because she didn¡¯t get to wash regrly, her skin was dirty and rough. She had to yell often during battles, which turned her voice deep and gravelly. ¡°Liana is the heir to this family! How dare you disrespect her?¡± Their father continued in anger. But this was an empty threat. The truth was if Poliana survived her 10-year military service, she was going to automatically inherit the family title as well as their wealth. This was the only perk of going to war on behalf of one¡¯s family. And to prevent the nobles from abusing thisw, if the surviving soldier dies within 10 years of inheriting the title, another member of the family had to serve another 10-year term in order to get it back. There were an unfortunate incident where a solider survived the term and inherited his rightful title but ended up dying from a battle wound soon after. The man¡¯s brother, therefore, was forced to serve 10 years himself in order to be the next heir. Poliana¡¯s father was sure that she would not survive the harsh life, but when she remained alive after 6 years, he felt anxious. When she felt full, Poliana went upstairs and walked into another empty room toy down. No matter how hard she thought, there was no future for this country. The soldiers were treated like a sacrifice while the citizens near the battlefront lived in constant fear and poverty. Those who lived in the city center had no idea what was happening, and they didn¡¯t care about the war or the food of the country. Nobles were the worst of them all. The taxes continued to rise, hurting everyone in the nation. Some may have thought that it would be easier now for her to survive the next 4 years since she already survived the first 6 years, but Poliana didn¡¯t think so. In fact, she was sure that her next 4 years were going to be so much worse. She could feel it. Something didn¡¯t feel right and that was why she asked for a vacation. The rumors on the battlefields and those in the cities were very different. Poliana knew that she might be able to learn more about the overall situation if she stayed in the city for a while. In fact, she needed to be in the capital. She dropped by at her home, which was located on the outer border of the capital, only because it was on her way. She stayed for two days to fill her stomach, and without taking a bath even once, Poliana left her home. As she rode away, Poliana could see Liana looking down at her from her room. Liana¡¯s face was filled with obvious hate, but Poliana didn¡¯t care. ¡®I have to admit, she really is very pretty.¡¯ Liana¡¯s pride and joy were her long silky hair. When Poliana reached the capital, she immediately began to collect any rumors she could hear. The rumor about the possibility of this winter¡¯s war to be thest one. The rumor about the kingdom of Kukda nning to use more forces for the next battles. There were many rumors concerning the ongoing war, but none of them satisfied Poliana¡¯s instinct. Many also talked about the kingdom called Acreia, which was located at the north of Aehas. Its emperor died a few years ago and his heir became the next emperor. ¡°I hear Acreia¡¯s new emperor is very handsome.¡± ¡°He became the emperor three years ago, so I don¡¯t think he is considered ¡®new¡¯ anymore.¡± Poliana has heard many things about this new ruler. Apparently, he was a gorgeous young man. Was this just an exaggerated rumor or the truth? Poliana was skeptical about it, so she didn¡¯t believe it but she agreed that it was nice to have good looking royal members. It was also very advantageous for the heir to be attractive so it was verymon for the royals to spread such rumors, whether it be true or false. Only But something about this new emperor nagged her. Acreia¡¯s emperor was still very young. So much so that people still called him a ¡°young man.¡± A young ruler would want to solidify his power, and that was why new monarchs often tried to make as many public aplishments as they could. They would exaggerate the smallest achievements in an attempt to look strong, especially to neighboring nations. But this new emperor of Acreia¡­ so far, has done nothing. There were no stories of his triumphs. They weren¡¯t friendly with each other, but they stillmunicated and still, trades took ce between them. The only thing Poliana knew was that when the new emperor came into power, a significant number of Acreian soldiers were ced at its border. It wasn¡¯t an odd urrence as this happened often. A new ruler often made changes and improvements to the country¡¯s military. Poliana shook her head since something felt wrong. She went back to the room she rented and took out her map that showed the military presence of all the northern borders. She studied it carefully, and after contemting for a day, she finally realized the truth. Acreia was getting ready for a war. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Acreia¡¯s northern region was too cold for anyone to survive while it¡¯s eastern and western borders were surrounded by icy seas. Only its southern border faced other nations, namely Aehas and Kukda. Unless Acreia was nning to go to war against the pr bears, the only possible foes for Acreia to wage war against were pretty clear. Kukda and Aehas have been carrying on their war for centuries, and now, the third country, Acreia, was about to join in. Acreia¡¯snds were unproductive. If it nned on going to war, which meant redirecting their limited resources to their military division, its goal was very obvious. It was to conquer another nation. Poliana gave up the rest of her vacation and returned to her base. She immediately reported to her superiors about her findings, but they ignored her as usual. ¡°Acreia? Do you think Acreia is going to attack us? Are you stupid? Only a woman would think of such a ridiculous story.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s the truth. It is so obvious, sir. If you would only look at Acreian military movements, you should be able to see this. We need to send the scouts to learn more about their n.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your first year here, girl. You have survived here for 6 years, so even an idiot like you should¡¯ve learned how things work around here. We have no soldiers to send away. Our battle with Kukda is just about to start! Thest and biggest battle of our history!¡± ¡°The battle you¡¯re expecting won¡¯te!¡± ¡°Did you not hear about the order from the capital? Our emperor suspects Kukda to be nning something big this year. This winter will finally be the time when we defeat Kukda once and for all!¡± ¡°That is what we say every year! Every winter, we say it¡¯s going to be thest and the biggest battle, and every spring, we get disappointed as we go into a truce. You know this, sir! You know this war will never end!¡± No one even knew the reason for this war anymore, either side no longer had a goal as to why they¡¯re moving on. It was only and all about pride. But such vanity was causing the deaths of countless soldiers. The nobles enjoyed their extravagant lives in the capitals while the low and middle-ss citizens suffered. Her captain snorted and replied, ¡°You are so stupid. As of today, you will no longer be allowed to lead your army. You will return to being a simple knightess so you can learn what this war really is about.¡± Everyone in the tent fell silent before the men sneered at her. It was her captain who promoted to the toon leader because he saw how talented Poliana was in tactics and reading maps. If it wasn¡¯t for him, she would¡¯ve never been given such position. She would¡¯ve remained as one of many nameless knights. But now that her position was taken away and she was a nobody again. That meant that she also lost the privilege of participating in these meetings. She returned her toon leader¡¯s dagger and was about to leave the tent when she heard the words that were so familiar to her. ¡°This is why we shouldn¡¯t work with women.¡± Poliana closed her eyes and left the tent quietly. She wished that it was indeed her imagination, but she knew it wasn¡¯t the case. Acreia wasing. In her own tent, Polianaid down on her bed. Knights weren¡¯t allowed to have private tents, but because she was a woman, she was given one that she could use for herself. All the other knightsined about it. No one ever helped her set up her tent. There were constant bullying and abusing just because she was a woman. The past 6 years have been horrible. Thankfully, she hasn¡¯t been raped again since Sir Batre, but the abuse she had to endure from the men around her was just as bad as a rape. If she got hurt, they called her weak. If she didn¡¯t get hurt, they would be angry and call her a coward. If she won a battle, they would say it was just luck but if she lost one, everyone would me her for it. If she sent a letter to her home, they said she was too emotional. If she didn¡¯t send anything, they called her a cold b*tch. If she walked out of her tent, they spat at her but f she remained in her tent, they would call herzy. No matter what she did, she was despised and it didn¡¯t matter how hard she worked for it. She was a woman, and that was more than enough of a reason to hate her. Male soldiers who had served 6 years in the army became amander, which was a higher rank than just a toon leader. It was a miracle that Poliana even got promoted even though she served them just like the others along with her multiple and notable aplishments. Even as a toon leader, her own men oftentimes refused to take her orders. Poliana wondered, ¡®Why do I bother? What am I living for?¡¯ Then, she remembered her teacher, the old knight¡¯s words. ¡°Ack of goal in life can ruin a person.¡± Only Poliana now knew that this was the truth. She was working for nothing. The fact that she was trying so hard just to be ignored and despised killed her. Survival alone was meaningless now. She needed a reason to live and revenge was useless. Even if she survived the rest of her term, return home, and inherit the family title, Poliana knew that she wouldn¡¯t be happy. The life of ady was not what she wanted. If she remained here as a knight, Poliana knew that she was going to die here either by a sword or an arrow. And she wasn¡¯t going to die a hero; she was going to die a nameless soldier and disappear. No one was going to mourn her. She didn¡¯t want to die, but she also didn¡¯t have a meaning for her life. ¡®Bastards.¡¯ Poliana went into the forest and punched a tree in anger. This was her way of relieving stress, and when one of the patrols saw her doing this, he muttered, ¡°dumbass.¡± As expected, Poliana¡¯s warning was ignored by her superiors and soon enough, it became clear that Poliana was right. Of course, being right wasn¡¯t a good thing in this situation. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Poliana¡¯s base was surrounded by what appeared to be Acreian soldiers. Some Aehas soldiers were able to escape. A military corps was a single unit, and in battles, the size of a corps was proportional to its power. Mid-sized corps were stronger than those who were small, and arge unit was obviously more powerful than the two. Aplete mid-sized corps was stronger than arge but dispersed corps. When she realized her base was under a sudden attack, she immediately ordered the soldiers under hermand to retreat. She has done this before when she sensed that they would be defeated, so she chose to act quickly to save herself and her men. Thanks to her quick decision, only her soldiers were the ones who were able to escape. Including herself, there were about 20 of them. In 6 years, Poliana and her men survived many times because of her tactics, but this time, it didn¡¯t end as well as she had hoped. There were too many of her enemies and they had no allies nearby who coulde to their rescue. In fact, Poliana suspected most, if not all of the other Aehas bases must¡¯ve been captured as well by now. Probably Kukda¡¯s military bases too. ¡°Ha! I told you so.¡± It seemed that Acreia was smart in waiting for Aehas and Kukda to be weakened from a useless war. Now, it was going to be easy for Acreia to conquer two nations. Poliana knew that her country had no future, but she didn¡¯t expect it to be destroyed like this. She sighed and scratched her head when suddenly, one of her soldiers came to her and asked, ¡°Boss, what should we do now?¡± She looked at him and the other soldiers in surprise. It felt strange for these men, who have clearly despised her for so many years, to suddenly look up to her as their leader. It was strange that they followed her orders to retreat despite the fact that she was recently demoted. She no longer had the right tomand these men and yet, they followed her anyway. She felt thankful for it for some reason. Her superiors saw her escape, and so, he ordered her to help him escape by contacting the headquarters but that was not possible anymore. She had no doubt that all Aehas and Kukda bases were in same situation. Poliana now had to figure out what to do for herself and her men. They escaped to the forest, and the only way for them to survive was to move deeper into the grove. If they continued to run, they will tire themselves out soon and they would either be captured or die fighting for their freedom. Even if for some odd luck they avoided their enemies, they were in the middle of winter and it was clear that they would eventually freeze to death if they didn¡¯t do anything. Poliana looked at his men. Some were older and some were much younger than her. She had seen many soldiers in her time. Men who sneaked into her tent in an attempt to rape her, men who refused to take her order because she was a woman, some who urinated in front of her to embarrass her and some men who dared her to pee in front of them as a condition for their obedience. And many men who watched all these things happen to her and didn¡¯t do anything about it. These were horrible men, but somehow, six years of time have created an odd understanding between these men and Poliana. In fact, there were asions when new recruits disrespected her and some of these men stopped it out of strange loyalty to her as their leader. An unwanted leader, of course, but she¡¯s still their boss. Her men were often the subjects of other soldiers¡¯ ridicules because they were taking orders from a woman and Poliana knew about this. Poliana realized that despite everything, she cared about them. ¡°I will be the bait and give you a chance to escape. Go out of this forest and pass through the enemy soldiers and head towards the capital,¡± she blurted out. ¡°No, we can¡¯t let you do that!¡± ¡°Boss, there must be another way!¡± Poliana took a deep breath and continued, ¡°I know this area better than any of you, and besides, I am of noble birth. They will be more interested in capturing me than trying to get you guys. They will capture me so they can get a ransom. I¡¯m sure that they won¡¯t kill me right away.¡± ¡°But you are different than the other knights,¡± one soldier pointed out the obvious and she became irritated because of it. ¡°I¡¯m sure that these knights will be honorable and chivalrous towards a defenseless captive. Besides, who would want me as a woman? I mean, look at me.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true,¡± SLAP! Poliana took care of the rude soldier and ordered her men to run. The simple and stupid ones all believed her words and they ran towards the direction she suggested. Once she was sure that they left, Poliana sat down weakly. ¡®Idiots. Do they really think I would be safe?¡¯ If she was captured at the time of their attack, perhaps she may have been spared, but she wasn¡¯t, and in fact, she escaped them a few times as they ran. Their enemies knew this and of course, she knew that they would make an example out of her. If she was a high-ranking noble or even a high-ranking officer, she would¡¯ve had a better chance, but Poliana was a nobody. In fact, she didn¡¯t n to ask someone for a ransom. The only thing Poliana depended on at this point was her appearance. Unless someone forced her to take her armor off, no one would be able to tell that she was a woman. Her hair was still very short, and although her voice and face looked feminine, they would assume that she was just a delicate-looking man. No one would think about a woman takingmand while carrying her sword and armor. She knew that she would be executed, but as long as her enemies didn¡¯t realize her gender, they won¡¯t rape her and shame her any further. She knew that they were going to find out once she died, but that wasn¡¯t her problem. She would be dead and therefore, she wouldn¡¯t feel anything. She only cared about what was going to happen to her before her death. What would happen to her corpse was not of her concern. ¡®Oh well, my death can¡¯t be helped. All I can do is to make sure they don¡¯t suspect that I am a woman.¡¯ Poliana briefly thought that it would¡¯ve been better if she died honorably, for example during a battle but she quickly realized that it didn¡¯t matter. Whether she died with honor or be executed in front of a crowd, it won¡¯t change a thing. Death was just that and her honor would mean nothing if she¡¯s dead. Poliana sighed again and put on her helmet again. Only ¡®I¡¯m so tired now.¡¯ There was no future for her or for her country. Her life didn¡¯t have any meaning which meant that continuing to live was going to bring her only pain and confusion. A life without a meaning or a goal¡­ There was no point, besides, she was so sick of being despised just because of her gender. Poliana finally epted her fate. She was ready for her death. Trying so hard all of her life without a purpose made her tired. Thus, it was now time for her to rest¡­ ¡­and she deserved it. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 It took many days for the Acreian soldiers to capture Poliana. She had no idea if her men survived and at this point, there was nothing more that she could do for them. As she was captured, she pretended to resist and waited for a sword or an arrow to kill her, but it seemed that the soldiers were given an order to capture her alive because all they did was to bind her with a rope. ¡°Did we get the right guy?¡± ¡°Yes, look at that helmet. It¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the guy we have been looking for, the guy who has been evading us for such a long time.¡± They forced Poliana to kneel on the ground. One knight tapped her helmet and asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Just kill me.¡± Thanks to yelling and screaming all those years during the war, her voice was rough. It sounded especially manly because she was still wearing her helmet. The knight didn¡¯t reply and turned around. It was clear that she was to be captured alive. Poliana was dragged to her own military base, which was nowpletely taken over by the Acreian force. It was impossible to tell what had happened to her own people. Poliana was thrown onto the ground in front of themander¡¯s tent. Because of her armor, her fall made a dull sound. One knight then ordered, ¡°Kneel!¡± It seemed that she was to meet a rather high-ranking officer since her arms were bound behind, and because of her heavy armor, it was very difficult for her to move. She pushed herself up using all the strength she had left and as she struggled, she swore that she would swear at whoever was standing in front of her. But as soon as sheid her eyes on him, she froze. ¡®So¡­ beautiful.¡¯ Poliana¡¯s stepsister insisted on calling her light brown hair golden. In certain lights, it did shine, so at the time, Poliana agreed that Liana could be called a blonde. Her hair was her pride and joy, but if Liana saw this man who stood in front of her right now, she would have wept in shame. Under the winter sun, the man¡¯s hair shone like white gold and his face¡­ He was the most gorgeous man Poliana had ever met in her life. Suddenly, she realized who this was and she remembered the rumor of the new Acreian emperor who was supposedly a very handsome young man. She assumed that it was an exaggeration, but it turned out that it was aplete and utter truth. ¡®Well, at least I get to see something very pretty before I die.¡¯ Her eyes feasted on such a beauty. He still had an aura of a man in him, making his face look unisexual but it wasn¡¯t masculine or feminine either. Poliana was sure that he would get his dose of masculine magnificence once he matures but unfortunately, she would never get to witness it. Because she was going to die today. Right here, right now. Somehow, she felt like this was a fine time for her to die. She got to see a beautiful person and that was more than what she expected to see today. At the emperor¡¯s gesture, a knight took Poliana¡¯s helmet off from her head. She was staring at the beautiful man when suddenly, she realized that she needed to smarten up. If they found out she was a woman¡­ But thankfully, she was no beauty. She wasn¡¯t even feminine by any means, especially with her very short hair. No one noticed anything strange. The emperor asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± She knew that her face wouldn¡¯t give anything away, but her voice might. She remained quiet. The knight who took her helmet away then pped her face for her insolence, making her cough out blood. ¡°Where are your men?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The knight was about to p her again, but the emperor stopped him. He continued calmly, ¡°You evaded my men many times, and now, you get captured all alone¡­ Did you send your soldiers to the capital for help? Because that would¡¯ve been useless. It¡¯s all over now. My men have taken your kingdom.¡± ¡®So it really happened¡­¡¯ She expected this, but now that it really happened, she felt devastated. It appeared that Acreia had been nning this for a very long time, and Aehas had been stupid and na?ve. When Poliana looked down, the knight who pped her forced her to look up again. Now that she saw him more clearly, she could see that this knight was no average soldier. The armor and the cloak he was wearing were all of high quality. So why did the emperor send such a high-ranking soldier to capture her? ¡°Or did you help your men escape for their lives?¡± The emperor continued. ¡°¡­.¡± The emperor was smiling as if he knew everything already. Poliana looked down again and this time, the knight didn¡¯t force her to look up. The emperorughed, making her clench her teeth since she couldn¡¯t understand why he seemed so happy. Why was heughing? She felt a sudden fear of it. She was ready for her death, but now that it was really about to happen, she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. Very inspiring. I would like to know the name of such an extraordinary knight, so tell me your name.¡± Poliana almost sighed in relief. It seemed that the emperor liked Poliana. She wasn¡¯t so na?ve that she expected him to spare her life, but perhaps he would let her die honorably as a knight. She expected him to kill her in her armor and send her body to her home. This was what she wanted. Lowering her voice as much as possible, Poliana replied, ¡°Paul¡­ Cranbell¡­¡± ¡°Paul, Sir Paul.¡± The emperor smiled and Poliana felt blinded by his beauty. He was such a magnificent man. The knight asked the emperor, ¡°Your highness, what would you like to do?¡± Poliana tensed and waited for the answer. Was she finally going to face her death? ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be such a waste to kill him?¡± ¡°Then would you like us to release him?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that would be a shame as well¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Suddenly, Poliana bowed deeply and begged, ¡°Please kill me.¡± The knight, angry that she interrupted their conversation, kicked her. ¡°How dare you!¡± Then suddenly, the emperor yelled, ¡°Ainno!¡± He stood up from his chair and to her shock, the emperor walked towards her. Why couldn¡¯t he just kill her and get it over with? Poliana kneeled again and when she looked up, the emperor was standing right in front of her. She felt breathless after seeing his face up close. While she gaped, the emperor asked, ¡°Now, how about you be my kni¡­¡± He seemed like he was in a good mood, but as he looked at her face, the emperor suddenly frowned. His sharp green eyes studied her and he took a step back. ¡°Could it be.. that you are a woman?¡± ¡®Oh no! I¡¯ve been found.¡¯ Poliana closed her eyes tight. She certainly didn¡¯t look like a woman, so how did the emperor figure it out? As soon as he blurted those words, everyone around them gasped in shock. Some thought the emperor was joking but when they saw Poliana¡¯s reaction, they realized that it was true. ¡°It¡¯s a woman?¡± The soldiers started to mock her and her country for sending a woman to fight. They continued harshly as they talked about her appearance. ¡°A woman can¡¯t be a knight! She must be a real knight¡¯s mistress or something!¡± ¡°Or a prostitute wearing an armor!¡± ¡°But look at her! How could someone who looks so ugly seduce a man?¡± ¡°She must be a clown or a jester! Someone sent her to the bases to make the soldiersugh!¡± ¡°Sending a woman to war? The men of Aehas must¡¯ve been all cowards! Such losers!¡± ¡°If I was a woman born with her face, I would¡¯ve killed myself.¡± Only Ugly words surrounded her but she was so used to it that she didn¡¯t even flinch. This was nothing. She didn¡¯t care about what they thought or how they felt about her and her country. What Poliana wanted to know was her fate. What was going to happen to her? The Acreian emperor appeared to have lost interest in her because he turned around and walked towards his tent. Did this mean that her fate now rests on the knight named Ainno? When Poliana nced at the knight, she realized that he was ring at her coldly. She knew that other countries did not look kindly on women fighting in battles. In fact, they saw it as an insult. It was only her country, Aehas, that allowed it. The emperor was about to enter his tent when suddenly, he turned towards her and asked, ¡°By the way, are you still a virgin?¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Poliana flinched from his unexpected and rude question. She slowly replied in her normal voice, as there was no point in trying to hide her gender now. ¡°I don¡¯t understand the purpose of your question. Please just kill me.¡± Was it a tradition in every county where a woman is asked about her virginity when she enters a military base? She suddenly remembered Sir Batre and how he smugly assured her that he didn¡¯t take away her virginity. She trembled in anger and when she showed her teeth, the emperor walked towards her and exined, ¡°In Acreia, we believe that if a virgin woman dies, she will forever haunt us and bring us harsh winters. I just gained my first glorious victory and I can¡¯t have a virgin ghost to haunt me and ruin this sess. If you were even an average looking girl, I or one of my knights would take you before your execution, but¡­¡± He studied Poliana, who looked back at him in shock. ¡°Your appearance is¡­ hard to tolerate. Your face is not eptable, especially considering how Acreia is known for its great beauties.¡± ¡®What the heck was this lovely man bbering about?¡¯ Poliana gaped in shock as she retorted, ¡°W-who said that I was a virgin?!¡± ¡°Well, with a face like yours, it¡¯s obvious. You MUST be a virgin.¡± His verbal attack was effective. Poliana had difficulty recovering from shock. The words were particrly hurtful as they came from the most beautiful man she had ever met. And what he said next was even worse. ¡°Get a fair looking man who¡¯s good in bed to take her virginity before you execute her.¡± ¡®Dammit! Why couldn¡¯t he just kill her?¡¯ ¡°Just, just kill me right now!¡± Poliana screamed. But the emperor didn¡¯t look back and walked into his tent. She continued to make a scene, but the soldiers grabbed her and dragged her away. As they did, they looked at each other unhappily. The knight who pped her said to Poliana coldly, ¡°You better be grateful for his highness¡¯s generosity, you b*tch.¡± ¡°Generosity? What generosity? What¡­ AHH!¡± The knight suddenly pped her again and this time, her nose started to bleed. She could feel that her nose sank, meaning that it was now probably broken. The soldiers roughly pulled Poliana and talked among themselves. ¡°I think she is going to be loud. Let¡¯s gag her first.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just kill her?¡± The soldiers looked desperately at the knight. Clearly, no one wanted to rape her, and suddenly, Poliana felt hopeful. Maybe none of them would be able to endure her. But one knight replied firmly, ¡°His highness¡¯ order was clear.¡± The soldiers, as well as Poliana, looked down in disappointment. She was dragged away to a far corner of the base and among the soldiers, a confused and desperate discussion took ce. A fair looking man who is good in bed was needed to take her virginity but no one volunteered to do it. If she looked even half-decent¡­ Or if she at least had longer hair¡­ The soldiers felt like they could do it, but her hair was so short that her scalp was showing. On top of that, because she had been on the run, she was dirty and smelly. And no one wanted to take a dirty ugly woman. ¡°Just kill me. It would be so much simpler,¡± Poliana murmured in frustration. ¡°We can¡¯t! It¡¯s the emperor¡¯s order!¡± ¡°Long live Lucius the First!¡± ¡°For our emperor!¡± The soldiers raised their hands to cheer, it was obvious that they were very loyal to their leader. Lucius the First, the beautiful emperor has clearly been preparing for this war for a long time. The soldiers were well trained and they seemed to be used with military life. Unlike Aehas soldiers, Acreian soldiers had high morals and were well prepared. ¡°No one is watching, so just kill me! No one will know!¡± Poliana growled. ¡°Shut up, you pants-wearing b*tch! We know what you are nning to do! You are trying to die a virgin so you can haunt our emperor! We won¡¯t let that happen!¡± ¡®Bastards.¡¯ Poliana watched the soldiers fighting among themselves in disgust. Then suddenly, one solider approached her from behind. They had to unbind her arms in order to get her armor off. The soldiers then surrounded her. ¡°Just get her naked and let¡¯s have a look. Maybe she as a good body.¡± ¡°Put the helmet back on her. If her face is covered, it should be easier to tolerate her.¡± ¡°Where is her helmet?!¡± ¡°A woman is a woman, after all. Let¡¯s just do this.¡± Several men started to grope her and Poliana gritted her teeth. She could feel that one of her mrs was loose, most likely after being pped by that knight. Did she work so hard for this? Was her life meant to end in this way? Poliana¡¯s limbs were pushed down as her armor was taken off, she tried but she couldn¡¯t get away. By the time her underwear was revealed, someone pushed her legs apart. The feeling of a stranger¡¯s hands were rough and unpleasant. ¡°Who¡¯s gonna be the ¡®fair-looking¡¯ man?¡± ¡°We will cover her face, so let¡¯s just get it over with!¡± ¡°So who will do this? Who¡­.?¡± As the soldiersughed among themselves, Poliana continued to struggle. A few soldiers pushed her down while the rest of the group watched with interest. The excitement of their recent victory was still fresh and Poliana was a noble knight they captured. She was ugly but still of noble birth, so the lowly soldiers couldn¡¯t help but be interested. They knew they would never get a chance to take a noble woman in their lifetime. ¡°Get¡­ off of me!¡± Poliana screamed. ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Gag her!¡± ¡°Where is the rope?¡± The men panted excitedly as they took her pants off with their clumsy hands. Poliana struggled and suddenly, her hand touched something. It felt familiar, and she knew immediately what it was. It was something she has held in her hands all her life, just the feel of it was enough for her to know exactly what it was. Without hesitating, she grabbed it and jabbed it into someone with all her strenght. ¡°Gyaaa!¡± ¡°W, what happened?¡± At one soldier¡¯s scream, the other men started to panic and this gave her a chance to escape. She crawled out from the crowd and as she did, she was able to grab a new dagger from another soldier¡¯s belt. When the men realized what Poliana had done, their eyes sharpened. They felt anger and resentment. ¡°That b*tch!¡± Poliana knew instinctively that if she was caught again, she was going to be violently raped by all of the soldiers in front of her. It wasn¡¯t going to be them following their emperor¡¯s orders anymore, they were clearly furious and they were excited at the violent nature of this situation. Poliana grinned, realizing that perhaps they were now going to also rape her with a knife or maybe, they would cut off all of her limbs and drag her body around. All she had on was her underwear and a single dagger. She was practically naked while the Acreian soldiers were fully armed. One thing that she was thankful for was the fact that Poliana didn¡¯t expect all the men to attack her all at once. With most of her clothes gone, she now clearly looked like a woman and those men weren¡¯t going to lunge after her altogether. It would be an embarrassment for more than a single man to subdue a woman. Everyone was thinking the same thing. On top of that, there still was the emperor¡¯s order. They couldn¡¯t kill Poliana until she was no longer a virgin. Poliana wasn¡¯t afraid of death, her life had no meaning and she didn¡¯t even expect an honorable end. The only thing that she wanted to keep was her dignity. Only Poliana lowered herself and held her dagger tightly. She briefly wondered if it would be easier to kill herself with the dagger but she quickly changed her mind. Only a coward and a weakling would do such a thing. Just then, one soldier jumped towards her and instinctively, she stabbed him, leaving her dagger in his body. And now, she no longer had any weapon. Some of the soldiers walked towards her slowly, but as they did, they gave away their weapons to the other men. It seemed that they didn¡¯t think that they would need them. She had no chance in this fight. It was hopeless just like her country, Aehas. From behind, another soldier attacked her but with all the strength she had left, she was able to throw him off. And one after another, the men came towards her, leaving her no choice but to fight. ¡°I won¡¯t make it easy for you!¡± Poliana screamed. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 The young emperor Lucius the First took a seat inside his tent and instead of resting, he started to read over the military documents. They weren¡¯t that important so he just scanned them and as he continued to go through the documents, he stopped at the sight of one. ¡°This is¡­¡± It was the record of the day Poliana lost her position as a toon leader. Her superiors may not have believed her, but because she spoke during an official meeting, everything she said was recorded. In it, Lucius the First saw his own name written clearly. ¡°Poliana Cranbell¡­ Paul Cranbell¡­ so this must be her. Hmm¡­¡± Lucius tilted his head and murmured, ¡°The more I think about it, the more I am disappointed that she had to be a girl¡­ Such a talent.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t know this, but she left asting impression on the emperor. He was so sure that his attack was going to be aplete sess, but when a knight and a bunch of soldiers escaped his men, he was shocked. He sent his men after them, but the group was able to evade them multiple times, which impressed him. And when the knight in question was captured, clearly surrendering in order to save other men, Lucius was truly amazed about it. Of course, up until he realized that it was a woman. A female knight. A knightess. It was ridiculous. ¡®Even so¡­ It was still such a waste.¡¯ Lucius the First searched the documents and pulled out anything that had Poliana Cranbell¡¯s name. Her proposals, reports, and records of her tactics. The more he read about her, the more he wanted her in his team. Physically, she was an average swordsman, but that was something that anyone would expect, she was a woman after all. What grabbed Lucius the First¡¯s attention was her as a strategist and a military leader. She clearly had a knack for reading and analyzing maps as well as using geography to her advantage. In fact, she was outstanding. Based on the reports, it seemed that she had some major achievements as well, and yet, she has been given only the position of a toon leader. It turns out that even that meager status was taken away only a few days ago. The reason was obvious, it was because she was a woman. The most ironic part was the fact that she lost her position because she correctly predicted the Acreian invasion. Luciusughed about it quietly. ¡®What was the point of allowing the existence of knightesses if they weren¡¯t going to utilities such talents? Idiots.¡¯ ¡°A female knight¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Lucius the First thought carefully. It was such a shame to lose a gift like Poliana Cranbell. If she was born a man, she would¡¯ve made a name for herself. In fact, she would¡¯ve been given the honor of bing his man today. He wanted her, he wanted the knight who outsmarted his men. He wanted her in his team. Lucius the First had big dreams and he needed all the good talents he could get. He didn¡¯t care where his men came from and Lucius knew very well that if he wanted to seed, he needed to ept any talents he could get even if they were not from his own country. And today, he found a knight that he genuinely wanted but it turned out to be a woman. A knightess. ¡°A girl¡­ girl¡­ A girl¡­¡± In Acreia, winters were harsh and long and there always was a shortage of food. Women rarely left their homes since they were expected to cook and take care of their children while the men handle the rest that needs to be done. Lucius the First couldn¡¯t understand Aehas¡¯w of allowing women to be knights. On top of that, women were also allowed to inherit the family name, status, and wealth. It was such an outrageous idea. Women were na?ve and weak, which meant that they should stay home and raise kids. There was certainly an array of wise women in this world but they were very rare and always of very high born. In Acreia, a woman gained respect and honor only through marrying a high-ranking man or giving birth to a sessful son. All elders were respected, but once a woman became old and unable to bear children, she was no longer considered a woman. Lucius the First contemted. A woman. A knightess. A talent. A woman. A knightess. A talent. A woman. A knightess. A talent. A woman and a knightess. Well, it was toote. He ordered her death two hours ago, so Poliana Cranbell should probably be dead by now. ¡®Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have killed her.¡¯ The emperor, who was a very superstitious northern man, became annoyed and frustrated, and the noises outside his tent wasn¡¯t helping. He then yelled, ¡°What is happening out there!¡± ¡°Your highness¡­ The thing is¡­!¡± Lucius the First¡¯s friend and subject Sir Ainno sounded troubled, which confused him. Sir Ainno was a decisive man and it was rare to see him troubled or hesitant. The noise became even louder and when it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to end any time soon, Lucius the First went outside. He could hear his men screaming so at first, he thought that his base was under attack but after seeing them up close, he thought that maybe he was wrong. ¡°What is going on here?¡± He asked with an annoyed tone. ¡°That girl is fighting back and she¡¯s making a scene.¡± ¡°Fighting back?¡± At the unexpected news, Lucius the First checked his watch. He has been reading the documents for the past 3 hours, so how was she alive? He expected her to be dead within the first half an hour of his order and yet, she still lived. Once again, she surprised him. The emperor became displeased. His men couldn¡¯t handle a mere girl bound with a rope? How useless could they be? Lucius had big ns for his country and yet his men were having difficulty fighting a single girl. This was not good. Not good at all. He walked towards themotion and as he got closer, he could see more and more of his soldiers gathering around. ¡°That girl¡¯s fighting back so hard that the morale among our men is declining fast,¡± one of his men exined to him. ¡°At this rate, she will die a virgin and her ghost will haunt us. Your highness, please give us another order.¡± ¡°Do you think it makes sense that these soldiers can¡¯t even handle one girl?¡± The emperor replied angrily. ¡°We apologize, your highness, but that b*tch is so fierce.¡± He was being generous when he ordered a fair-looking man to take her virginity before her death, yet this was how he was being thanked. It was obvious that if several men attacked her at once, they would¡¯ve been able to subdue her but they weren¡¯t doing this for some reason. Lucius the First gestured them to make way and as he got to the scene, he saw something that shocked him. The woman, who was almost bald and naked, was wrestling five of his soldiers on the ground ferociously. Whenever someone got close to her, she either kicked or punched him to escape. She was using her teeth and nails like an animal to free herself. Lucius the First could understand what the knight meant when he said that his men were losing morale because of this. None of his soldiers have ever been attacked by a woman so being beaten by this girl was shocking and demeaning to them. She wasn¡¯t unusually strong, but at the end of the day, she was a trained knight. Lucius the First read that she spent over 6 years in battle. Her moves were calcting and desperate. ¡°Stop.¡± Even when the emperor ordered it, the fight didn¡¯t end immediately. Six men were currently fighting Poliana and they were losing. m! Poliana punched one man¡¯s jaw. Smack! Poliana kneed another man¡¯s groin. Stab! Poliana barely missed stabbing one man¡¯s eye, if she aimed a little more to the right, that man would¡¯ve lost his sight. ¡°STOP RIGHT NOW!¡± The loud-mouthed Sir Rabby yelled and finally, everyone froze. The men who were hurt crumpled to the ground but Poliana Cranbell remained standing. Only She looked devastating. Her face was swollen and bleeding heavily. Her entire body was covered in blood, mud, and whatever was on the ground. She was nearly naked, but she didn¡¯t hide herself in shame. She was trembling and it was obvious that she was having difficulty standing by herself. Her arm was broken, she kept falling to the ground but she pulled herself up again and again. ¡°Please kill me,¡± she demanded as she looked into his eyes. She spat something out of her mouth, which was blood and a piece of flesh. She was almost naked and even her breasts were showing, but she didn¡¯t look away from Lucius the First. It was the first time he felt displeased and ufortable after seeing a naked woman. He decided just then and he knew what he was going to do. ¡°Very impressive.¡± And he really meant it. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Poliana couldn¡¯t understand what the emperor meant by his words. Her ears were ringing, and in confusion, she asked for her death once more. But all she received was the same words from the emperor. ¡°Very impressive.¡± ¡®Is he mocking me? Is he being sarcastic?¡¯ Well, she agreed that the scene she created must be impressive. She was sure an emperor such as himself would¡¯ve never seen a girl standing with her entire body burning with pain. But even though the agony, she felt satisfied. She was sure the emperor was going to kill her now for her insolence. It wasn¡¯t going to be the death of a knight but that of a captive, but that was good enough for her. ¡°Very impressive indeed,¡± Lucius repeated himself and it was the third time he said the same words. How many times was this man going to mock her? This needed to end. Poliana¡¯s mouth was filled with blood and she felt dizzy but she pronounced her words carefully. ¡°A resentment from a dead virgin¡¯s ghost is no match for that from a raped woman¡¯s soul. If you kill me right now, I will never haunt you and your men, so please end this.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you join me?¡± The emperor wasn¡¯t using any difficult words and there was only a little difference between the Acreian and Aehasnguages. But even then, Poliana couldn¡¯t understand what the emperor was saying to her. As she gaped at him in confusion, the Acreian soldiers protested loudly. ¡°Your highness, you can¡¯t! You mustn¡¯t!¡± ¡°What are you trying to say, your highness?!¡± Poliana still couldn¡¯tprehend what was happening around her. Was the emperor making fun of her? The emperor exined slowly, ¡°This woman, a knightess, has fought andsted three hours against all of you. A woman naked and weaponless.¡± Three hours? To Poliana, it seemed so much longer. But what shocked her more was the fact that Lucius the First addressed her as a knight. Knightess¡­ He was acknowledging her status, and not in a mocking waypared to what most men did. ¡°She is small and her swordsmanship is average. Yet, through hard work and effort, she improved herself as a soldier. Look at her now, what she has aplished so far is impressive, especially because she is a woman,¡± he continued. ¡®I don¡¯t understand what he is saying¡­¡¯ Polina stared quietly. It felt surreal to see the emperor smiling happily while all the men around himined loudly. Ignoring his soldiers, Lucius continued, ¡°I read the reports written by you, Knightess, and I could see how talented you are. You made calm and shrewd decisions even during dire situations. You showed that you are not afraid of defeat and you care more about your men than victory, which means that you are a good leader. How many times have you read the ¡®Battle Tactics and Strategies¡¯ by Usher? Did you memorize the Fielm¡¯s book ¡®The Importance of Supplies during Wars?''¡± It was true, she read these books and others countless times. When people learned about her efforts, they just called her stupid. ¡°Won¡¯t you be my knight and follow me?¡± Lucius asked her once again. ¡°If you are mocking me¡­¡± ¡°I like those who make an effort, because I myself am that type. I have worked my hardest to get this far.¡± The emperor was praising Poliana for her endeavor, but it didn¡¯t make her happy. She couldn¡¯t be, because all the hard work she did in her life meant nothing without a purpose. But something strange started to happen. Her foggy mind began to clear and although her body still felt awful, her eyes felt stronger. The ringing sound in her ears stopped and she was able to hear the emperor clearly. Poliana raised her head and saw the Acreian emperor beaming down at her. He gave her a gentle and beautiful smile. A smile that could embrace all of her. ¡°I have a dream. I will continue to move down south and conquer the entire continent. I n to be the first-ever emperor that was able to unite all the nations in thesends. I have tried my best to get this far, and I will continue to do so to make my dreame true. So, how about it? How about you, Knightess, follow me and reach the end of the world?¡± Lucius the First continued. To unite all the nations. To be the emperor of them all. It was such a crazy fantasy. An astounding ambition. A dream. And this emperor was offering her this dream. He was asking her if she would share it with him. The men around them began to protest again and this time, it was stronger, but despite the noise surrounding her, Poliana couldn¡¯t hear a thing. Inside of her, a storm was brewing. She finally realized the truth. She thought she didn¡¯t have a purpose but in fact, she did. More than anything in the world, Poliana wanted to be recognized and epted. That was her goal in life. She wanted to be acknowledged, she wanted to be praised. She desired for someone to realize how hard she has tried to learn and survive in this world. And right in front of her, right at this very moment, the Acreian emperor was doing exactly that. Her emperor. Her leader. She was his. ¡°Get¡­ Get me a sword!¡± Poliana yelled. She didn¡¯t care who gave it to her. She didn¡¯t care what kind of sword it was. Poliana just needed a sword to swear her fealty as a knight. The soldiers who were holding her down wavered. Forgetting her injuries and pain, she stood up tall. When the soldiers tried to push her down, the emperor gestured them to stop. ¡°Get me a sword!¡± She screamed once more after being freed. She looked around and found that no one offered her a sword. They all red at her sharply and silently. For a moment, Poliana felt fear. Was this just a dream? A hallucination? When she was about to give up, a man in front of her suddenly handed her his own sword, and Poliana was now certain that this wasn¡¯t a dream. This was real because the man who handed her the sword was the emperor himself. He gave her his own sword. Poliana took it out from its scabbard and kneeled in front of him. She announced without hesitation, ¡°I will never betray you and will protect you with my life. I will follow you like your own shadow. I will never fail and protect your honor. With my life, I will follow you and your order, even if it is to the depth of hell. I, Poliana, swear my loyalty to the Acreian emperor.¡± ¡°I, the Acreian emperor Lucius the First, will be the very first to unite and rule all nations. As of today, I acknowledge you as my own knight. Will you continue to use your old family name?¡± Poliana shook her head. Her country was gone and her family name was now meaningless. ¡°If your highness would give me a new name, I will consider it the greatest honor.¡± Only ¡°Excellent. A new beginning requires a new name! Now, what should I call you?¡± Lucius the First contemted when suddenly, he noticed Poliana¡¯s bare shoulders trembling. It was the dead of winter and the almost-naked Poliana was shivering uncontrobly. Lucius the First smiled and announced, ¡°My knight is shivering. Yes, it is indeed very cold here. It is winter, after all. Therefore, I will give you the name of Winter to celebrate this day.¡± ¡°Stand up and raise that sword, Poliana Winter. As of this moment, you are my knightess,¡± Lucius continued. This was the moment. The moment she has been living for all her life. Poliana bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She knew that the other men would mock her for crying. They would most likely despite her for NOT crying either, but she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t let her tears flow because this was the happiest moment of her life and she didn¡¯t want to ruin it. This great day, the day when Poliana Cranbell became Poliana Winter, was not a time for tears. Chapter 11: Story 2. Aehas and Kukda- 11 Story 2. Aehas and Kukda Chapter 11 Lucius the First¡¯s decision was followed by huge protests from his men. Lucius the First surrounded himself with young loyal men around his own age. He was charismatic and it was not difficult to have men follow him. Those who used to serve his father, the former emperor, was left behind in Acreia and Lucius only took those young and healthy men to war. The emperor treated his men in different ways. Sometimes, he talked to them like his friends, while other times he treated them like his own brothers. When necessary, he, of course, treated them like his subjects, which they were. In return, the men treated Lucius like a friend, a brother, and an emperor, depending on the situation. So when these soldiers talked to the emperor frankly and honestly, it didn¡¯t mean disrespect. It came from their deep sense of loyalty. ¡°Your highness! This can¡¯t happen!¡± ¡°A woman cannot be allowed to hold a sword! Women exist to take care of homes and children!¡± ¡°That b*tch is lying! She is lying because she doesn¡¯t want to die! A woman¡¯s best weapon is their dishonesty.¡± ¡°Your highness, how could you trust a woman?¡± Although his men objected loudly, especially because of the fact that Poliana was abandoning her own nation to swear her loyalty to him, Lucius the First refused to change his mind. He had no doubt that Poliana meant what she had said. The emperor smiled and replied, ¡°This entire continent will be mine soon. In fact, how can you use her of abandoning her own country when her homnd is now mine? When I conquered hernd, she immediately became my subject.¡± ¡°But your highness! She betrayed her emperor! Someone who betrays once will do so again.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. To Poliana Winter, I will be her first and thest emperor.¡± It was a done deal. With the emperor¡¯s own sword, Poliana became Lucius the First¡¯s knight. Once he returned to his own tent, Lucius smiled again. He won Aehas and also gained an excellent knight. It was a very good start. *** Poliana Cranbell, now Poliana Winter, took a deep breath before entering themanders¡¯ tent. It has only been a few days since she became Lucius the First¡¯s knight, and when she was given immediate ess to themanders¡¯ tent, she became the most hated figure in the base because most of the soldiers, if not all, disagreed with their emperor¡¯s decision. Why did he trust her so much? Poliana felt a huge responsibility on her shoulders. She had to repay his trust with her utmost loyalty and performance but physically, her performance wasn¡¯t going to amount to much. Her body was damaged severely, therefore, she could not participate in battles as of yet. When she was assessed after her ordeal, she was told that the damages were serious. She almost lost one of her eyes and she ended up losing a mr. Her nose was indeed broken and the doctor told her it was very likely that her nose will heal crooked. She couldn¡¯t use her nose to fight, so Poliana didn¡¯t care about this. Additionally, several of her fingers and toes were either broken or dislocated. It was also suspected that she had some internal bleeding as well. If she entered a battle in this condition, there was no doubt that she was going to die. But Poliana didn¡¯t care. If the emperor ordered her to die, she would dly obey him because now, her life finally had some purpose. A dream. And now that she had a goal in life, she was willing to die for it. Poliana took a deep breath and stood tall. As a soldier, she always tried to maintain a good posture. After a polite cough, she entered the tent and as soon as she did, she had to make sure that she would look confident and nonchnt. The men surrounding Lucius the First were ring at her angrily. She expected this and knew that it couldn¡¯t be helped. She was a female knight from a foreign country who abandoned and even betrayed her own homnd. Poliana knew that the concept of a knightess did not exist in Acreia so she understood why the soldiers doubted her words of loyalty. But their obvious anger didn¡¯t fade Poliana. After years of being ridiculed and despised, it was too easy for her to ignore those men and their petty emotions. She had thicker skin than any other man inside that tent. One thing that she found odd was the fact that everyone in the tent was very young. It made sense that the emperor was a young man since he was born into royalty, but strangely, the knights and the soldiers that served him were also young. It was customary for the emperor to have older and wiser knights with experience. Hiding her confusion, Poliana announced, ¡°Poliana Winter, your highness. I havee at yourmand.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± The emperor greeted her with a smile, and as Poliana approached the table, she noted the military maps and documents that they had. She looked at them in determination. She couldn¡¯t disappoint her emperor. Lucius the First told her that he wanted to hear her opinion before taking over Aehas. Perhaps the emperor epted her only for the information on Aehas, which could be very helpful in their invasion. It was very possible that he didn¡¯t truly saw her as a knight, but just a source of Aehas military secrets. It was amon belief that a woman couldn¡¯t keep a secret. But even if Lucius the First was using her, Poliana didn¡¯t care. He showed her a dream, and just to be a small part of this great ambition was an honor. She thought that she would die happy even if she was being used by him. It was a fair price to be allowed to see this great man¡¯s dream. Objectively speaking, Poliana also believed that the emperor didn¡¯t truly need the information she possessed. He has already taken over many of Aehas¡¯ military bases, meaning that he already had the official documents that he needs. Even though they were in secret codes, it wasn¡¯t going to take him long to have his men decode them. On top of that, there was no doubt that he had spies ced in Aehas. Most likely, he has been collecting all the necessary information for years by now without Aehas even getting the faintest idea about their n. This was a losing battle on Aehas¡¯ part from the beginning. Poliana stood tall in front of the table and everyone stared at her. ¡®Whatever happens, will happen.¡¯ She took a deep breath and said, ¡°I believe whatever information I am about to provide you is already in your possession, most likely from your own spies, your highness.¡± And with that, Poliana told them everything she knew. Military secrets, information on Aehas, the extensive corruption that took ce within the military division, weaknesses of each military bases, the key points of the capital city defense, the locations of the most important military bases, the vulnerable spots of the capital city walls, the best way to get into the royal castle, the tax rates and the major figures of each city, the military strength of each city, and so on. Only It wasn¡¯t long before their borders are taken over and now, their main problem would be Aehas¡¯ individual cities¡¯ reaction towards the Acreian soldiers taking them down one by one. Would they fight back? Unlike her expectation, the information Poliana offered was of great importance. Everyone in the tent looked grave as their eyes darted from her to the documents they were holding. It was obvious that they were trying to confirm and see if she was telling the truth. Poliana continued indifferently. She told them everything she knew, it being insignificant didn¡¯t stop her nheless. Her mouth began to hurt from all the talking. If Aehas¡¯ men saw her right now, they would¡¯ve trembled in anger at her betrayal of her own country. ¡®Die, Aehas,¡¯ Poliana thought secretly. It was already a ruined country. It was better that it became part of a bigger and better nation. As she spoke, it showed how she felt about her country, which helped the men in the tent be able to trust her information. After she was done, Lucius offered her a cup of water and as she drank it, the emperor said, ¡°good job, Sir Poliana. You may go now and rest.¡± She suddenly became tense and nervous. The emperor called her by her first name. Did it mean that he still didn¡¯t ept her as a true knight? Chapter 12 Chapter 12 When the knightess¡¯s face fell, Lucius the First thought back on what he just said. After a few seconds, he figured it out. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, it was merely a difference in their cultures and the emperor knew that this kind of misunderstanding would ur as he conquers more nations in the future. ¡°Acreia is thend of hunters. Most men hunt or fight as soldiers, and oftentimes, there are multiple members of the same family serving in the same base. To avoid confusion, which will ur if we call people by their family name, we call knights by their first names in Acreia,¡± Lucius exined to Poliana. Poliana felt relieved. Still smiling, Lucius the First pointed at the other knights and introduced them to her. ¡°I nned on making the introductions after you got better, but I guess this would be a good time too. Say hello to each other. You will all be seeing each other often from now on.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t know which position or division she was going to be assigned, but it was very likely that one of these men was going to be her future superior. ¡°I am Poliana Winter from Aehas,¡± she introduced herself properly. It was meaningless to bring up her homnd in front of the men who nned on taking over the world. In the future, Poliana hoped that she, and everyone else in the room, would forget all about the small nations they¡¯re from and unite under something that was much bigger. Lucius the First grinned as he seemed to like her introduction. He informed her of the name of all the men in the tent in the order of their seniority and after it was done, Poliana¡¯s eyes sparkled. Aehas and Acreia had different military structures. In Aehas, 25 foot soldiers made up a toon, which was led by a toon leader. Four toon leaders were led by apanymander, and fivemanders were led by a captain. In Acreia, however, it was very different. A basic group would beposed of only ten soldiers. The one that who would lead those ten would be called a 10-leader and the knight tasked to lead ten 10-leaders would be called a 100-leader. Apanymander would be leading 50 footsoldiers and only some units had this position. The structure was so different that their positions sounded and felt unfamiliar to her. But one thing was certain, the man who had the lowest rank in this tent, a 100-leader, was actually considered as a fairly high-ranking officer. This meeting consisted of very important people, so what was the meaning of inviting her here and introducing her to these men? Poliana didn¡¯t have many political ambitions and she knew her position very well. A woman. But she also knew her own talent and she knew exactly what she was good at. She was no fighter and her usefulness was inside a tent. Strategies and tactics. ¡®Should I do it?¡¯ Poliana contemted. Their introductions were over which meant that everyone was now expecting her to leave so they could start their meeting but she hesitated. She felt like she couldn¡¯t leave the tent. A good subject would know what the emperor would need even before he could realize it himself. Poliana nced at the emperor who was smiling kindly. Could she dare to guess what the emperor wanted or needed? Lucius the First brought Poliana to themander¡¯s tent and he introduced her to his highest ranking men. After hesitating for a moment, she decided on her course of action. It didn¡¯t matter if they called her rude and it would be ok if they kicked her out for her insolence. She didn¡¯t care whatever name they wished to call her. Poliana quickly studied the maps in front of her. They were of Aehas drawn by Acreians. It was most likely drawn based on the information brought to them by their spies. It was a decent depiction, but it was not 100% urate. Whatever data they gathered from their spies couldn¡¯tpare to the information of an actual Aehas citizen. Poliana¡¯s eyes sharpened and she started to speak confidently. ¡°I would like to offer a suggestion.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Lucius the First didn¡¯t admonish her. In fact, his smile became even wider like he was enjoying this situation. Whether it was genuine or not, this emperor certainly liked to smile a lot and Poliana liked it. ¡°Before I begin, is there a map of Kukda here?¡± This meeting was to discuss their n of conquering Aehas, so when Poliana brought up the subject of Kukda, the men¡¯s faces fell. The only two people who looked calm in the tent were Poliana and Lucius the First. The knights had no choice but to bring out the map since the emperor seemed very interested. Poliana took a deep breath and as she looked at the map, she continued, ¡°I suggest that your highness conquer Aehas and Kukda at the same time.¡± The idea wasn¡¯t a bluff. Poliana was sure of her n. Aehas and Kukda have been fighting each other for so long that they were severely weakened. And as every Aehas knight has done, Poliana also has put a lot of thoughts into defeating Kukda. Her n was well thought out and was based on her extensive research and experience. Poliana offered the men her best n of attack. Finishing off Aehas was going to be a piece of cake, and conquering Kukda seemed to be just a bonus prize. She knew the weaknesses, military structures, the main army figures of Kukda, and she knew how to get it done in the most efficient way. Afterying out her n, Poliana blushed in excitement and pride. It was a perfect war strategy. Of course, the problem was if these men were willing to ept it. If they didn¡¯t, then all her nning was going to be useless. And as she expected, the men protested, ¡°Your highness! This could be a trap!¡± ¡°Your highness, you can¡¯t trust this girl! Even if she isn¡¯t nning to sabotage us, she is still only a mere woman and therefore, her n must be wed.¡± ¡°A woman¡¯s strategy! Why are we listening to her?¡± ¡°See how she is betraying her country? How could we trust a traitor?¡± ¡°She is suggesting that we divide our military force into two and attack two different countries! She is trying to kill us all!¡± ¡°That is not true! The two countries are much weaker than they appear. The morale of these soldiers are so low that if cornered, none of Aehas¡¯ and Kukda¡¯s men will fight back. If you promise to be fair and not to plunder the cities, they will not stand in your way and once you enter the capital, it will be all over. All of their best knights and soldiers are at the border. The capitals of both countries are weak and defenseless.¡± Poliana tried to defend her n. More protests came from the men and it seemed that the emperor would have no choice but to listen to his knights. After all, Poliana was a newly appointed knight and a woman. It made sense that the emperor would respect and listen to his long-time trusted men, even if he liked Poliana¡¯s n. Lucius the First touched his chin slowly and asked, ¡°Knightess, do you truly feel confident about your n?¡± Poliana swallowed hard and replied, ¡°Please, your highness. You must trust me. It will be a piece of cake.¡± ¡°Then I will take your word for it.¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± Lucius the First smiled sweetly, and all her worries melted away. The emperor didn¡¯t waste any time. He took his soldiers and left immediately. Poliana was too injured to follow him into the battles, so instead, she stayed behind to study the Acreian militaryws and cultures. She also started nning for future battles with other nations. She was sure of the fall of Aehas and Kukda. She knew it was going to be easy, but even an easy war would take time. She expected this conquest to continue around spring. This meant that Acreia should stock up and rest for the rest of the seasons and start its conquest again in winter. Only The next nation to invade was Bebero. It was located at the south Aehas and Kukda. Aehas and Kukda were separated from Bebero by a river named Koemong, which was the widest and deepest river on the northern continent. To get to Bebero, they needed to cross this river. Poliana had never done a battle in water, which meant that she needed to study a different tactic on that matter. Having a goal and making an effort for it was a beautiful thing. It made Poliana very happy. It gave her a purpose to wake up every morning. That winter, before the spring arrived, Lucius the First was able to make those two kingdoms surrender. The emperor of Aehas kneeled in front of Lucius the First to relinquish his country, while the emperor of Kukda kneeled in front of Sir Bentier, the head of the Acreian army that was sent to invade Kukda. Lucius the first smiled in satisfaction. As his knightess promised, things happened quickly and efficiently. Her n allowed him to conquer the two nations a few months faster than he had anticipatedpared to their original n. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to reward Sir Poliana.¡± Lucius the First was 22 years old and it seemed that he was able to dominate two countries before he turned 23. He couldn¡¯t stop smiling. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Seating on Aehas¡¯ throne, Lucius the First read over some various paperwork. The maids and the female servants of the Aehas castle blushed excitedly as they stared at their new and beautiful young conqueror. Aehas and Kukda¡¯s emperors offered their daughters to Lucius to marry. Lucius the First never refused a woman, but he also didn¡¯t n on having bastards all over the continent. Because he was an emperor, he couldn¡¯t sleep with amon woman. Only the women of noble birth and who knew their ces had the honor of warming his bed. Theoretically, he could take in the princesses of the conquered kingdoms as his concubines, but he feared that these women could turn against him at any time. They could also work as spies for their fathers, who were the former emperors of their kingdom. Lucius the First decided early on that he would forget about marriage or concubines until he aplished what he had set out to do. The same decision was made by the emperor¡¯s closest and best knight, Sir Ainno. ¡°Your highness.¡± ¡°Yes, what is it, Ainno?¡± ¡°Your highness, that girl is no longer useful to us, so it would be best if you give her an appropriate reward and dismiss her. I¡¯m sure that she would be more than satisfied with that.¡± Lucius the First stopped reading the documents and murmured, ¡°Hmm¡­ An appropriate reward¡­¡± ¡°A piece ofnd would be the best.¡± Indeed, the biggest reward a knight could receive was a title andnd. When Aehas was conquered, all the Aehas nobles lost their titles and theirnds were to be awarded to Lucius¡¯s men. In Acreia, women could not inherit family titles ornds, so the fact that Sir Ainno made this suggestion meant that he greatly valued Poliana¡¯s input in their recent sess. He was being very generous. ¡°Same for me too, your highness.¡± Sir Baufallo, who was standing nearby agreed. Sir Baufallo was the oldest knight among all the emperor¡¯s knights, but he was still only 40 years old. He was very detail-oriented and he was the head of the war supply division. The emperor then asked, ¡°Really? Sir Bau thinks so too?¡± ¡°Yes, but for a slightly different reason.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana is of Aehas, born and raised. The biggest worry after conquering a kingdom is the threat of a rebellion by the locals. If you have Sir Poliana as the head of Aehas, I believe that she will be able to control this kingdom very well.¡± What Sir Baufallo said made perfect sense and Lucius agreed to it, but Sir Ainno disagreed, stating that it was too much. ¡°For a mere girl, that would be too big of a reward and a promotion.¡± It was indeed a huge promotion for a mere knight, but Lucius the First seemed interested in Sir Baufallo¡¯s idea. The emperor then stated, ¡°She did after all greatly help us in conquering two kingdoms. I have no doubt that she will do a good job of controlling Aehas.¡± Based on his assessment, Poliana was very intelligent and had a talent for leadership and politics. Lucius had a long road ahead of him, which meant that he couldn¡¯t be worrying about his already-conquered kingdoms. He also couldn¡¯t spare many of his men to be left behind to control the citizens. The emperor definitely needed someone who knew Aehas very well. He knew Poliana would be a perfect fit to be the head of Aehas on his behalf. But¡­ Although Lucius the First agreed with the two knights¡¯ suggestions, something didn¡¯t feel right to him. Sir Baufallo was right, Poliana was going to be able to take excellent care of Aehas in his absence. Aehas allowed women to hold titles, so there was a fair chance that the locals would ept her as their new head despite the fact that she was a woman. They may call her a traitor, but Lucius was sure Poliana could handle anything. But something felt wrong¡­ The emperor wondered why he felt so bothered by the idea. While he contemted, the scribe Momo, who has been recording the conversion, suggested, ¡°If I may ask, your highness. If the knightess refuses her reward and asks to follow you to the war, would your highness ept her decision?¡± Sir Baufallo frowned and replied, ¡°You have been reading too many fictional novels, I see.¡± Sir Ainno agreed as he needed. For a knight to refuse such a huge reward, and as well as a title, and opt to follow into a war, where he could be killed, was a rare urrence. Only the bravest and the most loyal knights would make such a risky choice. Only Of course, a woman may make this decision, but not because of loyalty but because of her own stupidity. Lucius looked at the scribe, who looked down when the two knights red at him. Suddenly, he smiled as if he thought of something funny. He suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we start a bet?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I will take Momo¡¯s side. Let¡¯s bet to see whether or not Sir Poliana will choose to follow me or stay behind in Aehas. If Momo wins, you two knights will have to ept Sir Poliana as your subordinate. If you guys win¡­¡± ¡°Then please take away the new family name you gifted her, your highness. That was unnecessary and too big of an honor for her.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree with Sir Ainno, your highness.¡± The scribe¡¯s eyes widened nervously while Sir Ainno and Baufallo left after the conversation. Lucius the First hummed happily as if he just found an entertaining game. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Poliana¡¯s injuries were almost healed. Her nose ended up looking permanently crooked, and although her bones mended, she was still covered in bruises. Despite all that, she felt well. As long as she wasn¡¯t going to be re-injured, she was going to be fully healed very soon. Some parts of her skin were permanently discolored from being injured over and over again, but Poliana didn¡¯t care. She walked alongside the other injured soldiers to the capital. No men bothered her, most likely because they knew who she was. In fact, they ignored herpletely and Poliana didn¡¯t mind. She was used to being all alone. Thankfully, the regr citizens of Aehas didn¡¯t find it difficult to ept the new emperor as their own. The people of all northern kingdoms were of the same race with simr cultures andnguages, so it made it very easy for the average men and women of Aehas to go on with their lives. But it was a different story for the nobles of Aehas. Their titles andnds were taken away. They still remained in their current positions temporarily until Lucius the First found the appropriate recements from his own pool of people, but it was inevitable that they were going to be reced soon enough. The Cranbell¡¯snd was on the way to the Aehas capital. Poliana visited her home to see her old knight, but she found out that he had passed away. Rather than dying in his bed of old age, the old knight chose to face the death of a true knight. He apparently went to battle against Acreia and ended up being killed. Thankfully, the old knight was given an honorable funeral by the Acreian soldiers, who valued such bravery from an old man. His grave was located near Poliana¡¯s home. Standing in front of his grave, Poliana reported to him, ¡°I have found a dream.¡± When she thought back, the old knight rarely praised anyone. He never openly acknowledged her efforts and hard work, but still, his teaching had saved her. ¡°I will follow the emperor to the end of this continent. When I return from my victory, I will report back to you,¡± she continued. After a quick emotionless bow, she left. Poliana returned to her home, which was now temporarily used to house the injured soldiers. Many of the Aehas nobles¡¯ homes were forced to be used ording to that purpose. It was Lucius¡¯ thoughtful idea to provide afortable ce for the wounded, and this fact helped with the soldiers¡¯ morale. Lucius the First had strict rules. Soldiers should never go hungry and any injured men must not be left behind. Poliana wholeheartedly agreed with his policy. When she entered her home which never really felt like one, its servants and its workers were shocked to see her. At first, they didn¡¯t recognize her, but when they did, they eximed, ¡°Mydy!¡± ¡°You have returned! Are you here for good now?¡± Because Poliana was still wearing her Aehas uniform, people thought that she has returned after losing the war to Acreia. She ignored their questions and went into the kitchen to start packing some food. She grabbed a few apples and cranberries. She chewed on the as she walked away and their sour taste made her mouth water. She then thought to herself, ¡®I should¡¯ve grabbed the craisins, not this one.¡¯ Just then, she stopped when she spotted her younger stepsister, Liana. It was a smart idea to be favored by the conquering soldiers and knights, so Liana, who hated soldiers and blood, was out pretending to help the wounded men. Instead of wearing her usualcy dresses, she was wearing a simple robe. In truth, she was no help at all, but the knights seemed to enjoy thepany of a pretty girl, so they smiled and let her roam around. Liana¡¯s pride and joy, her long hair, was ced in a high bun, but she kept having it down to brush in front of the men. Every time her hair fell down like a brown waterfall, the soldiers drooled excitedly. Something seemed different to Poliana. She studied her sister carefully and wondered, ¡®This is strange. Why doesn¡¯t she look pretty anymore?¡¯ In her memory, Liana has always been a prettydy. Poliana didn¡¯t like her, but she still had to admit that Liana was good looking. But today, she didn¡¯t look pretty. Was it because she wasn¡¯t as dolled up as before? But Poliana has seen Liana before getting adorned, and even then, she had always thought that her younger sister was attractive. Poliana finished thest bit of cranberries when suddenly, their eyes met. Liana¡¯s eyes widened and quickly, she walked towards her angrily. ¡°You!¡± Liana continued to scream, ¡°Why did youe here? Get out! There is nothing for you here!¡± Poliana wasn¡¯t here for anything. As Liana got closer, Poliana now was sure of her findings. Liana was no longer pretty. It was shocking to Poliana. Liana was of age when she was supposed to be the prettiest, so how could she have changed so much so badly? ¡°You have be ugly,¡± Poliana said. ¡°WHAT?¡± ¡°You should do something about that.¡± Liana flinched and her hands covered her face in shock. Just then their father came out and when he saw his oldest daughter, he started to scream at her, just like Liana did. Poliana didn¡¯t care, especially now. She did have something she has always wondered about, so she finally asked her father, ¡°So who was the one with the problem? You or my stepmother?¡± Her father and her stepmother were still young when they had Liana, so the fact that they gave up having a son at the time meant that one of the two had a health problem. But before her father could reply, Poliana answered for him. ¡°Obviously, you are the one with the problem, right? How badly did you take care of your body that you became impotent at such a young age?¡± Embarrassed and angry, her father raised his hand to strike her, but Poliana grabbed it before it reached her. She was about to go see the emperor, and she didn¡¯t want to have any new bruises on her face. ¡°Why are you overreacting? It¡¯s not like you have a family title to give to anyone anymore. And why are you shivering so much? Are you cold? Is your home so old and crumbly that it¡¯s drafty? Maybe you should build a new home or something,¡± Poliana continued indifferently. Her father fell to the ground in shock. Poliana walked away quickly and when she saw her stepmothere out from the house, she made sure to advise her loudly that she should divorce this impotent man. She also told her that she should take better care of her daughter, who was turning ugly. Poliana thought to herself, ¡®She isn¡¯t a noble anymore, so her looks were going to be everything that she has. How could Liana lose her prettiness when she needs it the most?¡¯ Poliana felt satisfied but as she reached the castle where she was to meet the emperor, she suddenly regretted her words. She didn¡¯t expect to see her stepsister ever again, but if she did, Poliana decided that she should apologize to her. It was because Poliana realized the truth. It wasn¡¯t that Liana has be ugly; it was that Poliana¡¯s standard of beauty had increased dramatically. She spotted her emperor, Lucius the First from afar. The most beautiful man in the world. As he smiled, his whole face shone like the sun, blinding everyone around him. It was no wonder that after meeting the gorgeous emperor, everyone else looked homely and in to her. The victory celebration took ce for a few days and on thest night of the party, Lucius the First called for Poliana for a private meeting. He offered her a drink, and she took it without hesitation. Even if it was poisoned, she would¡¯ve taken it dly. When she emptied the ss, Lucius the First said to her, ¡°There has been a suggestion that you, Sir Poliana, should be the acting head of Aehas. You were born and raised here, and I believe that you would do a fine job. If you ept, I will make it happen immediately.¡± Poliana almost coughed in shock. The acting head of this kingdom? It was too much. And it wasn¡¯t what Poliana wanted. Putting down her ss, she kneeled in front of her emperor and begged him, ¡°Your highness. My dream is to follow you to the end of this continent. Please do not abandon me here. I will protect you forever by your side as your knight.¡± Only Lucius the First smiled happily and asked Sir Ainno, who was standing behind him. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Well, she is obviously too ambitious for her own good.¡± ¡°She just refused the posting of the acting head, so how could you call her too ambitious? Oh well, whatever you say, Ainno.¡± Poliana could guess what kind of conversation went between the knight and the emperor, and it seemed that she gave the right answer. As long as the emperor was happy, she was too. Lucius the First picked up a cookie and continued, ¡°As you have promised, Sir Poliana, it was a piece of cake to take over the two kingdoms. Therefore, I will let you have what you just asked for. You will follow me to the end of this world. You will be by my side to protect me with your life.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡± ¡°I will get the armor maker to make your new gears. You may pick any weapon you want from the armory. You should take some rest until your wounds healpletely to prepare yourself for your next battle. Looking at silent Poliana, he continued, ¡°We will have to cross the river very soon.¡± Chapter 15: Story 3. Getting Used to the New Life. Story 3. Getting Used to the New Life. Chapter 15 Lucius the First epted Poliana, but it was still undecided in which division she would belong to. Thankfully, her injury was so severe that she couldn¡¯t have been allowed to work anyway. But as she healed and regained her strength, she began to get nervous. Would shee to belong anywhere? Then finally, good news arrived, making her smile. She was assigned to Sir Baufallo¡¯s division, the war supply unit. Unlike Aehas, the Acreian army didn¡¯t have an administrative unit. It was the supply unit who took care of it all. This meant that Sir Baufallo was the First Sergeant of Lucius¡¯s army. Sirs Baufallo and Ainno were forced to ept Poliana because they lost the bet to the emperor and his scribe. Sin Ainno absolutely refused her when the time came for them to decide who would take her, saying that he would kill her if she ever was assigned to his division. Therefore, Sir Baufallo had no choice but to take Poliana. Of course, Poliana had no idea that all these things have happened regarding her assignment. Regardless of their feelings, the two knights had to ept Poliana as part of the Acreian army now. She was immediately notified of her posting. When she met with Sir Baufallo, he informed her, ¡°His highness has asked either myself or Sir Ainno to take you as an aide and it has been decided that I will be your superior.¡± ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± Poliana became curious about which unit Sir Ainno led. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Which division does Sir Ainno belong to?¡± ¡°He is the head of his highness¡¯s personal security unit.¡± He¡¯s the head of the emperor¡¯s bodyguards, the knight who never leaves the emperor¡¯s side. This gave Air Ainno the right to kill anyone who appeared to be a threat to his highness. It made sense, this was why he pped her that day. At the same time, Poliana could also understand why Sir Ainno despised her. The emperor ordered him to capture her alive when she escaped the Acreian attack. Sir Ainno was forced to leave the emperor¡¯s side, which he was never supposed to do just to get HER. No wonder Sir Ainno hated her. Poliana learned soon enough that Sir Ainno refused to ept her into his unit and she couldn¡¯t help but understand where he¡¯sing from. Having a foreigner in the emperor¡¯s security team was too risky. Poliana would¡¯ve done the same thing if she was in his shoes. Poliana then asked, ¡°Is Sir Ainno strong?¡± ¡°He is the best night in the kingdom.¡± And with his answer, Sir Baufallo almost asked her, ¡°Why? Do you want to try fighting him and see if you can take him on?¡± If it was any other knight, a male knight, Sir Baufallo would¡¯ve asked in a half-jokingly manner, but he stopped himself because he suddenly remembered that he was talking to a girl. He forgot about it for a second, and for a moment, it felt like he was talking to a normal average knight. He did hear that she served in Aehas¡¯ army for 6 years and it made sense. She certainly acted like a proper soldier. But there was no ambition in her eyes, no desire to gauge Sir Ainno¡¯s strength like any other male soldiers would have. ¡®She is a girl after all,¡¯ Sir Baufallo thought to himself. Poliana could tell what Sir Baufallo was thinking. Just until a moment ago, he was treating her like a soldier, but just now, his eyes changed and he was now looking at her like she was a stupid woman. She was used to it. It wasn¡¯t important to her at all. As long as she didn¡¯t give up on being a knight, this was going to happen again and again. ¡®Don¡¯t get disappointed. Don¡¯t feel weak.¡¯ She exhaled deeply. Poliana¡¯s new position wasn¡¯t unimportant. The supply division in any army was a very important unit. Without proper supplies, the soldiers wouldn¡¯t be able to fight well and without strong well-fed soldiers, an army couldn¡¯t win a war. The cases of deserters would increase the more their supplies dwindle, and there were some situations as well where a soldier would disobey their leader. Only Proper and adequate supply was indeed one of the most important aspects of an army. This was why the First Sergeant of the supply unit was called ¡°the mother¡± instead of a ¡°father.¡± But ironically, the supply unit wasn¡¯t treated wellpared to the other divisions. Many believed that a man was only a true soldier if they physically fought in battles. They considered those toiling in administrative and supply duties weak. The treatment of the supply unit was even worse in the Acreian army because the supply division took care of both the supplies and the overall general administrations. When the soldiers found out that Poliana was assigned to the supply division, they became more epting of her presence. A woman in an administrative position made sense to them. In truth, Poliana was very disappointed. In a supply and administrative unit, one could not make any noteworthy achievements. Poliana wanted to stand out in this war. She wanted to be an aplished knight. She wanted to be a big part of their battles, their victories, and most of all, she wanted to conquernds. In a supply unit, there was no need for strategies or tactics. One would just need to work hard with a detail-oriented mind. He/she must be a ¡°mother¡± and take care of the army¡¯s soldiers. ¡®Don¡¯t feel disappointed, Poliana.¡¯ She knew she couldn¡¯t be too greedy. Her life in the Acreian army was just starting so she had to take it slow. In addition, she knew that the supply division was a good ce to learn the true condition of their entire army. She didn¡¯t know much about this work which also meant that she was going to learn a lot while working in this unit. She felt disappointed that herst 6 years of experience were being ignored and taken lightly, but even so, she now belonged to an entirely different kingdom and this was an expected consequence for something that changed her life. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The Acreian emperor¡¯s official conquest team has been re-established with its war supply department lead by Sir Baufallo and his aide, Sir Poliana Winter. Poliana touched her new uniform. Her name and her rank were sewed onto it. Some imed that they could tell how talented the seamstress was just by touching the seams, but Poliana¡¯s fingers were so rough and scarred to the point that she could barely feel anything with her fingertips. She was wearing a brand-new uniform. The military ranking system was different in the Acreian army, but still, Poliana understood how significant her position was. She was the First Sergeant¡¯s aide, which was higher than her previous rank. She no longer had the duties of leading soldiers, but still, what she ended up was a promotion. She always expected that she¡¯ll be forever chained down as a toon leader, so this ended up bing a nice surprise. ¡®And being a viceroy would be too scary.¡¯ The position of a viceroy would¡¯ve been a much greater position, but Poliana preferred her current role. Being a viceroy was too high of a rank that she couldn¡¯t even imagine bing one. A while back, Lucius the First promised her a set of armor, but since she was assigned to the supply unit, it never happened. It would have looked odd for an aide of the supply unit¡¯s first sergeant to wear armor as she would overshadow her superior. At least, wearing her new Acreian uniform made Poliana finally feel like she belonged somewhere. ¡°Good morning, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Good morning to you too.¡± Poliana bowed lightly to Sir Howe who greeted her. Sir Howe was originally Sir Baufallo¡¯s aide before Poliana. He was only 20 years old, and thanks to Poliana taking over his position, Sir Howe was finally able to leave the supply department. He seemed very happy about it. Luckily for Poliana, he seemed very eager to help her learn about her new position. He was very cordial and if Poliana had to choose the friendliest person to her in the army, it would¡¯ve been him and probably Sir Baufallo right after. ¡°You are a very fast learner. You will do a better job than I ever did,¡± Sir Howe praised her. ¡°Not at all. You are too kind.¡± A barely 20-year-old boy vs a knight with 6 years of military experience? Of course, it made sense that Poliana did a much better job. Sir Howe seemed to be oblivious of the importance of the supply unit. All he felt was a great relief to leave this department. ¡°Bring me some water,¡± Sir Howe ordered Donau, Sir Baufallo¡¯s personal help. Donau kicked a chair in annoyance and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not YOUR help!¡± Sir Howe was clearly higher in terms of rank than Donau, so this interaction was a shock to Poliana. She even flinched in surprise, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Normally, she would¡¯ve kicked Donau for his insolence, but she knew what was going on here. Donau and Sir Howe were brothers, and Sir Baufallo was their father. The first-born, Sir Howe Ribo, and the second son, Donau Ribo. Sir Howe was newly knighted, and it meant that he had no personal help assigned to him at this point. The Ribo family also was not very wealthy, so it makes sense that he couldn¡¯t even afford to have a personal servant. This was why Sir Howe treated his younger brother as his own help just as he probably did at home. And of course, the younger brother felt frustrated at being treated like a servant both by his older brother and his father. ¡°How dare you treat a proper knight this way? There is another knight present here as well! Do you have any manners at all?¡± Sir Howe yelled at him. ¡°Another knight? What are you babbling about? I don¡¯t see any other knight in this room other than you.¡± Donau screamed in his still-high-pitched voice and ran out. He was trying to leave quickly, obviously trying to avoid being beaten but Sir Howe was even quicker. He grabbed his gauntlet from the table and threw it at his younger brother. It hit Donau right in the back of his head and made him squeal. Sir Howe turned to Poliana and apologized, ¡°He is still so young and stupid¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t care. Sir Howe was enthusiastic about teaching her but the process was long. There was no official manual or guidelines for this position, and Poliana med it on the fact that this seemed like a group ran by a single household. Because Sir Howe was Sir Baufallo¡¯s son first rather than his aide, it seemed that a lot of things were carried out without official documents and records. It was also apparent that Donau was involved in certain tasks like delivering some official military documents when he was only supposed to be a personal help. This kind of behavior was bad enough for Sir Howe to be arrested. Military records were needed to be kept safe, and a mere help was NOT allowed to even look at these documents. She was shocked when she found about it. Sir Howe begged her to keep it a secret. Poliana, who was very new to this army, didn¡¯t want to create trouble so she agreed to keep it to herself. But because any shreds of evidence of these deeds were needed to be cleaned up first before Poliana could take over, it would take a long while even before she could assume her position. ¡®So much work to do¡­. It¡¯s endless!¡¯ Poliana felt frustrated and confused as well. It seemed that Donau, in fact, produced better and neater records and paperwork than Sir Howe. Because Sir Howe hasn¡¯t been working for very long as the aide, no obvious problem has urred, but if this continues, Poliana knew that it was going to lead to a major issue. It was a good thing that she was taking over right now. ¡®It¡¯s not that Sir Howe is stupid or slow¡­¡¯ She wondered. When she red at him suspiciously, Sir Howe begged her again to keep quiet. She knew then what kind of a man he was. A typicalzy self-entitled knight. ¡°My father told me to use my little brother as needed. Hahaha. Donau is actually quite smart.¡± Sir Howe tried to make an excuse for himself. ¡®Idiot.¡¯ ¡°Even so, it was very unprofessional of you to have someone help you do your own work,¡± Poliana replied. ¡°Well, the thing was, it was only me who was supposed to be assigned to this conquest. But then, both my father AND my younger brother were assigned to it as well. All of the men in our family were sent to war, and my mother got so worried because of it. She begged that all of us get should get assigned to the same unit so that we could keep each other safe¡­¡± Only So that was why the entire family was assigned to the war supply department. Originally, Lucius the First¡¯s cousin, Duke Luzo, was responsible for this division. But when the emperor decided to leave for war, the kingdom needed an acting leader on his behalf. This was especially important since Lucius the First did not have an heir yet. It was then decided that Duke Luzo needed to stay behind with Sir Baufallo taking his position. Giving your cousin the kingdom while you go into war? It was a perfect coup scenario. Even if they were the best of friends, one could never know what the future holds. Poliana thought to herself, ¡®I mean, who knew I would end up pledging my loyalty to a whole different country?¡¯ But Poliana didn¡¯t doubt Lucius the First¡¯s decision. No one knew what the future holds, but the emperor must¡¯ve given that responsibility to his cousin for a good sound reason. She didn¡¯t trust Duke Luzo, but she trusted her emperor. Sir Baufallo¡¯s works and recordkeeping were excellent, but Sir Howe¡¯s works were problematic. He originally wanted to belong to Sir Rabi¡¯s team, but when he didn¡¯t get what he wanted, Sir Howe lost all interest in his work. The funny thing was, Donau was indeed rather excellent at this work, especially considering his young age. That must¡¯ve been why Sir Howe continued to dump his own work on his younger brother. And meanwhile, Donau was feeling proud of himself for doing a knight¡¯s work. Donau returned to the room again and without even acknowledging her, he threw the documents at her and left. She remained quiet for now but some time soon, she knew that she needed to teach him a lesson. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Poliana has always been ignored. Always. Because she was a woman, there were many times when she was treated worse than the enemy by her own side. This didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t do anything about it. This was beyond just personal, it was against the written and the unspoken rules of any military group. No matter what others said, she was a knight and a military officer, and now, she was being watched by everyone. She needed to make her strength show. When she was a toon leader, her men followed her because they knew this. They called her a witch and they hated her, but they had to follow her orders or else, they were going to be beaten by her. When she took over the position of Sir Baufallo¡¯s aide, she would have to see Donau more frequently. ¡®It¡¯s time to teach him some manners.¡¯ When the personal helps liked their knights, they would hang around them constantly. In this case, Donau worked for his own father, which meant that Donau was going to be around her A LOT. On top of that, Donau thought very highly of himself because he did a lot of the work his older brother Sir Howe was supposed to do. A personal help or the son of a knight was usually treated poorly by everyone, but because Donau came with his father as HIS help, the other knights were unusually kind to him. Because the base was filled mostly with young knights, not many of them had personal aides. This meant that there weren¡¯t many other personal aides older than Donau who could put him in his ce. Donau had no manners, but it wasn¡¯t enough of a reason to beat him up. He also mostly ignored her but hasn¡¯t technically outright disrespected her yet, so she was in an awkward position. And most of all, Donau was Sir Baufallo¡¯s own son. Her superior¡¯s child. Blood was certainly thicker than water. Finally came the day when Sir Howe¡¯s work was done. Heughed like a madman and left, leaving the supply unit headquarters¡¯ tent with Sir Baufallo, Sir Poliana, another knight, and Donau in it. When Sir Baufallo and the other knight left for a meeting inmand, they left her with Donau. As soon as they left, Donau sat on a chair rudely without asking for her permission. ¡®What should I do¡­ Should I beat him up good?¡¯ A 15-year-old teenager was sitting there with his legs up. Poliana felt a sudden urge to break both of his legs. Poliana ignored him and worked on her reports. When Donau flicked the paper on her table, she warned him quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t touch that.¡± ¡°I work on these all the time, so why do you care? Do you even know how to read?¡± Donauughed at her, and again, Poliana warned him quietly. ¡°These are official military documents. You have no right to read them, so return to your ce, Donau.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare order me around! A woman, who bleeds between her legs holding a sword?! Ha! You should just go back home and work in the kitchen where you belong!¡± Disobeying a knight¡¯s direct order and talking back this way? This was enough for her to reprimand him, but she stopped as Sir Baufallo walked into the tent. Donau jumped off the chair immediately and stood straight. ¡°Hello, Father!¡± ¡°Address me properly, Donau.¡± ¡°Wee back, Sir.¡± Poliana also stood up and saluted. Donau, being a good help, took his father¡¯s coat and his sword. He also grabbed his father a bowl of water and a towel to wash up. Sir Baufallo patted Donau¡¯s head as a habit. He acted indifferently, but from time to time, his love for his son was obvious through his meaningless gestures. Suddenly, Poliana felt envious. Donau came to war with his own father. He was the lowest of rank in the base, but because of his noble birth and his father¡¯s status, no one ignored or mistreated him. His older brother was also a knight, so the others treated him kindly. Among all the personal helps in the base, Donau was at the top of the food chain. And most of all, thanks to their kind and rather an ethical emperor, Donau never had to know how it felt to be sodomized by his superior. Donau was a rather pretty-looking boy. Poliana remembered Sir Batre, who used to rape both boys and girls who came as new recruits to his unit. When he was killed during the Acreian military¡¯s conquest, Sir Batre¡¯s body was sent back to his home as a show of respect and honor to a fallen soldier. But the rumor had it that during his funeral, an unknown somebody stabbed his anus with a spear and ran away. Some believed it was false, but Poliana couldn¡¯t herself but nod. The details made too much sense. Karma¡¯s a b*tch. Poliana couldn¡¯t do what she wanted to Donau because of Sir Baufallo. She felt frustrated and envious at Donau at the same time. Sir Baufallo acted awkwardly around her, who now was his aide in ce of his older son. He was still very professional around her, especiallypared to all the other knights so Poliana felt thankful about it. Except for the fact that he had such a brat of a son. Sir Baufallo asked her, ¡°How long do you think it will take to reach our goal?¡± ¡°If we receive the nned supplies from Aehas and Kukda, we should be able to reach it by the end of this month.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ and anything else? Anything we arecking?¡± ¡°Not ording to the reports we received, Sir.¡± ¡°When I was walking around, I noticed that we may need more uniforms for the soldiers.¡± ¡°The winter will be over soon. If we mend the existing uniforms and get a few more made from the nearby towns, we should be able to survive the rest of the season. The town of Lotto, which is located nearby, happens to produce fabrics, so if we can grab the unused stocks from there, we can dye it ourselves and use it.¡± ¡°Good. Take care of it.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. And as for the cotton needed to create ayer for warmth under one¡¯s clothes, Acreia produces the best ones so we will wait until the harvest is over. It shouldn¡¯t be long, we would have it most likely before the end of winter.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need winter uniforms.¡± Poliana was sick of these Acreian men iming how much colder Acreia was. Just because they came from the northern region, the Acreian soldiers thought so little of the Aehasian winter. Poliana thought secretly, ¡®Aehas¡¯ winter is pretty cold too, you jerk.¡¯ Perhaps the best thing for her own good was to not say anything in this situation, but Poliana¡¯s responsible nature wouldn¡¯t let her remain quiet. They could lose their limbs if their soldier suffers a severe case of frostbites. The regions near the Koemong River were going to be even colder. It didn¡¯t rain much there, but starting in thete autumn, those areas would be covered in ice. Well-insted winter uniforms were a must. ¡°It may not be as cold as Acreia here, but it will be freezing near the river, sir,¡± Poliana said politely. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I meant that we will be heading down in the spring.¡± Poliana¡¯s mouth suddenly felt dry. She became confused. ¡°S-spring, sir?¡± ¡°Yes, that is what the emperor wants.¡± She couldn¡¯t understand and she couldn¡¯t help but swallow audibly. If they were heading down in the spring, it meant that they were going to battle in spring as well. All of their wars urred during winters, and the other three seasons were for farming and rest. It has always been this way. The majority of the foot soldiers weremoners. They needed to farm during the spring, summer, and fall. If they didn¡¯t, thend would go to waste. Winter was for war, spring was for nning, summer was for growing the crops, and fall would be the time for harvest. All of their battles would continue during the winter. Only They cannot toil theirnds if they were to fight during the spring. Without farms, there would be no food, and without food, their people would die or worse, they would get rebellious. This couldn¡¯t happen. ¡°This can¡¯t be! If we do this, we will not get enough food from our harvest!¡± Poliana eximed. ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°All of the Acreian soldiers¡¯ sole upation is being soldiers. None are being drafted.¡± This was a piece of shocking and meaningful news to Poliana. She still had difficulty epting the idea of war in spring, but she remained quiet. All their soldiers were PAID as such instead of drafting farmers and forcing them to fight? She needed time to digest this news. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Lucius the First¡¯s army didn¡¯t immediately march down south. Instead, it restocked its supplies, rested, and treated its injured in Aehas and Kukda. Poliana expected the army to stay where they were for a while longer before continuing its conquest but Lucius the First had another idea. Against the unspoken rule of war on this continent, he nned on marching down in this uing spring. She understood that this did mean they were going to have an advantage. The kingdom of Bebero wouldn¡¯t be expecting any kind of attack from them at all. They would be sighing in relief that the winter was almost over. Every kingdom already knew about what happened to Aehas and Kukda. It did make sense to attack Bebero now rather than giving them the chance to be prepared for the war. In spring, their defense would be down as well. ¡®A war in spring¡­¡¯ It was hard to get her head around the idea. It sounded like a nonsense phrase, like ¡°a pregnant man,¡± or ¡°a bearded woman.¡± As Poliana pushed around the fire with the metal poker, the ck coals turned bright red. She was preparing a brazier for Sir Baufallo¡¯s tent. This was one of the responsibilities of his personal help, Donau, but Donau imed that it was a woman¡¯s job and ran away. It was such an Acreian thing to say. In Acreia, men would go out to hunt while women stayed behind to keep the house warm. Poliana wanted to beat Donau up with the brazier, but she remained patient. When she was in the Aehasian army, she had to build her own tent, which was supposed to be handled by a lot of people. She expected something simr here, but to her surprise, she was given a private tent without any fuss by Sir Baufallo and he even had the other soldiers set it up for her. He also told her to take as many supplies as she needed from their storage. Poliana couldn¡¯t repay his kindness by beating up his son. She just kept it to herself, saying, ¡®That¡¯s my superior¡¯s son. That¡¯s my superior¡¯s son. That¡¯s my superior¡¯s son. That¡¯s my superior¡¯s son. That¡¯s my superior¡¯s son.¡¯ Donau was an a*shole. One of the supply unit soldiers came to her with a pot and adle and told Poliana, ¡°I was told that you are going to be cooking for a while now.¡± ¡°I said that?¡± ¡°I heard it from that boy, Sir Baufallo¡¯s personal help.¡± ¡°Wow, we get to eat the food prepared by a woman for once,¡± the other soldier said excitedly. ¡°But THAT person is not a girl.¡± ¡°It will still be better than what we can make ourselves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Anything cooked by women is better than that by men.¡± Poliana looked down at the ingredients nervously. Because of Donau¡¯s lie, she suddenly became responsible for her division¡¯s dinner. In Aehas, there were official cooks, but in the Acreian army, that position didn¡¯t exist. Men took turns to cook and it worked because Acreian men were used to preparing what they¡¯ve hunted. Looking down at the giant pot, Poliana wondered, ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ She tried to go around and tell people that she never offered to cook, but it was no use. The men replied, ¡°What? But couldn¡¯t you just do it anyway? You must¡¯ve cooked a lot in your life anyway, right?¡± ¡°We were told that you will be cooking, so that¡¯s that. If you have a problem with it, you should go take it up with that help.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just do it? It must be easy for you to do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was not the response she expected from the soldiers. Poliana had no choice but to go find Sir Baufallo. She hated to tell Donau to his own father, but she had no choice. Poliana exined to Sir Baufallo what had happened in a very objective manner. He looked awkward as he apologized. It was indeed his responsibility to train his personal help and son. ¡°I will make sure that Donau gets a special lesson from me, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°And I am looking forward to your cooking.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The soldiers are already expecting you to cook, so I think you need to do it. IT can¡¯t be that bad to cook just once.¡± ¡®Dammit.¡¯ This was ridiculous. Everyone was being unreasonable, but Poliana took care not to show her anger on her face. She had no choice but to follow the order. This was an army; whatever her superior said cannot be disobeyed. She clenched her fists and her teeth instead and replied, ¡°Yeasesse.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said yes sir.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t make you do it again even if you do a good job, so please don¡¯t make it taste bad on purpose.¡± ¡°I will do my best.¡± ¡°Haha, I will look forward to it then.¡± Sir Baufallo tapped her shoulder, hoping to appease her, but it didn¡¯t help Poliana feel better at all. She felt frustrated and angry. She shook her head as she stared at the ingredients again. If she did well, the soldiers would say it wasn¡¯t a big deal because she was a woman and therefore it muste easy for her. If she didn¡¯t do a good job, she knew the men would get angry at her. In the end, Poliana decided that she should at least make it good. She might as well do her best since she had to eat it after all. But¡­ At the end of the day, Poliana was a noble-borndy as well. She never spent any time in the kitchen. Of course, she learned to hunt and recognize the poisonous ones from the other mushrooms but the old knight never taught her how to cook. When she was in the Aehasian military, there were cooks who made food for everyone. In fact, Poliana had never even held a kitchen knife. Thankfully, she did have some basic nutritional knowledge. She was used to poor meals in her old unit where they alwayscked supplies, but now, there were a lot of ingredients in front of her. This meant that whatever she cooked, it would turn out good. Poliana remembered her previous meals. They were mostly stews. In front of her were a pot with some fat, salt, meat, oats, wheat, and various vegetables. All she had to do was put them in the pot with water and bring it to a boil. She did just that. She chopped everything up as the water simmered before dumping everything into the pot. She also added some spices for better taste. While she red at the pot full of boiling stew, the men began to gather around her. Some from even different divisions came after they heard that Sir Poliana was cooking tonight. Apparently, it was Sir Baufallo who bragged to the other knights that he was going to be able to eat a dish prepared by a woman tonight. It was an odd thing to be proud of because ever since they conquered Aehas and Kukda, they had plenty of women from the towns to cook for them during their stay in the conquered kingdoms. This was a while ago, and apparently, these men missed a woman¡¯s cooking. When they heard Poliana was cooking, they gathered around her like hungry dogs. Feeling pressured, she tasted a spoonful of the stew. ¡®What the!¡¯ Only It tasted normal. In fact, it tasted the same as the stew she had yesterday. It wasn¡¯t bad, but it was nothing special. It made sense since she used the same ingredients that her meal had yesterday. But Poliana knew that if she gave this to those men, they wouldin about it, saying that she didn¡¯t do her best. She then started to get nervous, especially after seeing some of the high-ranking officers gathering inside the kitchen. ¡®Why are they here?¡¯ She had to do something, so Poliana dumped even more fat into the pot. More fat would make anything taste better, she thought. She also put even more spices, and the thick smell that came from the pot began to spread. The men began to salivate. Sir Baufallo came in with Donau and asked, ¡°Is it ready?¡± When Poliana nodded, the knights from other divisions insisted that they wanted a taste as well. So they were given a spoonful to try. The knights ate it and then¡­ BLAARGH. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Many of the knights vomited uncontrobly while some heaved, and ran out to get some water to rinse their mouths. The soldiers who were watching excitedly gasped in shock. ¡°Is the food poisoned?¡± ¡°Or maybe some food poisoning?¡± ¡°But none of the ingredients went bad! They were all new and fresh!¡± ¡°And it can¡¯t be poison. We watched her cook the entire time!¡± ¡°So that must mean¡­ it tastes like sh*t?!¡± Sir Baufallo was one of the knights who threw up after taking a bite. With his hands shaking, he asked, ¡°Did you do this on purpose?¡± ¡°No, Sir!¡± She couldn¡¯t feel any worse. With a trembling hand, Poliana took a bite herself. Everyone stared at her as she swallowed. Her eyes widened, she then looked around and announced, ¡°This is perfectly edible.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sir Baufallo took another bite and threw up immediately. Feeling confused, Poliana said to him earnestly, ¡°Sir, this doesn¡¯t have inedibleponents like bugs, dirt, rotten meat, corpse, or anything soiled. It is perfectly edible, and it won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°But the goal of a meal isn¡¯t to be just edible!¡± Delicious food would increase their men¡¯s morale significantly. Good quality food was just as important as plentiful supplies. The knights who tried the food left in shock while the soldiers who were left behind to eat the stew remained in ce angrily. Some soldiers tried it out of curiosity and had a simr reaction to the others who experienced it firsthand. So in the end, Poliana offered to take responsibility. ¡°Sir, I will eat the whole thing.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, did you lose your taste buds during your service? Are you unable to taste anything at all?¡± ¡°Not at all, sir!¡± ¡°Yet you are offering to eat that whole thing yourself?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t throw it out. I will finish it.¡± ¡°¡­ are you sure you will be ok?¡± ¡°I have eaten worse things, including a bread that was stepped on by others. I should be fine!¡± ¡°But you might get sick.¡± ¡°I will be ok!¡± ¡°Alright then. You can finish that pot of stew, Sir Poliana, and we will make a new pot for the soldiers. Donau!¡± Donau came to his father quickly. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°You are the one who started this whole mess, so you will be the one who will fix it. Make everyone¡¯s dinner, Donau, and you will also do the dishes yourself.¡± ¡°Father!?¡± ¡°You can use the spare pot. Let me know when it¡¯s ready.¡± Sir Baufallo grabbed some tea leaves and ced them in his mouth in an attempt to cleanse his tongue. The soldiers saw what had happened in the kitchen and left for now. They were upset that their dinner was going to beter than usual. Some, who were so hungry, tried a bite of Poliana¡¯s stew and grimaced. They were so hungry, but they couldn¡¯t stand her food. The problem was that it had too much fat and spices. As soon as the dish hits their tongue, the oily taste of fat would spread throughout their mouth, only to be followed by the overwhelming taste of spices. In the end, everyone left. Poliana was ready to keep her word. She poured arge bowl for herself while Donau red at her. He filled the spare pot with water to boil. While waiting, he tried a spoonful of Poliana¡¯s stew as well. ¡°How bad could it be¡­ rrrggg.¡± The stew smelled ok, so Donau took a bite but he ended up reacting the same way as his father did. He then yelled, ¡°You made this? To eat?¡± The pot containing the stew was made of thick metal. It would¡¯ve hurt to kick it if one would have military boots, but Donau did it anyway. Poliana cracked her fingers when she saw this. Donau groaned as he held his foot in pain and on the other hand, Poliana wanted to push his head into the hot boiling stew and hold him down. No matter how hard she thought, she knew that Donau has crossed the line. She decided to be patient just onest time where she warned him calmly, ¡°This is thest time you will be allowed to disrespect me.¡± ¡°Ha! Like I would be scared of you! I can take you out easily. Let¡¯s do this!¡± ¡°You are not a knight yet, which means that you have no right to fight me. But of course, I can teach you a lesson.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t a true knight either, b*tch!¡± If this happened in Aehas, Poliana would have beat him up till all of his bones broke, but her current situation was a bit different. She was still new, and she didn¡¯t want to cause any problems. This was especially important because she didn¡¯t want her new emperor Lucius the First to be disappointed in her. This was the only reason she was being so unusually tolerant. ¡°Stop being stupid, Donau. I may not win against other knights, but I can certainly beat you up easily. I am an officer that was knighted personally by his highness. If you continue to show disrespect to me, I will have no choice but to punish you,¡± Poliana replied. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! I don¡¯t believe his highness knighted you on purpose! You are lying about the whole thing or you did something strange to make it happen. You don¡¯t look like a girl, so you probably hid your gender until you were knighted! Or maybe you begged like a coward until his highness felt sorry for you!¡± ¡°Do you think his highness knights everyone who begs for it?¡± ¡°The emperor would never do something like that, you b*tch!¡± Poliana felt bored, so she began to eat her stew. It didn¡¯t take her very long to empty her bowl and while watching her, Donau murmured, ¡°You aren¡¯t a girl. You are a pig! rrgg. I would never eat such garbage even if someone paid me to do it.¡± The very first meal she received as a soldier, at the age of 14, was a piece of bread that had a clear footprint. At the time, the 14-year-old Poliana contemted whether she should eat it or starve. In the end, Poliana ate it. From then on, she had to eat much worse things. Food with dead bugs in it, water with some bastards¡¯ spit, rotting meat and fruits, sour wine, and the list goes on. In fact, she drank some water recently that had Donau¡¯s spit. ¡°I knew you threw some spit in my water,¡± Poliana said to him. ¡°Oh, now you are making stuff up to get me in trouble?¡± ¡°If you were so desperate to have me drink your fluids, then I guess I have nothing to say about it. But I will have to tell Sir Baufallo that his son has a strange fetish.¡± Donau¡¯s face crumpled into an ugly frown as Poliana continued, ¡°Dirt, dust, bugs¡­ I have eaten it all, you idiot. I don¡¯t know if you have any hair down there yet but listen carefully Donau, I became a knight at the age of 14 and I have been in the army on active duty for the past 6 years. I may bleed between my legs as you said, but I still have more hair down there than you do.¡± Donau turned red and screamed, ¡°You B*TCH!!!¡± He came after her, but before he could reach her, Donau fell to the ground. It was because a gauntlet hit him from behind. ¡°GYAAA!¡± Donau shrieked in pain while Sir Baufallo came towards him and picked up the gauntlet. Sir Baufallo said to his son, ¡°You will be responsible for everyone¡¯s meal for a week. I apologize, Sir Poliana. I will make sure to teach him some manners.¡± Only Sir Baufallo kicked Donau, who yelped in pain. Poliana was no stranger to punching and kicking, and based on her observation, she knew that Sir Baufallo wasn¡¯t putting too much force into his kicks. ¡°From now on, if your son causes any more problems, I would like to be the one who reprimands him, sir,¡± Poliana offered. ¡°Do not think of him as my son, Sir Poliana. He is a mere help, so you may do whatever you would like to him. Donau, listen carefully. Sir Poliana may be a woman, but she has been acknowledged by the emperor himself. What you just said and did to her was uneptable.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for this b*tch, I would¡¯ve be a knight!¡± Donau argued. ¡°You idiot!¡± Sir Baufallo began his lesson, and it was a lesson given by a father rather than a superior. Poliana knew when to butt out from family businesses, so she left quietly as she enjoyed Donau squealing in pain. But before she left, she took a spoonful of Donau¡¯s stew out of curiosity, and her eyes widened in shock. It was delicious. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Poliana saw less of Donau from then on. She tried to find a chance to get him, but it didn¡¯te easily. Donau was sneaky, he would get himself away whenever she¡¯s close. At first, Poliana thought that he was smart and lucky, but she soon realized that she was falling into his trap. Donau had less military experience than Poliana did, but he knew the Acreian army much better than she did. Donau knew the paths and schedules of everyone very well, and he used it to his advantage to taunt her. The only time he couldn¡¯t escape her was when he¡¯s cooking. He was still on the kitchen duty, which meant that for at least an hour before lunch and dinner, he had to be in the kitchen. Poliana used this to her advantage. While cooking, Donau couldn¡¯t pick a fight with her. If they ended up in a physical spat and something happened to the food, he was going to get in trouble. So it was Poliana, who tried to pick a fight with him during those times. She made a point of roaming around the kitchen while he worked. She knew that he hated her presence and that was why she did it. She also tried his food while he¡¯s cooking or ate a few pieces of vegetables after he chopped them. Others assumed that she was just hungry, and Donau couldn¡¯t openlyin about what she was doing since she wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong. Donau quickly became extremely irritated, particrly whenever Poliana criticized his cooking. ¡°Little boy, your soup is too salty.¡± ¡°Go drown, you b*tch.¡± Poliana smiled and Donau smiled as well. From afar, they looked like they were having a nice conversation. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, b*tch, I would¡¯ve been knighted by now.¡± ¡°I see that you are a coward who likes to me others for your own ipetence.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t my fault! All of my friends became knights already!¡± The biggest reason Donau hated Poliana wasn¡¯t that she was a woman. There was a limited number of knighthoods given every year. Donau was still waiting for his time. Most of his friends were already knighted, and Donau believed that he was the best of them all, so he was angry that he still remained to be a mere personal help. He was so sure he was going to make it this year. It had to be, all the other helps his age was already knighted. It was just him and the younger boys left. It was going to be this year, but Poliana took his spot. After knighting her, the emperor announced that he was no longer going to knight anyone for the next three months. It was all Poliana¡¯s fault. ¡°That is ridiculous. His Highness didn¡¯t knight you because he knew what a brat you are,¡± Poliana replied. ¡°You ruined everything, b*tch!¡± Donau smacked the pot with thedle he was holding, and some small bits of the stew had been sttered everywhere. Poliana frowned and took thedle away from him. She wanted to hit him with it, but she stopped herself from doing so. Then suddenly, a dog sniffed his way in. When Poliana offered the dog her bowl, which contained the stew she made herself earlier, it sniffed it and licked it a few times before running away. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha! Even the dog doesn¡¯t want your soup, you b*tch! Even the dog won¡¯t eat it!¡± Donauughed at her evilly, but she ignored him. She got another bowl and ate it herself. Her philosophy was that food could not be med for its taste. They weren¡¯t in an active war, but there were still some reports for her toplete. After a long day, when Poliana finally could take a break, she left the tent and took a walk in the night. When she was younger in the Aehasian army, there were times when men would try to rape her whenever she took these nightly walks. And every time it happened, she would fight back and escape. She wasn¡¯t a talented fighter, but she was persistent. She wasn¡¯t the strongest, but her experience as a knight made her tougher. Anyone who thought they could take her because she was a woman got a painful lesson from her. In the Acreian army where the militaryw was enforced more strictly, things like this never happened. Men took care of their needs however they had to without raping anyone. In the Aehasian army, the superiors always told the men and herself not toin about anything, whether it was rape done by Sir Batre or any other unfair treatment. Poliana didn¡¯t need this warning, she didn¡¯t even think ofining, to begin with. Even when she was having her period, she didn¡¯t even dream of taking it easy. Thankfully at least, her period was infrequent. But when she did have it, it felt awful. She wasn¡¯t in so much pain, but she felt angry and annoyed. She became crueler and rougher, and during battles, she killed her enemies better. The reason for her walks in the night was to relieve her stress. She walked to a nearby tree and began to hit it with her bare hands. The patrol nearby saw her and walked away while shaking his head. He clearly thought that she had lost her mind. Suddenly, Poliana felt a presenceing towards her. She stopped assaulting the poor tree and turned around to find a few men staring at her in shock. One of them was Sir Ainno. Sir Ainno never left the emperor¡¯s side. Wherever Sir Ainno was, it meant that most likely, Lucius the First was nearby. ¡°Greeting to your highness from Sir Poliana Winter.¡± Poliana began to sweat nervously as she addressed him. ¡°Oh, hello. I¡¯m not sure about what you are doing right now, but good luck to you.¡± Lucius the First nced at her without interest and continued to walk past her. Poliana gritted her teeth. It was obvious that he was uninterested in her and it most likely was because she was unimportant. She had no one to me but herself. Sir Ainno looked at her in disgust and followed the emperor. Behind them were men carrying a wild boar. Acreian men were excellent hunters so even though they didn¡¯tck food or supplies, they often went hunting for fun. Sir Baufallo didn¡¯t approve of these hunting expeditions. Technically, it wasn¡¯t an illegal practice to do so in the military base, but since the First sergeant frowned upon it, the soldiers refrained from hunting. So here he was, caught hunting. But then again, he was the emperor. Poliana felt awkward, and the knights seemed awkward as well for being caught by an aide who belonged to Sir Baufallo¡¯s unit. Lucius the First tried to leave quickly, but he stopped as if he remembered something. He turned to Poliana again and asked, ¡°I hear that you, Sir Poliana, was involved in poisoning the soldiers recently. Is that right?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t poisoned!¡± She was happy that the emperor showed his interest in her, but this was not the kind of thing she wanted her emperor to know. Poliana kneeled in front of him. She didn¡¯t put any poison in that stew. All of its ingredients were edible. She didn¡¯t burn the pot, nor did she put any soil into it. In fact, she has been eating that stew three times a day for three days now. The other men saw her eating it and they couldn¡¯t believe it. They called her a crazy btch. A btch without taste buds. A b*tch who could probably survive being poisoned. Only ¡®Whatever.¡¯ Poliana didn¡¯t care. All she wanted was to eat her food as quickly as possible so she could start eating Donau¡¯s food. He was going to be cooking for just a week, so she had to finish her stew as soon as possible. Lucius the First then said, ¡°I would like to try your stew too to see what it tastes like.¡± ¡°No, your highness. You mustn¡¯t.¡± One of the knights in his group shook his head seriously. He stated that he was one of the few who tried it. When the knight looked so upset, Lucius the First burst intoughter. ¡°It was that bad? Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t then. I will grant you this wild boar, Sir Poliana, so make sure that the men would get their fair shares.¡± Apparently, Lucius the First caught two wild boars that day. He gave one to Poliana and it was clear that he was asking her to put in the good words to Sir Baufallo about his hunting trip. Poliana bowed her thanks and the men dropped one of the animals in front of her. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 When the emperor left, Poliana stood up and examined the wild boar. It was way too heavy for her to move by herself. ¡°Dammit.¡± She knew what the men would say if she asked for help in carrying this animal. They would say she couldn¡¯t handle it because she was a mere woman when the truth was that no one man would be able to lift such a huge beast. Angrily, Poliana began to assault the tree again. The leaves and small branches fell helplessly onto the ground. Sir Baufallo became annoyed at the unexpected gift from the emperor. It wasn¡¯t because the emperor went hunting against his wishes, it was because the emperor didn¡¯t take HIM along on the hunting trip. The soldiers, however, were excited at the meat. Most men were originally hunters, so they all had different ideas on how best to cook a wild boar. Soon, they began to argue and Sir Baufallo had to step in. ¡°Since this was a gift to ME from the emperor, I will be the one deciding what to do with it.¡± The hide, teeth, and bones were obviously going to be stored forter use. But what are we going to do with the meat? ¡°Let¡¯s cut it into steaks and cook them in the fire!¡± ¡°No, we should steam it!¡± ¡°No, we should barbecue it whole!¡± ¡°No, why don¡¯t we smoke it?¡± ¡°No! We need to make it into jerkies! The other divisions are going to be so jealous!¡± Suddenly, Sir Baufallo turned to thest man who spoke and eximed, ¡°Wait! That¡¯s a great idea! You,e over here for a second.¡± When the soldier walked to them, Sir Baufallo turned to Poliana and asked, ¡°What do you think, Sir Poliana?¡± There was only one right answer here. Poliana had enough military experience to know this, so she immediately replied, ¡°Jerky sounds like a good idea, sir.¡± ¡°Excellent. Then first, skin it and dry the hide over there. Take out the bones and teeth. Make sure you throw away all of the blood. It might be infected with parasites. If anyone is caught eating blood or any of its intestines, you will be severely punished. You never know what¡¯s in a wild animals¡¯ innards.¡± Parasites and epidemics were an army¡¯s worst enemies. The Acreian military¡¯s ¡°Mother,¡± Sir Baufallo, ordered Poliana to supervise the process before he left. The soldiers began excitedly. They chatted loudly, guessing how old the beast must be and how much jerkies they might get out of it. When they slit its throat, its warm blood began to spill out. Poliana watched it with her hawk eyes, making sure that none of the men stole any. After it was drained, she made sure that the soldiers shoveled the blood-soaked dirt and throw it out in the forest. The dogs and cats skulked nearby, whining. If it was daytime, the birds would¡¯ve been flying all around them too. When the soldiers threw away the innards, the dogs grabbed them and ran away while the cats licked at whatever was left. Some dogs were seen fighting over the biggest pieces. The men looked at the dogs enviously. ¡°Intestines are supposed to be the best part.¡± ¡°Shut up and start cutting the meat.¡± In the middle of them cutting the boar apart, the soldiers whispered among themselves. Suddenly, they¡¯ve put aside the best and the biggest piece of the meat, and said to Poliana, ¡°This is for you and the boss.¡± ¡°You must know how to cook meat, right, Sir Poliana?¡± Receiving a wild boar directly from the emperor himself was enough for the men to begin treating Poliana with some respect. At the end of the day, she was still a noble. They might not have fully epted her as a knight yet, but they felt more generous towards her now that she brought them an animal. Poliana wondered, ¡®Why are they so obsessed with food? It¡¯s not like they are starving¡­¡¯ Compared to Aehas, Acreian soldiers were fed very well. They received enough protein in their diet and yet, the men behaved like they were starving all the time. Poliana roasted the meat till it charred, making sure the parasites would not survive if there were any. When the meat became a bit too chewy, she seasoned it well with salt and spices. The steak looked mouth-watering. Poliana handed one of the steaks to Sir Baufallo and grabbed her own. She was walking to her tent when suddenly, someone tripped her. Luckily, she didn¡¯t fall, but the ended up dropping her steak. Poliana turned to the culprit who tripped her. It was Donau, who had his arms crossed as heughed. ¡°Pick it up,¡± Poliana said to him quietly. ¡°Oh, do you eat even the food that fell on the ground?¡± ¡°Pick it up.¡± ¡°Even the dog won¡¯t eat it. So you would eat anything, eh? Even garbage?¡± Donau kicked the piece of meat. When Sir Baufallo heard the noises outside his tent, he came out to see what was happening. No one had to exin to him what had happened. Sir Baufallo looked resigned as Poliana made a request. ¡°Sir Baufallo, may I punish this insolent help of yours?¡± ¡°Oh, go ahead.¡± Donau sneered. ¡°I refused to be punished by a girl¡­. AHH!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Donau screamed in pain and fell to the ground. It was because Poliana kicked him in his crotch. It was so unexpected that Donau kneeled on the ground in agony. Even Sir Baufallo¡¯s eyes widened in shock. During thest few weeks in the supply unit, Poliana studied how the helps are treated by the knights. She learned that although they weren¡¯t sexually assaulted and there wasn¡¯t any severe beating either, the helps were still reprimanded through physical punishments. This was for the good of Donau. This young man had to learn his lessons now so he could have a bright future. Poliana picked up the steak that was now covered in dirt. She threw it at him, and it hit Donau right in his face. Donau was now shivering in shock, pain, and fear. He expected that the worst Poliana would dare to do would be to p him as any other girl would. But she kicked him in his manhood and pped him with a dirty steak. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Sir Baufallo yelled in shock. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I kicked someone¡¯s balls, sir. I made sure not to pop it, so you don¡¯t have to worry about not getting grandsons from this young man,¡± Poliana replied calmly. Poliana seemed so nonchnt that Sir Baufallo couldn¡¯t even get angry at her. Poliana grabbed Donau¡¯s cors and with a horrifying kid of tone, she whispered, ¡°You keep mentioning how I bleed between my legs, so perhaps I should make the same thing happen to you, eh? Whenever you disrespect me, I will hit you only in your balls. I will kick them until they burst and bleed, so if you want that to happen, keep being a jerk to me.¡± Sir Baufallo ran towards his son and protested, ¡°But Sir Poliana, this isn¡¯t a proper way to punish someone!¡± He patted Donau¡¯s bum tofort him, which seemed to cause even more pain to Donau whose crotch was most likely very bruised. Poliana felt satisfied. She then replied, ¡°It¡¯s not like I cut his penis off, sir. At least I didn¡¯t break any of his bones.¡± ¡°What? Do you know how painful this area is to a man?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s why he will never disrespect me again. Pain is a very good teacher.¡± Poliana threw the ruined steak at the dogs. The dogs barked happily and ran away with it. So many people saw what happened today. There was no way of hiding this. The rumors would start immediately and reach everyone in the base by the end of tomorrow. Sir Howe, who came running after he heard about the trouble,ughed hriously as he watched his younger brother being beaten by a female knight. Towards the end, he was rolling on the floor crying because he wasughing so hard. Poliana continued, ¡°I want to make this very clear to everyone. I am a knight who was appointed by his highness himself. I am also Sir Baufallo¡¯s aide. I have no reason to ignore and forgive a mere help¡¯s insolence. In fact, what I did today will save this young man¡¯s life someday. He has been acting disrespectfully and idiotically because he must¡¯ve believed the power and status of his father and his older brother would protect him. But this won¡¯t always be the case in the real world. I am also telling you, Sir Baufallo, that if you truly care about your son, you will stop preventing his knighthood and also teach him some manners.¡± The truth was, it wasn¡¯t Poliana¡¯s fault that Donau wasn¡¯t being knighted. It was his father¡¯s. There were no official rules of limiting the number of soldiers being knighted per year. In fact, during the war times, it was a piece of cake for nobles to be knights. So the reason Donau hasn¡¯t been knighted so far was because Sir Baufallo asked his highness for it. Sir Baufallo was worried about his youngest son, especially because both himself and the oldest son were both knighted already. What if all three men died in the war? There would be no more man in his family. Donau was a smart boy. Based on what she saw, Poliana knew this to be a fact. This meant that Donau most likely already knew why he didn¡¯t get knighted. But he was ming Poliana because he didn¡¯t want to me the emperor or his own father. Poliana had no intention of being med for something she had nothing to do. She already had enough to deal with in her ce just for being a girl. Only As Poliana walked away, the soldiers avoided making eye contact and covered their crotches. Satisfied at making a point, Poliana returned to her own tent. Inside, she sighed. ¡®I¡¯m so envious of him.¡¯ Donau had a father who truly cared about him. He also was born in a kingdom where the emperor took care of his people. He was a very lucky boy. From then on, the soldiers seemed to behave more carefully around her. Donau, however, still screamed at her whenever he saw her. He yelled that what she did was unforgivable. Poliana would ignore him and tell Sir Baufallo, ¡°I think your youngest son must not want to sire children in the future.¡± This was always enough for Sir Baufallo to immediately shut Donau up, and when Sir Baufallo wasn¡¯t around, Poliana kept her promise and kicked Donau in the crotch for his rudeness. Soon enough, things started to settle down. Donau was now nicknamed and teased as ¡°the boy who got kicked in the balls by a girl.¡± Poliana was overall very happy. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Inside the Acreianmand tent. Lucius the First and his knights were discussing their n to cross the Koemong River and attack the kingdom Bebero. ¡°We alreadypleted selecting the appropriate fishing boats from the fishing vige nearby. About 80 percent of these boats have been adjusted and remodeled for our military purposes. The rest of the work will be done very soon.¡± ¡°We also recruited the fishers who knew the river very well. We are training them ording to our basic military skills.¡± ¡°And how is Bebero reacting?¡± ¡°So far, very quiet, your highness. We believe that they are feeling safe since spring ising. They most likely think that we won¡¯t attack till the uing winter. Our spies nted inside the Bebero kingdom are still unable to return since the borders have been closed, but they were able to send us several reports. All sounds good so far.¡± Lucius the First¡¯s army would be attempting to cross it once spring had arrived when its waters had melted. The key to this mission was to keep it a secret. No one could know about this. A surprise was the biggest advantage an army could have in a war. A surprise attack rarely failed. Lucius the First studied the maps carefully. The Koemong River was wide and deep. It was the biggest river in the northern region of the continent, and around it was various fishing viges. The river was regrly used to travel as well as to transport supplies to different areas. But during the winters, the rivers would freezepletely where no boats could cross it. The only use of this river during winter was for some odd winter fishing. The biggest problem of this military n was theirck of experience in a naval battle. Lucius the First¡¯s army has never fought in water before. Acreia was located in the most northern region of the continent. During springs and winters, all the water surrounding the kingdom was frozen. There was no reason for the Acreian soldiers to ever fight in the water. To fight on boats. To fight against the enemy boats. To shoot arrows on boats and at the enemy boats. All of these tactics were new to the Acreian soldiers. On top of that, what if their soldiers became seasick? So Lucius the First took some time and care to make sure that his men became used to the waters. He also ordered the fishermen to teach his men how to stay safe inside a boat. ¡°The one positive thing is that the Bebero soldiers are also not used to battling in the water. Because Aehas and Kukda were busy warring against each other, Bebero never worried about its river border. Bebero soldiers aren¡¯t prepared at all, so please don¡¯t be too concerned, your highness.¡± ¡°But the Bebero has plenty of citizens that are used to riding and working on boats. Our men, on the other hand, have no idea how to even maneuver one. Some don¡¯t even know what an oar looks like,¡± Lucius the First replied. ¡°We already have begun our training, so all will be well, your highness.¡± ¡°I believe in all of you. All I am saying, however, is that it won¡¯t be as easy as it was with Aehas and Kukda.¡± Suddenly, the emperor remembered the person who made it so easy to conquer the two said nations. The female knight who made it all possible. She was a foreigner and a knightess, but Lucius the first believed in her abilities. He had no doubt that she would adapt to whatever situation came at her. It was those around her that had difficulties getting used to HER.
The soldiers received an order from Sir Baufallo to grab the shovels. They were to work on improving and maintaining their army base. The men from other departments could, in theory, reject Sir Baufallo¡¯s order, but none of them did. After all, Sir Baufallo was the one who fed all the men on the base, which meant it was a bad idea to disobey him. But some men didin. To them, Sir Baufallo yelled, ¡°If you don¡¯t want this job, then you can participate in the special training instead!¡± The special training involved getting into the battle gears and jumping into the river in the middle of the winter. No one volunteered for this. Without further protests, all the men grabbed their shovels and went to work. Sir Baufallo grinned. Some men were ordered to work on building new boats. The fishing boats they acquired were not enough. Lucius the First ordered all the avable boat builders and carpenters to be gathered so they could build more proper military ships. It was impossible to buildrge ships at this point, so they worked on creating smaller vessels instead. Koemong was a slow-streamed river. As long as the purpose of the vessels was to carry the soldiers across, smaller ships were going to be enough. Only Although Lucius the First¡¯s men assured him otherwise, there was a good chance that Bebero was nning their defense already. Acreia conquered the two kingdoms directly above it, so they had to have at least an idea on where they would be next. Bebero had to be preparing for war. One main difference was that while Bebero was preparing for a winter battle, Acreia was lying in wait for the spring. Another huge difference was their soldiers. Any emperor dreamed of maintaining a strong army. More soldiers meant more power, but maintaining soldiers costs a lot of money. Providing food alone was not enough. The soldiers needed to be clothed, fed, and housed properly. On top of that, they also needed to be paid so they could afford to have families of their own. During active wars, it made sense to have as many soldiers as possible. But what about when it¡¯s over, or during a truce? What should the soldiers do? This was why the emperors on this continent did not have a military force on contract. The soldiers they gathered were not soldiers by upation. They were just regr men drafted by force and byw. The nobles became knights while the farmers became foot soldiers. This meant that these military forces were weak and untrained at best. There were times when the battles were fought only by the high ranking knights from each side. Lucius the First did things very differently. He was, in fact, the very first emperor who created his entire army made of professional soldiers. His men trusted him and followed him, believing in his n to conquer the world. And as soon as the Koemong River melted, Lucius the First¡¯s men made their first-ever attempt to cross it. Just in case things didn¡¯t work out, only a part of the soldiers went on this first try. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 While the main troop went on to cross the river, the soldiers left behind continued to train and work on improving the military base. Some were even sent out to Aehas and Kukda to volunteer and help the locals. It was very important to maintain a positive impression on one¡¯s colonies. Sir Baufallo left the base to supervise the men who were sent to help the locals. Poliana remained on his behalf to take care of the station. After what she did to Donau, no men disrespected her. At least not in front of her. They no longer spat in front of her. They waited until she left. The soldiers also didn¡¯t call her a b*tch. When they needed to address her nowadays, they would look at her awkwardly and call her, ¡°Hey¡­¡± or ¡°You over there¡­¡± Some knights went as far as calling her ¡°Sir,¡± but never her full name of ¡°Sir Poliana.¡± There were odd people who convinced themselves that she was really a man. These men called her ¡°Sir Paul.¡± But despite the change in all the men on her base, there still was one boy who continued to call her nasty names. Donau. Lately, he has been constantly trying to pick a fight with her. ¡°I dare you to have a duel with me!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ A hairless boy like you? Do you have a death wish or something?¡± Since that incident, Donau began to wear a cup for his protection. Until that incident, he was more of a nuisance as he bullying Poliana, but now, he openly challenged her for a fight. She kicked him again once, proving that a protective cup was useless, but Donau refused to learn his lesson. ¡®It¡¯s not that he is stupid¡­ so why?¡¯ Poliana wondered. Donau showed his intelligence when he wrote out many of the reports for his older brother. Poliana also witnessed how friendly he could be with others, which meant it wasn¡¯t his personality who had the problem. So why was he being an idiot around her? Was it simply because he was a teenager? Strangely, Poliana felt a little guilty. She felt apologetic towards Donau because what she did to him was mainly done to establish her strength and position in this ce. She made an example out of him. And it worked because now, she was seen as a person to be feared. What she did to Donau was unnecessarily violent. She admitted this much. But it also didn¡¯t make sense how Donau continued to disrespect her. Poliana couldn¡¯t help but feel the burning need to show him again how a proper soldier needs to behave around his superior. But Poliana was a woman of her word. She couldn¡¯t beat him unless he made the first move, and whenever he did, she¡¯d only attack his crotch. It must¡¯ve been painful every time, but strangely, Donau never gave up. Poliana had to admire his persistence. Every single day, Donau picked a fight with her. He always tried to get away before she could kick him, but on most days, Poliana was quicker. But she was getting sick and tired of this interaction. Poliana tried to figure out why Donau was acting this way. She recently learned after meeting the emperor that she had a secret need and desire to be acknowledged. Was Donau feeling the same thing? Did he want his persistence and existence to be acknowledged by her? She asked about it to him once, vaguely, and this wasn¡¯t the case. Finally one day, Poliana grabbed him and asked, ¡°Are you doing this because you like your penis being kicked? Because if you like that kind of pain, you should just get a prostitute.¡± Poliana has seen some soldiers developing a strange fetish after going through many traumatic battles. When she asked if he was a masochist, Donau reddened. Poliana continued, ¡°I¡¯m just telling you because I feel like my legs are going to rot from kicking your balls all day.¡± ¡°You b*tch! Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°I am trying my best to control my strength. I have been avoiding turning you into a eunuch but getting injured like that every day can¡¯t be good. It¡¯s a very sensitive and fragile area, you know. Aren¡¯t you in pain?¡± ¡°I have no choice because you won¡¯t ept my challenge!¡± ¡°A duel is a privilege only given to the knights. A mere help like you have no right!¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve be a knight¡­! DAMMITTT!¡± ¡°Donau, manhood is a very important part for any man. You are young, so perhaps you haven¡¯t realized this yet.¡± Poliana should¡¯ve stopped here, but she was so used to verbal and sexual abuses that she continued without thinking, ¡°Have you ever been with a woman before, little boy?¡± SLAP! Suddenly, Donau pped Poliana with his leather glove. He then threw it at her and screamed, ¡°I challenge you to a duel!¡± ¡°¡­ I apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± Poliana felt a little sad. Just now, she acted like all the men she hated so much. What she said was wrong and she had no excuse for it. Poliana remembered her first day in a military camp, and how her superior treated her. If it was her who was forced to be with Sir Batre instead of that pretty boy, she would¡¯ve cried. She thought to herself, ¡®Hmm¡­ HE said the simr thing to me too I suppose.¡¯ Only Lucius the First. But his intention was very different than that of Sir Batre. Poliana slowly picked up the leather glove and handed it to Donau. If he was a proper knight, the act of picking it up would¡¯ve meant Poliana epted his challenge, but Donau was only a help. A duel was not allowed for him and in fact, it was against the militaryw. Poliana felt envious of him. He could challenge and insult her all he wanted, and she couldn¡¯t fight him to the death. Donau screamed again, ¡°I want a duel!¡± ¡°What I just said was wrong, so I won¡¯t kick your balls anymore.¡± Donau ran towards her with his sword out. Without much effort, Poliana kicked the boy¡¯s stomach. When he fell, she easily took away his sword and threw it far away. She then kicked his legs a few times, and before Donau could stand up, Poliana ced her foot on top of his chest and said to him apologetically, ¡°And don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t break any of your bones. I¡¯m not very strong, so without a weapon, I can¡¯t break bones that easily.¡± And with that, she punched his stomach without mercy. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 The kingdom of Bebero was shocked at the unexpected attack, but in the end, they remained calm. Before the Acreian ships reached the shore, Bebero¡¯s military force quickly began their assault using their bows. Long spears and arrows came at Lucius the First¡¯s men. The Acreian soldiers, who were used to fighting onnd and hunting in the mountains, moved desperately to avoid being hit. And the result was¡­ A huge loss on the Acreian side. Before the Acreian soldiers could cross even half of the river, they had to turn back. At least, they didn¡¯t have too many casualties, which was caused by pure luck. Those who returned alive no longer felt sure of themselves. Those that were left behind wanted to hear the details of the battle, but the high-ranking offers needed to meet with the emperor first to discuss what happened. The injured were transported to the medic¡¯s tent while the rest of the soldiers fell asleep after such a long day. The young men felt devastated as this was the first loss they experienced since Acreia waged its war against everyone. Their morale went down to dangerous levels. This could be a problem. Low morale meant the possibility of deserters. It also meant that the soldiers wouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t fight well. Battles and even wars could be lost because of it. This needed to be fixed, and this was the job for Sir Baufallo, ¡°The Mother.¡± ¡°Stupid boys! Get up right now, and snap out of it!¡± Sir Baufallo walked around and kicked any man who had a disappointed face. He screamed, ¡°Get your shovels and get to work!¡± The men slowly stood up and followed him. Sir Baufallo¡¯s aide Poliana followed him closely. She had a determined look on her face, ready to take over if any men disobeyed her superior. Every man on the base was by now aware of what happened to Donau. The story of her kicking his balls was now a legend among men. Most men feared her, especially because she got away with it even though Donau was Sir Baufallo¡¯s own son. If their superior was ok having his son treated this way, there was no doubt that Sir Baufallo would allow Poliana to do whatever she wanted to on those mere soldiers. ¡°How many shields do we have left?¡± Sir Baufallo asked the soldiers. ¡°Some of them have arrows stuck in them, but none of the arrows went through. We can reuse all of our shields.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sir Baufallo examined Bebero¡¯s arrow carefully. Acreian arrows were much stronger and sharper because they needed to be able to kill the northern animals, which had tougher hides. The Acreian shields were designed to be able to withstand the Acreian arrows, which meant that Bebero¡¯s arrows were no match against them. This was one of the main reasons why there weren¡¯t many huge casualties despite their loss. Sir Baufallo asked, ¡°Do we still have any of Bebero¡¯s arrows that are still intact on our shields? I want to have a look at it.¡± ¡°Here is one!¡± ¡°None of their arrows were covered in poison!¡± ¡°They also didn¡¯t use any arrows lit with fire!¡± Sir Baufallo studied the Bebero arrow carefully. He looked at the material and how long and sharp it was. Meanwhile, Poliana examined the soldiers. They were covered in mud, looking pathetic. Poliana threw some clean water at them, she checked to see if any of them had leeches or bugs on them. She even took some of their clothes off to check. Those soldiers shrieked in shock and embarrassment, but Poliana ignored them. When she moved on coldly, the men would yell, ¡°None of us have leeches on us!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even get to go into the water.¡± ¡°You went to cross theke, so how does it make sense that you didn¡¯t even get into the river?¡± Poliana asked incredulously. ¡°We couldn¡¯t move beyond the riverbank.¡± Bebero didn¡¯t set any traps on their riverbanks, so why couldn¡¯t the Acreian soldiers move past it? Poliana couldn¡¯t understand what was happening.
Inside the Acreianmander¡¯s tent, Lucius the First smiled kindly and encouraged his men, ¡°Don¡¯t feel so bad.¡± The beautiful emperor was neither angry nor disappointed. He was never going to give up. A failure like this was only going to help their future victories. ¡°Everyone, cheer up. The main purpose of this attempt was to learn about our enemies,¡± he continued. They couldn¡¯t ignore their emperor and they had to obey their master. The knights looked up at Lucius with their eyes beginning to lighten. They had to stop groaning and start figuring out why they lost. Lucius the First didn¡¯t participate in the battle this time, so he asked the head of this attempt, Sir Rabi, to provide him a full detailed report. ¡°At first, we tried to follow our original n. We were going to push the ships down the riverbanks so we could cross it, but we ended up not even being able to get to the water,¡± Sir Rabi exined. It took so much effort to build their ships and yet, they weren¡¯t even given the chance to use it at all. This was an unexpected turn of events for the Acreian soldiers. The Koemong River was the biggest body of water in the northern region. It would freezepletely except for its dead center during the winter. As they had expected, they would melt during spring, but for those who were used to have frozen grounds during that time, they weren¡¯t prepared for what awaited them. Wet muddy riverbanks. As the men pushed the boats down the banks, their legs were caught in the mud. They couldn¡¯t move. Bebero¡¯s soldiersughed at them from the other side of the river. When one team got close to getting its vessel into the water, they shot their arrows at them and even used their catapults against them. Getting attacked while stuck in mud¡­ The Acreian soldiers had no chance against it as their only defense was their shields. Most men came back alive, thankfully, but it was clear that they lost the battle. ¡°With all the mud out there, it will not be possible to build a dock either,¡± Sir Rabi continued. ¡°How about we pour soil over to harden the banks?¡± ¡°Bebero soldiers wouldn¡¯t just stand by and watch us. They will shoot their arrows at us, and it would be impossible for us to work and defend ourselves at the same time.¡± ¡°The wind will also be a problem for us. There is currently a very strong northern wind going on right now,¡± another knight added. Bebero¡¯s arrows were weaker, but because they were also lighter, they could go very far. The northern wind meant that Bebero had a huge advantage over them. On the other hand, the Acreian arrows were too heavy and they couldn¡¯t travel far against the strong wind. ¡°They said that the riverbank would turn solid around summer,¡± Sir Rabi suggested. Another knight then said, ¡°But in summer, the water will be too strong. We won¡¯t be able to cross it.¡± Only big ships could cross the river in the summer, and even if they had enough big ships, the Acreian soldiers were no sailors. Crossing the Koemong River during the summer was out of the question. One positive thing was that the summer was very short. So should they try it again in the autumn? In the fall, the water level of the river would go down significantly, which meant bigger vessels would not be able to cross it. Only smaller ships could make it across. It was also the only time in the year where people could swim in it. On sunny fall days, many locals went for a swim in the Koemong. Bebero now knew that Acreia wasn¡¯t going to wait till the winter. This meant that Lucius no longer had the edge of surprise on his side. Bebero was now going to have its defenses up. A small troop was no longer going to be enough to defeat Bebero anymore. Should Acreia stop and be satisfied with conquering Aehas and Kukda? ¡°Do we need to wait like this until the winter¡­?¡± Lucius the First murmured in disappointment, But even if they did, he still had no idea how to defeat Bebero. This was going to be his best chance. A surprise attack. Only He asked Sir Rabi, ¡°Can you think of any other way?¡± ¡°¡­ What about if we go up the river?¡± ¡°North of Koemong would be¡­Acreia.¡± ¡°And there, perhaps we can build a bridge across?¡± ¡°It that was possible, it would¡¯ve been done a long time ago, don¡¯t you think?¡± If the kingdoms were in a good rtionship, there would¡¯ve been a bridge built already, but Aehas and Kukda have been busy fighting against each other while Bebero didn¡¯t bother with them. Lucius joked gloomily, ¡°Once I conquer Bebero, my first order will be to build a bridge across the Koemong River.¡± ¡°Hahaha,¡± everyoneughed and the meeting ended with no n in ce. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 The Acreian soldiers turned into carpenters. They were professional soldiers, but if and when their superiors ordered them to be something else, they had no choice but to obey. Men grabbed the shovels, hammers, and nails. If they didn¡¯t have what they needed, they would go to the cities to get them or made them themselves. One good example was the catapult. The Acreians were nning to conquer the world, which meant they could not carry something like a catapult, so they didn¡¯t. Lucius the First expected the need for one would begin once they reached the kingdoms with bigger castles, like those in the middle of the continent, but he was proven wrong. The newly and hurriedly built catapult was not capable ofunchingrge rocks. But then, the catapults owned by Bebero also had the same problem. Besides, it was going to be difficult to findrge rocks and transport them to the catapults anyway. There were a few small docks at the river before the battle, but most of them were damaged orpletely destroyed by now. It was possible to build new ones, but they were going to be wrecked by Bebero catapults anyway, so there was no point in rebuilding them yet. The Acreians also were short on wood. They couldn¡¯t waste them on anything that wasn¡¯t going tost in this battle. A makeshift camp near the river was a day¡¯s walk away from Poliana¡¯s supply division. With Sir Baufallo¡¯s permission, Poliana approached the Koemong River. Poliana watched the Acreian soldiers standing around near the riverbanks. When the wind calmed down, one soldier suddenly shot an arrow to the other side. When it reached the middle of the river, the wind began to blow again and it dove into the water. ¡°Oh, that was so close!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? That was not even close!¡± ¡°Listen, I used to be very famous for my archery skill back home.¡± The soldiers chatted loudly. It seemed that their morale was still intact. Poliana sighed in relief. After the first failed crossing, the Acreians didn¡¯t give up. They tried again and again. Second attempt¡­ Third attempt¡­ They all led to failures, with each one worse than the one before. Bebero¡¯s soldiers seemed to able to shoot their arrows and stone farther now. The docks on Bebero¡¯s side were still intact, so they could stand on its edges and attack. They also got into their ships to get even closer to the Acreian side to attack. There seemed to be no solution to this problem. One knight suggested that they should create arge wooden shield for their boats. Bebero¡¯s arrows were weak, so perhaps they could cross in their vessels this way. But then, one knight voiced a concern that what would they do if their enemy started shooting them with arrows lit with fire? It was going to be a massacre. ¡°DAMMIT!¡± Sir Rabi screamed angrily nearby. Those men who were standing around him slowly backed away, fearing that they might be the victims to the knight¡¯s frustration. Only Poliana was left. Sir Rabi pointed his finger at her and stuttered, ¡°Umm¡­ Umm¡­ You¡­¡± He remembered seeing her and knew who she was, but Sir Rabi couldn¡¯t remember her name. When he continued to frown, Poliana saluted him and replied, ¡°Sir Poliana Winter, the aide of Sir Baufallo of the Supply Division, reporting for duty, Sir!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s right. I remember. Why are you here?¡± He didn¡¯t look very happy to see her. Poliana then answered, ¡°I came here to see the Koemong River. I have never seen it before.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you originally from Aehas? Good, then do you know anything about this river? You must¡¯ve heard things growing up so nearby. You know, like any battle records between Aehas and Bebero or something.¡± ¡°Sir, this is the first time I saw the Koemong River! And there has never been a battle between Aehas and Bebero!¡± ¡°Dammit! Then why did youe here?¡± ¡°I have never seen the Koemong River, so I came to see it, Sir!¡± ¡°So you came here for fun? Do you think this is funny?! Huh!?¡± Poliana came here just to see the river, and she didn¡¯t mean anything by it, but the angry Sir Rabi took it the wrong way. Given the role of leading the battles was a huge honor, and failing the emperor¡¯s expectation was a horrible feeling indeed. Sir Rabi was not a happy man at the moment. Lucius the First did not me Sir Rabi at all, but this made Sir Rabi feel even worse. Every day, Sir Rabi screamed at the river angrily. Some times, the Bebero soldiers would shoot a few arrows at him in reply. By the time a few of the arrows reached near Sir Rabi, they were too weak and slow to the point that it was easy for him to just knock them off with his sword. Those arrows could never hurt him considering where he was, but he still got angrier. The only way Sir Rabi could relieve his stress was to spar with other men. But after the first few times, his men began to avoid him. At the moment, Poliana was the only one visible to him, but he remembered her gender. She didn¡¯t look like a woman, but she was. He grumbled, ¡°Dammit¡­ I can¡¯t even spar with you because you are a girl.¡± ¡°If you need a sparring partner, I would be honored, Sir!¡± Sir Rabi grabbed her cors and lifted her off the ground with only one hand. She wasn¡¯t very heavy, but Poliana was still well-armed with leather armor, a sword, and two daggers. Lifting her off the ground with only one hand¡­ That was quite a feat and Sir Rabi didn¡¯t seem to be even out of breath. The interesting thing was, Sir Rabi didn¡¯t look muscr or manly. He, in fact, looked almost too pretty for a man. ¡®He is incredibly strong.¡¯ Only Poliana now could understand why he was appointed to lead this battle. ¡°DAMMIITTT!¡± Sir Rabi shouted again, louder this time. Poliana almost felt like her ears were bleeding from it. She suddenly realized that perhaps the real reason why he was given this position was for his loud voice, which could be useful in leading the men during noisy battles. ¡°If you will allow me, I will be honored to spar you, Sir!¡± Poliana replied. ¡°If you have a death wish, then go for it, you idiot! AAAHHH! What does everyone want from me?!¡± Just then, a beautiful voicemented from behind them. ¡°Perhaps I demanded too much from you, Sir Rabi.¡± It was their emperor, Lucius the First. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 At the sudden and unexpected appearance of their ruler, Sir Rabi flinched while Poliana saluted her emperor immediately. Lucius the First, who was dressed unusually luxuriously today, looked gorgeous as usual. Poliana was impressed. ¡®He is so handsome.¡¯ She truly believed her own emperor was the best-looking man in the world. But there was no time to admire him. With his fancy outfit and blindingly gorgeous look, he was an obvious and noticeable target. If any of the Bebero soldiers spotted him from across the river, they were going to shoot him. Poliana bowed and said to him anxiously, ¡°Your highness, please move far away from here. It is too dangerous.¡± But the emperor ignored her. Instead, he turned to Sir Rabi and announced, ¡°I did not order to, Sir Rabi, to bring me a victory against Bebero. I ordered you to study the river and research on how we can cross it. You made a rash decision of attempting to cross it without a good n. You did it several times in fact! That was your mistake, Rabi. It¡¯s not you losing the battles, but it was you not following my orders urately.¡± Sir Rabi bowed as well and replied, ¡°Your highness, you are absolutely right. And you may reprimand me all you want, but please step back first away from this area! It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°I am very unhappy about all this. This won¡¯t do.¡± Lucius the First ignored his knight¡¯s worried request. He refused to leave the ce. Instead, he turned to the river. His beautiful green eyes stared at the water as well as the army beyond it. They were now in the middle of the spring. The Bebero has recruited many more men since the first battle and strengthened their defense. A gentle wind blew suddenly, and Lucius the First¡¯s golden hair danced around his face. The wind blew towards the Acreian army and it was going to remain in this direction until the fall. Suddenly, a weak arrow flew from the Bebero¡¯s side and reached the dirt in front of Lucius the First¡¯s feet. Sir Ainno, who was standing behind the emperor, finally realized the danger his emperor was in. Sir Rabi and Poliana stepped forward to ce themselves in front of their emperor. But Lucius the First smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ainno. Step back.¡± Just then, Poliana saw that her emperor was holding a bow and an arrow. They were the best-looking weapons she had ever seen. Lucius the First shot his arrow without hesitation, and despite the strong wind, it flew strong and ended in the middle of Bebero captain¡¯s head. The captain was wearing a helmet, but the arrow went through and killed him instantly. The Bebero archers shot at Lucius the First in panic, but none of them got even close to the emperor. In fact, most of them fell into the water. Lucius the First murmured disappointedly, ¡°This is embarrassing¡­ Hmm¡­¡± He handed his bow to Sir Ainno, who used it to shoot his arrows this time. His arrows killed a foot soldier, two archers, and another soldier handling the catapult. The best knight in the Acreian army, Sir Ainno. Aehas¡¯ main weapon was a sword while Acreia was known for its archery. Acreian men made their bows and arrows from the trees that could survive the freezing climate of Acreia. Men from other kingdoms usually couldn¡¯t even pull the string because it was too tough. An average Acreian man could use it, but perhaps just once or twice. Not three times in a row like Sir Ainno just did. The emperor only brought a few arrows. This was just to scare Bebero¡¯s soldiers. It should be enough to keep them quiet for a while. Lucius the First then announced, ¡°I don¡¯t think they will be attacking us for a while now. Before they start shooting again, explore the river well, Sir Rabi.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°Ainno, is your shoulder ok?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, your highness. You need not to worry.¡± Other soldiers began to gather around their emperor with bright faces. Their morale has been downtely due to the recent failures and losses, but with the presence of their emperor and what he has just done, they were starting to feel more confident. Lucius the First looked around. He saw the soldiers and Poliana as well, but his eyes didn¡¯t linger anywhere. There wasn¡¯t going to be another personal interaction between them, like the one they had that night when he rewarded her with a wild boar. After the emperor left, Sir Rabi also ran to his tent, screaming again like a beast. Now alone, Poliana enjoyed the wind as she walked along the river. As the emperor predicted, no arrows came from the other side of the water. Poliana clenched her hands into fists. She was not strong enough to shoot an arrow as Lucius the First or Sir Ainno did. And even if she managed to pull the string, she was not a good marksman. Poliana also was well aware of her limited swordsmanship. If Sir Rabi did take up on her offer and they sparred, she would¡¯ve lost easily. He probably could beat her even without a sword. ¡®Whatever it takes¡­ Somehow¡­ I need to¡­¡¯ Only She had to do something. Anything. She needed to be a knight her emperor could be proud of, a knight worthy to be in Lucius the First¡¯s army. Poliana knew that the emperor would be perfectly satisfied with her being a good aide to Sir Baufallo, a good supply unit soldier. Her emperor was a man who would appreciate everyone, even those who worked behind the scenes, but still¡­ Every knight probably felt this way. They all wanted to be seen by their emperor. To be recognized, to be near their ruler. Suddenly, Poliana remembered Sir Rabi¡¯s question. ¡°You are from Aehas, right? Then you must know the river well? Maybe you heard something about it in the past?¡± The wind blew again, but unlike Lucius the First, Poliana didn¡¯t have long hair that could dance around her face. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Lucius the First saw the big picture for his future. After his father¡¯s death, he inherited the throne as a young boy. Once he became an adult, he left his kingdom in his cousin¡¯s hand and went south. He conquered Aehas and Kukda in record time. Thest kingdom to conquer in the northern region was Bebero and to do this, he had to cross the Koemong River. ¡°When will Bentier arrive?¡± ¡°In four days, your highness.¡± Sir Bentier was the deputymander and the current acting head of Kukda. He had been ordered to bring his men and join the emperor. The soldiers didn¡¯t provide an obvious answer to their current situation, but there was nothing else Lucius could think of. He thought that perhaps more brains to think would help hime up with a n. It was summer now, and it has been 5 months since the Acreian military remained still in the river. The weather was getting too hot, and the men now wore their summer uniforms. Sir Baufallo busied himself by making sure that no infections or epidemic would start while they¡¯re there. He had strict rules about boiling all of their water before drinking it. Meanwhile, the water level rose in the river, pushing the Acreian soldiers further back. They were so far from each other that no stones nor arrows could reach either side, The Bebero soldiers did not make a mistake of attacking the Acreians. Instead, they focused on strengthening their defense. They expected Lucius the First not to give up, they realized that he could always build bigger ships to cross the river the next spring. They then began to build a wooden barrier along the river, which ended up being a big source of frustration for the Acreians. Even though it wasn¡¯t a stone citadel, the wooden barriers were still an excellent defense system. Lucius the First thought unhappily, ¡®I still haven¡¯t conquered the northern region yet!¡¯ He knew that uniting the three northern kingdoms was going to be good enough. This alone was enough to make him be remembered as a great emperor. But it wasn¡¯t enough for him. Lucius the First wanted much more. He wanted to unite the entire continent and be the emperor of all. This was his dream. This was what he was born to do. He could never give up. Four dayster, Sir Bentier arrived. He was a legendary soldier like Sir Ainno. He was also known for his great intelligence and strategies, and Lucius the First always valued his brain and prudence. He kneeled before his emperor and said to him, ¡°Your highness, conquering Aehas and Kukda could still be your greatest aplishment.¡± ¡°Are you saying I should be satisfied with what I have? That I should stop?¡± ¡°No one will think less of you if you did, your highness.¡± ¡°So you are saying I should give up. I should give up my dream, which I have been nning since I was a little boy. Sir Bentier, I appointed you as my deputymander because of your prudence, but in this case, you are making a mistake. What I need is your brain, not your caution. Please do not disappoint me now.¡± ¡°I will do my best for you, your highness.¡± The truth was, Lucius the First had been nning this for a long time since his father was well and alive. If it wasn¡¯t for his father¡¯s sudden death, Lucius the First would be still in Acreia just like his cousin was right now, protecting his kingdom. He was the only heir after all. Even now, there were many who disagreed with his mission. In fact, there were some who wanted his cousin Luzo to take over the throne in his absence. Thank goodness Duke Luzo had no desire to be an emperor. Sir Bentier was like those people back in Acreia who disagreed with Lucius¡¯ aspiration. He was aplete conservative, but the emperor truly appreciated the knight¡¯s caution. Having someone like him around was important. Sir Bentier went to the Koemong River himself to check it out. Its waters were rapid and unless one was apetent swimmer, he/she could be easily swept away. Sometimes, there were stones and pieces of wood that came down from the upper river. Watching the water, Sir Bentier knew that crossing it in summer was not possible. He was certain of that.
The next day, Lucius the First wore another one of his fancy outfits and appeared at the river while holding a bow and an arrow. The Bebero soldiers remembered that bloody spring day, so they quickly hid behind their barriers. The bow and arrow Lucius held were the regr hunting types, but he was too far from the enemy¡¯s side for them to tell. The emperor shot one of the ducks and his hunting dogs quickly swam to the middle of the river to bring it to him. They moved away from him and began to shake off the water from their fur. Unfortunately, Sir Baufallo and Poliana were there to be the victims of that dog water. Soaked now, they looked pathetic. Lucius the First looked at them curiously, ¡°Why do you guys look so wet?¡± ¡°Your highness, I understand that you are frustrated, but to hunt here¡­¡± When the emperor feigned his ignorance, Sir Baufallo looked awkward. He begged Lucius to remember the rule that he was not supposed to hunt. And when Lucius the First handed him the duck, Sir Baufallo became angry. ¡°Your highness, I can hunt my own duck if I needed one!¡± Sir Baufallo shot his own arrow, and just as he imed, he got one easily. When the dead duck fell to the river, none of the emperor¡¯s dogs went into the water. They were trained to bring back only those games that were killed by their master. Sir Baufallo turned to Poliana and ordered, ¡°Get that duck for me!¡± She turned to the soldier next to her and ordered, ¡°Bring that duck here.¡± The soldier ordered his help, ¡°Hey, get that duck.¡± The help went into the water and brought back the animal. It was funny how things worked in a military system but that couldn¡¯t be helped. Only Lucius the Firstughed loudly as he soon found himself holding two dead ducks. He then announced happily, ¡°We now have enough snacks for a drinking party.¡± ¡°Your highness, drinking too much isn¡¯t healthy for you.¡± ¡°There are days when you just need to get drunk, Sir Baufallo. How about you guys be my drinking buddies?¡± Drinking at the riverside and across from their enemies was an ufortable idea, but Sir Baufallo nodded at his emperor¡¯s words anyway. Lately, his emperor hasn¡¯t been feeling pleased, so if this could help him feel better¡­ That was the least Sir Baufallo could do like a good subject. Lucius the First ordered the ducks to be cooked, and his drinks were brought out quickly. Sir Baufallo followed his emperor and waved Poliana away. She turned around to leave when suddenly, Lucius the First shouted in confusion, ¡°Sir Poliana? Why aren¡¯t youing? Don¡¯t you drink?¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh, no, your highness.¡± Poliana was shocked. Was she to be included in this party? She thought that it was just Sir Baufallo who was invited. Awkwardly, she followed her emperor. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Lucius the First¡¯s red cape danced around him with every step. He was wearing a pair of regr military boots, and his hair was as golden and as shiny as ever. As soon as he entered his personal tent, the servants gathered around him to help him out of his cape. It was a hot summer after all. Before entering the emperor¡¯s tent, the servants also swarmed around Poliana. They quickly took away her sword and daggers; they checked her entire body as well to make sure that she wasn¡¯t concealing any weapons, and they even checked the bottom of her shoes. It was for the protection of the emperor. The greatest honor a knight could receive was being allowed to be armed around his or her sovereign. It showed that the emperor had aplete trust over that knight. The servants brought out a few chairs and a table. There were three chairs, but Poliana hesitated sitting on one. She came because she was ordered to, but she wasn¡¯t too happy about this situation. The emperor then said to her, ¡°You may take a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡± Her most beloved emperor has invited her to drink with him, but she was in fact unhappy about it all. She remembered her superiors before who imed that drinks and tea tasted the best when served by women. During her time in her old army, she was once called to entertain the higher-ranking officials by pouring them drinks and ¡°look pretty¡± while doing so. In the end, she was kicked out because of her looks. Some men even became angry, saying she was no woman. There were two types of men at those parties; those who thought that an ugly woman was better than a pretty man, and the others who preferred a beautiful man over Poliana. In the end, she was never called to these kinds of parties again. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ What was she going to do if Lucius the First demanded her of the same service? Pouring her emperor¡¯s drinks was not a problem at all, but to order her just because she was a woman¡­ Poliana knew her disappointment in her emperor would be hard to ovee. Lucius the First also invited Sir Howe and Donau. When Donau entered, Poliana noticed that he was wrapped in bandages. He wore various ornaments in a poor attempt to hide this fact. After the emperor saw Donau, he asked, ¡°Did you get stomped by a horse? Are any of your bones broken?¡± Donau did look badly beaten, but it was clear that it wasn¡¯t by a horse. If it was, Donau wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk around like this. The emperor knew this, but he was being sensitive and kind. But Donau didn¡¯t seem to realize this, he gritted his teeth in embarrassment as he replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t broken anything, your highness. It is only a minor injury.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lucius the First smiled and patted Donau¡¯s head, who smiled happily. Just then, the servants brought the drinks and the food. The emperor mumbled, ¡°There seem to be only four duck legs¡­ But there are five of us.¡± Everyone stood up quickly and announced that they didn¡¯t want the legs. Lucius the First waved them to sit down and replied, ¡°I was just joking.¡± He grabbed a bottle of wine and announced, ¡°I know I invited you for a drinking party, but all I can offer you today is just a watered-down wine. We are going to have a long day tomorrow anyway, so I think this is probably a good idea. Getting drunk would only make it harder to wake up.¡± He filled Sir Baufallo¡¯s cup with half portions of water and wine. The emperor then turned towards Poliana, who flinched in shock. ¡°M, me too?!¡± ¡°Hmm? You are older than Sir Howe, isn¡¯t that so? This means that you would be next to receive the drink. But of course, if you don¡¯t like to drink, you are wee to refuse it.¡± ¡°No! Not at all, your highness! And yes, I am older than Sir Howe! By a whole year!¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Poliana held the cup with both of her hands, looking nervous and honored at the same time. Lucius the First carefully poured the water and wine into her cup. This was the first time Poliana had someone pour her a drink. Not to force her to drink but as an offer. Realizing the emperor didn¡¯t invite her to pour drinks for them made her feel relieved. After Sir Howe, it was Donau¡¯s turn. The emperor made sure that Donau¡¯s drink was much more watered. He ignored Donau when he protested. Everyone chatted pleasantly. Lucius the First talked easily with Sir Baufallo, who used to be the former emperor¡¯s knight as well. Meanwhile, Poliana asked Sir Howe, who she hasn¡¯t seen in a long time, about how he was doing under Sir Rabi. Sir Howe said that his new position was an incredibly stressful one because of how picky Sir Rabi was. Donau, on the other hand, was busy eating the ducks. Lucius the First asked Sir Baufallo, ¡°I¡¯m sure you wanted to lead a more active department than a war supply unit, Sir Bau. Are you ok with your current position? I know you took it because I made you to.¡± ¡°Not at all, your highness. I actually like my posting. It suits me very well, especially since I am getting pretty old. I believe it is time for the young men to get the chance for glory.¡± ¡°Please, don¡¯t think you won¡¯t be recognized just because you are in a quieter unit. I know it may not be as obvious, but I am well aware of how important a supply department is.¡± ¡°I know that very well too, your highness.¡± ¡°And if you are unhappy about something I do, please don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡± ¡°How could I ever be unhappy with you, your highness? I am just honored that you allowed both of my sons to serve you.¡± Sir Baufallo looked at Sir Howe and continued, ¡°I am only worried that my idiot sons might disappoint you, your highness.¡± Only ¡°I guess I just feel very apologetic to your wife, Sir Baufallo¡­ I took all of the men in her family into this war.¡± While Sir Baufallo and the emperor discussed things about the war, Sir Howe began to chat with his younger brother while Poliana just drank quietly. The ducks were cooked very well, but because she was so nervous, she couldn¡¯t taste anything. Poliana was born to an average noble family. She wasn¡¯t raised as ady either, it meant she wasn¡¯t used to talking with such important people. She did meet with high ranking officers from time to time, but not in a friendly setting like this. Poliana kept drinking fast to ease her anxiety, and soon, the bottle was empty. The servant immediately brought out another bottle. Donau, who has been busy with the duck dish, reached out to grab the new bottle, just as Poliana was doing the same. Their eyes suddenly met. Since she had a higher rank, it was only right that Donau let her have the bottle first, but it was clear that he wasn¡¯t going to. So, Poliana moved faster, she grabbed the bottle and poured Donau and herself drinks. This made Poliana look like a generous knight who kindly poured a mere help a drink. Angrily, Donau emptied his cup in one gulp and red at her. ¡®That jerk!¡¯ Donau¡¯s obvious disrespectful behavior was shocking, considering that they were in front of the emperor. He was lucky that Sir Baufallo and Lucius the First were busy talking among themselves. They didn¡¯t seem to notice what was going on between Poliana and Donau. Just then, the emperor asked Sir Baufallo loudly, ¡°so how is Sir Poliana doing?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ''GYAAA!!'' Poliana gasped and turned pale. It seemed that the chat between the men turned to the topic of her performance. Sir Baufallo nced at her quickly before reporting to the emperor, "She is good at her job." "And?" "My oldest son was an unsuitable aide, so having someone capable like Sir Poliana is a pleasure. There was a brief minor problem with other soldiers, but it has been resolved. There seems to be another problem currently, but¡­" Sir Baufallo looked at his youngest son who looked battered. Donau has been insisting that Poliana attacked him without a warning, but Sir Baufallo knew better. If and when Donau would be older and more experienced, he might be able to beat Poliana, but for now, Sir Baufallo knew that it wasn''t going to happen. He hoped that his son would realize this soon and grow up. Sir Baufallo secretly wondered. ''I hope I will get to have a grandson out of Donau but at this rate, Sir Poliana is going to make a eunuch out of him.'' He decided that sometime soon, he should pull down Donau''s pants and make sure that everything was still intact down there. Sir Baufallo turned to the emperor again and continued, "I am confident that this current problem will be resolved very soon as well. The onlyint I have against Sir Poliana, however, is that she tends to use violence to solve all of her problems. I suspect that it is due to how she was brought up. For now, it is ok, but if she wants to go far in the military, she better change. I think¡­ I think she will be able to." Poliana''s face became pale as she listened. She clenched her fists. She hated to admit it, but Sir Baufallo was right. As a low-ranking knight, she could beat her men to follow her orders, but if she were to be promoted, she could no longer treat her men like that. No good woulde out of such behavior. Poliana was well aware of her faults and her limit as a woman. She tried to make it up as best as she could but some things just couldn''t be fixed. The reason why she acted this way was because she never expected to get anywhere in the military. She didn''t believe that she would ever be promoted to a higher position. But right now, Sir Baufallo was talking about the possibilities she never imagined. She was truly impressed at how Sir Baufallo seemed to have read her so urately. She didn''t think that he was paying any attention to her, but it was clear that he has been watching and analyzing her. He knew her behavioral pattern as well as the reasons behind it. Ever since she was appointed as a knight in the Acreian military, she had been worried about how the emperor would think of her. She never considered how her direct superior would see her. It was an embarrassing realization, but for some reason, Poliana felt happy as well. She was happy that Sir Baufallo was interested in her, and that he saw her potential. Lucius the First then asked Sir Baufallo, "Well, is she at least good at beating men up?" "She has great techniques." Poliana knew this as well but hearing that she had "great techniques" still made her pleased. Sir Baufallo continued, "In conclusion, I believe that Sir Poliana should give up being a knight. She should leave the military entirely and work in an administrative department back home. Or perhaps, she could work as a scribe. That would be the best way she could serve your highness. It would also be most beneficial to Sir Poliana. Not many can survive in war especially as they get older¡­ Being a knight¡­ It is a tough job for anyone, especially a woman. Sir Poliana doesn''t have the physical attributes to survive this war. She may win against smaller and weaker men, but not against a proper knight. And again, she is a woman and she needs to be protected so she can get married and bear children." His words made Poliana''s heart sink. She suddenly felt cold but unaware of her shock, Sir Baufallo continued smoothly, "She needs a good n for herself because let''s be honest here. She is no beauty. With that face¡­ it will be impossible to get any nobleman to marry her. She needs to grow her hair and maybe put on a nice dress. My wife knows many well-mannereddies, and I am sure that one of them can teach Sir Poliana how to be a properdy. And if we consider all these things, I am certain that we should be able to get maybe a farmer to offer her a marriage. She may not be a looker, but she is still a noble, and that fact alone should make her attractive to somemoners." Just then, Sir Howe interrupted his father. "Gosh, Father! You should be more worried about my own marriage! I am your son after all." But Sir Baufallo replied bluntly, "I am not worried about your marriage. You will be fine. You will have no problem finding a wife." Poliana thought bitterly, ''But he thinks I won''t. He thinks I won''t be able to get a man without all these things.'' But she didn''t want to get married. A long time ago, she decided that she would never marry so whenever someone mentioned this topic to her, Poliana couldn''t help but feel angry. However¡­ The way Sir Baufallo talked seemed to suggest that he felt at least a little affection towards her. Sir Baufallo mumbled, "I am saying this because she is kind of like my son¡­ I mean my daughter." Poliana was used to beingughed at and criticized, but when Sir Baufallo made the same suggestions with genuine concern, she didn''t know how to reply or react. Lucius the First had a strange expression on his face. He then replied to Sir Baufallo, "Thank you for your opinion, Sir Bau. As a matter of fact, I agree with a lot of the points you made just now." Poliana lowered her face to hide her disappointment. The emperor continued, "However, what really matters is how Sir Poliana feels about all this. Sir Poliana swore to me that she would serve me as a knight till death. I made her a knight, not as a scribe or an administrative official. So Sir Poliana, what is your opinion on this? What do you want?" Poliana''s body jerked up in shock. With her voice trembling, she replied with determination, "I will always remain as your highness''s knight. I will live as a knight and I will die as one too." Lucius the First looked at her proudly. Her answer came exactly as he had expected and hoped from her. On top of that, the way Sir Baufallo seemed to care about Poliana made him feel even better. To gain such trust and affection from her superior¡­ It was a good sign. The emperor said to her, "I haven''t been paying much attention to you, or help you in any way, but it seems that you have been doing just fine." "Thank you, your highness!" "I have no doubt that many, if not most, men objected to your position. In Acreia, as you know already, women cannot be given the rank of a knight. To have a FOREIGN woman in the base¡­ I can imagine how others would have treated you, Sir Poliana. In my defense, I made a point of not paying attention to you so that it doesn''t incite more hatred from the soldiers. I hope you don''t feel abandoned or unhappy with my decision." "Not at all, your highness! I am thankful for everything you have done for me!" "And how is your posting? Anyints about being in the war supply division?" "Not at all! Supply division is the most important department in any military. Being even a small part of it is a great honor! I am learning a lot!" "Oh, because if you weren''t happy there, I was going to move you to whichever division you wish to join." "¡­" "It was a joke." "H, haha¡­ Ha¡­" Poliana forced an awkwardugh. This party was turning out to be a lot stranger and scarier than she expected. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Poliana was not used to this kind of situation. She worried that she might have offended Sir Baufallo, but when she quickly nced at him, he seemed ok. The emperor replied, ¡°I do believe that you, Sir Poliana, is more suited in another department. However, if I ced you in that position right away, no one would have respected and followed you. Like Sir Bau just said, you need to stay where you are for now and learn to lead properly. Make your men obey you because they want to, not because they fear you. Please do not disappoint me.¡± ¡°Your highness, I will do my best.¡± ¡°I like those you try their best because I do so myself. Hmm¡­ did I sound like an old man just now? Anyway, a true effort is what will get you to ces. I know that there are things you cannot achieve even with your best effort, but even then, you should not give up. At least, that is what I think. You would get many chances in your lifetime and if you continue your effort, there wille a time when you will be properly rewarded. Even if you miss a chance now, you will get another one and another one, so never give up.¡± Poliana shivered because Lucius the First¡¯s words truly resonated with her. There are things you cannot achieve even with your best effort¡­ But another chance will alwayse by¡­ If you continue your effort, there wille a time when you will be rewarded¡­ Poliana believed that the biggest and the best chance she was given in her life was meeting Lucius the First. Being praised by the emperor right now¡­ She couldn¡¯t have asked for more. The emperor continued, ¡°I would love to see you aplish such big achievements, Sir Poliana, but I know that it may not be possible yet. If we fail again in crossing the river in the fall, then my men and I will be returning to Acreia. If you wish, you will, of course, be weed to stay in Aehas.¡± ¡°Your highness! I¡­¡± ¡°But remember, you refused the acting director position, so you can¡¯t ask for it now!¡± Poliana could tell that the emperor was joking. Lucius the First continued, ¡°Listen, I haven¡¯t given up yet, and I never will. If we fail again, I will return and build a proper navy from Aehas and Kukuda¡¯s ports. Who knows? Maybe it would be faster to go by the sea rather than bynd.¡± ¡°Your highness¡­¡± The three knights and one help in the room became teary. They truly loved their emperor who was incredibly charismatic. Poliana clearly saw the difference between how she treated her menpared to how her emperor was with his subjects. Of course, Lucius the First had the advantage of being born a royal. He was also possibly the most beautiful man in the world, but these advantages didn¡¯t guarantee his men¡¯s loyalty. It was his kindness, generosity, and intelligence that captured their hearts. Lucius the First was their beloved sovereign. Poliana clenched her teeth. She was given the honor of serving such a great emperor, and there was nothing she could do to help him fix this situation. Just because of this stupid river¡­ A simple river was stopping her emperor. She stood up from her chair and kneeled in front of him. ¡°Your highness, I know I am not worthy, but I would like to do everything I can to help you! I am willing to give up my life to make your dreame true! So please, I have a request I would like to beg of you.¡± ¡°You are certainly worthy, my knight. You are my sword, my knight, and my shadow. The one who shares my dream. Sir Poliana, what do you want from me?¡± ¡°Please allow me a map of this area and a few days so I could explore.¡± ¡°Is there something you want to check?¡± ¡°There is a myth in this region that a man rode a kelpie across the river to get medicine for his sick son. I am not so na?ve that I would believe a myth, but it is such a wide-spread story that I believe that perhaps there is a truth to it. I have been wondering if that man rode a horse to cross the river. If this is the case, there must be a part of the river somewhere that is shallow enough for men to cross it easily. If you could allow me a few days, I will find out. I will give up my life to do this.¡± A kelpie was a shape-changing aquatic spirit. Some believe that it was a spirit while others believe that it could be a monster. The legend had it that it resembled a horse and lived in the river. Poliana believed that the myth could be just an exaggerated story of a man riding a horse across the river. The emperor then replied, ¡°There is no need for you to give up your life, Sir Poliana. I will be fine with you not finding anything either. I am happy with just you trying so hard. I will give you a map, and if you need it, I will also allow you to take one man to help you. Return before the end of this summer. If you do find something, I will allow you to attend the strategic meeting.¡± Poliana¡¯s eyes moistened at her emperor¡¯s generosity. Poliana bowed deeply and Lucius the Firstughed. ¡°Hahaha! I am very pleased!¡± He has been barely drinking, but now, he finally emptied his ss and gestured Donau to pour another one. Poliana thought secretly, ¡®I see that the emperor prefers a pretty boy than an ugly girl¡­¡¯ The truth was, Lucius the First had Donau pour the drink because he was the lowest ranking member in the tent, there was no way for her to know this. When Donau poured a drink respectfully, Lucius the First patted him affectionately. The emperor asked Donau, ¡°Is there anything you want from me too, Donau? I am in a good mood, so I may consider it.¡± ¡°I would like to be your highness¡¯s knight and fight for you.¡± ¡°Haha, you want to get a sword?¡± ¡°I would like to participate in the uing battle for your highness!¡± ¡°Haha, so you would prefer a bow, like your father and your older brother?¡± ¡°I would like to be a knight!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You would like a spear instead? Alright.¡± There was a silent agreement between Lucius the First and Sir Baufallo. All of the men from Sir Baufallo¡¯s family ended up going into this conquest. If all three of them became knights, the family could lose all of its men. This was the reason why the emperor has been keeping Donau from bing a knight. Lucius the First purposely continued to pretend like he didn¡¯t understand what Donau was asking, but the boy was persistent. Sir Howe covered his younger brother¡¯s mouth tightly as the emperor nced at Sir Baufallo. Until now, Sir Baufallo has been adamant that Donau remains as his help but today, he seemed contemtive. After a few seconds, Sir Baufallo nodded carefully. Lucius the First asked, ¡°Are you sure, Sir Baufallo?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. I¡¯m ok with it.¡± Only ¡°Hmm¡­ Alright. Donau! I order you to follow and assist Sir Poliana on this mission. As soon as you return, I will make you a knight.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Donau tried to say something, but Sir Howe continued to cover Donau¡¯s mouth and smiled. He replied on Donau¡¯s behalf, saying, ¡°Your highness, my brother Donau says that he is grateful for your generosity.¡± Sir Howe grinned slyly and asked, ¡°By the way, your highness¡­ How about me?¡± He was asking if the emperor could allow him a favor as well. Lucius the First smiled kindly and replied, ¡°I believe you have already been given a gift very recently.¡± ¡°Haha, you are absolutely right, your highness.¡± Indeed, Sir Howe was allowed to leave his father¡¯s department. With a satisfied smile, Lucius the First announced that the party was now over. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 After they left the emperor¡¯s tent, Sir Howe sshed some cold water on Donau, who then screamed, ¡°What the!? What do you think you are doing?¡± ¡°You are drunk.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± The brothers argued and Poliana watched them quietly. Sir Baufallo came to her and said to her calmly, ¡°Umm, Sir Poliana, I hope you aren¡¯t upset about what I said to his highness.¡± ¡°Not at all, Sir! Your review of me was the most generous one I have heard so far!¡± ¡°His emperor epts you as a knight, but my opinion still hasn¡¯t changed. A knightess¡­ I can not understand the concept behind it. Even if we return home in the fall, you will still be considered a spinster. And if we do seed in crossing the river and continue moving south, then¡­ It will be hopeless for you. It would be easy for a 40-year-old male knight to marry a 16-year-old girl, but it is apletely different story for a woman. Are you willing to live alone for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°I know you are worried about me. It is true that I didn¡¯t be a knight by choice. I was forced into it, but bing his highness¡¯s knight¡­ That was my choice. Even if I don¡¯t get to marry and end up living by myself for the rest of my life, I will not regret my choice.¡± ¡°¡­ You probably didn¡¯t see me at that time, but I was there when you pledged your loyalty to his highness.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°At the time, I wondered why a girl, who could¡¯ve been my own daughter, had to go through something so horrific like that. When you swore your allegiance to the emperor, I will admit that I was impressed. The other knights will never admit it, but I am certain that they all felt the same way. They will continue to pretend that they hate you and that they don¡¯t acknowledge you, but in the end, they will have no choice but to ept you. That is why I am telling you this right now. As someone who has lived longer than you, especially as a knight, this is the best advice I can give you.¡± Sir Baufallo¡¯s eyes turned even more serious as he continued, ¡°If you truly want to remain a knight, make sure that you never get married. Once you be someone¡¯s wife, you will lose your knightess status and when that happens, all the knights whoe to ept you will turn on you. They will hate you and will consider you their enemy. You may think that you are sick of men because of how you have been treated in your life, you may im that you have no intention of ever getting married, you may even believe that you could never fall in love, but feelings aren¡¯t something you can control. Falling in love¡­ You can never be certain that it won¡¯t happen. Remember when his highness said there are things that can¡¯t be controlled even if you try? One good example of it would be love. So if you are sure of living as a knightess, then make sure you live without love, that is the only way you will remain a knight to his highness.¡± Poliana forgot to breathe as she listened to Sir Baufallo¡¯s heartfelt advice. She made sure to remember every word. Opening her dry lips, Poliana replied, ¡°I will never forget your words. Thank you.¡± A woman was always to me in the army. Even if she did well¡­ Even if she did bad¡­ Even if she did nothing¡­ Even if she did something¡­ A ce where women weren¡¯t allowed¡­ Poliana was clearly unwee in this world. Even when it seemed she was slowly bing epted, something new woulde up. Her period¡­ Her physical weakness¡­ Her higher-pitched voice¡­ The men would say that all women are the same. Why was she allowed a private tent? It was because she was a woman. Why did she get to wash alone when men showered together? It was because she was a woman. A man could remain a knight even after he got married, but what about a woman? What about Poliana? All the legendary knightess in history and even the imaginary ones in the stories had simr endings. A female knight either died early with her beauty still intact, or she retired young and pretty and ended up marrying a fellow knight or another nobleman. In some romance novels, the beautiful knightess even ended up marrying the prince she saved. But in all these cases, the results were the same. A knightess would no longer be knight after her marriage. But it was different for a man. Even after being married, a male knight would still be able to fight and achieve sess. Poliana has never denied being a woman. And others might be shocked to hear it, but she never once wanted to be a man. This was especially the case because even a man could be easily raped in a military. She has witnessed it many times. Poliana considered her life to be average. Some may think she was dead unlucky while others might use her ofcking ambition. But she was not¡­ She WAS ambitious, and it wasn¡¯t for revenge against her cruel family, which would¡¯ve made sense. Her ambition was to not disappoint her new and beloved emperor. To be a truly great knight. She never gave up on marriage or love, because she never really even thought about these things since she never had the time. She always vaguely thought these were things to considerter in her life. But now¡­ She had to make a decision. Marriage and love¡­ Pregnancy and a baby. To wait by the warm fire for her husband or to enter the bloody battles as a knightess. Being a knight was something she was initially forced into. She did what she had to do to survive, but she never truly had a goal or purpose in life. Of course, everything changed when she met Lucius the First. The emperor told her that a person gets many chances in life, but Poliana didn¡¯t believe it. Someone privileged like her emperor may get multiple chances, but someone like her¡­ This chance she was given was going to be her first and herst opportunity. Even as a young girl, Poliana had to work much harder than everyone else. She was smart enough to know that she couldn¡¯t have everything. For example, she knew that she couldn¡¯t be greedy about her looks. She was no beauty and that was that. Only Poliana remembered her stepsister¡¯s beautiful hair. She always thought it was pretty, but she never envied it. Her fragilece dress that reached her slim ankles, her girly singsong voice, her powdered face and neck, and her narrow waist as she walked carefully in pretty but ufortable shoes, the sounds of piano and violin from the music room, a flowery perfume for her girly room, the sets of expensive rings on her slim fingers and her nes that adorned her; Poliana never envied her younger sister Liana for having all these things. In her entire life, Poliana has never forgotten even for a moment that she was a woman. It¡¯s that society wouldn¡¯t let her be one. She never tried to mimic men; all she did was whatever she could to survive in a ce where women weren¡¯t epted. She did her best to be epted. ¡®I don¡¯t even know what love is¡­ I don¡¯t feel confident about loving anyone either¡­¡¯ Sir Batre was proud of keeping her virginity intact, but it was an unnecessary gesture. Her choice was made, and it was a simple one. For now, she would live for the emperor who truly acknowledged her as a knight. She couldn¡¯t promise ¡°forever,¡± because life could be very unexpected. Who knows what might happen in the future? But even so, she knew the best she could hope for is perhaps a one-sided love. On her part of course. To know what love meant¡­ Poliana wanted at least that. It would be so sad to die without ever knowing what love feels like. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 As Lucius the First promised, Poliana received a map the next day. Just looking at the map wasn¡¯t enough for her to figure everything out. Poliana decided that she will first explore the towns nearby the river. She didn¡¯t really need anyone, so she only took Donau with her. There weren¡¯t many horses to spare anyway, so it made sense for just the two of them to go. Because of Poliana¡¯s absence, Sir Baufallo asked to borrow Sir Howe from Sir Rabi. The soldier who was responsible for the horses imed that he could only spare one horse. Poliana then announced, ¡°I guess we better ride it together then.¡± Donau protested loudly, but she ignored him and got on the horse. They fought to be the one riding it on the front, and in the end, when Poliana threatened to have him walk, Donau gave up. When two people rode a horse together, those who needed to be protected rode on the front. For example, thedies and children would ride on the front while a knight would be behind them. The reason why both Poliana and Donau fought to ride on the front wasn¡¯t that they wanted to be protected. It was because they both thought the other didn¡¯t deserve to be protected. If a male knight needed to ride a horse with another man, the knight usually ended up riding the front, however. If Poliana was considered ady, Donau would¡¯ve offered the front seat to her without hesitation and take the reign while if Donau was younger, Poliana would¡¯ve offered him the front seat. But these weren¡¯t the case. Poliana wasn¡¯t ady and Donau wasn¡¯t a little boy.
They didn¡¯t find out much in the first town. It seemed that the people have heard of the myth involving the kelpie, but no one knew when the story started and where it came from. Poliana first read about this myth in a travel diary written by a nobleman who traveled this area about 60 years ago. In the diary, it said the following. -The fisherman who was about to ride away in his boat mentioned, ¡°Recently, so-and-so crossed this river by riding a kelpie.¡± 60 years¡­ This wasn¡¯t an overly long time ago. There was a possibility that it really was a kelpie but to be honest, Poliana didn¡¯t believe in spirits. It was more likely that perhaps the fisherman was referring to a boat named ¡°Kelpie.¡± Despite the unlikeliness of finding anything useful, Poliana still wanted to explore because there was nothing else she could do for her emperor. She wanted to do something, anything, for her Lucius the First. To aplish something noteworthy and gain the emperor¡¯s trust¡­ That was her dream. Poliana didn¡¯t deny that she was acting greedy, but it came from her loyalty to her sovereign. In the town, Poliana went to talk to the oldest living person to find out more about this myth. The old man did know of this story as well, and he exined that it was a very simple tale. There lived a fisherman in a fishing vige near the Koemong River who had a son. This son was an only child and because of it, he was supposed to be exempted from being drafted. However, there was a misunderstanding and the son was forcibly taken to serve in the military. The son was released and returned to him three years earlier than others from the army, but he came home with one of his legs amputated. Unfortunately, the injury became infected, and a doctor was needed to help him. It was faster to get a doctor from across the river, from Bebero, than to go the Aehas. But at the time when this son needed a doctor, Aehas and Kukda were at war as usual, and Bebero stopped any boats from crossing the river in fear of spies being sent. The father had no choice but to cross the river using the kelpie he was raising at home. Poliana asked in confusion, ¡°So a kelpie didn¡¯t appear in front of this father, who was crying at the river in fear of losing his son? It was a kelpie that the father already owned?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It was the kelpie he was raising at home at the time.¡± ¡°So that ¡®kelpie¡¯ must¡¯ve been a horse?¡± ¡°Most likely, and it wasn¡¯t actually a fisherman. It was a shipowner. He was actually a very rich man.¡± The old man further added that the father tried his best to go across by boat secretly, but it was not possible. So one day, he ran out on a horse and on the next, he came back with a doctor. The misunderstanding was partly because the horse¡¯s name was ¡°kelpie,¡± but it was also from the kindness of the vigers. Fearing that the father may get punished for crossing the river without permission, they began to spread the rumor about this mythical creature. Basically, it was a white lie. A desperate father gets helped by a kelpie when he crossed that river to Bebero. Poliana asked the old man, ¡°Do you know who it was? That father?¡± The old man looked away nervously. Poliana sighed and exined that she wasn¡¯t here to punish anyone. It took a long time to convince the man, but in the end, she got what she needed. The old man told her that the family lived in a nearby vige. It was getting dark, so Poliana and Donau had to spend the night in the fishing vige. Because it was so small, there wasn¡¯t an inn in the town. There were only a few small and old houses and each house only had one room. There was no room to spare for any guests, so the vigers offered to empty a house so that Poliana and Donau could sleep. Because of her appearance, the vigers thought she was a male knight. They didn¡¯t see any problem with Poliana and Donau sleeping in the same room. Poliana expected Donau to protest,ining that he doesn¡¯t want to spend the night with her in the same room so when he remained quiet, Poliana became confused. When she asked, Donau answered, ¡°Getting my own room means an entire house and more people will have to be inconvenienced. His highness said that we should treat everyone, including those people from thends we conquered, with respect and fairness.¡± Poliana and Donau were taken to a small house where an old couple lived. The unpleasant smell of dust, rotting food, and mold filled their noses. When they entered the house, Donau frowned. Everyone had smells they were used to. For Donau, it was the smell of blood, rotting meat, and dirty military shoes. There was only one bed in the room, and Poliana contemted. No knight would give up the bed to a help, but this only applied to one¡¯s own personal servant. If it was another knight¡¯s help, then it would depend on his/her age. And again, in this case, it was a bit tricky because Donau was neither a little boy nor a fully-grown man. Only Donau also felt awkward in this situation. As someone who was going to be a knight very soon, he needed to act ordingly. In a normal case, it only made sense for him to give up the bed to ady. But ady¡­ What if it was ady who really wasn¡¯t ady? Who didn¡¯t look like ady at all? Ady who was a knight? Since Donau did not ept her as a knight, it would make sense if he were to take it. The reason why he couldn¡¯t ept her knighthood is her gender, it also meant that he should give up the bed to a woman. Finally, Poliana said to him, ¡°You can take the bed. I will let you have it.¡± ¡°No way, you take it!¡± Donau blurted out, but she ignored him and ced her cape on the floor. Relentlessly, Donau did the same andid down on the floor as well. It was a very small house so when the two of them got down on the floor, there was no extra space around or between them. Suddenly, without turning towards Poliana, Donau asked rudely, ¡°You are a woman, so why the hell did you be a knight?¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¡°In Aehas, a nobleman cannot inherit his or her family name and wealth without serving in the military.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you just ask for somend from his highness? Why did you follow him here?¡± ¡°I am his highness, Lucius the First¡¯s knight. I don¡¯t need to get permission from someone like you for anything.¡± Polianaid her head on her arms when suddenly, she thought of something. She said to Donau, ¡°I guess it won¡¯t be long until I can treat you this way. Soon, you will be a knight and since your family is favored by the emperor, you will most likely be promoted to an important position quickly. Perhaps you will even be my superior.¡± All of Poliana¡¯s colleagues were promoted faster than she did. Even those who were much younger than her received quicker and higher promotions than her. When she was given her position as a toon leader, which was a minor promotion, the other men protested angrily against it. There never was any true friendship between herself and any other men, but some odd times, some men showedradery towards her. For example, when they were surrounded by the Acreian men, her Aehas soldiers followed her. One thing Poliana learned during her service was that no one was 100% good or bad. Bad men could show goodness sometimes and vice versa. She remembered Sir Batre. He was a dirty old man and a rapist, but she had to admit that he was a talented strategist. In fact, he had never lost a battle he led personally. And then, there was Donau, who was a total jerk and a bastard. To her, he was an as*hole, but to Sir Baufallo and his wife, he must be a treasured son, to Sir Howe, a beloved younger brother, and to the emperor, the youngest son of his trusted knight. To Poliana¡¯s surprise, Donau stammered, ¡°I, in the military, the amount of time you served matters the most! E-even if I be your superior, I won¡¯t be able to mistreat you!¡± This was an unexpected answer from him. Poliana then wondered, ¡®Hmm¡­ where is thising from?¡¯ Was Donau finally bing more mature? Or was he losing his mind? Donau suddenly added, ¡°Don¡¯t fall in love with his highness.¡± Poliana sat up in surprise. What the hell was this boy talking about? SMACK! She punched him in the shoulder and when he stood up in pain, she kicked him in the bum as well. She yelled, ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°H-his highness is out of your reach. D-don¡¯t even dream about falling for him! Do you have any idea what kind of an amazing man he is?¡± ¡°Of course, I know that.¡± ¡°And do you know how many women fall for him?¡± KICK! Poliana kicked him again. She punched his head as she answered, ¡°Have you lost your mind? Or do you think I have? Do you really think his highness would see me as a woman?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°And do you truly believe that I would want him to?¡± ¡°You never know.¡± ¡°I am his highness¡¯s knight. I will live and die as a knight. You have much more than I do, you have a well-to-do family that will give you a bright future so please, show me some kindness. You need to learn to be humble and generous for your own good.¡± When Poliana red at him, Donau didn¡¯t say anything. Sheid down on the floor again and added, ¡°Besides, his highness told me that I am so ugly that he would rather take a dirty prostitute to bed than me. Let¡¯s be honest here. Our emperor has eyes, just like we all do.¡± Poliana was no beauty, but she never thought she looked that bad. So when Lucius the First told him this, it was such a shock to her. If he was an ugly man, it wouldn¡¯t have hurt her so badly, but her emperor was the most beautiful man in the world. Lucius the First was an incredibly important man and therefore, he did noty with just any woman. There were plenty of prostitutes out there, but there was no need for him to take them because countless noblewomen would just throw themselves at him for the honor of it. Some kings preferred prostitutes, but Lucius First, who was unmarried and without an heir, made sure to stay far away from them. Or perhaps it was because he was superstitious. Donau readjusted his body to find afortable position and again, he said, ¡°Just remember not to fall in love with his highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your life is bad enough that you don¡¯t need that kind of trouble.¡± ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Just shut up.¡± The next morning, Donau was still annoyed. He pouted and refused to say a word to her. Watching him acting like a child, Poliana could now see the resemnce between Donau and Sir Baufallo.
The vige the old man told Poliana about was a bit bigger. It was closer to the river and it also had a decent dock. Men sat around fixing theirs and fishing rods. When the Acreian soldiers first conquered the kingdom, the vigers became covered with fear, but when they realized that they weren¡¯t in any danger, the people rxed quickly. They, in fact, were happy to have the foreign soldiers who would sometimese to make a purchase. When Poliana and Donau arrived, the vigers weed them happily. They imed that they preferred the Acreian soldiers over the Aehas military, who forced their men to serve in the army. Poliana and Donau sat down at the local restaurant where both food and alcohol were served. It was a good ce to eat and also ask questions. The restaurant owner announced, ¡°Hello, sir knights! I should let you now that we don¡¯t sell women here. If you are here for that, you should go across the street to that house with the wooden sign.¡± Donau coughed as he blushed, but Poliana remained calm. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that some soldiers visited the nearby viges to find apany of prostitutes. Poliana shook her head and asked, ¡°Is there a boat owner in this town with only one leg?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a boat owner. Any one-legged man around here?¡± ¡°No. There used to be one, but he died. And by the time he died, he was childless, so the other families took his boat. Wait! Do you have to pay taxes on something like that? Is that why you are here?¡± The restaurant owner asked nervously. Poliana didn¡¯t know the Acreianw very well so she turned towards Donau, wondering if he about it and to her surprise, he shook his head confidently. ¡°I am not here for the taxes. If that man had no offspring, then I would like to talk to whoever knew him well,¡± Poliana replied to the owner. Only The owner exined that unfortunately, the one-legged man died young. But at least, he died after his father passed away. The son never got married, and he left everything to those who worked for him. A handsome gravestone was ced on his grave. Regrettably, no one really remembered much about his life and because he was amoner, there wasn¡¯t any public record of him either. The only other relevant person in this myth was the doctor, but if he was still alive, he must¡¯ve been in Bebero. All the information that the vigers could tell to Poliana was useless. ¡°Apparently, the kelpie crossed the river in a blink of an eye!¡± ¡°They say that it was such a sight!¡± Leaving them behind, Poliana explored the area near the river. She checked with her map to make sure that everything was urately recorded. And then, she remembered the story. The father needed to get the doctor right away for his dying son, which meant that he had to cross the river not too far away. An hour or two at most from his house. The spot he crossed the river couldn¡¯t have been too far from where she was standing but even though she carefully explored the area, she couldn¡¯t find anything useful. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Donau murmured, ¡°This river is indeed huge.¡± ¡°It is the biggest in the northern region but apparently, there is an even bigger one in the southern part of the continent.¡± ¡°Dammit. If we can¡¯t even cross this one, how are we going to cross THAT?¡± ¡°It is supposed to be a very calm river, easy to cross with a boat. There is even a rumor that people have swimmingpetitions in it,¡± Poliana exined, and Donau shook his head in disbelief. They decided to do more digging back in the vige. On their way, they asked the same questions to everyone they saw, which were mostly farmers. They received the same answers every time. Poliana saw a few farmers weeding a piece of steepnd, which she found odd since there were plenty of tnds nearby. She then asked, ¡°That tnd over there, is it not ournd? Why is it not being used for farming?¡± ¡°Oh, my good sir, thatnd is full of rocks.¡± The farmer waved his hands. ¡°The entire area over there is made up of rocks. It¡¯s a useless piece ofnd.¡± The farmer pointed at thend all the way to the river. Poliana followed his hand thoughtfully. Was there an answer here somewhere? She didn¡¯t want to be disappointed again, so she stopped herself from bing hopeful. All that she could do was continue her search. Poliana called out to Donau. When they began to go towards the river, the farmer shouted, ¡°Please don¡¯t go into the river! There are many who drowned in that area!¡± Hearing this, Poliana began to feel even more certain. She got onto the horse and Donau followed from behind, grumbling along the way. Soon, they arrived at the river. The current was strong, but not so rough that it brought down rocks and twigs as it did before. The water was also clearer. Poliana checked the shallow area by stabbing it with her dagger. She heard a thud, pointing out that she had hit something hard. It has got to be somewhere near here,¡± she murmured. ¡°Where the kelpie crossed? But if we tried to cross it right now on a horse, we will both die.¡± Donau didn¡¯t seem convinced. She then pointed him at the bottom of the river and exined, ¡°This area right here, the ground feels different. It¡¯s basically a giant piece of rock, but do you see that area where the whirlpool is? The ground must be softer there. I will bet that those people who died here got drowned in that area. The current is too strong in that spot.¡± ¡°So it means we can¡¯t cross it on a horse.¡± Poliana nodded and replied, ¡°Because it¡¯s still summer.¡± ¡°So what are you proposing?¡± ¡°Before we begin making ns, we better make sure.¡± She then began to undress, making Donau¡¯s eyes widen in shock. He screamed and covered his eyes like a blushing schoolgirl. ¡°What the hell! You are shameless, b*tch!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing you haven¡¯t seen before, so what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°When did I ever see you like that?!¡± ¡°Oh, weren¡¯t you there when it happened?¡± Poliana assumed that every man in their camp had seen her on the day she fought her way out of captivity. She thought that everyone saw her naked that day. Poliana took off her armor and her clothes, and she was left with only her sleeveless top and thin pants. Donau stared as she took her leather military boots off. He seemed embarrassed at first, but now, his eyes never left her. Poliana considered taking her top off as well, but she decided against it. ¡°So why are you suddenly taking your clothes off?¡± Donau asked. ¡°I obviously need to go in.¡± ¡°Do you even know how to swim?¡± ¡°You Acreians¡­ You think everyone in the world is like you guys.¡± Donau finally nodded and took her clothes. He saw that Poliana¡¯s skin was covered in old scars and discolorations from her various injuries. Hearing about her 6-year military service could be ignored but seeing the proof of it on her skin was different. When Poliana began to walk towards the river, Donau jumped in shock. ¡°You are going to go in just like that? Shouldn¡¯t you tie yourself to something just in case?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­. You¡¯re right. The current is pretty strong.¡± They took out the rope they brought and tied it around Poliana¡¯s waist. The other end was tied to a horse, not Donau, who could not swim at all. As he tied the rope to the horse, Donau gritted his teeth. He swore to himself, ¡®I will make sure I learn how to swim.¡¯ He didn¡¯t like Poliana at all, but to have a woman take her clothes off to swim because he couldn¡¯t¡­ It was such a shameful and embarrassing moment for him. Ignorant of what Donau was thinking, Poliana ced her feet into the river. It wasn¡¯t too cold, but the current was very strong. After checking one more time that the rope was tied well around her, she began to walk towards the middle of the river. The water only reached her knees, but it already made it hard for her to walk. At one point, she almost fell, making her frown. As she got closer to the middle, it became harder and harder, and she almost fell a few times. Meanwhile, Donau made sure that no Bebero soldiers were spotted on the other side. Thankfully, this wasn¡¯t an area that was heavily popted on either side of the river. When the water got deep enough, Poliana dove in to check the bottom of the river. Afterward, she walked out safely with help from the horse. She was panting heavily by the time she reached thend. Donau threw a dry towel on top of her. She wiped herself slowly. They only had one towel and it wasn¡¯t enough, but she had to make do. As Donau watched her wipe her shaved head, he asked, ¡°Why do you cut your hair so short?¡± ¡°My hair grows too fast, and I hate washing my hair. When it¡¯s short like this, it¡¯s so easy to clean it. I just have to wash it when I wash my face.¡± ¡°My god, you are sozy. Definitely not a woman.¡± Polianaughed at Donau¡¯s exasperated tone. When she was done drying herself, Donau came towards her and took the wet towel for her. She looked up at him in confusion. Why was he being so helpful? Donau, acting grown-up like then replied, ¡°Sir Poliana, I apologize for acting disrespectful towards you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You are being too nice¡­ Could it be¡­ that you were going to kill me by cutting the rope when I was in the river, but I came out too fast? And now you feel guilty?¡± ¡°Gosh! I am trying to apologize to you! I said I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong, alright? I admit it!!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ You don¡¯t sound too apologetic or respectful right now.¡± ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± Donau hung the wet towel on the nearby tree branch. Someday very soon, Poliana knew that Donau would be able to beat her, and sometime after that, he would be able to beat her without even trying. But to be a true knight, winning alone wasn¡¯t enough. Only For the emperor and for the kingdom, Poliana was doing everything she could think of to help, and Donau was slowly realizing her true worth. After seeing her body, he could no longer disrespect her, at least not as a soldier. When he saw her without any clothes, what he mostly felt was sadness, sympathy, and respect. So many scars covered her body, and Donau could tell what kind of life she must have led as a knight for the past 6 years. If it was him¡­ Donau wasn¡¯t sure if he could have survived those 6 years. She was definitely not a woman. Donau thought this, but it wasn¡¯t a criticism. He announced to her, ¡°His highness will be the true emperor of the entire world.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°That means he will be surrounded by many different kinds of people.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°So having an ass of a knightess probably won¡¯t make any differences.¡± It seemed that Donau has been thinking about this for a long time. He was growing up fast. Suddenly, Poliana realized that he was much taller than when she first met him. He was much smaller than her but now, he was about the same height as her. Soon, he was going to be taller and he would go ces, leaving her behind. Somehow, Poliana felt angry, envious, and a little proud all at the same time. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°So what is your n, Sir Poliana?¡± Donau asked. ¡°I am certain that this is where the ¡®kelpie¡¯ crossed the river, but it can¡¯t be done now because it¡¯s still summer. We will have to wait till fall when the water level is lower. We will check it then.¡± Poliana took out the map and marked where they were standing. She murmured, ¡°This might be it. We might be able to cross the river from this spot.¡± ¡°But only on a horse. The men won¡¯t be able to cross it on foot, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°I know, but his highness has more talented knights than me. I am sure one of them will be able to figure it out.¡± ¡°So for now, we have to wait till the water level bes more eptable, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Yes, but it won¡¯t be too long. By the way¡­¡± Poliana sighed deeply before continuing, ¡°Donau, there is no need for you to suddenly address me so formally. Just act normally, as you have done before.¡± ¡°¡­You are so ungrateful.¡±
Lucius the First read the message sent by Poliana and took out his own map. He found the area Poliana mentioned and marked it. The emperor wondered how he could use this information. The spot Poliana mentioned was about a one-hour horse ride from where the main Bebero military base was. Even if it was the right spot, it would not work if their enemy got ahold of what they¡¯re nning. There was a good chance this might not work but still, Lucius the First thought very highly of Poliana¡¯s initiative. He now wanted to move her to a different department as soon as she returns. He knew that some of his men would be against the idea, but Poliana was too good to be left in the supply division. The winds have quieted down and the water level was much lower. Finally, when the autumn arrived, Poliana and Donau entered the tent where the strategy meeting was taking ce. Their boots were covered in dirt and mud, making everyone around them frown. Sir Ainno was about to kick them out, but Lucius the First stopped him. He turned to Poliana and Donau, who looked like they were deathly tired. The emperor said to them, ¡°Hmm¡­ I see that your journey was a difficult one.¡± ¡°We apologize, your highness, for not cleaning up first. But if we don¡¯t report our findings now, we were afraid we might fall asleep and not wake up for days.¡± Donau, Poliana, and even the horse looked like they were about to drop. Poliana walked up to the table and pointed at the map. The map was already marked with the area she mentioned in the message. She reported to the knights that it was possible to cross the river. In fact, she has done it herself. There was one path in the river that had much shallower water level than the rest of the river. An armed knight on a horse could cross it without drowning. The path was surprisingly not slippery and as long as they avoided a few spots where the ground would drop suddenly, crossing the Koemong river was possible. To make sure, Poliana and Donau tried crossing the river many times to the point that they had to borrow a horse from the vigers. Lucius the First ordered them, ¡°I will allow you to take a seat. You look like you need a break.¡± Both Poliana and Donau copsed onto their seats while Lucius the First returned to the topic on hand. Sir Bentier began to exin his n, ¡°This time, we should cross it early in the morning.¡± The water level would be lower at that point and once they¡¯ve crossed the first half of the river, their men could walk for the rest of the way since they would just be treading on sand. All they needed to aplish now was to cross at least half of the river without being noticed by their enemy and by that time, it would be toote for Bebero. Sir Bentier¡¯s n was simple. The men should carry the boat to the river, cross halfway, then walk the rest of it while pushing on the boat. The emperor contemted. This strategy was going to be very difficult for the soldiers to carry out. Would they be able to carry the boat halfway across the river and fight their enemy after? What if they get attacked? Would they be able to cross it, push their boats and defend themselves at the same time? Sir Bentier was known for being meticulous and careful, yet his n sounded too risky. It was probably because there was no other way. When Lucius the First voiced his concerns, all the knights answered, ¡°Your highness, your men are stronger than you think! They can do this!¡± What an over-confident bunch of people! The emperor knew he indeed had strong soldiers, but he was still concerned. What if the Bebero army rained some fire arrows on them? When he asked this question, Sir Bentier answered, ¡°We covered our shields with leather. We can discard any arrows that reach the ships onto the water. If all the men hold up their shields and move as one, we should be safe. Sir Rabi and I will be there to supervise.¡± ¡°Inno, you should go as well.¡± ¡°Your highness, please. I must stay by your side.¡± ¡°No, Inno. You must go as well. This battle is going to take everything we have, so you must go as well. If your presence can save even one more of our men¡¯s lives¡­¡± Lucius the First still seemed uncertain about Sir Bentier¡¯s n, which wasn¡¯t muchpared to their previous ones. It wasn¡¯t really a strategy but more of a sacrifice. It wasn¡¯t that he considered this strategy before, but he discarded it because he knew it would cost too many lives. And even if his men crossed it sessfully, they will be stuck with Bebero¡¯s soldiers in front of them and the river behind them. The emperor was concerned, but Sir Bentier seemed very confident about it. He then exined to Lucius the First, ¡°Your highness, our men had plenty of rest during the spring and the summer.¡± But the truth was, the Acreian soldiers did not stay idle during this time. They made multiple attempts to cross the river, strengthened the dock and its base area, and they¡¯ve built a wooden fence as well. They even helped the locals in their hunts. Suddenly, the tent was filled with men arguing. They each had different ideas and ns for this battle. Lucius the First allowed a moment of free speech and sharing of ideas in this tent and once he did, the knights continued to argue loudly among themselves. It was especially worse because the tent was filled with young men. Most of them were good friends, so when they became excited, they argued informally even in front of the emperor. Poliana, rubbing her tired eyes, stood up slowly. After getting permission to speak from the emperor, she made a suggestion as she pointed at the map. ¡°Your highness, how about if you send your brave knights through this way?¡± Bebero did not build any defenses on the crossable river area found by her. This meant that if the knights on their horses crossed it and got inside of the Bebero¡¯s military base, they could defeat their enemy quickly and efficiently without sacrificing their infantry. Poliana requested the two best Acreian knights for this job. Sir Ainno and Sir Bentier. Only When their names were called by her, odd expressions appeared on their faces. Lucius the First warned her, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. The horses cannot see very well in the dark. Besides, Sir Poliana, you are the only one who knows the way.¡± Suddenly, Donau kneeled in front of the emperor and announced, ¡°Your highness, I know it as well. If you will allow me, I will apany Sir Poliana and be their guide.¡± ¡°Perfect, then we have a n. Rabi, you will lead the foot soldiers across the river with the ships while Bentier and Inno will take the knights via the path Sir Poliana found. I will supervise the archers myself.¡± The emperor then gestured to Sir Baufallo, who sighed and handed him a sword. Lucius grabbed it and announced to Donau, ¡°As I promised, you are now my knight, Donau. ept this sword and swear your loyalty to me and this kingdom.¡± Donau, with his eyes tearing up, kneeled and did as he was bid. Sir Baufallo pped although his face looked grim. Donau was so tired that when he tried to stand up, he almost fell. Poliana helped him even though she herself felt like fainting. The knights in the tent red at her angrily. The next day, Lucius the First visited the area Poliana discovered and after examining it, he announced, ¡°We will build a bridge here.¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Poliana became surrounded by the knights. The men looked furious, and their anger was directed at her. Poliana opened her mouth to say something, but she ended up deciding against it. She thought it would be better to wait for them to speak first. She knew what they were going to say, but she also knew that she had to hear them out. She didn¡¯t know everyone, but there were some familiar faces around her. Sir Ainno and Sir Bentier were present, and she could guess that the other knights were also of high ranks. They didn¡¯t have to say a word, but she knew exactly why they came to her. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Sir Ainno finally asked her. ¡°I am his highness¡¯s knight.¡± ¡°That is not what I was asking, and you know it.¡± The other knights chimed in angrily. ¡°Our emperor was too generous in epting a woman as a knight, yet this ungrateful girl thinks she knows best. You need to know your ce, girl.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are doing!¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve just stayed quiet and work in the supply department like a good little girl. You are abusing his highness¡¯s kindness! You think this will get him to notice you?¡± Poliana straightened up. She knew that this day woulde and she has been contemting how to answer them. She was fine with being insulted herself. All she wanted to avoid was doing or saying something that would shame her emperor. It was the great Lucius the First who epted her as his knight. She didn¡¯t need the approval of others. She knew that she was never going to be liked by these men, and she didn¡¯t expect to be treated with respect by them either. A deep hatred like this was never going to improve. In fact, it was only going to get worse. Poliana was used to being despised. She experienced it all her life, and she wasn¡¯t going to back down now. ¡°I am not sure what you are all referring to,¡± Poliana replied calmly. ¡°You are a traitor!¡± ¡°Deserter!¡± ¡°Cold b*tch!¡± Poliana continued to feign her ignorance as she asked, ¡°Pardon? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Are you pretending to be deaf?¡± She was trying her best to avoid the confrontation, but it seemed that it couldn¡¯t be helped. She had to face it head-on now. Poliana then exined, ¡°I honestly do not understand why you are insulting me right now. His highness is the greatest and most ambitious man I know, and he will soon have many different types of people, including more of people like me following him. I am well aware of how strong Acreian knights are, but there are only a limited number of you. Without more people from other kingdoms, like myself, his highness won¡¯t be able to aplish his dream. To Lucius the first, who is going to be the emperor of all kingdoms, it wouldn¡¯t matter where his knights were born. When more men from other nationse to join this army, will you treat all of them this way? I ask you, my knights, why you are doing this? Do you feel this way about me because I am a woman or because I am a traitor?¡± Her old kingdom Aehas had no future. Its king was weak and obsessed with the war while the noble families and high-ranking officials that filled the higher-ups were corrupt. Its military was useless and fragile. In the past, Poliana knew that despite it all, Aehas was still her home. She was one of the nobles, soldiers, and knights of this kingdom. To most people, Poliana knew that she must look like a traitor, but she had no excuse for it. But only Aehas men and women could call her a traitor. No Acreian had the right to call her a name when she was the main reason why they won the battle against Aehas. ¡°I am a woman. I have never tried to hide the fact even from the beginning. To Aehas, it is true that I am considered a traitor, but to Acreia, I am a newly gained knight, a new loyal soldier. So I ask you, knights, once again. Do you doubt me because of my gender or because of my deeds?¡± She continued to talk to the knights firmly. The men surrounding Poliana became speechless. She held up the sword she received from Lucius the First and added, ¡°I am his highness¡¯s knight. If I considered myself a threat to him, I would willingly kill myself. But I ask you, do you doubt me because I am a foreigner? A woman? Or is it because I betrayed my own kingdom? But If all of these things were a problem, his highness would have never epted me. Because the emperor believes in me, and as long as he does, I will never abandon my sovereign.¡± Without checking the men¡¯s reactions, Poliana moved to leave. To her surprise, the knights moved aside for her. She expected them to be angrier and further insult her, but no one did. ¡®Are they going to pull out their dagger and stab me from behind?¡¯ Poliana tensed as she moved when suddenly, one of the men offered her his hand while wearing a gauntlet. With an odd unreadable expression, Sir Bentier asked to shake her hand. When Poliana did, he shook her hand and said clearly, ¡°I am Sir Bentier Ceize. I think we were introduced to each other before, but I am not sure if you remember my name.¡± Only ¡°Sir Poliana Winter from Aehas, Sir!¡± When Poliana saluted him, Sir Bentier looked around the room and ordered the other men, ¡°You should all introduce yourselves to her. We should be acquainted before going into this battle.¡± ¡°Sir Bentier!¡± Sir Ainno protested in shock. He seemed furious and to him and everyone, Sir Bentier exined, ¡°I don¡¯t trust a female foreigner who betrayed her own kingdom.¡± ¡°Then why are you doing this?!¡± ¡°Because I DO trust the knightess, Sir Poliana, who was knighted by his highness and even received herst name from the emperor himself. Because I trust my emperor, I believe that his kingdom will eventually be an empire and our leader will be the head of it. If I can believe that this could happen, how could I not believe that a woman can be a knight? I believe in the world my emperor dreams of.¡± With that, Sir Bentier left the tent. When he did, the other men began to introduce themselves to Poliana. It didn¡¯t mean that they were ok with her yet, but they did agree that everyone should be introduced and acquainted before going into an important battle. Thest knight remaining was Sir Ainno. He still was angry and refused to shake her hand, but he nodded at her instead. When she was left alone, Poliana looked at her right hand, the hand that shook all the high-ranking knights of this kingdom. She had to admit that she felt afraid for a moment, but she now felt excited as the adrenaline coursed throughout her body. She has never been acknowledged like this before by so many men, and she felt shaken. Her body trembled slightly. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 The first person Poliana killed was a man on death row. To prevent young new soldiers from going into shock in the middle of a battle after their first kill, they were taught to kill beforehand. Poliana killed three people even before she began her official military service. The old knight brought her three men for her to practice on. He didn¡¯t tell her the men¡¯s crimes, he even covered their faces. The old knight told her that death was the end. Whether if one were to die or to kill someone, it would always cause a life to end. ¡®Don¡¯t think. Just move and kill before you get killed.¡¯ To be a Guinea pig and be killed by a nobledy with only basic training rather than by a skilled executioner¡­ These men had met a gruesome fate, but they volunteered because they werepensated. The money went to either the man¡¯s family or the man¡¯s victim. The old knight told Poliana, ¡°A good swordsman can cut a man¡¯s head off with one clean swing. A good executioner can kill someone painlessly. You, Poliana, don¡¯t have the strength of a man. You may be able to slice through the flesh, but not through the bone. This means that what you need to learn isn¡¯t how to kill, but how to cause maximum pain. Stab between the ribs and aim for the lung, be quick when you are swinging your weapon, and the eyes are the easiest and the most vulnerable spot for anyone, don¡¯t forget that. A man could kill with bare fists, but not a woman. So when you attack, make sure to do it with everything you have and with all the strength you can muster. Be as evil as possible, act like you have lost your mind or like you have been possessed by the devil. When your enemies see you act this way, they will note after you.¡± But removing the sword that was stuck between the ribs was difficult. When Poliana first tried it and was unable to remove it, the old knight kicked her and removed it for her with only one hand. He was old, but he was still much stronger than the young Poliana. The old knight told her to remember this fact. Assume that everyone is stronger than you.
The battle then began. Sir Ainno, on his horse, ran towards the head knight of Bebero army. He quickly swung his sword and severed his head away from his body, and the Acreian soldiers, who were fighting, saw this and screamed excitedly. Sir Ainno ced the head of the knight on his spear and lifted it up high. He then yelled, ¡°The head knight is dead!¡± ¡°WAAAAA!¡± The Bebero men, now without their leader, dropped their weapons and surrendered without a fight. Poliana took out her sword from a Bebero soldier as he copsed to the ground. If Sir Ainno announced the death a second sooner, this man could¡¯ve lived. But she didn¡¯t feel guilty. If she didn¡¯t kill this man, it could have been her that was on the ground bleeding to death. Poliana rxed a little and looked around. She saw Sir Bentier and Sir Rabi organizing the men and making sure that the Bebero soldiers were being bound. Some Bebero men sessfully ran away while the others were caught. It was going to be a while till the medics and the archers arrive. The injured were gathered, and the emergency treatments were done with whatever medical supplies they could find from the enemy camp. Those Acreian soldiers who were ok went to the river to clean themselves of mud and blood. As expected, one of the knights yelled, ¡°You idiots! Get over here quickly and dry yourselves before you freeze!¡± The men quickly gathered some firewood and lit it up. Poliana was getting warm standing near the fire when suddenly, she noticed Donau at the river vomiting. ¡®Maybe I should have asked him if he killed a man before.¡¯ She regretted not making sure, but she quickly shook her head. It wasn¡¯t her job or responsibility; it was his father, Sir Baufallo¡¯s or his brother, Sir Howe¡¯s. Besides, she wasn¡¯t even sure if Donau was vomiting from the shock of killing a man. It was possible that he was vomiting from his nerves or perhaps even from the smell of blood. Assuming he was throwing up from the shock of killing a man was in fact very inconsiderate of her. If Donau knew she suspected this, he would¡¯ve felt angry and embarrassed. After all, he was a knight. The Bebero g was taken down and was reced with the Acreian g. Poliana felt proud as she watched it. ¡®We won!¡¯ It was aplete victory. Lucius the First¡¯s army sessfully crossed the Koemong River. Donau, now Sir Donau, approached the fire where Poliana was sitting. When she saw him, she moved a little so he could take a seat. Sir Donau took a sip of water and wiped his mouth. His wristband was soaked in blood and some of it got onto his face. He murmured, ¡°I have killed deer before, but¡­¡± ¡°That sounds yummy.¡± ¡°Are you serious? Are you really feeling hungry right now? After all this?¡± ¡°But aren¡¯t you starving, Sir Donau?¡± Just then, Poliana noticed Sir Baufallo making sure that the supplies from the Bebero army were taken out and organized. She didn¡¯t even realize that he had arrived. She was Sir Baufallo¡¯s aide, which meant that no matter how tired she was, she should go over there and help her superior. Poliana groaned as she tried to stand up. Sir Donau, who was already standing, offered her his hand to help. Looking at the boy knight¡¯s blood-soaked hand, Poliana grinned. Donau could be annoying as heck but sometimes, she found him cute. He reminded her of her stepsister Liana, who could also be very annoying while still being adorable sometimes. Were all little brothers and sisters like this? Impulsively, Poliana said to Donau, ¡°You can think of me as an older sister. I would be ok with that.¡± ¡°Sister? What the hell are you talking about?! I don¡¯t need azy bald sister!¡± Sir Donau spat on the ground, but he still helped Poliana stand up. The other knights who were watching their interactionughed and yelled at Donau, ¡°Do it! Treat her like she was your older sister!¡± Only ¡°That¡¯s right! She is your sister now!¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, this is your lucky day! You just got yourself a brand new younger brother!¡± The way the other knights treated her was different now. They no longer acted suspicious and doubtful towards her. After the battle, in which they all fought together as one, the men now saw her as one of them. It finally dawned on her that she did it. She crossed the Koemong River. And on top of that, she also crossed the gap that separated her from all the other men. Donau, the other knights, the entire Acreian army. She was finally one of them. She was no longer someone on the other side. She was finally an Acreian knight. Chapter 38: Story 5: Initiation – Story 5: Initiation Chapter 38 The Acreian army continued on strong. The enemy military focused on defending its northern border, but it was clear that the Bebero officials were in a state of panic. When they had the Koemong River protecting their border, they feltfortable. But not anymore. Bebero was defeated much more easily than Aehas and Kukda. Lucius the First demanded its king to surrender and it was given immediately. Finally, Lucius the First became the ruler of the entire northern region. Poliana still belonged to the supply division. She was responsible for organizing the supplies, keeping counts of everything, and ordering it. She was kept very busy; she barely had time to eat lunch every day. Before crossing the river and conquering Bebero, it was easy to receive some supplies from Acreia. Whatever they needed more of could be brought from Aehas and Kukda easily bynd. But from Bebero, it was more difficult because of the Koemong River. Transporting the supplies by ships was costly, both in manpower and time. This was going to get worse as they moved further down south, which meant that they needed to stock Bebero with resources very well. Luckily, Bebero was a wealthier kingdom than Aehas and Kukda. They had plenty of food and supplies that were needed on a daily basis. But this plentifulness also meant that Poliana and Sir Baufallo were busier than ever. They needed to count and record everything. Poliana felt nauseous from the nonstop work. She had to stack everything in an organized manner and to get it done on time, she had to work through the night. Her eyes were getting so tired that they became blurry. She didn¡¯t even notice the other knights gathering around her. The knights have been ignoring her all this time, but now, they were waiting for her to turn towards them. When one of them coughed to get her attention, she finally looked up and greeted tiredly, ¡°Hello there.¡± Her voice was faint and weak, but ignoring it, the knights suddenly grabbed her arm. This finally got her attention. Poliana¡¯s eyes widened as she screamed, ¡°What do you think you are doing?!¡± Before she could stop them, they began to drag her away. She was being kidnapped. The knights grabbed all of her limbs and began to walk. Poliana was about to fight back when suddenly, she noticed Sir Donau being taken away nearby in the same manner. The knights took Poliana and Sir Donau to a random room in the Bebero castle. Donau¡¯s mouth was gagged, and when the cloth was removed and he was able to speak, Sir Donau screamed, ¡°Why are you doing this to us?¡± Suddenly, one of the knights grabbed his hair and pulled his head back roughly. Before Donau could even attempt to fight back, a gush of alcohol rushed into his mouth. ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°Hehehe! YES!¡± A torrent of evilughs filled the dim room. Sir Donau, now covered in alcohol, shook his body to get away from it. Most of the alcohol ended up in his nose rather than down his throat. His nose turned bright red. Sir Donau coughed and yelled, ¡°ARRGG! W-what are you d-doing?!¡± Suddenly, the room became bright and Poliana saw that there were even more knights present than she had expected. It appeared that most of them were waiting here for her and Sir Donau. They were all smiling evilly, looking like immoral pirates. What the knights wanted wasn¡¯t money or Poliana and Donau¡¯s lives. They wanted to ¡°wee¡± the new knights into the group. It¡¯s their initiation ritual. One of the knights chuckled and exined, ¡°Wee, hahaha! I suppose you guys have never been initiated yet?¡± ¡°We are in the middle of a war! Don¡¯t you see how inappropriate and wasteful this is?!¡± Donau argued. ¡°Hahaha, it can¡¯t be helped. You must go through this.¡± Donau continued to protest. These were his brother¡¯s and his father¡¯s friends, colleagues and acquaintances. He believed that he could convince them otherwise. Poliana thought about saying something herself, but she decided against it. She knew it wasn¡¯t going to change anything. If she remained quiet, perhaps they would focus more on Donau. The knightsughed at Sir Donau. With a knowing grin, one of them replied, ¡°His highness has given us permission already! He is fine with it!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get more alcohol and get them to chug it! Chug, chug!¡± Donau couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. He then insisted, ¡°You are lying! His highness would never allow something like this!¡± Donau, still in disbelief, attempted to escape, but he was caught and brought back quickly. As a bonus, he was kicked a few times to teach him a lesson. Just then, someone familiar stepped forward. ¡°Hmm.¡± To Poliana¡¯s surprise, it was Sir Bentier! Donau saw him as well, and his eyes were filled with relief. Poliana felt the same way. They both thought that Sir Bentier was here to stop this shenanigan. But Sir Bentier pointed at hopeful Donau and ordered, ¡°Tie him up so he can¡¯t escape again.¡± ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Poliana swore silently. Sir Bentier has been acting all high and mighty, but it seemed that he was in on this stupid ritual as well. She knew there was nothing she could do to stop this, so she gave up escaping altogether. If Sir Bentier was here, it must¡¯ve been true that Lucius the First allowed this. While Donau was being tied up, the knights brought a military boot filled with alcohol to Poliana. The boot looked disgustingly dirty and Poliana contemted with a frown. Knowing there was no other way, she began to drink from it and thought to herself, ¡®Alcohol is basically a disinfectant so it¡¯s going to be ok.¡¯ She kept repeating this thought inside of her head as if to brainwash herself. Fighting intense nausea, she continued to drink. The men around her cheered loudly. ¡°Chug, chug, chug!¡± The hard liquor burned her nose, mouth, and throat. When she finished it like she was drinking water, her insides began to burn as well. She hasn¡¯t had much sleep well, so with so much alcohol in her system, she couldn¡¯t think clearly. Her body didn¡¯t feel like it was her own. The knights brought her a te of some food. They pped her shoulder familiarly and exined, ¡°We should have done this for you when you first became an Acreian knight, but it never happened. So we thought we should make it up to you and do it now since we have to do it for Sir Donau too.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Poliana replied weakly. One positive thing was that Donau was treated worse than her. He was only a personal help before recently bing a knight, so the men must¡¯ve felt morefortable bullying him than her. The worst of them was unsurprisingly Sir Howe, Donau¡¯s older brother. He brought a funnel from somewhere and continued to force Donau to drink. Poliana was bing worried. ¡®This could kill him¡­¡¯ She has witnessed many times in the past where soldiers died from alcohol poisoning. She was about to ask the men to stop when suddenly, Sir Rabi noticed her and yelled, ¡°Get us another funnel!¡± Poliana knew that she should keep her mouth shut. She probably was going to need more help than Donau at this point. After all, Sir Howe was present and was never going to let his own brother die. Sir Rabi filled another boot with liquor and handed it to her. ¡°Here you go, Sir Poliana! Special drink just for you!¡± ¡°Chug! Chug! Chug!¡± The knights cheered loudly again, and weakly, Poliana emptied it. ¡°WAAA!¡± She couldn¡¯t tell what was in the drink, but whatever it was, it tasted horrible. To stop herself from vomiting, she began to eat the food ced in front of her. When another bootful of alcohol was given to Donau, he screamed, ¡°I can¡¯t drink anymore!¡± ¡°Then you must sing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Sing! Sing! Sing!¡± Poliana suddenly remembered the time when Donau didn¡¯t want his wine to be watered. He must be missing that moment right now. Sir Donau, looking dreadful, was forced to stand in front of everyone. To avoid drinking, he began to sing. Unfortunately, he was going through his puberty, and the voice that came out of him was ghastly. When he was done, he was punished with more drinks. Only Now, it was Poliana¡¯s turn. The knights threatened her that if she didn¡¯t sing, she was never going to leave this ce. When she exined that she didn¡¯t know any songs, the men argued, ¡°Liar! You are lying! Drink! Drink!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know! The only song I know is the Aehas military song!¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± For Poliana, the knights began to sing the Acreian military songs. They sang the marching song and the victory song. They were all horrible singers, but when they were done, Poliana pped. To her, Sir Rabi grinned and handed her another drink. ¡°Sir Poliana, I am afraid that these songs aren¡¯t free. You must pay by drinking this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She wondered if she would be able to survive this night. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Acreian knights¡¯ initiation ritual was brutal as expected. All military men were known for their roughness and callousness. It was especially worse in the Acreian army because most men were also hunters, who had their own separate rituals on top of everything. For example, new young hunters were ordered to bring back rabbits in the middle of a snowstorm or bring back a deer with only a small dagger. Poliana and Sir Donau¡¯s initiation was far from over even as the night deepened. Acreia was known for its strong drinks because of its cold weather. In the past, there were a few asions when men died during the ritual, which took ce outside. The men froze to death after the drinks were poured on them over and over again. Later, the emperor ordered that any initiation must take indoors to prevent this kind of meaningless deaths. Because they were safe for now, Lucius the First gave his permission for this tradition to take ce. Another big reason for his permission was because the emperor was curious. Lucius the First was born a prince and became an heir and an emperor at a very young age. He has heard about these knight initiation rituals, but he has never seen one before. If they were still in Acreia, they would have had more food and perhaps even a fool or a poet for entertainment. But they were in the middle of a war, so they had to make do. Luckily, Lucius the First was very generous, and he allowed an unlimited amount of alcohol to be used from the storage. He also nned to visit the men and surprise them. On his way to the room, he saw Sir Donau busting out from it. Thankfully, Donau was able to avoid bumping into the emperor, but he ran into Sir Ainno, who was walking right behind Lucius the First. Sir Donau, who suddenly copsed, began to vomit uncontrobly. ¡°Arrggh!¡± With a disgusted look, Sir Ainno grabbed Donau and ced him in a corner. Lucius the First remembered Sir Ainno looking awkward when he was told that the emperor was going to make a surprise appearance. Lucius thought to himself, ¡®I guess it¡¯s not what I expected¡­¡¯ But he was already here, and he couldn¡¯t go back. Sir Ainno, with a frown, kicked the door open and announced loudly, ¡°The emperor has arrived!¡± Everyone, who was now drunk, stood up quickly. Sir Ainno looked around and when he saw that Poliana looked awake and normal, he was shocked. Lucius the First was surprised as well. She had to be the one who drank the most in this room; they were certain that the other knights wouldn¡¯t have been kind to her just because she was a woman. The emperor said to her, ¡°Hmm¡­ You look perfectly fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I know the secret to staying sober.¡± Calmly, Poliana stuck her finger in her throat and vomited on the floor. She then rinsed her mouth with alcohol nearby and smiled at the emperor happily. She announced, ¡°This is how you remain sober, your highness!¡± Suddenly, Lucius the First and Sir Ainno realized that they were mistaken. Poliana¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t focused at all; she was obviously intoxicated. She just looked better than other men because she was standing while most of the men were on the floor. The emperor then replied, ¡°Sir Poliana, if you continue this way, you are going to die.¡± Poliana, meanwhile, tried unsessfully to kneel for Lucius the First. Feeling sympathetic, the emperor took away the bottle from her hand, which made her fall on her side. There were bowls and buckets of vomit all over the floor, and naturally, she fell into one of them. Her face, body, and hair became covered with disgusting pukes. For the first time since he met her, Lucius the First thought it was a good thing that Poliana cut her hair so short. This was no ce for an emperor. Sir Ainno, still frowning, begged, ¡°Your highness, you should return to your tent now.¡± The emperor loved to drink and enjoyed drinking with his knights, but what he saw tonight was too shocking for him to understand. He rubbed his face and looked up at the ceiling. How was he going to conquer the continent with men like this? The next day, the knights used different methods to cure their hangovers. Some took cold showers, while others sparred or exercised to ¡°sweat¡± the poison out. A few men chose to remain in bed because they imed that moving too much was going to make them feel worse. Those who felt ok were as cruel as ever. Sir Rabi and Sir Bentier came to the tents of the knights still in bed and kicked them. ¡°Get up, youzy bastards!¡± The knights grabbed their heads and looked around desperately for water. Thankfully for Sir Donau, Poliana was quick in getting him up before being kicked out from his bed. She woke up earlier and was feeling better after a cold shower. ¡°My eyes won¡¯t open¡­¡± Donau murmured. Indeed, his eyes remained shut and he waved his arms around pathetically. Poliana replied in annoyance, ¡°Yes, I can see that you aren¡¯t quite awake yet. Alright.¡± Only She took Donau and pushed him randomly into one of the knights¡¯ tents. She tried her best, and now, he had to figure out what to do next on her own. Sir Howe stood beside Sir Rabi and kicked the men still in bed, or crawling on the floor, including his own brother. As the weakened men tried to get dressed, some screamed because they found vomit in their boots. Poliana watched them with a smile. She wasn¡¯t weak like those men. She was better. She drank so much, more than most and yet, she was walking and talking fine. She felt so proud of herself for getting up early and not breaking her routine. But her happiness disappeared quickly when she was spotted by Lucius the First. The emperor, who rarely approached a woman, broke his own rule and walked towards Poliana. He tapped her shoulder to get her attention and said to her, ¡°Sir Poliana, please don¡¯t ever drink like that again. You will end up killing yourself that way.¡± ¡°Y, your highness! I apologize!¡± ¡°Or if you must get drunk, just fall asleep or lose consciousness like a normal person. I can understand many different things, but what I sawst night¡­ I cannot.¡± Sir Ainno nodded, ¡°I agree with his highness, Sir Poliana. It was horrible.¡± Poliana was so sure that she has done very wellst night but apparently, she was very much mistaken. With her face turning bright red, she ran out to the forest and began to beat up a poor tree out of frustration. Chapter 40: Story 6: The Emperor’s Knight – Story 6: The Emperor¡¯s Knight Chapter 40 In the northern region of the continent, there were four kingdoms; Acreia, Aehas, Kukda, and Bebero. Acreia was the biggest but most of itsnds were too cold to be inhabitable. Aehas and Kukda had corrupt royal and noble families with dwindling wealth due to such a long-term war. Bebero, feeling safe from the other northern kingdoms due to the Koemong River, had a weak military presence. Within only two years, Lucius the First was able to unite all three northern kingdoms, which has never been done before. But¡­ The people began to call him the ¡°Loser of the North.¡± The story of his beauty and triumph was romantic enough for girls to gossip excitedly, but many didn¡¯t believe it. They, as a matter of fact, badmouthed him and called him an evil man who broke the peace of this continent. They called him a tyrant. Until Lucius the First, there has been an unspoken rule that battles should take ce only during the winters. He was the one who broke this tradition and now, everyone needed to live in fear all year round. People med him for it, calling him a barbarian from Acreia, which was known for being poor andcking in culture due to its severely cold weather. The kingdoms in the middle of the continentughed at him. Their main source of ie was farming, while in Acreia, most men were hunters. These kingdoms were well prepared for the uing war. Their military and economic statuses were stable. They did not fear Lucius the First. But Lucius the First and his knightsughed at them as well. They were confident that this war was going to end in their favor. Poliana clenched her fists in determination. Those who insulted her emperor needed to be punished. Acreia united the entire northern region of the continent. The only thing left for them to conquer was its middle and southern areas. To unite the entire continent¡­ That was the emperor¡¯s dream. The four main kingdoms in the mid-continent were Kopi, Mongsheim, Oz, and Bikpa. The rest of the smaller countries were mostly colonies that previously belonged to Kopi. In theory, the main four kingdoms were in good standing with each other but in truth, Bikpa was treated poorly by the others. Bikpa was located a little north of the Msmel Forest, which was in the middle of the continent. Because no one dared to cross the Msmel Forest, Bikpa could have been a useful kingdom that connected the northern nations to the rest of the continent. However, because those kingdoms in the mid-continent thought little of the northerners, there were barely anymunications or interactions between them. Kopi, Mongsheim, and Oz did not think highly of Bikpa because it was much smaller. They even considered Bikpa to be more of a northern kingdom. So when Bikpa asked for military assistance from the other three kingdoms when Lucius the First attacked it, it was ignored. Bikpa had a rtively decent army, butpared to the ¡°northerners,¡± they were no match against them. When it was about to be conquered by Lucius the First, Bikpa did thest thing they could do. They closed the castle gate and hid behind their walls. Lucius the First expected this move, but how Bikpa carried it out was shameful. ¡°What cowards¡­¡± As a ruler himself, Lucius the First felt embarrassed for the Bikpa¡¯s king, Gali the Third. Gali the Third, along with the high-ranking nobles, abandoned theirnds and people when they hid in the castle with their soldiers. During this process, they also made sure to take as much of the supplies as possible, leaving their own people starving to death and unable to protect themselves. It was such a selfish cowardly move. It became so bad that the mayor of one of the Bikpa cities came to Lucius the First with tears in his eyes, begging for help. Many of the lords, who were honorable, did not abandon their people. They were furious over how their own king treated his people, and in the end, these men surrendered to Acreian military. In fact, they wished to help Lucius the First in defeating Gali the Third. ¡°Please save us. Our children are starving to death. We need help.¡± It was an odd situation where those being attacked were begging for food from their attacker. The people of Bikpa have heard of how Acreian soldiers did not plunder the conquerednds, unlike the other armies. They were desperate and hopeful at the same time as they visited the Acreian military base. The Acreian knights, including Poliana, didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°How dare you¡­ why are youing to us?!¡± ¡°Please kind sirs! Let us have some food! We are dying, please!¡± ¡°Our children are starving to death. We can¡¯t even hunt because we¡¯re too weak because of starvation.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± Poliana watched the people beg for food, some even tried to steal some of their supplies. The people of Bikpa were so desperate that they were no longer afraid of them. Sir Baufallo was sympathetic, but the military supplies were for his own men. They did not have enough to share with others. Sir Baufallo announced, ¡°Do not give them anything! Not even a grain of rice!¡± He felt sorry for the people, but his job was to maintain the supplies for the Acreian soldiers. Following his order, the supply division soldiers guarded the goods like hawks. Thankfully, Gali the Third didn¡¯t get to empty the supplies of every city. Those cities that were missed by Gali the Third voluntarily surrendered to Lucius the First and shared their supplies with the rest. Bikpa¡¯s king was destroying his own kingdom. If his people starved, they were not going to follow him, and without the people, there would be no government or a king. Lucius the First was disgusted. ¡°This is so terrible.¡± He thought that all he would have to worry about is winning this war, but now, he was also concerned about their wellbeing. He was a conscientious emperor and he was furious at Gali the Third. ¡°He is not fit to be a ruler!¡± Only Everyone agreed. Lucius the First gritted his teeth angrily. At first, he thought Bikpa was being bullied by nearby kingdoms for no good reason but now, he knew why. Gali the Third was an unsuitable and ipetent king and he deserved to be punished. A king could be greedy and selfish but even then, he had the responsibility to make sure his people weren¡¯t starving. To raid his own viges for food and weapons and hide in his castle¡­ That was beyond eptable. The people of Bikpa were fed up with their own king. Many of the cities voluntarily sent their surrendering documents to Lucius the First. Without much of a fight, Acreia was able to gain many of their cities but even with these easy victories, Lucius the First was still very displeased. Slowly but surely, the Acreian army got closer to the capital, Yapa. From afar, Lucius the First studied the Yapa castle and suddenly, he pped in realization. He has been wondering how Gali the Third has been storing all the supplies he stole from his own people. Did they have a separate storage? And finally, Lucius the First figured it out. He has been expecting a small castle since Bikpa was not a big kingdom, but Yapa castle was huge. The castle had a total of threeyers of walls and was backed onto a rocky mountain. The walls were made of the rocks from this mountain and they were very high to the point that every one of them thought that they won¡¯t be able to climb it with just a rope. The Acreian men were impressed with the magnificence of the ce. But the sad truth was how it was built. To create such a huge building, it must¡¯ve cost an incredible amount of money, time, and energy. It had to be easily the biggest castle in the entire continent, and it was certainly bigger than anything Lucius the First had ever witnessed. A very long time ago in history, Bikpa was a formidable kingdom. Oz and Mongsheim both used to belong to it, but as the corruption within the government and the royal family increased, various rebellions from different regions caused the kingdom to be divided. The splendid Yapa castle was the only thing that remained of Bikpa¡¯s glorious past. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 At the Acreian military strategy meeting¡­ The scouts were able to gather some information on the Yapa castle. They asked the various Bikpa nobles and knights who have been inside the castle to get an idea of how to attack it effectively. What they knew so far were presented as followed. First, the castle had its own separate water source. This meant that cutting off or poisoning the nearby water wasn¡¯t going to work. Secondly, it was very likely that they had more than enough food tost a long time, so waiting for them to starve was out of the question. ¡°This is going to be tricky,¡± Lucius the First murmured. ¡°And attacking them straight on was never going to work.¡± ¡°How about that rocky mountain behind the castle? Can we climb it and attack from there perhaps?¡± ¡°We got a couple of good climbers to try, but it was not possible, your highness.¡± When the castle was being built, the rocks from this mountain was used. The architect who designed it made sure to cut the rocks in a way that made the mountain impossibly steep. A siege was a game of patience. Normally, the attacker would cut off the supplies into the castle and wait for starvation to take ce. Whoever gave in first was the loser of this battle. And in this case, Gali the Third had a clear advantage. Since he had plenty of both water and food, all he had to do was wait it out from the inside infort. Lucius the First then asked, ¡°What is your best guess with respect to his food supply?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t bepletely certain, but based on our rough calction, we believe they should be able tost at least 5 years¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± Only a small number of noble families, high-ranked knights, and royal families hid inside the castle, which meant they couldst a very long time even with a moderate amount of food. In many siege cases, hunger and thirst would take ce inside the castle rather quickly. The longer they waited, the more people ended up dying. There were some desperate instances where cannibalism urred. The problem here was that Lucius the First believed that the Yapa castle couldst the next 10 years. It was an impossible task for the Acreian army to attack it head-on, and Gali the Third knew it. This was obviously why he hid in this castle as quickly as possible. His loyal and cowardly cohorts were only happy to follow him. From time to time, Lucius the First noticed messages being sent from the castle via pigeons. At first, Lucius had them shot down, but after a while, he left them alone. He saw that the birds headed towards two directions; Oz and Mongsheim. Gali the Third was obviously asking for help from these neighboring kingdoms. Lucius the First asked his knights, ¡°Any movements from Oz or Mongsheim?¡± ¡°No military movement, your highness. But we just heard that there have been some activities in the Kopi army.¡± Oz and Mongsheim were their closest kingdoms, which meant that they were the most likely going to be attacked next and yet, they weren¡¯t reacting at it in any way. This could only mean that there was some kind of an agreement between Kopi and Bikpa. But why now? When Bikpa was first attacked, Kopi refused to help. So what made them change their mind? Lucius the First contemted. ¡°Hmm¡­ This could be a trap. Perhaps Kopi is using this situation to their advantage. Using Bikpa as bait while they prepare their military.¡± ¡°Then how about we do something unexpected? Attack either Oz and Mongsheim?¡± ¡°But what if we move away from here and Bikpaes after us from behind? We could get surrounded by Bikpa on one side and another kingdom ahead of us. Or they could even cut off our own supply from Bebero somehow. We can¡¯t take that chance.¡± ¡°Gali the Third isn¡¯t trusted anymore by his lords that remained outside of this castle. I doubt they will support him if he attacks us.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t count on that. Those lords may still feel obligated to follow their king even if they don¡¯t want to.¡± If they didn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t have let Gali the Third take the supplies from them in the first ce. Inside the tent, Lucius the First looked around the men and asked, ¡°Any ideas? I don¡¯t care if they are stupid or crazy. I want any and all suggestions from you.¡± No one answered their emperor. Lucius the First looked at each man. When his eyes reached Poliana, she lowered her face in shame. She was lucky enough to help the emperor in creative ways recently, but for this situation, she didn¡¯t have anything helpful to offer. Lucius the First nodded understandingly at everyone and consoled them, ¡°I myself have no solution for this problem. It seems that all we can do is wait for now. What happened to the messenger we sent to Gali the Third?¡± ¡°He refused to even open the gate. We are certain that he is waiting for military help from somewhere.¡± ¡°Were you able to shoot down any messenger pigeon today?¡± ¡°Yes. You ate it for your breakfast, your highness.¡± Lucius the First remembered the pigeon roast he had this morning. It was too chewy. He said quietly, ¡°I prefer wild goose over pigeons.¡± ¡°Wild geese aren¡¯t used as messengers, your highness.¡± It was true that wild geese were bigger and tasted much better than the pigeons. Lucius the First then ordered, ¡°Send another message to Gali the Third. Tell him that if he surrenders now, he and his men will receive fair treatment from us.¡± When the message was written, Lucius the First pointed at Sir Rabi, who saluted him confidently. Only ¡°Sir Rabi, you have a good strong voice, so please read us the terms of surrender that are to be sent to Gali the Third. I want to hear it to make sure it¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness!¡± When Sir Rabi began to read loudly, those standing near him feared that they might lose their hearing. Poliana was recently moved to the infantry division under the leadership of Sir Rabi. This change happened right before they reached the Yapa castle. She has been assigned with 100 men and one personal aide. Her reputation among their men wasn¡¯t bad, especially after her role in conquering Bebero, so those men under her supervision seemed ok with having a female knight as their leader. Poliana also got along well with Sir Rabi. Sir Bentier was the deputymander but the soldiers seemed to prefer Sir Rabi. Both of them were from well-known families in Acreia. The difference, however, was that Sir Bentier was from a noble family while Sir Rabi was from a family with many generations of famous knights. Except for his shocking loud voice, which became handy when he reprimanded someone, Sir Rabi was a good superior. He was a born leader and an excellent soldier, perhaps it became that way because he grew up in the family of many knights. He was also much better at understanding and empathizing with other soldierspared to Sir Bentier, who clearly was a nobleman before he became a knight. Sir Rabi was also undoubtedly brave and incredibly strong. He looked like a ¡°pretty boy,¡± but he was a man¡¯s man. Because of this, many soldiers considered him their role model. Poliana missed Sir Baufallo, who was kind to her, but she also felt very fortunate to have Sir Rabi as her new superior. Her first meeting with Sir Rabi, which took ce at the Koemong River, made her initially believe that he was an impatient and violent man, but she quickly realized that she was mistaken. When Poliana was assigned to his division, Sir Rabi treated her with respect. He treated her like he would treat any of his men, which meant that he made her work incredibly hard. He swore at her just as he would to his other knights and yet, he respected her personal space and time as well. Poliana could understand why he was loved by his man. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 When the emperor¡¯s order came to go visit the Bikpa king and deliver a message, Sir Rabi began to get ready. He didn¡¯t bring a personal help, but he asked some lower-ranking knights for help. He asked them to grab him his golden armor, which he wore only during special asions. Sir Howe also offered to help get him ready. In his full armor, Sir Rabi came out of his tent and yelled at the soldiers who were standing around outside, waiting to see him in his special gear. ¡°Youzy bums! Don¡¯t you have more useful things to do than just standing around?!¡± The men ran away quickly and Poliana thought to herself, ¡®Sir Rabi is truly a great superior. A perfect knight.¡¯ The knights who helped Sir Rabi came out of the tent as well. Before putting on his helmet, Sir Rabi turned to them and asked, ¡°If any of you want to follow me, you may do so.¡± ¡°We will get ready right away!¡± Many of the knights, including Sir Howe, bowed excitedly and ran off. When Sir Rabi spotted Poliana, he asked her, ¡°Do you want toe too?¡± ¡°If you wish, I will follow you and provide you some protection.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Sir Rabi finally put on his helmet. His armor was twice as thick as regr armor and it looked luxurious. He looked amazing. A few of the soldiers, who didn¡¯t run off when cheered for Sir Rabi. It wasn¡¯t only because he looked dashing, but they also greatly admired the man himself. ¡®How beautiful.¡¯ The knights¡¯ knight, Sir Rabi Bika, Poliana could finally understand why so many men admired him and followed him around like lovesick puppies. The fancy armor Sir Rabi wore wasn¡¯t made to his taste. He only wore such shy gear because he was the vanguard of this expedition. Because they couldn¡¯t let the other kingdoms know, they didn¡¯t hold a public ceremony. Instead, a small private ceremony took ce in the Nanaba castle before they left Acreia. This golden armor was worn that day. Its extravagant appearance didn¡¯t take anything away from its strength. In fact, it was made with heavier metal and therefore was much stronger. Only a very robust man, such as Sir Rabi, could wear such heavy armor. Sir Rabi ordered Poliana, ¡°Come back in your armor.¡± His voice sounded muffled because of his helmet. Poliana then replied, ¡°I do not own a golden armor, Sir.¡± ¡°What kind of an idiot doesn¡¯t even bring an armor to a war? Wait¡­ Forget what I just said.¡± Suddenly, Sir Rabi nodded. There was premade armor avable for purchase, but any knight who came from a wealthy family always got a custom armor made for him. Poliana was able to receive a sword from the emperor, but she never got a set of armor from anyone. Even if she had the money to get a set of armor made, they were in the middle of a war. She couldn¡¯t stay in one ce to wait for it to be made. On top of that, it was rare to find someone who could make an armor suited for a woman. A normal armor provided protection, but it was also very heavy. Poliana, whocked a man¡¯s strength and stamina, would not benefit from a set of armor in a battle. It would slow her down. Besides, a golden armor was only worn for special asions, such as duels or tournaments. But theck of a proper full armor didn¡¯t bother Poliana. All she needed was a helmet, a pair of military boots, and chainmail. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to wield a sword in full metal armor. Just then, the other knights who wanted to follow Sir Rabi came running in their own armors. Sir Aeke and Sir Howe were among them. Sir Rabi checked their gears and announced, ¡°Follow me!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Sir Aeke had the same rank as Poliana. His brothers¡¯ names were Beke and Deke, and when she learned this, Poliana asked at the time, ¡°Then where is Ceke?¡± Itter turned out that there was Ceke, a nickname for her sister named Cekel back in Acreia. Poliana followed Sir Rabi as well. Sir Beke and Sir Deke, who didn¡¯t have armors, watched their older brother Sir Aeke enviously. Sir Rabi left with the messenger and came back a few hourster. When he took off his helmet, Sir Rabi had a strange expression on his face. The messenger continued on to report back to Lucius the First. The other knights, curious about what had happened, gathered around Sir Rabi. They suspected something must¡¯ve happened. Sir Rabi scratched his head. He looked perplexed because he didn¡¯t understand what the other king meant. Sir Rabi suspected that this was a trap. Loudly, so everyone could hear him, Sir Rabi announced, ¡°He suggested a tournament!¡± When Lucius the First received the message, he felt the same way as Sir Rabi. ¡®This is a trap.¡¯ The knights who were in the tent as well had the same thoughts. A trap. Based on the events so far, it was likely Bikpa was going to win this battle. All it had to do was wait. So why would the king of Bikpa suggest a tournament? If he wanted a tournament to decide the fate of his kingdom, he would have suggested it before Lucius the First crossed the border. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what he is trying to do,¡± the Acreian emperor murmured. Why did the Bikpa King, who abandoned and even plundered his own people suggest a tournament all of sudden? Lucius the First couldn¡¯t understand it. When he brooded, Sir Bentier replied, ¡°Your highness, it only makes sense that an intelligent man such as yourself cannot understand an idiot¡¯s reasoning.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Only ¡°Will you be epting this offer?¡± The Bikpa King¡¯s offer was as followed: If Bikpa lost the tournament, it would surrender immediately. If it won the tourney, Acreia needed to leave the kingdom right away. It also promised that if Acreia attacked Oz or Mongsheim as it left, Bikpa would not go after the Acreian army from behind. Of course, no one believed this promise. Bikpa would not suggest a tournament if it thought that they were going to lose. The truth was, the knights from the northern kingdoms weren¡¯t familiar with tournaments. The northern regions consisted of many mountains rather than nds and therefore, the northern men were more used to bows and arrows rather than the spears or swords. On top of that, the northern kingdoms did not have recognizable orders of knights unlike the kingdoms in the middle and southern regions. The royal families of northern regions had knights for protection, but not an actual division that consisted of knights. It was the same case for Lucius the First. He had many knights in his army, but not a definite knights¡¯ group. Was this why Bikpa suggested a tournament? Because of this advantage alone? Lucius the First agonized over that idea. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 The ce and rules for this tournament were to be decided by Bikpa. A messenger from the Yapa castle arrived that afternoon. When he saw Lucius the First, he gaped in shock. The people of Bikpa believed that the stories of Lucius the First¡¯s beauty to be false rumors, so the messenger did not expect to meet such a gorgeous man. Lucius the First, as well as the other knights, read over the documents carefully. The rules themselves seemed ordinary. Unfortunately, the Acreian men weren¡¯t familiar with the tournament rules, so they read over them and discussed them among themselves. Lucius the First asked, ¡°So each kingdom is to send 10 of its knights. The Bikpa and Acreian knights will fight one on one, and whoever falls off the horse is the loser and the winner goes on immediately to fight the next opponent. Are these rules typical of a tournament?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. They sound about the same as the ones we have read from the books.¡± ¡°Alright. And¡­ each knight is to bring his own weapon¡­ Do we even have any horsebacknces?¡± He didn¡¯t think so. Why would they have tournament-rted weapons when they didn¡¯t even hold any tournaments? And even if they did have them, why would they bring them to war? Lucius the First began to wonder if he needed to get them made somehow when suddenly, Sir Ainno replied, ¡°I brought one, your highness.¡± ¡°Inno? You did?¡± Sir Ainno has been with the emperor since they were children. For him to have a weapon the emperor was unaware of surprised Lucius the First. Sir Ainno exined, ¡°The former emperor was very kind when heplimented my skills in spear fighting. He ordered me to travel the middle and southern regions and be a famous tournament knight when I got the chance.¡± It was amon urrence for those knights in the middle and southern areas of the continent to participate in these tournaments to make names for themselves. However, this was a very rare idea in Acreia. ¡°Then Inno, have you been in a tournament before?¡± Lucius the First asked. ¡°I entered a few times under a different name, but not since the former emperor passed away.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± It finally made sense to Lucius the First. As soon as he became the emperor, Sir Ainno has never left his sight, so he must¡¯ve participated in these contests before his coronation. At the time, Lucius thought Sir Ainno went to further practice his battle skills in the mountains; he never imagined Sir Ainno traveled the continent to enter tournaments. The emperor replied, ¡°I¡¯m impressed with your preparedness, Inno.¡± ¡°It is my duty to serve you as best as I can, your highness.¡± Sir Ainno bowed gratefully and considered himself lucky. If Gali the Third didn¡¯t suggest this idiotic tournament idea, he may have been criticized for bringing such a useless and heavy weapon to this war. Very lucky indeed. But with Sir Ainno with his experience and weapon, it still didn¡¯t fix the problem at hand. A single knight with a single weapon couldn¡¯t win against ten opponents. Lucius the First didn¡¯t want to step into what was obviously a trap. He especially didn¡¯t want to risk Sir Ainno¡¯s life. Sir Ainno was his treasured knight and most of all, his friend. Even if he had to waste 10 years waiting for the Yapa Castle to crumble, Lucius believes that it would be worth it if it would mean Sir Ainno¡¯s safety. To the emperor, Sir Ainno was worth the time. Lucius the First began to announce, ¡°I think that in the end, I will not be epting this offer¡­¡± ¡°Your highness, this tournament is our chance. It could lead us to a quick win with minimal loss of our men. Please, your highness, trust your knights. Please trust me. You know I can do this. I, Sir Ainno, have never lost a swordfight, I have never fallen off a horse, and I have never missed a mark with my bow.¡± Sir Ainno was determined to enter this contest. He was also determined not to lose. Never. No matter who Bikpa sent, Sir Ainno was confident that he was going to win. He was Acreia¡¯s greatest knight after all. When Sir Ainno appeared to be confident and determined, Lucius the First changed his mind. When the emperor announced the tournament, the Acreian knights went wild. Some thought it was a joke to spar in the middle of a serious war while the others worried that they didn¡¯t have enough if any, tournament experience to win this. Lucius the First picked 9 knights who were known for their horse riding and spear skills. Even though Sir Ainno was certain he could win against 10 enemy knights, the emperor knew better. Thankfully, the weapons were provided by the lord of the nearby Bikpa vige who was sick of his own cowardly king. He even offered his own knights to teach the Acreian men how to use the horsebacknces. The Lord said to Lucius the First, ¡°I would love to offer my knights to fight on your behalf, your highness, but I am afraid we won¡¯t win against Gali the Third¡¯s men.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you have strong knights.¡± ¡°Yes, but certainly not stronger than the king¡¯s knights.¡± The Lord, who used to be a knight himself, shrugged and exined that Gali the Third loved the tournaments. This was why he spent more money on these contests than on his own military. Tournaments in this kingdom urred often and the rewards for each were grand. Bikpa was known for the greatest tournament rewards on the continent. Bikpa was ignored as a kingdom, but its tournaments were celebrated by all the other nations. The greatest knights gathered in this ce to show off their skills. The best of the knights was offered great wealth to be one of Gali the Third¡¯s personal guards. These champions may not have been useful in real battles, but they were the best in one-on-one horsebackncebat. The Lord then exined, ¡°Your knights may be skilled fighters, but theirbat experience won¡¯t help in a tournament.¡± Only ¡°I see, but you would be surprised.¡± As the Acreian knights practiced with the Bikpa men, they realized that they made a mistake of underestimating their enemies. They were also thankful for whatever tips they could get. Even the briefest practice could be a big help. Riding a horse while holding and fighting with ance was indeed very difficult. The horse needed to be ridden at its full speed and the knight had to face the opponent who wasing at him at that same full speed. The horses who weren¡¯t trained in tournaments often stopped in the middle when they saw another horseing at them. The Acreian knights had difficulty aiming urately with thence, which was very long and heavy. Sir Rabi became frustrated. When he began to fling around his heavynce easily, the men standing around him ran, fearing that they might get hit. The Bikpa knights who were watching Sir Rabi were clearly impressed. They asked Lucius the First, ¡°Is he a man or a monster?¡± ¡°That is Sir Rabi and he is one of my high-ranking knights.¡± Sir Ainno looked confidentpared to the other Acreian knights, but he also looked grim at the fact that he had to leave his emperor to participate in this tournament. When the Bikpa Lord saw how Sir Ainno rode the horse easily while wielding hisnce expertly, he asked the emperor, ¡°Who is he? How can a man be that strong and fast?¡± ¡°He is one of my best.¡± Poliana watched the scene proudly. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 A temporary podium was made for Lucius the First to stand and watch his knights¡¯ practice. When he saw Poliana nearby, he called for her and asked, ¡°Is it hard for you to watch the practice because you are so short?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that short, your highness.¡± It was true that other audiences¡¯ heads were blocking her view. Poliana was tall for a woman, but she was certainly smaller than most northern soldiers. Sir Donau, who was now much taller than Poliana, walked towards them. His older brother, Sir Howe, was one of the knights selected for the tournament, and Donau was both proud and envious of him. 9 knights, including Sir Ainno, were selected for the tournament. An additional nine more knights were chosen as spares. The knights in the main group included the following men. Sir Ainno, who was acknowledged as the best knight in Acreia. Sir Bentier, who hesitated to participate since he was the deputymander but ended up entering the contest because of his skills in spearbat. Sir Rabi, who had the strength of a wild boar. Sir Howe, a talented fighter who was hated by his sparring partners for his sneakiness. Sir Beke, who had the most potential as a good fighter among the young knights. Sir Aeke, who wasn¡¯t as good of a fighter as his brother but still a very dependable knight. Sir Mahogal was also a decent fighter, but he was excluded because he was the second inmand of the emperor¡¯s personal protection division. Sir Ainno, the head of the protection team, was going to be absent, which meant that they could not spare any more of the emperor¡¯s personal guards. Those selected felt extremely proud because it meant they were recognized as the best in the Acreian army. Sir Deke looked at his brothers proudly just as Donau did. Lucius the First gestured Sirs Donau and Deke toe closer as well. The temporary podium squeaked as they stepped on it. The emperor said to them, ¡°I am still very concerned.¡± ¡°Why, your highness?¡± ¡°The Bikpa Lord told me that the armors for tournaments are much thicker than our Acreian gears. This means that our knights need to win without getting hit even once. Inno may be an amazing fighter, but he cannot win over 10 professional tournament knights. 10 champions¡­ I am not even certain about what order I need to send our men to fight.¡± If Sir Ainno was the first to fight, he would lose his strength as he fought more and more men. It could be a huge problem if Gali the Third ced the strongest of his men towards the end of the tournament. Lucius the First knew that he was more likely to lose than win. He epted this idea partly because Sir Ainno was determined to participate. However, the biggest reason was that it would still be meaningless if he lost. The King of Bikpa was truly stupid. He requested the Acreian army to leave hisnd if he won the contest, but all Lucius had to do was leave temporarily before dering another war and return. Most lords of Bikpa no longer epted Gali the Third as their sovereign since, after all, their king abandoned them. The only people loyal to Gali the Third were those who were inside the Yapa castle. The onlynd he truly owned now was the castle itself. Even if Lucius the First lost the tournament and left the Bikpa border, he knew that at least, a dozen Bikpa lords would ask him for help in their rebellion towards their king. All Lucius the First had to do was to ept their plea and attack them again. All he had to lose was a little bit of time. With the Bikpa lords¡¯ help, perhaps it might even be easier the second time they attack. ¡°We are in the middle of a war and yet, we are here to practice for a tournament. I guess Gali the Third is a romantic. A romantic who lives in his own dream,¡± Lucius the First muttered. It was shameful indeed. Poliana listened to her emperor attentively. Secretly, she felt the same way as Sir Donau and Sir Deke; she was envious of the knights who got to participate in the tournament but of course, she understood perfectly why she should not and could not be part of it. She acknowledged that these men were amazingly brave and strong knights. Their skills were well known around the kingdoms. Poliana herself made significant achievements recently as well but unfortunately, she was known to the world in a negative way. The new Acreian knight Poliana Winter; her name was used to mock Lucius the First. A female knight who was given this rank because she was Lucius the First¡¯s favored mistress. A knightess who rides men better than horses. It was amon strategy to ridicule the opposing armies during wars. False rumors ran rampant all around the continent. But it didn¡¯t faze Poliana. Whenever she was met with jokes and ridicules like these, she fought back with her foul mouth that could even make the biggest men blush. Her colleagues and her soldiers were on her side. When they faced a rumor about her, these men fought back as well. ¡°Have you any idea how ugly our knightess is? If you did, you would not say such things!¡± ¡°She is so ugly that no men would ever want her! Therefore, all the rumors of her being a who*e are ridiculous!¡± ¡°Her hideous face will keep her virginity safe forever!¡± ¡°Our knightess is no woman! She is a knight and nothing more!¡± Her men encouraged Poliana to ignore these rumors. They were truly and genuinely on her side, but Poliana didn¡¯t know how to feel about theirments, which were said with good intentions but clearly insults themselves. But in the end, Poliana didn¡¯t feel hurt because the men were only trying to defend her reputation. Still, there were still times when she found it hard not to kick the other knights when they said horrible things to her. ¡°Sir Poliana! Do not feel disappointed! I am sure you will be able to get married someday!¡± ¡°We all know that you aren¡¯t a cheap who*e, Sir Poliana! Please don¡¯t feel hurt by the rumors!¡± ¡®Bastards.¡¯ Sometimes, Poliana couldn¡¯t tell if these men were truly on her side. But what worried her the most was the fact that her name was being used to mock Lucius the First. The emperor hasn¡¯t mentioned anything about it yet, and when someone did bring up the subject, he angrily ignored it. Only Lucius the First was indeed a wise and kind emperor. Poliana felt sorry for the people of Bikpa, ¡®How awful it must be to have a stupid king like Gali the Third.¡¯ But at least, these people now had hope. Lucius the First was going to conquer this kingdom and take care of the poor people of Bikpa just as he did for Aehas, Kukda, and Bebero. And this was the truth. The people of these conquered kingdoms now revered Lucius the First as a godsend. The tax rates were dropped, and everyone was treated fairly. The chance of internal rebellion was minimal inside these kingdoms. The great emperor Lucius the First. Poliana tried to never miss a word her leader said. Then suddenly, he said something that made her speechless. ¡°Hmm¡­ Sir Poliana, now that Inno will be temporarily unavable to protect me, will you take on the duty for a while?¡± ¡°Pardon?!¡± Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Poliana felt so embarrassed that she wanted to hide. Her emperor had a talent for surprising her like this. Then, Lucius the First asked, ¡°Sir Poliana, you should take over Sir Ainno¡¯s duty and protect me until the end of this tournament.¡± Did the emperor see her envy and jealousy towards the other knights? Was she that easy to read? Did he think she was being petty? Only the best of the best had the honor of bing the emperor¡¯s personal guard. It had to be a knight who came from a well-trusted family, who proved hisbat skills, who had an eptable appearance, and who had impable manners. The head of the emperor¡¯s personal guards even had the special privilege to disobey the emperor¡¯s order when necessary. A foreigner such as Poliana certainly was not fit to take this esteemed position, even temporarily. Yet here he was, Lucius the First, offering her this post. ¡®I-is he joking?¡¯ Poliana studied him carefully, but she couldn¡¯t see any smile on his face. In fact, the emperor looked serious and she couldn¡¯t disappoint him. Sir Mahogal, who was standing behind the emperor, didn¡¯t say a word. Poliana kneeled quickly in front of him, saying, ¡°I am honored, your highness.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± But of course, it wasn¡¯t going to be that easy. ¡°I am against it. This cannot happen.¡± No one asked him, but when he found out, Sir Ainno disagreed loudly. Both Poliana and Lucius the First weren¡¯t surprised at his reaction. Most of the knights now respected Poliana and treated her well. Some seemed to feel awkward around her, but they still epted her as one of them. In public, most men now called her Sir Poliana, including Sir Rabi. Informally, some men still called her names but then again, men called each other names all the time anyway. Sir Rabi often called many of his soldiers ¡°bastards¡± and ¡°idiots.¡± It was a normal practice in any army; it was even considered as an affectionate gesture. Sir Ainno was the only knight who refused to call Poliana by her rank. He, in fact, rarely called for her. If he had no choice but to address her, Sir Ainno called her ¡°that woman,¡± ¡°b*tch,¡± or ¡°the girl.¡± It was clear that he did not like her at all. It was no wonder that he disliked her. First of all, Poliana¡¯s existence in the military itself was unhelpful to Lucius the First¡¯s reputation. Sir Ainno especially hated the rumor that Poliana was knighted because the emperor was smitten with her. Sir Ainno stomped his feet in the presence of the emperor because he was so furious. Why couldn¡¯t this woman be beautiful? If she was, this situation wouldn¡¯t be as embarrassing! The enemies would in fact envy them! As the people began to hear about Poliana¡¯s unsightly look, especially next to the beautiful Lucius the First, another strange rumor started. It was that the Acreian emperor had a bizarre fetish for ugly women. Sir Ainno hated this misunderstanding. He has known Lucius the First a very long time and he knew without a doubt that his emperor liked beautiful women! On top of it all, Sir Ainno hated the fact that Poliana was a foreigner. Poliana agreed that this position was too big of honor for her, but she also could not deny her emperor. To appease Sir Ainno, Poliana said to him, ¡°As his highness himself is an excellent swordsman, I am sure I am not even needed. His highness is obviously a much better warrior than I am. I am only standing in your position in name, Sir Ainno, so please do not worry.¡± ¡°How can you take this position to protect his highness when you yourself admit that you are weaker than the emperor?!¡± Lucius the First interrupted the conversation with a smile as he said, ¡°Sir Poliana is right. Even if Sir Poliana herself attacks me while I sleep, I will be able to fight her off very easily. So you don¡¯t have to worry that Sir Poliana might betray us, Inno. Stop opposing this idea. It¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± Lucius the First then turned around and walked away. He went back to his room, which was provided in the castle located in the nearby vige. When Sir Ainno tried to follow him, the emperor¡¯s personal guards stopped him. ¡°Step aside!¡± Sir Ainno yelled angrily. ¡°We are sorry, Sir, but this is his highness¡¯s order. We cannot let you follow him.¡± While Sir Ainno argued with the guards, Lucius the First opened the door slightly again and peaked in. He whispered to Poliana, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you following me, Sir Poliana?¡± ¡°Oh, I apologize!¡± Sir Ainno saw this interaction and his face crumpled angrily. Feeling guilty towards him but having no other choice, Poliana left to follow the emperor. Being alone in the room with Lucius the First and still be allowed to keep her sword with her, Poliana felt mystified. She still felt guilty towards Sir Ainno, but she couldn¡¯t help also feeling immensely proud. When Poliana stood around awkwardly near the door because she didn¡¯t know what to do, Lucius the First gave her permission to sit. ¡°Sir Poliana, please do not think too much about what I said to Inno. I didn¡¯t mean it as an insult to your skills or your loyalty.¡± ¡°Not at all, your highness! If I can sacrifice my life for you, it would be my honor!¡± ¡°All I was trying to do was to take away a little bit of the burden from Inno¡¯s shoulders, but it seems I have caused him even more stress¡­¡± It was true. Unintentionally, the emperor was making Sir Ainno be tenser. The reason why Lucius the First chose Poliana among so many other more qualified knights was for a personal reason. He didn¡¯t expect all of his knights to be friends, but the emperor still believed that Sir Ainno had to change his attitude towards Poliana. To repair their rtionship, something positive was needed to happen between Sir Ainno and Poliana and for something to happen, they needed to spend more time with each other. This was why Lucius the First assigned Poliana as his temporary guard, but it seemed that his n backfired. Poliana felt a little disappointed because it seemed that the emperor gave her this duty for Sir Ainno¡¯s sake, not hers, but she quickly felt ashamed of herself because she was being too greedy. It only made sense that the emperor would care more about his long-time loyal knight than a foreigner. Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Lucius the First said to her quietly, ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t too disappointed.¡± ¡°Not at all, your highness!¡± Poliana stood up clumsily, making the emperorugh. He then replied, ¡°Anyway, it is what it is. Please stay with this during this shift and protect me, Sir Poliana. I believe in you.¡± ¡°I will do my best, your highness!¡± Only ¡°And starting tomorrow, you can learn the details of this position from the other guards.¡± Lucius the First waved at her to take a seat again. He told her to rx, but Poliana continued to sit with her back straight as a spear. The emperor had nothing to do at the moment, so he took the opportunity to ask Poliana about her personal life. Details of how she came to be a knight¡­ About the old knight who taught her as a child¡­ And all the books that she read over the years¡­ Lucius the First was an avid reader. He loved to read and at any time he could find, he spent it on reading. Poliana read many books as well, but it was only about battles. As she talked to the emperor, Poliana realized that she had so much more to learn. The emperor said to her, ¡°I like people who strive to improve themselves, but I also like people who arezy from time to time. I know that you, Sir Poliana, never waste a second, but I think what you really need is to take a moment for yourself, to breathe. It will help you get better in the long run.¡± Their conversation continued, and somehow, Poliana was able to get a sparring date with the emperor. Any disappointment she felt melted away like snow under the sun. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 The next day, Sir Ainno, sweating heavily from his tournament practice, ordered her angrily, ¡°Follow me!¡± When she did, the other knights looked at her sympathetically. As they walked, Poliana saw how drenched he was. She said to him, ¡°Sir Ainno, you look like you need to take a rest.¡± ¡°I will not allow an idiot to stand by his highness, so I will give you a special lesson to prepare you better.¡± ¡°Sir, you justpleted a round vigorous training. You really need to rest now.¡± ¡°You!¡± Sir Ainno looked at Poliana up and down and suddenly, he hit her head hard. It hurt, and she was no longer in a helpless position like before. After all, she was a knight and she belonged to Sir Rabi, not Sir Ainno. She had all the right to protest. ¡°Why did you just hit me?!¡± ¡°Do you really think you can be near his highness looking like that! Go wash yourself! You are filthy!¡± ¡°But I washed a week ago!¡± Sir Ainno¡¯s eyes wavered in shock, making Poliana wonder, ¡®What¡¯s so shocking?¡¯ Poliana couldn¡¯t understand his reaction. A servant was walking by and Sir Ainno loudly ordered him to fill up a tub. ¡°With cold water. Actually, fill it with hot water since it washes better! And get her some four strong women too!¡± ¡°Sir Ainno, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°Do you at least brush your teeth, woman?¡± Poliana knew very well how important teeth were for everyone. It wasmon for soldiers to lose their teeth from injuries, which meant it was especially important for military men to take care of their teeth. Poliana herself lost a mr because of Sir Ainno, and ever since, she has been taking special care of her teeth. She answered confidently, ¡°I brush them with salt five times a day.¡± ¡°Thank god.¡± Sir Ainno seemed relieved before ring at her again. He ordered loudly to the servants, ¡°Get this girl cleaned right now!¡± A bathtub was prepared outside. The servants and the maids were shocked because it was to bathe a woman, not a man. A wife of a lord from the nearby vige offered her own bathroom when she heard the news, but Sir Ainno stubbornly refused, iming that her bathroom would be dirtied beyond repair. Shocked, the lord¡¯s wife sent her own maids to help with the process. She also insisted that at the very least, the bathtub should be ced indoors. In the end, it was ced in a storage room and the windows were all covered for privacy. A fewnterns were ced inside for light. Poliana grumbled loudly as she took off her clothes quickly, shocking the maids again. A woman who knew no shame. But Poliana was a knight and there was no ce for shyness or embarrassment in wars. If necessary, she had to be ready to fight naked. When she was fully naked, the maids were shocked again. ¡°Oh my god, she was really a woman?!¡± ¡°I thought that she was a man too¡­¡± Half the maids seemed disappointed for some reason, while the other half seemed surprised. There were so many different rumors about Poliana that the maids became excited to find out the truth. They began to chat all at once. ¡°Oh my, you aren¡¯t as ugly as some imed!¡± ¡°Sir Knightess, you look so handsome!¡± ¡°Well, for me, I am disappointed because I was hoping you would be like his highness. You know, beautiful.¡± The maids also whispered that the lord¡¯s wife became upset when she saw Lucius the First. She was considered the most beautifuldy in the region, but when she saw how beautiful the Acreian emperor was, she felt ashamed of herself. Poliana understood perfectly how that must have felt, so she nodded emphatically. All four tubs of water were needed to wash Poliana and it took most of the day for the maids to clean her. When there was no more hot water, the maids became disappointed because there was still more washing that needed to be done. When they suggested that they ask the kitchen to boil more water, Poliana announced loudly, ¡°No more!¡± Her skin stung and she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. When the maids began to rub in oil on her body, Poliana jumped in shock. Her skin was just cleaned, so why were they putting on smelly stuff on her body? ¡°That hurts! Stop!¡± Sheined. ¡°Stay still, Sir Poliana. I can¡¯t believe how rough your skin is.¡± ¡°But the oil smells like flowers. What if the enemy dogs detect me while I am in the middle of a surprise attack?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called perfume, Sir Poliana. Hold still.¡± The maids ignored her protest and continued rubbing in oil on her hair and her body. Poliana hated that oily feeling. When she began to wipe herself off with a dry towel, the maids stopped her. ¡°We just gave you ourdy¡¯s personal stash of oils! Do you know how expensive it is?!¡± When she was told it was an expensive oil, Poliana decided to let it stay on her skin. Her clothes were taken away to be washed. When Poliana protested, saying her leather armor shouldn¡¯t be washed with water, the maids replied that a soldier took it so he must know what to do with it. The maids offered her ady¡¯s robe, making Poliana frown. She feared that she might have no choice but to wear it, but she quickly realized that it didn¡¯t fit her. For a woman, Poliana was very tall. She was slim but very muscr. She had no fat on her body but her shoulders were broad and her arms and chests were well muscled. Her body shape was definitely very different than the others. The robe didn¡¯t fit her at all, and even if they brought a bigger one, it wouldn¡¯t work. On top of that, the dress just did not suit Poliana. With her discolored skin and shaven head, she looked creepy in a skirt. In the end, men¡¯s clothes were brought in for her. It was a bit too big for her, but it still fits her better. In fact, she looked like a decent looking young man in it. Both Poliana and the maids couldn¡¯t understand why she looked scary in a skirt, but almost handsome in pants. Looking at the mirror, Poliana wondered, ¡®I¡­ I guess I WAS really dirty¡­?¡¯ But it was normal for any soldier not to be able to bathe often. In fact, washing once a week was considered very clean. For example, Poliana¡¯s superior Sir Rabi hated water on his skin altogether. He avoided bathing himself at all costs. Only On her way back to her tent, she spotted Sir Rabi, who was sweating heavily as Sir Ainno did. Sir Rabi was ying with the military dogs. Poliana greeted him and said to him, ¡°Sir, you look tired. You should go take a rest.¡± Sir Rabi looked up at her and replied, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Was I¡­ that filthy? I thought I was ok.¡± ¡°Not at all, Sir Pol. You are actually one of the cleanest soldiers I know. And you brush your teeth five times a day! I was just kidding because I have never seen you in regr clothes.¡± The dogs licked Sir Rabi, making himugh. As far as Poliana knew, thest time Sir Rabi washed was when it rained and even then, all he did was barely wet his body with the rain. She remembered Sir Baufallo shaking in disgust when he talked about how filthy Sir Rabi was. Just then, Sir Howe walked by with Sir Donau, who then eximed, ¡°Wow, Sir Poliana. You look so clean.¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Sir Donau and Sir Howe used the rooms next to Poliana, so they met each other often. Like their father Sir Baufallo, the boys liked to keep themselves cleaner than most men on the base. They also never visited the prostitutes like everyone else for the same reason. The brothers were curious about Poliana¡¯s new duty. When she firstined about how she was treated by Sir Ainno, the brothers nodded and replied, ¡°That¡¯s normal for those rude guards. They think they are better than everyone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And the guards spend too much time on their appearances.¡± Donau looked at his older brother and said to him, ¡°But you do too, bro.¡± ¡°I¡¯m different. Not like them at all, and what angers me the most is the fact that all of the guards are very strong. It¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°And they alle from good families.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Their families are all wealthy nobles. It must be so nice to be rich. How about their uniform? It¡¯s blue so if they get any blood on it, it looks noticeable. It¡¯s not practical at all, but they refuse to change it. I heard that if it gets dirty, they would just buy themselves a new one.¡± Both of them chattered excitedly and Poliana joined in, saying, ¡°I washed a week ago, so doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m still clean? I can¡¯t believe Sir Ainno called me ¡®filthy!¡¯ He ordered the maids to ¡®wash me,¡¯ like I¡¯m a dirty piece of cloth that needs to beundered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡± ¡°Totally!¡± Even if the men belonged to the same army, there was a subtle tension between the regr knights and the emperor¡¯s guards. They considered each other colleagues and they, of course, respected each other, but the knights were secretly jealous of the guards. The emperor¡¯s personal guards consisted of good-looking young men from good families. Because they protected the emperor, these guards had huge pride in their positions and sometimes looked down on the other knights. During a war, the guards and the knights were treated equally but during peaceful times, the guards had higher ranks. And most of all, their blue uniforms looked amazing. ¡°I want to wear that uniform too,¡± Sir Donau muttered. He was clearly envious. Sir Howe, feeling the same way, shook his head and said to his brother, ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try out to be a guard?¡± Poliana asked. ¡°We are from a family of knights.¡± It wasn¡¯t impossible, but it was very unlikely that these brothers would be epted. Poliana became a bit nervous. The position given to her was temporary, but it still obviously meant a great deal. Lucius the First was giving her great honor, and she knew she had to do her best not to disappoint her emperor. How a guard was expected to behave was vastly different than that of a knight. Poliana never considered herself to be ignorant of good manners and etiquette. She was known to be cold and stiff but as a soldier or a knight, her manners were epted as decent. But as the emperor¡¯s personal guard, much more was expected from her. There were separate protocols to follow when it came to being a royal guard. Poliana found it especially difficult since she was used to being on the front, but it had to be done. When Sir Ainno saw her in clean clothes and looking cleaner, he nodded. Now, the next step was training. Sir Ainno ordered one of the royal guards, ¡°Before Ie back, make sure you teach her how to behave like a human.¡± ¡°You are being rude to me, Sir Ainno,¡± Poliana protested. ¡°I will treat you better once you learn your manners, woman.¡± ¡°I doubt that.¡± Sir Rabi often called his men ¡°bastards.¡± He would yell, ¡°You bastards are toozy! Run, idiots, run! Run until you can hear your balls sing!¡± He addressed her as ¡°Sir Poliana¡± in a formal setting, but he also called her the same names during work. When Poliana retorted that she didn¡¯t have any balls, Sir Rabi answered her, ¡°Then run until your nonexistent balls sing.¡± She didn¡¯t know how to respond to him. The royal guards worked with 8-hour shifts. The guard that was ordered to teach Poliana was taking his break time to help her, so Poliana did her best to learn as quickly as possible. The first lesson was as followed. A royal guard represents the emperor, therefore, one must always be clean, look eptable, and have faultless manners. ¡°This means you need to speak like a gentleman,¡± the guard exined to her. Indeed, the guard spoke softly and never swore, but what about Sir Ainno? ¡°What about Sir Ainno?¡± Poliana asked. ¡°Our leader doesn¡¯t speak much.¡± Poliana had no choice but to agree. Sir Ainno firmly believed that action spoke louder than words. He would punch or kick someone before swearing at them. Although she did not learn these new etiquettes, Poliana knew why it was necessary. A royal guard, who remained by the emperor¡¯s side all the time, could and should not act like a callous soldier. At least, Poliana knew that this was only a temporary position. She wasn¡¯t someone who would be allowed to remain by her emperor¡¯s side this closely. Poliana never learned these royal etiquettes because it wasn¡¯t necessary. The old knight never taught her about this. So speaking softly with pretty words made her feel ufortable. Thankfully, the guard exined to her that the Acreian etiquettes were least strict in the entire continent. It was a good thing that the Acreian emperor was conquering and uniting theirnds. When it was time for the next shift, the guard handed her an outfit. It wasn¡¯t the blue uniform because she didn¡¯t officially belong to the royal guards. The cloth she was wearing currently was the same one from yesterday, the one she got after her bath. It was still clean, and it wasn¡¯t crumpled either. So why was the guard getting her to change? When Poliana studied the clothes, the guard exined, ¡°As I said before, a royal guard must always look clean and neat.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I will root for you, Sir Poliana. I am sure Sir Ainno will someday call you by your proper rank and name.¡± The guard smiled kindly. Just like all the other royal guards, he was tall and handsome. Even his voice was a nice baritone, and Poliana had no doubt that he was much stronger than her. She blushed at his smile. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted him, she just felt a little shy. When she entered the emperor¡¯s room, she immediately began to use what she just learned. She bowed properly and her posture was straight. She was a natural. Lucius the First watched her quietly and grinned. Poliana assumed that she had done a decent job. ¡°I heard that Inno treated you like a dirty piece ofundry yesterday,¡± the emperor said. ¡°I apologize, your highness, for being so dirty yesterday.¡± ¡°No worries. Besides, Sir Poliana, you weren¡¯t that dirty. I thought you were one of the cleaner knights in the base.¡± Only ¡®I knew it!¡¯ Her suspicion was confirmed. It wasn¡¯t that she was unusually dirty; Sir Ainno just had an unusually high standard. He was being too clean. Lucius the First shrugged his shoulders and continued, ¡°The royal guards work a little differently than the regr knights. Inno¡­ I hope you don¡¯t take Inno¡¯s words and behaviors personally. Inno thinks that because he is better than everyone, everyone else needs to work harder to satisfy his standards. Inno works very hard, just like you and I, Sir Poliana, but he is a bit different than us. Inno is full of talents and whatever he doesn¡¯t have, he will do everything he can to achieve it¡­¡± The emperor narrowed his eyes and watched the window. Sir Ainno was in the middle of his practice again. Unlike the other knights, who could barely wield theirnces, Sir Ainno never missed his target. The speed at which he rode his horse was much faster. As Sir Ainno won the practice games over and over again, the audience cheered loudly. The perfect Sir Ainno¡­ After quietly watching for a while, Lucius the First pointed at him and muttered, ¡°He is so annoying.¡± Poliana nodded in agreement. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Being Lucius the First¡¯s guard was an easy job physically, however, it was mentally exhausting. Feeling her neck and shoulders turning stiff, Poliana stretched them. She was on her short break, and soon, it was going to be time for her lesson again. Today¡¯s topic was how to act when an enemy approached the emperor. The first thing to learn was how to tell if someone had harmful intentions towards them. Poliana then asked, ¡°And how do I learn how to read people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly based on experiences. There are some rare people who are born with the sense as well.¡± ¡°It sounds very hard.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the hardest thing to learn. You just never know who might attack his highness. It could be anyone, even those favored by the emperor.¡± Poliana wasn¡¯t afraid of hard physical work, but to learn how to observe and read people¡­ That was a whole different skill, and she knew that she didn¡¯t have it. She never learned it or practiced it because she didn¡¯t need to in the past. She knew that trying to learn it right now would be impossible. The guard knew it as well, so he said to her, ¡°If in doubt, you just have to act like our boss.¡± Sir Ainno! Of course! ¡°Action before words!¡± Poliana nodded, her fists clenched in agreement, and the guard praised her, ¡°That¡¯s exactly it! All you have to do is beat the person up first! Even if it turns out that you were wrong about that person, all you have to say is that you did it to protect the emperor! No one will be able to me you.¡± All the royal guards were rather violent, most likely because they were led by Sir Ainno. After all, it was he who caused Poliana to lose a mr. He also broke her nose, which healed crookedly. Sometimes when she drank a ss of cold water, all her teeth felt sensitive. She would still miss it every time she would chew on a piece of meat. The guard was an excellent teacher. Sir Ainno, who was on his break, was watching nearby. He nodded in satisfaction and added, ¡°You can also beat upzy and rude people.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Anyone you don¡¯t like, you can just beat them up. It doesn¡¯t matter what their ages or ranks are. Well, I guess you shouldn¡¯t hit children and elderlies since they might die. And once you do this a few times, people will learn not to do anything stupid in front of you.¡± Sir Ainno also added that she already had the moves down. ¡°You just have to do what you do best.¡± Poliana¡¯s specialty was muscle and joint assault. She didn¡¯t have enough strength to break bones, but she was trained to do maximum damages on men much bigger than her. She couldn¡¯t kill anyone with her bare hands, but she could cause enough pain that felt worse than death. Sir Ainno pointed at her crotch with a knowing look and Poliana understood immediately what he meant. The ¡°lesson¡± she taught Donau was respected by everyone on the base. Anyone who showed even the slightest disrespect to the emperor deserved the same treatment. On this subject, Sir Ainno and Poliana agreedpletely. ording to Sir Aiino, the only person who was allowed to be cheeky around the emperor was Duke Luzo. Poliana had the permission to beat anyone and everyone else she thought that had an uneptable behavior. Poliana liked that a lot. When she was with Lucius the First in his room with her sword still in her scabbard, Poliana felt an overwhelming pride. Sometimes, when she thought that the emperor wasn¡¯t watching her, she would ce her hand over the hilt of her sword and re at the door as if she was getting ready for an intruder. Lucius the First found Poliana, who acted like a little girl receiving a gift, adorable. The reason why he assigned the royal guard duty to her was to unburden his friend Sir Ainno, so when Poliana seemed extremely happy and honored, Lucius felt happy and a little apologetic at the same time. But overall, he liked to see how happy she was about this position. As she spent more time with the emperor, Poliana learned a lot about Lucius the First. The biggest surprise was his personality. She always thought he was a serious and thoughtful king, but now, she realized that there were different sides to him she never saw before. He was a young man who had a huge ambition of uniting the continent. He was a hard worker and an extremely handsome man. The emperor was well aware of how beautiful he was, and he also knew how to use it to his advantage. He was very sensitive about his looks, much more so than Poliana ever was about hers. Every morning, Lucius the First asked Poliana which outfit looked best on him. To her, all of them looked great on her emperor, so she found it very difficult to answer his question. ¡°Of these two outfits, which one do you think works best for me, Sir Poliana?¡± ¡°You would look beautiful even if you wear a dirty towel, your highness.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the answer I was looking for.¡± Just like the other young men his age, the emperor would get annoyed easily. Lucius the First was gorgeous and he knew that his men were proud of his beauty. Oddly, his soldiers were delighted with his look, and the emperor was only too happy to oblige his men by making sure that he always looked presentable. And it wasn¡¯t just for his soldiers. Lucius the First personally believed in staying on top of thetest fashion. He considered it an embarrassment to wear unfashionable clothes. When Lucius the First realized Poliana was going to be no help when it came to style, he began to ask other guards instead. When they answered skillfully and to the emperor¡¯s satisfaction, Poliana made sure to listen carefully so she could learn about it. As Lucius the First¡¯s guard, she was able to meet many different people. She became acquainted with not just other guards and knights, but the emperor¡¯s scribes and servants too. Only Technically, the emperor¡¯s personal servants had higher ranks than Poliana. They all seemed so sophisticated and well-learned that Poliana found it hard to interact with them. So instead, she became closer to the scribes. During their breaks, Poliana and the Scribe Momo chatted together. Momoined loudly, ¡°No matter how diligently we, the scribes, record his highness¡¯s beauty, it won¡¯t be enough. No one will believe it, not to the true extent anyway! The people of the future who would read our work would think that we¡¯re just exaggerating! It makes me feel so sad that our future generations won¡¯t know how gorgeous our emperor is!¡± Now that she thought about it, Poliana felt the same way. Her emperor was the most stunning man in the world, but his beauty would most likely be forgotten in the future. When she mentioned her fear to the other knights, they all agreed to with her. Sir Rabi, who had children, finally said to her, ¡°This is why having children is very important. The people in the future will be able to tell by our descendants¡¯ looks, right? Do you have any idea how adorable my daughters are?¡± Apparently, Sir Rabi had two cute daughters and a handsome son. He imed that they were all amazing loud-voiced kids. Poliana studied Sirs Aeke, Beke, and Deke. Because they were brothers, there was a clear resemnce between them. Sirs Howe and Donau must¡¯ve resembled their mother because they didn¡¯t look like Sir Baufallo, but they still had distinct simrities with their father. Suddenly, Poliana thought of her own family. The family she hasn¡¯t thought about for a long time. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Poliana¡¯s mother died right after giving birth to her. She had seen her mother¡¯s face only on a portrait. Painters were often very kind to their paintings by making sure whoever they were painting looked their best, so the fact that Poliana¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t a beauty even on a painting suggested that she was most likely an unattractive woman. Poliana could see a clear resemnce between her and her mother. Mysteriously, Poliana¡¯s father became unable to sire any more children. Her stepmother wasn¡¯t rted to her, so she didn¡¯t count. Her stepsister Liana was a beauty, but they weren¡¯t alike at all. They didn¡¯t share any habits or patterns as most siblings have. Because she didn¡¯t spend much time with them, Poliana didn¡¯t see them as her family. It was especially truer now since she was no longer an Aehasian. The old knight was more like her family. They, in fact, shared more simrities, but the old knight was dead. Poliana had no family now. But the important thing now was this; the emperor¡¯s wife, the future empress, had to be an amazing beauty. Poliana felt certain of it. It had to be a woman who wouldn¡¯t be outshined when she stood next to Lucius the First. Lucius the First would have been considered the most eligible bachelor even if he was an ugly man. After all, he untied the northern kingdoms. He was an emperor like no other and therefore, he needed a woman who was kind, generous, beautiful, and who was healthy enough to bear many magnificent children. Perhaps it would be a princess from a good kingdom. This was how all Lucius the First¡¯s knights felt, but the emperor felt it little differently. It would be nice to marry a pretty woman, but her appearance wasn¡¯t a priority for him. As long as she didn¡¯t look like a monster, he would be fine with it. What he considered more important was a woman¡¯s wisdom, personality, and of course, her ability to bear children. He was going to be the ruler of the entire continent. This meant that he could have all the beautiful mistresses he wanted, so what he wanted from his empress wasn¡¯t how attractive she was. Because Lucius the First didn¡¯t share his view with the knights, none of them knew what their emperor truly wanted. They weren¡¯t close enough to the emperor for him to share his personal thoughts at them. The only knight close enough to him was Sir Ainno, and he didn¡¯t have to be told about it because he knew his emperor very well. Poliana imagined what kind of empress she would want to serve. She wanted someone that could bepared to Lucius the First¡¯s beauty, but no matter how hard she tried, the only beautiful face Poliana could think of was her emperor¡¯s. She had never seen a woman who was more or even as beautiful as him. Poliana tried to imagine the more beautiful versions of thedies she had seen in her life, and finally, she came up with a decent face. She felt so happy just imagining the beautiful wedding and the future princesses and princes as she smiled widely. ¡®It¡¯s going to be so nice.¡¯ Poliana knew it was silly to imagine these things, but she couldn¡¯t help it. She wondered how beautiful Lucius the First¡¯s daughter would be. He would be the most beautiful prince on the continent with the greatest emperor as her father and a kind beauty as her mother. This princess would be the most loveddy in the continent. She could have a beautiful face, a fragile and feminine body, a songbird of a voice, and kind eyes. Someone who all the knights would pledge their loyalty to. A perfectdy. Lucius the First suddenly noticed that his guard Poliana was smiling creepily, making him flinch in shock. She looked like she was having an inappropriate and dirty thought, which was very unlike her. ¡°Sir Poliana, what are you thinking about?¡± The emperor asked. ¡°I was imagining how beautiful your highness¡¯s princess would be.¡± It was amon urrence for Lucius the First to hear his subjects ramble about his future children when he wasn¡¯t even married yet. He nodded calmly and seriously. His future daughter¡­. If she resembled him, then¡­ ¡°Yes. If she resembled me, my future daughter would be the most beautiful girl on the continent. It makes sense since I am the most handsome man in the world and I can tell you, Sir Poliana, that it is very nice to be beautiful. It makes many people happy,¡± Lucius the First jokingly replied to her. ¡°Indeed, your highness, you are so very beautiful!¡± Poliana replied emphatically, surprising the emperor. He was only joking, but it seemed that this knight took it very seriously. It was an unfortunatelymon urrence for him. Because he was the emperor, his subjects often took his jokes very seriously. Sir Ainno once told Lucius the First that it wasn¡¯t because he was the emperor, but it was because his jokes were no good. The emperor didn¡¯t believe his friend, thinking that Inno was just jealous of his sense of humor. Lucius the First then exined to Poliana, ¡°I was just kidding.¡± Only ¡°But your highness, it can¡¯t be a joke because you are truly very beautiful!¡± ¡°¡­ you can be so strange, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Your jokes too, your highness.¡± Since she was temporarily appointed as a guard, Poliana has been spending a third of her day with the emperor every day. Slowly, she was getting used to the emperor¡¯s odd jokes. She learned that Lucius the First had a strange sense of humor, which sometimes made his subjects very ufortable. The emperor didn¡¯t mean to make anyone feel awkward; he was only trying to be friendly, but those who didn¡¯t understand him found it difficult to deal with his odd jokes. Because Poliana didn¡¯t want to look weak, she decided to joke back brazenly, and curiously, Lucius the First seemed to like this very much. ¡®I can¡¯t understand him at all¡­ But it must be because he is a genius.¡¯ She knew it. She has known it from the beginning. Lucius the First was brilliant. A mastermind in every sense. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Elegance couldn¡¯t easily be learned, but Poliana was confident in nailing down good posture. When she finally got her manners up to standard, Sir Ainno began to nitpick about her appearance and hygiene, which was unreasonable for her. For example, she would show up with her face and hair washed, but Sir Ainno would swear at her that her hair looked dirty. Herst bath was only a few days ago, but he insisted that she needed to take another hot bath again. Poliana couldn¡¯t help her frustration. But in the end, she had no choice but to follow his orders. Sir Ainno said that it was the rule for the royal guards to follow the same hygiene standard as that of a nobleman. One day, Donau suggested to Poliana, ¡°Now, all you have to do is to let your hair grow. If you do, people will no longer mistake you as a man.¡± Poliana hasn¡¯t had long hair since she was a little girl, and she didn¡¯t want to start now. When she scratched her hair hesitantly, Donau begged her, ¡°Please, Poliana, let your hair grow. I am so sick of people confusing you for a man. Sometimes, I even feel like I should call you ¡®Bro.''¡± ¡°You can if you want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point, Sis!¡± Donau now sometimes called Poliana ¡°Sis.¡± He was sick of having a brother. Now that he finally had someone that could be like his big sister, he felt like didn¡¯t need another brother. Donau knew the pain of having a big brother, and he secretly felt sorry for Sir Deke, who had the misfortune of having two. Donau pointed at Poliana¡¯s hair, which was shorter than most men on the base. ¡°It¡¯s so short! Isn¡¯t it ufortable?¡± It was true that in summers and winters, short hair could be unpleasant, but she kept it very short for one reason; it was easier to wash it and keep it clean. Even though her newly adopted brother begged her, Poliana refused to change her mind. Her reasoning was simple; if another outbreak of lice or bedbugs urred, everyone was going to be ordered to shave their hair anyway. What would be the point of her growing her hair long and going through the frustration of taking care of it? On top of that, if she did get longer hair, she knew that the other men would criticize her for it. She knew that they would eitherugh at her, thinking that she wants to look feminine, or insist that she takes proper care of it, like washing it and brushing it regrly until it shined. It was odd how men had an obsession with women¡¯s hair, a great example would be her stepsister, Liana, who had long shiny hair. She called it golden, but Poliana knew it was at best a light brown one. Everyone in the household talked about her hair all the time. Any men that visited their house also always mentioned how beautiful she kept her hair. Men didn¡¯t care about their own hair. They didn¡¯t care if men shaved their heads or if they let it grow long, so why was it that everyone was fixated with a woman¡¯s hair? Poliana knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to take proper care of it, so she was determined to keep it extra short. She lived with it for the past 10 years. It served her very well and even if she began now to let her hair grow, she knew that she wouldn¡¯tst very long and would end up cutting it short again. Because her head was practically shaved, the shape of her head was very obvious. It was very round, and one day, Lucius the First found a slightly depressed area on it. It didn¡¯t look like she was born with it; it looked like it was formed from an ident or an assault. ¡°Sir Poliana, what is that on your head?¡± ¡°This dent is from being hit by a hammer when I was in the Aehas¡¯ army. I was lucky to be wearing my helmet at the time. If I wasn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve died.¡± Lucius the First found it interesting so he touched it. With Poliana¡¯s very short hair, almost a stubble, touching the dented area felt oddly satisfying. The emperor seemed to have found it amusing because he kept touching it over and over again. Poliana stayed still and let him have his fun. This happened some times when people wanted to touch the area and as long as the intent wasn¡¯t inappropriate, Poliana was ok with it. She knew that her emperor found it amusing, nothing more. When Lucius the First finally had his fill, he pulled back his hand and replied, ¡°I guess you were indeed very lucky to survive it.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t get a bald spot either.¡± Poliana supposed that if she did get a bald spot, she might have grown her hair long to hide it. The emperor then added, ¡°I was wondering why you were so strict about wearing your helmet, and now I understand. It was because of that incident.¡± Until Poliana was assigned as his guard, they never had the chance to get to know each other. But with this new position, they were learning so much. Lucius the First liked what he learned of Poliana as a person. Poliana, on the other hand, was already very loyal to him to begin with, and her feelings for him didn¡¯t change. Lucius the First nodded as he studied her short hair. ¡°Now that I see it up close, I can see that you have blond hair, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually light brown.¡± ¡°Not golden?¡± ¡°My younger sister has light brown hair, so yes. And as it gets longer, it will probably darken.¡± Poliana knew that she, or anyone else in the world, wouldn¡¯t im to be blonde in front of her emperor, who had hair that looked like it was spun from gold. Lucius the First seemed interested in her family, so he asked the question that was mostmonly asked if one were to realize his/her friend had a sister. ¡°Is your younger sister pretty?¡± ¡°Yes. She is pretty.¡± Poliana was used to this question, so she answered quickly. She worried that the emperor might not believe her, so she added a little of an exnation, saying, ¡°She is small, so she looks fragile and feminine. Her hair is very long and shiny, and she is very proud of it. We weren¡¯t close, and in fact, I didn¡¯t like her very much, but even then, I found her pretty.¡± Poliana could have ended there, but she couldn¡¯t help herself as she continued, ¡°But of course, your highness is much more beautiful!¡± She held up her fists and proimed this so vigorously that Lucius the First didn¡¯t know how to respond. He remained speechless and stared at her quietly. As the tournament date approached, Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t spend much time on criticizing Poliana anymore. Any extra time he had was spent on teaching and training the other knights. Only The other royal guards were happy that their leader was no longer around them to reprimand and disprove them. All the guards were excellent knights, but Sir Ainno, who was the best of them all, never seemed satisfied with them. Because the guards felt more rxed, they treated Poliana with kindness. It was never a bad thing to be surrounded by handsome and nice young men, so Poliana felt pleased with her position. Soon, she learned that the royal guards were envious of the other regr knights. It shocked her since she knew that the regr knights like Sirs Donau and Howe were envious of them. The royal guards exined to her, ¡°We know it is a great honor to protect his highness up close, but we want to be in battles. Because his highness rarely leads the men in the front lines, we are always left behind with him. When we see the knights return with injuries, we feel a sense of great guilt and responsibility.¡± The royal guards were selected from the best of the families. Only the good-looking, well-mannered, and skilled young men were chosen for this duty. But despite the fact that they had it all, it seemed that the guards felt inadequate. Serving the emperor up-close was a great honor. It could help them and their families advance politically but whenever they would face the knights covered in blood whileing back from their previous battles, they would feel horrible about themselves. The guards felt that they could be a significant help if they could enter the fight. ¡®Well, I guess everyone has worries about something or another,¡¯ Poliana thought to herself. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Poliana did a quick stretch and grabbed her sword. After hearing the worries of the royal guards, who were strong and fit young men, she felt like she needed to work harder to not embarrass them. She was only a weak Acreian knightess, and Poliana knew that she had to work harder than everyone. She knew she didn¡¯t have to be physically strong, she knew that she couldn¡¯t be as strong as the men around her. She had no talent in terms of swordy or any otherbat skills. She was much smaller than them, and it was very hard for her to gain muscles. Her stamina and reflex were mediocre at best. The only thing that she could do was do her best. Her body needed to be trained to react. It needed to pull out the sword as soon as her brain recognized an attack. And to do so, she needed to practice as much as possible. Poliana trained during her breaks every day. She did some basic training by herself and when she gets a chance, she asked other knights to spar with her. Sir Donau was her go-to, they sparred with each other so often that Donau now knew all of her moves and tricks. At first, Poliana won most of the time, but it changed quickly. Lately, Sir Donau won 8 out of his 10 fights with her but despite it, Poliana didn¡¯t feel discouraged. Sir Donau also never underestimated her. Even though she lost most of the time, none of the knights ever refused her orughed at her when she asked them for a spar. This made her truly happy. When Poliana saw Donau on the practice field, she immediately asked him for a practice fight, and he epted her challenge. They decided to follow their usual rule, which was to fight with the practice swords, which weren¡¯t sharp. Poliana suddenly said to Donau, ¡°Let¡¯s avoid attacking each other¡¯s faces.¡± ¡°Really? Why? That¡¯s a surpriseing from you, Sis.¡± Poliana always preferred the open spar, which meant that the opponents could use whatever moves on whichever areas of the body he or she wanted. So, when she asked him to avoid hitting their faces this time, Sir Donau was confused. ¡°Royal guards apparently can¡¯t have scars or injuries on the faces,¡± Poliana answered as she remembered what Sir Ainno firmly told her. ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡± Sir Donau nodded in agreement. He had never seen a royal guard that had any deformities on their faces. Poliana unfortunately already had scars on her face, which means normally, she would¡¯ve been disqualified immediately. She also had an uneven skin tone and sunburns, which didn¡¯t help. Her almost-shaved head made it even worse. After an hour of sparring, Poliana waspletely drenched with her own sweat. She used all the tricks she knew, including using her hidden dagger, but she was no match to Sir Donau anymore. Donau told her that he could now tell what she was going to do next just by looking at her eyes. In the end, Sir Donau¡¯s sword reached Poliana¡¯s neck and she had no choice but to surrender. Lucius the First, who was watching them from afar, pped and approached them. ¡°Good work, Donau.¡± ¡°I am honored, your highness.¡± ¡°Your skills are improving every day and it makes me very happy, Sir Donau.¡± ¡°Your highness, please tell me honestly, who is better in terms of our skill with the sword, myself or my older brother, Sir Howe?¡± ¡°Your brother, of course. At your age, Sir Howe was able to fight against two knights at a time.¡± Lucius the First was not shy about telling the truth when it came to things like this. Donau, who had an inferiorityplex against his older brother, was obviously disappointed. His shoulders slumped and that¡¯s when Poliana touched his shoulder kindly. Just as Sir Baufallo was talented at administrative work, Sir Donau was better at the same department than swordy. However, Donau¡¯s dream has always been bing a knight. This was why he volunteered to follow his father into this war as his personal help. Donau believed that someday, he will be recognized as a great knight. As Lucius the First¡¯s knight, he knew it was possible. The two knights, Poliana and Donau, looked at their emperor with utmost trust in their eyes. Their belief in him was both joy and a burden to Lucius the First. Just as all the other knights trying their best not to disappoint their emperor, the emperor also did his best not to let his men down. This was why Lucius the First had the strongest and most trustworthy army in the continent. After telling Donau some encouraging words, the emperor walked away. Watching his back, Poliana thought happily how lucky she was to serve such an amazing man. Her young emperor was the most regal leader she has ever seen in her life. Ambitious, responsible, meticulous, and hard-working. It was truly the greatest honor to serve an emperor like Lucius the First. Poliana¡¯s life changedpletely after she met him. For the first time in her life, she gained a purpose for her life. Lucius the First wanted to reach the end of the continent, and if she could die helping him, she would the happiest person in the world. Poliana gritted her teeth suddenly and turned around towards Sir Donau. There, she asked him, ¡°I would like another round with you.¡± ¡°I was going to ask you the same thing, Sis.¡± Without a warning, Poliana raised her sword and attacked him. Sir Donau blocked her move expertly and swung at her himself. He considered Poliana his sister now, and without hesitation, Donau continued to swing at her with all of his strength. Sir Ainno made sure that all of the knights selected for the tournament worked with minimal breaks. He had no sympathy for them as theyined. Some knights, who were talented, seemed to get the hang of the game while the others still appeared to be lost. Time passed on quickly and finally, it was the day before the tournament. They had no more time to practice. All of their training paid off to some extent. All the knights could ride their horses and hold theirnces without falling now but to Sir Ainno, none of them were good enough to enter the game. He was disappointed, but the Bikpa knights who helped them praised that the result was much better than they had expected. Only Sir Rabi, who ended up being trained by Sir Ainno, who was younger than him, shuddered in annoyance and anger. He had no choice since Sir Ainno was the only one in the Acreian army that had any experience with regard to this kind ofpetition. ¡°That bastard, Ainno! I¡¯m feeling sorry for the stupid royal guards who had to serve him as their leader,¡± Sir Rabi grumbled. ¡°I agree, Sir! I thought I was going to die from Sir Ainno¡¯s training,¡± Sir Howe agreed with Sir Rabi loudly, but he was one of the three that benefited the most from Sir Ainno¡¯s instruction. Sirs Rabi, Howe, and Bentier, they were now the best knights that they could offer. Sir Bentier, the deputymander, red at Sir Ainno and contemted, ¡®He is too good to be left behind during the battles¡­¡¯ In the past, Sir Bentier had pleaded with his emperor a few times that it would be a huge waste to assign a great knight like Sir Ainno as a royal guard. Lucius the First had a goodmon sense. He realized his own importance and therefore just like any other royalties, he rarely went near the frontlines. This meant that Sir Ainno, as his personal guard, was also left behind in the safety of their base. Lucius the First respected Sir Bentier¡¯s opinion and was willing to consider it, but because Sir Ainno was adamant about remaining as a royal guard, there was nothing that could be done to change this situation. But even so, Sir Bentier still couldn¡¯t give up on it yet. ¡®I should ask his highness again.¡¯ Chapter 52 Chapter 52 ¡°It would be great for you to win, and it would be equally fine for you to lose. Just consider this as a fun game, nothing more,¡± Lucius the First encouraged the knights who went through Sir Ainno¡¯s brutal training. ¡°You are being too kind and easy on us, your highness. Your Ainno, the best knight of Acreia, swear to you that I will win this tournament and bring you the champion¡¯s wreath,¡± Sir Ainno replied with determination. Everyone on the spot imagined how their emperor would look like with the flower wreath on his head, they all were certain that it would suit him very well. Watching his knights smiling proudly, Lucius the First sighed. Usually, the champion¡¯s wreath was given to a woman such as the knight¡¯sdy, the lord¡¯s wife or daughter, or the knight¡¯s sister. Poliana was smiling as well as she imagined how beautiful Lucius the First would look with the wreath when suddenly, she thought of something. She whispered to the guard standing next to her, ¡°At this rate, a romantic scandal involving his highness and Sir Ainno is going to erupt.¡± ¡°Not now, thanks to you, Sir Poliana. If it wasn¡¯t for you taking over this duty, the scandal would¡¯ve urred. Of course, Sir Ainno doesn¡¯t seem to realize this.¡± To her relief, Poliana¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t all negative to Lucius the First¡¯s reputation. As the only knightess, she was the center of many ugly rumors and because of it, people¡¯s focus had shifted towards her from her emperor. In addition, her presence so close to Lucius the First meant that the enemies no longer could joke about the Acreian emperor being gay. This was especially a popr rumor because of Lucius the First¡¯s beauty and before Poliana became his guard, Sir Ainno was rumored to be the emperor¡¯s bedmate. ¡®Hmm, I guess that makes sense.¡¯ Poliana was pleased with this news. The thought of harming her emperor has been eating her up inside. There were moments when she felt so depressed that she found it hard to get out of her bed but now that she knew that she was being useful to his highness, Poliana felt joyful. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Inno. I thought it would be unfair to a woman to marry you when it is possible that you might not survive this war. That was why I didn¡¯t have you get married before taking you with me here. But now, I realized that I made a mistake. I should have made you marry beforeing!¡± Lucius the First said to Sir Ainno with a frown. The emperor looked distressed, but Sir Ainno replied loudly, ¡°Even if I was married, I would have given the flower wreath to you, your highness! You will always be the recipient of all of my flowers!¡± Sir Ainno really meant it. The tournament was decided to take ce on a nd nearby the Yapa castle. All the necessary costs were taken care of by Gali the Third. The preparation of the field was alsopleted by the people of Bikpa. To make sure that Gali the Third wasn¡¯t putting any traps in the area, the Bikpa lords who were on Lucius the first¡¯s side advised him to send his own men and monitor everything. The Acreian emperor sent Sir Baufallo and whenever he got a chance, Sir Baufallo visited the site. On the day before the tournament, the knights who were entering the tournament waited nervously. Because they didn¡¯t have wives or fianc¨¦s at all or here with them, the men walked around the vige begging for handkerchiefs from any woman that they could find. Sir Howe ended up with the greatest number of handkerchiefs and even Sir Donau, who didn¡¯t need one, got a few as well. There were even maids who handed some handkerchiefs to Sir Donau and asked him to give them to the knightess. These handkerchiefs were more beautifully embroidered than those of Sir Howe¡¯s. When Donau handed them to Poliana, she asked him, ¡°I understand you got some since you were walking around with your brother, but why am I getting these?¡± Poliana was confused, but she took them anyway. Soft linen cloths such as these could be useful and most importantly, they were free. ¡°Many of them said you should cover your bald head when you aren¡¯t wearing your helmet,¡± Donau replied. It seemed that there were many women who felt concerned about Poliana¡¯s short hair. Following the women¡¯s advice, Poliana tried the handkerchief on her head and asked Donau, ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°You look like a farmer.¡± Sir Donau sneered at her. ¡°¡­then how should I wear it?¡± When Poliana asked frustratingly, Sir Donau took the handkerchief and made a ribbon around her head, which was the trend nowadays. It felt odd and somehow, it made her look creepy and funny at the same time. Poliana looked at herself in the mirror and frowned sadly. ¡°What the hell!¡± ¡°This is the least you can do to let people know of your gender¡­ ARRHG! Why did you just hit me?¡± Poliana kicked Donau¡¯s butt as he suggested that if she grew her hair long, this ribbon would look so much better on her. Because Sir Ainno didn¡¯t go around the vige like the other knights, he didn¡¯t get any handkerchief. He was a good-looking man, but his reputation as a scary violent knight prevented the maids from approaching him. They were really afraid of him. Sir Ainno didn¡¯t care about superstitions, but Lucius the First did. ¡°I can see that you aren¡¯t very popr, Inno. You need at least one handkerchief, so why don¡¯t you go ask a servant and get him to get you one from a maid?¡± ¡°But I thought if I don¡¯t get one myself, it won¡¯t work.¡± Only ¡°Hmm¡­ By the way, Sir Poliana, why is that you got so many of them when you aren¡¯t even participating in the tournament?¡± Poliana grinned and showed Lucius the First her handkerchiefs. ¡°I know! But it still feels great to get them from thedies.¡± The emperor put up his finger and asked her, ¡°Could you spare one to Inno?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, your highness, even your order cannotpel me to give up these handkerchiefs. They are gifts from thedies, and I am honor-bound to keep them for myself.¡± Poliana would have done anything for him, but this was apletely different matter. The handkerchiefs were genuine and precious gifts from thedies of different stations. To give them away was considered to be incredibly rude, and Poliana refused tomit such a crime. She would¡¯ve given one if her emperor insisted, but she wondered if it would be effective. After all, the superstition that involved the knights getting the handkerchief for himself. For the handkerchief to mean something, it had to be given by ady who prayed for his victory and safe return. Asking the Bikpa lord¡¯s wife or daughter was out of the question. If a wrong rumor started, Sir Ainno could end up needing to marry the daughter or get in trouble for the suspicion of coveting the lord¡¯s wife. The best person to ask was a random maid or female servant who wouldn¡¯t put too much meaning behind it. But there was no time now, Lucius the First was bing desperate. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡°Inno doesn¡¯t even have a fianc¨¦, and it is all because he was too busy serving me,¡± Lucius the First begged Poliana. ¡®More like Sir Ainno was an as*hole that that is why no woman wanted to marry him,¡¯ Poliana thought secretly. Being busy and getting engaged were two separate things. Most of the time, noblemen and women¡¯s marriages were arranged by their parents. Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t just any knight or lowly noble; he was the first-born son of Marquis Seki. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t engaged because Sir Ainno didn¡¯t want to be. Sir Ainno had a rather unpleasant reputation. The men hated him for being too perfect and overconfident, and the women didn¡¯t like him either. It made sense just based on how he treated the women around him. Perhaps he would make an eptable husband due to his station, but he was definitely not a knight that the maids would want to give their handkerchiefs to. But the emperor exined earnestly to Poliana that Sir Ainno just didn¡¯t know how to treat women. Lucius the First insisted that Sir Ainno was a man of few words and this was why the women mistook him as rude. Poliana finally nodded and hesitantly handed Sir Ainno one of her handkerchiefs. ¡°I am just lending one to you. I¡¯m not actually giving it to you, ok?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°You need to promise me that you will return it to me.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°I am only doing this because of his highness. I don¡¯t actually want to do this.¡± ¡°Just give it to me!¡± Sir Ainno grabbed the handkerchief from Poliana and stuffed it inside of his shirt. He grumbled loudly, but it seemed that he was superstitious as well after all. Most, if not all, northern men did, including the emperor. Suddenly, Sir Ainno¡¯s eyes moved the Poliana¡¯s head. She knew why he was staring because it has been happening all day. Half the people she met today told her she looked good with the handkerchief on her head, while the other half told her to take it off. Lucius the First, Sir Howe, and Sir Rabi thought it suited her. Sirs Baufallo and Aeke thought that she looked ridiculous. ¡°Did you finally realize your gender?¡± Sir Ainno asked her coldly. ¡°Sir Ainno, I have known that I was a woman all my life. Even without the handkerchief, even with the armor on and with me holding my sword, the fact that I am a woman won¡¯t ever change.¡± This was the truth. Poliana had never considered herself anything other than a woman. She had lived as a woman, and she will die as one. No matter what she wore, no matter what she did for a living, Poliana Winter was and would always be a woman. She could be fighting in the war, or she could be home sewing. She might not have beautiful hair like her stepsister, and she might have a special knack for kicking men¡¯s balls, but despite it all, Poliana Winter as a woman. No one could deny it, no one had the right to deny it. ¡°Sir Ainno, you also saw me naked too, didn¡¯t you? I have always been a woman,¡± Poliana added. Even if she received a severe internal injury and was no longer able to bear children. Even if her breasts were cut during a battle. No matter what, her gender would never change. She was forever a woman. Until death. Sir Ainno seemed awkward and confused at the same time. There were people in this world who considered certain types of people ¡°different.¡± For example, children, eunuchs, and women like Poliana. ¡®Did Sir Ainno think that way?¡¯ Just then, he nodded in agreement and replied, ¡°True. Even the ugliest women are still women, I guess.¡± ¡®Bastard.¡¯ Sir Ainno saw Poliana¡¯s face and ran away quickly, afraid she might take her handkerchief away from him. The tournament field was very clean and neat. It didn¡¯t have the luxurious or extravagant structures, but it still had proper seats and the podium for the champion. Because this game was a special asion, two VIP seats were provided; one for each emperor. Lucius the First sat in this seat and watched Gali the Third, who was sitting across the field from him. The Bikpa king was a middle-aged man wearing a golden crown. He looked ordinary. But the Acreian knights were used to the most beautiful emperor, which meant that they were harsh in their judgment. Wearing expensive crown and clothes didn¡¯t change the fact that Lucius the First was far more gorgeous. ¡°Our emperor is definitely the most magnificent man in the world.¡± ¡°Gali the Third looks even uglier than the king of Bebero.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t know what the emperor of Aehas looked like. She heard that he was a fat old man with a huge belly. His children, ording to the rumor, were cute, but then again, all children were cute. Poliana knew enough not to judge someone by their appearance but so far, most of the people she met seemed to have personalities that matched their appearances. For example, Poliana saw that the royal members of Bebero and their looks matched theirck of charisma. The king of Bikpa, Gali the Third, also looked too ordinary. Perhaps he looked especially worse because he waspared to Lucius the First but still, the expensive cloth that he wore looked gaudy and ugly. Of course, if the Acreian emperor wore the same cloth, his knights would have praised him for it. But the girl sitting next to Gali the Third was pretty. Was it his wife or his daughter? She looked to be in herte teens. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes shined like the stars. Her long smooth hair was braided with a silk string. It had to be Gali the Third¡¯s daughter since she looked so much younger than him. If she was his wife, then the Bikpa King would probably be worse than what had everyone expected. The princess was staring at Lucius the First with widened eyes, and this made Poliana feel proud. The moderator first announced the names of each kingdom¡¯s leader. The two men waved at the audience and the knights. Only They then called out the knights who were participating in the tournament. When their names were called, each man entered the field, holding the g that had their family crest embroidered on it. Sir Ainno¡¯s g was bright red and was the most noticeable of them all. To be allowed to have such a deep color meant that his family, Seki, must¡¯ve been very powerful in Acreia. Before this day, Lucius the First had the knights gather to decide the order of their participation. The rule of this tournament was simple; the winner was to continue fighting until he was defeated. This meant that it could be 1:10, 2:10, or 10:10. Lucius the First was obviously concerned about his knights getting injured. All of the Bikpa knights were champions with great skills. If the Acreian knights, who were inexperienced in this game, fell off the horse and got stabbed, they could be severely injured or even killed. It was a game, but a very dangerous one. After all, the knights were to hold long sharpncets and ride towards each other on horses. Sir Ainno wanted to be the first one to enter the tournament. He was determined, but Lucius the First didn¡¯t think that it was a smart idea. What if they send out their strongest knight towards the end of the tournament? So Lucius the First contemted carefully before making the decision based on the experiences and advice of the knights. And finally, the very first Acreian knight to be sent out, in the end, was decided. Sir Rabi. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 This was what may have happened. This was what Lucius the First wanted on how the tournament would y out. The first knight to fight, Sir Rabi, won by shocking the opposing knight with his signature roar but unfortunately, he fell off the horse when he tried to avoid being hit by his opponent¡¯snce. The next man to enter could be Sir Bentier. He should be able to win three matches, but his games would be too boring because Sir Bentier would be overly careful and strategic. Tournaments were known to be exciting but for some reason, he expected Sir Bentier¡¯s performance to be boring. He would act too carefully, and the Bikpa audience would boo him. In the end, Sir Bentier would be distracted by all that booing, and he would lose his fourth game. Next would be Sir Howe, who would defeat two knights by being his usual sneaky self. This way, Lucius the First expected his knights to use their unique talents to win the tournament, but¡­. It never happened this way. Sir Ainno refused to change his mind. ¡°Your highness, I will go first! I must!¡± Lucius the First tried to change his mind many times, but Sir Ainno was too stubborn. In the end, the emperor became angry. ¡°Fine, Inno. I no longer care if you get too tired and fall off the horse! You are going to get injured, so don¡¯t me me when it happens!¡± And to everyone¡¯s shock, Sir Ainno was incredible. For some reason, although his horse was just like any other, it seemed that Sir Ainno was riding at least three times faster than anyone else. Sir Ainno never got injured; he won game after game quickly and efficiently. Gali the Third¡¯s face slowly crumpled as his knights lost. And finally, Sir Ainno defeated his 10th andst opponent. He immediately raised hisnce high and roared, ¡°Absolute victory! This is my gift to his highness, Lucius the First!¡± Everyone on the Acreian side cheered loudly while those on Gali the Third¡¯s side gaped in shock. Gali the Third stood up quickly, then suddenly, he fainted. Thankfully, his personal guards caught him in time, so he didn¡¯t get hurt. 10 secondster, Gali the Third regained his consciousness. He pointed his finger at Sir Ainno angrily and screamed, ¡°W-where d-did t-this mo-monster ce from?!¡± The Acreians won the tournament without a doubt. It wasn¡¯t just a simple victory. It was a huge win. 1:10. It didn¡¯t really matter to Acreia and especially to Lucius the First whether they won or not, but it was still very nice to win. As the trumpet rang loudly, announcing the end of the tournament, the Acreian men cheered boisterously. Sir Ainno held his trophy proudly. The next step was for an important Bikpady to gift the champion a flower wreath. Today, it was given by their princess. Her eyes shined brightly and expectantly. The wreath, after being received by the champion, was always re-gifted to the samedy. It was the tradition and was considered as a good manner. The princess was certain that she would be getting the wreath back. The Bikpa princess was a na?ve young girl. She didn¡¯t truly understand the meaning of this situation. By losing this tournament and with the Bikpa King losing his position as the sovereign of this kingdom, it meant that she would no longer be a princess, but it seemed that she didn¡¯t realize her dire situation. To her, getting back the wreath from the champion right now was much more important. Sir Ainno lowered his head slightly as he stood in front of the princess. When he received the wreath and stood up straight, the princess, in turn, lowered her face slightly, fully expecting Sir Ainno to ce the wreath on her head. Even the Acreians believed that this was going to happen despite what Sir Ainno said earlier. But Sir Ainno suddenly began to run toward his emperor. Lucius the First, who has been grumbling the entire time Sir Ainno was fighting, smiled widely when he saw his knight running towards him. Sir Ainno kneeled in front of him and handed the flower wreath to his emperor. The Bikpa princess and the people stared in obvious astonishment and outrage. ¡°Good job, my friend. My knight, I am so proud of you! You are indeed the best knight in Acreia!¡± Lucius the First said to his knight and friend kindly. ¡°I am ttered, your highness. All I did was whatever was necessary to honor your reputation.¡± Lucius the First was happy about winning the tournament, but he wasn¡¯t too keen on receiving the wreath. He forced a smile on his face as he took it. Although his lips were smiling, his eyes were clearly saying to Sir Ainno that he didn¡¯t want the wreath. ¡®I don¡¯t want this flowery thing, you jerk!¡¯ Only Sir Ainno knew his friend enough to know what Lucius the First was thinking but without hesitating, Sir Ainno looked right back at his emperor with a clear message. ¡®Just take it anyway, you as*hole!¡¯ Lucius the First wondered if he should give the wreath to the poor princess but thought against it. Giving away the champion¡¯s wreath was unheard of, and it could be mistakenly seen as his interest towards the princess. Lucius the First did not want something like that to happen. The princess of Bikpa seemed kind enough, but he definitely didn¡¯t want her as his wife. In the end, the Acreian emperor took apart the wreath into separate flowers. He then ordered the men to give them away to the maids and thedies who were kind enough give them their handkerchiefs. A few flowers were also given to the Bikpa lord¡¯s wife, who helped the Acreians greatly. When Lucius the First still had one more flower left, he turned towards his loyal knightess standing behind him. He gently ced the flower on the handkerchief that was still adorning her head, exining, ¡°This is my payment for you lending your handkerchief to Sir Ainno.¡± Poliana truly wanted to enjoy the emperor¡¯s gift. She knew that he meant well. Receiving a piece of champion¡¯s wreath was an honor indeed. But Poliana couldn¡¯t enjoy the gift at all. She wasn¡¯t sure how it was seen in Acreia, but in Aehas, only a crazy spinster wore flowers in her head. Just then, Sir Howe, who was standing nearby, began tough at her. He said to her, ¡°Have you lost your mind, Sir Paul?! You have a flower in your head!¡± Poliana sighed deeply. It seemed that the Acreians thought the same way as the Aehasians. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Gali the Third walked towards the center of the field with a rigid face. He was being helped by his servant, and he looked like he was still in severe shock. It was understandable, after all, he just watched 10 of his best knights, who were all renown champions, fell off their horse like leaves falling off a tree. Each match was won so easily by Sir Ainno that the entire Bikpa audience was still left gaping. Sir Ainno, on the other hand, seemed indifferent. He seemed to have expected this to happen. Today¡¯s tournament was going to be remembered as a legendary game, but the other Acreian knights didn¡¯t look too happy. Those who were supposed to participate in the tournament especially looked unhappy and in fact, they looked downright angry. They were all thinking the same thing. If Sir Ainno was going to win the whole thing, what was the point of training and practicing so hard?! It seemed that Sir Ainno knew this was going to be the oue, so why was he so harsh on them? ¡°What can we do as a payback to him?¡± It was almost impossible to get back at Sir Ainno. He was the best at everything; he came from the best family and he was the most skilled fighter of them all. Lucius the First was the only one who could do something to Sir Ainno, but he couldn¡¯t do much to him as well. Sir Bentier regretted not refusing hard enough to participate in this tournament. He did refuse a few times, but he should have been more adamant. He should have said that his duty as the deputymander prevented him from entering the match. But it was toote, the only thing Sir Bentier could do now was to swear to himself not to do anything like this in the future. The king of Bikpa signed the document of surrender. When the witnesses signed it as well, Lucius the First grabbed it with a satisfied smile. Gali the Third looked like he was going to faint again. He looked very pale. Gali the Third stumbled towards Lucius the First and kneeled in front of him to swear his loyalty. As the king of Bikpa, he made hisst request, saying, ¡°After every tournament, a banquet is held in the honor of the champion. Please let me wear my crown until the end of the feast tonight.¡± ¡°I will allow it.¡± ¡®Did he really think he was going to win?¡¯ Lucius the First graciously agreed to the request. The fact that he nned the banquet must have meant that Gali the Third was certain he was going to win this tournament. To promise handing over a kingdom over a game was a ridiculous idea to begin with. It was even sadder to think that the Bikpa champions had no chance against Sir Ainno. Sir Ainno was too good, he was too fast too. The matches were almost boring because it was won too easily. All the knights hated him for being too good. The doors of the Yapa castle finally opened per Gali the Third¡¯s order. Lucius the First entered excitedly. When he did, the other Acreians tried to get in as well, but the Bikpa soldiers stopped them. Because Lucius the First allowed the Bikpa King his status until the end of the feast, the Acreian emperor was considered a guest still and therefore was honor-bound to enter the castle with minimal soldiers. It was thought to be rude to take many armed men into another sovereign¡¯s castle. The interior of the Yapa castle was just as magnificent as its outside. It was both practical and beautiful at the same time. Many great art pieces decorated the rooms. The castle was so big that there were plenty of private rooms for Lucius the First and all of his knights. Gali the Third offered to personally escort Lucius the First to his chamber. The Acreian knights were to be taken to their separate quarters by the Bikpa servants. When Sir Ainno hurriedly followed Lucius the First, Gali the Third said to him, ¡°The great champion of the day will be provided with a separate chamber. Please follow the servant to your own room and rest.¡± But Sir Ainno refused, ¡°I am high highness¡¯s personal guard, so I will not leave his side. Besides, I am not tired, so there is no need for me to rest.¡± Lucius the First turned to Sir Ainno and ordered, ¡°Inno, Sir Poliana will be with me, so it¡¯s ok. You can go ahead and rest.¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± ¡°Go.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! I refuse!¡± As the head of the royal guards, Sir Ainno had the right to refuse the emperor¡¯s direct order when it involved the safety of his ruler. When Sir Ainno continued to refuse, Lucius the First frowned unhappily. Finally, Sir Rabi walked towards Sir Ainno and grabbed him. ¡°Let me go!¡± Sir Ainno roared. ¡°Let¡¯s go to our rooms.¡± ¡°ARGHH!¡± Even the best knight of Acreia couldn¡¯t win against the herculean strength of Sir Rabi. In the end, Sir Ainno had no choice but to walk away from his emperor and follow the servant. The other knights left to their rooms as well. As he followed Gali the Third, Lucius the First enjoyed the castle¡¯s interior. Heplimented generously, but Gali the Third¡¯s face crumpled into an unhappy frown. This was going to be thest day he was allowed to stay in his own castle so obviously, Gali the Third was furious. He tried his best to put a fake smile, but he was failing miserably. Feeling ufortable, Gali the Third quickly changed the subject. ¡°I am sure you don¡¯t have many outfits with you since you are in the middle of a war, so I prepared a few things for you, your highness.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± Only Lucius the First had a big interest in fashion, so he did bring numerous garments and attires when he left to conquer the world. He knew that there will be public asions where he would receive documents of surrender or meet with important nobles and royalties for negotiations, and he wanted to look decent during these events. But his best and most luxurious clothes were still in Acreia. They were either too heavy or too valuable, so he couldn¡¯t bring all of them with him. Gali the Third¡¯s offer was both considerate and appropriate. And of course, everything in the castle, including the outfits Gali the Third was ¡°lending¡± to him were all going to be Lucius the First¡¯s anyway by tomorrow. The Acreian emperor felt pleased with the thought. Gali the Third was acting politely, but this didn¡¯t mean Lucius the First had to treat him with generosity. After all, this was a war. The document of surrender Bikpa signed was filled with general matters and details like these. ¡°You are indeed very beautiful. I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but it appears that they were underreported,¡± Gali the Thirdplimented Lucius the First. Gali the Third then turned and looked around. It seemed that he was looking for someone. When Lucius the First asked, Gali the Third answered, ¡°And where is the beautiful knightess who is rumored to be your mistress?¡± Poliana was standing right behind her emperor. When Lucius the First smiled and pointed at her, Gali the Third showed an obvious displeasure. His daughter, the Bikpa Princess, was so disappointed that she said out loud, ¡°But¡­ she isn¡¯t a beautiful seductress like the rumors.¡± She said it so loudly that everyone heard it. Lucius the First didn¡¯t reply because he wanted to be forgiving, and Gali the Third also didn¡¯t reprimand his daughter. In fact, he looked at Poliana with a confused expression. He looked worse than when Sir Ainno won the tournament. Poliana briefly considered kicking the Bikpa King¡¯s balls but refrained herself. She had to admit that if people were expecting a seductress, they would indeed be shocked to see her. At least, Poliana was wearing a handkerchief that was covering most of her head. If the princess saw her almost-shaven head, Poliana suspected that she might faint. It was even worse because after they saw Lucius the First and how beautiful he was, they must¡¯ve been expecting a great beauty. Poliana was so used to being treated this way that she didn¡¯t feel angry. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Gali the Third said to Poliana awkwardly, ¡°I have prepared a dress and some jewelry as well for you, so¡­ go ahead and make yourself presentable.¡± His words were generous, but clearly, the Bikpa King did not think she deserved his fineries. ¡°I am an Acreian knight and therefore do not need to be adorned,¡± Poliana refused politely. ¡°But you must follow our tradition and show your respect to this important asion,¡± Gali the Third replied angrily. Poliana thought that he looked a little more like a king when he showed his anger, but she knew her duty. Poliana offered him apromise that she would just wear some clean shirt and pants just like what the other knights would do. But it seemed that this made Gali the Third even angrier. ¡°You are in Bikpa and therefore, you need to follow Bikpa traditions! As my guest, you need to wear and eat what I have prepared for you and also, no guests were ever allowed to bring their weapons to our feasts!¡± ¡°I thank you for your generosity and will wear what you have prepared for me, but I cannot be unarmed,¡± Poliana replied politely once again. What Gali the Third said was true; guests weren¡¯t allowed to wear arms to royal events in any kingdoms, but Poliana had no intention of following this rule now. Bikpa was going to officially belong to Acreia tomorrow, so she was not obligated to humor this idiotic king. ¡®Fine, I will wear the outfit that will no doubt make me look like a clown, but I won¡¯t give up my sword.¡¯ She had no problem wearing a dress and jewelry that she knew would not suit her. She had never dolled up before, so perhaps it would be a good experience, but the most important fact here was that she was Lucius the First¡¯s personal guard. This was only a temporary post for her, but she knew what an honor it was to be the emperor¡¯s guard. She had to do her best, and that meant being unarmed was out of the question. When Poliana refused, the other guards nodded in agreement. To be unarmed in this situation was ridiculous. Gali the Third may have signed the surrendering document, which should guarantee Lucius the First¡¯s safety, but none of the guards were willing to bet their emperor¡¯s life on a piece of paper. Gali the Third trembled in anger. ¡°Are you all trying to mock me¡­! I am still the king of Bikpa!¡± When he roared, Lucius the First finally tried to convince his knights. He exined that the necessary document was signed, which meant that the Acreians must show respect to Bikpa¡¯s culture. Yes, the Acreian knights might feel ufortable attending the feast unarmed, but this was the tradition in every kingdom. Since this banquet was thest event Gali the Third was holding as the king, Lucius the First thought that it was prudent to respect his wishes. The document of surrender was signed in public with witnesses, and nothing was going to change this fact. Lucius the First said to his knights, ¡°Thanks to Sir Ainno, we were able to conquer this kingdom without shedding blood. I think it would be ok for all of you to rx a little.¡± The knights had no choice but to nod since their emperor ordered it. The male knights followed a servant together to their rooms while Poliana looked around awkwardly. The Bikpa maids and servants approached her awkwardly, but they seemed uncertain of what to do next. After a brief silence, Poliana finally asked them, ¡°Where should I go?¡± ¡°We apologize¡­ We are just a bit confused and surprised at you¡­¡± ¡®I guess these girls don¡¯t know how to lie at all.¡¯ Poliana suspected these women to be the princess¡¯s personal maids. They seemed to be shocked at her appearance and they didn¡¯t hide that fact. Poliana followed them to a room and with their help, she took a hot bath. She secretly was relieved because she already took a bath only a few days ago. She wasn¡¯t too dirty and therefore could avoid further embarrassment. When Poliana took off the handkerchief from her head, the maids gasped in horror. They were used to nobledies and princesses, and so it was obvious they have never seenrge scars. Poliana seriously thought to make them leave the room so she could wash but she kept herself quiet instead. She was a bit nervous because her clothes and sword were taken away. ¡°Where are my clothes and things?¡± Poliana asked. ¡°We¡¯ve ced them in the closet over there.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± All the outfits prepared for her were dresses. At least, there were various sizes and she could find one that fits her muscr body. But when she saw herself in the mirror, she felt nauseous. With her almost-shaven head, Poliana looked like a mad woman. ¡°Please get me men¡¯s clothes,¡± Poliana asked the maids. ¡°Sir, please do not refuse our king¡¯s generosity.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you think looking like this would be considered even more offensive?¡± ¡°We can get you a wig, which will make it better,¡± the maids begged her, some even pretended to cry. ¡®Looking sad and distressed won¡¯t work on me, girls. If I was a guy, I might fall for it, but I¡¯m not,¡¯ Poliana thought to herself. When the begging didn¡¯t work, the maids changed their tactic. They said to Poliana that they had no choice to doll her up because they were ordered to do so. Poliana understood this since she was in the military. An order had to be obeyed. So in the end, Poliana decided to let the maids do whatever they wanted to. The next step was putting on her makeup. A thick powder was used to hide Poliana¡¯s scars and discolored skin. When the maids saw her crooked nose, they couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t heal properly when it broke. Next time it breaks again, I am going to make sure to straighten it.¡± It was a joke, but the maids just stared at her sympathetically. Poliana was disappointed and wondered if Lucius the First¡¯s bad sense of humor was rubbing off on her. Her eyebrows and other her facial hair were plucked. Her lips were colored with rouge. It smelled sweet, so Poliana tried licking it, but she immediately regretted it. It tasted awful. Rouge was made with honey, but it was mixed with a red powder that was bitter. The maids asked Poliana if she was married. Before they met her, the maids thought that Poliana was Lucius the First¡¯s mistress but when they finally saw her face, they realized their mistake. When Poliana answered that she was unmarried, the maids tried to style the wig in a girly style. An unmarried woman usually had her long hair down. Poliana refused, feeling ufortable with the fake hair all around her upper body. She asked it to be put up in a neat updo style. The makeup was enough to make her look normal, but her body shape was another problem. Ladies strived to have a slim, almost fragile, body. The fashion nowadays involved a robe-style long dress that hung to the curves gracefully or a narrow dress that showed off a woman¡¯s slimness but when Poliana wore these dresses, they only entuated her muscles. The maids were distressed, but Poliana was proud. Shepared herself to the girls and saw that her hard work has paid off. Her muscles were definitely much bigger. The maids imed that Poliana would look ok with makeup and a wig. Poliana knew this wasn¡¯t going to be true, and she was proven right. She looked ridiculous. Only ¡®I am going to be the clown of this banquet I guess.¡¯ Poliana red at herself in the mirror and the maids asked her to stop. They sprayed her with perfume and tried to put the flower on her head. It was the same flower that Lucius the First gave to her after the tournament. Poliana stopped them and asked, ¡°Please put it on my dress instead.¡± She was in her mid 20¡¯s. Flower wreaths, nes, and rings were for young girls, not a spinster like herself. The next step was the jewels. The fineries offered to her were very extravagant. Was Gali the Third trying to show off his wealth? Or was he trying to seduce Lucius the First¡¯s mistress? The stones were big with bright colors. Poliana knew they were expensive and of high quality, and she felt like she wasn¡¯t worthy of them. When she looked at them with a frown, the maids ordered her again, ¡°Stop frowning or ring. Your makeup is going to get ruined.¡± Finally, Poliana insisted on wearing the smallest ne. The maids were very tired by now, so they didn¡¯t argue with her. Poliana didn¡¯t want to get her ears pierced and none of the rings fit her thick fingers. The only ring that did fit her had to be worn around her pinky. When she looked at the mirror, the final product showed an ugly mean-looking woman. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Poliana put on her silk shoes and tried walking. The shoes were too soft and light that she felt strange walking in them, unlike the heavy military boots that she used to wear all the time. The very fancy feminine footwear made her feel like she was going to slip and fall. When Poliana walked like she was wearing a wet diaper, the maids pleaded with her, ¡°Please don¡¯t walk like that. You look too strange.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ I need some time to get used to them, but I feel embarrassed practicing in front of you. Could you guys all go out and leave me alone for a while? I want to practice by myself.¡± ¡°Alright. If you need anything, please call for us.¡± When the maids left the room, Poliana sighed deeply. She opened the closet and just as the maids imed, her personal items were there, folded into a neat bundle. Her sword was taken away, but at least, her clothes were safe. Poliana felt a little relieved. When Poliana came out of the room, she was still walking strangely. The maids covered their faces in frustration, but Poliana ignored them and walked into the banquet. The other Acreian knights were already there enjoying the feast. A piece of exciting music was ying, and Poliana could smell food and drinks. She inhaled deeply with a wide grin. ¡®Yes! Food!¡¯ It was strange how great any food tasted when it was made by someone else. Poliana wasn¡¯t even hungry, but she felt excited. As soon as she walked in, Poliana looked around and check who was there. The Bikpa champions didn¡¯t arrive yet. At the high seats, the Bikpa King and his daughter were present. In the room were a dance floor as well as extra seats along the walls. Around Gali the Third was Bikpa nobles while across from them, on the opposite side, the Acreian knights wereughing and eating. The musicians were in the corner and the servants and the maids were running around busily. Bikpa guards were ced strategically, but all they were doing was looking straight ahead. A good guard needed to be alert and pay attention to his surroundings. Poliana thought in disappointment, ¡®Well, at least it¡¯s better than them being distracted, I guess.¡¯ Poliana then checked the position of her emperor, Lucius the First. The distance between her emperor and the door¡­ The people sitting around her emperor¡­ The high seats were always ced farthest away from the doors. Lucius the First was sitting in the center and next to him was Gali the Third. The Bikpa Princess was sitting next to her father, but her eyes were firmly set on the Acreian emperor. Her stare was so obvious that Lucius the First was having a hard time pretending his ignorance. It would have benefited Gali the Third greatly if her daughter married Lucius, so he ignored her daughter¡¯s rude behavior. Not all of the Acreian knights were sitting down. Some became bored and were standing around a fool who was performing. These knights nced at her as she approached them but they quickly turned away, not recognizing who they were. Poliana greeted them, ¡°How are you all enjoying this night?¡± ¡°Sir Poliana?¡± ¡°Where? Huh? What?!¡± The knights gaped in shock. One tried topliment her awkwardly, ¡°S, sir Poliana¡­ Umm¡­ You¡­ look good. It¡­ suits you.¡± Another knight was more honest. ¡°I am disappointed. I thought that if you really tried, you would look much better.¡± When they all looked at her with obvious dissatisfaction, Poliana told them what Lucius the First often said to his men when they talked nonsense. ¡°You guys all need to stop reading those romance novels.¡± The knights nodded embarrassedly. Poliana moved towards her emperor to give him a proper greeting. When some of the knights noticed that she walked awkwardly, they walked towards her to help her. Most of them were the royal guards, who she has been working with for the past while. The royal guards were certainly more versed in gentlemanly manners than the regr knights. They moved quickly to offer their escort. When the one who got to her the fastest offered his arm, Poliana almost took it without thinking. These gorgeous good-mannered men! ¡°Sir Poliana, you can lean on me if you need it. You probably aren¡¯t used to the dress and the shoes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m fine. Please leave me alone.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana¡­ Could it be that you feel shy?¡± ¡°Shut up! I want to show my new look and walk to his highness so I can make himugh.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, his highness would neverugh at you.¡± ¡°I was just joking.¡± ¡°¡­ it appears his highness¡¯s awful sense of humor has rubbed off on you.¡± ¡°Dammit! Are you serious?! It can¡¯t be!¡± Poliana gasped in annoyance. Before Poliana reached Lucius the First, she passed by Sir Donau, who was drinking juice instead of alcohol. Next to him was Sir Deke, who was in his first banquet and was already drunk. Sir Donau grabbed onto Sir Deke, who kept walking into a wall. He spotted Poliana and greeted him, ¡°Sis! You look good! It suits you.¡± Sir Deke also greeted her, ¡°Huh? Sir Poliana? I almost didn¡¯t recognize you because of your wig.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because you are drunk, Sir Deke.¡± Donau let go of Sir Deke, who walked right into a wall. Thankfully, this woke Sir Deke up. He pulled himself up and sat down next to Poliana and Sir Donau. Donau handed Deke a ss of juice and offered Poliana his hand. Poliana looked up at Donau and at his hand. She was confused. ¡°What do you want, Sir Donau?¡± ¡°May I have this dance?¡± A young boy she met only a little while ago was now a 19-year-old young man. A young man who knew how to ask ady for a dance. Poliana grinned, but her answer was firm. ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t dance.¡± ¡°What? You are so cruel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a no.¡± Sir Donau didn¡¯t look disappointed; he knew his adopted sister very well by now. If Poliana was this adamant against dancing, there had to be a good reason behind it. At least from her point of view. Donau offered, ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to dance, I can teach you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I know how to dance from both a man¡¯s and a woman¡¯s position.¡± Dancing was a basic skill that any knights and noble members learned as children. It has been a long time shest danced, but Poliana remembered its basic steps well. Poliana rarely forgot any new movements that she learned. In the past, she was neverplimented that she was a good dancer, but she was adequate enough that she could dance without bumping into anyone. Donau then asked, ¡°Then why won¡¯t you dance?¡± ¡°Why do you insist on dancing?¡± ¡°Because I doubt I will ever get to see you in a dress again.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Good answer, but it¡¯s still a no.¡± While they talked, they walked and finally reached near Lucius the First. When the emperor spotted Poliana, he smiled in excitement. He wasn¡¯tughing at her, instead, he was happy because he finally found an excuse to get away from the Bikpa Princess who was still staring at him with an obvious desire. Lucius the First said to Poliana, ¡°My loyal knightess! Sir Poliana, you look amazing. It suits you very well.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡± Poliana turned towards Gali the Third and thanked him as well. ¡°Thank you for lending me this dress and jewelry.¡± Only Rudely, Gali the Third looked away in disgust. Ignoring him, Lucius the First asked Poliana, ¡°You look great. Now, Sir Poliana, how do I look?¡± Finally. It was showtime. Poliana has been learning from the other royal guard about how to answer when the emperor asked such a question. In the past, she would have given a simple answer, such as, ¡°You are so beautiful, your highness!¡± She wouldn¡¯t have been wrong to do so, and it would have been her honest answer, but this was not what Lucius the First wanted. He wanted much more. After taking a deep breath, Poliana replied, ¡°The red velvet cloak looks amazing against your golden hair and makes your skin glow brightly, your highness. Is that ne one of the jewelry that Gali the Third lent you? The stone had the same shade as your eyes, and it looks gorgeous! Of course, your eyes are much more beautiful!¡± ¡®I hope I did ok¡­¡¯ Poliana looked around, hoping to get an approval of her guard friends. A guard named Sir Mahogal, who was dancing with a Bikpady nearby, heard it and put his thumbs up for Poliana. She smiled happily. Lucius the First seemed satisfied as he replied, ¡°Your wig suits your skin tone, Sir Poliana. I wonder if I will ever get to see you like this again. Now, give me your hand.¡± The Acreian emperor grinned at her as he offered his hand. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Lucius the First loved to y. He loved the parties. He loved to drink, eat, and y games. And most of all, the Acreian emperor loved to dance. He wasn¡¯t obsessed or addicted to it, but he found it pleasant to put his arms around ady and dance around to beautiful music. But if he stood up to dance right now, he had to dance with the Bikpa Princess out of politeness. And if he did this¡­ Lucius the First was certain that he would be bullied into marriage before this night was over. It made sense for the princess to be ambitious; she wasn¡¯t just an averagedy but a royal member of a kingdom. A small kingdom, but still, she had the right bloodline to aim high. Lucius the First also had a big dream and he wasn¡¯t ready to get married yet. Besides, the Bikpa Princess was not his type. She had bright curious eyes and innocentughs, which were all well and good, but she was not the one. But if he chose to dance with another woman of lower birth, and every woman in the room of lower ranks than her, it was going to be considered rude and even insulting to the princess. And of course, there was the risk of whoever he dances with visiting him stark naked tonight. ¡®Hmm¡­ not that I don¡¯t like naked women visiting my chamber¡­¡¯ If it happened in any other kingdoms as an offering or gift, he would have epted the gesture. In fact, simr things have happened to him during this war, and Lucius the First never refused it even once. But here in Bikpa¡¯s castle¡­ He didn¡¯t feel like it. He felt ufortable. He was contemting what to do when he spotted Poliana approaching him in a dress. Lucius the First smiled in relief; if he danced with his own knight who was there to protect him, the princess could not im to be insulted, and he could dance all night! ¡®Yes! Let¡¯s dance!¡¯ Lucius the First smiled brightly and was about to stand up when suddenly, Poliana said to him, ¡°I don¡¯t dance.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana?¡± ¡°Sis!¡± ¡°I apologize, your highness, but I do not want to dance.¡± Poliana said her words with firmness and walked away awkwardly from her emperor. She grabbed a chair and sat behind Lucius the First. Curious, Lucius whispered to Sir Donau, ¡°Umm¡­ Is Sir Poliana going through her period right now?¡± ¡°As far as I know, she has been very irregr so it has been many years since she had herst monthly bleed¡­¡± ¡®Oh.¡¯ Suddenly, Lucius thought he figured it out. He knew that a woman, who has been in active battles for the past 10 years, would have health problems, such as irregr periods. After all, wars involved stressful and unpredictable situations. A soldier also was often malnourished and suffered fromck of sleep and good hygiene. In truth, it was probably better to not have periods. It was certainly much cleaner and easier on the body. So perhaps, Poliana was surprised by an unexpected period today. This definitely exined her rigid face and strange walks. After the emperor mentioned the word ¡°period,¡± Sir Donau¡¯s head was filled with strange thoughts. He realized that what if she really began her period? The young man¡¯s face reddened in embarrassment. Lucius the First sent Sir Donau to take care of Poliana. He thought sympathetically, ¡®I hope her period bes regr, so she doesn¡¯t be barren. If she is unable to have children¡­ how sad.¡¯ The emperor studied Poliana¡¯s face carefully, trying to figure out how she was feeling. Poliana, in turn, had her eyes on her emperor and refused to look away, but the way she stared at him was different than how the Bikpa Princess looked at Lucius the First. Poliana was his personal guard, and in her eyes, Lucius the First could see her clear determination to protect him despite her obvious physical difort. Lucius the First was truly impressed and grateful. He decided that he needed to promote his loyal knightess. Considering how long she has been a soldier, it was well overdue. The other knights in his army also seemed to ept her as their own, so he didn¡¯t expect anyone protesting. Well¡­ except for Sir Ainno. ¡®By the way, when is Innoing?¡¯ It was normal for the champion of the day to appear thest to his own banquet in Bikpa. Lucius the First found it an odd tradition because, in Acreia, everyone appeared on time to every event no matter the rank or station. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ They were waiting for him for a long time. It was strange, because Lucius did not think it would take this long for Sir Ainno to get ready. After another few minutes, he finally turned to Gali the Third and asked, ¡°When are my champion and my knightsing to this feast?¡± ¡°Never. They will never arrive.¡± When Gali the Third began tough evilly, the door to the room closed firmly. The Bikpa guards and knights took out their swords and their spears menacingly. ¡°GYAA!!¡± The princess of Bikpa screamed in shock and her maids surrounded her for her protection. Gali the Third sneered and his men looked at the Acreians angrily. The Bikpa nobles were also grinning expectantly, suggesting they were all on this plot. The few Acreian knights that were present hastily reached for their swords, but they were unarmed. The knights froze in their position. Lucius the First, however, remained calm. He looked around, coldly calcting the situation. From the look of it, the princess was the only Bikpan who didn¡¯t know of this scheme. It made sense. He wouldn¡¯t have expected someone like Gali the Third to confide or trust his own daughter. Or perhaps, the Bikpa king wanted to maintain the possibility of his daughter seducing Lucius. Either way, the feast was over and Lucius the First was unhappy. ¡®I didn¡¯t even get to dance once.¡¯ Lucius the First red at the Bikpa king. From the beginning, he detested this weak selfish man who abused his own people. And this tournament? He came up with this stupid idea and when he lost, he plotted against him. This man was no king. What surprised Lucius the First the most was the fact that Gali the Third already signed the document of surrender. The Acreian emperor then roared, ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± ¡°You have just been captured,¡± Gali the Third replied. ¡°You have already surrendered to me. You signed the document. Do you not remember?¡± ¡°That piece of paper? I will just rip it into pieces!¡± Only ¡°You know as well as I do that it is not just a piece of paper.¡± A document signed by royal members were considered a binding contract ording to the continentalw. Such a contract could be made only by the royal members or high-ranking nobles. An average joe could not create one even if he or she could read. If one party broke the contract, the punishment was clear and severe; they would lose their family¡¯s wealth and title for three generations. Gali the Third sneered. ¡°I can just destroy the document and kill the witnesses! Or I can force you to sign another document that states that you surrender to me. You stupid bastard! You have made a huge mistakeing after me!¡± ¡°You are the one who has lost his mind. I trusted you because I believed you could not be this stupid, and I guess I was wrong.¡± ¡°Just how long do you think you can remain confident like that?¡± When Gali the Third stood up, his guards and knights began to surround the Acreians. Lucius the First became furious as he yelled, ¡°To attack the very people you invited! How dare you! You are unforgivable.¡± Lucius the First looked around the room with his eyes zing. He looked like the true emperor with his charisma and strength. Lucius then continued, ¡°Drop your weapons! This man standing here is no longer your king. Are you all willing to remain loyal to a man who is deceitful? Who is willing to break his words?¡± Some of the Bikpa men seemed hesitant at Lucius¡¯s confident words. The Acreian emperor continued boldly, ¡°This man gave away his own kingdom! He didn¡¯t protect his own people! His idea of winning this war was to open a tournament! He stole from all of you and your families! Do you really think he is worthy of your loyalty? Bikpa is no longer an independent kingdom. Even if you kill me tonight, you will all still be punished by the other kingdoms. The other kings won¡¯t let this man get away with it. They will also punish all of you for breaking the sacred contract! You and your family will be enved or executed! Listen to me carefully. Your king has abandoned you, so drop your weapons!¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°Shut up!¡¯ Gali the Third screamed and swung at Lucius the First, who evaded it easily and contemted. Should he grab Gali the Third or the princess as his captive? Which would be a more advantageous hostage? Before he could make his decision, a dagger flew by him and hit Gali the Third¡¯s hand. The Bikpa King screamed in pain. ¡°GYAAA!¡± ¡°Your highness! Please move aside!¡± Poliana ripped her dress and took out herst dagger and threw it at the Bikpa knight that came after her. The dagger bounced off from his metal armor, but Sir Donau picked it up quickly and handed it to Sir Deke before wresting with the Bikpa knight with his bare hands. Donau kicked the man¡¯s crotch, which was Poliana¡¯s favorite move, and the knight fell to the ground weakly. Sir Donau then stole the sword from the fallen enemy. Sir Deke also was able to kill a guard with the dagger and grab the dead man¡¯s spear. Lucius the First watched as he quickly organized his thoughts. Things were happening so fast and the room was beyond hectic. Men were screaming while oddly, Lucius the First had a faint smile on his face. Lucius walked towards the Bikpa King, who was still screaming and pulled the dagger from his hand. The emperor decided that rather than take a hostage himself, he would trust his knights. Lucius the First swiftly moved behind Poliana, who by now had her dress shredded to pieces and had her silk shoes off. There were only a few Acreian knights in the room, but they were quick, skilled, and determined. They were ready to die for their emperor and realizing this, the Bikpa soldiers attacked them with all they had. ¡°ARRGG!¡± When one of the enemies ran after her, Poliana threw her wig at his face. He seemed confused when it hit him and taking this chance, she ran towards him and kicked his crotch. When the enemy fell to the ground, Sir Donau quickly moved in and beheaded him. The unknown man¡¯s head rolled away from them. The ground by now was covered in blood. Poliana walked with her bare feet and the feeling of a stick and slippery liquid made her frown. Sir Donau informed his emperor, ¡°Your highness, the door has been locked from the outside.¡± ¡°Just in case something happens, I told the rest of our soldiers, who remained outside the castle, to look out for a signal. Use your spear to let our men know at the window.¡± Sir Deke grabbed a piece of Poliana¡¯s dress and tied it to his spear. After lighting it, he ran to the window and waved at the Acreian army outside. Meanwhile, some of the other Acreian knights were able to grab some weapons from the Bikpa soldiers. They surrounded their emperor for protection. Poliana flipped arge table to create a protective wall and informed Lucius the First, ¡°Your highness, please hide behind this.¡± ¡°But Sir Poliana, you have no weapon and you aren¡¯t a skilled fighter, don¡¯t you think I should be the one out there fighting?¡± ¡°You are absolutely right, sir, but your highness, I am your sword and your knight. This is my duty as your servant.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana is right!¡± ¡°Please your highness, let us handle this! Let us protect you!¡± ¡°Please your highness, please trust us!¡± ¡°Long live Lucius the First!¡± ¡°Honor to our kingdom, Acreia!¡± Before the Bikpa archer could shoot an arrow at them, Poliana and the others threw tes and foods at them. One of the smart Acreian knights lighted the tablecloth and threw it at their enemies too. When the Bikpa men scrambled, those Acreian soldiers with weapons ran towards them. There were non-military men and women in the room as well, such as Bikpa nobles, musicians, servants, and entertainers, but there was no time for the soldiers to distinguish them. The battle was fought dirty and frantically. Despite the fact that this was a surprise attack, the fight was a close one. The Acreian soldiers weren¡¯t armed well, but their determination and courage were unmatched. An enemy attacked Sir Donau from behind by kicking his crotch but unlike the Bikpa men who fell to the ground after such an attack, Donau remained standing. He swung his sword and killed the Bikpa man quickly. ¡®Dammit¡­ It hurts so bad.¡¯ No matter how hard he trained, he could never get used to being kicked in the crotch. But at least Sir Donau was used to the pain now thanks(?) to the extensive training from Poliana. Those Acreian soldiers who weren¡¯t able to secure proper weapons fought with whatever they could find. Broken tes, forks, knives, and chairs¡­ These items didn¡¯t cause too much damage to the enemy men, but they were enough to distract them. It also worked very well for the non-military Bikpa men. The room was filled with chaos. Screams and loud noises were heard everywhere and from the burnt tablecloth, the smoke made it hard for everyone to breathe. Some women even fainted from the smell of blood. Gali the Third, whose hand was bleeding, screamed angrily while being surrounded by his men, but no one paid attention to him. It seemed like an eternity when a loudmotion was heard outside of the banquet room. Suddenly, the door burst open into pieces and the Acreian tournament champions appeared. They were also wearing normal clothes, but they were holding weapons. It appeared that they killed and stole the enemies¡¯ weapons on their way here. ¡°Your highness!¡± Sir Ainno screamed. ¡°Inno!¡± When Sir Ainno determined where Lucius the first was located, he raised his right hand. He was wearing an expensive outfit given to him by Gali the third and he was holding a firece poker that was covered in blood. Sir Rabi, one who destroyed the door with an ax and his monstrous strength, quickly ran into the room to behead an enemy easily. When the best knights of Acreia appeared, the men¡¯s morale soared. Many of them didn¡¯t like Sir Ainno, but they had to admit that he was a mean fighter. Not all of the Acreian champions came to the banquet. Some of them, including Sir Bentier, went outside of the castle to open the wall to let the rest of the Acreian men, who were waiting outside. Only When the loud roaring could be heard outside the window, the Bikpa soldiers and knights lost their will to fight. To Gali the Third¡¯s shock, they dropped their weapons and kneeled. The other Bikpa nobles did the same. But to those who surrendered, Lucius the First murmured quietly, ¡°It is toote for you to surrender yourselves.¡± The Acreian emperor had no intention of showing mercy tonight. Every Bikpa men here deserved what wasing for them. It was over with a blink of an eye. Those Bikpa soldiers who were outside and were unaware of what was happening inside the banquet saw their g being brought down. They stared at it in shock and gloom. The Acreian men roamed the castle to bring out every Bikpa men and women. They locked them up in one ce under the orders of Sir Bentier. Afterward, he reported to Lucius the First. ¡°Your highness, we got everyone in the castle. We separated the Bikpa healers from the rest so they could take care of the injured.¡± ¡°Good job. I will let you handle the men outside, Bentier.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 The worst damage done to the Acreian men urred in the banquet room. A few knights died while several were severely injured. The corpses and the injured were taken outside. On the bloodied floor, the royal members and the nobles of Bikpa kingdom waited on their knees. They were bound by ropes. Some cried and begged for mercy. The princess was unable to recover from her shock. She vomited and lost consciousness while her maids surrounded her and sobbed. Many of the nobledies were in a simr state. ¡°I assume you know your crime,¡± Lucius the First asked the king. ¡°Crime? What crime? You! You are the one whomitted a crime here! You little twit! You have created unjustifiable chaos on this entire continent! You broke the rule of going to war only during the winters! We were all safe and living in peace during the three seasons but now, because of you, everyone needs to live in fear all year round! All because of you! You have ruined the world!¡± Sir Ainno moved to kick the king, but Lucius the First stopped him. He replied, ¡°Sickness, death, natural disasters¡­ The fear of them has always been with us all year round. This supposed rule of wars only during the winters¡­ It is not an actual continentalw and besides, someone would have broken it even if I didn¡¯t.¡± Gali the Third smirked. ¡°You are an idiot! A coward! A tyrant!¡± ¡°Under my rule, my people won¡¯t live in fear. The horrible lives they live right now under someone like you¡­ It will never happen again because I will unite the entire continent. There will only be one true kingdom.¡± When Lucius the First held up his dagger, Sir Ainno grabbed Gali the Third¡¯s head. The Bikpa King¡¯s eyes widened as Lucius shoved the dagger into his mouth. The ugly sound of the metal hitting his teeth was heard. Lucius said to Gali the Third, ¡°You are the first liar I have seen since I began this conquest. There is a war myth that states if the first liar¡¯s mouth is sliced open, the conqueror won¡¯t have to go through meeting another liar again.¡± There were also rumors in various kingdoms that Poliana was a witch. People believed this because they thought she seduced Lucius the First, but what they didn¡¯t know was that the Acreian emperor was the one with all the magic. Lucius the First smiled innocently and he moved his hand. Gali the Third screamed as his mouth was sliced open sideways. This wasn¡¯t the end of his torture. Poliana walked up to the cowardly king, who was now on the floor writhing in pain and kicked his crotch with everything she had. Gali the Third foamed in the mouth. Lucius the First ordered loudly, ¡°Hang this liar upside down from the castle wall.¡± He then turned towards the rest of the Bikpa nobles. ¡°Unfortunately for you, I am not a forgiving ruler. Everyone here is to be stripped naked and hung upside down as well on the wall. That includes children, women, and elderlies too and as for the princess¡­¡± He threw the dagger, the same one he used to slice her father¡¯s mouth, in front of the princess, who stepped back in fear. ¡°I can see that you didn¡¯t know anything about this plot, Princess, so I will be kinder to you. I will give you the chance to kill yourself. You have one day. If you aren¡¯t dead by tomorrow, I will hang you beside your father.¡± ¡°P-p-p-p-please¡­ l-l-l-let me¡­. L-l-live¡­¡± The princess hyperventted. Her whole body was shaking visibly. ¡°And if I let you live? Are you ok living as a ve for the rest of your life? Or live as a prostitute? Would you like me to find you a position as our military who*e?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The princess continued to sob loudly. When the soldiers came to drag her maids aways, they screamed, ¡°GYAAA! Please let us live! Somebody save us! Please, your highness! Please! Princess! Please save us!¡± When all of the Bikpan were dragged away, it was only the princess who was on the floor. The soldiers unbound her arms and she crawled towards the dagger. The princess hugged it tightly and sobbed. She looked pathetic, but coldly, Lucius the First turned away and walked out. When he left the banquet room, the clean air felt shockingpared to the smell of blood that he had basked in. Lucius the First tried to remain cold; he had to focus on his own men who were injured from this plot rather than feel sympathy towards the daughter of a liar. Then, he noticed that Poliana wasn¡¯t behind him. She had never left his sight since the banquet, and he wondered why she wasn¡¯ting out. Just then, he heard the princess¡¯ cry stop after a short but sharp gasp. Lucius the First felt relieved. ¡°Hmm¡­ I am not a kind person, but I guess my knight is.¡± Contrary to her emperor¡¯s belief, Poliana was not a kind woman. She looked down at the princess, who was trembling with the dagger in her hands. It seemed that she didn¡¯t even know how to hold a weapon properly. Poliana lowered herself and helped the princess hold it the right way. The tearful eyes turned to her in shock. ¡°P-p-p-p¡­¡± ¡°It is impossible to kill oneself without causing pain, even for men, but I assume you want it to be as quick as possible, right?¡± ¡°P-p-p-p¡­¡± Only Poliana ignored the princess begging for her life. Instead, she ced her hand on the princess¡¯ ribs. Unfortunately for the princess, the dagger was too short and would never reach her heart if it did go in correctly. Poliana then exined, ¡°You can try stabbing your neck, but if you are unlucky, you might just end up with a hole and not die. So here, between your ribs, is your best bet. It might take longer, but you will definitely die.¡± The princess swallowed hard. She was still crying and was about to beg for her life again when the screams of her peopleing from outside began. The massacre has begun. The princess clenched her teeth. She was still crying, but she seemed to have made her mind. Slowly, she brought the dagger to her ribs. As it began to enter her skin, she closed her eyes. At that moment, Poliana helped her. Poliana was not kind. If she was, she wouldn¡¯t have forced the princess to kill herself. Instead, she would¡¯ve killed her for her. It would have been easier, quicker, and painless. But Poliana was generous enough to help at least. She knew that without her assistance, the princess would end up just cutting herself and suffer unnecessarily so firmly, she pushed the dagger for the princess. That was as far as she was willing to help. A swordsman was a murderer. A knight was a swordsman. This meant that a knight was a murderer. It was a knight¡¯s job to kill in order to protect someone or kill because of an order from the one he or she served. This was her life and she had no regrets about it. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Was it because she killed a defenseless girl? Poliana felt strange, but she shook her head to forget about what happened. She retrieved her daggers. ¡®I¡¯m so d I kept them with me.¡¯ Her sword was taken away but thankfully, she was able to hide her dagger between her neatly folded clothes. If the maids folded her clothes for her, they would have found the weapons, but Poliana made sure that she did it herself. The maids grabbed her well-folded clothes and ced them in a closet as they were. They would have noticed how heavy it was, but they probably thought it was just that because of her leather armor. Poliana felt too anxious without any weapons, so she strapped one dagger each on her inner thighs. She was worried that if she ced them on the outer thighs, they would show because her dress was very tight. But having the daggers between her legs meant that she had to walk awkwardly to make sure they didn¡¯t clink against each other. She felt relieved and perhaps a little peeved, that no one thought it was strange that she walked so oddly. ¡®I mean, even if I have never worn a dress before, why would people think I wouldn¡¯t be able to walk normally in it?¡¯ Did everyone think Poliana was that awkward? Bastards¡­ ¡®But¡­¡¯ It was nice to be treated like ady. Her colleagues seemed to treat her with respect, and she secretly loved it. She kept her face nk when the guards offered to escort her but on the inside, she was happy. And when Donau and Lucius the First asked her to dance¡­ In truth, she wanted to dance, but she was afraid that the daggers between her legs would make metallic noises while she did. She couldn¡¯t have her weapons be discovered. Thanks to the daggers, she was able to protect her beloved emperor. Even without them, she knew the Acreians would have won anyway, but she was certain it helped. Her daggers provided an advantage that the enemies didn¡¯t expect. It was perfect. When Poliana finally left the banquet hall, she flinched. She thought everyone left by now, but they were all waiting outside the hall. All the knights and even the emperor were watching her. Poliana wondered, ¡®Will I be punished for helping the princessmit suicide?¡¯ But the men didn¡¯t look angry. The emperor and the champions looked unscathed, but the rest of the men didn¡¯t look ok. They were covered in blood, food, alcohol, vomit, innards, and dust. Didn¡¯t they want to wash up as soon as possible? Why were they waiting for her? Poliana knew she looked the worst. There was no mirror for her to confirm it, but she was certain that she must look frightening. Her makeup was probably smeared. She could smell the blood and sweat on herself. Her dress was ripped into shreds and she lost her shoes. She was no longer wearing her wig and her short hair was covered in blood. Poliana knew she must look like an ugly monster, but the monstrous¡¯s emperor still remained clean and beautiful. There were some blood stters on his clothes, but because they were red, it wasn¡¯t very noticeable. After a brief hesitation, Poliana walked towards her emperor, who greeted her calmly. ¡°Where did you keep your daggers?¡± ¡°Between my thighs, your highness.¡± ¡°Good thinking, you¡¯re very well prepared.¡± ¡°Because it is my duty, your highness.¡± The emperor smiled quietly. The other knights then said to her, ¡°So that was why you walked so strangely.¡± ¡°Oh, we thought it was because the floor was slippery.¡± ¡°So is that why you refused to dance with his highness?¡± ¡°Yes. I was worried that the daggers would make strange metallic noises.¡± She didn¡¯t mean to be rude to her emperor. She hoped that Sir Ainno, who was still ring at her, would understand her situation. Suddenly, Sir Ainno said to her, ¡°Your outfit suits you.¡± ¡®Jerk.¡¯ She knew that she looked ridiculous right now. Sir Ainno could be a mean son-of-a-b*tch. Poliana considered throwing the daggers at him, but she decided against it. She knew that she couldn¡¯t win against him. ¡®He is such an assh*le. People like that live really long too. How unfair.¡¯ Like the other knights, Poliana had many different injuries as well. Sir Donau was already gone to see a healer. She wasn¡¯t a doctor, but she could see he had broken at least a few bones. Suddenly, Poliana realized that her time as the emperor¡¯s guard was almost over. The tournament had ended and Sir Ainno was now avable. She felt disappointed but at least, she was able to keep the emperor safe. She felt relieved and proud of herself. If Lucius the First got even the smallest cut¡­ She didn¡¯t even want to think about it. Poliana suspected that a few of her bones must be fractured. When she stood awkwardly, making sure her feet touched the floor as little as possible, the emperor asked her, ¡°Are your feet injured?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, your highness!¡± ¡®Oh my god! How dare I show his highness my weakness? I have made a huge mistake!¡¯ Before she could exin, Lucius the First lifted her up to carry her. Poliana iled awkwardly, narrowly missing the emperor¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m fine, your highness!¡± ¡°Stop screaming, Sir Poliana. My ears hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, your highness. Truly! Please let me down!¡± ¡°This is for refusing to dance with me tonight.¡± Lucius the First smiled at her kindly. ¡®What a generous emperor he is!¡¯ Poliana felt encouraged. The way the emperor was holding her was painful because of her broken ribs. After a brief hesitation, Poliana asked, ¡°Then¡­ Could you carry me on your back, your highness? Like a piggyback¡­ This position feels very ufortable.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the emperor remained silent for a long time, Poliana realized that she was being insolent. She apologized immediately. ¡°I take it back, your highness! I am so sorry.¡± ¡°No, not at all. I am just surprised by you, Sir Poliana.¡± Lucius the First gently let her down on the floor. Poliana considered running away, but her emperor quickly offered her his back. She didn¡¯t know what to do. She really didn¡¯t want to be carried by the emperor. She considered escaping this situation, but Sir Ainno was behind her and blocking the way. Sir Deke was being no help at all. Poliana contemted and suddenly, she thought of a good idea. ¡°I¡­ I cannot be carried on your back because my dress is destroyed. My backside will get exposed for everyone to see, your highness!¡± This was true. Her dress was badly ripped. Lucius the First turned around and before he could say anything, Poliana felt something on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw that Sir Ainno was putting his own cloak around her. ¡®This man is useless!¡¯ Only Before she could protest, Poliana found herself on the back of Lucius the First. To her shock, Sir Ainno remained quiet. The rest of the men were smiling proudly, looking very pleased. Poliana tried to make sure the least amount of her body touched Lucius the First¡¯s back. She continued to gape, having a difficult time believing that she was actually on her emperor¡¯s back. An emperor who carried his own subject¡­ What a great ruler he was. ¡®His highness is so amazing.¡¯ Before they reached the makeshift infirmary, Poliana suddenly thought of a question. She knew she was being rude, but she was curious. She wanted to know his answer. ¡°Your highness, I have a question I would like to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You believe in not killing a virgin for fear of being cursed, yet today, you didn¡¯t hesitate to kill the princess, who must be a virgindy. Why did you do it?¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 The Bikpa Princess was a royalty, which meant that her bloodline was good enough for Lucius the First to bed. He could have easily ordered her death after he spent the night with her. The emperor remained quiet. Poliana, still on his back, could feel his body tensing. After a long silence, Lucius the First asked, ¡°You still remember that, huh?¡± The emperor¡¯s voice, which always sounded confident, wavered a little. ¡°How could I forget, your highness?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He sighed quietly. He could fool Sir Ainno, but he certainly couldn¡¯t fool Poliana. ¡°Listen, Sir Poliana. What I did to you when we first met¡­ That was my fault. It was a mistake. I was blinded by my desire for a perfect war. I was foolish enough to believe that I could make no mistake. I was wrong.¡± ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Poliana understood his words. Her emperor always looked confident and self-assured, but he was only a man after all. He was a young man of 20 years when he first sat out to conquer the world. And now, a few yearster¡­ He was a fully grown man. He had matured, he was different now. ¡°And are you no longer blinded, your highness.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lucius the First stopped himself from sighing again. Poliana could understand what her emperor must be going through. She agreed that what happened when they first met was his fault. It was only right that he apologized, but then¡­ He was the emperor. If they continued this conversation, perhaps Lucius the First really would apologize to her¡­.? The emperor reminded himself never to make such a mistake again in the future. He said to Poliana. ¡°It was you, Sir Poliana, who taught me that a living woman¡¯s determination was much stronger than a dead woman¡¯s curse.¡± At the time when they first met, no one could have expected this. The emperor carrying Poliana on his back¡­ When they arrived at the temporary infirmary, everyone tried to stand up to greet their emperor properly. Lucius the First raised his hand for them to remain as they were and gently ced Poliana on an empty bed. Poliana took out a handkerchief, which was inside Sir Ainno¡¯s cloak, and began to clean her dirty feet. There were only a few healers so the patients did whatever they could by themselves. Poliana knew her ribs would heal on their own in time and her feet, once disinfected, would feel better soon. Lucius the First walked around the room, making small encouraging conversations with the injured soldiers. When he was done, he returned to Poliana. The emperor noticed how Poliana¡¯s head was covered in sticky dry blood. The truth was that she needed a good bath more than a healer for her injuries. Lucius the First quickly ordered a bath for her and touched her hair gently. Then, he asked, ¡°Have you ever thought about growing your hair? Would you consider it?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t have my personal guard bald.¡± The emperor smiled and continued, ¡°Sir Poliana Winter, I officially assign you to be themander of my personal protection department.¡± Who could have ever imagined that a skinny ugly foreign knightess could be the Acreian emperor¡¯s personal guard? Feeling her eyes welling up, Poliana rubbed her face hard. When she saw her hands covered in makeup and blood, she gasped. Looking up at the emperor again and with her voice trembling in determination, she said, ¡°Thank you, your highness! I will do my best!¡± ¡°Excellent! I believe in you, Sir Pol.¡± Only After Lucius the First left, Polianaid down on the bed and covered her face with her hands. Lucius the First called his close acquaintances by a shortened name. For example, he called Sir Ainno, Inno, while he called Sir Baufallo, Bau. Only those he had known for a long time and he trusted had the honor of being called in this friendly manner. Poliana weren¡¯t been able to admit it until now, but she realized that she had been envious of these two men. Poliana wanted to be close to Lucius the First too. She wanted to be a knight her emperor could trust. Her emperor was an amazing man. Lucius the First was able to give a purpose for her life. He even gave her a dream, and he made her realize that she was in fact a greedy person. Poliana always thought she didn¡¯t care, but she had been wrong about herself. She was greedy for her emperor¡¯s recognition and trust, and she was ambitious to be the one who would help him achieve his dream. ¡®It will happen. I just know it.¡¯ Poliana truly believed it. She had no doubt that if she followed her emperor, she would get to see the world, she would get to conquer it alongside Lucius the First. The emperor had an enormous dream. Poliana would follow him anywhere and dream the same dream. For the rest of her life, Sir Poliana Winter would live as the shadow of the greatest emperor, Lucius the First. Chapter 63: Story 7: Friendly Master- Story 7: Friendly Master Chapter 63 Poliana Winter was now an official member of Lucius the First¡¯s personal protection team. She was no longer one of his mere guards, but she was assigned the position of amander. Sir Mahogal, who used to be themander, was not promoted to be the head of the department. Then what about Sir Ainno, who was the head of the protection division? Lucius the First made him the head of a new department titled the special forces. As expected, Sir Ainno was adamantly against this idea. ¡°Your highness! Please! Please do not do this!¡± Sir Ainno looked determined. He stood in front of the emperor¡¯s tent, refusing to leave until Lucius the First changed his mind. Sir Ainno looked unkempt and messy. When Lucius the First gave him a frustrated look, Sir Mahogal smiled and went out to remove the resolute knight. Of course, Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t the type to be easily removed. When the emperor heard Sir Ainno and Sir Mahogal arguing, he went out himself to take care of the situation. Lucius the First asked Sir Ainno to join him for a drink. The two drank as long-time friends and talked frankly. Lucius the First tried to make his case. He exined that Sir Ainno was too good of a knight to be wasted as a personal guard and left out of the battles. The emperor was safe, and the other knights were all very skilled; they would do a fine job of protecting the emperor. Lucius also told him that he knew Sir Ainno loved going into the battles whenever he got a chance. ¡°How can I trust those weaklings to protect you, your highness?!¡± Sir Ainno retorted. ¡°Inno, if an assassin is skilled enough to sneak into my tent, which is located in the middle of our base, then perhaps it would be only fair that I die¡­ I¡¯m just kidding.¡± The emperor was allowed to joke just about anything, but not about his own life. It was an unspoken rule. Lucius the First continued, ¡°Inno, I am not saying being a personal guard isn¡¯t an honorable position, but as you know, your talent can allow you to do much greater things. Rather than staying by my side, you can go out there and lead the battles into victories. This is how you will honor your family name.¡± The emperor was making a perfect sense. ¡°Go, Inno. Go where you can shine the most.¡± Later, Poliana heard about this conversation in details from the emperor himself. After being carried on his back, Poliana now considered herself a close acquaintance of the emperor. Lucius the First thought the same way too. They became close enough that Poliana now feltfortable making a joke first. ¡°Then, your highness, where should I be to shine the most? Would it be by your side?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, Sir Pol.¡± Poliana expected the emperor to joke back, but when he replied without a smile, she kneeled in front of him. Did she just make a huge mistake? After a tense silence, Lucius the First added seriously, ¡°I can shine because of you by my side.¡± It was such a corny thing to say, but Poliana liked it. Because Lucius the First said it, thisment sounded poetic. Besides, it was true. Everyone here was following him to make his dreame true. The soldiers and the knights were there to make Lucius the First, the first emperor of the entire continent. They would be the legend to be talked about for decades. Poliana bowed and replied, ¡°Thank you, your highness. I am honored.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you and I get along great?¡± ¡°I do, your highness.¡± Even if she disagreed, she obviously had to say yes to such a question. Lucius the First smiled like a naughty boy and Poliana smiled back. They looked at each other for a long time, smiling widely and showing off their white teeth. Of course, unlike the emperor, Poliana was missing a mr. ¡°Sir Pol, I really think we will have a very good rtionship.¡± ¡°Of course, your highness. I will always try my best to be a good knight no matter what. No matter what kind of emperor you be, I will serve you to my best ability.¡± ¡°And I will never abandon you, Sir Pol. Even if you aren¡¯t a good knight.¡± Lucius the First was impressed with how Sir Donau fought at the banquet hall as well. He promoted Sir Donau to be a guard in the personal protection division. Donau was ecstatic, but Sir Baufallo respectfully refused because he thought this was too big of an honor. With a smile, Lucius the First exined to Sir Baufallo, ¡°There aren¡¯t that many knights who can fight even after being kicked in his balls, Bau.¡± Only Sir Baufallo understood immediately and gave his blessing to his youngest son. Sir Howe became very jealous after he saw his younger brother in the handsome guard uniform. Sir Howe insisted that if he wasn¡¯t chosen to participate in the tournament, he would have be a personal guard instead of his little brother. Wanting to boast, Donau wore his uniform everywhere. To eat, to sleep, and to train. When the other personal guards found out about it, Donau was harshly reprimanded for being too careless with his position. The personal protection division was known for its harsh internal discipline process. Several of the existing personal guards wanted to participate in active battles too. When they asked, Lucius the First allowed them to join Sir Ainno in the new special forces. To fill their positions, new personal guards were selected. These knights became overjoyed as they received their new blue uniforms, which they admired from afar for a long time. To get to know the new guards, Lucius the First gathered everyone in the personal protection team. He ordered the drinks and food, and he smiled at the knights. He was happy and he felt finally free. Lucius the First announced, ¡°Then! Let¡¯s drink to celebrate the departure of Inno! I finally got rid of him!¡± ¡°WAA!¡± ¡°Long live Sir Ainno!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Lucius the First ordered the Bikpa King and the noble families that were present at the banquet to be removed from the official records. Only those nobilities who surrendered before the tournament took ce were spared. Anyone and everyone who was associated with Gali the Third was hung upside down alive on the castle wall. Their screams never stopped and by the second day, the birds began to eat them alive. The strong winds caused them to smash into the stone walls, and many of them began to bleed. There were some whose ropes got untied and fell to the ground. And finally, after a week, the screams stopped. Despite the gruesome punishment, no one faulted Lucius the First. In fact, the people believed he saved the Bikpa nation from being starved to death by their own king. Later, Lucius the First found the messages that were exchanged between Gali the Third and the rulers of other kingdoms. ¡°Idiot¡­¡± It seemed that Gali the Third was following the idiotic suggestions by the other rulers. He was born a king, but he certainly did not act like one. He had no honor or bravery. The kingdoms surrounding Bikpa never had any intention of helping. They were using Bikpa as bait to buy time. The three kingdoms near Bikpa had their own confederation. Fighting this confederation was going to be very different than fighting an individual kingdom. This three-kingdom confederation had been in power of the middle continent for a long time. The greatest of this group was Kopi. The three kingdoms formed a half-moon shape. In the middle of them was the Msmel forest. The south of it was Kopi, the west was Mongsheim, and the east was upied by Oz. Above them all was Bikpa. Msmel forest was a heavily wooded jungle, especially in the middle. Even during the daytime, it was dark as the night inside the forest. It provided overabundant woods for the three kingdoms, as well as protection from each other¡¯s attacks. No one dared to cross the Msmel forest. It was said that anyone who went deep into the forest disappeared and was never to be seen again. Therefore, to get to Kopi, Lucius the First had to go around it. The confederation was ready for the Acreian attack. While Lucius the First dealt with Bikpa, they finished their military preparation. The Acreian emperor needed to get ready as well. Rather than beginning to move immediately towards Kopi, the smart thing was to recuperate, both in terms of supply and manpower. Lucius the First also wanted to help the Bikpan people by fairly distributing the food and other supplies from the Yapa castle. Those soldiers who were injured severely were ordered to stay in Bikpa until their recovery. The Acreians also held a memorial for the soldiers who died during the battle. Their bodies were burned and only their bones and armors were to be sent back to Acreia. Their flesh was buried here in Bikpa. Lucius the First was busy with their preparation for the next battle, but he made sure to attend all the funerals and memorials for his soldiers. The Bikpa nobles, who were hung upside down on the wall, were left to rot, but the Bikpa Princess¡¯s body was wrapped in cotton to be buried. No gravestone was given to her, which meant that in two years, her gravesite was going to disappear. During these busy days, one thing bothered Lucius the First. Msmel Forest. It was nicknamed the heart of the continent. The soldiers of the confederation knew the forest well, while the Acreian soldiers were ignorant of its geography and history. The citizens of the three kingdoms were used to living nearby the forest because although the middle of the Msmel was considered dangerous, its outer areas were rtively safe. Acreia vs. The three-kingdom confederation. The Acreian knights were concerned about being attacked from the forest, and their worries came true. Unexpected arrows were shot from the forest, killing some of the Acreian soldiers. From then on, the Acreian knights made sure to be wary of the forest. Beforehand, the Acreians were confident in dealing with the wooded area because they were used to hunting in the forests back home. However, what they did not consider was the fact that Msmel forest was filled with heavily branched and unusually tall trees, unlike their Acreian forests. The battles between them were vicious andrge-scaled. Because there were many nds in the middle continent, many battles were fought on horseback and by the spearmen. Archers yed a huge role as well. On the vast field, the gs of four kingdoms danced in the wind. Acreia, Kopi, Mongsheim, and Oz. Thend gained one day was lost the next day, and this happened over and over again. Each battle ended in many casualties. Severe injuries and constant battles were worrisome. Based on his calction, Lucius the First knew the longer thissted, the less likely he was going to win this war. The confederation had all the advantages because they were fighting from their own territory. The Acreians tried their best, but they were not gaining any significantnd so far. Lucius the First murmured, ¡°If thissts a long time, it can¡¯t be good for us¡­¡± It has already been five years since he left Nanaba with a big dream. So far, he was able to unite the northern continent and even conquer one kingdom in the mid-region. Five years was a long time. A boy could be a man in five years. A baby would grow up enough to run in five years. Coincidently, it was also enough time for a foreign knightess, who fought naked against the Acreian soldiers one time, to be the Acreian emperor¡¯s personal guard. Lucius the First divided his army into two. Sir Bentier was assigned to the west, which meant Mongsheim, while Lucius the First was to take care of Oz in the eastern area. This was how they conquered Aehas and Kukda at the same time a few years ago. In a situation like this, one genius knight such as Sir Ainno was unfortunately unhelpful. He may be able to fight against many soldiers, but not against the hundreds and thousands of enemy soldiers. Only One of the knights said during the strategy meeting, ¡°At this rate, this war is going to take 10 years.¡± ¡°That is too long,¡± Lucius the First replied. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that actually a rather short time for a war?¡± Poliana was used to the war between Aehas and Kukda, whichsted for decades. When she suggested 10 years was not a long time, everyone in the tent red at her. Feeling awkward, she looked down and pretended to read the map on the table. Lucius the First tapped the table. It was his habit whenever he was contemting something. The knights looked down at his fingers uneasily. The emperor then announced, ¡°We will win. I will win. But for now¡­ it seems that I can¡¯t find a solution to this problem. These battles we are going through are meaningless¡­ How did Aehas and Kukda kings fight for so long? What were they thinking?¡± Poliana smiled bitterly because she felt the same way. What Lucius the First was saying was correct. Looking around the tent, the emperor finally asked, ¡°It was Sir Pol who found a solution when we were stuck at the Koemong River. Now, is there someone who thinks they can fix our current problem?¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 When they were stuck at the Koemong River, it was Poliana who found the solution that led them to victory. It was partly luck too, but her idea was essential. The knights in the tent remained quiet, not knowing what to say. Then finally, Sir Ainno offered, ¡°Your highness, I will ride to the enemy base myself.¡± ¡°Suicide isn¡¯t the answer I was looking for.¡± Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t stupid but sometimes, he said the oddest thing. Lucius the First and the other knights ignored hisment, but Sir Ainno refused to give up. ¡°Your highness, Sir Bentier and I will ride out to the enemy base and behead their highest-ranking knight. This will end this situation.¡± ¡°Now you are saying you want Sir Bentier tomit suicide too, Inno?¡± Lucius the First became frustrated as he added, ¡°If you say something so stupid one more time, I will kick you out right now.¡± Sir Bentier, who red at Sir Ainno, murmured, ¡°Your highness¡­¡± Everyone turned towards him as he continued, ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about the Msmel forest, which means that we need to explore it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that is too dangerous?¡± No Acreians have gone into the forest to study it. All they knew came from the information provided by the people of Bikpa. They were strongly warned not to go into the forest. There were many rumors going around concerning the forest. Some imed that a woodcutter went in only to disappear. Only his ax was found. One Oz citizen got lost and was found dead six monthster in Mongsheim. His corpse was apparently left in horrible shape. The funniest rumor Lucius the First heard was about a dragon. Some people in the mid-continent believed that a dragon lived in the forest. It was ridiculous. But one thing was certain; the forest was undoubtedly dangerous. Even the soldiers of the confederation didn¡¯t venture too deep into Msmel. Sir Bentier then answered, ¡°As you know, your highness, we, the Acreians, are hunters. For generations, our people have been good friends of the forest.¡± ¡°But Msmel forest isn¡¯t familiar to any of us. I wouldn¡¯t call it a friend.¡± ¡°I will make it my friend very soon.¡± The other knights smiled secretly. They knew Sir Bentier was too serious to have many friends at all. Poliana was the only one who didn¡¯t smirk. Lucius the First murmured, ¡°Hmm¡­ But just simply exploring it wouldn¡¯t be fun¡­¡± After discussing with Sir Baufallo, Lucius the First announced that hunting was now allowed. The best hunters were selected to go out hunting and explore the forest at the same time. The first time they went inside the forest, they were lost and returned veryte. Afterward, there were days when a search party had to be sent to find the hunters, but overall, the exploration went smoothly. Unfortunately, they walked into their enemies a few times, but they still returned safely. In the end, the exploration team¡¯s findings were unhelpful. Inside the Msmel forest, there were various marshes and wends. The Acreian soldiers were so sick of the Koemong River that they flinched when they saw the wends. These swamps were different from the riverbanks, however. The marshes were made of rotten tree branches, dirt, and leaves over a very long time. A fine yet thick moss-covered these areas, and more trees grew on top of them. Adding to the fact that it was darker in the forest, it was very hard to tell which areas were swamps and which were firmnds. The forest was also thick with old trees. Without apass, it was impossible to tell the directions. The scary thing was that there were ces within the forest where thepass didn¡¯t work. It must¡¯ve been like this because certain areas had high metal contents in the soil. But the scout team did find out one thing for certain. They found the identity of the supposed dragon. An alligator. It was an alligator living in one of the swamps. The Acreian soldiers, who have never seen an alligator before, ran away screaming. But eventually, the soldiers were able to catch it alive and bring it back to Lucius the First, who looked shocked. ¡°So it looks like a dragon, but it¡¯s not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called an alligator, your highness.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ What horrible teeth. I can see that it could probably kill all of us very easily if given a chance. And you found this in the forest just crawling around? Well, I guess we better give up on crossing the Msmel forest then.¡± The alligator was given to the supply division to be studied. Sir Baufallo ordered his men to find out if the alligator was edible. The men asked the locals and it turned out that once the skin was removed, its meat could be eaten. Still suspicious and ever-so careful, Sir Baufallo ordered to throw away the blood and make sure to cook the meat thoroughly. The soldiers became excited at the prospect of trying a type of meat they¡¯ve never tasted before. The alligator hide was given to Lucius the First, but he wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°I like the bear and tiger hides, but reptile skin¡­. I¡¯m not into it.¡± In fact, Lucius the First disliked any kind of reptiles, but he was curious about what it would taste like. He tried a small piece just to see and Poliana did the same. She thought it was ok, but she wouldn¡¯t want to eat it again. The Acreians were skilled at hunting bears, but certainly not alligators. It took them a very long time to hunt the alligator and they realized it was a huge waste of time. They certainly had better things to do. The attempt to cross Msmel forest as a military strategy was no longer viable. At least, Lucius the First didn¡¯t have high expectations regarding this n, so he wasn¡¯t overly disappointed. At least, they found out the identity of the dragon. The alligator hide eventually ended up in Sir Rabi¡¯s hands. Sir Rabi sewed it up into a dog coat and made his dog wear it. When the mutt ran around the base in the alligator hide, the unsuspecting soldiers jumped in fear, making Sir Rabiugh. The soldiers were ordered to stop exploring the forest, but hunting was still allowed. It became an enjoyable activity for the men while the battles continued. The animals they hunted weren¡¯t enough for everyone to eat, but the soldiers still enjoyed it. Then one day, Sir Rabi captured a live fawn. When Poliana found out, she began to salivate. ¡°Let¡¯s roast it!¡± ¡°Sis! You are such a barbarian!¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about, Donau? It was you who introduced me to deer meat!¡± The other soldiers also red at her angrily. How dare they! These Acreian men were notorious for roasting and eating anything they could find! Feeling annoyed, Poliana went to Sir Rabi himself. She was going to convince him that a roasted fawn would be a great meal for a drinking party. Only But when she found him, Poliana learned that Sir Rabi was in love with the fawn. He was a father of young children, who lived in Acreia, and the fawn apparently reminded him of his own children. ¡°Oh, Sir Pol, did youe to see my fawn? Look at her! She is so adorable!¡± ¡°But¡­ Sir Rabi, it¡¯s just a deer.¡± ¡°Yes, and she is so different and cute!¡± ¡®Well¡­ because it¡¯s a southern deer¡­¡¯ In the northern region, the winter deers were huge withrge horns. The deer in the middle and the southern continent was much more delicate. The fawn did look cute as it trembled. It must¡¯ve been cold. ¡°It looks delicious,¡± Poliana replied honestly. What Sir Rabi said to her next was very unexpected. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Sir Rabi, looking shocked, said to Poliana, "You are awful!" "She is still a baby, so her flesh must be very tender." "Sir Poliana, how can you call yourself a woman? Don''t you have any kind of motherly instinct?" "It was you people who taught me that a deer is food, Sir Rabi!" The other knights and soldiers heard their conversation and began to criticize Poliana openly. "You are a savage, Sir Pol! A witch! You are so cold! Booo!" To her shock, it seemed that everyone at the base was smitten with this fawn. Poliana left awkwardly. Feeling frustrated, she found a tree and began to beat it in exasperation. Suddenly, after her angry kick, a bird nest fell off from the tree and the eggs inside it cracked. Poliana stared down at it guiltily. ''What terrible mother and father birds. How could they build such a weak and fragile nest? Stupid birds¡­'' She tried to rationalize the situation, but she couldn''t stop feeling guilty. Poliana began to scratch her hair, which now reached her ears. She hasn''t cut it since the day Lucius the First suggested she let it grow. Today, her hair wasn''t knotted because she washed it this morning. On a good day, it could be called golden, but usually, her hair had the same color as straws. "Waaa!" Suddenly, she heard men eximing excitedly. When Poliana turned around, she saw Sir Rabi feeding milk to the fawn by soaking his handkerchief and dripping the milk onto its mouth. The other knights and the soldiers were watching him so eagerly. Poliana frowned, but she continued to study the fawn. It hadrge clear eyes, small head, a fragile body, and a short tail. It was still trembling pathetically. ''It looks so delicious.'' It really looked very yummy. *** In Acreia, the one who was taking care of the kingdom in the ce of Lucius the First was his cousin Duke Luzo. During thest five years, Duke Luzo has supported Lucius the First faithfully. Most of the supplies were replenished as the army moved and conquerednds, but they still needed certain things from their homnd. For example, the soldiers'' uniforms, weapons, and certain food items were delivered from Acreia. Lucius the First''s personal items were also sent from his home. This meant that there were sometimes problems of prolonged dys in delivery, which included mails. One day, Lucius the First received a letter from Duke Luzo. In short, Duke Luzo was asking for help because apparently, there were some high-ranking nobles who were trying to make him the emperor. "Lucius, they are trying to make me the new emperor. Please return as soon as possible and save me." The message exined that every time the news of Lucius the First''s victory arrived, his poprity went up dramatically. All the new colonies were also stabilizing and adapting well. But some of those in Acreia wanted to put Duke Luzo on the throne, thinking that he would be easier to control than Lucius. Duke Luzo said he was trying his best to keep it at bay, but he needed help right away. He also added that because of Lucius the First, who refused to return any time soon, he was never going to be able to get married. Lucius the First folded the letter andughed. It was so helpful to have an unambitious cousin who was a great administrator. The emperor began to write a reply. He wrote about the current situation at the front, the disloyal nobles Duke Luzo mentioned and how to control them, taxes and minor legal matters, and how to further stabilize the colonies. And at the end, he added that if Duke Luzo wanted to marry, he was free to do so. Duke Luzo was worried that if he bore a son, he would receive even more pressure to take over the throne. This was why he was dying his marriage at all until Lucius the First returned. The royal members and high-ranking nobles married either very young or very old. Duke Luzo was still very young, but soon, he was going to be pressured to get married. Because so many noble young men left home to follow Lucius the First, Duke Luzo was considered one of the most eligible bachelors left in Acreia. Many noble families were trying to get their young daughters to marry Duke Luzo, who potentially could be the new emperor. Lucius the First didn''t mind his cousin getting married. He wasn''t worried at all, but he certainly appreciated Duke Luzo''s thoughtfulness and selflessness. Lucius knew that if it wasn''t for Duke Luzo, he wouldn''t have been able to leave Acreia to aplish his dream. Lucius the First''s father, the former emperor, Heogwai the Second, had a tense rtionship with some of the powerful nobles in Acreia. When Heogwai the Second began to prepare for a simr conquest as Lucius'', these nobles were against the idea. When the former emperor died, Lucius the First was pressured to give up on this n to conquer the world. Of course, Lucius didn''t listen to them. He understood why these men wanted Duke Luzo to take over the throne. Lucius the First suspected that these old nobles hated hearing how sessful he was with his battles. Although he felt apologetic towards Duke Luzo, Lucius the First couldn''t return home. At the strategy meeting, Sir Baufallo looked over the map and sighed. He said in frustration, "These bastards¡­ They just won''t go away. They are like persistent love handles." "Love handles?" "You know, the fat in your midriffs." "Why would there be fat in your midriffs?" When the young and slim knights asked, Sir Baufallo shuddered in anger. He was over 40 years old and the oldest in the tent. As he got older, it was getting harder to stay slim despite his best effort. Lucius the First thought secretly, ''I suppose Sir Bau is nearing his retirement.'' Often, the knights retired after a major battle injury. Sometimes, they were lucky enough to retire from an old age. Older meant stiff joints and depleted stamina. Their bones were more brittle, and some also experienced psychological illness from their times in countless battles. Lucius the First insisted on having Sir Bau because he trusted this knight, who has served his father before him. The emperor needed someone who could lead the young na?ve knights. It had to be done, but Lucius the First still felt guilty for dragging Sir Baufallo into this conquest. And on top of that, both of Sir Baufallo''s sons were also here. When Lucius the First announced his n for this journey, many young knights and soldiers volunteered to follow him. Some did it because they admired their young emperor while others wanted to be heroes and gain fame and fortune. Sir Rabi followed because he belonged to a well-known military family. Sir Bentier was ordered to go by the nobles who didn''t trust Lucius the First''s judgement. Lucius the First then asked, "Any new rumors about me?" One of the soldiers brought him a report that included all the recent rumors that were going around in the nearby kingdoms. As he read it, the emperor smirked. As expected, there were many gossips concerning Poliana. It seemed that everyone was shocked by the concept of a female knight. "Hmm¡­ They are pretty much the same rumors every time¡­ It''s not even interesting anymore." "Indeed, your highness." "Aren''t you upset by these, Sir Pol?" "Not at all, your highness, since the woman they are talking about isn''t urate. They are describing someone that is definitely not me." The rumors about Poliana were full of conspiracies and obscenities. Some were filthy enough to make even an experienced prostitute blush, but Poliana remained calm. They were not true, and she was sure no one believed them. And if she did be angry, she could just kick the enemy soldiers'' balls when she got a chance. The rest of the document was boring. Lucius the First seemed disappointed. "These people¡­ they have no creativity." It was amon and rather effective strategy to spread negative rumors about your enemies during a war. It was simr in the northern region as well. Lucius the First asked the knight in charge of the rumors, "Are things going well on our end? Are our rumors spreading ordingly?" Chapter 67 Chapter 67 ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± The most important thing in a war was justification. Simply put, if Lucius the First coulde up with a justification and a logical rationale for his conquest, things could work out much simpler for him. The Acreian emperor¡¯s slogan was the following: The people of the continent will be freed from their selfish rulers. He promised happiness for the citizens of all kingdoms. Lucius the First also came up with personalized details for individual nations. For example, the people of Aehas and Kukda were needlessly suffering because of the meaningless war that had been going on for a long time. Bebero was doing its nasty part by selling weapons to both Aehas and Kukda. The three-kingdom confederation was starving its people with unreasonably high tax rates. Lucius the First applied the Acreian taxws to all of his colonies. The tax rates ranged from 10 to 30%. This worked very well in Acreia where farming wasn¡¯t the main national industry due to its harsh weather. The surprising thing was that even the 30% tax rate was wholeheartedly weed by the colonies. In the kingdoms of the confederation, the tax rate was usually at 70%, which left the inhabitants poor. When this war began, the governments raised the rate to 90%. So, Lucius the First ordered several Acreian men to disguise as Bikpa noble refugees. They moved around the three kingdoms and pretended to hate the new taxw enforced by Lucius the First. It was true that indeed the nobles would be much poorer if the tax rate went down. These spies spread the news that if the Acreian conqueror took over control of the confederation, the non-noble inhabitants would greatly benefit it by having their taxes reduced enormously. Lucius the First couldn¡¯t understand the reasoning behind high tax rates. Why did those nobles need so much money? Compared to them, he was considered a very frugal man. 10 to 30% was plenty and Duke Luzo agreed that it was so. The 90% tax rate was ridiculous, especially for the poor farmers. The three kingdoms in the mid-continent had the best farmingnds. Their productions were massive, which made these nations very attractive to Lucius the First. He felt confident that his much lower tax rates would entice the citizens of the confederation to help him. He could be their savior. Poliana was busy sewing during her break time. They were short on the emperor¡¯s leather gloves, and on top of that, they were low on leather itself as well. The emperor¡¯s personal servant Chail eyed Sir Rabi¡¯s fawn with interest. Poliana suggested they use the fawn¡¯s hide for the emperor¡¯s gloves and eat its meat. She was heavily condemned for being a heartless witch. When Sir Baufallo heard this dilemma, he offered Chail arge piece of alligator hide from its belly. ¡°But his highness said he doesn¡¯t like reptile hides¡­¡± Chail muttered. Sir Baufallo then replied, ¡°It actually doesn¡¯t feel that bad. It¡¯s also very sturdy.¡± Once the supplies from Acreia arrived, they would be fine. They were expecting to receive new gloves for the emperor made by the Acreian royal glove maker. Chail took the alligator leather hesitantly. Somehow, the job of making his highness¡¯s gloves fell to Poliana, who protested loudly, ¡°I am a knight! Not a seamstress. And not just a regr knight! The emperor¡¯s personal guard!¡± When Poliana tried to escape, Sir Baufallo insisted, ¡°Sir Poliana, we all need to pitch in. In fact, only a while back, I made his highness¡¯s bow thimble myself.¡± When they became short on supplies, it was normal to make do by making things themselves, but this didn¡¯t mean it was Poliana¡¯s job to make gloves. She guessed that this was turning into a simr situation as when she was ordered to make dinner for the men. Slowly, Poliana imed confidently, ¡°Sir Donau would be much better at making leather gloves!¡± ¡°What?¡± Sir Donau was currently working on a leather scabbard for his brother. In the end, Poliana was ordered to make the leather gloves. She gritted her teeth as she began to work when Chail brought her a ripped tunic as well. ¡°Might as well mend this too, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Oh,e on! Don¡¯t be like that!¡± Poliana clenched her teeth. Chail treated her with respect, but technically, Chail had a higher rank than her. He was the emperor¡¯s personal servant, which meant he must¡¯vee from one of the most powerful noble families. As the emperor¡¯s personal guard, Poliana saw his servants often but even now, she found it very awkward to be around these servants. Poliana didn¡¯t know how to act around them but unlike her, the servants seemed confident around her. Chail then murmured, ¡°I wanted to mend it myself, but¡­¡± He then showed her his bandaged hand and continued, ¡°As a woman, you would do a much better job than any other knights. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a misunder¡­ whatever.¡± Poliana sighed and took the tunic. She was tired of arguing with him, especially considering that he was injured. Sewing wasn¡¯t all bad. Poliana found that such mindless activity gave her brain to rest. One day, she was sewing outside the tent for better light. Suddenly, a shadow appeared and when she looked up, she found Lucius the First watching her. ¡°Hmm¡­ You are good at that. It must be because you are a woman.¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped that even the emperor was prejudiced. Poliana, of course, did not correct him. Even a prejudicedpliment was still apliment. She smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°Do you really think so, your highness?¡± Lucius the First grabbed one of the finished leather gloves and examined it. Poliana did her best, but it still looked imperfect. When she saw the emperor¡¯s expression, Poliana sighed. ¡°As you can see, your highness, I am not very good with my fingers¡­ My sewing skill is rathercking¡­ But Sir Donau is very talented when ites to things like this.¡± ¡°Indeed, Sir Donau does have nimble fingers.¡± ¡°Most knights are adequate at sewing because the majority of them started out as knights¡¯ personal aides and it was part of their job. Even Sir Howe is probably better at sewing than me.¡± Only ¡°I see. Then why did Chail get you to do this?¡± When Lucius the First asked curiously, Poliana realized that this was the time toin. ¡°He told me that he thought I would do a good job since I am a woman. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s unfair, your highness? Sir Donau is so much better than me. Look at this glove he made! He even embroidered it!¡± Looking at Sir Donau¡¯s work, Lucius the First nodded in agreement. ¡°You are right, Sir Pol. You aren¡¯t bad either, but not as good as Sir Donau.¡± ¡°And Sir Donau is also a great cook. Much better than me.¡± Lucius the First remembered the incident that urred a few years ago. Poliana was asked to cook for his men, but her food was so horrible that it caused many of them to get sick and throw up. ¡°Hmm¡­ I remember that time when your cooking caused a food poisoning incident, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°But, your highness! That was a mistake. I was so nervous at the time! I¡­ I just wanted to make something really good, and I got a little too greedy with certain ingredients¡­!¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 It wasn¡¯t that Poliana couldn¡¯t cook. She could make decent dishes but at that time, she felt pressured to make something amazing. She ended up adding too much of certain ingredients and it backfired. That incident was a painful lesson to all in the Acreian army; never let Poliana cook. Even the dogs refused to eat her dish. Poliana ended up finishing the entire pot herself and wondered what the big deal was. This should have made it clear that Poliana was not like the other women, who were taught cooking, cleaning, and sewing from an early age. Lucius the First listened to her quietly and watched her work on his leather gloves. He was bored and had nothing else to do. Unlike other animals¡¯ hides, alligator skin was much tougher and harder to sew. It was a struggle for Poliana to perforate the skin even with a sharp metal needle. ¡®If we had the fawn¡¯s hide, it would be so much easier.¡¯ A fawn had a soft hide that could turn into a lovely pair of gloves. Poliana strongly believed they should kill the fawn before it got any bigger. The hide would be much softer and the meat would be more tender at this stage. This was such a disappointing situation for her. Poliana eyed her emperor and asked, ¡°Sir Rabi captured a fawn recently. Did you see it, your highness?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes, I did. It was trembling and¡­¡± ¡°It looked delicious, right?¡± ¡°Exactly. It looked tasty.¡± ¡®See? I knew his highness felt the same way!¡¯ Poliana was pleased that the emperor agreed with her, but she knew that Lucius the First wasn¡¯t the type that would force Sir Rabi to kill his pet fawn. She was still pleased, however, that the emperor didn¡¯t criticize her as all the other men did at the base. Lucius the First added, ¡°But if you say something like this to anyone here, you will be hated.¡± ¡°I have already heard it, your highness.¡± ¡°But you and I know the truth, right Sir Pol? All the baby animals are so delicious. It¡¯s just too bad that we rarely get a chance to eat them.¡± The hunters had an unwritten rule when it came to young animals. One was never supposed to hunt the young or the parents of the young. This was why it was rare for them to eat an infant animal. Lucius the First remembered the baby boar he caught and ate on his very first hunt as a young boy. It was the time when his father, the former emperor, was still alive and Sir Ainno was his childhood friend. It tasted so good and tender. Poliana and Lucius the First became good friends. They both felt like they could talk to each other easily. If they met earlier, perhaps she could¡¯ve been as close to the emperor as Sir Ainno was. Poliana then said to him, ¡°It would be best to eat the fawn before it grew up.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ but she is a pet, so we shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Sir Rabi said he nned to let it go once it was fully grown, so what is the point of sparing this animal? It would be such a waste.¡± ¡°Like the stew you made that even the dogs refused to eat?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Poliana knew she had no excuse for that incident, so she kept quiet and focused on her sewing. When she finished the other glove, she finally had a whole pair done. When she turned them right side out, Lucius the First frowned. He could finally see that the gloves weren¡¯t made of usual animal hide. ¡°These¡­ what are these made of?¡± ¡°The alligator hides, your highness.¡± ¡°I am not interested in reptile skins.¡± ¡°So you agree that fawn hide would be much better?¡± ¡°¡­ but we can¡¯t kill an innocent baby fawn just for our greed.¡± Nodding reluctantly, Poliana began mending the ripped tunic. Suddenly, Lucius the First wanted to try sewing himself. He took the needle and the thread from Poliana and began. After being shown how to do it a few times, the emperor quickly learned the skill and did a decent job of mending the shirt. It wasn¡¯t a perfect job and the tunic looked obviously mended, but it was still very much functional. Looking over his work, the emperor asked, ¡°I know you aren¡¯t a selfish person, Sir Pol. So why is it that you are so obsessed with that fawn?¡± ¡°Because I am indeed a selfish person, your highness.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ and you are proud of it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± When Poliana hesitated, Lucius the First offered, ¡°If you are so desperate for deer meat, I will go out and hunt one for you.¡± ¡°No, not at all, your highness! I¡­ I was just envious.¡± ¡°Envious of what? The fawn drinking the milk?¡± Milk was scarce nowadays. It spoiled easily, which meant that they didn¡¯t stock it. When milk was avable at odd times, it was only given to the highest-ranked officials. The emperor thought that perhaps Poliana liked milk and she was angry that the fawn got it instead of her. ¡°It¡¯s not that, your highness. I was just imagining about something.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°If it was me, not Sir Rabi, who brought back and fawn and decided to keep it as a pet, what would have the men say?¡± It wasn¡¯t a difficult question to answer, but Lucius the First didn¡¯t know what to say. It was because he knew precisely what the men would say. Sir Poliana brought a fawn because she was a woman and therefore gentle. She likes the fawn because she was a woman and so, she obviously likes babies. Because she was a woman¡­. People wouldn¡¯t necessarily make suchments in a negative way, but the point was still the same. She was a woman and everything she did or said was because she was a woman. After a short silence, Lucius the First finally answered, ¡°Alright. I understand what you are saying, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Your highness! I am not saying I want to eat deer meat!¡± ¡°For you, my loyal knight, I will go out and hunt a deer myself.¡± ¡°Arrrrgghh!¡± Only That night, the emperor kept his promise and brought back a dead deer. It was made into arge pot of stew by Poliana, under the strict supervision of Sir Donau. Sir Howe nervously took a bite and put his thumb up for her. It was a decent stew, but Sir Donau was still dissatisfied. ¡°I watched you make it like a hawk, Sis, and yet¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so delicious, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s the opposite! You used the best ingredients we have, so why is it that it tastes like all the other stews we have been eating this week?¡± ¡°Because this is an army and I am a soldier?¡± In the end, Lucius the First didn¡¯t wear the alligator gloves. He said it was because he valued it so much since it was made by one of his favorite knights, but everyone knew the truth. The emperor just hated the alligator hides. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Time passed by and the battles continued on without an end in sight, at least from a quick nce. There were many areas in the mid-continent that remained peaceful. For now, winning depends not on geographical strategies and individual soldier¡¯s skills but on the soldiers¡¯ overall morale and their ability to work as one. Lucius the First and Sir Rabi were impatient men who were well-versed in battle tactics while Sir Bentier was much more patient and careful. This made Sir Bentier the perfectmander for the current standstill situation. As Lucius the First slowly took over Oz, Sir Bentier never wavered in his position. While the Acreian emperor took and lost his ground over and over again, Sir Bentier stood his ground, unmoving and then suddenly, things changed dramatically. Sir Bentier had been patiently looking for a chance to attack, and when he found one, he raided it with everything he had. He moved like an angry bull and in one day, he was able to take over half of Mongsheim. At this great news, Lucius the First sent a congrattory message to Sir Bentier. He also reflected on how wrong he was about him. ¡°I always thought Sir Bentier was too careful, very unlike the young men nowadays, but I see that he has just been waiting patiently for the right time. I have so much to learn from all of you, my knights.¡± This event led to a significant change in bnce. When Oz heard of the news as well, the Oz army began to strengthen their defense further. Lucius the First now had a decision to make. Mongsheim was much weakened and with more men, this was the chance that the Acreians couldplete its mission. But to send men to Sir Bentier meant Lucius the First would have fewer soldiers to fight against Oz. But to not send any men didn¡¯t make sense either, so how should he divide and distribute his men? Normally, Lucius the First did not have a strategist. He liked to hear every knight¡¯s opinions and follow his instinct. Because most of the men were young and inexperienced, they rarely protested against their emperor no matter how odd and unconventional his tactics were. But as time passed, the men began to offer more and more opinions and ideas. Poliana was assigned to be a personal guard, but if there was a strategy division, she would have been given a position there. Mongsheim was in chaos after losing a major part of itsnd, and along with it, the rumor Lucius the First prepared spread rapidly, causing further turmoil. Just a little more push and Mongsheim was going to fall. The discussion of how many men to send to reinforce Sir Bentier began heatedly. Some argued that Sir Bentier had plenty of men already and therefore no more were needed to be sent. Another knight suggested that they should send a thousand men to help. If they didn¡¯t push hard now, it would give Mongsheim time to recuperate. This was the time to take Mongsheim out, and with more men, it could work. But on the other hand, if Lucius the First sent too many men, their position against Oz would weaken. Suddenly, Sir Ainno, who has been quiet until now, offered, ¡°I will go, your highness.¡± Everyone turned towards him, and Lucius the First frowned. ¡°Inno¡­ I don¡¯t want to hear another of your suicide n again.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a suicide mission, your highness. Mongsheim is no longer an organized group; it is just a bunch of people in chaos. This means that I can go in and destroy itpletely.¡± ¡°You are talking like it¡¯s going to be easy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even need that many men, your highness. Please allow me, 27 men.¡± At an odd number of 27, everyone looked curious. Sir Ainno exined confidently, ¡°I looked and counted 27 decent soldiers. Having idiots wouldn¡¯t help me at all, so I don¡¯t want them. I selected 27 men only based on their skills; not their age, their looks, or their ranks. If you give them to me, I will bring you the rest of Mongsheim, your highness.¡± Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t asking for 1000 men, just 27. When Lucius the First hesitated, Sir Ainno kneeled in front of him. The emperor thought secretly, ¡®This guy is a habitual kneeler.¡¯ ¡°I, Ainno, exist only to serve your highness. I exist to kill your enemies, remove your obstacles, and make afortable path for you to go forward. I am ready to take an order from you, your highness, whatever that may be. If you order me to bring you a dragon¡¯s heart, I will,¡± Sir Ainno continued. ¡®I don¡¯t like reptiles.¡¯ There weren¡¯t many reptiles in Acreia due to its cold climate, so Lucius the First never knew how much he detested reptiles. He tried to hide his hatred as much as possible in front of his men. Lucius the First couldn¡¯t refuse Sir Ainno when he was being this serious. ¡°Alright Inno, if you insist, you may take any men you want. I will give you full control over this mission.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness. I will get right on it.¡± Sir Ainno stood up from the ground and looked around the tent. The other knights cringed slightly, fearing that they might be one of the 27 Sir Ainno nned to take. Sir Ainno looked like a wolf looking for its prey. Sir Ainno pointed at the man standing behind Lucius the First. Sir Mahogal. The head of the emperor¡¯s personal protection division screamed silently. He was horrified that he had to be under the supervision of the evil Sir Ainno once again. Poliana looked at Sir Mahogal with sympathy. Next, Sir Ainno¡¯s eyes stopped at Sir Rabi, who shook his head firmly. Sir Rabi certainly was one of the most skilled knights in the Acreian military, but he was currently responsible for leading the soldiers against Oz. Thankfully, Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t as crazy as everyone thought; he passed Sir Rabi and continued to look around the tent. Eventually, he stopped and pointed at Sirs Howe and Beke. Sir Howe paled while Sir Beke followed in resignation. His brothers Sirs Aeke and Deke were already under Sir Bentier¡¯s army, so he was going to be reunited with them. When Sir Howe looked uncertain, his father, Sir Baufallo, pushed him forward. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°If you want to be promoted and have a sessful career, you must go, son.¡± Only A mother lion wouldn¡¯t push its young off a cliff, but a human parent would push his or her children for their own good. Sir Rabi grabbed Sir Howe, who was about to escape the tent. ¡°Please, sir!¡± Sir Howe protested. ¡°This is your chance to shine, Sir Howe.¡± Sir Rabi handed Sir Howe to Sir Ainno, who left with the men selected by him. Lucius the First wondered, ¡°The best of the best of the Acreian army¡­ I am curious about what kind of team they would make.¡± ¡°Probably the best in Acreian history, your highness.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Inno¡¯s new special forces already have very skilled young men¡­¡± Later, these hand-selected men would form the very first and the very best team of knights in Acreian history. They would be called The Emperor¡¯s Sword. The only problem with them was that as Sir Ainno said, these men were selected sorely on their skills. This meant that some of them had horrible personalities, with their leader, Sir Ainno, being the meanest of them all. Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Lucius the First hugged his friend Sir Ainno, who patted the emperor¡¯s back affectionately. Lucius the First whispered so no one can hear their conversation, ¡°I am sorry to make you do all the hard work, Inno. It¡¯s all because I am acking ruler.¡± ¡°Not at all. I will always fight for you, my friend. Don¡¯t forget that I am the best knight in our kingdom, and I will always be on your side.¡± Sir Ainno and Lucius the First went through so much together. The emperor knew that everything Sir Ainno did, whether it was right or wrong, was all for him. Lucius the First thought secretly, ¡®Well¡­ but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s partly for himself as well.¡¯ As an enthusiastic young man, Sir Ainno preferred to be out in the battlefield fighting rather than cooped up in a tent pouring over a map. But the main thing was that the Acreian emperor trusted his knightpletely. Some knights teared up as they watched the beautiful scene between the knight and his emperor. Sir Baufallo moved closer to Poliana and held her hand as he whispered, ¡°I am so thankful you are here, Sir Poliana. It¡¯s a blessing indeed.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your presence here, there would have been so many nasty rumors¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Poliana knew what Sir Baufallo was referring to. There were also many rumors concerning herself and the emperor. The sex addict emperor. The gay emperor. The emperor who slept with all of his knights. But Poliana didn¡¯t care about these rumors. Even if her emperor was all those things, Lucius the First was still a great ruler. The Acreian emperor was closest to Sir Ainno, but he also treated all of his knights with genuine affection. It was a wonderful thing to watch. With Sir Mahogal¡¯s absence, Poliana was now the head of the emperor¡¯s personal protection division. She couldn¡¯t help but grin widely. The head of Acreian emperor Lucius the First¡¯s personal guard team. Sir Poliana Winter. A golden stripe was added to her blue uniform to signify her new rank. Thankfully, she learned a lot from Sir Mahogal, so her transition into this new position was smooth. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it wasn¡¯t bad enough that others criticized her openly. Poliana was satisfied with the result, especially because many thought she was actually doing a good job. Some still were unhappy about the fact that a female knight led the division, but having a foreign knight promoted to such a high rank was also good publicity for all the colonies. Poliana was intelligent and calcting, and being rewarded for her skills rather than being punished for where she came from was a positive message to all the kingdoms in the continent. Lucius the First was also practical when it came to utilizing foreign talents. The soldiers and knights from the colonies were hired without discrimination, which was how this conquest was going so well. The morale of these foreign soldiers went up significantly when Poliana became the head of the personal guards. Lucius the First was also seen more positively from this promotion. And as the Acreian emperor continued to conquer morends, the idiotic rumors about Poliana began to disappear. It was always fun to gossip about your enemies. The dirtier the rumor, the better it was. But those who loved to talk about the supposedly inappropriate rtionship between Poliana and Lucius the First stopped gossiping. There were more important and significant things to talk about instead. The stories of fairness in the Acreian army were a new popr topic. Unlike the armies from the other kingdoms, who dragged men away to be enved or killed and women to be raped, the Acreian soldiers were strictly ordered to act with honor. After Sir Bentier conquered half of Mongsheim, the enemy soldiers ran away to nearby viges or even into the Msmel forest instead of going back to their capital. The Mongsheim citizens whosend was conquered trembled in fear. Were the Acreian soldiers going to kill them, or would they do worse? But when these people saw how the Acreian army behaved, they sighed in relief. What made it better was therge presence of foreign soldiers inside the Acreian military. The people quickly learned that the Acreian emperor was a great and fair man who treated everyone with honor. Most people in the mid-continent used to believe that the northerners were barbarians and Lucius the First a womanizer. But once they saw how the Acreian men refused to harm the regr citizens of Mongsheim, they realized that they were mistaken. In fact, those Mongsheim soldiers who ran away were more of a threat to them at this point. Only Meanwhile, Sir Ainno and his 27 men arrived within a few days. The capital of Mongsheim barely had any chance to recover when this small but deadly Acreian force made several efficient attacks. Sir Ainno was quickly able to gain more and morends and this great news was weed by Lucius the First. Kopi¡¯s actions were more cautious. Kopi sent men to help Oz defend itself, and when they received a message for help from Mongsheim, Kopi spared a part of their force for them. It was clear that Kopi wanted both Oz and Mongsheim to survive. But from Lucius the First¡¯s point of view, he found Kopi to be devious. Kopi was making sure that the battles took ce only on Mongsheim and Oz¡¯snd, thereby being spared from any danger of losing its ownnd. Thends used for battles were often destroyed severely, sometimes beyond repair. Thends were stomped by tens of thousands of men, horses, and wagons. The dead were often buried or burnt, polluting the soil. In addition, the metal pieces from the weapons made thend too dangerous to farm. At the end of major battles, thend usually bes barren. Farming, being one of the most important industries in these kingdoms¡­ This could ruin these nations even if they win the war. It was best to avoid any battles at all costs, and Kopi was doing just that. On top of that, the battles meant damaging the trees in the nearby forest as well. Lost trees meant destroyed habitats for wild animals and fewer hunting opportunities for the people¡­ and even the wild animals attacking the farm animals¡­ All these things could cascade into a major disaster for thend and its people. Lucius the First understood why Kopi was doing this. It also made sense based on their geography, but still¡­ In his tent, the emperor was alone. Lucius the First sent all of his guards away so they could celebrate Poliana¡¯s recent promotion. He promised them he would not leave his tent alone, but of course, when he got the chance, he did. Lucius the First was getting bored. He wasn¡¯t sleepy either, so he grabbed the wine bottles. It was a bad habit to use alcohol to fall asleep, but they were in the middle of a war. There were some nights when one could not fall asleep without a drink. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 A celebration was allowed, but since they were still in the middle of a battlefield, drinking was not allowed but despite this rule, the tent smells heavily of alcohol. Why? Because they poured the drinks on themselves. The knights looked like drowning mice. Poliana was already wet, but Sir Rabi poured another cup of hard liquor on top of her head. Her hair, which was now right above her ears, was dripping. They only drank water, but the heavy smell of alcohol made it feel like a real party. The knights felt drunk and happy. ¡°Our own Sir Pol became the head of the guard team! Wow!¡± Sir Rabi, who used to be her former superior, announced excitedly. Sir Baufallo, who was her first superior, smiled proudly as well. Poliana looked for her current aide while her previous subordinatesplimented her as well. ¡°Sir Poliana, you will be remembered as the ugliest personal guard in Acreian history!¡± In the past, Poliana would have ignored it and controlled her anger, but not anymore. She now held a lot of power in her hand. She also now had the responsibility of teaching her rude subordinates how to treat their superiors properly. This was a military after all. Poliana ced her arm around the rude knight and whispered, ¡°If you continue to act this way, I can make your face much uglier than mine.¡± ¡°I apologize, Sir Poliana! I will never do it again!¡± The young man ran away quickly. Poliana scratched her neck, which was wet and itchy from the alcohol dripping down from her hair. If she wanted, she could have punished him, but this was a party and she didn¡¯t want to make a scene. Soon, the conversation became filthy, which was expected when men gathered around in one ce. It began with the married men, and the talk quickly became more and more inappropriate. When Poliana looked indifferent, one of the young knights asked her, ¡°Are you ok with this? Aren¡¯t you ufortable?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? Do you know how many years I have served in the military?¡± She had heard much worse from the perverted Acreian nobles in the past, this was nothing. The conversation here was actually rather tame for her taste. In addition, she had the best story that was based on true events. In fact, it was from her own experience. She knew this story would shut all the men up from ever talking dirty in front of her. The incident with Sir Batre¡­ How so many boys and herself were sodomized by him¡­ It certainly was not amon story, and such stories were definitely never told by the victims. The menughed and talked about their experiences with prostitutes and their previous lovers. Sir Donau, however, seemed to be upset. When he stood up to leave, the other knights grabbed him. ¡°Sir Donau! Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± ¡°Oh, I just needed a minute.¡± ¡°No way! Can¡¯t you take it like a man? Are our stories upsetting you?¡± ¡°Sir Donau! Is this true? Are you feeling ufortable? That can¡¯t be!¡± Donau could take a lot, but this area was one of his few weaknesses. He felt awkward and when the other men realized it, they began to tease him mercilessly. Watching the other knights bullying Donau, Poliana realized that perhaps being a man wasn¡¯t all good. She wondered what would have happened if she reacted as Donau did just now. They would have med it on her being a woman, but they would have also understood why. But if one were a man, like Sir Donau, it was a different story. If one were a man, he needed to be able to enjoy these unsavory stories. Because that¡¯s what a man was supposed to be. Poliana hasn¡¯t realized until now that the sexism she experienced as a woman wasn¡¯t just one-sided, it worked both ways. She could see clearly now that her position changed. Now that she had power and her life was better, she could see that some men suffered from sexism just as she did. ¡®Hmm¡­ this is strange¡­¡¯ She thanked her promotion for her new-found awareness. Being the head of an entire division felt much different than being a meremander. Now that she had more authority, she wanted to protect her people. This was what she learned from her beloved emperor. ¡°Take care of those around you.¡± Poliana announced with a frown, ¡°I am the star of this party, aren¡¯t I? So must you all talk about these shady and sleazy topics?¡± Immediately, the men stopped. The conversation changed suddenly into other more mundane subjects including their families, positions, training, and hobbies. If their superiors weren¡¯t present, the lower-ranking officers would have spent a chunk of time badmouthing them. Sir Rabi was especially loud about his wife and his children. He also bragged about his new pet fawn. Then suddenly, and loudly, as usual, he asked Poliana, ¡°By the way, Sir Pol, do you not get monthly bleeding? I remember my wife suffering greatly whenever she got her period every month.¡± Everyone heard this question and turned towards her for an answer. Sirs Donau and Baufallo, who knew the answer, gave Sir Rabi a warning look, but Poliana didn¡¯t care. ¡®Why do men overreact about things like this? It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of.¡¯ ¡°I haven¡¯t had a period in a very long time, Sir Rabi.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Are you very irregr? Is that it?¡± ¡°No, actually I haven¡¯t had one in about 8 years now.¡± She had minor bleeding a few times, but it never enough to call it a period. In fact, she saw more blood from her hemorrhoids. Thankfully, she was fully recovered from it, but she remembered how hard it was to go to the bathroom when she did suffer from it. Sir Rabi then asked, ¡°That sounds very serious. Have you talked to a healer about it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any difort, so I never thought to seek a healer for it.¡± Besides, what would a military doctor know about gynecology? It would be more useful to go to a local midwife. The other knights froze awkwardly, but Sir Rabi seemed genuinely concerned. He talked about his wife again, and it was clear that he was very much in love with her. This was one saving grace for her view of Sir Rabi. Poliana smiled faintly. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have any pain, you might have a cyst growing inside you. You need to go talk to a healer,¡± Sir Rabi continued. ¡°I will when I get some time. When things aren¡¯t so hectic¡­¡± ¡°Even my daughters¡­ They are just like their mother, so they suffer from monthly cramps too¡­¡± It seems like yesterday when Sir Rabi¡¯s daughters were only babies but now, they were all grown up. They were women now. The other married knights teared up as they talked about their own fast-growing children. Meanwhile, Sir Rabi continued to focus on Poliana as he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that you might be barren?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns to have children.¡± ¡°Sir Pol, you need to rethink that, marriage can be amazing.¡± Sir Rabi was a powerful nobleman, which meant his marriage was most likely arranged. Yet, it seemed that he had a great loving rtionship with his wife. It was clear based on the way he talked about how much he loved his wife and his children. Poliana sighed and replied, ¡°To be honest, I have never considered marriage for myself. When I was in Aehas, all I could think about was to survive, and after I became his highness¡¯ knight, I became busy adapting to my new situation. Getting married and having children when we are in the middle of a war¡­ I can¡¯t imagine myself doing it.¡± ¡°I understand, but from now on, perhaps you can think about it. Even if you don¡¯t want to have children, marriage can still be very fun.¡± Only Poliana grinned. She was ugly. Her face and body were badly scarred. She now had longer hair, but she nned on keeping it above her ears at all times. Her fingers were manly and thick, and her hands were rough and calloused. Her nails were destroyed and her voice was rough. She behaved like a soldier, not ady and on top of that, she probably couldn¡¯t have children. So who in his right mind would marry her? ¡®I like things the way they are right now.¡¯ Poliana was satisfied with her current situation. She had the emperor¡¯s trust and she now could call the other knights her friends. Her men were loyal to her too. She had everything she would ever need. If she acted greedily now, she could lose everything. She knew her ce and she needed to be thankful for what she had, which was more than she deserved. Because she was going to have a long day tomorrow, she left the party early. The other knights didn¡¯t protest. As she walked out, she noticed Sirs Rabi and Baufallo whispering to each other privately. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Poliana stood around near the tent¡¯s door, wanting to hear what Sirs Rabi and Baufallo were talking about. She secretly spied on them and saw that Sir Rabi was showing Sir Baufallo the portraits of his daughters. Sir Baufallo shook his head. ¡°The gaps between our stations are too big. Sir Rabi, your familyes from one of the longest Acreian noble lines, while mine is a family of mere knights.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. After this war, you and your sons will be greatly honored for your hard work and sacrifices. I just know it!¡± ¡®Oh my god!¡¯ Poliana covered her mouth to stop herself from yelling. All of her senses were focused on the two knights¡¯ conversation. She felt breathless and her heart began to beat fast in excitement. ¡®Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god¡­¡¯ ¡°They are about the same ages, and I already know what fine young men Sirs Howes and Donau are,¡± Sir Rabi continued. ¡°Thank you, Sir Rabi, for thinking so highly of my sons.¡± The Bika family was much wealthier and more powerful than the Ribo family. Sir Baufallo was lucky enough to be noticed by the former Acreian emperor, but his family never went much further, politically or financially. There was a vast gap between these two families, and yet it seemed that there was going to be a marriage happening among them in the future. Possibly two marriages! Sir Rabi¡¯s two daughters and Sir Baufallo¡¯s two sons. Sir Rabi suggested that they should move to somewhere more private so they could talk about the details. When the two men disappeared, Poliana looked around. ¡®I can¡¯t believe what I heard! This is crazy!¡¯ Unfortunately, she could tell no one about this. Arranging a marriage was a serious and sensitive business, and this involved the people close to her. She knew not to talk about it with anyone, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling excited. Poliana grinned as she walked and noticing her odd behavior, Sir Donau approached her. ¡°Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Huh? You must be tired, Donau, so you should return to your tent and rest.¡± Of all people, she had to walk into the very person she was excited for. Poliana tried her best to hide her tion. She wore a serious face, and thankfully, Donau seemed to be oblivious. Instead, he said to her kindly, ¡°Even if you are barren¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°And even though you are ugly and foreign, I am certain there is a man out there who would want to marry you. And when you find this man who likes you the way you are, I am sure you will end up in a happy marriage.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Poliana exined to him what Sir Baufallo told her a long time ago. If she wanted to remain and die a knight, she should never get married. When Donau heard this story, he flinched and replied, ¡°But then was then, and now is now! Things have changed! Your situation has changedpletely! There has to be a man out there who won¡¯t mind you continuing your career as a knight even after you get married. I just know it! You will find the right man, so please don¡¯t ever say you will never get married.¡± ¡®What¡¯s with him?¡¯ It was true that her situation had changed greatly since her conversation with Sir Baufallo. At the time, she was epted by only a few knights, but now, she was the head of the personal guard division. To hear Donau telling her that people will ept her as a knight even if she gets married¡­ It was such a wonderful thing to hear, but the way Donau reacted seemed a little odd. ¡®I wonder if he is drunk.¡¯ ¡°I am telling you because I consider you my adopted sister. I want you to be happy, that¡¯s all.¡± When Donau seemed serious about his hope for her, Poliana thought about his im carefully. A man who loved her the way she was¡­ A man who would be understanding of her barrenness, ugly appearance, and her career as a knightess¡­ A man who wouldn¡¯t mind her being surrounded by other men 24/7¡­ ¡®Sounds like an idiot to me.¡¯ There could be no such an idiot in this world. Well, at least not a normal sane man who still had all of his limbs, and even if by some chance she found such a kind man, she would feel too guilty and sorry for him. She would never punish such a good man by marrying him. She would introduce him to a properdy. Only She looked at Donau and frowned. What an awful young man, trying to force a poor innocent man to marry someone like her. She thought about pinching him, but she stopped herself. Poliana thought of Donau as her younger brother as well, but even though she still saw him as a little boy, Sir Donau was a grown man now. He was over 20 years old and pinching him would be too embarrassing for him. Besides, she secretly felt ecstatic that Donau really thought of her as his sister and genuinely cared for her. It seemed like it was yesterday when he used to hate and fought her tooth and nail. He used to scream that he would never ept her as a knight. Poliana then said to him, ¡°I am so grateful for your thoughts, little bro.¡± Donau looked up at him and Poliana gave her the biggest smile she could muster. Poliana then added, ¡°But I want you to know that I am very happy just the way things are right now, Donau.¡± Sir Donau smiled back at her. What Donau didn¡¯t realize right now was that he could be that idiot who fell in love with Poliana. If he knew how he would feel about her in the near future, would he have done something different now? If he knew his affection and sympathy towards Poliana was going to turn into something else¡­ Who knows? For now, Donau nor Poliana could ever even imagine Donau falling in love with her. So the young man smiled guilelessly. He was just happy that the woman standing in front of him was smiling. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 When Poliana returned to his tent, she saw that a wooden bathtub was ready and filled with water. She took her clothes off and checked the temperature of the water. As expected, it was cold. She was too tired to wash, but she knew this was necessary. In the past, she used to wash once a week at most, but those times were long gone. She was the head of the personal guard division, so she needed to pay special attention to her hygiene. She made sure her uniform was always spotless and wrinkle-free. She even got a woodenb for herself. When the other guards saw it, they were appalled that she got a cheap wooden one. They nagged her to get a higher quality brush for herself. Poliana then replied, ¡°It¡¯s not like a better brush would improve hair quality.¡± ¡°Yes, it does!¡± When her subordinates insisted, she decided perhaps that she needed to buy a new brush. ¡®Well, I guess if they say so, it must be true.¡¯ She would have to get either an ivory or a jadeb when she gets a chance. Poliana clenched her teeth and got into the bathtub. She dipped her head once as well and quickly began to wash herself. She rinsed her hair and rubbed her body with a bar of soap. The water was so cold that her body became covered with goosebumps, but she ignored it and continued. ¡°Gosh, it¡¯s freezing.¡± It took a very long time for the smell of alcohol to disappear from her body. After rinsing her body three times, Poliana finally got out of the tub. Poliana was busy drying herself with a towel when suddenly, she felt a presence at the entrance to her tent. She quickly grabbed her sword. ¡°Sir Pol, why is my dog running around in that hideous reptile hide¡­!¡± It was Lucius the First. Lucius the First was having a drink because he was unable to get to sleep. Feeling lonely, he searched for his hunting dog and when he found him, he was outraged. His beloved dog was wearing that dreadful reptile hide like a coat. The dog, happy to see his master, jumped up at Lucius the First, but to the emperor, it looked like a ghastly monster attacking him. Lucius the First ran away and still feeling lonely and needing goodpany, he decided to visit one of his most understanding knights. Someone who wouldn¡¯t reprimand him for breaking the promise of leaving his tent alone without a guard. ¡­and that was Poliana. It wasn¡¯t the first time Lucius the First visited Poliana¡¯s personal tent unexpectedly. As they got to know each other better, the emperor came to like Poliana as a person. Poliana, in turn, felt even more strongly about her emperor. She respected him and hoped to be closer to him. The two of them both wanted the same thing. This could ur easily because as his personal guard, Poliana spent a lot of time with him. Lucius the First, who treated his knights with unusual familiarity, had a good feeling about Poliana. An instinct that Poliana was going to be someone very special to him. He wondered what she would turn out to be. Would they be the legendary emperor and knightbo? Or perhaps she could be his friend? Sir Ainno was already friends with Lucius the First even before he became a knight. Duke Luzo was close to the emperor, almost like a friend, but they were cousins first. Sir Aino was¡­ a friend who was a bit of a jerk. Duke Luzo was a close rtive who was¡­ a good guy but gets easily manipted and used. Unlike the two, Lucius the First and Poliana¡¯s rtionship began very differently. They began strictly as a business acquaintance, but they were beginning to be personal friends. The emperor and the foreign knightess. Lucius the First wanted to be Poliana¡¯s friend, and it was a good thing because he already knew Poliana was in love with him, not as a man, but as her master and emperor. It didn¡¯t take long for Poliana to gain special privileges. She now had the right to request a private audience with him. She was also allowed to have a seat on a chair in his presence and not just any chair, but a chair with a back and even armrests. She could get onto the horse in front of him and was also allowed to have a conversation with the emperor while on the horse. Being able to wear a hat and lie down in front of the emperor¡­ Being able to leave his presence without his permission¡­ Being allowed to ask for his audience at a moment¡¯s notice without a formal request¡­ The list went on and on. ¡®Oh, but he didn¡¯t give me permission to be naked in front of him¡­ wait.. there is no such thing.¡¯ Lucius the First came here just to have a drink with Sir Poliana. If he knew she was having a bath, he certainly wouldn¡¯t havee. The problem was that he hasn¡¯t been seeing Poliana as a woman. He realized that it was a mistake to unexpectedly visit her tent so often. The emperor contemted. ¡®Should he apologize to her?¡¯ An emperor had to be careful about apologizing because a ruler was supposed to remain wless in front of his people. When Lucius the First hesitated, Poliana put down his sword and greeted him. ¡°Your highness, why aren¡¯t youing in?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already seen everything of me before, so why are you so shocked?¡± Only Poliana swore her fealty to Lucius the First naked. She didn¡¯t have an attractive body, and she knew her emperor didn¡¯t see her in a romantic way. She feltfortable and unashamed in front of him. Besides, what worried her the most was the fact that Lucius the First was walking around the base alone and unprotected. The best thing now was to get dressed quickly and make sure to remain with him as his guard. Poliana put on her clothes quickly. Lucius the First still looked embarrassed, but he walked in and sat down. He replied, trying to look calm, ¡°Yes, of course. This isn¡¯t the first time I am seeing you naked, so it¡¯s all good.¡± Lucius the First pretended to be indifferent while taking a secret look at Poliana¡¯s body. If he looked away, it would have looked like he was embarrassed and trying to avoid her. In his memory, Poliana¡¯s naked body was miserable and sad. She was covered in old and fresh scars and bruises. But today¡­ Her body looked entirely different. Lucius the First felt proud and happy. He smiled and said, ¡°The condition of your body has improved greatly since you became my knight, Sir Pol. Many of your scars have faded, and¡­ oh wait, how did you get that new injury on your waist? It looks new.¡± ¡°It happened when I was under Sir Rabi.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After fully being dressed, Poliana grabbed some snacks andid it out in front of her emperor. This was what he came here for, to drink and chat with Poliana, but Lucius the First still felt a little awkward. When he looked hesitant, Poliana started the conversation. ¡°So what brings you here, your highness?¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Lucius the First didn¡¯t want to be nagged about going around without a guard. So he put on a serious face, and Poliana straightened to wait for his answer. The emperor said to her, ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep because of all my worries¡­ so I went out to find my dog and¡­ my beloved dog was wearing that hideous reptile hide! How could this be?!¡± ¡°Sir Rabi put it on him, very cute.¡± ¡°Cute? You need to get your eyes checked, Sir Pol! A cute animal, by definition, should be furry. I hate snakes and any other kind of reptiles.¡± ¡°Oh, on the topic of Sir Rabi¡­¡± Poliana leaned towards the emperor to whisper secretively, ¡°something crazy is going on with him.¡± ¡°Crazy? What is it?¡± ¡°I just witnessed it myself, your highness, and it is¡­¡± What she heard between Sirs Rabi and Baufallo was so exciting that she desperately wanted to tell someone. It was such a sensitive subject that she knew she shouldn¡¯t share it with anyone, except for one person. And that person was sitting right in front of her. Lucius the First! Any high-ranking nobles needed to get permission from the emperor for their children to get married. If they didn¡¯t, these marriages weren¡¯t considered blessed by the royalty, which could result in loss of wealth and nobility. ¡°I think Sirs Rabi and Baufallo are nning to be inws.¡± Lucius the First gasped and covered his mouth in shock, it was indeed big news. The two gossiped like olddies outing on a brunch date. Juicy gossip was the best snack when drinking. Nobles¡¯ arranged marriage could be categorized as either strategic or contractual. The Bika family held a dukedom while Sir Baufallo¡¯s family held a knighthood only. If Sir Rabi¡¯s daughters married Sirs Donau and Howe, they would lose their noble ranks but of course, Sir Rabi was thinking ahead. Lucius the First nodded in understanding. After this war, the nobles were going to receive even higher ranks andnds, while those without ranks were going to be newly honored aristocrats. This was not a risky gamble for Sir Rabi. In addition, he knew Sir Donau and Howe very well. They were fine young men, and it was better to focus on these qualities than some random noble gentlemen who could be horrible human beings. As Poliana and Lucius the First continued to chat, the topic of her own marriage came up. Poliana told him what Sir Donau suggested, which was for her to find a very understanding man and marry him. Lucius the First nodded because he agreed. ¡°Yes, if you can, you should get married.¡± ¡°But your highness, under the Acreianw, a woman cannot be a knight. This means my current status is barely tolerated, but if I get married on top of it all¡­¡± ¡°You are mistaken, Sir Pol. Thew does not state a woman cannot be a knight. We just assumed that it was not possible.¡± The reality for women could be harsh. Just as a man could not bear a child, everyone assumed and believed that a woman could not be a proper knight. But just as he stated, there was no specificw that said it was forbidden. This meant that even after she got married, as long as her husband was ok with it, Poliana could remain a knight. The emperor hoped that this would be the case. ¡°Yes, indeed you should get married if you find a good man.¡± A good man¡­ Now, where was Poliana going to find a good man who was stupid enough to marry her? And if there was such a man, the right thing to do was to find him a proper woman. She still didn¡¯t feel like marriage was the right thing for her, but if she did get married¡­ She didn¡¯t want an idiotic husband. ¡°I don¡¯t n on getting married, your highness.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If I get married, I need to take on my husband¡¯s family name, don¡¯t I?¡± In Aehasianw, if a noblewoman married amoner, the man had to take on the woman¡¯sst name. Poliana thought there would be a simrw in Acreia, but she was wrong. In Acreia, only a man could inherit the family name, wealth, and rank. If a nobleman only had daughters, he needed to adopt a male rtive and appoint him as their heir. Poliana gave up her given family name and gained a new one from Lucius the First. It happened on that fateful winter day. Poliana Winter. It was the day when she was reborn. The day she got a brand-new life. If a marriage meant she would lose this name¡­ She couldn¡¯t even think about it without shivering. Lucius the First replied firmly, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t marry the first-born son, you are ok to keep your own maiden name.¡± He seemed certain that this would not be a problem. The emperor then added, ¡°If you bring me whoever you want to marry, I will convince him to let you keep your name.¡± Poliana felt so blessed to have such a kind understanding emperor. She emptied her cup slowly. The drink tasted so much sweeter than usual. They continued to chat about this and that. Serious topics, jokes, about people around them¡­ Lucius the First felt proud of himself for acting normally around his knight even after walking on her when she was naked. It was a sign that he was a great man who treated her knightess as a human, not simply as a woman. As they talked, the topic of Poliana¡¯s infertility came up. The emperor put on a serious face and talked as if he was a proper healer. ¡°I feel strange asking you this question, Sir Pol, but I need to in order to know more about your condition. Have you had an unpleasant sexual experience in the past¡­?¡± ¡°You can just ask me if I have done it before or not.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too direct and rude?¡± ¡°But when we first met, you asked me if I was a virgin.¡± ¡°That is not the same thing!¡± ¡°And you also ordered a decent looking man to take my virginity so you could kill me.¡± ¡°Oh,e on!¡± The emperor reached to cover her mouth. A ruler wasn¡¯t supposed to apologize, but he knew what he did to her was absolutely wrong. And¡­ walking on her tonight was also very wrong. He knew better than that. He had to apologize. Why did he keep making mistakes around Poliana? ¡°Sir Pol, I was wrong. I apologize for what I did back then. At the time, I didn¡¯t see you as a proper knight. I just thought you were some random woman who was pretending to be a knight.¡± This was the second time the emperor apologized to her, and Poliana felt indifferent. She also was not angry or upset at Lucius the First. The emperor emptied his cup because he felt a burning thirst. Poliana thought that since they were on the topic, she might as well tell him everything. ¡°When I was younger and still in the Aehasian army, there was an awful knight named Sir Batre. He was a decent strategist, and he had a very strange idea of being fair¡­¡± As he heard the story, Lucius the First became pale. When she was done, the emperor covered his face with both of his hands and shook his head. Worried, Poliana reached out and asked, ¡°Are you ok, your highness? Have you drunk too much?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡­¡± Lucius the First sighed deeply and exined, ¡°I am sorry, Sir Pol. I made you remember a very unpleasant memory. As an emperor, I shouldn¡¯t be apologizing, but I keep making mistakes that force me to apologize to you.¡± ¡°There is no need to apologize to me, your highness.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I made you remember something awful. I did something horrible to you when we first met. I keep mistreating you even though that is not my intention at all.¡± Only ¡°Not at all, your highness. You have no reason to apologize to me, and even if you do, there is no need for you to say sorry. You are my emperor and I don¡¯t care what you do to me. You can abandon me, use me, or even kill me. I wouldn¡¯t mind it at all.¡± Poliana stood up and kneeled in front of him. Lucius the First no longer felt drunk. Whenever his knights kneeled in front of him and swore their loyalty, he would always feel this heavy weight of burden and responsibility. He knew he had to repay them with everything he had. Lucius the First didn¡¯t want to disappoint them. He wanted to be a truly good emperor for them all. Poliana added, ¡°You are the one who will be the one and only emperor of this continent. If you will allow me, I will stay by your side as your knight, Poliana Winter.¡± How could he ever repay her for her unconditional loyalty? Lucius the First smiled uneasily but happily. He helped her up and offered her more drinks. The night no longer felt worrisome to him. He felt like he could fall asleep with a smile now. If anyone asked him what was the greatest asset he gained from this war, he knew he could answer withplete confidence that¡­ ¡­it was his loyal knight, Sir Poliana Winter. Chapter 75: Story 8: Turning Point- Story 8: Turning Point Chapter 75 Lucius the First opened his eyes and found himself on Poliana¡¯s bed in her tent. His first thought was that he felt sorry for taking her bed, but the second and the bigger worry was that him spending the night in her tent was going to result in an unsavory rumor. He hurriedly left the tent, but it was alreadyte in the morning and there were men everywhere. They saw him leave Poliana¡¯s tent, but no one doubted that nothing happened between the emperor and the knightess. Lucius the First said to Poliana, ¡°It looks like no one is talking about us. They aren¡¯t even curious.¡± ¡°Exactly, your highness.¡± ¡°But¡­ a healthy man and a healthy woman spent the night together¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s because everyone trusts us, your highness. It is a good sign.¡± ¡°I agree, Sir Pol. Everyone knows what a great rtionship we have. You don¡¯t see me as a man, and I don¡¯t see you as a woman, how wonderful.¡± The emperor smiled proudly. Mongsheim surrendered in the end after losing its final battle. Afterward, it became easier for them to conquer the other two kingdoms of the confederation. Oz struggled to keep its defense up while Kopi tried its best by using their sneaky and cowardly methods. One day, a messenger from Kopi arrived and requested to meet Lucius the First. The messenger ryed that the Kopi king¡¯s mother passed away and requested a temporary truce. The Acreian emperor believed in decency, so he agreed to stop attacking Kopi even though Acreia was very close to taking over the kingdom. But it was all a lie. When the Acreian army paused its attacks, Kopi began doing their surprise attacks. There was no death in Kopi¡¯s royal family. It was just a ruse as theirst attempt to survive. Lucius the First lost his own mother at a young age and using a family member like this was unforgivable. The Acreian men felt the same and they burned with anger. Luckily, the weather suddenly turned freezing. The Kopi army, unused to any cold weather, were weakened while the Acreian men, familiar with the coldest weather on the continent, attacked with incredible viciousness. And finally, Lucius the First was able to have the king of Kopi kneel in front of him. Urion the Twelfth, King of Kopi. Lucius the First grabbed his neck furiously. Using his mother¡¯s name in such a cowardly way¡­ It was inexcusable. Lucius the First had no ns to show any mercy to the king. ¡°I hate liars.¡± The story of the Acreian emperor shing Gali the Third¡¯s mouth and hanging him upside down on the castle wall was well-known all around the continent. One would expect Urion the Twelfth to tremble in fear and beg for mercy, but this was not the case. Instead, the Kopi king shouted angrily, ¡°I will never sign the document of surren¡­ GYAA!¡± Poliana kicked Urion the Twelfth¡¯s crotch. When the king fell to the floor and copsed, she kicked his chin. The king¡¯s mouth began to foam. ¡°¡­ you¡­ ev¡­ vil¡­ b*tch¡­¡± When Poliana motioned to kick him again, Urion the Twelfth quickly signed the document. He obviously didn¡¯t want to be kicked in the crotch twice, especially in front of his own men. Poliana¡¯s men cheered for her. ¡°Our knightess is the best!¡± Only ¡°Sir Pol has the best crotch-kick in the world!¡± Lucius the First congratted Poliana on her excellent attack. Poliana, looking humble, moved to stand behind her emperor. Secretly, she had a personal reason to attack the Kopi king so viciously. She had never even seen her own mother before, so to see someone use his mother¡¯s name in such a vulgar manner¡­ She couldn¡¯t let it slide. Conquering Kopi took much less time than winning over Oz because when the king of Oz heard how Urion the Twelfth was treated by Lucius the First, he immediately sent the document of surrender signed and sealed. Within a few years, Lucius the First sessfully conquered the three-kingdom confederation. The northern and mid-continent belonged to him, and the only area left now was the southern region. The people of the southern kingdoms never expected this young Acreian emperor to make it this far, so when they heard the news of an impending attack, they began to panic. Quickly, some of the smaller southern nations who were located near the mid-continent confederation surrendered without a fight. Lucius the First epted them graciously. The Acreian emperor now owned more than half of the continent. Those whoughed at him for having such an impossible dream now bowed in front of him with fear and awe. Some even began to suggest that he should be now called the emperor of the world. Lucius the Firstughed and replied, ¡°I would rather be called that after I am done with this war.¡± At this rate, everyone believed that that day woulde very soon. Soon¡­ Lucius the First will indeed rule the world. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 In the southern region of the continent ran across a giant river. It was called Gora, which meant ¡°life.¡± It was a fitting name because indeed, Gora was the life itself of the southern kingdoms. Just as the mid-continent people relied on Msmel forest for supplies such as woods and wild animals, the southern people depended heavily on the Gora river. Gora was the source of water, fish, and freshwater ms. Many used boats as transportation across the river. Women did theirundry here and their children swam in it. Babies were christened with the Gora water and the dead were buried at the sea. Gora was as big as an ocean. The Acreian soldiers were frightened when they saw it. They thought Koemong was big, but it was nothingpared to Gora. When Poliana and Sir Donau were trying to figure out how to cross the Koemong River, they also talked about Gora. They have only read about it in the book, and now that they saw it in person, they realized that they underestimated its size and grandeur. Words couldn¡¯t describe its size and depth. Sir Donau murmured, ¡°So there isn¡¯t a bridge here either.¡± Poliana nodded silently as she stared at the river. The books they read in the past suggested that there were many bridges in Gora but obviously, they were wrong. Instead, there were countless small boats floating in a row, forming a bridge-like scene. In fact, many people walked across the boats as if it was a bridge. The water was calm and peaceful. What shocked and disgusted the Acreian army was the distinct and unpleasant smell of the river, humidity, and bugs. The men suddenly realized that it was summer, and they were in the southern region, which was known for its warm damp weather. All the men thought the same thing. They should not fight during the summer. Battling during such heat was a terrible idea. Lucius the First wiped his forehead, which was wet with sweat, and agreed. His war could wait. Just then, a lizard crawled by. Lucius the First stared at it and closed his eyes in disgust. Unfortunately, the warm humid southern kingdoms were the perfect ce for various different types of reptiles. There were more lizards than mice and rats on the streets. ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ Lucius the First sighed desperately and his loyal knight, Sir Poliana did her best to protect him. Every time she spotted a lizard or a mouse, she made sure to kill it quickly. The southern people didn¡¯t mind the reptiles. Unlike mice, lizards and snakes didn¡¯t spread diseases or eat the harvested grains. Instead, they hunted and ate insects, so the lizards were left alone. Because of the heat, the houses left theirrge windows open, and the reptiles could enter freely. Sometimes, they spotted some snakes that were bigger than most men. Every one of the emperor¡¯s guards remained vignt in killing any lizards they saw around Lucius the First. Poliana was the most enthusiastic of them all, and she was sessful in killing arge number of those creatures. Some of the lizards were edible while others weren¡¯t. The most popr lizard among men was the white-tailed lizard. It was considered to be amazing for man¡¯s stamina, and when the soldiers and knights found out about this, they became even more vignt. Poliana joined in, not to eat it herself, but to give it to her adopted brother Sir Donau, who seemed to be married sometimes soon in the future. She was worried about Donau. What if he doesn¡¯t do an adequate job in the bedroom as a husband? Who was going to be med? It would be her, Poliana Winter, who kicked his crotch countless times when they first met. Some knights considered giving the white-tailed lizard dish to the emperor, but they hesitated. They knew Lucius the First hated any kind of reptiles, so they felt certain that he would get angry and refuse to eat it. When Poliana kept offering Donau the white-tailed lizard soup, he protested, ¡°Why do you keep trying to make me eat this thing? It¡¯s useless to me!¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe you will need it.¡± ¡°What¡­ w-what are you talking about? Why will I need it?¡± Donau stammered and reddened, but ignoring him, Poliana force-fed him. It tasted better to roast the lizard than make a stew of it, but it was safer to boil the meat just in case. It was going to be helpful for him in the future, so Poliana couldn¡¯t understand why Donau kept refusing her offer. An unmarried woman offering a young man a dish that was good for a man¡¯s stamina¡­ It might have looked strange and suspicious except for the fact that the Acreian soldiers and knights didn¡¯t see Poliana as a woman. They didn¡¯t think much of it. They also remembered Poliana attacking Donau¡¯s manhood in the past. They guessed that she was making him eat the lizard dish because she felt sorry. Sometimes, there were other knights who offered to take the dish instead of Sir Donau. Every time, Poliana refused, saying, ¡°No. This is for Sir Donau.¡± Sir Howe walked towards his younger brother andined loudly, ¡°I am SO tired. I¡¯m gonna die from all the training.¡± Sir Howe belonged to Sir Ainno¡¯s special forces, which involved intense training. ¡°Donau, I am required to train day and night! I am so tired that I don¡¯t even get an erection in the morning anymore.¡± ¡°Bro! Stop talking! You¡¯re so gross.¡± Sir Howe and Poliana were close now, but Donau still insisted that it was no way to talk in front of a woman. When Sir Howe bowed and apologized, Poliana nodded and offered the lizard dish to Sir Howe. She realized that it wasn¡¯t going to be just Donau who was going to be married. Sir Howe was going to be a husband as well, which meant that he would benefit from this stew too. Sir Howe had heard the rumor about the white-tailed lizard as well. He brightened and asked excitedly, ¡°Oh, this is the thing that is supposed to be great for men, right? Can I eat it?¡± Only ¡°Yes, since you will need it too.¡± ¡°Me? What do you mean¡­? Oh, is it because I need more stamina for training? That¡¯s very true.¡± It seemed that the brothers didn¡¯t know anything about the n for their arranged marriages. Based on her spying, Poliana knew Sirs Rabi and Baufallo were talking about it actively. Soon, Sirs Howe and Donau were going to be told of their future wives. Poliana felt herself grinning and tried to control her lips. She failed in the end, and an odd and freaky expression appeared on her face. Sir Howe was used to Poliana¡¯s strangeness, but Sir Donau frowned and told her to stop smiling oddly. Poliana finally said to the boys, ¡°You guys need to get married soon.¡± ¡°You should worry more about yourself, Sis.¡± Sir Howe scratched his head and replied, ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s true that when we return, our mother is going to be nagging us about getting married.¡± It was clear Sir Howe had no idea what was going on. Poliana knew that if she stayed any longer, she would end up blurting something out. She walked away quickly. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Poliana ran away from Sirs Donau and Howe and visited Lucius the First, even though she was still on her break. The guards standing in front of the emperor¡¯s room saluted Poliana. Realizing there was a guest inside the bedroom, Poliana raised her eyebrows. The guards used signnguage to let her know. ¡®A woman, no danger.¡¯ Poliana nodded. It was amon urrence for the conquered colonies to offer women to the new conqueror. Lucius the First never sought a woman for himself, but when he was offered one, he didn¡¯t refuse her as long as all the conditions were met. Because he was the emperor, a woman could not be amoner, but she also couldn¡¯te from an overly high-ranking family. All the women that were offered to him were very beautiful. Lucius the First wasn¡¯t too picky about one¡¯s appearance, but the colonists worried that they might upset him if they sent an ugly woman. The women could be divided into two categories: fearful vs. ambitious. Some women trembled in fear while the others dreamt of bing his empress. Lucius the First gave these women no time to fear or gloat. As soon as they entered his bedroom, he told them about it inly. If they were afraid, they could leave at any time. And even if she stayed, he had no intention of taking the women with him back to Acreia. The women that spent the knight with the conqueror were still considered pure and untouched, so they would have no problem getting marriage offers afterward. At the beginning of their war, most women were scared to enter his bedroom, but as time passed and people heard about Lucius the First, the majority of the women sent to him felt curious. The stories of his beauty were legendary. All the women that spent the night with him left satisfied. The emperor wasn¡¯t the type to force any woman, and he was the most beautiful man these women have ever met. All his life, he nevercked women because of his good looks. In fact, he became more and more indifferent to women. But Lucius the First was almost 30 years old now. It was now his time to start thinking about marriage. Poliana was worried that her emperor wasn¡¯t taking this problem seriously. Then suddenly, the door was opened, and a woman walked out. It was ady Poliana had seen a few times before. She had distinctively dark smooth skin, which was usual for the southerners. Her ck straight hair looked silky, and she also had generous breasts. Poliana knew that all the knights were drooling over her. Thedy always looked at Poliana irritably, and today when she spotted her, thedy looked away rudely and left. Her disrespectful behavior didn¡¯t bother Poliana. She knew what kind of rumors people were talking about. The strange stories between Poliana and Lucius the First were still very popr among the many. Many called Poliana the ¡°Seductress Witch.¡± Most women who saw Poliana in person quickly realized that the rumors were false, but there still some who looked at her with jealousy. Poliana knocked on the door and before she received the permission to enter, she announced, ¡°It¡¯s Poliana. I¡¯ming in, your highness.¡± Lucius the First was getting dressed with help from his servant. Based on his and his bed¡¯s current state, it looked like nothing happened. Poliana became confused. ¡®Thedy didn¡¯t look like someone who would get scared or make a mistake¡­ So what happened? Or I guess the real question is¡­ why didn¡¯t it happen?¡¯ The emperor gestured for her toe closer and ordered the servant to bring in new sses and another bottle of wine. He then exined to Poliana, ¡°I sent her away.¡± Apparently, they were drinking and talking together. Thedy was very smart and an excellent conversationalist, so Lucius the First was pleased with her. When he was about to take her to his bed, thedy brought up the rumors between Poliana and himself. ¡°She believed in those stories about you and me, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not true. I would never sleep with you!¡± Poliana replied immediately. She hated how her presence damaged her emperor¡¯s reputation. With an unhappy frown, Lucius the First replied, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sleep with you either.¡± It was rare for the emperor to show such displeasure. It meant that he was indeed very upset about this situation. He continued, ¡°And she also told me about some other kings who like to collect different types of women. Ugly women, beauties, young and old, widows, and disabled¡­ She was talking about some pervert and was looking at me like I was too! But I am not a pervert! Why would I ever do something so hideous like that?!¡± Poliana stood up quickly and set down her ss. She turned around and announced, ¡°I will go find her and beat her up for you, your highness.¡± How dare she insult her greatest emperor? She may have been ady, but she deserved to be beaten. As Lucius the First¡¯s personal guard, Poliana had the right and responsibility to punish those who insulted her emperor. When she raised her fist angrily, Lucius the First replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sir Pol. Just sit down and drink with me.¡± ¡°My shift starts in two hours, your highness.¡± Poliana took her job very seriously. She enjoyed drinking with her emperor, but her job and duty came first. The emperor replied, ¡°Then drink with me just for the next two hours.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t enter my shift drunk, your highness.¡± ¡°Then I will give you a special vacation for today!¡± Lately, Poliana was the emperor¡¯s most trusted knight. She had no reason to refuse this reward, even if she didn¡¯t do anything to deserve it. They began to drink amicably and talked about the war. ¡°Sir Pol, I sent the messenger from Pucachi away. It sounded like they wanted a war with me.¡± ¡°But Pucachi¡¯s defense is poor at best. They are very underprepared.¡± ¡°Pucachi is nicknamed the Winner of the South. There must be something more to this kingdom than we know. We must remain vignt.¡± Lucius the First worried that they would end up needing to battle during the summer. The Acreian men were not used to such heat and humidity, so it would have been a huge disadvantage. But thankfully, the rainy season came and historically, the southerners didn¡¯t fight during this time. It seemed that the war was going to resume in winter. They continued to talk about the war when suddenly, the emperor looked at her kindly and said to her, ¡°You know what, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness?¡± Lucius the First looked at her warmly. His affection didn¡¯t stem from the love between a man and a woman, but between two people who genuinely liked each other. ¡°I am sure we will be drinking and talking like this then too.¡± ¡°I am afraid I am not smart enough to understand your meaning, your highness.¡± Only ¡°After we unite all the kingdoms of this continent, I am sure we will still be like this, you and I.¡± Poliana tried her best not to burst into tears. She was so grateful and honored that her emperor saw her this way. When she bit her lips to not show any tears, Lucius the First patted her shoulder and said to her kindly, ¡°There is no need to cry, Sir Pol. There will be plenty of time to cry your happy tears when we aplish our dreams. It won¡¯t be too long until I became the ruler of this continent, and you will remain by my side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crying, your highness. It¡¯s the alcohol.¡± Poliana hated lying, but it was necessary for this situation. Lucius the First hated liars, but he let it slide this time. Was this really ok? Poliana felt a sense of overpowering happiness and she wasn¡¯t sure if she was allowed to have this. To be trusted and loved by this great man¡­ It was more than she could ever dream of. The gift he bestowed upon us was too great. She didn¡¯t know how to repay him for his kindness. All she could do was to protect him with her life. It wasn¡¯t just Poliana who felt emotional. Lucius the First also was grateful for Poliana¡¯s unconditional love and loyalty. This was why he was so angry when that woman earlier insulted Poliana. If thedy only brought up the rumors, he would have been fine, but she disrespected Poliana and the innocent rtionship between them. Questioning Poliana was the same thing as questioning the emperor. There was nothing stronger than a bond between the emperor and his knight. Lucius the First hated making a woman cry, but to protect Poliana¡¯s reputation, he was willing to do it to anydies that he woulde across. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 There were many kingdoms in the southern continent. Most were small, and there was one big nation among them, which was named Pucachi. The Winner of the South, Pucachi. The king of Pucachi arrogantly crumpled the message from Lucius the First and screamed, ¡°The only southern region this idiot will be able to take is the Gora river!¡± But to everyone¡¯s shock, Pucachi fell against the Acreian men without much of a fight. It was such an easy battle that Sir Bentier kept stopping his men, thinking it was some sort of a trap. Pucachi was conquered quickly, but Lucius the First was not happy. He was confused, ¡°What the heck? Why was Pucachi called ¡®The Winner of the South?¡¯ It was all a lie!¡± The southern region had plenty of time to get ready for the Acreians since it took Lucius the First a very long time to take over the three-kingdom confederation. In fact, Pucachi had time to prepare for war since Lucius the First won over Aehas and Kukda, but it seemed that this southern kingdom was too arrogant to get its military ready. In the end, Pucachi was gone without much of a fight. When the surrounding southern nations heard of Pucachi¡¯s fall, they immediately sent the signed documents of surrender to Lucius the First. Some even sent their offerings and women, in hopes that they would be treated with mercy. Lucius the First was nning to take a break after conquering Pucachi, but he was kept busy with all the messengers and delegates from the other kingdoms. He had to greet them and negotiate the terms of surrender with them. Battles were fought by the soldiers and knights. Afterward, it was the officials¡¯ and administrators¡¯ turn to get busy. Lucius the First gave his knights a well-deserved vacation. Even the soldiers were allowed to take time off in shifts and enjoy the capital of Pucachi. Of course, everyone still remained vignt. There were still many kingdoms who haven¡¯t officially surrendered yet, although there were plenty of rumors that said that they wereing. Poliana was rewarded with a vacation as well, but she never left the emperor¡¯s side. When Sir Ainno heard about this situation, he came and insisted he would act as the emperor¡¯s guard temporarily. The two knights argued fiercely. Poliana imed that as the head of the protection division, it was her duty to stay by the emperor¡¯s side. Sir Ainno insisted that Poliana was on vacation so she should go out and enjoy herself while he could be by the emperor¡¯s side. Sir Ainno said that this could be his hobby. Poliana became indignant. ¡°A hobby? Guarding his highness is a hobby for you? How dare you!¡± ¡°I have been protecting his highness since we were little boys. It is part of my life and my routine!¡± ¡°Then I will get the same hobby as you, Sir Ainno! I will guard the emperor during my vacation as a hobby!¡± ¡°How dare you! To treat guarding his highness as a hobby!¡± Sir Ainno was as stubborn as a bull and Poliana knew she couldn¡¯t win this argument on her own. Sir Ainno had a higher rank and he had known Lucius the First much longer too. ¡°¡­¡± But there was one thing that was on Poliana¡¯s side, and it was the fact that Sir Ainno was a jerk! She was certain that the emperor wouldn¡¯t want to have a mean nagger by his side during such a busy time! Poliana looked at the emperor beggingly. After a pause, Lucius the First announced, ¡°Inno, Pol¡­ Both of you, out!¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± The two knights acted like unruly children, and the emperor had no intent to act like their mother. He already was suffering from a headache from all the paperwork. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in his knights¡¯ squabble. Each of the knights was quiet when alone, but when both of them were in the same room, they became noisy and whiny. Lucius the First knew that if he let one of them stay, the other one would make a huge and loud fuss. Poliana moved to leave, as per her emperor¡¯s order, but Sir Ainno didn¡¯t move. Poliana has been serving Lucius the First for many years now, but it couldn¡¯tpare to the amount of time Sir Ainno spent with the emperor. Sir Ainno knew Lucius the First best. He was better than even the emperor¡¯s personal servants. Sir Ainno said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness! If we all leave you alone, who will kill those disgusting reptiles? Please let me stay so I can protect you!¡± This was a very smart move. Those reptiles were one of Lucius the First¡¯s very few weaknesses. Sir Ainno continued, ¡°Your highness, I will be here to guard you. I, the best archer in Acreia, will make sure none of those hateful reptiles get to you!¡± Sir Ainno raised his bow to prove his point. Poliana was impressed, thinking, ¡®Oh, what a smart idea!¡¯ Poliana looked at Sir Ainno with both jealousy and respect. Realizing he needed someone to kill the reptiles, Lucius the First raised his hand and announced, ¡°Inno! My friend!¡± ¡°You are making the right decision, my wise emperor!¡± The two men hugged, but they quickly stepped back from each other. It was way too hot and humid for a prolonged hug. Poliana, admitting her defeat, left the room quietly. It has been a long time since Lucius the First and Sir Ainno were alone together. Since Sir Ainno left the protection division to lead the special forces, he didn¡¯t have the time or the opportunity to talk to the emperor privately. The emperor also now had new close knights around him. New people that he could talk to and drink with¡­ It wasn¡¯t something Sir Ainno should be disappointed about. To him, Lucius the First was the one and only emperor, but to Lucius the First, Sir Ainno was one of his many close knights. Sir Ainno locked the door to make sure no one tried to eavesdrop on them. When he was certain they were safe, Sir Ainno went to a nearby chair andid himself down. It was one of the many special privileges he received from the emperor. To be allowed toy down in front of the emperor. People didn¡¯t realize Sir Ainno utilized his privilege because they have never seen him do so but he did, only when he was alone with the emperor. To Lucius the First¡¯s disappointment, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t even try to kill any of the reptiles that were roaming around the room. ¡°Inno, get up.¡± Sir Ainno made an odd groan, ¡°Arrhhhhh¡­.¡± ¡°Inno, you said you would protect me.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can do it whileying down like this too.¡± Only ¡°Come on, Inno. Get up and kill those things.¡± Having the enemies¡¯ surrenders wasn¡¯t the end. The southern kingdoms offered their surrenders with a condition that they remain independent and keep their names. They were willing to be colonies, but they didn¡¯t want to be incorporated into Acreia. This was their requirement for a peaceful and bloodless surrender. The scribes were dying from so much paperwork. Lucius the First also had no time to rest. He wasn¡¯t just a conqueror; he wanted to also be a capable and involved ruler. Watching his friend taking it easy and resting made Lucius the First annoyed. He took a sip of his lukewarm water and said again, ¡°Inno!¡± Sir Inno remained on the chairzily and suddenly, Lucius the First missed his friend at the beginning of this conquest. 10 years ago, Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t like this at all. He always remained sharp and never even closed his eyes when around Lucius the First. He was alert at all times. ¡®If he was going to be like this, why did he insist on staying in the room with me?¡¯ If Poliana was here, she would have been diligent in killing the reptiles and exchanging funny jokes with him. The reptiles continued to roam around the room, and one of them walked across Sir Ainno¡¯s leg. Lucius the First felt his body bing covered in goosebumps. ¡®My headache is getting worse. Stupid Inno¡­¡¯ Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Sir Ainno had a reason for insisting on the guarding duty today. Lucius the First wanted Sir Ainno to form the very first Acreian knight¡¯s order made up of the 27 men specially selected by Sir Ainno himself. There wasn¡¯t any formal order of knights in Acreia, so this was going to be an exciting asion. Sir Ainno was to be the very first leader of the order, which was a great honor, but it also meant that he now had more work and responsibilities. ¡°This knight¡¯s order business is bing very troublesome, your highness.¡± ¡°Are your men not following your orders?¡± ¡°I am just worried about what I should pick to be the order¡¯s symbol.¡± Lucius the First became annoyed. Here he was, busy with international negotiations, while his knight¡¯s main worry was picking out a symbol for the order. Lucius the First threw the cup at him, and without even looking, Sir Ainno caught it easily. ¡°Your highness! This is a very important decision! This is your first knight¡¯s order. I need to pick a symbol that no one has ever used before. It needs to be something different and amazing.¡± All the good symbols were taken by the knight¡¯s orders of other kingdoms; the bear, wolf, and even the deer. Sir Ainno¡¯s new order needed to have something meaningful as its symbol. It couldn¡¯t be something that another group was already using. Sir Ainno pulled on his hair in frustration. ¡®Isn¡¯t the emperor supposed to pick the symbol?¡¯ This was true, but because Lucius the First was so busy, he had Sir Ainno take over the decision. Sir Ainno asked around to get some good ideas, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied with any of them. Some men suggested a nt as the symbol, but Sir Ainno was adamantly against it. A nt¡­ It looked and sounded too weak. ¡°What did the other knights suggest?¡± ¡°Sir Rabi keeps insisting I use either a dog or a deer, your highness.¡± Sir Rabi ended up keeping the deer. It was all grown up now, and he was about to release it back to the wild when he noticed that the hunters were waiting to kill it. The deer was young and plump, and many of the Acreian men were waiting to hunt it down. As long as the deer remained in Sir Rabi¡¯s protection, no one could harm it, but once he released it¡­ It was in anyone¡¯s game. Realizing his deer would die immediately after it gained its freedom, Sir Rabi gave up liberating it. Instead, he officially announced the deer as his pet and even named it Rosy. He made a cor with the name on it so the deer could wear it. He imed that he was going to take her with him back to Acreia and raise her in his garden. ¡°Sir Rabi is so funny,¡± the emperor murmured. Sir Rabi looked surprisingly feminine and moody, but he had such an open personality. He came from the most powerful knight¡¯s family, but he was kind and easy-going. Despite his wealth and power, Sir Rabi got along with everyone including the lowly foot soldiers to the high-ranking officials. He was essential in helping everyonee together as a team in the Acreian army. Lucius the First continued, ¡°And Sir Bentier is also a great guy.¡± Sir Bentier was ordered to follow the emperor by the Acreian noblemen who didn¡¯t trust Lucius the First. In turn, the emperor kept a wary distance from the knight at first. But it has been 10 years since they set out to conquer the world and now, the emperor felt closer to Sir Bentier. Suddenly, Sir Ainno nodded decisively. ¡°I have made my decision.¡± ¡°Deer and dog?¡± ¡°Just the dog.¡± ¡°But you said a dog was toomon, Inno.¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s still a very sturdy and sensible choice. A dog is loyal to its master. It is a great hunter and protector. It guards its master and the livestock. It never betrays its owner and it is also very cuddly.¡± ¡°Well, if you are sure, then get up now.¡± But even though his problem was solved, Sir Ainno still refused to stand up. Annoyed, Lucius the First threw a book at him, but Sir Ainno caught it again without even looking. He then replied, ¡°I still have something important to think about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sir Ainno finally sat up and narrowed his eyes at his friend. Sir Ainno never doubted him, but it still felt strange that they were finally here. He murmured, ¡°So¡­ you are finally bing the emperor of the entire continent. It¡¯s really happening.¡± Sir Ainno closed his eyes. He knew this day woulde because he trusted and believed in his emperor. Lucius the First was a good man to follow. He was kind and generous, yet also very objective, rational, and cold when he needed to be. Lucius the First often told his men to stop dreaming nonsense, but in truth, he was their dream. He was everyone¡¯s hope. Sir Ainno wondered what happened to the young boy prince he grew up with. The boy who lost his mother at a very young age, and his father, the former emperor, a few yearster¡­ The boy who had to grow up fast and be an adult to rule an entire kingdom¡­ That boy was now gone and a man, an emperor, stood in front of him. But sometimes¡­ Lucius the First still smiled at Sir Ainno like a little boy. Would he still be able to smile like that when he officially became the ruler of all? Sir Ainno was a little worried about his friend. Lucius the First replied with a faint smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess you are right. The emperor of all of the continent¡­¡± ¡°What are your ns now?¡± ¡°Well, there is a lot to do now, of course.¡± Winning the war was the easy part. Now, the real battles were going to begin. To rule, to fight against the other noblemen withws and policies¡­ The political war was about to begin. Lucius the First continued, ¡°And I need to get married too, I suppose.¡± When the news of his sess reached Acreia, the first message that came from his homnd was an insistence on him getting married as soon as possible. The official wife needed to be selected and approved by the Acreian government, which meant it could not happen until the emperor returned home. However, he could take a few concubines in the meantime and began to bear future heirs. The emperor murmured, ¡°And as soon as I return, I will have to reward my cousin¡­¡± Duke Luzo didn¡¯t directly participate in this conquest, but without his help and sacrifice, Lucius the First knew he wouldn¡¯t have been able to even begin his war. To that, Sir Ainno nodded in agreement. Even if the elder noblemen pushed Duke Luzo to take over the throne, Lucius the First wasn¡¯t concerned. He could just take it back. He just felt sorry for Duke Luzo, who wanted to get married but was waiting for the emperor to return. ¡°And of course, I will have to reward all who went through so much for me.¡± Only This needed to happen sooner rather thanter. The morale and the continued loyalty of all of his men depended on it. The more he thought about it, the more work Lucius the First had. He felt the heavy burden of it crashing down on him. He was surprised that he was still standing and remained sane. Being an emperor was not an easy task. He added, ¡°I also want to change many of the old and outdatedws and change the capital city, but I don¡¯t think I can. I already have too much to do, so it will have to be done by those after me.¡± ¡°I can tell you that it would be best if you change the capital soon.¡± ¡°And take on even more work?! You¡¯re Crazy!¡± Lucius the Firstughed loudly, but slowly, hisughter died down, and he nodded. It was true; it had to be done now. It was too big of a burden to leave for the next generation. It was essential to establish the capital of the entire continent, not just of Acreia. This was necessary to maintain the peace and stability of his newnd. In fact, it needed to be on top of his priorities. Just like any man, Lucius the First loved to bezy and enjoy life, but for now, he knew his responsibilities came first. He decided he will have plenty of time to yter. It was time to get to work. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Poliana was roaming around the city aimlessly when she was greeted by the other guards and Sir Ainno¡¯s knights. They were on their way to a bar and they invited her to join them. Poliana red at them disapprovingly. ¡°You are going to drink in the middle of the day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too hot, Sir Pol!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s so hot!¡± The menined, and yet they had their arms around each others¡¯ shoulders in brotherly affection. Just watching them so close together made Poliana sweat. The knights looked like they were close friends. Sirs Howe and Mahogal became fast friends after they became part of the special forces under the lead of the mean Sir Ainno. In the past, Sir Howeined of how all the personal guards were all fancy boys while Sir Mahogal disliked Sir Howe for being too loud-mouthed but now, it seemed that they have be best friends. Poliana wasn¡¯t interested in going out drinking with these men. When she refused, the knights went their way. Sir Donau tried to escape the group, but Sir Howe grabbed him quickly. Donau protested, ¡°I told you I don¡¯t like to drink!¡± ¡°You are so young and na?ve. You don¡¯t know anything. We will teach you to be a better man!¡± ¡°GYAAA!!¡± Poliana thought to herself, ¡®Hmm¡­ He used to hate it when he was given watered wine¡­ How the time flies¡­¡¯ Since when did Sir Donau avoid drinking? Time went by so fast. Poliana looked back and remembered the past. She was now 30 years old. It had been 10 years since she first met Lucius the First. From that time, she never looked back. She only looked forward and every day, she did her very best. Her emperor was her guide to the right path. He led the way and she followed him. She never once doubted him. She never once hesitated. She only followed him like his shadow and protected him with everything she had. Poliana was never worried she might get lost. She was never worried that she might not reach her destination. She knew that all she had to do was to follow her emperor. And after 10 years, she was finally here. 10 years ago, she found a new master she knew she could die for, and the 10 years she spent in this war¡­ It wasn¡¯t all that bad. The knightess stood in the hallway and contemted while many people passed by her. Soldiers, knights, servants, maids, citizens of Pucachi, and messengers from other kingdoms¡­ She heard the sound of the trumpet, which meant that the new messengers were arriving from another kingdom. Poliana remembered the map of the southern region. Majority of the southern kingdoms already surrendered and there were only three nations left before reaching the ocean. In the Southern Ocean, there were a number of inds with their own kingdoms, but Lucius the First had no ns to go after them. Crossing the ocean was a fool¡¯s errand. So three kingdoms left¡­ After these nations surrendered, Lucius the First would finally be the first emperor to unite the entire continent. He turned 32 this year. It wasmon for many royal heirs not to inherit the throne even when they were over 30 years old. There were times when the princes died before they could even be the next ruler. But Lucius the First¡­ At the age of 32, he united the entire continent. ¡®How strange.¡¯ The unification of the continent, it was such a giant goal. Some said it was an impossible dream, but the emperor and his men worked tirelessly, and they were finally here. Just a little bit more¡­ But even though they were so close, it still felt surreal. It was such an unbelievable aplishment that Poliana still had a hard time believing it. With another trumpet sound, a messenger with a foreign g entered the castle entrance followed by several delegates on horses. So only two more to go. Poliana remembered that winter 10 years ago. She could still feel the painful cold on her skin. She was almost naked, and the cold wind at the time felt like a knife slicing through her body. Whenever she breathed, the inside of her nose and mouth froze, even her eyeballs felt cold. She no longer felt angry or resentful of that day, but this didn¡¯t mean she had forgotten about it. How could she? Naked and covered in dirt and her own blood¡­ She remembered the beating and the insults that she took. No one helped her. No one even gave her a piece of cloth to cover herself. All alone, in the middle of the winter day¡­ But her worst day in her life turned into the best day of her life in an instant. She was reborn as Poliana Winter. Being no longer Poliana Cranbell, her life changedpletely. Even the deadly cold could dampen her happiness that day. The cold res of the men around her could stop her from feeling the pleasure of being alive. There was no way she would ever forget that winter day. Her emperor personally gave her a sword. She could still feel his beautiful smooth fingers on her skin as he handed it to her. Poliana knew that even if she became senile, she would always remember herself screaming. ¡°Get me a sword, someone get me a sword now!¡± Only Only two more to go. Two more kingdoms to surrender and her emperor¡¯s dream was finally going toe true. His ambition to unite the entire continent, which was just south from his homnd, Acreia, was going to be a reality. And then¡­ what? What would happen after all of this? Poliana couldn¡¯t even guess, but she wasn¡¯t afraid of the unknown future. She was certain that the Lucius the First she knew woulde up with another dream for all of them to follow. As long as she followed him¡­ As long as she remained beside him as his shadow and protect him¡­ Poliana knew she would forever live as herself. A knightess. And then¡­ Poliana heard the trumpet again and this time, it was blown twice. Finally, it was done. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 All the nations in the continent were united into a single empire. Acreia¡­ And it belonged to Lucius the First¡­ The first thing he did was to assemble and reassess his army. A recruitment announcement was also made, and quickly, many men from different colonies applied all at once. Unfortunately, not all of them could be epted because there were too many of them. In the end, only those with vast military experience and high ranks were selected. Although all the southern kingdoms surrendered to him, Lucius the First still wanted to continue to the end of the continent. He wanted to physically set his foot on thend he now owned. Those who were lucky enough to be chosen were to follow him on his final journey. From the uppermost part of the northernnds to the farthest part of the southernnds¡­ Lucius the First stood at the cliff and looked out to the South Sea. The sea that never freezes even in winter. The waves danced while the seagulls cried loudly. The sun shone hotly, and the sand invaded his shoes and his clothes as he entered the beach. The smell of the ocean was very different from that of a river. The salty air stuck to his skin. His horse grumbled as it walked on unfamiliar sand. Even though he has reached his final destination, Lucius the First wandered around like a lost child. He kept riding his horse around the beach aimlessly. The emperor took his time, but no oneined. As they followed him, they reached another cliff and there, the emperor looked out quietly and unmoving. A gentle wind blew, making Lucius the First¡¯s golden hair dance around him. It would have been nice if he was wearing a cloak because that would have made a prettier picture, but no one said a word. No one called out to their emperor. Lucius the First didn¡¯t look back at his men. His soldiers, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness, stared at their emperor against the beautiful ocean, cliff, and the sky. The shockingly blue sky, clear shiny water, and their emperor¡­ It was a scene they would never forget. Suddenly, the soldiers realized what this moment meant. This was what the Acreian soldiers have been fighting for for thest 10 years. They followed Lucius the First to this ce, and finally, they were being rewarded. Just watching their emperor standing at the end of the earth¡­ It was an overwhelming moment for all of them. Acreians, the children of hunger¡­ Acreian men had different reasons for volunteering to follow Lucius the First on his war. Some wanted the physical rewards that they would get afterward, such as titles andnds, while others wanted the experience and honor. Some were forced to enlist by their parents. What everyone received as rewards for their services was more than they could have imagined. Just watching their great emperor at this moment¡­ One by one, the soldiers began to cry. ¡°Your highness! We have always believed in you!¡± ¡°We knew you could do this from the very beginning!¡± ¡°We will take this experience as the greatest honor! We will tell our children of this victory for generations!¡± ¡°Now, we get to go back home!¡± ¡°Long live Lucius the First!¡± ¡°Hooray for Acreia!¡± ¡°Long live Lucius the First!¡± ¡°The one and only emperor of thisnd!¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± He was now the emperor of the entire continent. He owned the whole world. ¡°Hurray for the emperor!¡± ¡°Long live Lucius the First!¡± The knights and soldiers took out their spears and swords and held them up high. Their cries and the nking of their weapons filled the air, drowning out the sounds of the ocean. At this moment, the men didn¡¯t care if they didn¡¯t receive any titles ornds. They were Lucius the First¡¯s men and belonging to him alone was enough of a reward. Lucius the First turned around. His blonde hair looked beautiful against the blue sky and the almost-green ocean. Then suddenly, the emperor bowed to the men standing in front of him. He announced humbly, ¡°Thank you, everyone, for getting me here. To help me arrive at this ce¡­ It is all thanks to you. I know that it must¡¯ve been hard for you to believe in me, and that is why I am thanking you now. This will be my first and only time bowing to anyone.¡± He raised his head again, and shrugging his shoulders, he added, ¡°As the emperor, I must never bow to anyone anymore.¡± Turning towards the ocean again, he ordered, ¡°I will be staying here for a while longer, so you may return without me.¡± The men realized that the emperor wanted to be alone, so they began to leave. Some still remained, wanting to enjoy the moment a little longer too, but in the end, everyone left and there were only three of them. Lucius the First, Sir Ainno, and Sir Poliana. Poliana nned on staying till the end with the emperor, and she assumed Sir Ainno was going to do the same but after a while, he turned around too. When Poliana raised her eyebrows, Sir Ainno patted Poliana¡¯s shoulders affectionately. Not to disturb the emperor, Poliana whispered her question. ¡°Aren¡¯t you staying? Are you going to make me leave?¡± ¡°Of course not. You are the head of the personal protection division, aren¡¯t you?¡± Poliana was shocked, she was sure Sir Ainno would insist that she should leave. When she became speechless, Sir Ainno grinned and added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took your cest time in that room.¡± His voice sounded a little strange, and suddenly, Poliana realized the truth. When everyone was crying, Sir Ainno remained dry-eyed. It was obvious he hated showing his tears to anyone, and now that he couldn¡¯t control his emotions, he was running away. So finally, it was just Lucius the First and Poliana on the cliff. Like his shadow, she remained by his side to protect him. When everyone cried, Poliana didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t because she was afraid of what others might think of her tears. She was just so overwhelmed that she couldn¡¯t even cry. Besides, she knew the truth. This wasn¡¯t the end. It was only the beginning of something even bigger. Uniting all of the kingdoms didn¡¯t mean the end of the world. Poliana, Lucius the First, and everyone else was going to live on in this new world. Even if she died right now, everyone else would continue on without her. The sun began to set and Lucius the First finally turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s return to our base now before it gets too dark.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Bing his knight was the best choice she ever made in her life. She smiled brightly, unable to hide her happiness and joy. Lucius the First was standing with the sun behind him, and Poliana couldn¡¯t see her emperor clearly because of that blinding light. But even so, she continued to smile at him. It was ok if she couldn¡¯t see him. It was ok even if she lost her sight. After all, Lucius the First was like the sun to her and she was only happy to be by his side. And because she couldn¡¯t see his face, she missed the change in his expression. For a moment, he lost his poker-face, and he looked¡­ emotional. ¡®Finally¡­¡¯ He has done it. Finally¡­ He was here at the end of the earth. It was all his. The entire continent was his. He should have been ecstatic, but instead, he felt¡­ burdened. Whenever his men kneeled before him, Lucius the First felt the unbelievable weight of his mounting responsibility. He could have been the worst dictator, and even then, he knew no one would me him or dare to deny him anything, but the problem was that he wanted to be a good emperor. This was why he felt so burdened and troubled. ¡®Well, it¡¯s a good thing at least that I won¡¯t be alone.¡¯ Ever since he was a young boy, he dreamt of bing the emperor of all. And in this dream, he was never alone. He had a woman, an empress, by his side. She didn¡¯t have to be beautiful, but she needed to be wise, generous, and kind. She needed to be the mother to all the people in this world. A woman who was intelligent¡­ She didn¡¯t have toe from the best of the families as long as she wasn¡¯t amoner. They also needed to have children, so it would be best if she came from arge family. She needed to be healthy and could never be jealous of his concubines. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but Lucius the First was sure that he would find the perfect woman. He wanted to be alone, and that was why he asked everyone to leave, but even without looking, he knew there would be one person waiting for him. Only ¡®Sir Pol!¡¯ He smiled. The knight with the ¡°winter¡± as herst name has been his most loyal knight. She served him well despite all the hardships she must¡¯ve gone through as a female and a foreigner. Lucius the First was well aware that she deserved a great reward. ¡®Our first meeting was so unforgettable¡­¡¯ The whole world turned orange as the sun continued to set. ¡°Let¡¯s get going, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Of course, your highness.¡± The loyal knightess looked up with a beautiful smile, and suddenly¡­ Lucius the First lost his smile as he saw Poliana. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Poliana¡¯s smile¡­ It was a smile that came from genuine happiness and certainty. How beautiful, it was more amazing and stronger than the sun that was disappearing into the ocean. When he looked back, it was always like this. Poliana had always treated Lucius the First with honesty. She served him with everything she had. She saw him as her emperor, her master, her fellow fighter, and her friend. She never changed or wavered in her belief and trust in him. Lucius the First knew she will never change in the future, but¡­ It was him who was changing. Suddenly, his usual calm and logic cracked in front of this woman. Even the future he dreamt of seemed palepared to this moment. The cupid¡¯s arrow went straight into Lucius the First¡¯s heart. It was unfair and cruel because the emperor never had a chance. He wasn¡¯t given a warning or even time to get himself prepared for it. And the worst thing was¡­ The woman in question didn¡¯t even realize what she had done to him. ¡®Why?¡¯ Lucius the First despaired, he didn¡¯t believe in love. Even when he thought of his future wife, there never has been love in his heart. All he expected was to maintain a good rtionship with his wife. Love would have been a huge bonus, but not at all necessary. Love mostly existed in songs and poems. So for him to fall in love like this¡­ How could this be? What did this mean? To realize that he had fallen in love with someone who he has known for 10 years¡­ Shouldn¡¯t he have noticed this much earlier? The emperor¡¯s beliefs and views copsed around him. This didn¡¯t make sense at all, which meant¡­ It had to be a mistake. It had to be a misunderstanding. Lucius the First couldn¡¯t be in love with that ¡°woman.¡± ¡®Woman¡­¡¯ That¡¯s right, Poliana Winter was a woman. A woman who was also a knight. People called her the knightess. Because she was a woman in this world of man, she had to go through such hardships. She must¡¯ve felt incredible despair and hopelessness. It was much harder, almost impossible, for her to be acknowledged and epted. Filthy and unfair rumors followed her everywhere. Until her death, she was going to be surrounded by these prejudices. She almost died, but Lucius the First took her in. He wasn¡¯t being arrogant. This was the truth. He made many mistakes that required him to apologize to her, but at the end of the day, Lucius the First saved Poliana Winter. ¡°Your highness.¡± Poliana called out to him with an affectionate tone. He knew she showed the most respect and consideration to him than to anyone else in this world. The way she looked at him was warm. It was an unconditional love, but not a love a woman felt for a man. It was a love for her emperor as her master. It was a devotion to her ruler. It was loyalty and nothing more. ¡°Your highness, are you ok? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± Poliana looked at him worriedly, and Lucius the First flinched. It was as if someone threw cold water at him. Everyone knew how ugly Poliana was. Even Poliana herself agreed to it. She looked much better and cleaner now, but she certainly was no beauty. At best, she was an average-looking woman. But right now, at this moment¡­ She looked pretty to him. The emperor couldn¡¯t breathe. His heart began to beat uncontrobly. He had no choice but to admit and ept that he was in love. Quickly, he put on his poker face again. He gave her the ¡°generous emperor¡¯s smile.¡± It wasn¡¯t hard because after all, he had done it all his life. Even though he was a man newly in love, he was an emperor first. He couldn¡¯t be swayed by his emotions. Perhaps, that was why he didn¡¯t believe in love. At least, it wasn¡¯t for him. Lucius the First looked at Poliana Winter. She had a sword hanging on her waist. Somewhere on her body, there were several daggers and other weapons. She never did, and never would hesitate to use them to kill. She had no qualms about using violence. She wasn¡¯t a talented fighter, but she had enough experience to do an adequate job. For him, she would do anything. The blue uniform looked good on her. As the head of the guard division, she was given the honor of wearing a golden stripe as well. Lucius the First knew how hard she tried to look clean and presentable for him. The sun was now nowhere to be seen, but the sky was still bright. He could now see a few stars appearing in the sky. ¡°Your uniform looks good on you, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment!¡± ¡°That sword suits you as well.¡± ¡°You tter me, your highness!¡± ¡°And you looked good with short hair too!¡± ¡°Your highness, you must be very happy right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that you look pretty today, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°¡­ are you ok, your highness? Are you ill perhaps?¡± Lucius the First smiled. He almost made a mistake of confessing his love for her just now, but he quickly recovered. He had to push down his feelings. He was no mere man, he was the emperor. The emperor. Lucius the First imagined Poliana standing beside him as his empress. It looked so ridiculous that heughed. He felt a little better. ¡®Perhaps I¡¯m just mistaken. Maybe I¡¯m just confused.¡¯ This was an emotional time for him after all. He had so much to do now, and no matter what it was that he felt, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®Just forget about it for now.¡¯ Only A love now could turn into something different tomorrow. For now¡­ he decided to ignore it. He wasn¡¯t abandoning it, but he would bury it deep inside of him, and when he had more time, he would reassess it. As they rode their horses down the cliff, everything felt unfamiliar to him. Somehow, Lucius the First knew that he would remember this moment forever. ¡®¡­ it¡¯s love¡­¡¯ The emperor smiled helplessly. He knew the future was uncertain, but for now, he wanted to enjoy this moment. The Acreian army finally turned around to head back to the north. Back home to Acreia¡­ No obstacles stopped the emperor this time. -To be continued on Chapter 83: Book 2 Story 9: The Emperor’s Path- Book 2 Story 9: The Emperor¡¯s Path Chapter 83 The Acreian emperor Lucius the First¡¯s army moved north speedily. The men were excited to return home after 10 years of war. They moved fast, excited at the prospect of reuniting with their families. Their path back to Acreia was smooth thanks to Duke Luzo. Every time Lucius the First conquered morends, Duke Luzo made sure to create proper roads in these ces. He strongly believed in proper infrastructures, especially for swift and efficient supply chains. The roads were built by the enemy captives and criminals, and these well-built paths helped the Acreian men to return home much easier than expected. If he wished, Lucius the First could have pushed to get home faster, but he purposely moved at a slow pace. It was to make sure his men didn¡¯t tire out and also to examine how his colonies were doing after being conquered. It was obviously impossible to extensively explore every city, but it was enough to get an idea of how the citizens were reacting to their new reality. Thankfully, it seemed that the people were doing fairly well. In most of the kingdoms, the citizens threw flowers at the Acreian army and weed them. Lower tax rates and stricterws against crimes were epted by these people with open arms. The people of the mid-continent were now free from their greedy and selfish kings. They were thankful to Lucius the First, who was a much kinder ruler. If the emperor raised the tax rate a little in a few years, would the people be angry and regret their decisions to support him? Perhaps, but unlikely. Whatever increase the Acreian emperor proposed would still be much lower than the one set by their previous kings. Lucius the First; the beautiful, kind, wise, and fair emperor. Everyone was in love with this young man. There were still a few kingdoms that remained technically ¡°independent,¡± but in reality, all of them belonged to Acreia and strangely, the fact that they belonged to a single greatest nation made the people feel a sense of pride and eptance. This was especially the case because Lucius the First did not discriminate between the original Acreians and new Acreians. He was also fair and generous to many of the nobles of the previous kingdoms, as long as they behaved. As the tax rate and the crime rate were lowered, the farmers and the regr citizens began to gain more power while the lords lost some of their authorities. If a lord treated his people unfairly, he was reced by Lucius the First immediately. Having an emperor like Lucius the First was a blessing to many. Most of the people¡¯s lives have improved daily, they now have more to eat and less to worry about. It was a dreame true. Most nobles, although they lost their absolute powers, epted their current situation. After all, they didn¡¯t want to go through another war. And besides¡­ the new emperor was such a good-looking young man! ¡°Long live the Acreian emperor Lucius the First!¡± People looked at him with adoration. Even Poliana, who was riding behind him, could feel their love. ¡®This is amazing.¡¯ It was a beautiful sunny day with a nice breeze. The soldiers seemed to be enjoying the weather as well and the people of the colonies threw flowers at them as they cheered. Poliana never rxed because she knew there could be an assassin among the crowd, but she still let herself enjoy the scene a little. When they returned to Acreia and entered the capital, Nanaba, she knew they would be greeted with cheers again, but this was different. The people here¡­ They referred to the emperor as their savior, and therefore it meant so much more. Lucius the First told his men that he was taking the easiest and smoothest route to make the journey asfortable for his men as possible. But based on Poliana¡¯s calction, this was only partly true. She could tell he had another reason for it. Many of the emperor¡¯s closest knights suspected the same thing, but they didn¡¯t say anything. Whatever the emperor did, he most likely had a very good reason for it. It was gettingte and the emperor announced that they would stay in this vige for the night. In fact, Lucius the First decided that they would stay in the city of Sitrin for a whole week. Sitrin was known for its hot springs and the emperor ordered everyone to rx and enjoy themselves. Sitrin was arge city with a beautiful castle. South of it was the Msmel forest and it was located in the middle of the mid-continent, which meant it had mild weather. Farming and forestry flourished in this ce as well as tourism thanks to the hot springs. It was already well-developed, but it had even greater potential for further growth. Unfortunately, people of Sitrin have been starving despite their fruitfulnd. It was because of its previous lord who was selfish and cruel. When Lucius the First was nearby, it was the Sitrin lord¡¯s vassals who killed their master and opened the door for the Acreian men. The vassals wanted better lives for their people. Lucius the First had to execute one of the noblemen, who tried to fight back, but the rest of them were spared. He approved the rest of the vassals who cared for their people. Of all the mid-continent kingdoms, the citizens of Sitrin cheered for Lucius the First the most. The emperor waved at the people and thought proudly, ¡®What a greatnd this is.¡¯ Sitrin was indeed a great piece ofnd. Being in the middle of the continent was a huge bonus when it came to supply chains. It wasn¡¯t before, but now that the whole world was united as a single kingdom, Sitrin was going to benefit the most from its location. Currently, no new lord was appointed for Sitrin. The kind vassals were taking care of the matters for now. Lucius the First allowed his men to rest, but he went right to work after getting off his horse. The first thing he did was look over the paperwork concerning Sitrin. He smiled as he checked the grains and money collected as taxes. This ce was indeed a very productive ce. How could the old lord let his people starve when there was plenty to go around? While the emperor looked over the documents, the Sitrin vassals waited nearby nervously. They have done nothing wrong, but still, they were in the presence of a conqueror. What if he didn¡¯t like the numbers? And what if the new emperor changes his mind and punish them for killing their old lord? A bad master was still a master, and disloyalty was usually punished by death. Suddenly, Lucius the First saw something odd. He asked, ¡°What is this?¡± One of the vassals anxiously looked at the list the emperor pointed at, and with a sigh of relief, he exined, ¡°It¡¯s the budget for the water channel maintenance.¡± ¡°Channel?¡± ¡°Yes, our previous lord built this channel so the hot spring water could be transported to the castle.¡± ¡°But the water would be cold by the time it reaches the castle.¡± ¡°It is reheated before it enters the castle tubs.¡± What a selfish andzy lord he must have been. The hot spring wasn¡¯t even that far from the castle. What a waste of time and money. When the emperor frowned, the vassals trembled. What they didn¡¯t know was that Lucius the First was a very forgiving emperor. As long as it wasn¡¯t a huge mistake, he often let it slide. Only ¡®This would be the perfectnd to reward one of my men.¡¯ A bountifulnd and capable vassals, it would make a good present. Lucius the First looked around for Poliana. She was nearby and instead of focusing on him, she was reprimanding the vassals regarding the city¡¯s supplies. It was an old habit she developed when she used to work in the supply unit. ¡°This is wrong, what¡¯s this number, and here?¡± As the emperor watched her, she continued to find the small mistakes in the calctions and bookkeeping. Lucius the First thought to himself, ¡®She would¡¯ve done a great job if she stayed in the supply unit.¡¯ ¡°Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°I see that you are very interested in Sitrin and its figures. Do you like thisnd? Do you want it? Would you like me to give it to you?¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Poliana replied hastily, ¡°No, not at all, your highness!¡± She thought Lucius the First was making a joke about how she wasn¡¯t doing her job as his guard and was more focused on silly paperwork. ¡°I apologize, your highness, for not doing my job.¡± She handed the paper back to the vassals and walked towards the emperor. ¡°I¡¯m not joking, Sir Pol. You have done so much for me and you need to be rewarded. I think a piece ofnd is a good start.¡± ¡°You can just give me any leftover piece ofnd, your highness.¡± ¡°A leftover? Sir Pol, you should be getting one of the bestnds I have.¡± Poliana was about to refuse again but bit her lips. It was true that she did do a great deal for this war. She did deserve something great. Also, it wouldn¡¯t look appropriate for the head of the guard division to be andless knight. In fact, it would look ridiculous. Poliana didn¡¯t have a title yet either. She was a knightess and that was it. If her Aehasian background was epted, she was still a noble. If it wasn¡¯t, then she would be something in between a noble and a knight. After the war, she assumed that her emperor would give her a title, andnd always came with a title. Lucius the First allowed many of the foreign nobles to keep their titles andnds, but not all of them. This meant that there were plenty ofnds and titles that needed to be distributed. Poliana contemted and she finally made her decision, she determined that she definitely deserved this city. ¡°Are you sure? Are you really offering me thisnd?¡± ¡°Of course, or if there is another piece ofnd you prefer, all you have to do is to let me know. The exact boundary of thend will change a bit in the future, but not by much.¡± Poliana was one of the few people who knew of Lucius the First¡¯s n for a new capital for Acreia. Poliana quickly calcted how far Sitrin would be from all the potential capital cities and replied, ¡°I would be honored to have thisnd, your highness.¡± ¡°Good. Then, Sitrin will be yours.¡± Sir Ainno already received a good piece ofnd very close to all the potential capital cities. Other high-ranking knights received their rewards as well so Poliana said to herself, ¡®I deserve this.¡¯ The old Poliana would have refused the reward because she knew what the other men would say. If this was the Aehasian army, the other knights would¡¯ve said she only received it because she was sleeping with the emperor. Ugly rumors would have been spread like a wildfire but now¡­ Things were very different. She was one of the emperor¡¯s closest knights and she was trusted and respected by everyone in the Acreian army. Poliana was certain that everyone around her would support her no matter what. If anyone in the army said anything negative about her, she knew she could take care of him easily. The vassals looked at the emperor and the knightess nervously. Right in front of their eyes, their new master was decided in a blink of an eye. Lucius the First offered to Poliana, ¡°And if you are unhappy with these vassals, then let me know. I can just rece them for you. After all, they did betray their old master.¡± The vassals flinched and began to tremble. Some even closed their eyes, thinking their deaths wereing. Poliana immediately shook her head and replied, ¡°You just gave them to me, and now you are trying to take them away from me, your highness? That¡¯s not fair. These are my people now and they seem like they are very capable workers, so I am definitely keeping them.¡± Just a moment ago, she was reprimanding them for making mistakes, but now that they belonged to her, she defended them viciously. The vassals¡¯ eyes widened at how the knightess, their new master, stood up to the emperor on their behalf. Respect and admiration shone in their eyes as they looked up to her. Thanks to Lucius the First, Poliana gained passionate loyalty from her vassals immediately. Poliana took a walk that night around the castle. It still wasn¡¯t official, but she was going to be the master of this entire ce. As she walked outside the castle, she immediately fell in love with hernd. Poliana touched the stone wall and feeling a bit overwhelmed, she punched it. She bit her lips so she wouldn¡¯t scream with joy. ¡®Wow!!!!¡¯ If she knew no one would hear her, she would run around screaming. She wanted to gather the people of Sitrin right now and announce from the rooftop that she was their new lord. Poliana was born into a mediocre noble family, and hernd was known for cranberries. Her childhood home could be called a mansion at best but now¡­ Her new home was a castle, an entire castle made of stones and a castle that had a drawbridge. It was all hers. Therge luxurious castle suddenly became her personal home. The castles of the mid-continent were typically oversized, and this particr one was as big as the biggest castle in the Aehasian capital where the king and his family lived. ¡®And it¡¯s all mine.¡¯ It belonged to Poliana now. His highness Lucius the First gave it to her. She didn¡¯t follow him to be wealthy, but this was such a huge and unexpected, yet very weed, bonus. She was ecstatic. So many thoughts passed through her head. With the tax money she gathered, what could she do to improve this ce? First, she needed to have a solid army and have enough to feed them for a while. She noticed that there were gold and precious stone decorations all over the castle. The previous lord was obviously a luxurious fool. She wondered how much she could get if she sold them all? How much food and supplies could she get? Only All she knew was war, so all she could think of was having enough supplies at all times. Suddenly, Poliana noticed a patrolling soldier walking towards her. He obviously didn¡¯t spot her because after looking around, he turned towards the castle wall and unbuckled his pants to urinate. Poliana quietly approached him and smacked the back of his head. The guard screamed in shock and ignoring him, Poliana ordered sharply, ¡°Urinating should only ur in washrooms.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please forgive me!¡± ¡°This castle is where the emperor is currently residing. We can¡¯t have him smelling your urine, now can we? Make sure to tell everyone never to do something like this again.¡± They were too far from the emperor¡¯s room for Lucius the First to smell anything, but it was always a good idea to enforce strict rules. Poliana didn¡¯t feel guilty at all. The night darkened further, so she decided it was time to go to bed. Before she returned to her room, she needed to check on the emperor onest time. Her men were standing in front of the emperor¡¯s door. They saluted her when she approached them. New guards were also there for the next shift as it was time to switch. The guardsmunicated through signnguage to exchange reports. Poliana watched them and realized that there was a guest inside the emperor¡¯s room. ¡®Another woman?¡¯ Chapter 85 Chapter 85 The emperor was in his early 30¡¯s, so it made sense that he had strong needs just like any other young healthy man. It wasn¡¯t umon for Poliana to witness women visiting him often even during the war, but what confused Poliana was the fact that Lucius the First didn¡¯t refuse any women at alltely. Until now, the emperor has rarely refused the offered women¡¯s entry to his room, but depending on his condition or mood, he only talked with them or drank with them most of the time. But now, on their way back to Acreia, he has taken all of the women to his bed without a question. It was the emperor¡¯s personal servant¡¯s duty, not a knight¡¯s, to deal with the emperor¡¯s personal life. But as his guard, Poliana couldn¡¯t help but worry about the emperor¡¯s stamina. If he spent all his nights with a woman, wouldn¡¯t that harm his health? Lucius the First was a very healthy young man, but Poliana couldn¡¯t stop herself from worrying. Poliana met Donau in the hallway. Sir Donau mentioned it to her, ¡°It seems that his highness has been keeping himself very busy every night.¡± It was clear that it wasn¡¯t just Poliana who was worried about their emperor¡¯s change in habit. Poliana then replied, ¡°I agree. I wonder if he just has been very tense during the war, but now that he can rx, he has be more active in his nightly activity.¡± Some men liked to take some women to bed to rx during a war, while other men needed to feel safe and rxed to be able to enjoy a woman. Every man was different in his preference. At first, she wondered if it was because the emperor was trying to sire an heir but if this was the case, he wouldn¡¯t have insisted on some women of mediocre nobility. Poliana sighed and added, ¡°I wish he would take in a wife soon. I would love to have an empress.¡± ¡°I know! A beautiful wise empress¡­¡± ¡°Kind and generous¡­¡± ¡°And then, we will have many princes and princesses¡­¡± They were talking together when suddenly, they heard the guards talking about how the emperor sent tonight¡¯s woman away. Poliana asked one of the guards, ¡°What happened? Did she make a mistake?¡± ¡°Thedy suggested that they should enjoy the hot spring together. You know how his highness was very sensitive about something like that.¡± A man and woman bathing together naked¡­ It was considered a significant event. It meant that they were bing serious about each other, and it seemed Lucius the First was offended at thisdy¡¯s forward and seductive move. The emperor was born a prince, he grew up to be an heir, became an emperor of a kingdom, and united the entire continent. He led an elegant and straightforward life, so although he enjoyed women who were enthusiastic in bed, he disliked women who strayed from the normal and usual bedroom etiquette. Based on what they witnessed so far, they knew what kind of women their emperor preferred. Lucius the First didn¡¯t have to say a word, even Poliana knew his taste very well. ¡°His highness¡¯s type is a fragile and femininedy.¡± ¡°Exactly. Long hair and slim body¡­ Ady he could embrace easily¡­¡± ¡°Totally, someone who looks like she needs to be protected.¡± Their discussion continued as the men began to talk about their types. The married ones bragged about their wives while the unmarried soldiers talked about their dream women. When Sir Donau was asked about it, he refused to give them an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t have a type!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed! Tell us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Donau. We want to know!¡± When all the knights insisted, Donau said he needed to think about it for a second. Poliana was curious as well. After a few minutes, Sir Donau finally answered, ¡°I don¡¯t care about thedy¡¯s looks. I just want someone strong and wise. Someone who can protect herself.¡± Donau¡¯s face turned red as if embarrassed. The other men noticed it and began to tease him mercilessly. Meanwhile, Poliana thought she should let Sir Rabi know this fact when she got a chance. Suddenly, Poliana found something she has been looking for. She walked away from the group and stared at something with a grin. When Sir Donau asked what she was looking at, she smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s the white-tailed lizard I have been dehydrating.¡± When the knight heard her words, they all jumped towards her and begged her to give it to them. Sir Donau, afraid that Poliana might force him to eat it again against his will, flinched in disgust. Thankfully, this time, it wasn¡¯t for Sir Donau. Poliana took the dried white-tailed lizard personally to the kitchen. She ordered the cook to make sure he uses it to make his highness¡¯s stew for the next day. Everyone in the castle already knew Poliana was going to be their next master, so the cook nodded without hesitation. It was a well-known fact that the white-tailed lizard was great for men¡¯s stamina. No one doubted Poliana¡¯s good intention for the emperor. Unfortunately for Lucius the First, his disgust for reptiles wasn¡¯t well known. He made sure of it because he didn¡¯t want his one weakness to be known to everyone. The cook took special care to maintain the lizard shape as the stew was made. He was sessful and he proudly ced the intact animal on top of the stew as a decoration. Thankfully, the emperor¡¯s servant saw it and removed the lizard before Lucius the First ever saw it. If he did, the emperor would have refused to eat even a spoonful of the specially made stew. Yesterday, Lucius the First was upset because thedy offered to him tried to seduce him into having a bath with her in the hot spring. A man and a woman washing together¡­ It would have never ended with just a bath, and the emperor felt a little angry. Did that woman think he was a pervert? That he was desperate? Only ¡®The previous lord must¡¯ve enjoyed such vulgar activity.¡¯ It made sense, or else, why would anyone spend so much money and effort to make a channel that transported the hot spring water into the castle? Lucius the First was unhappy. Every day and every night, he was served by different beauties and was offered the most extravagant meals and yet, he was still very displeased. Why? Only the emperor knew the answer to that question. Lucius the First took a spoonful of his stew. It had a distinct and unfamiliar taste and he loved it. ¡°What a great stew.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. It is made especially for you. It is supposed to be very good for health, so please finish your bowl. All of it.¡± The servants who knew the secret to this stew didn¡¯t say a word. It was better for him not to know the truth. Poliana exchanged some knowing nces with the servants and put her thumbs up for them. Perfect, everything was going ording to her n. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Thump, thump. The emperor¡¯s heart began to beat loudly. Lucius the First felt the pain of it and closed his eyes. His beautiful face was filled with sadness and worry. The previous lord of Sitrin was a lustful man. The hot spring wasn¡¯t that far from the castle, yet he created an expensive water channel to bring the water directly to his castle. On top of that, he also built a custom brazier to reheat the water and an extravagant bathhouse for his pleasure. It must¡¯ve cost a pretty penny to build something like this. Based on his understanding, it took a very long time toplete this project as well. It was only recently finished, and in the end, the previous lord ended up dying without being able to enjoy his crazy creation. How sad. And now, Lucius the First, the conqueror of all kingdoms, was going to enjoy it and in the future, Poliana would get to enjoy it as the new master of Sitrin. For now, the emperor was happy to relish in the healing water alone. It was quiet inside except for the sound of falling water. Lucius the First stared at the gentle wave of the water around him. Thump, thump. His heartbeat filled his head and he shook his head. Please don¡¯t let it be love¡­ Lucius the First was desperate. This couldn¡¯t be love. This powerful feeling he had inside of him¡­ It had to be just his excitement from aplishing his dream of uniting the continent. It had to be him feeling good about seeing his trusted night happy. It had to be because it had been a while since he had a woman. It had to be¡­ It had to be¡­ This was why he didn¡¯t refuse any women that were offered to him. They were all different. Whether they were round-shouldered and square-shouldered, big-breasted and small-breasted, even if they had a sweet bodily scent and they were sour-smelling, and on and on. He didn¡¯t care as long as it was a woman, any woman. He thought that if he buried his face on a woman¡¯s breasts, he would be able to forget about Poliana, and this crazy heartbeat would stop. The women who entered his room were all beautiful. They had long silky hair, porcin skin, and clean and well-kept nails¡­ Lucius the First weed all of them. He spent all of his pent up energy on these women, but¡­ The emperor¡¯s heart would not stop beating loudly. ¡®This isn¡¯t right¡­¡¯ Of all people¡­ He felt so strongly for Poliana. Even after taking all those women to bed, his feelings didn¡¯t change. He could no longer im his feeling for her was from his repressed lust. Lucius the First was troubled. This was a big problem for him. There has never been anyone who distressed him this much. This could be dangerous. Just the fact that he considered this situation as a trouble was disturbing. If he wanted a woman, it wasn¡¯t a problem for Lucius the First to take her. There was no one else in this world who had a higher status than he did. He was the emperor after all. No one could deny him or refuse him. As an emperor, he didn¡¯t have to pursue a woman. He only had to say so and his servants would bring her straight to him. As long as it wasn¡¯t a married woman, the emperor could have anyone. In fact, even most married women would be willing to give themselves to him. This wasn¡¯t only because he was the emperor with absolute power. The fact that Lucius the First was a young, beautiful, and kind man was the biggest reason for it. The emperor was respectful and was not shy about acknowledging true talents. He was also very intelligent and well-read. Countless women confessed their love for him. It would be very difficult to find a woman who would refuse such a man. For a second, Lucius the First thought he came up with an easy solution. Why not just confess to Poliana? No matter how the knightess felt about it, she could not escape him. Suddenly, realizing his mistake, the emperor sshed some water on his face. ¡®No! No! I can¡¯t be like that! It would be wrong.¡¯ Forcing a woman¡­ It was wrong to even think about such a thing. This was what a tyrant would do. Lucius the First couldn¡¯te up with an answer. Recently, he stopped calling Poliana by her nickname ¡°Pol.¡± He began to call her Sir Pol again. He could tell that Poliana was disappointed, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He was afraid that if he got any closer to her, he would blurt out his love for her. The emperor was troubled. The first person who noticed the change in the emperor was his long time friend and loyal knight, Sir Ainno. At first, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡®His highness must be just worried about all the work he will have to do when he returns to Acreia.¡¯ When he found out about the women, Sir Ainno also didn¡¯t think it was a problem. The emperor was a healthy young man after all. The war was over, so it wasn¡¯t strange that he would seek a nightlypany. But what worried Sir Ainno was him drinking. For some reason, Lucius the First rarely drank anymore and when he did, he drank alone or drank with one of the women offered to him. This was strange because Lucius the First loved to drink with his men. He hated drinking alone. The emperor¡¯s favorite pastime was having a drinking party with his knights. Many men found it hard to be the emperor¡¯s drinking body. Lucius the First was a great master, but as his subject, none of the knights could drinkfortably in front of their boss. Lucius the First also had a horrible sense of humor and having to force themselves tough at his jokes was quite an ordeal. At the beginning of the war, Sirs Baufallo and Ainno were called to these drinking gatherings the most. But as the emperor came to know more and more knights, other men were invited to join as well. Towards the end of the war, Lucius the First became set on drinking with only his favorite knights. Poliana was one of these people for an obvious reason. She was a strange drinker, but still a very goodpany, she wouldn¡¯t look drunk but would copse so suddenly. And at the end of these parties, it was always Sir Ainno who ended up having to clean up after everyone. He was a very strong drinker and rarely became intoxicated like the other men. This should have been the perfect time for the emperor to have a nightly drinking party with his knights, but when it didn¡¯t happen, Sir Ainno became worried. Something was wrong! After a few days of observing his emperor, Sir Ainno decided to be direct and ask him. He grabbed a bottle of wine and visited Lucius the First. It worked out perfectly because the emperor was alone in his bedroom. Sir Ainno asked without hesitation, ¡°Your highness, is there something you are worried about?¡± ¡°I am now the emperor of the entire continent, so why would I be worried about anything?¡± Lucius the First replied calmly, but Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t fooled by it. ¡°If you are unhappy about something, you only need to let me know, your highness. I will take care of it immediately. If you are worried about the elders in Acreia making trouble for you when you return, just tell me. I will ride ahead and get rid of all of them before you reach our homnd.¡± Only Such a loyal announcement didn¡¯t make the emperor feel any better. When Lucius the First still looked troubled, Sir Ainno was about to ask him again but someone knocked on their door. ¡°It¡¯s Poliana, I¡¯ming in.¡± Poliana walked in excitedly. She was carrying a bottle of wine and some snacks. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you two are drinking without me!¡± Sir Ainno saw the bottle she was holding. His eyes widened as he asked, ¡°Howe you have a better bottle of wine than I do, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°Because I¡­ Hahaha¡­! I am about to be the new master of this castle!¡± Polianaughed happily and loudly. Sir Ainno grumbled and grabbed the bottle from her hand. Lucius the First seemed to be contemting quietly. Suddenly, he turned to Poliana and ordered, ¡°I will be drinking alone with Sir Ainno tonight, so Sir Pol, I would like you to leave.¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Sir Ainno and Poliana¡¯s eyes widened at their emperor¡¯s firm words. This confirmed Sir Ainno¡¯s suspicion; something was definitely going on with Lucius the First. Poliana simply thought that perhaps there was a topic her emperor wanted to discuss only with other men. ¡®Maybe his highness wants to talk about something dirty¡­¡¯ Both Lucius the First and Sir Ainno were high-born young masters. Whatever dirty stories they wanted to share with each other¡­ Poliana knew it wouldn¡¯tpare to what she heard or even had to go through, but if she pointed this out to them, she knew that the two men would deny it and make her look like a dirty-minded woman. Poliana knew that if she pried, it would only embarrass Lucius the First, so she decided against it. She decided to let the men have their fun. ¡°Then, I will go drink with the other knights, your highness. Have a great evening.¡± ¡°Wait, Sir Pol, please make sure you don¡¯t drink too much. Actually, you shouldn¡¯t drink at all. Just go to bed for tonight.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Poliana¡¯s eyes widened as the emperor exined, ¡°I really think you drink too much and too often, Sir Pol. We have a wonderful bathhouse with hot spring water, so why don¡¯t you enjoy it before going to bed tonight. You are going to be the new owner of this castle, so it would be a great idea for you to explore every aspect of this ce.¡± It sounded like Lucius the First really cared about her health. Poliana nodded in agreement. She left the wine and snacks and left the room. The emperor sighed in relief. For tonight, he was able to stop her from drinking and spending too much time with other men. Sir Ainno then asked, ¡°Do you have something you want to tell me? Something that Sir Poliana shouldn¡¯t hear?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that, Inno. You go ahead and rest too.¡± ¡°Your highness, please tell me what is bothering you. I will fix it.¡± Sir Ainno was serious about his offer. From his point of view, Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t understand what the emperor could be worried about. All of his dreams came true. The continent was united, and the emperor didn¡¯t lose any of his close men. None of the colonies were revolting and the people were throwing flowers at them and weing them with open arms. But the emperor looked for forlorn as if he was all alone in this world. Was Lucius the First going through another puberty? ¡°Inno, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Your highness, I know you are not telling me the truth.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lucius the First rubbed his forehead. It was bing even clearer that something was bothering him. He sighed deeply. Lucius the First knew that he couldn¡¯t keep this secret from Sir Ainno for too long. In the end, the emperor said to his knight, ¡°There is a woman I am interested in¡­¡± ¡°Who is she? I will bring her to you immediately.¡± The names and the families of all the women that were offered to the emperor were recorded in an official document. All Sir Ainno had to do was ask the servant for the name and the address, and he could get thedy tonight. Lucius the First shook his head. ¡°No, there is no need.¡± ¡°Why not? You are feeling this way because of this woman!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a temporary and minor attraction. It will pass soon so there is no need for you to deal with it.¡± ¡°If it was going to pass soon, you wouldn¡¯t be here looking like this.¡± ¡°¡­ I suppose you are right, Inno.¡± Lucius the First smiled bitterly. Sir Ainno looked determined. It was clear that he wasn¡¯t going to leave the room without finding out the truth. ¡°Your highness, please tell me about her! Where is she from? The reason you won¡¯t tell me¡­ Is it because this woman is married? Or is she too young? Too old? Is she widowed with a child? Is she amoner?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± It was all wrong. Sir Ainno became even more curious. What was the problem then? ¡°Your highness, then why do you hesitate? Bring that woman here and tell her how you feel. I am certain she would be delighted.¡± Sir Ainno was sure of it. His friend, the emperor, was beautiful and kind. He had a great body and most of all, he was the emperor of the whole continent. Who would dare to, or want to, deny such a man? He supposed that a heart would want what a heart wants. Of course, not all women would fall immediately in love with the emperor, but who would deny themselves of such an honor of bing the emperor¡¯s woman? Love was not a requirement here. On top of that, Lucius the First was unmarried. If this woman in question came from a decent family, there was a very good chance she could be the next empress. This was especially possible because the emperor was clearly smitten with her. Sir Ainno had never seen Lucius the First act this way. ¡°Your highness, if this woman is a foreigner, I guess the elders back home may protest, but this could actually be a good thing. Having a foreigner as a wife could bring all of the colonies together as one. Your highness! What is it that worries you so much? Even if this woman is married, if we give her husband an appropriatepensation, we can make this work.¡± ¡°Inno, a woman isn¡¯t a property. We don¡¯t buy women.¡± Sir Ainno became speechless. He knew women weren¡¯t livestock, but they were certainly treated like one. Lucius the First was a kind and fair man, but Sir Ainno knew that the emperor wasn¡¯t a na?ve man. Lucius the First knew perfectly well how the world worked, so for him to say something like this¡­ Suddenly, Sir Ainno realized the truth. ¡°Ah, are you in love, your highness?¡± This couldn¡¯t be just an interest. This young man was in love and that was why he looked so troubled. Hearing it out loud from another person confirmed what Lucius the First feared. Thump, thump. His heart began to beat loudly again. Lucius the First closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s love.¡± ¡°So who is this woman? Where is she? If you are in love with this person, why would you take in a different woman every night? If you truly love this girl, then we need to bring her here immediately¡­¡± ¡°Just stop, Inno. It is only now that I have admitted this. I have been trying to ignore it and deny it¡­ but it didn¡¯t work.¡± Only ¡°Deny love? Why would you do something so silly?¡± Sir Ainno frowned. He knew Lucius the First could do almost anything if he ced his mind to it but still, there were things in this world that just couldn¡¯t be done. Love¡­ Sir Ainno had never been in love, but even he knew that it couldn¡¯t be stopped. Why was the emperor trying so hard to ignore his feelings? It had to be because this woman was someone he couldn¡¯t have. A married woman? A widow? ¡°Just who is it, your highness? Tell me!¡± Lucius the First¡¯s clear green eyes looked unsettled. He wasn¡¯t used to worrying this much. He was at his limit. He needed to tell someone. The emperor¡¯s heart thumped excitedly, this would be the first time he admitted it to another person. He wasn¡¯t confessing to her in person, but it certainly felt like a confession. Finally, Lucius the First opened his mouth and said to his friend, ¡°Poliana Winter.¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88 ¡°Shut the f*ck up! Are you crazy?¡± Lucius the First grabbed Sir Ainno¡¯s cor with a frown, but the knight easily got away by bending his emperor¡¯s wrist. Lucius the First rubbed his wrist and Sir Ainno, confused and shocked, walked around the room. Turning towards the emperor, the knight asked to confirm, ¡°Are you serious? Is this for real?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Your highness! Look at me!¡± Sir Ainno showed him two of his fingers and asked, ¡°How many fingers am I holding, your highness?¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Do they look unclear, or do your eyes feel foggy¡­¡± ¡°My eyes are perfectly fine, Inno.¡± The emperor said to Sir Ainno firmly and continued, ¡°Let me exin.¡± ¡°Please¡­ Just give me a second to gather my thoughts¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can muster the courage to hear your story.¡± Sir Ainno grabbed the bottle of wine and gulped it down. After emptying half of it, he finally sat down again. Lucius the First wanted to tell him the whole story and Sir Ainno now had to keep this secret safe as his loyal knight. The emperor was 30 years old, he was old enough to have sired several children by now. In fact, Sir Ainno¡¯s younger brother already had a child. Yet here was the emperor, experiencing his first love. It was an embarrassing moment; sharing a love story between two grown men, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. The 30-year-old man began to tell his love story to his trusted friend. From early on, Lucius the First liked Poliana. Of course, in the beginning, it was an interest as any emperor would have towards a talented knight. After a while, they became close acquaintances, and then close friends. Then at some point, this tonic affection turned into love. And when this happened, Lucius the First could no longer treat Poliana as easily as before. He couldn¡¯t even call her by her name without fearing Poliana finding out about his feelings. Lately, the emperor felt breathless whenever he saw her smile. ¡°S-stop, your highness. Just give me a moment.¡± It was considered rude for anyone to interrupt the emperor, but Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t help it. Lucius the First was so excited that he was talking too fast and too excitedly, and Sir Ainno needed time to digest what he was hearing. The emperor reddened, as did Sir Ainno. Cough. The two men coughed nervously. Sir Ainno finished the rest of the bottle and nodded. He looked determined to hear out his emperor. Lucius the First was grateful that his friend was willing to listen to him. What good friends they were! Lucius the First continued, ¡°I tried to ignore this feeling, but it didn¡¯t work. It makes sense because¡­¡± The emperor admitted that although Poliana was indeed no beauty, she was actually very adorable. Besides, a person¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t the most important thing, it was the inside that really mattered. The emperor added, ¡°Besides, I have enough beauty for the both of us. And really, Poliana isn¡¯t ugly when you think about it. If you look closely, she is actually very cute. A few days ago, sheined about her bangs getting into her eyes, so she got a bowl and cut her hair straight across it.¡± Everyone gaped in shock, but the emperor secretly thought she looked lovable. ¡°Your highness, calm down!¡± ¡°Oh, of course. I¡­ I got carried away.¡± To call a 30-year-old spinster cute¡­ Clearly, the emperor had lost his mind. The two men coughed embarrassedly. Lucius the First took the bottle of wine but ced it down after realizing that Sir Ainno finished it. He grabbed another one and poured himself a full ss. He felt thirsty. It wasn¡¯t just the emperor whose mouth felt dry. Sir Ainno gulped down another bottle. He was a strong drinker and rarely became drunk. Unfortunately, the more he drank right now, the thirstier he became. There were so many women in the world. Half of the poption was men, which meant the other half was women. Sir Ainno knew that badmouthing the woman his emperor loved was a bad manner, but he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Your highness. Half the world is full of women. Even excluding the elderly, children, and married women, there still are so many women in the world. You could pick anyone among them randomly and she would be still better than Sir Poliana.¡± Lucius the First angrily threw a bottle at his knight, who caught it easily and sat it down on the table. Sir Ainno realized this was not something he could fix. ¡®There is no answer to this problem.¡¯ The scary thing was the fact that Lucius the First knew this. He understood how crazy this was and how unfit Poliana was to be his woman. Yet¡­ The emperor with the greatest self-control and logic was helpless against his feelings for her. Both men blushed in embarrassment. ¡°As your highness must know, Sir Poliana is 30 years old. She is a spinster and let¡¯s be honest here. She is no beauty. In fact, to be brutally honest, she is one of the ugliest women I have met.¡± One could be kind and say she came from a decent family, but no one could ever call her a properdy. She was covered in scars and she looked ridiculous in a dress. Her hair was always kept short and she had no manners fit for ady. All she knew were how to use a sword and win battles. ¡°On top of that¡­ She was in the Aehasian army for years. She spent most of her adult years with young men, your highness. If you take her as yourdy, there will be many who would question her virtue. Even if we can stop them from talking¡­ It still wouldn¡¯t change the fact that she is barren.¡± Lucius the First was well aware of these problems. ¡°I know, I know it better than you do, Inno.¡± It was true. The emperor knew more details of Poliana than anyone in this army. Before he developed his feelings for her, Lucius the First and Poliana spent many nights together talking and drinking. They shared intimate stories of each other. Because Lucius the First was the emperor, he couldn¡¯t tell her too much of his secrets, but Poliana felt free to tell him of hers. She was honest about her past. Only On those nights, there was no room for love or lust. They were together as an emperor and his knight, nothing more. So how did this happen? When did love begin? No matter how hard he thought about it, Lucius the First couldn¡¯t figure it out. A barren woman could not get married if her condition was known. If she belonged to a wealthy family, she would live her life as a spinster. If she came from a poor family, she would be sold to be a wealthy man¡¯s concubine or worse, a prostitute. This was what happened in Acreia. Suddenly, Sir Ainno said to him, ¡°Well, whatever. If you must, your highness, take her as your concubine, why not?¡± Lucius the First raised his face at such an unexpected answer. He was certain that his friend would be adamantly against the idea, so this was a surprise. Of all people, the emperor expected Sir Ainno to disapprove of this the most. He even thought his knight might even go after Poliana and beat her up for seducing his emperor. But clearly, Lucius the First was wrong. Sir Ainno continued, ¡°Your highness, you are the one who united this world. Who would ever dare to refuse you? Why should you be so troubled because of a woman? Do what you must. Do what you want. I will always be on your side. I have your back.¡± Then suddenly, Sir Ainno sat arrogantly and added, ¡°That is as far as I will say as your knight and subject. Now, let me tell you something as your friend.¡± ¡°The knight Ainno and friend Ainno are two different men?¡± ¡°Just listen to me. Here is your biggest problem, that girl¡­ Sir Poliana¡­ she doesn¡¯t see you as a man.¡± Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Lucius the First knew exactly what Sir Ainno was trying to say, but he believed that his situation wasn¡¯t hopeless. After all, he didn¡¯t see Poliana as a woman until recently. Something changed inside of him and he fell in love with her, so the same thing could happen to her too. When the emperor pointed this out, Sir Ainno answered in frustration, ¡°That¡¯s different. You are crazy, while she isn¡¯t.¡± Shocked, Lucius the First became speechless. With a sigh, Sir Ainno continued, ¡°So just do what you want.¡¯ ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am telling you this as your friend. Do what you would like. I will always be on your side.¡± But even as he said this, Sir Ainno knew the truth. ¡®She will refuse you.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t say this out loud to his friend, but Sir Ainno added, ¡°However, you need to remember this. There have been many rulers in history who became tyrants because they couldn¡¯t control their emotions. Lucius, you aren¡¯t like the other kings. You are the emperor of the entire continent. What do you think will happen if you be a tyrant? A tyrant who has absolute power over this world¡­ If you ended up entering the wrong path, I will kill you, Lucius. And afterward, I will put poor Luzo on the throne. That is what I can do for you as your true friend.¡± The three of them, Ainno, Lucius, and Luzo, were childhood friends. Sir Ainno continued, ¡°I trust you. I know you. I know you aren¡¯t the type that would be corrupt because of a woman, so do what you want. I will make sure there aren¡¯t any obstacles on your way.¡± ¡°Inno¡­¡± Sir Ainno always thought of Lucius the First as someone that needed to be protected since their childhood. If the emperor wanted something, all he had to do was take it. He certainly deserved everything. ¡°Just go get her! Take her!¡± ¡°What? She is a person, not a thing. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Then go tell that to her. Confess your love to her. You are an emperor, Lucius! Are you going to suffer this one-sided love forever?¡± Sir Ainno stood up in annoyance. He moved towards the door because he couldn¡¯t take this love crap anymore. When Lucius the First called his name, he shuddered and answered, ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell me about your love story again, Lucius! It¡¯s so corny and gross! Besides, I am not interested in love and dating and all that. I will marry whoever you decide for me and that will be the end of it!¡± ¡°Inno¡­!¡± Sir Ainno clearly lived his life only for the emperor and Lucius the First felt grateful. When the emperor opened up his arms, the knight grumbled but hugged Lucius the First back. When Sir Ainno finally left the emperor¡¯s room, his frown became bigger and uglier. He couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. This world was full of beautiful women, so why was Lucius the First set on her? Sir Ainno epted Sir Poliana as his fellow knight, but not as a woman. All the other knights felt the same way. In the Acreian army, Poliana Winter was epted as a genderless knight. Not a man, but not a woman either. So for the emperor to fall in love with her¡­ Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t imagine Poliana as a concubine. Strangely, however, Sir Ainno hoped that Polian would ept the emperor. He couldn¡¯t imagine her rejecting Lucius the First, she couldn¡¯t. In fact, he expected her to fall to the floor for such a great honor. She would be considered the luckiest woman in the world. The emperor¡¯s heart. There was nothing more precious than that on this continent. Alone in his room, Lucius the First finished the rest of the drinks. ¡®That¡¯s right. The first thing that I should do is to confess to her.¡¯ Cupid was such a cruel being. His arrow hit the emperor¡¯s heart. Lucius the First had no chance in hell. He knew it wasn¡¯t Poliana¡¯s fault at all. If she knew, she would be bbergasted and confused. She didn¡¯t do anything to cause this. It was his heart that lost its mind. The emperor tried and failed in ignoring his feelings, so now, the only thing left for him was to confess to her. He was determined that this was the right course of action. After talking with his friend, Lucius the First felt optimistic. ¡®I should confess my feelings to her.¡¯ Sir Ainno was right. Poliana didn¡¯t see Lucius the First as a man. She saw him only as her emperor. She didn¡¯t mind showing her naked body to him. At this rate, they could never be more. The emperor knew there needed to be a major change in their current rtionship. He was the one in love, so he was the one who needed to make the change. And the biggest change could be made by him confessing his love for her. This was going to change everything between them. Unfortunately, Lucius the First was too blinded to realize that his confession could also ruin their rtionship forever. Normally, he would have spent a long time nning this out before making his move, but a sudden burst of courage, along with a bottle of wine, made him reckless. He decided that it needed to happen tonight. ¡®Let¡¯s do it!¡¯ He walked out of the room, but suddenly, he realized that he reeked of wine. This wouldn¡¯t do. It wouldn¡¯t be romantic at all for a drunk man to confess his love. So the emperor headed towards the bathhouse. He gestured for these guards not to follow him. He was only going to the bathhouse, but the guards refused to stay behind because they could smell the alcohol on him. In Acreia, bathhouses and saunas were verymon. Many men drank before enjoying these facilities and sometimes, this ended in their deaths. Lucius the First promised the guards that if he felt dizzy, he would call for a servant. He promised that he would not fall asleep in a bathtub and finally, the guards agreed to wait for him from outside. But when Lucius the First entered the bathhouse alone, he saw a strange figure on the floor. There were several bathhouses in the Sitrin castle, and this particr one was the most luxurious one designated only for the emperor¡¯s use. Only So who was this person on the floor? Lucius the First¡¯s first guesses were either an assassin or a woman. He slowly walked towards the person without calling for his guards. When he got closer, the emperor quickly realized who it was. It was a woman¡¯s body covered in scars and had short light brown hair. It was Poliana. ¡®Why is Pol here?¡¯ Lucius the First was confused and concerned. He had seen her naked a few times before. He even saw hering out of a bathtub before, but at the time, he didn¡¯t feel anything. But now that he was in love with her, the emperor wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to act gentlemanly around the naked woman who was the recipient of his secret love. Quickly, Lucius the First ced his cloak on top of her naked body and looked around the room. He suggested that she should take a nice bath before going to bed tonight, but he didn¡¯t tell her to wait at his private bathhouse. He would never ask a woman, especially his own knightess, of such a thing. So¡­ what was Poliana doing here? Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Lucius the First looked around, trying to figure out what happened. Suddenly, he saw that a nearby door was slightly ajar. It looked like a decorative wall, but it must¡¯ve been a secret door that connected the different bathhouses. It seemed that Poliana walked in through that door. ¡®I had no idea there were secret doors in this castle.¡¯ It was a good thing it wasn¡¯t an assassin, but it still didn¡¯t answer the question of why Poliana was lying on the floor like this. ¡®Did she fall because the floor was slippery?¡¯ Lucius the First looked over Poliana¡¯s head carefully and saw that she wasn¡¯t injured. He checked her pulse, heartbeat, and breathing. She had a strong pulse and a heartbeat. Her breathing was ok, but she smelled faintly of alcohol. At first, he thought the smell was from him, but he realized that it smelled a little different. It was a different wine. After a brief hesitation, he shook her body lightly. He would never find out without her exining what happened. ¡°Pol! Sir Pol! What happened? Are you ill?¡± ¡°Umm¡­. Err¡­.¡± It took him a while, but Poliana finally opened her eyes. She looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Then suddenly, she pushed the emperor away and crawled towards the nearby corner. And there¡­ she began to vomit. Lucius the First thought about calling for a servant at first, but he stopped. Poliana was still naked. Even with the cloak around her, the shape of her body was visible because of the moisture. He couldn¡¯t let another man see her like this. ¡°rggh!¡± Poliana threw up violently and the loud ghastly sound echoed throughout the bathhouse. Lucius the First looked away and patted her back tofort her. It sounded like she was vomiting her innards out. At some point, she looked up. Lucius the First then asked, ¡°Are you ok? Are you awake now?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°Alright, tell me what happened.¡± Finally feeling better, Poliana exined what happened. After leaving the emperor¡¯s room, she went to take a bath just as Lucius the First suggested. She remembered hearing how the wine tasted even better when taken during a bath. She knew it could be dangerous, but she was confident that she could handle it. Because she gave away her bottle to Sir Ainno, she had to go get another one. Luckily, she was able to find a new bottle of liquor. She soon realized that the myth was true. Drinking inside a hot bath got her drunk even faster than usual. When she began to feel dizzy, she came out of the tub and opened the nearest closest door she could find. When she walked through, she found herself in another bathhouse, and she became confused. Drunk and baffled, she kept walking back and forth between the two different bathhouses until she lost her consciousness. Lucius the First checked the secret door and saw that indeed, the other side looked, while on this side, it looked like it was part of a wall. Poliana kneeled and cried out, ¡°Your highness, I apologize for my behavior. I am sorry! I deserve to be punished!¡± The cloak he ced on her naked body fell on the floor, but she didn¡¯t care. Meanwhile, Lucius the First didn¡¯t know where to look so he looked up at the ceiling awkwardly. ¡®I guess she was embarrassed about vomiting, but not about showing her naked body.¡¯ Poliana didn¡¯t see him as a man. The emperor wondered if she even realized that she was actually a woman. ¡°Please, kill me, your highness!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sir Pol. Like I said before, I would be happy to take care of you when you get drunk.¡± Poliana bit her lips in mortification, ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Why did she have to get drunk like this? Why did she have to be so stupid? She wanted to drown in the bathtub and die just to escape this moment. It was even worse because Lucius the First was so kind. He was patting her back as she was vomiting a minute ago. This was the worst moment of her life. ¡°But Sir Pol, you need to remember that drinking in a hot bath is very dangerous. You could die.¡± ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Poliana¡¯s face was almost touching the floor while Lucius the First was still looking up ufortably. Soon, Poliana¡¯s body began to turn pale from the cold. Her body began to shiver and when the emperor heard her teeth chattering, he forced her into the tub. Poliana insisted on cleaning up her vomit, but she realized that she was still feeling very dizzy and weak. She knew she might copse again, so she said to the emperor, ¡°I will leave right now, your highness, and get a servant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Get into the tub and warm yourself up. Did you leave your clothes in the other bathhouse?¡± Lucius the First asked as he poured some water on her vomit to clean it off. The dirty water streamed down to the nearby drain. Poliana, now in the tub, reddened unhappily. ¡°Your highness¡­ You shouldn¡¯t have to clean up like that¡­¡± ¡°I told you I will take care of you, Sir Pol. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t be moving at all right now, or you might fall and hit your head.¡± Lucius the First didn¡¯t mind. He had a strong stomach because he was a soldier and a hunter. He had gutted plenty of animal carcasses in his life to the point that something minor like a puke would not bother him. He had also seen a field of dead corpses during many battles in the past. Lucius the First then went to the other bathhouse and grabbed Poliana¡¯s neatly folded clothes. He also grabbed a clean dry towel for her. As he walked towards her, the emperor suddenly realized something incredible. He came here to take a bath. He looked down and remembered that he was fully naked. He wasn¡¯t even wearing a towel to cover his private part. Lucius the First leaned against a wall to support himself. He was feeling a little dizzy as he realized something. He had been nude this entire time, yet Poliana¡­ she didn¡¯t seem to even notice. Should he be feeling angry at her? Or should he be devastated? Only In his head, he understood that Poliana was different from a normal woman. She had seen plenty of naked men in her lifetime, so she was used to it. Still¡­ Lucius the First red at himself in the mirror. He had a beautiful face, an amazing body, and an excellent manhood. He was being objective. He had also seen many naked men, especially because saunas and bathhouses weremon in Acreia. He had many chances topare his body to others, and he knew he had more than adequate. ¡®So why?!¡¯ Feeling embarrassed, Lucius the First found a towel to cover himself. They were both naked, but it appeared that it was only the emperor who was embarrassed about it. He knew it must be because he saw her differently now. Meanwhile, Poliana was still in the tub looking ufortable. It wasn¡¯t a sense of embarrassment from being naked; it was because of the fact that she vomited in front of the emperor and he ended up cleaning after her. Suddenly, Lucius the First realized that this could be a great chance to confess to her. ¡®Could this be the perfect timing?¡¯ Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Lucius the First wasn¡¯t thinking logically. What kind of woman would find this situation romantic? To have a man, who just witnessed her vomiting, confess his love to her¡­ It was clearly a bad idea, but the emperor wasn¡¯t thinking with his head. His heart now controlled him. But he was right about one thing. They were in a luxurious and romantic bathhouse. The ce was filled with warm steam and the two of them were naked. And on top of that, they liked and were interested in each other! Of course, the emperor¡¯s interest in her was definitely different than that of Poliana, but still, he felt optimistic. When Lucius the First approached her, Poliana apologized again, ¡°I, I¡¯m so sorry, your highness.¡± ¡°Are you feeling better now? Or are you still feeling drunk?¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, Sir.¡± Poliana still looked mortified, so Lucius the First consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t feel so bad. There is no need for you to me yourself. Others have done much worse things in the past. For example, Inno broke my father, the former emperor¡¯s sword, once.¡± Breaking his dead father¡¯s keepsake was clearly much worse than vomiting in front of him, but Poliana reddened even more. She wanted to disappear from this situation. Lucius the First left her clothes and towel on a table and entered the tub. He sat down close to her, but Poliana didn¡¯t move away. The water level rose slightly, creating a gentle wave against Poliana, and Lucius the First blushed as he watched her. The emperor quickly put on a serious yet calm face and began to work his magic. He knew he looked seductive with his wet golden hair and shiny eyes. It was enough to excite even an elderly woman. Or at least, that was what he thought. ¡°Are you feeling better, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. Much better, thank you. And again, I apologize for inconveniencing you. It will never happen again.¡± Poliana looked determined, but all Lucius the First could focus on was a droplet of water rolling down her not-so-slim neck. The emperor held her hands. They were rough and covered in scars. Her fingernails were misshaped from being broken over and over again. ¡°You aren¡¯t shivering anymore.¡± ¡°I think I vomited all the wine out, so I feel fine now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever do something like this again. Drinking while taking a hot bath¡­ It is such a dangerous thing. And if you ever feel dizzy, make sure to call someone. We aren¡¯t in a war anymore, so there is no need for you to be so tense. Your biggest problem is that you never take care of yourself. You get drunk and sleep anywhere. I even saw you sleeping in the same room as other men! I understand that you trust them since you have known them for a long time, but still¡­ Sir Pol, you can never trust a man when ites to something like this. All men are animals.¡± ¡°HAHAHA!¡± Poliana burst into a peal of loudughter, making Lucius the First flinch in surprise. The water swayed gently, just like his heart. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°I apologize, your highness. I was just very happy that you are so worried about me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯tugh, Sir Pol! It¡¯s very true that all men are animals!¡± ¡°I am not worried about things like that because I am no beauty, your highness.¡± ¡°You are adorable! If anyone makes fun of your looks, you better bring them to me!¡± She was in a bathtub with a naked man, who was holding her hand, but Poliana didn¡¯t think much of it. She took his words as kindness and nothing more. It was true that unattractive women were in just as much danger as attractive women when it came to sexual crimes. Often, rapes didn¡¯t ur purely from sexual needs. It could originate from various causes such as anger, revenge, sadness, and misinformation. In truth, her noble status provided her better protection against rape than her looks. Poliana knew this perfectly well. After all, she was a woman, and she lived as one all her life. She experienced this firsthand, but she still felt confident, especially in this situation. ¡°Your highness, even if every man in this world is like that, I know one person who isn¡¯t. You would never act like that.¡± She knew she could trust the emperor. Of course, what she didn¡¯t know was how Lucius the First¡¯s feelings have changed. She didn¡¯t know what he was thinking when he saw her naked just a moment ago. The emperor insisted, ¡°I am telling you. You are very cute.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± ¡®She doesn¡¯t believe me¡­¡¯ Normally, Poliana¡¯s reaction to the emperor¡¯sments was much more exciting. If Lucius the First pointed at a dog and called it cute, she would have responded more positively. ¡°Yes, your highness! You are right! That is indeed a very cute dog! You have very good taste!¡± But when it came to apliment for her, she didn¡¯t believe it. What was the point of all this if Poliana didn¡¯t see him as a man? Before he made his confession, the emperor decided to see how she felt about him. ¡°So, Sir Pol, what do you think of me?¡± ¡°You are very beautiful!¡± Lucius the First nodded slowly. He knew very well how all of his knights were proud of his beauty. Poliana especially seemed excited about his looks. Although she didn¡¯t like to get dolled up herself, she loved seeing others get dressed in fineries. She continued excitedly, ¡°You are my emperor and the ruler of the entire continent. You are the greatest there ever was and will be. The one and only!¡± If she was dressed right now, she would have kneeled in front of him. Even if she was naked, if they were outside the tub, she would have still kneeled anyway. She was that kind of person. ¡°As long as you allow me, I will remain your knight forever, your highness!¡± Poliana looked at him with great admiration. She looked like she needed a sword. Just like that winter day when she needed a sword to pledge her loyalty to him. No one answered her call, so Lucius the First himself handed her his own sword. ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ This is who she is¡­ A knightess¡­¡¯ He gave her a sword. Lucius the First looked at her hands that were covered in calluses. She patted them and whispered to her, ¡°You are my treasure, Sir Pol.¡± Only Poliana smiled gently and the emperor remembered that winter day. Poliana looked so devastating at the time. She was naked, dirty, and bleeding, yet she still looked for a sword so she could swear her service to him. She was the greatest treasure he gained during this war. She was his knight So¡­ What would he gain by confessing his love to her? Lucius the First finally gave up his hopeless dream. His friend Sir Ainno was right. Until now, the emperor only concentrated on his own feelings and didn¡¯t consider how Poliana might feel. Until now, he assumed that she would be grateful, that she would love him back. But even if she epted his love, would she be truly happy? For a woman, bing an emperor¡¯s concubine was a huge promotion. It could be the greatest honor for anyone. Lucius First assumed she would be happy to hear his confession, but now, he knew better. Poliana as a concubine? It didn¡¯t make sense. It wouldn¡¯t work, she would never be able to find her true happiness as his woman. How stupid of him to think this could work? He was worried about how the others and the elders would take the news of her bing his concubine, but he never considered her own feelings. It was a good thing that he realized this before he confessed to her. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Lucius the First was the emperor. Poliana Winter was his knightess. He was a ruler, and she was his subject. Although they greatly cared for each other, their rtionship could be nothing more. The emperor thought to change it, but before he could, he realized the truth. He almost forgot what made Poliana truly happy, but he remembered just in time. ¡°Are you happy that I became the emperor of this continent, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°Yes! I am very happy and excited!¡± The emperor looked deeply into her eyes. Thinking this was the right time to talk about something emotional, Poliana said to him slowly, ¡°Your highness¡­ You told me once that I should hold onto my tears until you reached the end of this continent.¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°And since then, I have never shed a single tear.¡± ¡°I see, but I saw the other knights crying like babies at the cliff.¡± It was the day Lucius the First realized he was in love with Poliana. He knew he would forever remember that evening. Poliana was smiling at him proudly as the sun sets. He could still smell the ocean and hear the waves against the rocks. The cool southern wind that blew against his hair¡­ The birds that sang as they flew across the sea¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t cry, I didn¡¯t want to. In fact, I was happy. We both know that this isn¡¯t the end. I knew with absolute certainty that I will continue to be your knight and you wille up with a new dream for all of us to dream about. Thinking of these things, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. There were no tears to be shed.¡± As the woman he loved showed him the greatest tonic love and admiration, the emperor knew he had no chance with her. It was over. It was going to be a one-sided love on his end. He was the emperor of this continent, which meant he had the greatest responsibility in this world. Of them, one of his duties was to never disappoint his loyal knights. It was his job to make this great knight happy. ¡°Sir Pol, are you happy.¡± ¡°I am, your highness. I am happy.¡± ¡°Because you were given this castle?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Maybe that has something to do with it.¡± ¡°Of course. You have done so much for me, so I should reward you ordingly. I should give you more castles, horses, a new sword, and a great armor. One city isn¡¯t enough, so I should give you morend too. And you like to drink, so a winery would be nice.¡± Lucius the First epted his fate. They could never be, and he was now ok with it. Poliana replied quietly, ¡°I have more than enough, your highness. You don¡¯t need to give me any more things.¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes blurred for a second, but he recovered quickly. He was no ordinary man. He was born a prince and became the emperor all on his own. And because he was not just a man, he could not live a normal life of a man. Sir Ainno asked what the point of bing an emperor if he couldn¡¯t even marry the woman he loves. Sir Ainno was right, but for Lucius the First, watching the woman he loves smile was enough. He did truly love Poliana and he knew Poliana loved him, although in a very different way. He tried to ignore his feelings, then admitted it and was about to confess his love to her but ended up giving up on that same day. It was painful, but the disappointment and sadness only made him look more mature. Lucius the First red at himself in the mirror. The person looking back at him was a man who now had a deeper and more mncholic beauty. He had been secretly unhappy about his youthful look and now, he was satisfied. ¡®Love makes a man grow.¡¯ He was a devastatingly handsome man to begin with and now, this emotional scar made him more gorgeous. He had been bathing in the bathhouse for the past few days. His skin was soft and smooth while his hair looked even silkier. Sir Ainno visited his emperor in the morning and asked, ¡°Your highness. You and Sir Poliana¡­ I heard you spent some time in the bathhouse togetherst night¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that? Nothing happened.¡± ¡°But I heard something did happen! Everyone knows how she threw up right in front of you and you had to clean up after her. All the guards in her division are feeling so embarrassed. They are so ashamed of her behavior.¡± A man and a woman spent an evening naked in a bath, yet there was not a single sexual or romantic rumor about it. Sir Ainno, the only one who knew how Lucius the First truly felt about Poliana, asked if anything else happened. The emperor shook his head and told his friend that he has decided to forget about it for Poliana¡¯s sake. Sir Ainno looked at him with relief as he replied, ¡°With whatever the decision you make, your highness, I will always be there for you. I will stand by your side. You have my full support.¡± Sir Ainno¡¯s words were kind and loyal, but it was clear that he was doubting his emperor¡¯s words. With a frown, Lucius the First added, ¡°I am really doing it. I am doing it for Sir Pol¡¯s happiness. I am willing to make that sacrifice.¡± ¡°Just make sure you remember your words. I wouldn¡¯t surprised if you did something crazy if she does somehow find a man of her own.¡± Only ¡°How dare you, Inno! Who do you think I am?! I would never!¡± Knock, knock. The servant knocked on the door, ready to serve the emperor his breakfast. Sir Ainno and Lucius the First both put on serious faces. The breakfast this morning had a surprising portion of blueberries. At first, the emperor thought that perhaps Sitrin was famous for its blueberries, but the servant answered, ¡°No, it is not, your highness. We brought you the blueberries because Sir Poliana told us she was worried about your eyesight.¡± ¡°But my eyes are perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Sir Pol said that you kept praising her looks, so she was worried you might be bing either nearsighted or farsighted. She seemed very concerned.¡± Sir Ainno covered his mouth, trying not to burst intoughter. Resigned, the emperor looked down at the table. All he did waspliment the woman he loved, but all she gained from it was a worry that he might be losing his sight. ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 93: Story 10. Returning Home- Story 10. Returning Home Chapter 93 Lucius the First and his army made its way to the north smoothly. They passed the southern and mid-continent easily and finally reached the Koemong River. The biggest river in the northern continent, it was just as magnificent as before, but to the Acreian men, it didn¡¯t look the same. It was because they saw an even bigger river in the southern region. The Gora River, the biggest river on the continent that was made of Pesi and Goga Rivers. After 10 years of seeing the rest of the world, the Acreian army was no longer impressed or scared by the Koemong River. In fact, when they faced this water again, they felt embarrassed because they remembered how long and how much work it took them to cross this small river. Now, there was a sturdy stone bridge across the Koemong River. It waspleted a few years ago by Duke Luzo. This was the first time the emperor saw this, and he was pleased with the result. His servant exined to him, ¡°People call it the Emperor¡¯s Bridge, your highness.¡± ¡°People are so silly. They put my name on everything they can think of.¡± The liquor the emperor enjoyed was called the Emperor¡¯s Drink. The cliff the emperor climbed was called the Emperor¡¯s Cliff. The bathhouse the emperor used was called the Emperor¡¯s Bath, and the path the emperor took to return home was called the Emperor¡¯s Road. The people loved the very first emperor of the continent. Anything they could name, they named it after him. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the continent was called the Emperor¡¯s Land. Lucius the First changed the name of the bridge into something that made more sense, the Koemong Bridge. Manyined that the new name was too simple. The bridge was well built, and it held strong even when the entire army crossed it. The local man reported that thanks to the bridge, there had been a significant increase in the interaction between the kingdoms. Crossing the river with a boat had apparently lessened and the supply chain had be more active. This improvement was of course considered to be one of the countless deeds by the kind emperor. The people of Aehas and Kukda weed Lucius the First with open arms. Instead of going straight to Acreia, the emperor decided to stop by in both Aehas and Kukda. After leaving Kukda, they were on their way to Aehas when Poliana realized that they were going to pass by her hometown, Cranbell. The vige of Cranbell wasn¡¯t close to the capital of Aehas, but it was on the way. This meant that there was no need to stop by and stay overnight in Cranbell. It may have been her home before, but how she felt about Cranbell wasn¡¯t all good. She did want to report to someone in Cranbell, however, so she requested some time off from Lucius the First. The emperor granted her a vacation, but he told her that there was no need for her to take a time off just to visit her ce. If she wanted to spend some time in her hometown, he and his men could have Cranbell as their stopover. Poliana was against that idea. ¡°We cannot have you stay in the castle of Cranbell. It is more like a mansion and it is not fit for an emperor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Sir Pol. I have slept outside before, so your old home should be more than adequate.¡± ¡°But that was when we were in the middle of a war.¡± Now, the war was over, and they were on their way back to Acreia. Poliana insisted that the emperor shouldn¡¯t stay in Cranbell, but Lucius the First refused to change his mind. ¡°It can¡¯t be because you want to see your family¡­¡± ¡°I want to see my old teacher, your highness.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ So, Cranbell is your home¡­¡± After conquering Aehas, Lucius the First got rid of most of the nobles of their titles andnds because they aggressively resisted his rule. The titles andnds were given to others, including knights and low-ranking aristocrats. In any other circumstances, Poliana would have inherited Cranbell and the family title. Thend belonged to her by her right, so Lucius the First announced, ¡°It¡¯s not much, but you should take it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ It really isn¡¯t much of and, but¡­ I suppose. Thank you, your highness.¡± Poliana already owned an extravagant castle andnd in Sitrin. This smallnd of Cranbell, where cranberries were its main source of ie, didn¡¯t interest her much. But morend meant more money, and it was always good to have more. She didn¡¯t refuse the emperor¡¯s reward. She learned that epting gifts graciously was just as important as being humble. Poliana got on her horse and a few of her men followed her from behind. 10 years ago, when she first became an Acreian knight, the locals did not look at her too kindly for betraying her own kingdom of Aehas. They seemed awkward around her, but now¡­? A lot had changed during thesest 10 years. A bridge was built across a river and the entire continent was united. The unknown Aehasian knightess returned in victory. She used to be alone, but now she was the head of an entire division. She had men serving her and protecting her. Standing in front of the old knight¡¯s grave, which had been kept neat, Poliana reported out loud, ¡°I have seen the end of this continent.¡± She didn¡¯t say any more because there was no need. She returned in good health. She achieved what she set out to do. She followed Lucius the First and saw more than she could ever have imagined. Standing in her blue uniform with a golden stripe, with her clean and well-groomed hair, and in good health, Poliana knew the old knight would have approved of it. ¡®I guess I didn¡¯t have to request a vacation for it. I don¡¯t have much to say anyway.¡¯ It only took half a day to visit the grave. Poliana decided that she should return to her position immediately, but her men insisted on enjoying the full amount of time given to them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to visit your home, Sir Pol¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not like I had a nice childhood.¡± ¡°But thend belongs to you now, which means you need to meet with whoever is in charge and make sure he isn¡¯tmitting tax evasion. Don¡¯t you think you need to at least check everything out?¡± Any Aehasian nobles who didn¡¯t resist were allowed to keep their basic titles andnds, but those who did fight back lost their aristocracy, although they were allowed to continue to manage their respectivends. This decision was based on practicality. Lucius the First knew that the best way to manage their cities was to have their original owners do it for him. Only Unfortunately, most nobles in Aehas, Kukda, and Bebero lost their titles, while those in the southern continent and some in the mid-continent were able to keep theirs. Poliana¡¯s family was no longer a noble. She wasn¡¯t sure if they were still in charge of maintaining thend, or if they were forced out of their own home. If they did, they were probably given a lower rank. If they were still in charge of Cranbell, then she felt confident that her family would¡¯ve done an adequate job. They were just average folks, they weren¡¯t smart or sneaky enough to evade tax ormit extensive fraudulence. ¡®But I don¡¯t feel like going home¡­ I feelzy¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t have any pleasant memories from her childhood. All she remembered was being ignored, mistreated, or training under the old knight. She wasn¡¯t bitter about it, she just felt indifferent. ¡®Oh, wait a minute!¡¯ Suddenly, she remembered something. It was something very important. Yes, her men were right. She should visit her home after all. Poliana turned her horse around. There was one more thing she needed to do in Cranbell. Chapter 94: Story 11. Improvement- Story 11. Improvement. Chapter 94 The war was over, but across the field in Cranbell, several knights in armor rode fiercely towards the local castle. The Cranbell patrols, shocked and confused, ran out and demanded to know the name of the head knight. The knightess announced loudly, ¡°I am Poliana Winter, the head of his highness¡¯s personal protection division!¡± Even when they heard her name, the guards did not recognize her as their old Lady Cranbell. The rumors of Poliana Winter were spread wide across Cranbell, but there were only a few who knew that she was once Poliana Cranbell. This was because the Cranbell family hid this fact from everyone. The local guards did not stop Poliana and her men. When they entered the Cranbell castle, the people were shocked to see a female knight in charge. One maid, who worked for the Cranbell family for a long time, recognized her and called out, ¡°Lady Poliana!¡± ¡°You may now call me Mistress, do the Cranbells still live here?¡± ¡°Pardon? Umm¡­ Yes, they do.¡± ¡°And did Liana get married? Does she live here too?¡± ¡°The master retired, and the mistress has been managing this ce¡­¡± ¡°No use calling him Master now. His highness has given me thisnd to me, so spread the word.¡± The maid exined to her what happened since she left home. Liana, who used to hate soldiers, was sessful in seducing and marrying an Acreian official who was assigned to Cranbell. The Cranbell family was no longer the official lord of this city, but they were still managing everything. Apparently, they led afortable life so far. The man Liana married was an Acreian nobleman. He was from a poor, weak, unknown family, but still, a noble, and this meant that Liana was sessful in remaining an aristocrat herself. Her husband refused to take her family name, so in the end, Liana had no choice but to give up the Cranbell name. Several children ran out to the second-floor balcony when they heard the excitement. They must¡¯ve been Poliana¡¯s nieces and nephews. The kids were followed by the mistress of the castle herself. ¡°What the heck¡­!¡± Poliana raised her eyebrows at her stepsister. It seemed that indeed, she led afortable life. Liana didn¡¯t change much at all. Her definitely-not-blond light brown hair was up. She was still wearing that stupid extravagant rode that dragged on the ground. Liana gaped and Poliana walked towards her. ¡°Liana, I¡¯m sorry I called you ugly that time.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°At the time, I just met his highness, so my standards were raised much higher all of a sudden. But now that I have gotten used to him, and had time to reflect, I have to admit that you are indeed pretty. I heard you were able to seduce an Acreian official. Good job, It sounds like you did well for yourself, congrattions.¡± As ate wedding gift, Poliana decided she should build her little sister a new house. Poliana continued, ¡°His highness has gifted me Cranbell recently. I was rewarded with other betternds, so I will not be living here, but it would be unseemly for you people to be living in this castle since you aren¡¯t the masters of this ce anymore. I will get builders to make you a house fit for the managers of Cranbell, so you will live there in my absence.¡± Liana became pale while her husband gasped in shock. Poliana noticed her father standing nearby. He looked much older than he should have been. To him, Poliana announced, ¡°I will not be apologizing to you about what I said since it was the truth. Everyone knows you are impotent.¡± ¡°Y-you!¡± The entire Cranbell family had been ignoring the stories of the emperor¡¯s favored knightess. They have been denying the possibility that it was Poliana, but now, they had no choice but to admit it. Poliana was here, she was back. Her father, stepmother, and Liana all looked ill. It made sense because, at any moment, Poliana could get her revenge against them in whatever way she desired, and they would be helpless to protect themselves. It was illegal for the lord of thend to punish the managers for a personal reason but in this case, it was different. Poliana used to be Poliana Cranbell. She could do anything she wanted to them and just say it was a family business. Her family trembled in fear and Poliana¡¯s men smiled evilly, realizing what was going on. ¡°Sir Poliana, all you need to do is give us an order. We will do whatever you ask of us.¡± One of them suggested she should take her revenge right here and right now, but Poliana was not interested. She wasn¡¯t bitter about her past. She felt indifferent. Poliana didn¡¯t even miss her biological mother. She didn¡¯t feel much for her father either. Compared to what she felt for her emperor, Lucius the First, her feelings towards her family were minimal at best. When her father tried to approach her, Poliana¡¯s men stopped him. Only She ordered her soldiers, ¡°You may all go and rest. Just make sure not to stay too far away from this castle. When it is time to return, juste back to me and let me know. You are free to go.¡± She didn¡¯t need a vacation, but she got one. Poliana decided she might as well enjoy it and rest as much as she could. Her men cheered excitedly. Poliana¡¯s idea of a vacation was eating and sleeping. She walked into the castle to find a bedroom, but unlike before, she didn¡¯t n on finding just any empty room. She was the owner of Cranbell after all, so this was her castle. Why would she stay at a guesthouse in her house? When she stood in front of the master bedroom, the butler quickly came to her and handed her the key. When she walked in and closed the door behind her, Poliana suddenly realized her mistake. ¡®Oh! I forgot to bring some snacks.¡¯ She needed to go to the kitchen or the dining room to find something to eat, but if she left the room right now to raid the pantry, it would look ridiculous. She contemted when suddenly, there was a knock on the door. A maid walked in with a tray full of snacks and fruits. The first thing that caught her eyes was the dried cranberries. Poliana grabbed a handful of it and emptied it into her mouth. A sweet and sour taste filled her mouth, making her salivate. Poliana didn¡¯t like cranberries much, but they still tasted great to her. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since she tasted her hometown¡¯s local specialty. It was good to be home. Chapter 95: Story 11. Improvement- 95 Story 11. Improvement. Chapter 95 Lucius the First and his men reached the Acreian border without any incident. The Acreian people were gathered together to greet their victorious emperor. The weing ceremony continued all the way from the border to the capital Nanaba where the royal castle was located. The Acreian people were so proud of their ruler, they cheered and threw flowers at his army too. The emperor¡¯s power was proportional to his soaring poprity among his people. Lucius the First allowed many of the soldiers to skip this ceremony so they could return to their own hometown as soon as possible. Only those who lived near the capital followed him to the castle. Some soldiers, who lived far away, wanted to follow the emperor so they could enjoy being cheered by the people of the capital, but they were satisfied with the wee they received from their own viges. Women came out to search for their husbands, sons, grandsons, brothers, and fathers. Babies and young children cried when their unfamiliar fathers held them. Everyone else was smiling andughing. ¡°Sir Rabi, you may lead us at the front.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness. I am truly honored.¡± Before they reached Nanaba, Lucius the First and his knights stopped by a nearby vige and discussed the matter of a specific arrangement for their victory march into the capital. Usually, a war began with a march out of the castle and ended with a march back into the capital but for this particr war, Lucius the First decided to skip the extravagant march out of the capital because he was nning a surprise attack. They did, however, have a small and quiet ceremony inside the Nanaba castle. At the time, Sir Rabi led the way, and this time, he was given the same privilege again. It was a huge honor to be allowed to lead both ceremonies. This was the emperor¡¯s way of appeasing Sir Rabi. Sir Rabi should have been given the position of deputy demander instead of Sir Bentier, but Sir Bentier had the support of the elders. Everyone understood this, so no one protested over the emperor¡¯s decision to have Sir Rabi lead the way. Sir Bentier was to follow next. After all the major officers¡¯ positions were decided, it was Lucius the First¡¯s turn. The knights assumed that their emperor would be ced in the middle of the march, but to their shock, Lucius the First insisted on being thest one to enter the castle. His men protested, iming it was too dangerous. His personal guard Poliana was the loudest in her protest. ¡°This is too dangerous, your highness!¡± No one would dare to attack the emperor in his own castle, but the world was full of unexpected dangers. What if one or more of the citizens came for him in excitement? It was very possible to be killed by a crowd unintentionally. In their history, one king had died when the happy crowd swarmed him in excitement. Humans were fragile, they could die at any time. But Lucius the First was adamant. ¡°You have all followed me from behind, so it is now my chance to stand behind all of you. This will be my only opportunity in my life, so please, let me do this.¡± The men felt grateful for their emperor¡¯s generosity, but they still couldn¡¯t ept his proposal. ¡°It¡¯s still too dangerous, your highness.¡± In the end, they decided topromise. The protection division was ced at the end of the march, and the emperor would ride in safety in the middle of the guards. Lucius the First wasn¡¯tpletely satisfied, but he had no choice. After the meeting, the knights ran out to get to the dining room. There, the tables were set with abundant food and drinks! Before Poliana could enter the dining room too, someone called her name from behind. She turned around to find Sir Bentier. ¡°Sir Poliana, do you have some time you can spare?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sir Bentier was responsible formunicating with Duke Luzo regarding the specifics of this uing ceremony. Poliana wondered, ¡®Is there something the protection division needs to do for the march?¡¯ Poliana and Sir Bentier weren¡¯t close. They saw each other often enough, but she found it hard to befriend him like she did with Sirs Rabi, Baufallo, and Mahogal. When Sir Bentier asked to speak to her, she knew immediately that it had to do with work, Probably something official. And she was right. ¡°I would like to ask you to behave yourself when you are in Nanaba. You need to act ordingly and appropriately.¡± Appropriately¡­ She remembered Sir Ainno asking her to look appropriate for her position as the emperor¡¯s guard. Sir Baufallo also told her to act appropriately as a knight. There were countless times when she was told to behave appropriately as a woman. ¡°What do you mean by that, Sir Bentier?¡± ¡°I mean as the head of the guard division.¡± Sir Bentier exined it carefully. Many of the elders and high-ranking officials disapproved of Lucius the First ever since he became the emperor. Because the former emperor died at a young age, Lucius the First never had a lot of time to grow his own power when he took the throne. It was a very shaky rtionship to begin with when Lucius the First announced that he was going to set out to conquer the continent. The elders were inflexibly against it, but the emperor went ahead with his n anyway. This caused their rtionship to be even more fragile. It wasmonly known that while the emperor was away, the elders wanted Duke Luzo to take the throne for himself. Of course, now, they had no choice but to ept Lucius the First as the returning emperor. But¡­ Sir Bentier continued, ¡°As you must know, Sir Poliana, old people can be very stubborn about the strangest thing. My grandfather is like that for one.¡± Sir Bentier was the heir to one of the most well-known Acreian noble families. Marquis Seeze was his grandfather. Trinta Seeze. He was a 70-year-old man who had the greatest political power in Acreia. The Seeze family could be the biggest threat to the emperor. Sir Bentier entered this war and followed Lucius the First because his grandfather ordered it. Sir Bentier was the direct heir to the family even though his father and his uncles were still alive and well. It was because his grandfather favored Sir Bentier the most. Sir Bentier himself had a mixed feeling for his grandfather. It was aplicated love and hate rtionship. His grandfather ordered him to hinder the emperor as much as possible, but instead, Sir Bentier did his best to maintain a neutral position. In the end, however, Sir Bentier realized that he needed to make a definitive decision and it was an easy one. He needed to choose Lucius the First. It was the only choice. The elders and powerful nobles were frantic to find a way to undermine the emperor, and the most obvious and easiest means for them to do so was to use Poliana. A female knight. A knightess as the head of the emperor¡¯s personal protection division. It was going to be the first thing that the elders would make a fuss about. Only Poliana didn¡¯t care if they harmed her in any way, but she could not allow anyone to badmouth her emperor. Normally, she would find whoever insulted the emperor and kill him, but in this case¡­ If that person was a part of the very important elders¡­ a marquis? In this case, it was best for her to avoid it at all costs. ¡®It has been a while¡­¡¯ It has indeed been a very long time since she was going to face some people who wanted to insult her for being a woman. Poliana had been too rxed until now because she was surrounded by a good emperor, good knights, and good soldiers. She turned soft, and it was time to harden herself again. Sir Bentier added, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, Sir Poliana. We fought the war together and I would trust you with my life. However, this is going to be a different kind of war, the kind of a battle that you are not familiar with.¡± Poliana hated going to a battle without being prepared, however, she grinned because she knew she would survive. Sir Bentier offered his hand first and she shook it. They fought together side to side for the past 10 years. They were on the same team. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 A few days after her conversation with Sir Bentier, Poliana had a simr talk with the emperor. When he warned her of the elders, Poliana clenched her fists and announced bravely, ¡°I will take care of them all, your highness!¡± Sir Ainno, who was standing next to her agreed, ¡°I will help her. I agree that this would be the best option for us.¡± Lucius the First looked at his loyal knights proudly and answered, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. They are old and will die soon enough.¡± Sir Ainno insisted, ¡°But your highness, if they bother you, please let me know. I can go ahead and get rid of them. It¡¯s no problem at all.¡± ¡°Inno, you are the best and the strongest knight I have. I can¡¯t have you use your skills on something like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. I am happy to do it for you, your highness.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Lucius the Firstughed bitterly. He knew he was acting too hesitant when it came to dealing with the elders, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Lucius the First did not like them, but they didn¡¯t hate them. They were just old men, so how long could they live? For example, his biggest problem Marquis Seeze was over 70 years old. Once he dies, his entire forces will be weakened. It was only a matter of time and Lucius the First didn¡¯t want to get his hands dirty at this point. Time was on his side. The emperor said to Poliana, ¡°And this is why I can¡¯t take you with me to the castle, Sir Pol. Please don¡¯t be too upset.¡± ¡°Not at all, your highness.¡± ¡°You must understand that I do not want to leave you behind, Sir Pol¡­¡± Poliana wasn¡¯t upset at all, but it seemed Lucius the First was the one who was unhappy about it. The emperor was still unmarried and having a foreign knightess by his side as he returned to the castle would cause an uproar. Lucius the First did not want his favored knight to have to go through the trouble of being ridiculed and treated unfairly¡­ Lucius the First continued, ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t care what they say about me, but I would never want people to talk badly of you, Sir Pol. What if it affects your chance of marriage in a negative way¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get married.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. If you meet a decent man, you should get married. I will give you morends and horses when you get married.¡± But even though as the emperor encouraged her, his face clearly showed how upset he was at the idea of her marriage. ¡°Ha!¡± Sir Ainno smirked suddenly, making Poliana tense. Sir Ainno wasughing quietly and she became worried. Sir Ainno rarely smiled and always looked disappointed at everything and everyone. ¡®What is wrong with him?¡¯ Poliana asked him, ¡°Sir Ainno, are you ok? Are you choking or something?¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, when you get married, I will make sure to attend your wedding. Maybe I will stand as the best man for your husband. Hahaha.¡± It was clear Sir Ainno found something very funny and ironic. Poliana wondered if he wasughing at her. Was he trying to pick a fight again with her? Besides, the best man was usually the groom¡¯s best friend, so why would Sir Ainno think he will be given the honor? Why was he making the decision all by himself? ¡®Bastard.¡¯ Sir Ainno was indeed a jerk. He was over 30 years old, so one would expect him to have some maturity, but Sir Ainnocked the most basic manners. Lucius the First stopped him, ¡°Inno, stop saying some nonsense.¡± Sir Ainno finally closed his mouth. The emperor continued to talk to Poliana, but he was basically repeating himself over and over again. He continued to tell her how unhappy he was that she couldn¡¯t apany him. He seemed desperate for her to know that this wasn¡¯t what he wanted. The emperor told her he would miss her terribly. Poliana listened patiently. This conversation was bing boring, but she was grateful for her emperor¡¯s thoughtfulness. She understood why he was worried about this situation because it was unthinkable for the head of the protection division to leave the emperor¡¯s side. Poliana felt determined to ovee this problem. She belonged here behind the emperor. She had no intention of giving up her position. Lucius the First continued, ¡°So, with respect to where you would stay¡­¡± This was another problem. A powerful man providing a separate ce to live for an unrted woman¡­ This only happened when that said woman was his mistress. Having Lucius the First provide her a ce to live outside the castle would mark her as his mistress. The emperor became angry at his uselessness. He couldn¡¯t have her in his castle nor could he provide her a ce to live. What should he do? Poliana had no family or friends in Acreia; Lucius the First was the only one she could rely on. Another problem was that there was no empty house in Nanaba. It was the capital of Acreia after all. All the inns were full because of the uing victory ceremony. Lucius the First nced at Sir Ainno knowingly, and Sir Ainno immediately refused and said, ¡°No way.¡± ¡°You are an assho*e.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, even if you order me, your highness. Besides, I am an unmarried man as well, so I can¡¯t have her in my house either.¡± Poliana quickly chimed in, ¡°I don¡¯t want it either, your highness. I can find my own ce to stay, so there is no need for you to worry.¡± She felt confident because she knew plenty of men she fought with for the past 10 years. The first person she thought of was Sir Baufallo. He was her very first supervisor and he took care of her very well this entire time. But to her disappointment, Sir Baufallo answered awkwardly, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± The first thought that crossed Poliana¡¯s mind was that perhaps it was because Sir Baufallo¡¯s two sons, Donau and Sir Howe, were both unmarried. Having her in his home with his sons might damage their reputations but to her surprise, this wasn¡¯t the reason why he refused her. Sir Baufallo exined, ¡°My house is outside of the Nanaba castle, and it is unfortunately very small¡­¡± There was no room for Poliana to stay. Sir Baufallo was only a knight from a poor and unknown noble family. There was no doubt that he would be rewarded greatly very soon but for now, all he had was a small house. Poliana frowned and replied, ¡°I¡¯m good to sleep in the living room or even in the barn.¡± ¡°Those spaces have already been taken by my rtives.¡± Suddenly, Sir Donau offered, ¡°My brother and I can set up a tent in the garden and stay there while Sir Pol can take our room.¡± But Sir Baufallo handed him the letter from his wife and replied, ¡°Even the garden has been taken. We have no room to spare anymore.¡± Apparently, several tents have already been set for his rtives to stay. Poliana realized that this wouldn¡¯t work. Only But thankfully, she soon received many offers. Many of her guards from her division came to her and invited her to their homes. The problem, however, was that they were all handsome unmarried noblemen. Having her in their homes could jeopardize their potential marriage prospects in the future. Poliana had no choice but to refuse all of them. ¡°If I stay in your homes, you might have to marry me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ok, Sir Pol!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡®This isn¡¯t going to work. I can¡¯t stay in an unmarried man¡¯s home.¡¯ Rumors could be vicious and damaging, and Poliana couldn¡¯t risk it for any of her men. Her only option now was to find a married man and ask for a favor. The first person she could think of was Sir Bentier. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Poliana decided on a few conditions for an ideal person to provide her a temporary ce to stay. First, it had to be a married man. Secondly, the person needed to have a house big enough for her. Nanaba was the capital of Acreia, which meant that whoever had that big of a mansion would most likely be a very richmoner or more likely a rich nobleman. Sir Bentier was an ideal candidate, but when she asked, he seemed troubled. ¡°There are plenty of rooms at my ce, but wouldn¡¯t my ce be considered an enemy¡¯s den for you, Sir Poliana?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Sir Bentier¡¯s castle was also Sir Seeze¡¯s ce. Poliana was avoiding the royal castle so she wouldn¡¯t have to face the elders. Going into Sir Bentier¡¯s home would be like entering a lion¡¯s den. ¡®Hmm¡­ This is trickier than I expected.¡¯ Would she have to camp outside the royal castle? Personally, she wouldn¡¯t care but it wouldn¡¯t look right. She was the emperor¡¯s royal guard and therefore represented him. People would talk about her emperor because of this. Just when she was about to give up, Sir Rabi came to her. ¡°Come to my ce! You¡¯re homeless, right?¡± ¡°I do have a house as well as a castle, Sir Rabi. I¡¯m not homeless.¡± ¡°I have a castle too!¡± It wasn¡¯t just Poliana Sir Rabi invited. He allowed many of the knights, who didn¡¯t have a ce to stay in the capital, to stay at his home. It was a very generous gesture. Poliana asked, ¡°Would your wife be ok with it?¡± Sir Rabi also had two young unmarried daughters. Would having so many men under his roof be really a good idea? Wasn¡¯t Sir Rabi worried about his daughters¡¯ safety and reputation? But Sir Rabi said it was perfectly fine. He then called for Sirs Donau and Howe. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two alsoe and stay at my ce? Sir Donau especially shoulde! Isn¡¯t it hard tomute to the royal castle from your home?¡± Poliana gasped and covered her mouth in shock. ¡®Oh my god!¡¯ She finally understood what Sir Rabi¡¯s n was. Before the arranged marriage ns were announced between his daughters and Sir Baufallo¡¯s sons, he wanted to have them meet in a natural setting! Poliana put on a serious face while Sir Donau seemed uncertain at his unexpected offer. Sir Howe, on the other hand, grinned and thanked Sir Rabi. Sir Donau turned towards Poliana and asked, ¡°Hey sis, you¡¯re staying at Sir Rabi¡¯s too?¡± ¡°Yeah, you shoulde too.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Sir Rabi. I will ept your offer.¡± Sir Donau would¡¯ve loved to spend some quality time with his mother, who he hadn¡¯t seen in 10 years, but his house was also hectic and crowded with his rtives. He knew how tiring it would be to be surrounded by so many people, so perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to stay at Sir Rabi¡¯s for a while until things had cooled down. *** Lucius the First gestured for Sir Ainno toe closer. However, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t approach the emperor. Instead, he raised an eyebrow as if to ask Lucius the First what he wanted. The tense and always-ready Sir Ainno was no more once the war was over. Now that they were back home, the knight didn¡¯t even move immediately when the emperor, who was also his childhood friend, called for him. When Sir Ainno refused toe, Lucius the First finally said to him, ¡°Stop being a jerk. Because of you, Sir Pol was looking at me funny.¡± ¡°It was so hard not tough back there.¡± ¡°What was so funny? I know no one thinks my jokes are good.¡± Lucius the First said to Sir Ainno that he was giving up on his love, all he wanted was Poliana¡¯s happiness. He was an emperor, but he was just like any other man when it came to the woman he loved. All he wished was her happiness. But¡­ If her happiness was with another man? Would he really be able to genuinely congratte her? Sir Ainno didn¡¯t think so. If Poliana ever got married, Sir Ainno was certain the emperor would do his best to ruin it somehow. ¡°You are too greedy, your highness.¡± ¡°I was a very good boy, you know.¡± ¡°Even a good boy can be greedy.¡± Most kings were ambitious when it came to expanding theirnds, but no one was as greedy as Lucius the First, who conquered the entire continent soon after he took over his throne. Poliana was nowhere close to getting married at this point, and that was the only reason the emperor could remain cool for now. But knowing the emperor, who never gave up, Sir Ainno knew this love story wasn¡¯t over. This was the man who spent years to find a way to cross the Koemong River. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be so much easier to seduce a woman than uniting all of the kingdoms?¡¯ Sir Ainno, who had zero experience in love and dating, thought to himself. *** Lucius the First and the men practiced the victory march carefully. Sir Rabi, who was to lead at the front, was a very demanding boss. ¡°Get it right, you idiots! Can you guys do this or not?¡± Only ¡°We can, Sir!¡± ¡°Stupid bastards! The war may be over, but you are still soldiers. Have you already forgotten how to be real men?¡± ¡°No, not at all! Sorry, Sir!¡± ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t cut it! Look at your lines! Do they look straight to you?! Idiots! Are you all blind?¡± ¡°No, Sir!¡± ¡°You all need to learn some serious lessons here!¡± The men had to go through harsh training. Meanwhile, Sir Rabi¡¯s beloved deer Rosy stood nearby, grazing in the fieldzily. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Poliana wore her clean official uniform for the parade. She hated having her hair sticky, so she rarely styled her hair, but today, she used some hair oil to make sure no stray hair stuck out. Her uniform was ironed extra stiff and her shoes were shined with a dry cloth. Instead of her usual leather gloves, she wore the official white cotton gloves that were given to her. Standing in front of the mirror with her decorative sword and dagger, Poliana was satisfied. ¡®Good.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t pretty. In fact, she was ugly, but it actually made her look more reliable and dependable. She wasn¡¯t actually a good swordsman, but she certainly looked like an expert fighter, she looked menacing andpetent. She gathered her guards to check on them as well. The young men looked gorgeous. Their hair and shoes were all shiny and their uniforms were spotless. When they looked excited, Poliana warned them, ¡°Don¡¯t let your guards down. His highness may trust Duke Luzo, but we can¡¯t. We need to always be on guard and distrusting!¡± The possibility of Duke Luzo or the elders sending an assassin was not out of question, and it was her duty to protect him at all times. *** The day of the parade. Lucius the First smiled at his people of Nanaba brightly. The royal artists, who weremissioned to paint today¡¯s ceremony, were troubled. How could they capture such a scene? So many people were there cheering and throwing flowers at the emperor. Those who couldn¡¯t get any flowers threw pieces of paper and clothes to celebrate. The gentle wind made the pieces and flowers dance in the air. In the middle of the parade was Lucius the First, looking more beautiful than ever. The artists were especially distressed about how to express their emperor¡¯s inspiring beauty. In the end, they left his face empty so they could go backter and do a proper job in terms of drawing it. Meanwhile, Poliana was frustrated. The flowers and the pieces of paper were preventing her from being able to see her emperor clearly. They kept blocking her eyes and some were even poking it. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ The situation reminded her of the times when she was covered in dried blood during the summer battles and the flies hovering all over her. But despite her annoyance, Poliana had to admit that it was an unusually beautiful day. When she became old and someone asked her about this day, she wanted to be able to give a decent answer. She looked around and when she saw her emperor, she already knew what she would say. At the victory ceremony, Lucius the First was beautiful and beautiful, and simply beautiful. When he smiled, the entire world lit up. He was wearing an extravagant and magnificent armor, but it was no match to his beauty. When Lucius the First left the capital of Nanaba 10 years ago, he was called the boy king. But now, he returned as a man, a perfect well-built beautiful man. The armor suited him very well. Despite everyone¡¯s warning, Lucius the First did not wear a helmet. His long golden hair, which reached past his shoulders, sparkled against the sunlight. ¡°YAAAA! Long live the emperor!¡± Their n was to march around the za before entering the royal castle where the nobles awaited him. The people continued to cheer loudly, and among them, Poliana heard two distinct and shockingly loud cheers. She saw two girls screaming. ¡°FATHER!¡± ¡°FATHERRRR!¡± Sir Rabi swung his g wildly at them when he spotted them. There was no doubt that they must be his children. Poliana wondered, ¡®I guess they inherited some of their father¡¯s qualities too.¡¯ When the Bika family called out to Sir Rabi, the others around them began to call out to their own family members rather than blindly cheering for their emperor. The soldiers and knights, who have been only focused on marching in straight lines, began to look a little more rxed and excited as they heard their family members¡¯ voices. The men looked around and waved when they saw some familiar faces. Suddenly, Poliana felt lonely. Did all the other foreign knights and soldiers feel the same way? No one waved at her or recognized her. She wasn¡¯t alone since she had her men and the other knights, but the fact that no one had been waiting for her return was saddening. Flower petals flew everywhere and one rose stem with an intact budnded on the emperor¡¯sp. Poliana flinched, worried that it might be a rock, but when she saw that it was just a flower, she rxed. Lucius the First quickly picked it up and while turning towards her, he threw it at her gently. Poliana caught it by reflex and looked at him in confusion. Lucius the First smiled shyly. There was no reason for him to be shy about it, but he did. Poliana didn¡¯t understand why, but he looked so gorgeous that she smiled back. It was indeed a perfect day. Poliana gave up being annoyed and studied the rose happily. Only Ever since she met Lucius the First, her every day had been precious and wonderful. She knew she would remember these days even when she¡¯s older. She would brag to people how she used to serve his highness when she was younger. She would tell everyone proudly how she used to be the head of his royal guard division. Before she met the emperor, Poliana never imagined herself as an old woman, but now, she thought about it often. She could see her old self enjoying the luxurious bathhouse in her castle. The castle the emperor gifted her¡­ ¡®Hmm¡­ And about this marriage business¡­¡¯ The other knights dreamt of serving the emperor and his family for generations toe, but for Poliana, she didn¡¯t know if that would be possible. It was because the likelihood of her getting married was slim, and the possibility of her having children was even slimmer. But¡­ Losing the wonderful castle she received from the emperor to another man rather than giving it to her own children would be such a huge sham. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 In front of the castle entrance, the high-ranking official and nobles waited for the emperor. When Lucius the First approached them, one man suddenly appeared. He was wearing a luxurious cloak and walked respectfully towards the emperor. Duke Luzo, Lucius the First¡¯s cousin and the man who took care of Acreia in the emperor¡¯s absence. If Duke Luzo betrayed the emperor, Lucius the First would have never made it this far. The duke bowed low and greeted, ¡°Congrattions to your great victory, your highness.¡± ¡°Please, Duke Luzo. There is no need for you to bow to me. You have done me a great service during this war.¡± Without Duke Luzo¡¯s stable and loyal presence, Lucius the First would have never been able to unite the continent. When the emperor dyed entering the castle to praise him, the duke seemed very grateful. Meanwhile, Poliana looked around and rxed when she didn¡¯t see any potential danger for the emperor. ¡®Hmm¡­ By the way, the duke looks older than I expected.¡¯ Working on behalf of the emperor must¡¯ve been a very stressful job, Or did he naturally have a high forehead? Duke Luzo looked much older than Lucius the First, and Poliana could see a clear sign of hair loss on his front. ¡®Oh, it must be the hair loss that is making him look so much older.¡¯ If Duke Luzo knew what Poliana was thinking, he would have fainted. What she didn¡¯t know was what the duke looked like 10 years ago. Although not as beautiful as the emperor, Duke Luzo was considered one of the most handsome men in the kingdom. It was such a shame that he was losing his hair. Inside the castle was a huge feast ready to wee the emperor¡¯s men. Sir Bentier attended the party while Sir Rabi was absent. Only a few of the personal guards were selected to stay inside the castle with the emperor and their numbers were supplemented by Duke Luzo¡¯s own guards. The people were free to choose whether to attend the banquet or not. Those who were tired were allowed to return home. Most who stayed, despite their fatigue, while some were mostly there for potential political gains by getting the chance to meet their kingdom¡¯s important figures. The majority of the low-ranking nobles didn¡¯t attend the gathering. They knew they wouldn¡¯t have much of a chance to be promoted. Sir Rabi imed, ¡°There are so many greedy people in this world. All they want is to get more of everything.¡± He took off his borate armor before leaving the castle. Even though he was wearing regr non-military clothes, he still looked like a soldier. The other knights were the same. But when Poliana changed into something normal, the men looked at her awkwardly. They were used to seeing her in her military or guard uniforms, or dirty tunics and pants on her days off. But she was a guest at Sir Rabi¡¯s home, so she knew she couldn¡¯t wear something dirty. Before the parade, Poliana purchased a few outfits and because she found women¡¯s robes ufortable, she ended up buying tunics and pants. Sir Rabi¡¯s home was located in a wealthy neighborhood, he was Count Bika after all. Sir Rabi owned a significant amount ofnd with a castle outside the capital, but he chose to have it maintained by a hired agent and live with his family in Nanaba. He found this arrangement to be the most convenient. Not all nobles chose to live in the capital like Sir Rabi. It was a matter of preference, and Poliana thought she would end up doing the same thing as Sir Rabi and stay in the capital. In front of the Bika mansion, a crowd was waiting at the entrance. As soon as Sir Rabi dismounted his horse, two women ran towards him. ¡°FATHER!¡± ¡°FATHER!¡± Everyone recognized their voices. They were the same ones that were heard so loudly and clearly at the parade. As Poliana suspected, they were Sir Rabi¡¯s daughters. They were the daughters Sir Rabi bragged about so many times. His son, who was much younger, seemed not to recognize him because he remained still and didn¡¯t run after Sir Rabi. Sir Rabi picked up both of his daughters each in his arms. They were fully grown and therefore couldn¡¯t be too light, yet Sir Rabi didn¡¯t even seem to notice. The girls screamed happily, it was so nice to see their happy family together. ¡°I¡¯m home, girls!¡± ¡°Wee home!¡± ¡°Wee!¡± Sir Rabi greeted his parents and then his wife. It has been 10 years since they saw each other, but they all seemed calm and collected. Poliana was impressed. ¡®I guess this is how a proper knight¡¯s family behaves.¡¯ But then, things changed quickly. After letting go of his daughters, Sir Rabi hugged his wife tightly. Lady Bika began to cry in happiness and relief as she whispered to him, ¡°I thought of you every single day, I prayed for you every night!¡± ¡°It is all thanks to you that I was able to return home safely!¡± During theirst 10 years, Sir Rabi kept his family portrait in his pocket and looked at it every day. He also wrote letters to his family often. When he received some letters from his family, he read them over and over again. All the knights that were invited to stay at Sir Rabi¡¯s home were unmarried. The servants guided them to their rooms that were located in the separate guesthouse. Sir Rabi¡¯s ce was huge, but it was still not big enough to give separate rooms for every knight. The men, however, were happy just to have a ce to stay. Poliana entered the guesthouse with the other knights. It¡¯s interior wasn¡¯t overly luxurious, but it was warm and cozy. ¡®It¡¯s so nice.¡¯ Poliana was impressed and envious. Coming home to a warm firece, good food and drinks, clean clothes, and a weing wife who gives a loving smile and a hug¡­ ¡®I need a wife too.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Poliana who was thinking this thought. All the knights whispered how they needed to get married as soon as possible. They were all envious of Sir Rabi, who seemed to have a wonderful life and family. ¡°Finally, we get to take our boots off!¡± ¡°I know! My toes were killing me!¡± They have been marching all day, so the men were tired. When all the men took their boots off at the same time, the ce was quickly filled with an unpleasant odor. It was a bit chilly outside still, but Donau and Poliana opened the windows. Both of them also took their shoes off. Poliana was sitting at the window when Sir Rabi entered. ¡°If any of you need anything, you can let the servants know. I didn¡¯t get to have a feast arranged for you, but there is plenty of food for all of you here.¡± Only ¡°Your wife is so beautiful, Sir Rabi!¡± ¡°We are so envious!¡± Some of the knightsplimented Sir Rabi, but they were immediately kicked by the other knights. Complimenting the man¡¯s wife¡¯s beauty was a normal courtesy among knights andmoners, but not among high-ranking nobles. It was actually considered rude. The Bika family was the official margrave, which was a title honored for the militarymander assigned to maintain the defense of the kingdom¡¯s borders. This meant that the Bika family was old and powerful aristocrats. Just the size of their mansion was proof of their wealth. Sir Rabi turned to Poliana and said to her, ¡°Oh, Sir Poliana, we have arranged a room for you in the main house.¡± ¡°That is not necessary. I am perfectly fine here.¡± ¡°I know that, but my wife won¡¯t let that happen. You need toe with me.¡± Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Poliana followed Sir Rabi into the main house. As she walked up the stairs and passed the hallway, she began to feel nervous. The wallpaper color changed and the carpet on her feet felt much softer. She passed by fewer and fewer servants and she was guided to a quiet ce. The area she entered seemed to belong to Sir Rabi¡¯s daughters. Thedy¡¯s quarters. Poliana asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this where your daughters stay?¡± ¡°Yes. When I told my wife about you, she prepared a room in this area for you.¡± Sir Rabi seemed just as awkward as Poliana. His two daughters were already there, ready to greet her. Even Sir Rabi¡¯s wife was there, and the three women looked curious and interested in her. Sir Rabi¡¯s wife said to Poliana, ¡°You may be a soldier, but you are still an unmarried nobledy and I cannot have you sleeping with the other knights in the guest house. My home is your home, so I hope your stay here would befortable.¡± ¡°T-t-t-t-this isn¡¯t necessary. You are too kind.¡± The two daughters greeted her as well, ¡°Please let us know if you need anything. You can treat us as your little sisters.¡± Sir Rabi¡¯s daughters had very lively and loud voices, especially for women. Now that she saw them in closer proximity, Poliana finally realized the sisters were twins. They were dressed differently, and their hairstyle was very different too and that was why she didn¡¯t notice it before. Sir Rabi used to talk of them like they were little girls, but these women were all grown up. The oldest daughter was named Vaxi, while the younger sister was Vanessa. Like their fathers, they were very slim. ¡®Such loud voices from slimdies¡­¡¯ They resembled their father in terms of their slimness, they thankfully didn¡¯t take on Sir Rabi¡¯s sneakiness. Sir Rabi¡¯s wife was surprisingly sturdy, especially for a woman. Vaxi and Vanessa had their mother¡¯s face, which was round and plump, and their body shapes resemble their father, which was slim. When the twins smiled at her brightly, Poliana felt pressured to smile back. Sir Rabi and his wife left Poliana and the twins in the room. Poliana didn¡¯t know what to do, so she stood there awkwardly. The sisters offered, ¡°We will show you where your room is.¡± ¡°Only women can enter this area so you can rx.¡± ¡°The windows also only faced a private garden, so there is no need for you to worry about anything.¡± Poliana sat down with them quietly. She was given the best seat, which was right next to the firece. Fancy snacks and mulled wine were served to her as well. Poliana nced at the twins and the room nervously. Expensive curtains and wallpapers, luxurious carpet, instruments, books, and knitting and sewing gears decorated the room. It was a perfectdy¡¯s quarters. A ce where no man, except for their father, was allowed. And Poliana was invited to this sacred ce¡­ Poliana couldn¡¯t rx or think clearly. Such a drastic change in her surroundings was causing her so much stress. Any other woman would have feltfortable and calm in this ce, but Poliana was much more used to the outdoors and open spaces. She felt morefortable walking on dirt than on expensive carpets. Well, at least the air was cleaner here. She felt out of ce here, but she had to admit that it was indeed a nice ce. Would anyone hate to be in such a beautiful space? She didn¡¯t think so. ¡°You must be tired, so you¡¯re wee to retire to bed any time you wish.¡± ¡°We heard you will be staying at our ce for a while.¡± ¡°So we have a lot of time to chatter if you want to sleep now.¡± ¡°We rarely get female guests, so we are so excited to have you. We hope your stay here would befortable.¡± Unmarried women rarely traveled alone, and it was even rarer for them to stay at a ce that did not belong to a family member or a rtive. It was the women¡¯s job to greet and take care of their guests, but it was rare for them to have a woman as a guest. This was why the current situation was unique. Poliana was also Sir Rabi¡¯s guest, not the twin¡¯s or his wife¡¯s, but she was also a woman. Vaxi and Vanessa have never entertained long-term guests before. This was an unusual and exciting experience for them. On top of that, this wasn¡¯t just any female guest. This was Poliana Winter, the infamous knightess who had served Lucius the First during his entire conquest. The story of Poliana was now a legend. A woman who became a knight captured by the enemy to be executed only to be one of the most trusted knights in the emperor¡¯s army¡­ The female knight who became the head of the guard division¡­ The twins¡¯ eyes shined excitedly as they exined what they heard on the streets about Poliana. Poliana was shocked, realizing that thesedies saw her as their heroes and idols. And in a blink of an eye, she found herself in the guest bed. Even the bed felt soft andfortable, probably because it was filled with cotton, not straws. The nket was filled with feathers and there even was aforter made of soft animal hide. She should have fallen asleep immediately, but Poliana remained wide awake. ¡®How strange.¡¯ She knew her life better than anyone, but when she heard about it from another person, it felt like a fairy tale. Lucius the First¡¯s conquest was definitely worth telling, but Poliana had no idea that there would be people talking about her too. Compared to Lucius the First¡¯s legendary story, her life was boring and not worthy. She was certain there would be plenty of people who wouldugh at her story. Suddenly, Poliana wondered how her story would end. Everyone died in the end and so would she. Poliana was born, she lived her life, and she would die. She lived her life as best as she could. She worked every day like her life depended on it, and this was how she survived. Even the emperor himself admired her effort and resilience. There was nothing one couldn¡¯t aplish if they put their mind to it. Well, except maybe love. And perhaps death too, one could not avoid death even if one tried. Until she met Lucius the First, Poliana never really thought about herself being old but now, she could see herself as an old woman. In romance stories, the legendary knightess often ended up dying a hero¡¯s death. A knightess getting married, retiring from her military life, and having a family was not a good or exciting enough story to sell. ¡®So what about me?¡¯ How would Poliana¡¯s story end? Sir Baufallo once warned her that as soon as she got married, the knightess Poliana Winter would be no more, but Sir Donau told her that it would be possible if she married a good man who was understanding. Her emperor Lucius the First also told her that he would make sure that she could remain a knight, so she should find a good man and get married if she wished. Poliana realized that her situation had improved greatly. In thest 10 years, she was acknowledged and epted as a knight. She was certain that if she got married, her men and the other knights would still ept her as one of their own. Of course, the only problem was finding this imaginary good and understanding man, an idiot who would be stupid enough to marry her. ¡®It would be so much nicer if I could just get a nice wife.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she liked women, she just needed a person who would greet her warmly when she returns home. Only Poliana had no family and the easiest way to make one was to get married. But would there be someone for her in this world? And even if there was, would she want to get married? Poliana thought that at this point, she would prefer to just get a dog. ¡®Sir Rabi has so many dogs¡­¡¯ Indeed, there were many dogs in the Bika house. They were barking excitedly when the guests arrived today. The dogs that used to be puppies when Sir Rabi left were now over 10 years old. They wagged their tails and cried when they saw Sir Rabi. One dog, which was over 22 years old, almost died of a heart attack from getting overexcited. Poliana had no idea that a dog could live for over 20 years. Rosy the deer was ced in the private garden so the dogs couldn¡¯t get to her. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t get to sleep because her mind was racing with useless thoughts. One thing she felt for sure was envy. She was envious of Sir Rabi, who had such a beautiful wife, pretty daughters, and a cute son. On top of that, he had many dogs who loved him as well as a pet deer. There was no doubt his life was a huge sess. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Sir Baufallo stopped in front of his house and stood to watch. Even from the outside, he could hear people chatting from inside. It was clear his house was indeed full. He left home 10 years ago and finally, he was back. There were no gifts in his hands, but there were four cats hanging onto him. Most people thought of horses as the military animal, but to Sir Baufallo, he thought of dogs and cats. The horses usually belonged to the kingdom, so they had clear owners, and the dogs often had masters as well but cats¡­ Most cats had no homes. Sir Baufallo knew very well how important the cats were to the war. They killed countless rats and thereby saving and preserving their food supplies. Someone inside the home finally noticed him standing outside. One by one, they came out to cheer him. Sir Baufallo recognized some, but not all. He wasn¡¯t sure if some of them were really his rtives. He knew that there would be plenty of people approaching him and were trying to befriend him since they all knew that he would be receiving a significant title and wealth as a reward. But even though he knew that some of them might not have the best intention, he didn¡¯t dislike all the people greeting him and cheering for him. Sir Baufallo smiled faintly when he saw his wife peeking out from the kitchen. Lady Ribo nced at him quickly and without a word, he went back inside. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Lady Ribo was still furious that her husband took both of their sons to the war. During thest 10 years, she only sent a few letters to her husband, and the letters only asked how her sons were doing. It had been 10 years, but it seems that her anger hasn¡¯t cooled at all. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± When Sir Baufallo murmured, Lady Ribo asked angrily, ¡°Where are the kids?¡± The other men around them tried to take Sir Baufallo¡¯s side. ¡°Lady Ribo, please be nice to the man. He came back from a war, for god sake.¡± ¡°Lady Ribo! You need to show your husband more respect!¡± But Lady Ribo wasn¡¯t going to let this go. She yelled, ¡°I can¡¯t even get angry about losing both of my sons for thest 10 years? I am their mother, aren¡¯t I?!¡± ¡°But they returned alive, didn¡¯t they? The older one got into that knight¡¯s order or something, right? And I heard the younger one got into the guard division. Obviously, both of them did very well! You should be happy, Lady Ribo.¡± ¡°Who cares? What about the time I lost with them? I will never get back those ten years!¡± Sir Baufallo wasn¡¯t angry or upset with his wife. Seeing her with more white hair and wrinkles told him how hard her life has been for thest 10 years. He knew it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for a woman to live alone without any man left in the household. It would have been better to leave at least one son behind, but both of them insisted on going. Their family wasn¡¯t rich since he was a simple knight with an average sry. He knew how hard it would have been for her. Sir Baufallo felt guilty, especially because he didn¡¯t even bring his sons back home right away. Instead, he brought back four cats. He exined weakly, ¡°You said in the letter that there wasn¡¯t a lot of room in the house, so they decided to stay at another knight¡¯s home. They promised toe home for meals, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Lady Ribo didn¡¯t even give him a reply. Sir Baufallo ced the cats down on the floor and sighed. It seemed that his wife wasn¡¯t going to feel better until Sirs Donau and Howe came home. The four cats sighed and watched thedy with interest. *** Sirs Aeke, Beke, and Deke also returned to their home with heavy hearts. The two oldest boys were in much better condition than the youngest Deke. Only When Deke insisted on joining his brothers to this war, his mother Lady Ingreter and his sister pped him for his selfishness. As the brothers got farther away from Acreia, it became harder and it took longer for them to receive letters from home. There were many times that the letters went missing as well. The messages from the wealthy and important families usually arrived safely, but the Ingreter n was a poor noble family. After crossing the Koemong River, the Ingreter brothers didn¡¯t receive any more letters from home. Their mother and sister obviously have been waiting for their safe returns desperately, but when the brothers actually showed up, they acted coldly. Deke asked his sister awkwardly, ¡°S-sis, where is your husband, my brother-inw? Weren¡¯t you going to get married after we left?¡± Cekel, who would¡¯ve been named Ceke if she was a boy, answered indifferently, ¡°He broke up the engagement.¡± Men could easily get married at any age, but women were called spinsters once they reached an age betweente teens to early twenties. People called Cekel a spinster too. There were many women in a simr situation, especially in poor or average families nowadays. It was the side effect of a war. After many young men left Acreia, they had more women than men. The situation was a little better for the women who still had at least one male member left in the family because there was a guarantee that the male would inherit the family name, title, as well as the burden. The women who still had a male family member staying behind sometimes got marriage offers as well, but the Ingreter family had no male members who stayed behind. If the three brothers died or came home maimed, there would be no future for this family. For this reason, Cekel¡¯s fianc¨¦ broke up the engagement. Her ex-fiance ended up marrying ady much higher than him thanks to the war and the consequence of theck of avable men. Cekel decided to ept her fate and stayed home to take care of her parents. She gave up on getting married. Sirs Aeke and Beke, who was about to go out to beat up Cekel¡¯s selfish ex-fiance, became very quiet when they heard the reason why he broke up the engagement. Sir Deke also didn¡¯t say a word and began to eat his meal. It has been 10 years since theyst ate a home-cooked meal. The brothers did their best not to cry from joy. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Unlike the other families where they reunited in their own homes, Sir Ainno and his family met in the royal castle. It was fitting since the castle was Sir Ainno¡¯s second home since his childhood. Sir Ainno saw his younger brother, who was wearing his blue guard uniform and standing behind Duke Luzo. Sir Jainno. He was three years younger than his older brother, Sir Ainno. Sir Jainno also wanted to join Lucius the First in his conquest, but in most cases, at least one male member had to stay behind. What happened in Sir Baufallo¡¯s family, as well as Sirs Aeke, Beke, and Deke, was rare. It was especially considered a gamble at the time because many thought this conquest would be a disaster. But the risk-taking paid off for these families because Lucius the First was victorious. Those who entered the war were going to be rewarded richly. But Marquis Seki¡¯s family, where Sir Ainno belonged, did not give up all of their sons. They didn¡¯t even give up their firstborn. Sir Ainno ended up joining the war thanks to his friendship with Lucius the First. Seki family had a close rtionship with the Acreian royal family for generations. But despite it, they refused to send two of their sons. If Sir Ainno didn¡¯t insist on going, his younger brother Sir Jainno would have been allowed to join the war. Instead, Sir Jainno ended up winning the honor of protecting Duke Luzo. With this position, he didn¡¯t expect to be remembered in history as a hero, but Sir Jainno was still satisfied with it since it was an honorable duty. Sirs Ainno and Jainno weren¡¯t very close, but Sir Jainno still greeted his brother happily. This was because he wanted something from Sir Ainno. As long as Sir Ainno remained Lucius the First¡¯s head of the guard division, Sir Jainno knew he would never take that position away from his older brother. But for some crazy reason, Sir Ainno gave up this greatest position to some foreign woman and returned home as the head of a new order. Sir Jainno served Duke Luzo faithfully during thest 10 years. He had no doubt that he would be the next head of the royal guard division. Based on his skills and experiences, this had to be the case. Sir Jainno lived his whole life under Sir Ainno¡¯s shadow. Bing the head of the guard team was his lifelong dream. Sir Jainno never expected Sir Ainno to die in war. He expected his older brother to survive and return, but as the head of the guards. It seemed, however, that something incredibly unexpected happened. Sir Ainno gave up the position voluntarily, which meant that Sir Jainno had a chance. Meanwhile, Sir Ainno was pleasantly surprised that his younger brother greeted him with a warm smile. ¡®Hmm¡­ I guess he liked me more than I thought.¡¯ But Sir Ainno was not na?ve. He knew that his brother, as well as everyone in the banquet, was after something. *** Lucius the First looked around the hall. It had been 10 years since hest saw his home, but he still didn¡¯t feel much. Duke Luzo obviously spent a lot of time and care to arrange this feast. Lucius the First smiled smoothly. The atmosphere was pleasant, and there were many nobles who looked up to him with pride and respect. So far so good. As they walked together to the banquet, Duke Luzo told Lucius the First a brief summary of major changes in Acreia. They talked about things they could not discuss through the letters during thest 10 years. The castle itself didn¡¯t look much different. Maybe there were more expensive decorations? Lucius the First wasn¡¯t sure. It was possible since the colonies would¡¯ve sent valuables to Acreia as offerings, but overall, the emperor didn¡¯t find a major change in his home. The air especially still felt the same. Cold northern air, it filled his lung as he breathed in deeply. Lucius the First smiled and greeted the elders. ¡°I see that you all have gained more wrinkles. Time hasn¡¯t been kind to you, anyone here closer to the ground yet?¡± At the emperor¡¯s rather crude joke, everyoneughed. Lucius the First was asking why none of the elders have died yet, and although they all understood it, they had no choice but tough. He was the victorious emperor after all. Lucius the First continued to smile. He loved making the first attack like this. It was even more fun when his opponents couldn¡¯t fight back. ¡®You old bastards.¡¯ It was clear the elders bullied Duke Luzo while he was gone. Duke Luzo¡¯s receding hairline said it all. The eldersughed at the emperor when he announced his n to conquer the world. They told him he was being young and na?ve. During the entire conquest, the elders incessantly insisted he should return home immediately. But look at them now¡­ Lucius the First returned as the emperor of the entire continent, and they were looking at him with proud smiles like they knew that he was going to seed, like they have been supportive of him all this time. But even as they smiled, the emperor could see their wrinkles deepen and their mouth quiver awkwardly. Duke Luzo stood next to Lucius the First and smiled gleefully. Despite his receding hairline, Duke Luzo was still a very handsome man. Two handsome unmarried cousins standing side by side made the unmarrieddies stare excitedly. The parents of thesedies looked ambitious and determined. Marquis Seeze replied with a smooth smile, ¡°We are so happy to see you return, your highness.¡± As expected, these old men weren¡¯t easy opponents. They got to where they were because they were cunning and patient. Marquis Seeze, who was over 70 years old now, bowed lightly. Lucius the First said to him, ¡°Marquis Seeze, you look so much older now.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s my job to get older as an old man, your highness. How have you been?¡± ¡°You look like you should be resting at home. Why did youe?¡± ¡°I just wanted toe and make sure my grandson did a good job of protecting your highness.¡± ¡°I will not forget what your family has done for this country.¡± Only Lucius the First and Marquis Seeze smiled at each other. The emperor was a beautiful young man while Marquis Seeze, a 70-year-old man, looked very different. However, they had one thing inmon and that was that they hated each other. ¡®Stupid old man.¡¯ ¡°Na?ve little boy.¡¯ If Marquis Seeze didn¡¯t object to this conquest, the former emperor, Lucius the First¡¯s father, could¡¯ve been the one who began this journey. Just then, a young girl appeared from behind Marquis Seeze and whispered, ¡°Great Uncle.¡± She was young, but she was still a very beautifuldy. As soon as Marquis Seeze moved to introduce her, Lucius the First knew immediately what this was. ¡®Already? I guess the husband-hunting begins now and I am the juiciest target.¡¯ Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Lucius the First expected this, but not this quickly. What a snake Marquis Seeze was. The emperor hid his disgust and greeted the young girl. Tory Seeze bowed respectfully. She was a very distant rtive of Marquis Seeze and was adopted by his youngest son recently. Her bow was simple, yet she looked elegant and beautiful. The single knights nearby all gaped like idiots at her. Tory blushed as if she was shy and disappeared with the otherdies. In the northern region, the nobles did not believe in asions where young men and women spent too much time together. They did not approve of the extravagant balls that the mid and southern continents enjoyed. But even so, it was odd how shy Tory Seeze appeared to be. While Lucius the First was away, Tory Seeze had be the most eligible and coveted bachelorette in Nanaba. The emperor found it sad that he had to pretend not to notice what this old man was trying to do. Lucius the First said to Marquis, ¡°What a polite youngdy.¡± ¡°She is a good girl. My youngest son adopted her recently so we could arrange a good marriage for her. I am hoping to find her an appropriate husband.¡± ¡°Haha, she is beautiful and well-behaved, so I am sure you won¡¯t have any problem.¡± ¡°I agree, your highness. Now, this old man is getting very tired, so I will be going now. Have a wonderful evening, your highness.¡± When Marquis Seeze left, the other nobles surrounded the emperor like vultures. Lucius the First knew they were nted by the Marquis himself. The nobles said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness! It troubles everyone in the kingdom that you do not have a wife yet. You need to get married as soon as possible for the health of this nation.¡± Lucius the First nced at Sir Bentier, who was standing nearby and talking to his grandfather, Marquis Seeze. They looked like they were having a nice family chat, but in reality, this wasn¡¯t the case. The nobleman in front of the emperor added, ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is the most important task at hand, your highness?¡± Lucius the First smiled and evaded the question easily. ¡°Actually, I did hear about how the unmarrieddies of Nanaba have beenining for thest 10 years because I took away all the eligible young men. Now that the men have returned, I am sure things will settle down.¡± ¡°Your highness, your own marriage is what we are concerned about! Not the other men¡¯s!¡± ¡°Haha, I am still very young, and I am happy to enjoy my life a little while longer with many different women. I am not in any hurry at all.¡± In reality, the emperor should¡¯ve been more worried about it. Lucius the First was in his early 30¡¯s and he still didn¡¯t have any children. If his mother was still alive, she would¡¯ve been very upset. But Lucius the First feigned his ignorance, the emperor had no intention of marrying a woman who had strong ties to any of the elders. He would, of course, get married eventually, he had to. He was the ruler of the entire continent after all. Searching for an empress only from Acreia would be considered unfair. The best thing would be to widen the search to include the entire continent. The emperor sat down on his throne and didn¡¯t move. Standing behind him were Sir Ainno and themander of the guard division Sir Wook. Duke Luzo sat down next to the emperor and chatted with Lucius the First, but he didn¡¯te down to the dance floor either. There were plenty of returned soldiers that thedies didn¡¯tck dance partners, but the unmarried women were still very disappointed that the most eligible bachelors, Lucius the First and the Duke, seemed to have no interest in any of them. The emperor said to his cousin, ¡°I think it would be best if I hold off on enjoying myself for now.¡± ¡°If you wish, you are wee to go and dance with anyone here, your highness.¡± ¡°Here, I am prey, not a hunter. I am not scared of thedies, but I am fearful of their fathers, grandfathers, and uncles, who are looking at me like I am a prized bull.¡± Sir Ainno offered a solution, ¡°If anyone tries to hunt you, your highness, I will get rid of him immediately.¡± Duke Luzo said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, I wouldn¡¯t mind being hunted, but I waited this long so I could get the best wife I possibly could. Have you thought of anyone for me by chance?¡± Lucius the First patted Duke Luzo¡¯s shoulder affectionately. He was thankful and apologetic that men like Duke and Sir Ainno didn¡¯t get married for the emperor¡¯s sake. They also didn¡¯t have control over who they could marry. Lucius the First decided to be generous. He said to the Duke, ¡°If you have ady you like, I will let you marry her.¡± Only ¡°Do you mean it, your highness?¡± ¡°Of course. I am the emperor and I would never say things like this lightly. Of course, there are some obvious andmon sense conditions. She can¡¯t be too young or too old and she can¡¯t already be married. She can¡¯t be a widow either and she needs to be a noblewoman. She couldn¡¯t be from a family that has a criminal and she cannot have any gic disorders or illness. I will allow a barren woman, but that means that you will have to take in a concubine. Oh, and of course, she can¡¯t be from a family that has a history of madness.¡± Duke Luzo looked hopeful but when the emperor stated all those conditions, his face fell. He sat down quietly. Trying to find a suitable wife was a lot of paperwork. Usually, there would be a need to go through the profiles of all their potentialdies, and Duke Luzo was too tired to do it. What he needed were rest and stability. He believed that once he got enough rest, his lost hair woulde back and he would look his age again. In a high society, marriage meant business. It could be a business of finances, politics, or both. It was a very important matter and therefore, it needed to be done with the utmost care. When Duke Luzo looked disappointed, Lucius the First felt even more apologetic. This was what the emperor had been feeling towards his cousin ever since he returned home, he felt sorry and thankful for him. 10 years ago, Duke Luzo was a beautiful young man. Not as handsome as the emperor but still very good looking. Duke Luzo was also a great hunter, a horseman, swordsman, and an athlete. He had a great muscr body. But in thest 10 years, during the time when the emperor was at war, the duke was left behind to take care of the administrative duties. It was a lot of work, and because of it, Duke Luzo lost his looks. He lost his hair and muscles. He gained more weight and turned into a round man, rather than a slim fit young man. It was such a sad thing to watch. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Lucius the First clearly looked like a young man, but Duke Luzo looked almost middle-aged. The emperor said to his cousin, ¡°Go ahead and enjoy yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy anymore. I am so tired because I wound up arranging this banquet and the parade.¡± The emperor felt so bad for the duke. The two most eligible bachelors of Acreia sat on their chairs and enjoyed their food and drinks. The only entertainment they allowed themselves to was talking to a few people who approached them. Sir Bentier, who was being harassed by his grandfather and rtives, finally escaped and walked towards Lucius the First. The emperor asked Sir Bentier, ¡°Where is your wife?¡± ¡°Our child is still too young, so she decided not toe.¡± Most noblewomen were not very hands-on mothers. They had nannies to take care of the children, so it was an odd thing for a noblewoman not to attend the biggest event of the year. Lucius the First assumed Sir Bentier¡¯s wife must have an unusually close rtionship with her child. The emperor himself had a close rtionship with his own mother, the former empress. He lost his mother at a very young age, but he remembered the deep love his beautiful mother gave him when she was still alive. Lucius the First said to Sir Bentier apologetically, ¡°I am sure that as a father and as a husband, your wife and your child would be the first people you would want to see, not your old grandfather and your father. How sad your life must be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, your highness. It¡¯s better than not having anyone who would wait for you at home,¡± Sir Bentier replied with a gentle smile. ¡°Are you referring to me and how I am still unmarried?¡± ¡°Of course not, your highness. I am only talking about the unmarried lonely knights who drink themselves to sleep.¡± During the war, the soldiers and the knights didn¡¯t feel lonely because they had each other. Everyone treated each other like family. But after the war, those who weren¡¯t married couldn¡¯t help feeling lonely. Most of the unmarried men came together to go out and drink. This could turn ugly sometimes, so Sir Bentier voiced his concern. Lucius the First shook his head and exined, ¡°I already thought of that and took care of it. They are probably all too busy having fun right now.¡± Lucius the First turned to his cousin and told him to go and have fun. Duke Luzo nodded weakly and disappeared among the young people on the dance floor. The emperor looked at the crowd and said to Sir Bentier, ¡°It must be nice to be reunited with your grandfather after 10 years.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. My grandfather is like my father to me.¡± ¡°You must have a lot to talk about. You are free to go back to him.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s ok, your highness. We will have a lot of time to chatter. We can talk at home.¡± Sir Bentier chatted with the emperor for a long time before finally leaving. As soon as Sir Bentier left Lucius the First¡¯s sight, he was again surrounded by his rtives. Lucius the First felt sorry for Sir Bentier. He knew Sir Bentier¡¯s rtives would not leave him alone for a very long time. After another hour, Lucius the First gave an excuse of being too tired and left. Only Sir Ainno followed him as his guard and the emperor returned to his room. The emperor¡¯s room. In Acreia, the emperor¡¯s room didn¡¯t refer to the emperor¡¯s bedroom. It referred to the room where the portraits of the previous emperors and empresses hung on the walls. The room was also filled with the previous emperor¡¯s mementos. Sir Ainno stayed outside the door. The emperor entered the room alone. If someone wanted to assassinate the emperor, this was the perfect chance for one to do so. Because the room wasn¡¯t visited by anyone, it smelled musky despite the fact that the servants cleaned it regrly. The emperor walked around the room slowly. He looked at the portraits one by one and made eye contact with everyone on the wall. He even whispered out their names quietly. After he went around the room, he stopped in front of his parents¡¯ portraits. ¡°I¡¯m finally home.¡± Lucius the First took off his crown. He was the emperor, the greatest being to every living person but here in this room, he was just one of their descendants. In front of his dead parents, Lucius the First was just their son and nothing more. Only Below his parents¡¯ portraits was a table and on top of it was a ring box. There were two rings, one for Lucius the First and one for his future empress. They used to belong to his parents. The small ring, which used to be his mother¡¯s, while the bigger one used to be his father¡¯s. Lucius the First thought quietly. He already had a woman he wanted to give the ring to, but he could not. He would not. ¡°Long live Acreia,¡± the emperor whispered. With a sigh, he put on his crown again. He wanted to enjoy his life, but he couldn¡¯t. He wanted to go out dancing and drinking with others, but this wasn¡¯t the time. There were many who deserved to get a break, but unfortunately, there was still much more work to do. ¡®I really hope Luzo¡¯s hair canst a while longer.¡¯ Baldness did not run in his family, so Lucius the First couldn¡¯t understand why Duke Luzo was suffering from this condition. The emperor sighed again, feeling sorry for his cousin. But there was so much more left to do, this wasn¡¯t the time to rest. Chapter 105: Story 12. Why Don’t You Take a Little Break- 105 Story 12. Why Don¡¯t You Take a Little Break Chapter 105 The end of the war didn¡¯t mean that it was time to rest. In fact, there was more work than before now that it was over. The Acreian army was made up of professional soldiers. Even if there were peace and no battles to be fought, these men needed to be paid and maintained. The military was their livelihood. And keeping an army was a very expensive business, and it was necessary to find another use for the soldiers after the war. Lucius the First already had a n for this situation. The soldiers were to be sent to the colonies, however, the problem was that the men did not want to leave their home again. They have been away for thest 10 years, and the soldiers didn¡¯t want to leave their families again to go work in strange kingdoms. When the former emperor was alive, he gathered the men for his army by offering attractive contracts. At the time, no one believed in the emperor¡¯s dream to unite the world, so it was difficult to get the men to join him. The noblemen wanted the emperor to fail because it meant that their power would rise. Only the poor and powerless men volunteered at the time. They needed the money for their family. Thankfully, a few years of excellent training allowed the Acreian army to grow into one of the best on the continent. Lucius the First offered the low ranking soldiers the contracts to be deployed to the other kingdoms, but he also didn¡¯t stop anyone who wanted to stay home. But anyone who was willing to go was offered a significant promotion and a raise. Many did take the offer and set out to create new lives. The majority of these men were unmarried and came from families that had many sons. Those who were married with children mostly decided to remain in Acreia, but a few chose to take their entire family and move to the south. Next was the higher-ranking soldiers and knights¡­ Lucius the First¡¯s army was made up of unusually young men. And most of the high-ranking officers were second or third sons of their families, which meant that it wasn¡¯t too difficult for these men to ept the positions down south, especially with the strong possibility of a huge promotion. Some of them dreamt of bing the viceroy of the colonies. It seemed that the emperor¡¯s n to repurpose his military force was working, but he found out soon enough that it wasn¡¯t that simple. The Acreianw stated that the nobles could not own a significant army of their own. And when Lucius the First was on the throne, thisw was followed to a good degree. But during thest 10 years when he was away, things have changed. Duke Luzo still enforced the samew, but it wasn¡¯t followed as strictly. Many powerful noblemen gathered young men to create their own private army. And it was very easy to go around thew. As long as the noblemen didn¡¯t call the men ¡°soldiers¡± on official papers, they were ok. They were hired as ¡°farmers,¡± ¡°hunters,¡± and various other positions, and using this method, the nobles created significant armies of their own. This was a problem for Lucius the First. He was trying to disperse the soldiers and find them new useful positions, but the other sneaky nobles such as Marquis Seeze was also offering his own soldiers to everyone. Lucius the First murmured in annoyance, ¡°That old bastard¡­¡± ¡®Should I just kill him?¡¯ The emperor gritted his teeth. It would have been so much easier and simpler to have this old marquis killed, but he knew this wasn¡¯t the solution. Even if he somehow made his death look natural, there were bound to be rumors that the emperor secretly killed the marquis. This would cause even greater problems for Lucius the First. It wasn¡¯t worth it. The best and safest thing was to wait for Marquis Seeze to die of old age. Wasn¡¯t a victory without any bloodshed the best kind of a win? Lucius the First knew he could be patient. These annoying old men would die one by one eventually and when they do, their ces will be reced by new men, and the emperor has to make sure that these new forces do not gain too much power too quickly. He had to always be wary of everyone and stomp on anyone who showed the potential to be problematicter. Yes, the war was over, but this was only the beginning of a new kind of war. Politics. *** Despite still being a very young man, Duke Luzo suffered from chronic fatigue and stress. His receding hairline was still a great concern to the emperor. Duke Luzo firmly believed that the return of his cousin, the emperor, was going to end his misery. He was believing that once he was free of stress, his hair would return. But the reality was too cruel¡­ Duke Luzo said to Lucius the First, ¡°Your highness, I think it is finally time for me to return to my home.¡± ¡°Luzo, my cousin.¡± The emperor gave him a friendly smile. It was a beautiful smile, but Duke Luzo didn¡¯t fall for it. ¡°You want something from me, don¡¯t you?! I know you very well!¡± ¡°Luzo, I am so appreciative of your hard work.¡± ¡°I am aware of that fact, your highness. So I believe it is time for me to retire to my home.¡± ¡°Luzo, I want the same thing for you too! But only after all the work is done, of course. Hahaha!¡± The emperorughed loudly before grabbing his cousin. He grinned and said to Duke Luzo, ¡°We will all get to rest when it¡¯s done. So let¡¯s get to work again! Hahaha! Together!¡± ¡°Nooo!!! You are too cruel!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Duke Luzo screamed, but the emperor¡¯sughter was louder. Sir Jainno shook his head as he watched the emperor drag away the duke. Sir Jainno knew the hardship of having a cruel older brother. Just as Duke Luzo was bullied by an older cousin Lucius the First, Sir Jainno suffered the same fate by his older brother Sir Ainno, especially when they were younger. Sir Jainno was busy himself as well. He had to study the new members of his division and train them. He also had to continue reinforcing the defense of the castle. Only There had been a significant increase in visitors to the Nanaba castle, and it was Sir Jainno¡¯s job to screen them. He was short on men to do this job, and Sir Ainno was away for the business of the knight¡¯s order. Sir Jainno thought to himself, ¡®I am going to have to get more men for the royal guard division.¡¯ There were only two royal members to be protected, but there was more work now to protect the royal castle. This was a big job and he needed more men. Sir Jainno was also concerned about the internal struggle between his own men and the guards from the emperor¡¯s division. The two teams werebined together, and it seemed that something might be brewing. ¡®Idiots.¡¯ Sir Jainno touched his own hair and sighed. After watching what happened to Duke Luzo¡¯s hair, Sir Jainno has developed a fear for his own hairline. Stress was such a dangerous thing for men and their hair. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Poliana woke up at a different time every day. When she was one of the royal guards, she used to work one of the three shifts per day beside the emperor. But since she became the head of the guard division, this changed. Instead, she tried to spend as much of her time as possible as Lucius the First¡¯s guard. This meant that Poliana¡¯s work hour coincided with that of Lucius the First. The emperor was very careful with his health, but he was also a workaholic. When he was loaded with work, with the kind of work he deemed important, he overworked himself until it was done. And when he worked, Poliana worked as well. But there were also many times when the emperor took nice long breaks, which meant that Poliana became used to the same thing. Currently, the problem for her wasn¡¯t the fact that she was on a forced vacation. It was the location where she had to spend her time. If she was at an inn or even the overcrowded guesthouse where the other knights were residing, she would have feltfortable. She would have taken naps and eat whenever she wanted, but¡­ She was stuck in thedy¡¯s quarters. Ady¡¯s quarters of all ces! She felt incredibly awkward here. Poliana sat down the book she was reading and left the room. The one-piece gown she wore was provided for her and it was made of such a soft expensive material that it felt like she was wearing feathers. Her meals were amazing as expected. Except for Poliana, everyone else in the house was busy, so she made sure to stay as a quiet obedient guest. Poliana was slowly getting used to the atmosphere of this noble household. Everyone was kind to her. Sir Rabi¡¯s wife, Lady Bika, was especially thoughtful. Lady Bika was only 7 years older than Poliana, but she was already the mother of two fully-grown daughters and the mistress of one of the most powerful families in Acreia. Sir Rabi used to be Poliana¡¯s direct superior at one point, so Poliana made sure to treat Lady Bika with the utmost respect. In fact, she treated Lady Bika even more politely than how she treated the emperor. Poliana also acted very respectful to Vaxi and Vanessa. They were 10 years younger than Poliana, but they were very mature. They were calmer and more graceful than the men 10 years older than them. It was obvious that their mother made sure that they were educated properly. Lady Bika exined that the wife of a knight had to be able to carry on and maintain the entire household in her husband¡¯s absence. Vaxi and Vanessa¡¯s education was extensive to satisfy Lady Bika¡¯s very high standards. Poliana wasn¡¯t sure why, but she felt morefortable around the twins than their mother. She became closer to the girls much faster. Perhaps it was because Poliana was unmarried and therefore she could rte more to the youngdies. Or maybe, it was because Lady Bika treated Poliana almost like her own daughters. Poliana and the twins became friendly acquaintances. They were curious about each other. For Poliana, she was interested in the girls because she knew that they might be the wives of Sirs Howe and Donau. The twins were curious about Poliana because she was the infamous knightess. One thing Poliana enjoyed in Sir Rabi¡¯s house was the library. Because Sir Rabi¡¯s family had generations of knights, his library was filled with many military-rted books. Poliana was a very well-read soldier especially regarding the art of war. In Sir Rabi¡¯s household, the women were allowed in the library, so the twins seemed veryfortable with books. They even rmended a few books to Poliana. Poliana was reading one of those books when she decided to take a break. She had been stuck inside for a long time, and she felt stiff and bored. Poliana needed to exercise, but so far, she had been feeling ufortable about asking where she could go to do it. But now, she needed to find a way. Poliana went to talk to Lady Bika. There was a small gym next to the guest house, but there was a strict rule regarding this ce. Only men were allowed inside and even as a guest, Poliana wasn¡¯t allowed to enter the gym either. ¡®It makes sense.¡¯ Poliana understood the reason for this. Sir Rabi had two young daughters and this strict and well-known rule provided protection for their reputations. ¡®I guess as the mother of two youngdies, Lady Bika feels strongly about this rule.¡¯ Lady Bika asked Poliana, ¡°Exercise? But you are on a vacation, so you should be resting, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Well, I am used to exercising every day, so my body feels too stiff without it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ There is an empty lot in the inner garden. You can use that area if you wish. I will order the servants to get you some of the practice weapons.¡± Poliana bowed respectfully to Lady Bika. *** One of the maids brought Poliana a morefortable outfit. Poliana didn¡¯t ask for it, which meant that thedy of the house ordered it. Poliana was impressed with how efficient and meticulous Lady Bika was. As thedy of arge household, Lady Bika must have a lot of things to take care of, and she did a great job of it. She made sure that all the guests were alwaysfortable and well-fed. ¡®Some women were just born to be greatdies.¡¯ While Poliana was changing into her exercise outfit, Vaxi and Vanessa appeared. They heard how Poliana was going to exercise, and they wanted to tag along. ¡°We won¡¯t be in your way.¡± ¡°We just want to watch.¡± Poliana asked the twins, ¡°My Ladies, haven¡¯t you ever seen knights training before?¡± ¡°Yes, but not a knightess.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve never seen a female knight train.¡± The sisters asked her with their pretty smiles. Poliana had no reason to say no, so she nodded. When they reached the empty lot, Poliana realized what the twins really wanted. ¡°Sir Poliana, can we touch the sword just once?¡± ¡°Please, Sir Poliana! Just once!¡± Poliana became confused. This was a knight¡¯s house, which meant the ce must be filled with various weapons. So why would they beg her to touch a sword? There could be only one exnation for this. It was obvious that Lady Bika forbade her daughters from dealing with any weapons. The youngdies continued to beg prettily, ¡°Please, Sir Poliana!¡± ¡°We will just try holding it for a second. We won¡¯t swing it or anything.¡± Only Poliana asked, ¡°It sounds like you aren¡¯t allowed to handle a weapon. I assume this is your mother¡¯s rule?¡± ¡°Oh please! The daughters of other knights are usually allowed to train with small daggers, but our mother won¡¯t let us.¡± ¡°Please! If our mother finds out, we will just tell her we made you do it, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°No. Sorrydies, but I cannot go against thedy of the house. I am only a guest here.¡± Poliana was firm in her decision. It was only a practice sword and therefore, it wasn¡¯t sharp, but it was still a weapon. Poliana could never let untraineddies handle such a dangerous thing. To Poliana¡¯s surprise, the twins gave up easily. And just as they promised, they didn¡¯t get in her way. Vaxi and Vanessa sat on the garden chair and watched her quietly. Just then, a pretty deer appeared in the garden towards them. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 It was Rosy, Sir Rabi¡¯s pet deer. Rosy was wary of Vaxi and Vanessa since she didn¡¯t know the sisters, but because Poliana was familiar to her, Rosy walked towards Poliana and waited to be patted. This domesticated deer was very affectionate. It seemed that she craved to be patted because Sir Rabi hasn¡¯t been aroundtely. ¡°Oh, the deer ising towards us!¡± ¡°Whenever we try to touch her, she runs away!¡± The twins eximed, making the deer jump. When they quieted down, Rosy walked towards Poliana again, who stroked her back gently. The soft fur felt nice on her skin. Poliana was d she didn¡¯t insist on making gloves out of Rosy¡¯s hide. Poliana held on to Rosy so Vaxi and Vanessa could pet her too. ¡°Wow, what a pretty deer!¡± ¡°We always thought that the deer wasrge and scary-looking because they are like that around here, but I guess there are prettier animals down south.¡± ¡°But we are worried about her. Our father thought to bring some dogs from the south here too, but that didn¡¯t push through because their hair was either too thin or they weren¡¯t hairy enough. He was worried they might not survive the harsh northern weather.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, do you think this deer will be ok in the winter? I mean, she is so small and her hair is too short.¡± Poliana then replied, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be ok if she lives inside the house?¡± ¡°Our mother will never let her inside.¡± ¡°But I saw the dogs being allowed inside the horse stalls¡­¡± ¡°Yes, but we can¡¯t have the deer inside the barns because the dogs will attack her.¡± The Acreian dogs were hunters, which meant that they would kill Rosy instantly as soon as they saw her. The dogs and the deer could not live together. Even the oldest dog tried to attack when he saw Rosy. The twins, who were animal lovers just like their father, hugged the deer and chatted with Poliana. It was nice to see beautiful youngdies and the pretty deer together. Suddenly, Vanessa lifted Rosy up and gave her a big hug. Poliana couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. The deer was on the smaller side for a wild animal, but Rosy still weighed a solid 80 pounds and yet, Vanessa didn¡¯t even blink as she easily lifted the deer. ¡°I want to hug her too!¡± Vaxi eximed and when Vanessa handed her Rosy, she received the deer without a problem. Vaxi didn¡¯t look like she was strained either. It seemed that the sisters didn¡¯t only inherit their father¡¯s loud voice, but also his herculean strength. These girls would make much better knights than Poliana. They were stronger, which meant that they could wield heavier and more powerful weapons. Poliana felt a sudden disappointment in herself. Feeling defeated, Poliana finished her training very early that day. *** Thedy¡¯s quarter was off-limits to men. Even the sisters¡¯ father, Sir Rabi had to be careful when he enters this space. The only exceptions here were seniors and children. Bardo Bika, the youngest son of the Bika family, was free to roam around the house including his sisters¡¯ private areas. He frequented thedy¡¯s quarter less and less, however, as he got older. Bardo Bika grew up believing that he would be a knight in the future. This was expected by everyone around him. Any sons born in a knight¡¯s family were expected to be soldiers unless they had health problems. As the only son and the heir to the Bika family, Bardo was expected to be a knight. For some reason, Bardo seemed to like Poliana. He visited her often to chat. Sir Rabi was very busy. Poliana didn¡¯t know why, but he was, and yet the knight still spent a significant amount of time with his young son. Poliana enviously watched the family spend their quality time together. ¡°Hyaa!!¡± ¡°Bardo, you need to block your side, your front too, and your back of course!¡± Sir Rabi was teaching his son how to fight with a sword. Lady Bika watched them from afar with a content expression. Poliana watched as well with a smile, while Vaxi and Vanessa clenched their fists and yelled, ¡°Bardo, not like that! You need to attack his side!¡± ¡°No, lower your head, now!¡± ¡°Gosh, why are you so bad at this?! That¡¯s not the right move!¡± ¡°Hold your sword straight and block him!¡± ¡°Father is trying to teach you, so you need to do better Bardo!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Father is watching, so try harder!¡± At his twin sisters¡¯ nonstop screams, Bardo quickly lost his focus and stumbled. Sir Rabi helped his son so he wouldn¡¯t fall and announced that it was time for a break. ¡°We¡¯ve had enough for the day, I think.¡± ¡°But Father! I can go on a bit longer! I am not tired at all!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you aren¡¯t, Bardo, but it sounds like your sisters¡¯ mouths need a break.¡± Lady Bika quietly reprimanded her daughters, ¡°Why can¡¯t you girls watch quietly?¡± Only ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother, but it is so frustrating to watch Bardo do so poorly!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mother. We won¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°Vaxi, Vanessa, you girls don¡¯t know anything about swords! Don¡¯t you know that watching and actually wielding the weapon are two very different things?¡± Sir Rabi walked towards his wife and said with a smile, ¡°Go easy on the girls, my love. They were actually right about the moves. Bardo, I think your sisters have good eyes when ites to sparring.¡± The twins, who looked said at their mother¡¯s words, smiled brightly when their fatherplimented them. Watching the family as theyughed and have fun, Poliana nodded in approval. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was invited to their private family time, but nheless, it was still very nice to see them happy together. And although Poliana was alone and she didn¡¯t belong to the Bika family, she didn¡¯t feel lonely. She was familiar with Sir Rabi, and the rest of the family kept her pretty busy. They were very thoughtful and kind to her. Poliana knew that when someone asked how her stay was at the Bika house, she would answer that she had the best time of her life. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Marquis Seeze¡¯s mansion, which was located in Nabana, was as luxurious as the royal castle itself. He served the Acreian noble family since the time of Lucius the First¡¯s grandfather, and it was clear that the family waspensated handsomely. Lucius the First¡¯s grandfather died early, leaving two sons behind. Ever since, Marquis Seeze became the real power and authority of Acreia. He arranged marriages of his children to powerful families and slowly but surely further strengthened his power. After returning home, Sir Bentier had no time to rest. As the deputymander of the army, he still had so much to do even after the war. His home hasn¡¯t changed at all in his absence during thest 10 years. It was just as luxurious, and his father and uncles still treated him like a stranger. His wife still acted the same way; polite and indifferent. His son, who was a baby when he left, was not a young boy. Sir Bentier patted his head and nodded to his wife, that was the end of their greeting. Nothing had changed, and the one who changed the least was Marquis Seeze, who still didn¡¯t know that his grandson had changed his mind about the emperor. The old man didn¡¯t show how he truly felt to his grandson. Marquis Seeze still didn¡¯t trust his grandsonpletely, and perhaps it was because Marquis himself was always ready to betray anyone if necessary. All his life, Sir Bentier behaved ordingly to please his grandfather. He stood outside Marquis Seeze¡¯s room and waited quietly, Marquis was with the other elders in a meeting. When Tory came by with a tray of tea, she spotted Sir Bentier and bowed respectfully. It was obvious that the elders were talking about something secretive. When Tory walked inside and informed Marquis that Sir Bentier had been there waiting for a long time, the other elders left quickly. Sir Bentier greeted them and walked into the library, which was spotless and well organized. He found Marquis Seeze was sitting in his chair. ¡°You must be very tired, so you should be resting now. I am sleepy too.¡± ¡°Sorry to visit you sote, Grandfather. I was working and I forgot the time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud of your hard work.¡± ¡°You have honored me with this position, so it is my duty to do my best and Grandfather, I would like to talk about what would happen after the things had settled down.¡± Sir Bentier did do exactly what his grandfather wanted him to do and now that the war was over, it didn¡¯t make sense for Sir Bentier to continue to hold the title of the deputymander. Marquis Seeze answered, ¡°Make sure to hold onto the military authority. It wille handy at some point. There is a rumor that Rabi Bika will be leaving the north, his position should be your next goal.¡± Sir Bentier was aware of this rumor, but he put on a mildly surprised expression. Sir Bentier was a very thoughtful and careful man. He always acted ignorantly so the others would underestimate him or make false assumptions. Sir Bentier didn¡¯t ask his grandfather about the private military forces he and the other elders must be working on. Instead, Sir Bentier said to Marquis Seeze, ¡°Grandfather, his highness is a great emperor. He is wise and ambitious. He had turned Acreia into not just a simple kingdom, but the center of the entire continent. With his highness, Acreia will be stronger and more prosperous than ever. ¡°I know.¡± Marquis Seeze never imagined that Lucius the First would really unite the continent. This was bad news because what he wanted was a stupid and na?ve emperor. He wanted Lucius the First to fail. But the emperor returned a victor, and the marquis realized that he now had no choice but to acknowledge Lucius the First as the true and capable ruler of Acreia. This meant that Marquis Seeze had to treat the emperor differently. Acreia was no longer a single kingdom. It owned the entire continent and therefore, the Acreian nobles were going to gain the greatest wealth and power they could ever imagine. At this point, Marquis Seeze had no ns to go against Lucius the First. ¡°I won¡¯t be antagonizing his highness, don¡¯t worry.¡± Up till the former emperor¡¯s generation, the Acreian nobles and elders were more powerful than the emperor himself but now with Lucius the First, things were rapidly changing. The current emperor was quickly gaining more and more power. To maintain a fine bnce, the elders needed to be smart. Keeping their private armies was one way to secure their authority over the government. It was insurance for them. The emperor didn¡¯t think too much of it. He didn¡¯t think this would give the nobles enough power to be problematic in the future, but Marquis Seeze didn¡¯t care. He wasn¡¯t going to let go of his personal army no matter what the emperor says. And so far, Lucius the First hasn¡¯t mentioned anything. What was he waiting for? Marquis Seeze said to his grandson, ¡°We will see what his highness does. For now, don¡¯t worry too much about things. You should go rest now.¡± Marquis Seezeughed quietly. *** Lady Bika banned the men from entering thedy¡¯s quarters, but the knights were still allowed to enter the main house whenever they wanted. Of course, they rarely did out of respect. The knights only entered the main house when they needed something. Of all the men, Sirs Howe and Donau were the ones who frequented the house the most. It made sense because Sir Howe used to be Sir Rabi¡¯s man while Sir Donau¡¯s direct supervisor was Poliana, who was a guest staying inside the main house. Sir Rabi made a point of inviting these two young men whenever he returned home from work. He also invited the other knights from time to time for drinks and chats so that he would not look suspicious. It has been a few years since Poliana heard the conversation between Sir Baufallo and Sir Rabi about their children¡¯s marriages. And finally, Sir Baufallo told his oldest son about his n. Sir Howe seemed very nervous about the prospect of his potential marriage at the time. Today, Sir Rabi invited the two brothers again. This time, it was for dinner, and to make things less awkward, he invited Poliana as well. When she appeared in a woman¡¯s robe, Sir Howe teased her, ¡°Shall we dance?¡± ¡°I see that you are doing well now that you are free from Sir Ainno.¡± ¡°Absolutely, I love it!¡± Only Unlike Sir Howe, Sir Donau was more genuine, ¡°Sis, it¡¯s true that you look really good. That outfit definitely suits you much better than the one you wore that other time.¡± This was true. At the Bikpa banquet, Poliana was forced to wear gaudy dress, makeup, and jewels. Now in a simple gown, she looked much better and more natural. The rode Lady Bika offered was feminine, but still veryfortable and unlike the other noblewomen, Lady Bika didn¡¯t insist on her wearing a wig or makeup. Before this dinner, Poliana was worried that she was underdressed. ¡®Maybe I should be more dressed up?¡¯ It was a formal dinner with the master and thedy of the house after all. But when Poliana asked, Lady Bika replied that it was going to be afortable informal dinner and that Poliana was dressed ordingly. In fact, Sirs Howe and Donau were also in their work clothes. Every time Lady Bika took care of her, Poliana was once again reminded of her need for a wife. ¡°Thank you, Sir Donau. Now, how is everyone else in the castle? How are our fellow guards?¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Sir Donau replied, ¡°Well, everyone is busy getting used to their new surroundings. What Sir Wook said in his report is pretty urate. We have nothing more to report, I guess. Oh and Sir Jainno¡­¡± ¡®Hmm¡­ I guess he won¡¯t admit that he is having a hard time¡­¡¯ Poliana thought to herself secretly. Based on Sir Wook¡¯s report, there had been an increasing conflict between the guards that belonged to Sir Jainno¡¯s team and the guards who were back from the war. It was because many of the new guards appointed by Lucius the First during the war were of lower ranks and births. Sir Jainno¡¯s guards were all from wealthy powerful families and they did not look kindly on the new additions to their team. Poliana suspected that Donau was one of the low-birth guards who were being bullied, but it seemed that he wasn¡¯t going to say anything to his adopted sister. She became upset that he wouldn¡¯t confide in her. After all, on top of being his sister-like figure, Poliana was also his direct supervisor. Shouldn¡¯t he tell her if he was in trouble? ¡®Gosh, he likes to pretend that he¡¯s tough.¡¯ They spent thest 10 years together. Poliana could tell what Sir Donau was thinking. He was trying to spare her from his problems since she was on a vacation. He was trying to be kind and considerate, but it only made her feel disappointed and left out. Not knowing how Poliana was feeling, Donau continued to chat about Sir Jainno. Donau imed that he was initially worried about him since he was Sir Ainno¡¯s brother, but to his surprise, Sir Jainno didn¡¯t seem like an overly strange person. Compared to Sir Ainno, Sir Jainno was a real gentleman. Donau exined, ¡°Sir Ainno just hits first then exins after, but apparently, Sir Jainno hits you and exins things to you at the same time.¡± Poliana asked seriously, ¡°But then, how would you be able to hear his exnation while you are being beaten? Would you be able to hear him still?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never actually seen it happen, so I don¡¯t know. I just heard about it, that¡¯s all.¡± As Poliana and the Baufallo brothers walked towards the dining room, Poliana could feel Sir Howe¡¯s nervousness. Sir Howe always had a great respect for Sir Rabi, and to realize this man could be his future father-inw was causing a lot of pressure on him. Poliana thought secretly, ¡®I hope everything works out.¡¯ Since the fathers were done arranging the details, it made sense to have the future couples to meet like this, but the problem was going to be the fact that Sir Baufallo¡¯s family was much poorer and less powerful than Sir Rabi¡¯s. There was a good chance that the elders of Sir Rabi¡¯s family were going to object to their union. Tonight¡¯s dinner mattered. Sir Howe and Donau needed to make excellent impressions on the seniors of Sir Rabi¡¯s family. The servant opened the dining-room door for them and Poliana was escorted to her seat. The house belonged to Sir Rabi and his wife, but today, Sir Rabi Senior and his wife were present and therefore sat at the head of the table. When the dinner began, it was Sir Rabi who led the conversation. ¡°So Sir Howe, how is the knight¡¯s order going?¡± ¡°Very well, Sir. We are at the final stage ofpleting it. Sir Ainno will lead it with Sir Mahogal as his aide. I was told they are already in the process of producing the g for the order.¡± Sir Rabi Senior shook his head and murmured, ¡°Hmm¡­ A knight¡¯s order¡­¡± His voice was quiet, as if talking to himself, but it was still loud enough for everyone to hear. He continued, ¡°Mimicking the useless and frivolous southerners is not a good thing.¡± Sir Rabi replied with a smile, ¡°Father, this knight¡¯s order will be the best on the continent! Especially with Sir Howe, he is an excellent fighter.¡± Sir Howe added with an awkward grin, ¡°Hahaha, I would neverpare to Sir Rabi, however. I am ttered, Sir Rabi, thank you.¡± Poliana watched sadly at how Sir Howe was desperately trying to make a good impression, hisugh sounded very ufortable. ¡®This is not good¡­¡¯ Sir Howe was indeed an excellent knight. Even Sir Ainno acknowledged Sir Howe¡¯s fighting skills. However, Sir Howe¡¯s biggest weapon was his social nature. He could easily befriend anyone, yet tonight, it seemed that he was too nervous. Sir Rabi Senior asked, ¡°Alright. So I heard that your younger brother is in the royal guard division. Is this correct?¡± ¡°Yes, he has been honored with that great duty.¡± Lady Bika, who had been quiet throughout the dinner, smiled and asked, ¡°My, what aplished brothers, and what is your mother¡¯s maiden name? May I ask which family is she from?¡± Sir Howe froze, so Sir Donau answered instead. When the name sounded unfamiliar, which clearly meant their mother came from a modest noble family, Lady Bika¡¯s smile became rigid. Sir Rabi Senior said quietly, ¡°Hmm¡­ Yet somehow, you were able to enter the royal guards.¡± Was it apliment, or was it sarcasm? Thankfully, Sir Howe seemed to have rxed a little. He then replied, ¡°There is a great story behind it. You probably all know about the incident that happened in Bikpa with King Gali the Third. Inside the Yapa castle at the time of the fight, Sir Rabi and many of the knights, including myself, were trapped and unable to protect his highness. Luckily, the emperor still had a few knights with him and one of them was my younger brother, who protected his highness with his life. The emperor was very impressed with Sir Donau.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Sir Howe further rxed as everyone on the table seemed interested in his story. When they turned toward Sir Donau expectantly, Sir Donau said humbly, ¡°Actually, it was Sir Poliana, who was the hero of that day.¡± It would have been better if Sir Donau did not mention Poliana. Poliana wanted to stab Sir Donau with her fork for ruining the conversation. Only Tonight had to be about Sirs Donau and Howe. This dinner was arranged by Sir Rabi so the brothers could make a good impression on the Rabi seniors. Poliana was only here so that there wouldn¡¯t be any rumors about the ongoing marriage n, which had to remain a secret for now. Poliana currently had the same rank as Sir Rabi, which meant no one on the table, not even Sir Rabi Senior could openly disrespect her. If the dinner was about Poliana, Sir Rabi would have made sure the conversation involved only the safest and most mundane topics but of course, Sir Donau didn¡¯t know about this. He only mentioned her aplishment to show respect to her. One thing Poliana didn¡¯t know was how impressed the Acreian knights and soldiers were with her that day. She not only had the sense to keep hidden weapons on her but also risked her life to protect the emperor even when everything seemed hopeless and they were fully surrounded. When she came out of that banquet room, she looked devastating. She was covered in blood and her dress was ripped to shreds. But her colleagues remembered her as the heroine of the day and even to this day, they talked about her with respect among themselves. Sir Donau exined that day with all the details he could remember. How her dress was ripped, how she threw away her wig, and how she ran around barefoot. Sir Rabi and his father listened quietly, while their wives looked horrified. When Sir Donau was finished, Sir Rabi Senior asked Poliana, ¡°So did you bring any hidden weapons to this dinner too? Do you have any daggers on you?¡± Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Sir Rabi protested, ¡°Father! Sir Poliana is the head of the royal guards and my honored guest! You are being rude!¡± Poliana calmly replied to Sir Rabi Senior, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any weapons with me to this dinner, because I didn¡¯t think it was necessary. These walls are covered in weapons and armors. I saw that the weapons are all well-sharpened too.¡± Sir Rabi Senior¡¯s question was indeed very rude. Poliana could have answered it more diplomatically, but she didn¡¯t feel the need to do so. She also didn¡¯t think she deserved such rudeness. Besides, it was true that the walls were decorated with excellent weapons. Behind her were maces while the wall in front of her held tworge swords. If necessary, she could take them down and use them rather than making an effort of bringing her own to the dinner. Poliana added, ¡°I also trust Sir Rabi. He is one of the best and honorable knights I have ever met. He is also very kind and generous to his men. I have great respect for him.¡± This was the truth. Poliana did have great respect for Sir Rabi. She could understand why Sir Howe considered Sir Rabi to be his favorite superior. Sir Rabi looked sly, but he was actually a very honest man. He could also be very kind, although not during his training. It was clear that he loved his men, and everyone looked up to him. Poliana asked Sir Rabi Senior, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you asked me that question to insult me or if you were truly curious, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I felt insulted, so I would like you to apologize, Sir.¡± Poliana looked like she was ready to duel the old man if necessary. Sir Rabi Senior red at her before stating, ¡°Your eyes tell me that you have killed before.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°When was your first kill?¡± ¡°When I was 12 years old, my teacher brought me a man on a death row so I could practice.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ A wise teacher.¡± The old manughed and coughed before adding, ¡°Not all murderers are knights, but all knights are murderers. I couldn¡¯t control my curiosity and ended up being rude to my guest. I apologize, and I apologize to everyone here.¡± With the old man¡¯s sincere apology, the conversation resumed naturally. Poliana wasn¡¯t upset and she continued to enjoy her meal. Sir Rabi¡¯s family was frank and honest, and Poliana liked them. The twins were kind and beautiful, and she thought that perhaps they were too good for the Baufallo brothers. ¡®Hmm¡­ But Sir Rabi must have a really good reason for pursuing this marriage n.¡¯ There had to be. There was too big of a gap between the families in terms of wealth and position. The fact that Donau and Sir Howe were good men and that they had a good future ahead of them wasn¡¯t enough. The conversation went on smoothly. When there was a pause, Lady Bika Senior asked Poliana, ¡°So are you retiring soon?¡± ¡°No. I am on a short vacation.¡± ¡°Oh, no. Then, when will you get married?¡± Poliana knew the best answer here was a vague one, an honest answer would make them nag. ¡°I will when I meet a good man.¡± A man who would be willing to change hisst name to his wife¡¯s, a man who wouldn¡¯t mind his wife working with other men, and a man who would be ok with his wife being barren; that¡¯s what she would consider as a good man. Thedy said to Poliana patiently, ¡°It is best for any woman to get married as early as possible. That way, you would have a better chance of bearing many healthy children.¡± If Poliana answered honestly that she was barren, it was going to stop thedy from nagging, but she would have to go through the standard sympathy speech. Poliana wasn¡¯t in the mood, so she remained quiet. The elderlydy continued, ¡°My daughter-inw here¡­ She got married at a very young age, but she had difficulty bearing a son. I am so thankful that she was finally able to have Bardo.¡± Bardo Bika, the only son of Sir Rabi and the heir to the Bika family. If he wasn¡¯t born, there was a good chance that Sir Rabi could have never joined the emperor in this war. If Sir Rabi wasn¡¯t there¡­ Things could have gone very badly for Acreia. Poliana didn¡¯t even want to think about what might have happened if they didn¡¯t have Sir Rabi with them. Thank god Bardo was born. Lady Bika smiled kindly and said with a nod, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. A woman¡¯s life begins only after she bears her sons.¡± She then turned towards her twin daughters and added, ¡°You need to listen carefully, girls. A woman¡¯s life depends all on the men around her. A lucky woman is born to a good father, is married to a good husband, and gets to bear good sons. You girls were very fortunate to have such a great father and he will find you good husbands. After that, all you have to do is bear good sons and raise them right.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°Of course, mother.¡± Poliana turned towards Vaxi and Vanessa, who have been quiet the entire dinner. All they did was smile nkly. However, Poliana noted that Sir Rabi wasn¡¯t smiling. In fact, he looked upset, even more so when he had an argument with his father. Poliana saw that Donau was about to protest to Lady Bika, but she red at Donau to stop him. With her eyes, she ordered him not to say a word. What Lady Bika said to her daughters could be considered rude to Poliana, but Poliana knew thedy had no intention of insulting her. All Lady Bika was doing was trying to teach her daughters a lesson she thought was very important, this was what Lady Bika believed. A mother taught her daughters the wisdom she learned from her own mother; mother to daughters, sister to sister. Lady Bika didn¡¯t mean to offend Poliana. It was obvious that the possibility didn¡¯t even cross thedy¡¯s mind. In her defense, this was all she knew. This was how Lady Bika lived her life. The twins smiled in agreement. They were good obedient daughters, this was their choice. Just as Poliana didn¡¯t choose to be a knightess, the twins didn¡¯t have a choice when it came to how they lived their lives. The only thing they could do was to try their best to enjoy whatever lives they were given and find any sense of happiness they could so it would be bearable. This was exactly what Poliana¡¯s sister, Liana, did. Liana grew up listening to her mother who taught her a woman¡¯s happiness was to find a good man and get married and being an obedient daughter, Liana did just that. She made sure to spend her every effort to make herself presentable and learn feminine skills such as music. Then, when she got the chance, she married the best man she could possibly find. When Poliana was reunited with Liana, she didn¡¯t think Liana was unhappy. Her stepsister didn¡¯t look overly happy, but there had to be a small sense of happiness somewhere in her life. Only ¡®Besides, I gave her a house as a gift too.¡¯ Healthy children, a nobleman as her husband, healthy parents, and a free house. Liana¡¯s life sounded very decent. And because Poliana understood that way of life, she wasn¡¯t offended by Lady Bika¡¯s words. Thedy didn¡¯t mean anything by it. Besides, Lady Bika has been very kind to Poliana throughout her stay. What she felt was her genuine kindness, and whatever she said tonight was just a simple mistake. Poliana could see that Lady Bika was nervous tonight, probably because she was sitting in front of her potential sons-inw. This made sense. Sir Rabi knew the men as well as their father, Sir Baufallo, very well, but Lady Bika didn¡¯t know much about them other than what she heard from her husband. Her daughters¡¯ lives depended on what kind of men Sir Howe and Donau were. Poliana red at Donau again, silently ordering him to behave himself. Thankfully, the dinner ended in a good mood. The elders left the room the earliest and next were the twins. Bardo wasn¡¯t present at the diner because he was too young. And finally, Sir Rabi turned to his wife and pointed out her rude mistake towards Poliana. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Lady Bika seemed surprised and confused. ¡°Pardon? What did I do¡­?¡± ¡°What you said earlier¡­ You were being rude to Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°What did I say? Oh, wait¡­ Oh no!¡± Lady Bika suddenly realized her mistake. She turned towards Poliana and eximed in horror. Poliana was used to this kind of reaction. No matter where she went, it seemed that the people around her would always forget that she was a woman. Lady Bika apologized sincerely, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, Sir Poliana. I am truly sorry.¡± ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean anything by it, Lady Bika. You were only talking to your daughters, not me.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness¡­ I was so nervous that I didn¡¯t think clearly¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s totally understandable. I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°You are so kind and forgiving, Sir Poliana. I can¡¯t believe how nice you are.¡± ¡°It is all thanks to his highness, of course.¡± A good knight never misses a chance to praise their emperor. *** Poliana over-ate at the dinner so she decided to go for a short walk. She ended up walking with Sir Howe and Donau, who were on their way to the guest house. As soon as Sir Howe and Poliana saw that there wasn¡¯t anyone around, they grabbed Donau and kicked him. Donau screamed, but Sir Howe and Poliana had no mercy. Poliana gagged Donau with the handkerchiefs she got from the twins and whispered, ¡°You are such an idiot, Donau!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you almost ruined everything!¡± Sir Howe added. ¡°Arrggghh! ¡­!¡± Donau became upset. ¡°What did I do? What are you guys talking about?¡± Poliana then replied, ¡°Why did you bring my name up when Sir Howe was talking about the Bikpa incident?! He was trying to make you look good, and you almost ruined the whole evening! Don¡¯t you want to get married?¡± Sir Howe too added, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t ever want to get married, Donau, but don¡¯t ever be in my way to have a good marriage!¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about?!¡± Poliana sighed in frustration. She thought Donau was a quick and smart young man, but obviously, she was wrong. Why was he having such a hard time figuring this out? Sir Baufallo only told Sir Howe about the potential marriage deal because he wasn¡¯t sure if the double marriage was a good idea, but it seemed that this was exactly what Sir Rabi wanted. Most men would have figured it out by now, but Donau seemed genuinely confused. Poliana finally exined it to him, ¡°Sir Rabi wants you and your brother as his sons-inw.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Sir Donau stumbled and fell on the ground. Sir Howe grabbed his younger brother and helped him stand up. Sir Howe eximed excitedly, ¡°I know! I know! Sir Rabi! The man I respect so much! That man could be my father-inw! He must really like me!¡± Sir Howe jumped around happily. It wasn¡¯t a done deal yet, but he couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. Poliana frowned at his loudness. Donau still couldn¡¯t understand the situation, ¡°This can¡¯t be! Our family is not good enough!¡± Poliana replied, ¡°It looks like Sir Rabi believes that you two will be promoted to great positions. He thinks you two have potentials.¡± ¡°But still, the difference between our two families is too big! I mean, we are so poor, and Sir Rabi is so wealthy.¡± Poliana nodded. ¡°Yeah, I kinda agree with that, the Rabi twins are too good for you boys.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair, Sir Pol! We aren¡¯t that bad!¡± Sir Howe protested. Donau, however, agreed with Poliana. ¡°Right? They are too good for us!¡± One brother was all for the idea, while the other was bbergasted and adamantly against it. But in the end, how the brothers felt about it didn¡¯t matter at all. The final decision was going to be made by Sir Rabi, not the Baufallo brothers. How funny an arranged marriage could be! As the person who now knew both the twins and the brothers, Poliana had a clear view of the situation. Personally, she was on Sir Howe and Donau¡¯s side since they were her friends, almost like brothers, but objectively speaking, she had to admit that the Rabi sisters were too good for the Baufallo brothers. Sir Bika was a count while Sir Baufallo was just a knight. Even if the Ribo family received a title andnds, there was still a huge gap between a well-established aristocrat and a newly appointed noble. This was going to be a great honor for the Baufallo brothers, yet it seemed Donau was unhappy about it. Poliana then asked, ¡°Why are youining?¡± ¡°A marriage should be between two people who like each other¡­¡± Before Donau could finish his sentence, Sir Howe and Poliana rolled their eyes and replied, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re dreaming!¡± ¡°You are such a na?ve boy.¡± Marriage was decided between the parents, not the actual people involved. It was an arrangement and nothing more. A love marriage was just a dream; it was something that one could read in a romance novel and if one wanted love, they could learn to love their other half. Poliana had no idea that her adopted little brother had such a dangerous idea about marriage. She then muttered, ¡°Wow. I had no idea you were so ambitious. A love marriage?¡±¡® Sir Howe added, ¡°I know! I¡¯m shocked and a little scared. Who thinks like that?¡± Sir Donau frowned and replied, ¡°Whatever. All I know is that I am against this marriage.¡± ¡°Donau, it¡¯s not your decision! Sirs Rabi and Baufallo will be the ones who would have the final say here! Besides, I keep telling you that you are the one who will get the most out of it!¡± ¡°Even then, I don¡¯t want it!¡± Suddenly, Sir Howe¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Donau, could it be¡­ Do you have someone you like? There many beautifuldies in the royal castle¡­ Is that why?¡± When Donau looked at Poliana desperately, she frowned because she didn¡¯t understand what he wanted from her. ¡®Is he asking me for help¡­?¡¯ She didn¡¯t get Donau sometimes and in this case, she knew that even if she asked what he wanted, he would deny that he was asking for help. ¡®What a strange boy.¡¯ When Donau remained silent, Sir Howe stopped teasing his little brother. He sighed and murmured, ¡°I was always so envious of Sir Rabi, but I guess no family is perfect.¡± Poliana asked, ¡°What do you mean? They are a perfect family.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Lady Bika. To have your firstborn a girl is bad enough, but twin girls?! Then, she didn¡¯t have any more children for years. Imagine how she must¡¯ve felt when she heard about the uing conquest! Her husband might be leaving to follow the emperor and she still didn¡¯t bear a son¡­ That sounds scary!¡± Donau nodded in agreement, but when Poliana looked confused, Sir Howe exined to her their customs. Only Firstly, twins were considered unlucky. Poliana understood this part perfectly. Since women could not inherit family wealth, daughters were considered a burden because fathers needed to pay a handsome dowry for their daughters. This meant that having two daughters at once would be seen as an expensive burden. There was no doubt that Lady Bika would¡¯ve gone through terrible stress when she bore her twin daughters, and to not bear any more children for years afterward¡­ Based on what she saw today, Poliana could tell that Lady Bika¡¯s mother-inw was not a kind understanding woman. Poor Lady Bika¡­ Sir Howe imed confidently, ¡°I do think having a son is very important, but if I could be Sir Rabi¡¯s son-inw, I wouldn¡¯t mind even if I only have daughters.¡± Donau said quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t care about having children at all. It would be fine for me not to have any kids.¡± Sir Howe turned towards him with a frown, ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t say that! One of us needs to have at least one son to carry on our family name!¡± Poliana watched as the brothers argued. In Acreia, a woman could not inherit the family title or wealth, which meant that a son was a must. Every family needed to have a son. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 By the time Poliana returned to thedy¡¯s quarters, Vaxi and Vanessa were both in their pajamas and chatting with each other. When they saw Polianae in, they both apologized to her for their mother¡¯s mistake. Poliana bowed to them and exined to them that it was ok since Lady Bika already apologized to her. ¡°Our mother is just very worried about us. That¡¯s all, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Poliana. She is very worried because we still aren¡¯t married yet and we are getting old now.¡± Even though Sir Rabi has been away for a long time, the girls have been getting many marriage offers. Their grandfather, Sir Rabi Senior, was still alive and well and therefore could have arranged good marriages for the twins, but apparently, Sir Rabi insisted that he would be the one picking out their husbands. This was why the sisters had to wait this long. Nobledies get married at an early age. Some even had a marriage arranged when they were only one year old, though it was very rare. Usually, girls became engaged after their first period and within 2 years, a wedding would take ce. On the other hand, considerably, any man could get married no matter how old they were. In some cases, some men in their 50¡¯s married teenage girls. So for the Rabi twins to be still unmarried at the age of 20 was a surprise. One saving grace for them, however, was the fact that the Rabi family was wealthy and powerful, and Sir Rabi returned a hero. In fact, other nobledies praised Lady Bika for waiting because now that men have returned from the war, there were many more and better options for the girls. The twins then stated, ¡°We are so lucky to have such caring parents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We are very fortunate.¡± ¡°We are so happy.¡± ¡°Very happy indeed.¡± Thedies in their pajamas held each other¡¯s¡¯ hands. They looked so lovely, but there was a hint of bitterness in them. Even throughout the dinner, Poliana could see that they weren¡¯t perfectly happy about their lives as women, but nheless, the girls seemed content. After all, they grew up in a loving family. Everyone around them wanted their happiness. Sure, they were forced into a path that was set for them and they were powerless to change it, but they knew their lives would be peaceful andfortable. That was why the twins could smile. Of course, they still wanted more from their lives. The sisters asked Poliana, ¡°When we heard about you from our father¡¯s letters, we were so surprised.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We thought all the stories about you were just false rumors.¡± ¡°A female knight! We never thought it was possible until we heard about you.¡± ¡°We heard that in some kingdoms, like Acreia, a woman can even inherit the family name and their wealth! Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. Aehas, Mongsheim, and other few southern kingdoms used to allow it.¡± Poliana made sure to emphasize the past tense. As long as Acreia ruled the world, every kingdom was going to follow the Acreianw. There were a few minor viges in the southern-most region that kept their own customs, but the majority of the continent was now under the Acreianw. Poliana continued, ¡°But even in the past, there weren¡¯t that many knightesses. During this war, I was the only one, I think.¡± Some knightesses other than Poliana existed, but all of them held a symbolic knighthood. They were honorary knights, not like Poliana who fought alongside her men in real battles. Poliana was a rarity indeed. Did this mean Poliana was unlucky? Or was she lucky? She supposed that she considered herself fortunate because she survived. She was victorious and she received a great reward. It was not an easy journey by any means, but it was all worth it. Poliana added, ¡°And there won¡¯t be any more knightess in the future since, in Acreia, we do not have a concept of a knightess. It¡¯s simply not allowed.¡± ¡°But Sir Poliana, you have been acknowledged by the emperor himself as a knightess!¡± ¡°We heard that you will be rewarded with a title andnds, father told us so.¡± Poliana nodded because it was the truth. The emperor wouldn¡¯t lie to her, so she knew she would be richly rewarded. ¡°I am an exception, Ladies.¡± The twins looked at her curiously. They had the exact same expression on their round faces, and they looked adorable. Poliana contemted how to exin it. She had no intention of bragging to these young na?vedies, in fact, she tried to downy her situation as much as possible. ¡°His highness will probably let me be an exception. An emperor must abide by thew just like everyone else, but since he is the one and only ruler who was able to unite the continent, I think he probably has the power to make an exception for me.¡± Poliana expected that there will be many asions when the emperor makes exceptions to various situations to his advantage. He confided in her once that he hoped to anger and frustrate the elders with his innovative ideas. Poliana knew she was very lucky to have met the emperor during the war. Her knighthood was only possible because its possibility appeared during such confusion and an unruly time. Now that the war was over and the continent found its peace, there will no longer be such shocking exceptions. Those soldiers who wanted to make it big in this world needed two things; the right timing and the right person to notice and recognize them. Unfortunately for those people, their timing was off. Everything was stabilizing, and it seemed unlikely that there would be any more major wars for a very long time. This meant that there will be no more knightesses¡­ Poliana asked the girls, ¡°Are youdies telling me that you wanted to be knights?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No, no way! Our mother would die if she heard something like that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Our mother would faint from the shock!¡± ¡°And our grandmother would fall ill.¡± Vaxi and Vanessa looked at each other and grinned as if they found something very funny. They then turned towards Poliana and added, ¡°We are good daughters. We will get married to whoever our father chooses. We will spend our lives supporting and taking care of our husbands.¡± Only ¡°Yes, we will live a quiet peaceful life. We hope our husbands would just be like our father.¡± ¡°And of course, the more children we bear, the better. We need to have sons for sure.¡± ¡°Oh my, I hated the time before Bardo was born! Our grandparents used to not even look at us because they were so disappointed!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We need to make sure we bear sons so our daughters would never feel the sadness we had to endure.¡± The twinsughed, but then, they flinched as they realized that the window was open. They quickly closed it and remained quiet. It was considered shameful if a loud noise was heard from thedy¡¯s quarters. Vaxi and Vanessa each retired to their bedrooms, and Poliana also went to bed soon after. Something didn¡¯t feel right to Poliana, but it was none of her business. This wasn¡¯t her family, so she had no right to voice her concerns. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Many peaceful days passed by and finally, one day, it seemed that the twins were informed of their potential marriage to the two young Baufallo boys. The girls didn¡¯t know that Poliana already knew about this n. They obviously wanted to find out as much as possible about the brothers, their future husbands, so they began to ask Poliana indirectly about Sir Howe and Donau. Poliana smiled at the adorabledies and tried to tell them only the best things about the brothers. ¡°As far as I know, Sir Donau prefersdies who are strong and can protect themselves.¡± Unfortunately, Poliana didn¡¯t know much about Sir Howe¡¯s type, so she only talked about Donau. Strong wise women¡­ It was very different than what most men wanted in a woman. Vaxi and Vanessa eximed excitedly, ¡°Wow! He sounds very special and different!¡± ¡°We love it!¡± In the world of aristocrats, there was no such thing as dating or love marriage. All marriages were arranged by the parents. Poliana thought it would be best for the twins to hear only about the positive aspects of the boys, and it seemed that Poliana¡¯s n was working. The girls seemed happy about the possibility of getting married to Sir Howe and Donau. Of course, the bigger the expectation was, the bigger the disappointment was going to be, but fortunately, the Ribo brothers were genuinely outstanding people. Poliana was certain that Sir Howe and Donau would not disappoint the Bika twins. Poliana was having a nice chat with the twins when a maid entered and announced that there was a guest for her. Poliana nodded, realizing that it was about time for her to receive Sir Wook¡¯s daily report through a messenger. ¡®Just how long do I have to take a break like this¡­ When can I go back to work?¡¯ Sir Rabi was as busy as ever nowadays. Even the knights who were staying in the guesthouse left one by one as they received new postings. Either they moved down south or they were assigned to a new position in the capital. There were only a few men left in the guesthouse now. Donau and Sir Howe both received good titles. Poliana saw them looking excited and proud. They returned home recently, and they promised that once their rtives were gone and their house was empty, they would invite Poliana there. Everyone was busy except Poliana. She was on an indefinite vacation, but at least, she got a report from Sir Wook every day, which kept her in the loop. Based on what she heard from Donau, it sounded like everything was going ok at the royal castle. She was told that Lucius the First was even busier than Sir Rabi. He was so busy that Donau rarely saw him nowadays. Apparently, Duke Luzo was more overworked than before, and he was often seen crying. Because he was still unmarried, and he also didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to find a wife, there was also a rumor that Duke Luzo might be more interested in men than women. ¡®It must be hard to be a man too.¡¯ When a woman wasn¡¯t married by the time she turned 30, people would assume that something was wrong with her. A woman over 30 was not expected to get married, so there was no point in nagging her about it, but it was different for men. In a way, a woman became free of strange rumors once she wasbeled a spinster, but not for a man. For men, until they got married, people refused to stop specting the reasons why they weren¡¯t married yet. Poliana shook her head. ¡®People are so strange.¡¯ Sir Rabi assigned a quiet room for Poliana¡¯s use. She always received the messenger in this room. When she entered, she saw that the messenger was already here. He was wearing a helmet and the blue guard¡¯s uniform. Poliana stopped when she saw the man. His body and the way he stood seemed too familiar. ¡®Who is this?¡¯ What bothered Poliana the most was the way this man behaved in front of her. The fact that he was wearing the blue uniform meant he had to be her subordinate, yet he didn¡¯t salute her. He didn¡¯t even straighten up or introduce himself. Poliana decided that when she returned to her post, she needed to retrain all of her men again. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that the guards have rxed this much since I¡¯ve been away.¡¯ The war may be over, but a soldier needed to always act like a soldier. This was bad. Poliana ordered coldly, ¡°Straighten up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Introduce yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The guard in the helmet remained quiet. Poliana couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. Was this guard purposely disrespecting her? If so, the best medicine she could give to him was a kick in the nuts. Poliana clenched her fists and got ready. But then¡­ Something didn¡¯t feel right. This man looked oddly familiar, so Poliana stopped herself. Although he looked familiar, he also looked very strange in the blue uniform. Perhaps he was Sir Jainno¡¯s guard, in which case it made sense that he didn¡¯t recognize her. In fact, maybe this man was shocked and confused to see a random strange woman walk in and order him around. Yes, that made sense. It was especially usible since Poliana wasn¡¯t wearing her military uniform. She was wearing a woman¡¯s gown, so the messenger probably thought that she was some mad woman. ¡®But even then¡­ He would¡¯ve been told what to expect before being sent here¡­ that I was a woman¡­ Hmm¡­ He must be a little slow.¡¯ Not the sharpest tool in the toolbox¡­ Poliana shook her head sadly. With all the patience she could muster, Poliana introduced herself, ¡°I am his highness Lucius the First¡¯s head of the royal guard division. My name is Poliana Winter. Now, tell me your name. I will count to three and if you refuse to answer me again, I will have no choice but to punish you as your superior. One, two, three¡­¡± ¡°W, wait! Wait! It¡¯s me.¡± Only Even his voice sounded familiar, but because of his helmet, the sound was muffled and Poliana couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°I don¡¯t have a man named ¡®Me.''¡± ¡°It¡¯s your emperor.¡± The man finally took his helmet off. His beautiful blond hair fell out and his gorgeous face was revealed. A pair of amazing green eyes looked at Poliana intensely. As soon as she realized who it was, her eyes widened. The most beautiful man in the world¡­ Lucius the First. Her one and only emperor was here, standing in front of her. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Lucius the First exined, ¡°I was just so shocked to see you in a dress.¡± This was why he couldn''t say anything at first. He would''ve been less surprised to see Poliana in full battle gears. ¡°Sir Pol¡­ I see that you are wearing a dress¡­ It looks amazing. It suits you! I wasn''t shocked because it doesn''t suit you because it does! I was just very surprised to see you in a dress, that''s all. Yes, you look wonderful. Beautiful¡­ Yes¡­ You look good in both armor and a dress.¡± The emperor felt embarrassed and awkward, so he kept rambling. What shocked him even more right now, more than the fact that Poliana was wearing a dress, was how his heart was beating so fast and loudly. Thump! Thump! Then suddenly, Poliana grabbed his arm and pushed him against the nearest wall. SLAM! Lucius the First was trapped between the wall and Poliana. Their eyes met and Poliana stared at him intently. She didn''t look away, but the emperor''s eyes wavered. Instinctively, his lips puckered a little, but Poliana quickly turned away and began to close the windows and the curtains. She whispered anxiously, ¡°Your highness! What if someone shoots an arrow at you through the window?!¡± Her emperor seemed to enjoy shocking her and making her feel nervous. When she was certain that all the windows were firmly locked, Poliana turned towards him again. ¡°Your highness!¡± She ran towards him because she saw Lucius the First panting with his hand clutching his chest. The beautiful man was breathless, and it was clear that something was very wrong with him. Was it his heart? Poliana leaned towards him. She had him lean on her chest and eximed, ¡°Your highness! What''s wrong?! Are you ill?¡± ¡°My heart¡­ My heart¡­¡± ¡°I heard you have been working too hardtely. Are you ok? Should I get a doctor?¡± ¡°I feel like my heart is going to explode.¡± ¡°Just lie down for a second. I will get a doctor right away.¡± Polianaid the emperor down on the floor and tried to leave, but Lucius the First grabbed her hand. ¡°Don''t go! It''s nothing. I just need to rest a little. It will feel better soon.¡± The emperor spoke coherently, and he already looked much better but even so, Poliana couldn''t rx. Trying to help him breathe better, she began to unbutton his shirt. Lucius the First then murmured, ¡°Sir Pol, you shouldn''t be undressing a man like this.¡± ¡°Your highness, please stop joking around. This isn''t the time.¡± Poliana''s hand reached inside his shirt and beneath his smooth skin, she tried to feel his heartbeat. ¡°Oh my god! Your highness, why is your heart beating so fast?!¡± ¡°I was just surprised, that''s all.¡± Suddenly, Poliana realized that it was she who shocked the emperor. She was the one who mmed him against the wall! Poliana was only trying to protect him, but unintentionally, she upset him. ¡°Your highness, please forgive me! It is all my fault.¡± ¡°No, it''s ok, Sir Pol. You were only trying to do your job.¡± ¡°I deserve to be punished!¡± ¡°No, not at all. You were so brave, mming me and locking me in your arms. You looked so brave and loyal that I almost wanted to kiss you.¡± Lucius the First knew that he would never forget this moment. He almost died from a heart attack. Poliana Winter was a scary woman, her presence alone was able to cause him such a jolt. She was dangerous, and there could be no man in this world who could have her, other than himself of course. Poliana should never get married¡­. She should always be by his side¡­ ¡®Stop! Stop, Lucius! You need to let her live a happy fulfilling life!'' Lucius the First could no longer think clearly, but at least, his heart was calming down. Poliana asked, ¡°Your highness, who escorted you here?¡± ¡°I came by myself.¡± Poliana staggered a little, feeling dizzy. Lucius the First reached out, trying to hug her, but before he could, she straightened up. Lucius the First''s arms hung in the air awkwardly, but Poliana didn''t even notice it. She began to nag, ¡°Your highness! Just because the war is over, it doesn''t mean you are safe! How could you roam around the city all by yourself?! Do the guards know about this? Are you feeling safe just because we are in Nanaba? Your highness, I have told you many times before that you can''t! Does Sir Wook know you are here? How about Sir Jainno?¡± Lucius the First grinned proudly. ¡°No. No one knows! I am a very resourceful man, Sir Pol. Everything probably thinks I''m sleeping.¡± Indeed, leaving the castle without being caught was quite an aplishment, but such a skill wasn''t supposed to be used like this! Poliana became frustrated and confused. ¡®It''s the middle of the day¡­ So¡­'' Then suddenly, she realized what must''ve happened. She was told by many people that the emperor had been overworkingtely. She could see that he really did look very tired. The emperor took great pride in his beauty and made sure to maintain his looks. Even during the war, he spent plenty of time caring for his skin and hair. Yet today, here he was, looking not his best, and he came to see her. There had to be a very good reason for this visit. The emperor Poliana knew would never risk himself like this unless he had an excellent reason. ¡°Is there a reason why you came to see me, your highness?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lucius the First shook his head confidently. ¡°Then why did youe here, your highness! It is too dangerous. You must return to the castle immediately! I will escort you myself. Please wait here while I grab my sword.¡± ¡°Pol.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The emperor hasn''t called her by her nickname in a long time. When she heard her name, Poliana turned around to face him again. The emperor continued, ¡°On my way here, I thought of so many excuses and reasons I could give you for my visit.¡± Poliana didn''t know what to say, so when she remained quiet, the emperor held her hand tightly and continued, ¡°But now that I saw you, I forgot all of them.¡± ¡®He must be really tired.'' Lucius the First had an amazing memory, so the fact that he forgot meant he was truly tired. Poliana became worried. The emperor looked deeply into her eyes and tucked her now-shoulder-length hair behind her ear. His fingers tickled her cheek a little. His eyes looked a little red and his voice sounded husky. ¡°Pol¡­ I¡­ I came here because I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you and touch you. When you are not around me, I feel anxious and worried. I know you aren''t by my side because of me¡­ because I haven''t called for you yet, but¡­ I couldn''t help but feel disappointed that you didn''t write me a single letter.¡± ¡°I didn''t write to you because I heard you were very busy. I''ll right one right away!¡± ¡°No, it''s all right. We will see each other very soon anyway.¡± Lucius the First became quiet. When he didn''t move, Poliana followed suit and remained still as well. In this quiet room, the two of them were alone. Just the two of them¡­ Then suddenly, a piece of faint music was heard around them. The twins were practicing their instruments in the next room. The emperor grinned and said to her, ¡°We didn''t get to dance together thest time you were wearing a dress. I always thought that the next time you wear a dress again, I would dance with you all night.¡± ¡°If you aren''t too tired, I would love to dance with you right now. Shall we?¡± Poliana curtseyed, and Lucius the First''s bitter smile deepened. ¡°No, it''s alright. If I begin to dance with you now, I don''t think I will be able to stop.¡± The emperor grabbed his helmet, and Poliana asked worriedly, ¡°But you are tired¡­¡± ¡°No, I''m ok. Now that I saw you, I feel perfectly fine. I am d I came here to see you. I had to crawl through a crawlspace to leave the castle, and I questioned myself why I was doing it¡­ But now that I saw you, I know I made the right decision. I am so d I came.¡± Before opening the door to leave, Lucius the First said to Poliana, ¡°I know that you feel disappointed and anxious about me not asking you toe to the castle. Everything will be resolved very soon, so please trust me. You are my best knight, and I will never abandon you.¡± ¡°I''m your best? What about Sir Ainno?¡± Poliana knew she was being petty, but she couldn''t help it. Lucius the First took her question very seriously and answered, ¡°Inno and I¡­ It''s more like a love and hate rtionship.¡± They looked at each other with a grin. Chapter end Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Lucius the First¡¯s heart was still pounding excitedly. He only meant to see Poliana¡¯s face today, but very unexpectedly, he ended up getting a powerful hug from her. She mmed him against the wall, and just thinking about that moment made his heart beat faster. He had never experienced anything like this before and he knew that the excitement of it was going to cause him many sleepless nights. Meanwhile, Poliana was relieved by the surprise visit from the emperor. It was true that she had been feeling anxioustely, wondering if she was ever going to be called back to work. But Lucius the First came to her in person, and he reassured her that he hasn¡¯t forgotten her. ¡®Long live the emperor!¡¯ He was indeed a wonderful sovereign. Luckily, Lucius the First¡¯s brief outing remained a secret. This was actually a problem because it meant that the emperor¡¯s protection team wasn¡¯t doing its job. Lucius the First wasn¡¯t thinking clearly at the moment. In fact, even after he returned, his mind was wandering around. He couldn¡¯t focus at all. There were only three people who knew about the castle¡¯s secret crawl space. Lucius the First, Sir Ainno, and Duke Luzo. The emperor didn¡¯t mean to escape the castle. He didn¡¯t n this outing, butst night when he was in bed, he couldn¡¯t sleep at all. ¡®I¡¯m so d I went to see her.¡¯ Lucius the First couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Poliana¡¯s brave eyes. She was the woman he loved. Giving her up felt painful, but her happiness also mattered to him greatly. The emperor was still thinking about how she mmed him to a wall even during a meeting with Sir Jainno. Sir Jainno reported to the emperor that there was a need to expand and strengthen the royal guard division. Lucius the First agreed. ¡®Yes. That would be a good idea.¡¯ Now that he had some time to think, the emperor concurred that it was a problem how no one found out about his secret excursion. He even stole a guard uniform, but it seemed that no one knew about it. It was possible that the guard who lost the uniform didn¡¯t report it to his superior, but this itself was also a problem. The emperor was able to pass the castle entrance without being examined by the gatekeepers just because he was wearing that blue uniform. They didn¡¯t even check his personal ID. Lucius the First left the castle through the secret crawlspace, but when he returned, he used the front entrance without a problem. The emperor was concerned about how weak the gate defense was. It seemed that anyone and everyone was allowed into the castle. It was true that there had been a significant increase in visitors to the castle, but this couldn¡¯t be used as an excuse. It was partly because the gatekeepers were low ranking soldiers. Whenever they saw the guards in their blue uniforms, the gatekeepers were too intimidated to search them since the guards were usually very high-ranking aristocrats. This had to change. It was the gatekeepers¡¯ duty to search and verify everyone passing through the gates. The gatekeepers needed to be retrained. There also had to be many more of them as they were overworked. Lucius the First decided that as soon as Poliana returned, he would discuss that matter with her. *** The indefinite vacation was hell to Poliana. Sheid on the sofa like a piece of wet cotton, feeling bored and useless. But she quickly became alert and ufortable when Lady Bika came to her with news. It seemed that thedy found a potential marriage arrangement for Poliana. Poliana was considered an old woman, she was past the conventional ¡°marriageable¡± age. If she belonged to a normal noble family, she would¡¯ve been hidden from the public because her family would¡¯ve been ashamed of her. If a woman of older age was very beautiful, or if she belonged to an extremely prominent family, it was still possible for her to get married, usually to a widower, but this was rare. Besides, Poliana was no beauty. Even the emperor, who was in love with her, could not call her pretty. He thought she was cute but not beautiful. She also didn¡¯t have a conventionally beautiful body. Men liked slim women, but not stick-thin women. Poliana had decent-sized breasts considering how thin she was, but her breasts were now as hard as her muscles because of her military training. On top of that, her personality didn¡¯t make her obedient or docile. In fact, she had a rather bad temper. And worst of all, she was a soldier. She spent thest 10 years in battles. This fact was considered a bonus for a man, since he would be rewarded with a title andnds, but for a woman, this was a huge negative. No men wanted a woman who spent her days with so many other men for thest decade. The only positive aspect of Poliana was the fact that she could potentially gain a great wealth and power. But¡­ This was only as long as Lucius the First did not abandon her and remember her effort. Many believed that the emperor would eventually get tired of her. Who would want to marry a foreign woman of 30, who was ugly and had an even uglier past? There was even a rumor too that she was barren. Poliana haven¡¯t been in Nanaba for a long time, so she wondered how any men woulde to offer her a marriage? It turned out that it was all Lady Bika¡¯s work and after a further exnation, Poliana learned that no one had actually offered her a hand in marriage. What Lady Bika meant was that if Poliana was interested, she could arrange a meeting with a man who might be interested in marrying Poliana. One positive thing about Poliana was that she was actually quite rich now thanks to thend she received from the emperor. This meant there could be manymoners out there who would want to marry her. But Poliana was technically a nobledy, which meant that she had to marry a nobleman. So the potential husband Lady Bika chose was an aristocrat who was recently widowed. ¡°This gentleman lost his wife very recently.¡± Lady Bika exined that it was a man in his 50¡¯s who had many grown children. She praised him greatly. This man used to be in the military, which was why he was a bit gruff, but apparently, he was a very kind-hearted person. Lady Bika said that he was in fact not very interested in getting remarried again, but she thought Poliana would be a great match for him. ¡°This gentleman likes women who are active. In fact, his first wife used to ride with him often to hunt. I am certain that even after you get married, he will allow you to hunt and exercise as a hobby.¡± Only ¡°Thank you, Lady Bika, for your concern, but I am not interested in getting married.¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to retire after you get your reward from the emperor?¡± ¡°No, I am nning to continue my duty as his highness¡¯s guard. It is a very honorable job.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, no nobleman would allow his wife to continue to work.¡± ¡°Yes, I know. That is why I won¡¯t get married.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that! Everyone, whether you are a man or woman, needs to get married. That is the only way you can live a stable andfortable life. Can¡¯t you understand? Look at all the soldiers and knights who returned from the war. They are all looking to get married as soon as possible! Everyone knows how hard you worked for the emperor to unite this continent. Everyone knows your achievements. My husband told me that even if you get married, no one in the military will look down on you. Sir Poliana, you have lived a very hard life until now. I heard that you were thrown into a battle at a tender age. A young fragile girl in an army¡­ ¡± Lady Bika held Poliana¡¯s hands warmly and continued, ¡°Even a man finds it tough to survive a war, yet you, as a woman, had to go through such a trauma. You have done more than enough, Sir Poliana. It is now time for you to be happy. You deserve it and for your happiness, you need to get married.¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Poliana focused on her hands, which were held by Lady Bika. Poliana felt the kind warmth from thedy, simr to what she felt whenever she entered thedy¡¯s quarters. These past days have been so peaceful, it was something Poliana had never experienced before. This must¡¯ve been the kind of life her stepsister, Liana, lived all her life. The life of a noblewoman¡­ Poliana never felt envious of such a life. She never even tried topare it to her own life. She didn¡¯t try to analyze their differences even as a young girl. Poliana admitted that up until a certain point in her life, happiness was not an option for her. She knew this very well, but after she met Lucius the First, Poliana became closer to happiness. The happiness she felt wasn¡¯t the kind that a normaldy considered true contentment, but nheless, Poliana was happy. She was happy. And she would continue to be happy. Lucius the First visited her out of the blue with an excuse of wanting to see her. He was worried that Poliana might have been feeling down and uncertain. He wanted to reassure her. Sir Wook and Donau have been reporting to her often, but the emperor wanted to talk to her in person. Lady Bika wasn¡¯t wrong in her reasoning behind Poliana¡¯s marriage n. Most male soldiers considered their retirement starting at the age of 40. Poliana was weaker than men, which meant that it wasn¡¯t odd for her to think about retiring at this age. But this usually only applied to foot soldiers and low-ranking knights. Those who were promoted to higher ranks, of course, were more of administrators and this meant they decided when they wanted to retire. They were usually not involved in physical training and fights, so they could work even at an old age. This was what Poliana wanted. She nned to stay by Lucius the First¡¯s side as long as possible. Lady Bika must¡¯ve assumed that Poliana was going to retire sometime soon. Once a man retires from military life, they would return to their home life. Lady Bika was being kind because she knew Poliana had no home life to return to, but such kindness was useless to Poliana. Some might have even been offended by such offers, but Poliana wasn¡¯t insulted. In fact, the peaceful warm life she experienced in Lady Bika¡¯s home was enticing. Just a little anyway. Poliana said to thedy, ¡°Lady Bika, I am thankful for your kindness, but I am a knight. I do not n to get married.¡± It was true that Poliana felt envious of Sir Rabi¡¯s warm family. And only a few days ago, she epted Sir Baufallo¡¯s invitation and visited his home. Recently, it was announced that Sir Baufallo was going to retire this year, which meant that he received many gueststely. Lady Ribo was much colder and gruffer than Lady Bika, probably because she had been working hard through receiving so many guests. But despite it, Poliana still clearly felt the peace and warmth of a family in Sir Baufallo¡¯s home. She was envious. If she could, Poliana wanted to have it too. But¡­ She didn¡¯t want it at the expense of losing her knighthood. Losing her name. Poliana Winter. Her emperor said to her once that her presence beside him was what made him shine. If this was really the case, Poliana would dly give up her life for her emperor. Poliana exined to Lady Bika, ¡°I am a knight, mydy. I will live for the rest of my life as a knight and die as a knight, that is my decision.¡± ¡°But why would you choose such a hard life? Sir Pol, you are still young! You still have 40 years to live, and of that time, you will only be allowed to live as a knight for a few more years from now. You know this. You know how a knight¡¯s career can be so short. You also know that a woman can¡¯t be a knight!¡± ¡°The Acreianw does not specifically prohibit a woman from being a knight.¡± ¡°But think about it this way, there isn¡¯t anyw that specifically prohibits men from having babies.¡± On this continent, Acreia allowed the least amount of rights for women. Because it was somon sense for a woman not to be a knight, there were no suchws stating the obvious. So, what if his highness rewards her ordingly but asks her to retire? Poliana knew many people who were wondering the same thing, but she wasn¡¯t worried. She replied, ¡°I understand that you are worried about me, Lady Bika, but despite the impossibility of it, his highness still gave me a newst name and allowed me to be an Acreian knight. I take this as the greatest honor and luck in my life. Unless his highness throws me away because he finds me useless, I cannot leave my position.¡± ¡°But Sir Poliana, his highness will understand if you retire.¡± ¡°I know. Of course, his highness would be very understanding of me, but Lady Bika¡­¡± Poliana had to choose her words carefully. She usually found it easier to deal with people who were angry at her or who were trying to insult her. When she was faced with people who were trying to be kind, Poliana found it harder to respond to them. These kind-hearted people made her feel like a poor unfortunate woman. These people, who meant well, couldn¡¯t understand the kind of happiness Poliana enjoyed as a knight. They made her into an unhappy and hopeless woman who didn¡¯t even know that she led a miserable life. Perhaps they were right, maybe Poliana really didn¡¯t know how unfortunate her life was because she was so used to it. She couldn¡¯t want what she never had. Many people have said to her that she had no ambition. But what these people didn¡¯t know was that ambition was Poliana¡¯s middle name. She didn¡¯t have the normal womanly ambition of being a good wife and a mother, but she was greedy for power and control. Poliana knew very well how sweet power could be. She could order the sons of the greatest families to bow down to her. In her blue uniform with the golden stripe, no one could disrespect her. Even those who used to be kings had to treat her courteously. Oh, the sweet sweet power! Only Poliana loved it. Poliana didn¡¯t serve Lucius the First just out of loyalty. Her emperor was truly wise and rewarded his loyal knights well. As long as she did her job well and worked hard, the sky was the limit. Even if they said that a sense of greed for power could be deadly, Poliana didn¡¯t care. If she could die as a powerful woman, she would consider her life very well lived. Just the chance of being able to climb the politicaldder excited her. Poliana said to Lady Bika, ¡°So, I am very happy as I am.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°Lady Bika, you are happy with your life, right? I am too. I am very content with the way things are. There are many different forms of happiness in this world, mydy. Just because my idea of happiness is different than yours, it doesn¡¯t mean I am living an unhappy life. You are correct in saying that I led a strange and traumatic life. But even I, who are ignorant of the normal life of ady, could see how content you are. I am very certain that your life is the happiest one I have seen so far. So I perfectly understand that you want to offer me the same kind of happiness that you have, and I understand that such a life would be weed by any normal woman. But Lady Bika, I am telling you that I am happy with my current life.¡± Poliana patted Lady Bika¡¯s hands gently. Thedy looked disappointed, but she had no choice but to drop the subject. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Poliana returned to her bedroom quickly after her awkward conversation with Lady Bika. She would have preferred to go to the garden to relieve her frustration, but there was a chance that someone might see her, so her room was her only option. She obviously couldn¡¯t destroy the furniture, so she chose the wall. It was covered with soft-colored wallpaper, but underneath it was stone. Knowing she would hurt herself, Poliana still attacked the stone wall. She punched and kicked it as hard as she could. As expected, it hurt. She wished that she could assault a tree like she usually did, not a wall. ¡®A man in his 50¡¯s! She said he was in histe 50¡¯s!¡¯ For a while now, Poliana had been considering marriage as a possible option for her, but the reality was crueler than what she had expected. She was thinking about marrying a man around her age, but in actuality, the only men willing to marry her were going to be either old widowers or very disfigured. A powerful and wealthy man could marry any young beauty of his choice, but it was different for women. It wasn¡¯t that Poliana insisted on marrying a younger man. She didn¡¯t care if the man was poor or came from amon family. She didn¡¯t care if he lost all of his limbs from the war. As long as the man was kind, she was ok with all that. But a man in histe 50¡¯s?! A man who already had grandchildren! ¡®So he already has a grandson! And the man isn¡¯t even interested in getting remarried! Then why would Lady Bika insist on me meeting him?! Why not just leave the man alone?!¡¯ Poliana was furious. As Sir Rabi¡¯s wife, she had to respect Lady Bika and behave ordingly, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling angry. Poliana knew she wasn¡¯t a looker, but she was still the head of the royal guards! She was the emperor¡¯s favored knight! ¡°Dammit¡­ I will never get married!¡± Bam! Bam! Bam! Poliana punched the wall angrily. She no longer wanted to be married, if the best she could have was a widower in histe 50¡¯s. Lady Bika didn¡¯t know about Poliana¡¯s infertility, and the best man she could find for her was a widower in histe 50¡¯s. If the fact was known to everyone¡­ Poliana didn¡¯t even want to think about what kind of man would be offered to her, if at all. Poliana looked down at her hand, which was bleeding because of what she did. She saw that there was a little bit of blood on the wall too, so she tried to rub it off but by doing so, she saw that it left an even bigger and noticeable smear on the wall. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ She meant to clean it, but it made it worse. She quickly grabbed a wet cloth to wipe it, which helped. Poliana learned a valuable lesson today. ¡®Next time I want to punch a wall, I better wear gloves.¡¯ Just then, a maid knocked and entered the room. She ryed a message that Sir Rabi wanted to meet with her. *** When Sir Rabi saw Poliana, the first thing he did was apologize. ¡°I meant to provide you a ce to rest, but I ended up making you feel awkward.¡± ¡°Not at all. I have been treated like royalty here.¡± The Bika family¡¯s home was a wonderful ce to spend one¡¯s vacation. The twins were kind and the house was spacious. Even the dogs were nice. Both the hunting dogs and indoor dogs loved people, they loved to be scratched. The heir, Bardo, was adorable too. And of course, thedy of the house was thoughtful and generous. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Sir Rabi hesitated. It seemed that he wanted to say more, but he seemed uncertain. Poliana had never seen him like this before, so she became nervous. ¡®What is he going to say to me?¡¯ ¡°Sir Pol¡­ To be honest, I agree with my wife.¡± ¡°Sir Rabi, I never thought you would think that way.¡± Poliana felt betrayed. To control her emotions, she clenched her fists hard. Sir Rabi was the most respected military man she knew, so for him to tell her he agreed with his wife¡­ She felt upset. Did she do something to make him doubt her ability as a soldier? Poliana thought carefully, and she couldn¡¯t think of a single day she didn¡¯t work her hardest. Poliana asked, ¡°Have I beencking as the head of the guard division?¡± ¡°That is not what I am saying. What I want to tell you is that you have done more than enough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You can ask any parents in this world if they would want their daughter to live as a knight. What do you think their answer would be?¡± Poliana¡¯s parents wanted her to be a knight, but not because they cared for her. It wasn¡¯t their wish for her to be a famous and brave knightess. What they wanted was for her to die in battle. Normal parents would never give a sword to their daughter. Even if the daughter wanted it, her parents would forbid it because they knew it would be followed by hardships. Sir Rabi continued, ¡°There is an obvious path avable for the women in this world, it is the path that guarantees happiness,fort, and peace. So why would any parent want a harder and uncertain path for their daughters? Sir Pol, I am not saying that your life is an unhappy one right now. Everyone I know epts you as a true knight. But you know the truth, Sir Pol. If you had a daughter, would you ever ask her to be a knight?¡± Poliana shook her head. Just because she was a knight didn¡¯t mean she would ever want her own daughter to be one too. But if her imaginary daughter asked to be a knight, Poliana would ask if she was sure about it. Poliana became a knight because she had no other choice. Would there be any parents who would truly want their daughters to live the life of a soldier? She didn¡¯t think so. Indeed, Poliana was epted by her men because they were together for the past 10 years, but her case was an exception. The men had no choice but to work with her. Poliana was an unlucky exception. She was a victim of her cruel and uncaring parents, who forced her to go down this path. Only Poliana Winter was an excellent knight, but if she came from a normal caring family, she would¡¯ve never be a knight. Poliana knew this very well. She also knew that others around her talked about this, but she didn¡¯t care. She was just happy that everyone around her epted her as she was. What woman in this world would voluntarily want to be a knight? Perhaps there were some silly girls out there who read a few romance novels about an imaginary knightess. They might im that they wanted to be knights too, but Poliana was certain that as soon as their training began, all of them would give up quickly. But then¡­ She suddenly thought of two girls, the lovely twins who couldn¡¯t even dare to dream of bing knights themselves. Vanessa and Vaxi. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 The Bika twins, Vanessa and Vaxi. Thesedies were born to a wealthy family and a loving parent. Their education was topnotch, and they grew up to be lovely and kind women. Thesedies had the potential to be great knights, but they were never even given a chance. If they did be knights, they would¡¯ve never received any decent marriage offers. Sir Rabi said to Poliana, ¡°Sir Pol, you worked harder than anyone I know, and you have received the proper reward for it. We all got the honor to see the end of thisnd, remember? It was a long and hard war, and we won. We all put everything into winning this conquest, and we did it. What I¡¯m saying to you is that you have done more than enough, so it would be ok for you to rest now. If you continue with your career, you will soon have to enter a new kind of war. Being a soldier during a war is simple. You just have to follow the orders. The seniority in the military world is clear and easy. But this new world you are about to enter¡­. It is a very different realm. The enemies you will face in the castle aren¡¯t the kind you are used to.¡± Poliana understood what Sir Rabi was trying to say. The reason why Sir Rabi agreed with his wife was because he truly considered Poliana his family. He cared for her, and Poliana replied quietly, ¡°Sir Rabi, I am not a tired knight who needs a break right now. I admit that my life has been very difficult. I worked harder than anyone, and to you, I probably look like I am tired of my life. But I am not. I am not tired, and I am not ready to give up or rest. As you know, Sir Rabi, I am his highness¡¯s knight, and as long as the emperor allows me, I will remain his knight.¡± Sir Rabi was suggesting for her to stop fighting so hard, but Poliana couldn¡¯t stop now. As long as she could, she would fight for her life. This was the only decision she knew she wouldn¡¯t regret. Sir Rabi shook his head and smiled, ¡°I have been your superior only for a short while, but may I say that I am very proud of you? That was a perfect answer for a perfect knight.¡± ¡°I am thankful for all you have taught me, Sir Rabi.¡± ¡°If I met you much earlier, I would¡¯ve known that it was possible for women to learn to fight. And if I knew¡­ I would¡¯ve taught my girls to use swords.¡± He smiled regretfully. When Sir Rabi murmured quietly, Poliana realized that he was also aware of his twin¡¯s unusual strength. Incredible strength and speed, the girls indeed showed clear talents for swordsmanship. They seemed very interested in learning it too. But it was not possible for the twins to be knights. Any loving parents would never allow their daughters to go down such a hard road. Sir Rabi wanted his daughters nothing but happiness. This meant that he couldn¡¯t allow them to have what they wanted. Even if they had the talent for swords¡­ He couldn¡¯t allow them to learn it. Poliana wanted to tell him that it wasn¡¯t toote. If he wanted, the girls could still learn, but Poliana didn¡¯t say anything. This was a family business, which meant she shouldn¡¯t get involved. But there was something she was curious about and she feltfortable asking Sir Rabi¡­ Why did he choose Sir Howe and Donau as his sons-inw? This was also not her business, but they were her adopted brothers. She also felt close enough to Sirs Baufallo and Rabi that she thought it would be ok to ask him the question. ¡°By the way, Sir Rabi¡­ I am very curious about something.¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°Why did you pick Sirs Howe and Donau?¡± It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t think they were fine young men. They had all their limbs and they didn¡¯t have any chronic illness. They also had bright futures ahead of them. Sir Howe and Donau were good catches, but they couldn¡¯t bepared to the Bika twins. Most fathers would try to marry their daughters to a family that was wealthier and more powerful than his own. Poliana didn¡¯t think that Sir Rabi, who doted on his daughters, would marry his twins to these young men just because they had good futures ahead of them. There were plenty of other knights in the emperor¡¯s army that came from much better families. Poliana even thought it was possible for Sir Rabi to be greedier. Why not try to get one of the girls to marry the emperor himself? The Bika family was that old and powerful. ¡®I don¡¯t think his highness would like that though¡­¡¯ Poliana suspected Lucius the First would flinch at that idea. She could picture him saying, ¡°That¡¯s gross! I remember carrying them on my back when they were just babies! Those girls could be my own children!¡± Sir Rabi¡¯s answer was a surprise to Poliana. ¡°I chose them because they never went to visit the prostitutes like all the other young men at the camp.¡± That was it?! Poliana knew for a fact that Sir Howe didn¡¯t go because he was too stingy and Donau didn¡¯t go because his father ordered him not to. As the head of the supply unit, Sir Baufallo was always deathly worried about epidemics and other illnesses. He was especially grossed out by sexually transmitted diseases. Poliana often saw Sir Baufallo yelling at his men that if any of them was found to have crabs, he would shave thempletely. When Poliana looked at him awkwardly, Sir Rabiughed and asked, ¡°I guess you don¡¯t understand my reasoning.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I do understand, Sir.¡± She did understand. It was actually Sir Rabi who didn¡¯t understand the exact reasons why Sirs Howe and Donau didn¡¯t visit the prostitutes. In some cases, there were many other young knights who didn¡¯t want to go to the whorehouse but were forced to by the older knights. Poliana felt sorry for these young men. They could¡¯ve been Sir Rabi¡¯s sons-inw. Only ¡®Poor bastards.¡¯ Sir Howe was sneaky and always found a way to avoid being forced while Donau had a good excuse; his father. There was a myth that it was best for men to lose their virginities as early as possible, but Poliana wasn¡¯t sure about it. Sir Rabi said to her, ¡°It¡¯s actually a very important quality in men for me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Poliana nodded. It was true that she didn¡¯t really understand at this point, but perhaps in the future, she would, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if she never did. She didn¡¯t n on getting married, so it wasn¡¯t going to concern her at all. Sir Rabi continued, ¡°On top of that, I know Sir Baufallo and his wife and they know me. I am certain that they will never mistreat my daughters. And Sirs Donau and Howe would never be able to cheat on my girls openly when they know that I am their father! Vaxi and Vanessa have never been apart, and I thought it would be a good idea to have them marry them. That way, they will always be close. And most of all, I have been given the title of viceroy to a colony of my choice. I will ask for the one next to where Sir Baufallo ns to move so we can be neighbors and I can be close to my girls.¡± Poliana¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She asked, ¡°Where are you going, Sir Rabi?! You¡¯re moving?¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Sir Rabi then replied, ¡°To the southern region.¡± The middle and southern regions were stable for now, but there was going to be a very high risk of rebellions from the colonies for a while. In addition, there was always an unspoken concern that the viceroys could cause rebellions with their own soldiers once they became established in their new colonies. Therefore, to be appointed as viceroy to these ces meant a great honor because it meant that the emperor trusted him. Poliana was impressed. This confirmed her belief that Sir Rabi was indeed a truly powerful and influential man. Poliana also felt disappointed and sad. Both the Bika and Ribo families were going to be gone, which meant she had to say goodbye to her closest friends too. Sir Rabi told her that he was proud to have been her superior. Poliana replied that she felt the same way that she was proud to have called him her superior. Poliana thought to herself, ¡®I guess everyone is leaving.¡¯ Some of her guards also came to say goodbye to her. Many were going back to their own hometown or leaving Acreia altogether to move down south, these were men that she considered her own. Indeed, everyone was leaving to live their new lives. Poliana asked Sir Rabi, ¡°Do you know what the other knights are nning to do?¡± ¡°I think Sir Bentier ns to stay in the capital.¡± ¡°Oh, Sir Bentier, is that so?¡± Keep your friend close, but keep your enemies even closer. Even though Sir Bentier imed that he chose the emperor over his own family, Marquis Seeze certainly wasn¡¯t on Lucius the First¡¯s side. So, if Sir Bentier chose to stay in the main Acreian military, what position would be given to him? Poliana didn¡¯t think he would be assigned to the royal guard¡¯s division or the defense unit. Perhaps he would be the new military secretary, but that was too big of a promotion even for Sir Bentier. There were still so many uncertainties here, but at least Poliana now knew Sir Rabi¡¯s n and intentions. High ranking aristocrats would not send their sons to the south. If Vanessa and Vaxi married one of these men, they would have to stay in the capital while their parents move down to the southern region. The Ribo family served the royals for three generations, including Sir Howe, andpared to the other older and more powerful families, this was considered a very short service. Sir Baufallo was beginning to be recognized by the former emperor, and if the former emperor didn¡¯t die so young, Sir Baufallo could¡¯ve be a very influential figure in their kingdom. Thankfully, he was given another chance by Lucius the First, and Sir Howe and Donau took their own chances in following the emperor to this war. They made the right choice, and they were going to be rewarded, but still, the fact that their family was not a high-ranking noble remained the same. Sir Baufallo was going to be given a new title, there was no doubt about that, but it certainly won¡¯tpare to that of Sir Rabi. This meant that following Sir Rabi down south was going to be the best bet for Sir Baufallo and his family to achieve the best status they could ever dream of. To be inws with the viceroy was going to be a great honor indeed. Based on how Sir Howe acted, it seemed that the marriage n was pretty much a done deal by now. Sir Rabi¡¯s love for his daughters was what made this arrangement possible. Poliana said to him, ¡°Congrattions. When will you be moving?¡± ¡°As you know, his highness likes to carry out his n quickly and efficiently, so I am going to guess it¡¯s going to be very soon. I wanted the wedding to take ce in Nanaba if possible, but I don¡¯t think it will happen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I would¡¯ve loved to attend it.¡± ¡°I know. You would¡¯ve been one of my most honored guests. As the head of the royal guards, I doubt you will be able to leave his highness¡¯s side to attend my girls¡¯ weddings in the south¡­ But if you can somehow, pleasee, I would be honored to receive you.¡± ¡°Of course, I will try my best.¡± They grinned at each other. *** It was a very long vacation, but finally, it happened. Poliana was officially invited to the uing royal banquet at the castle by Lucius the First. She received the message from the messenger even before an official invitation arrived. As soon as she found out, Poliana began to get her uniform ready. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Her new uniform, which was made very recently for the march, felt too tight. ¡®I gained weight.¡¯ She had been exercising daily, but this was definitely not like the war times. She slept on her feather bed every night and her meals were amazing and fattening. The biggest problem was that she was too rxed now. She regretted herziness and decided to get back to her old routine. Until the day of the banquet, Poliana worked out like a madwoman. Lady Bika worried that she was bing too thin, and Poliana exined that getting fat was not an option for a royal guard. On the day of the banquet, Poliana was able to get into her uniform, which now fitted her perfectly. When she wore her sword on her side, Vaxi and Vanessa¡¯s eyes filled with awe. ¡°You look so amazing!¡± ¡°You¡¯re very handsome!¡± ¡°We are falling in love with you, Sir Poliana!¡± Poliana chuckled and replied, ¡°Haha, don¡¯t tter me too much!¡± Poliana was used to being adored by the nobledies. She was a rarity, and the women loved it. Vanessa and Vaxi had to get ready as well, so they returned to their rooms. Poliana left the house on her own first. Since she was their guest, Poliana could attend the banquet with the Bika family, but she chose to attend on her own. As she rode her horse towards the castle, Poliana could feel everyone¡¯s eyes on her. People easily recognized the stiff blue uniform with the gold stripe draped on her body. The head of the royal guards¡­ Only At first, the people assumed that the person in the uniform was a man, but when they realized her gender, they gasped in shock. It was a well-known fact that the head of the royal guards was the infamous knightess, but hearing about it and actually witnessing it werepletely different. The citizens of Nanaba stared at her, but Poliana ignored them and rode up to the castle gate. When the confused gatekeepers asked her to identify herself, Poliana announced proudly, ¡°I am the head of the royal guard division, Poliana Winter. Open the gate at once.¡± She made a point of not getting off the horse, which was one of the many special privileges she possessed. The gatekeepers opened the door clumsily, and when Poliana entered, the guards and the soldiers who recognized her saluted her. ¡°Sir Poliana, you finally came!¡± ¡°Have you enjoyed your vacation, Sir Pol?!¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, pleasee this way.¡± The servant, who had been waiting for her, escorted her into the banquet. While on her way, she saw Donau and her other guards, who saluted her respectfully. And when she finally entered the feast hall¡­ Everyone¡¯s eyes turned towards her. Chapter 120: Story 13. Seniority – Story 13. Seniority Chapter 120 The way people looked at Poliana was secretive and persistent, so she ignored them like they didn¡¯t even exist. The only reason she came here was simple. It was for her emperor, Lucius the First. Two men stood as guards behind the emperor. One was Sir Wook and the other one looked unfamiliar. Poliana assumed it was Sir Ainno¡¯s brother Sir Jainno, who spent thest ten years as the head of Duke Luzo¡¯s personal guards. Before Poliana bowed to the emperor, Lucius the First stood up, making everyone around them murmur in shock. ¡°My favored knight.¡± ¡°Your highness, I am so honored to be invited to your banquet.¡± The emperor was greeting the knightess personally, and the other noblemen watched in annoyance. But Poliana didn¡¯t care; these people couldn¡¯t hurt her with their looks. They could re at her all they wanted, but they could never bring her down. Lucius the First smiled brightly. He was the most beautiful man in the room and Poliana felt proud that he was her emperor. The emperor said to her, ¡°Today is yourst day of vacation, Sir Pol, so I have arranged this banquet to celebrate your return to work. You are the heroine of this night, so I hope that you will have a wonderful time.¡± To arrange such a fest for a single knight, especially a knight who still didn¡¯t have an official title and rank, was unheard of. Poliana knew that there were still ugly rumors going around about her. Some still believed that she was the emperor¡¯s mistress. Some called her ugly as well, but these people didn¡¯t matter. Only her master mattered to her and as long as he was happy to have her here, she would stay and serve him. She would follow him anywhere. To hell or to another war, she would go if her emperormanded it. The only ce for her was by Lucius the First¡¯s side, and to be his shadow was her choice. *** Sir Wook greeted her and moved aside as soon as she approached him, ¡°Have you had a nice vacation?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Sir Jainno bowed slightly to acknowledge her. His eyes refused to leave from the golden stripe on her blue uniform. When Poliana remained standing behind the emperor, Lucius the First turned towards her and nagged her, ¡°I told you to enjoy the night! So go out there and have fun.¡± ¡°I am the happiest when I am by your side, your highness.¡± Poliana became curious as well, so she asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dancing, your highness?¡± ¡°I feel the same way. I enjoy myself the most when I am by your side, Sir Pol.¡± Poliana took it as a joke and with a grin, she thanked him. Lucius the First, who realized she took his sincere words as a joke, coughed to hide his awkwardness. There, he said to her, ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking.¡± ¡°Yes, I know, your highness, I understand what you are saying. If you go out there, you have to mingle with people, which means you have to talk to them. It can be very tiring.¡± ¡°Umm, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°I am well aware of how important mingling and conversing with people are, but I am technically not on duty until tomorrow, so I think I will just rest by your side, your highness.¡± Standing behind her emperor as his guard was a pleasing duty. When Poliana smiled happily, Lucius the First looked away and murmured, ¡°You make it so hard for me to give up¡­¡± ¡°If you want to dance, please don¡¯t give up! Go out and dance!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Duke Luzo is out there dancing, so that is enough for me.¡± Indeed, Duke Luzo was dancing the night away. He seemed very determined to find a wife as soon as possible. Did he think that the emperor would stop making him work so hard once he was married? The emperor shook his head. Of course, he was going to keep his cousin working even after he got married. Lucius the First fought the urge to grab Poliana¡¯s hand and begin dancing. Since he couldn¡¯t confess his love for her, he said to her instead, ¡°Sir Pol. You need to be happy, that is an order.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t show it, but she was surprised and confused. ¡®Did Sir Rabi tell him something about me?¡¯ No, it couldn¡¯t be. Poliana realized that her emperor was just a great thoughtful man who cared about her happiness. What a great emperor he was! So many people in the world wished her happiness. She was d to be still alive. Poliana replied quietly, ¡°Your highness. I am already very happy.¡± Lucius the First smiled brightly, making her feel even happier. *** Poliana¡¯s old homnd Aehas allowed women to inherit family wealth and title. If a noble family didn¡¯t have a son, their daughter would inherit everything but in Acreia, this was not allowed. A woman could not legally inherit anything. The only thing she had in her name was the dowry she received from her family when she got married, but if she got herself divorced, she had to return the money to her family. If her husband died, the wife could inherit his wealth but only if they had a son. And the wife was allowed to act only as a temporary guardian of their wealth until her son became an adult. But although the Acreianw did not allow a woman to inherit wealth and title, there was no specificw that stated that a woman could not receive rewards or gifts. Lucius the First used this loophole to officially reward Poliana a title andnds. Since this wasn¡¯t an inheritance, it was considered a legal transaction. However, the elders, who were still very old fashioned, adamantly protested. ¡°A woman getting a title! This can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°And a marquess?! That is way too generous, your highness!¡± ¡°Your highness, you can¡¯t reward her that manynds! This is not appropriate!¡± ¡°We cannot believe you are doing this¡­ This loophole needs to be fixed immediately¡­¡± ¡°Who knew anyone would ever allow a woman to be a knight and enter the war? Those Aehasian idiots!¡± ¡°Those cowards! They let women fight for them?¡± When protesting didn¡¯t work, the elders chose to approach this problem in a different way. Marquis Seeze said to the emperor with a smile, ¡°It is indeed very impressive that a mere woman was able to achieve so much during this war. I was very surprised, your highness.¡± Lucius the First waited quietly as the old man continued, ¡°But¡­ If we allow the existence of Marquess Winter, what will be next? Don¡¯t you think there will be more wise women who might try and seed in making great achievements? And these women will receive titles and wealth just like Marquess Winter¡­ But your highness, have you considered what will happen to their properties after these women die? Who will inherit them?¡± ¡°I would like to hear your opinion, Marquis Seeze.¡± Only ¡°I am not trying to suggest anything, your highness. I am genuinely curious. When a nobleman dies, his heir inherits everything. But what would happen if a married noblewoman, who received her own title andnd, dies? Who will inherit her personal properties?¡± Lucius the First thought about all the possibilities quickly. He knew what the marquis was suggesting. If the married woman¡¯s properties were allowed to be inherited to her husband, a case where a husband would kill his own wife for wealth would appear. After a brief contemtion, the emperor decided, ¡°If a woman can¡¯t inherit her husband¡¯s properties, then we need to be fair. Let¡¯s make thew so that the husband also cannot inherit his wife¡¯s properties.¡± The elders had no choice but to ept the emperor¡¯s decision. This was how the neww was created for the women who received her own titles andnds. Of course, the elders were confident that Poliana Winter would be the only exception. They didn¡¯t believe that there would ever be another woman who could achieve enough to receive their own titles andnds, and the elders already have heard of the rumor that Poliana was barren. This meant that the new inheritancew for the women didn¡¯t really matter. Even if Poliana got married, she wasn¡¯t going to have an heir, which meant hernds would be returned to the kingdom. And if she adopted an heir, it had to be a noble male. This meant that her title andnds would go to a man eventually. All the elders had to endure was one generation of a single female marquess, they were ok with it. But the elders weren¡¯t done. The next topic they brought up with the emperor was the amount ofnds Poliana received. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Lucius the First was annoyed. Thisnd was his, not the elders¡¯. It belonged to the emperor, which meant he had all the right to decide what he wanted to do with it. No one could tell him what to do. The elders didn¡¯t help him in any way during the war, yet here they were, telling him what to do. If the elders agreed and helped the emperor with the conquest, they would have been rewarded just like everyone else. Lucius the First was deeply in love with Poliana. Despite his personal feelings, the emperor was being fair and only rewarded her of what she deserved. The emperor red at the elders. It wasn¡¯t like they received nothing. For example, Sir Bentier was richly rewarded, which meant that Marquis Seeze was rewarded as well. Lucius the First hated how the elders acted so childishly as if they were victims. ¡®I can see how they are going to go crazy when I begin reorganizing the noble titles and ranks.¡¯ This was next on the emperor¡¯s agenda. Lucius the First was sessful in reorganizing and repurposing the Acreian military. He also began the same process for the aristocrats, but he was only half done. The onlynds the Acreian royalty had an absolute control over were the new colonies the emperor conquered. The Acreia itself was not something Lucius the First couldmand, this was the same for the Acreian aristocratic system. There were five levels in the Acreian noble structure. Duke, marquis, count, viscount, and baron. Unlike in the southern and mid-continent colonies, which had clearer cut and sensible systems, the amount of power and influence were not urately proportional to their ranks in Acreia. In addition, Lucius the First was able to order around any of the nobles, old or newly appointed, in the colonies, but not his own in his capital. The emperor now had many more nobles to maintain and deal with. To make his job simpler, and also to strengthen his authority, Lucius the First nned to rify the definition of each rank, just like in an army. The emperor also wanted aw that allowed him to promote or demote any noble¡¯s rank based on their behaviors. This rule was already in ce in the colonies, but the problem in Nanaba was whether the elders would ept it or not. Lucius the First suspected that the young aristocrats would be all for this new idea since they would get a chance to be promoted. But the elders, who had nowhere to go but down¡­. They were going to be against it. ¡®I¡¯m getting a headache.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t show any weakness in front of his enemies. Lucius the First shed them a kind smile instead as if he had no worries. *** Whenever the emperor was burdened with new concerns, it seemed that Poliana also was faced with new challenges. When she returned to her position, there was so much work for her. She couldn¡¯t believe the amount of work left for her to do, so she grabbed Sir Wook and asked, ¡°Did you not do any of these works when I was away?¡± ¡°No way! Sir Poliana, I worked very hard with Sir Jainno to do as much as possible.¡± ¡°Then howe there is so much left to do?¡± Their first priority was the expansion of the royal guards and the strengthening of the castle¡¯s defense. Because the emperor nned on moving the capital city, he ordered for the expansion to take ce after they made the move, but everyone thought it would be prudent to at least have selected the list of potential candidates as soon as possible. The problem was that¡­ there were too many applicants. The royal guards who followed the emperor on his conquest and the royal guards who stayed behind werebined together. This meant that Poliana now had twice as many men and ten times the workpared to before. She was d that the emperor suggested the detailed organization should take ce after they had moved because if he hadn¡¯t, she would¡¯ve had even more work to do. She was already swamped, and Poliana realized that she needed another assistant to help her. She felt confused at the amount of work she faced. ¡®This is so strange¡­ An aristocrat usually doesn¡¯t work this hard, yet why am I ving away like this?¡¯ What troubled Lucius the First was the fact that Poliana chose to live in the castle. She decided to stay in the royal guard¡¯s quarters. She could purchase a house in the capital, but it was going to be an unnecessary waste of money. The houses in the capital were very expensive. Besides, when they move the capital, she would have to move anyway. Plus, it was better to use her extra money on charities so that her reputation would improve. *** ¡°Oh, who do we have here?! Marquess Winter!¡± Sir Howe saw Poliana, who was on her way to her room and greeted her loudly with a grin. Poliana replied, ¡°Hmm! It hasn¡¯t been officially decided yet that I will be a marquess, so hush!¡± Because Lucius the First was trying to reorganize the aristocratic ranking system, Poliana and many others still haven¡¯t officially received their new titles. The fact that the emperor was trying to emphasize the five-level scheme meant that the title of marquess was a very generous reward. Polianaughed quietly and added, ¡°As the heir of Count Ribo, you should be careful of what you say!¡± There was a rumor that Sir Baufallo was going to be a count. The count was lower than marquess, which meant that Poliana was going to have a higher rank than Sir Baufallo. This wasn¡¯t because of Sir Baufallo¡¯s achievement during the war was smaller than Poliana¡¯s. It was because their starting point was different. Poliana was already an Aehasian noble, and Lucius the First ounted for this fact and ended up awarding her with a much greater title. The Ribo family could¡¯ve felt offended, but Sir Howe wasn¡¯t upset. He was a quick thinker. ¡®I just have to make some notable achievements, and then, I will be promoted to a marquis too.¡¯ If the emperor had the power to promote or demote the noble¡¯s ranks, his men were going to work harder to please him. This was going to work perfectly for Lucius the First. Sir Howe asked Poliana, ¡°Did you hear what they decided regarding women with their own noble titles? If you don¡¯t get married soon, your title will disappear after you¡¯re gone, Marquess Winter. It won¡¯t be inherited to anyone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not going to get married.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Poliana didn¡¯t feel possessive of her new title andnds, but¡­ She did feel disappointed that herst name given by the emperor would be gone with her. Lucius the First gave her the name of ¡°Winter¡± to remember the day when she became his knightess. Only Poliana suggested to Sir Howe, ¡°If you think your second or third child has great potential, then maybe you can consider giving one to me to be adopted.¡± ¡°Oh, that sounds really tempting.¡± When Sir Howe seemed interested, Poliana warned him, ¡°I don¡¯t want a mediocre child. I better tell everyone I know about this idea and make the same offer. That way, I will have a good chance of adopting the best child possible.¡± If she could adopt a child and not just any child, then she could inherit her name as well as her title andnds. Sir Howe nodded in agreement, ¡°Of course. It makes sense. And a kid needs to work for things like that. If things are given to them, children would grow up selfish and entitled.¡± ¡°Myst name was given personally to me by the emperor himself, which means I can¡¯t give it to just anybody. It would have to be a child who has decent looks, good personality, and excellent talent. The child would also have toe from a good family.¡± ¡°Oh, that means Donau¡¯s and my children would be perfect for you!¡± They chatted amicably. Then, Sir Howe said to Poliana, ¡°By the way, I am nning on quitting the knight¡¯s order.¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Poliana asked Sir Howe, ¡°Hmm¡­ But won¡¯t you miss it, or feel like you are wasting a great opportunity?¡± ¡°There will be plenty of new opportunities in the south. Besides, I want to escape from Sir Ainno as soon as possible.¡± Poliana guessed Sir Mahogal, who became good friends with Sir Howe, was going to be very sad to see his friend go. ¡°I see¡­ So you guys are all going down south¡­ I assume Donau is going too?¡± ¡°Of course, he will. Both of our parents are going, so why wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Poliana expected this. She felt disappointed and sad, but there was nothing she could do about it. When she expressed her feelings, Sir Howe patted her shoulder and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad. You will be so busy that you won¡¯t even get the time to miss us.¡± He was right. Sir Jainno¡¯s men were expecting either Sir Jainno or Sir Wook to be the new head of the royal guards. When Poliana appeared, there were many who protested. A knightess? How could they, strong men, follow the lead of a mere woman? Poliana¡¯s own men, who have been serving her faithfully, became angry at the castle guards¡¯ insults. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with our Sir Pol? She is much better than your own boss, Sir Jainno!¡± Thankfully, they didn¡¯t get into any physical fights yet, but Poliana witnessed them arguing many times so far. She needed to gain firm control over her men, all of them, as soon as possible. But the problem was, she was too busy with other matters. Sir Jainno also had manyints against Poliana, but he was keeping himself quiet because of all the work they had toplete. The only thing Sir Jainno did from time to time was to re at the golden stripe on her uniform. *** Poliana spent a lot of time exploring the castle walls to find the hidden crawl spaces. The emperor didn¡¯t mean to tell her about them, but he did and Poliana was determined to get rid of these weak spots in the royal castle defense. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how well hidden these crawl spaces are¡­ Look here.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, you are amazing. How did you spot them? How did you even think of the possibility that there could be holes in our wall defense?¡± ¡°Just an instinct, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°It must be your woman¡¯s sixth sense.¡± Sir Jainno¡¯s men have been iming that the castle walls were solid. They believed that there were no holes in their defense, so when Poliana found these crawlspaces, Sir Jainno¡¯s men, who had been loudly doubting Poliana¡¯s abilities, became quiet. Poliana¡¯s own men became excited at their boss¡¯ findings. Poliana was just happy to be here. She then ordered, ¡°There could be more of these, so keep searching.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°And change the gatekeepers from low-ranking soldiers to knights. Because the current gatekeepers¡¯ positions are so low, they seem to feel intimidated to search aristocrats and other knights.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t have the knights doing such menial jobs!¡± ¡°A gatekeeper¡¯s job is to protect the emperor, so it can¡¯t be considered a lowly duty.¡± There were two sides to the knights. One agreed with Poliana¡¯s orders quietly while the other side grumbled loudly. The royal guard unit was known to have the strictest rules. Grumbling or protesting to the head of the division was unheard of, yet here in the royal castle, it seemed to happen often. Poliana had so much work to do, even more than when she was in the war. She had more areas to protect and guard. She also had more men, which meant that she should¡¯ve had more help, but instead, some of these men refused to follow her orders. Her annoyance increased daily; the only thing that made her happy was Lucius the First¡¯s smile, which she got to see every day. ¡®He is so handsome.¡¯ It has been 10 years since she first met her emperor, but she could see the clear difference in him now that he was back home. Lucius the First took great care of his beauty during the war, but it couldn¡¯t bepared to the amount of care he received from his servants. He grew even more beautiful every day, making his knights feel prouder. One day, Lucius the First asked Poliana, ¡°What do you think of my face? How does it make you feel?¡± ¡°You are very beautiful, your highness!¡± The other knights in the room nodded emphatically. The emperor seemed to be unsatisfied with the answer, so he asked again, ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡®Is he unhappy because I said he is beautiful? Is it because he thought I meant that he was feminine?¡¯ Poliana decided to change herpliment. ¡°You have a very strong and manly chin! You have grown very masculine since the first time I saw you, your highness! Your wide shoulders and muscr back are amazing!¡± ¡°And when you look at such a handsome man, how do you feel?¡± ¡°I feel honored to be serving you, your highness!¡± Lucius the First did his best to hide his disappointment. Poliana meant well, but it was clear that she wasn¡¯t interested in him as a man. What made the emperor even angrier was the fact that Poliana sometimes blushed when she was with other men who were uglier than him. Only There were many good-looking men in the guard unit, and some of these knights sometimes teased Poliana, treating her like a properdy. Lucius the First could see that Poliana enjoyed this kind of interaction and it made him furious. Poliana Winter did not see Lucius the First as a man. This was the problem. The fact that the emperor gave up on marrying her didn¡¯t change the fact that he still wanted her to see her as a man. This was a huge problem indeed. Lucius the First knew he was not making any sense, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling frustrated and upset. He was especially furious when he heard about how Sir Rabi¡¯s wife tried to arrange a marriage for Poliana. He thought he was going to have a stroke from the news, but thankfully, he was a good actor, and no one noticed it. ¡®And she wanted her to marry a man in his 50¡¯s who already has grandchildren! I would rather have her as my concubine then let her marry someone like that!¡¯ The emperor contemted day and night, and finally, he decided that perhaps it would be easier for him to give up if Poliana did get married. If she married a good man, a man even he had to admit was a good match for her¡­ Poliana would be happy, and Lucius the First also would be content that he could finally give her up. It was still going to be very hard, but as long as Poliana lived happily¡­ The emperor knew he would live a sad life, but at least, he alone would be sad. Now that he decided on his course of action, Lucius the First began to discreetly ask around to see if there were any good potential matches for Poliana. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 The answers the emperor got were not what he wanted. It seemed that the only men who may be interested in marrying Poliana might indeed be old widowers. Lucius the First became visibly upset. He finally called Duke Luzo, who was buried in an incredible amount of work and asked him to make a list of potential husbands for Poliana. Duke Luzo frowned in frustration, but being a good cousin, he did what he was asked. A few dayster, Duke Luzo handed the list to the emperor. Lucius the First then asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is the list you asked from me. The list of potential husbands for Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°But I asked you to find a list of GOOD men.¡± ¡°These are the men who may be willing to marry Sir Poliana without being forced into it.¡± ¡°What?! But these men on the list are all old or widowed! And most of them are poorer or lower ranked than Sir Pol!¡± ¡°Your highness, thanks to your generosity, there aren¡¯t many men out there who are wealthier than Sir Pol. And besides, if a man was that wealthy, why would he voluntarily marry a woman like Sir Poliana?¡± Lucius the First became livid. He thumped his chest in frustration. Sir Pol was so adorable! Why couldn¡¯t other people see it? Were they all blind? The emperor said to the duke, ¡°But I will be awarding her even morends and a better title! She is my favorite knight after all!¡± ¡°The man who marries her will be called a gold digger. Who in his right mind would want to be called that?¡± Lucius the First rubbed his forehead. He always thought that wealth and power were the two most attractive things in the marriage market, not the person¡¯s looks. He thought Poliana was quite a catch, but it seemed that no one agreed with him. There had to be a young man out there whose ambition would entice him to propose to Poliana¡­ Lucius the First asked the duke, ¡°But don¡¯t you think Sir Poliana is a pretty good catch? She is favored by the emperor and¡­ I just don¡¯t understand. If she was a man, she would be getting hundreds of marriage proposals by now, yet all the qualities that make a man a good husband material seem to work against her favor in the marriage market¡­ Just because she is a woman¡­ How strange.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, your highness.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t there a good-looking bastard who is greedy or ambitious enough to take her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness, but¡­ There is a rumor that Sir Poliana is barren.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When the emperor became quiet, Duke Luzo realized the truth. This rumor¡­ It wasn¡¯t just an empty story. It made sense since Poliana has been involved in battles for many years. It was a known fact that she was injured many times before. Poliana herself admitted that she didn¡¯t have her monthly bleeding, and it was only a matter of time before this became public knowledge. In Acreia, an infertile woman lived her life alone or as a prostitute. If a noblewoman was barren, she had an option to be a concubine to a nobleman, who already had a male heir. This was the best and most stable life a barren noblewoman could hope for. An ugly woman would be epted instead of an infertile woman. Even being the emperor¡¯s favorite knight could not mask this w. Besides, this was one of the reasons why Lucius the First also couldn¡¯t take Poliana as his empress, even if she was willing. Poliana¡¯s fellow knights also wanted to help in finding her a decent husband. Everyone agreed that marriage and forming a family was the only way to true happiness. The knights who considered themselves to be her friends could not ept the fact that Poliana was being treated poorly in the marriage market. Objectively speaking, she was indeed an unmarriageable woman, but they still couldn¡¯t ept this reality. So finally, some of them even began to offer their own brothers. What if Sir Poliana dies a virgin? She will forever haunt Acreia as a ghost. Poliana couldn¡¯t believe what was happening around her. She was so busy, yet she had to waste her precious time dealing with the other well-intentioned knights, who seemed to have nothing better to do than meddle in her business. When she t out refused the blind dates with her potential husband materials, some even offered to create a ¡°coincidental¡± meeting with these men. This did happen rarely, but most of the time, these ¡°coincidental¡± meetings didn¡¯t go so well. Poliana ended up agreeing to one, but the man refused her as soon as he saw her face. She became furious, and when she seemed upset, some knights began to propose themselves to help her. ¡°There is no other way, Sir Poliana. It can¡¯t be helped, so I will take you. Let¡¯s get married.¡± Poliana punched whoever proposed to her. Some even offered to marry her just for a year because they pitied her. They suggested they should get divorced afterward. It was an odd thing, but in the Acreian society, it was better to be a divorced woman than a spinster for a nobledy. But still¡­ These knights were being ridiculous. Just for a moment, Poliana did consider that perhaps it was a good idea, but she shook her head. ¡°Just stop! All of you! I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡± Only ¡°But, Sir Poliana!¡± ¡°No, no more! We need to stop talking about this! Who cares if I get married? Who cares if I never have children?! It is none of your business!¡± They needed to stop nagging her, these knights were worse than Lady Bika! Meanwhile, many single knights continued to get married quickly, especially those who were nning to move down south. They had an option to marry the local nobledies in the southern colonies, but most of them chose to marry an Acreian woman. As more and more men got married, the pressure for Poliana to get married as well continued. She felt like she was about to suffocate from everyone nagging her about her own life. On top of that, Sir Jainno made sure to annoy her whenever he got the chance. It was clear he did not approve of her, and he made sure to make a big deal about her smallest mistakes. When she first arrived, Sir Jainno made a fuss about how she was a woman and he could not work under one, but as soon as his brother Sir Ainno returned, it stopped. It was clear that Sir Ainno epted Poliana as his colleague, so Sir Jainno could no longerin about her gender. But now, he treated her as his rival, the rival who took away his chance to be the head of the royal guards. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 One day, Poliana saw Sir Ainno while walking. A lot had happened since he left. While he was gone, the knights of the knight¡¯s order were having afortable time while annoying Sir Mahogal. No one seemed to know where Sir Ainno had been all this time or what he had been doing. He didn¡¯t even report to the emperor in detail, but he still looked as confident and as entitled as ever. Even now, Sir Ainno looked at Poliana arrogantly as he said to her, ¡°You should have better control over your division.¡± ¡®What a jerk.¡¯ Sir Ainno frowned at her, and Poliana did the same. They red at each other with their face deeply wrinkled. Poliana finally replied, ¡°I wanted to tell you the same thing myself, Sir Ainno.¡± Sir Ainno chose his knights based on only their skills and nothing else. These knights followed Sir Ainno¡¯s orders, but not Sir Mahogal¡¯s. While Sir Ainno was gone, Sir Mahogal had a tough time controlling these men. He was so busy that he never got the chance to return home even once. Poliana couldn¡¯t just y defensive, so she asked Sir Ainno, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get married, Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°I can get married whenever I want and whoever I want.¡± Sir Ainno answeredfortably. He added, ¡°I can even y around until I am 40 years old, then get married.¡± Getting married to a young girl at 40? He was such an assh*le. And when Lucius the First heard it, he had the same reaction as Poliana. ¡°Inno, are you serious? That is so gross, don¡¯t be a pervert. Think about it.¡± This was especially a problem in Acreia. Men only tried to marry young women, which meant that there were many spinsters unable to get themselves married. Lucius the First was told that this wasn¡¯t a huge problem among the high-ranking aristocrats, but it definitely was among the lower-ranking nobles andmoners. Everyone thought the problem of unmarried women would be solved once the men returned from the war, but it seemed that every man wanted to marry only young girls. Having too many unmarried men and women was a huge problem for the kingdom. It was considered unlucky. Of course, the emperor himself was not nning on getting married any time soon, but he was adamant it was only because he was too busy currently. Lucius the First was asked to approve a marriage between a nobleman in his 30¡¯s and a youngdy of 13. The emperor shook in anger. He announced, ¡°We will create aw that disallows young girls from getting married. A marriage between two parties with an age gap bigger than 20 years will be denied as well. I had no idea there are so many perverts in this world.¡± There was no ce for love when it came to a marriage between the aristocrats. The only things that mattered to them were wealth and family name. It was one thing to have two children engaged to be married when they were older, but the emperor could not allow old men to take young girls as their wives. It was just wrong. As he created newws, Lucius the First became frustrated. He already had so many things to do, yet every time he finished one task, he was burdened with ten more. The emperor said to Poliana, ¡°I am not beingzy about siring an heir. I just have so much to do for this kingdom.¡± ¡°Indeed, your highness. You are working so hard, and what you have aplished so far is very impressive.¡± Whenever the emperor became frustrated or upset, all she had to do was to praise him. This seemed to be enough to cheer him up and get him back to work. Poliana added, ¡°But not all of them are perverts, your highness.¡± She was correct. There were many young soldiers who married a widow with children who lost their husbands to the war. There also were many who offered to marry their fellow soldiers¡¯ spinster sisters and daughters. Lucius the First praised them and awarded them wedding gifts. After a nice chat with Poliana during his break, the emperor called for Duke Luzo. The duke was working while sitting outside because the healers imed that the sun was good for hair loss. Looking tired, Duke Luzo appeared in front of the emperor, who looked at him fondly and apologetically. ¡°Luzo, I promise you that after we get most of the work done, I will let you go.¡± ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± ¡°Of course. I am the emperor and I would never make a promise I can¡¯t keep.¡± Duke Luzo yelled at the scribes, ¡°Everyone, write everything we say down urately! Do it! Make sure you do a perfect job!¡± Poliana watched the two men working hard for a short while before leaving the room. ¡®How is it that there is so much to do for all of us?¡¯ Poliana recently saw the portrait of Duke Luzo when he was younger. She was shocked to realize that he used to be a beautiful young man before the war began. She felt sympathetic towards him, and she felt ashamed that she had beenining about the amount of work she was burdened with. ¡®Even the most important people like the duke and the emperor are working so hard¡­ I shouldn¡¯t beining at all.¡¯ She also felt embarrassed that Sir Ainno pointed out how uncontrolled her division was. Too much work was not good enough as an excuse, she needed to get this problem fixed as soon as possible. Poliana immediately called for an emergency meeting. Every guard, except the ones who needed to stay with the emperor, gathered around her. Her own men, who were familiar with her style of training and lecturing, looked up at the sky in fear. ¡®Because of Sir Jainno¡¯s stupid men, we are all going to be punished¡­¡¯ Only Poliana¡¯s guards red at Sir Jainno¡¯s guards angrily. It was Poliana who was going to punish them, but they weren¡¯t upset with her. Her men knew that Poliana had to be extra strict and harsh in order to control this division because she was a woman and a foreigner. This was the only way to gain a firm unwavering loyalty from her unit. Today was going to be the day when Poliana would show them who¡¯s boss. It was a beautiful sunny day out in the castle training area. Anyone who defied her even the slightest was going to be dragged to the jail cell and whipped mercilessly. Poliana announced forcefully, ¡°I guess you all think it¡¯s ok to rx and live a little just because the war is over, huh? Do you think you can disrespect me and get away with it? Do you know who told me how I lost my control over my own men? It¡¯s Sir Ainno, he told me I lost my touch! Shall I get you, men, to join the training with the knight¡¯s order? Would you like to be trained by Sir Ainno? Is that what it¡¯s going to take for you to listen to me?¡± ¡°No, ma¡¯am! It won¡¯t happen again!¡± ¡°We apologize, Sir Poliana!¡± Poliana nodded and continued, ¡°If you have aint against me, just say it and I will consider it. If having a female superior is a problem for any of you, you cane to me. I will remove your balls and make you a woman so you won¡¯t have any more problems with me. If having a foreigner as your superior is a problem, tell me. I will fix it by having you executed for defying the emperor¡¯s order, which was to consider everyone on this continent as an Acreian. Anything else? My title? My strength? If you have any more issues, you canin to the emperor himself and see what happens! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Poliana knew that she was being petty. A few years ago, Lucius the First taught her that fear and force alone were not enough to lead people. She knew that this wasn¡¯t the best way, but she had no other choice, considering the fact that she needed to get things fixed as quickly as possible. She had so much to do and so little time. The guards replied in fear, ¡°We won¡¯t do it again!¡± ¡°Do you think that is enough?!¡± ¡°Please give us one more chance! We will do our best!¡± ¡°Your best may not be enough, but I will give you one more chance, nheless. If I hear about any more problems, that will be the end of all of you, got it?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Every guard, both her own men and Sir Jainno¡¯s replied wholeheartedly. Sir Wook bowed to her apologetically. Poliana felt guilty; Sir Wook was a good knight who had been loyal to her, yet she was forcing him to apologize to her along with everyone else. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone was disappointed in her behavior, however, and she felt relieved. When she turned around, she heard Sirs Wook and Jainno reprimanding all of the guards for their mistakes. ¡®Dammit¡­¡¯ Poliana felt frustrated at this situation. She left the men and went to the nearby garden. She began to assault a tree. Right kick, left kick, right punch, and left punch¡­ If the gardeners saw her, they would¡¯ve cried at how their nts were being treated. Just then, someone asked her from behind. ¡°Sir Poliana, do you have a moment?¡± It was Sir Jainno. When she turned around, he took off one of his gloves and offered it to her. Sir Jainno continued, ¡°I have a problem with you.¡± It was very obvious that he was not pleased with her. Every time they faced each other, Sir Jainno red at the golden stripe on her uniform. At least, he was very clear about what he was unhappy about. ¡®What¡¯s with the glove¡­¡¯ Poliana thought highly of Sir Jainno mainly becausepared to Sir Ainno, he was a gentleman. Having Sir Ainno as an older brother must¡¯ve been horrible, but Sir Jainno seemed like a decent person. She couldn¡¯t understand what he meant by offering her his glove. ¡®¡­ He can¡¯t mean¡­¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be, the Sir Jainno she knew would never dare to act in such a way. She was certain that he had a brain. ¡®No way¡­ He can¡¯t mean that¡­¡¯ Poliana flinched, slowly realizing that perhaps he did mean what she thought couldn¡¯t be possible. She then asked him cautiously, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I have noints about your gender, strength, or title. But I do have one problem with you and that is your military experience. I have just as much, if not more, experience than you, Sir Poliana, and that is why your position as the head of the guard division is unfair. So I challenge you to a duel, Sir Poliana, like a knight to another knight.¡± Sir Jainno was as old as Poliana, and he did indeed have about the same number of years in the military as Poliana. His service to the Acreian army was, of course, much longer than hers. Sir Jainno felt certain that if he joined the conquest like his brother, which was exactly what he wanted, he would¡¯ve been appointed as the head of the royal guards. He didn¡¯t say anything during Poliana¡¯s announcement just a moment ago because he didn¡¯t want to ruin her moment but the truth was, he did have a problem with her. Big time¡­ Poliana flinched again. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ She was right, he was asking her for a duel. Poliana took his glove with a serious face and Sir Jainno nodded firmly. He said to her, ¡°I have no intention of damaging your reputation, Sir Poliana. I also do not assume that I will win without a doubt. Sir Wook and the other knights told me that you fight with everything you have, using every possible method that you could utilize. Our duel will have no rules so you can use anything you¡­ Gyaa!¡± Poliana pped Sir Ainno¡¯s face with his own glove. Sir Ainno stepped back with a flinch, afraid that he might lose his eyes from being hit by the glove. Poliana had no mercy for him. She immediately went after him and continued to attack him. Just as the other knights told him, Poliana fought with everything she had. Her hands never stopped as she kicked and punched him constantly. This was so disappointing. Poliana thought Sir Jainno was one of the normal ones, but apparently, she was very wrong. Poliana screamed at him, ¡°Are you seriously suggesting we should fight for my position? Do you think this is a joke? This position was appointed by the emperor himself. Do you know what the emperor¡¯s favorite saying was during the conquest? ¡®Stop reading stupid romance novels! Get somemon sense!¡¯ So I ask you, Sir Jainno. Do you think I¡¯m a joke? Do you think this whole thing is a joke? Do you think this job can be just won by a mere fight? Huh? Answer me!¡± ¡°Gya!!! I, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Poliana sessfully cornered him. Sir Jainno couldn¡¯t say anything other than an apology to her because she was absolutely right. All he could do was block Poliana¡¯s attacks as best as he could. Left kick, right kick, right punch, and left punch¡­ Only And finally, Sir Jainno surrendered and Poliana ordered him to give her ten push-ups. He had no choice but to drop down to the ground and follow her order. Poliana watched Sir Jainno sweat when suddenly, she felt someone approach them. Sir Jainno noticed them as well, and because he couldn¡¯t show any kind of weakness to other men, he stood up quickly and pretended that nothing happened. The man who came to them was one of the royal guards. He announced hurriedly, ¡°Sir Poliana! You need toe right now! Something bad has happened!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sir Donau apparently assaulted Sir Navkin!¡± Poliana shook her head in frustration. What was going on around here?! Was everyone trying to give her a heart attack? Suddenly, Poliana regretted not retiring just like Lady Bika suggested. If she did, she could¡¯ve been home in her own castle now, enjoying a peaceful life. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Poliana and Sir Jainno ran to the scene as soon as they heard of it. Even though they arrived within a few minutes, things have progressed quickly. Rather than a one-on-one fight, it was now a full-blown group fight. ¡°What was going on here?¡± The royal guards were divided into two groups and they were fighting. Sir Jainno couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. ¡°You idiot!¡± Poliana screamed as well, ¡°Everyone freeze!¡± Her husky piercing voice was enough for everyone to pause. They were too furious to realize the consequences of their fight, but now that Poliana was here, they froze in fear. This was very bad. Some of the knights tried to exin their situation to her, but Poliana didn¡¯t even give them a chance. With the leather glove still in her hand, she began to p them one by one. p! p! The loud painful noise that came around them made everyone flinch. Poliana then ordered, ¡°Everyone involved in this fight will be arrested and sent to the prison immediately. I¡¯ll get myself a detailed report about this incidentter.¡± No one protested. The men involved knew what they did was wrong, so they lowered their heads in shame and lined up to walk into the jail cell. Sir Jainno kicked them one by one in annoyance, but he froze when Poliana said to him, ¡°You too, Sir Jainno.¡± ¡°¡­ Are you talking to me, Sir Poliana?¡± ¡°Yes, you bastard.¡± Poliana continued to re at him, daring him to protest. If he did, she was ready to kick him in the crotch. Sir Jainno was smart, however, he saluted her and replied, ¡°Yes, Sir Poliana. Right away!¡± He nced at her hand, which was still holding his leather glove. When Poliana threw it at his face, it fell to the ground and without a word, Sir Jainno picked it up. Sir Jainno looked apologetic and guilty, which was enough to make her feel less angry. Poliana turned around and asked one of the guards where Sir Wook was. ¡°Sir Wook went to work his shift. He is guarding the emperor right now!¡± ¡°Alright. Now, you know where Sir Ainno is, right? Go tell him I have a favor to ask. Once you ry the message, you will go to the jail cell as well.¡± The knight¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°M-me too?¡± This was the knight who reported the fight to Poliana immediately after it broke out, so he couldn¡¯t understand why he had to be jailed as well. When he looked at her in confusion, Poliana said to him coldly, ¡°This is the military, you¡¯re in a single unit. One soldier¡¯s mistake will cost everyone in the unit to be punished.¡± ¡®Dammit!¡¯ The knight frowned and ran to find Sir Ainno. *** One-third of the royal guards were in prison now. Even Sir Ainno was shocked to hear it. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that she should send everyone to jail¡­ Did she misunderstand me or something?¡± Sir Ainno became worried that perhaps Poliana thought he meant her to be this crazy and hard on the guards. All he wanted her to do was to get a better grip over the division. When he heard his own brother was in jail, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t react much. ¡®Oh well, going to jail isn¡¯t that big of a deal anyway.¡¯ To Sir Ainno, all the other knights looked weak and soft. To him, Poliana actually behaved tougher than his own brother Sir Jainno. Sir Poliana was the head of the royal guards. There was no question about it, and Sir Ainno had noints against her. When one of her men came to him with a message, Sir Ainno visited Poliana and asked, ¡°What kind of favor?¡± ¡°I was hoping you could work as the emperor¡¯s personal guard for a little while.¡± Sir Ainno agreed to do it without hesitation. He was the leader of the new knight¡¯s order, but this was still an unofficial unit. Everyone in the order including Sir Ainno didn¡¯t have much to do. A soldier needed to always be busy, Sir Ainno was d to finally find something that he could do. *** Poliana ordered every single guard, even the ones that weren¡¯t involved in the fight, to be imprisoned. The good-looking young noblemen entered the jail cell in a single file with a confused frown on their faces. The other soldiers and knights came to watch them as this was a very unusual urrence. ¡°Sir Poliana, we don¡¯t have enough room in this jail to amodate all the royal guards¡­¡± ¡°Then start digging.¡± One basic principle of any military unit was self-sufficiency. If theycked something, all they had to do was make it. This was the most important notion in the military supply division, and it was taught very well to Poliana by Sir Baufallo. If they didn¡¯t have enough room in the jail, all they had to do was make another jail. An underground prison. The guards began to dig a hole to create their own jail cells. Was this a living hell? Poliana didn¡¯t question the guards right away. Instead, she gave them some time to reflect on their behaviors. They were given three days, and during this time, they were given the bare minimum to eat. They also weren¡¯t given much time to rest as they were ordered to dig their own jail cells. They slept in the cold and difort. After three days, the first thing Poliana did was give them proper meals. Then, she allowed them to report to her about the details of what happened three days ago. ¡°So what was that fight about? What happened?¡± Each guard stood in front of Poliana and reported individually and privately. Afterward, they were ordered to decide if they deserved to be punished. Whoever said yes were sent back to jail. Poliana announced to them, ¡°Those who do not think they are guilty of anything don¡¯t have to go back to jail. Even if I find out you were lying and you were actually guilty, I won¡¯t put you back in the cell. I will count on your honesty.¡± Most confessed that they were guilty and returned to jail. Poliana got them to stay at the regr jail rather than the underground one. After listening to about twenty guards, Poliana figured out what happened that day. When Poliana, Sir Wook, and Sir Jainno left after reprimanding the guards, the guards decided to go for a drink. While they drank, the men began to talk about women as usual. They also talked about Poliana and the jokes began. ¡°Gosh, Sir Poliana has quite a temper, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Well, she is a spinster, after all. She is definitely a fierce one!¡± ¡°I know! She can be a real b*tch!¡± Some of them began to tease those who offered to marry her out of pity. These guards who proposed to her shook their heads, iming that it was a mistake. Then suddenly, Sir Navkinmented, ¡°But it might not be the worst idea. I mean, she is the boss of all of us, but if she bes my wife, I would be her boss as soon as we go home at night.¡± Sir Navkin should¡¯ve stopped right here, but he continued, ¡°Maybe I should really propose to her, right? I can f*ck her while she moans my name every night.¡± His inappropriate joke made everyone freeze. Before someone could protest, Donau moved quickly and without a warning, he punched Sir Navkin¡¯s face with all of his strength. Sir Navkin kicked Donau in response. Donau ended up falling on the ground, taking two knights with him as he copsed. The other guards protested to Sir Navkin, ¡°What the hell! What was that for?¡± ¡°Sir Donau hit me first! You all saw it!¡± ¡°But that was because your words were uneptable, Sir Navkin!¡± The guards quickly divided into two groups. One that believed Sir Navkin¡¯s joke was unforgivable and the other that imed it was wrong for Sir Donau to punch Sir Navkin like that. Only Donau quickly stood up and mmed himself against Sir Navkin. This was how the fight began. At first, there were two clear groups, but within a few seconds, it became an unorganized and confusing brawl. When it was Sir Navkin¡¯s turn to report to Poliana, he couldn¡¯t look her in the eyes. Poliana shook her head. ¡®Stupid boy.¡¯ If he couldn¡¯t even face her like a man, why did he bother making such a ridiculous joke? When Sir Navkin offered to stay in jail indefinitely, Poliana agreed and sent him back for now. And when it was Donau¡¯s turn, Poliana studied him quietly. It was clear that Donau was in a worse condition than Sir Navkin. It made sense because Sir Navkin was bigger, stronger, and older. He had much more experience than Donau. Sir Donau limped towards Poliana, making her upset. His eyes were ck and blue and the rest of his face wasn¡¯t in much better condition. He also lost a canine, making him look ridiculous every time he opened his mouth. He was covered in blood. Poliana then ordered him, ¡°Tell me what happened in your own words.¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Donau refused to report to Poliana. He remained silent. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Donau, tell me what happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Would you like me to kick you a few times to jog your memory?¡± ¡°I have nothing to report.¡± Donau didn¡¯t sound remorseful. He wasn¡¯t saying that he was sorry; he was telling her there was nothing to tell her. Poliana became frustrated. What was wrong with him? Why wouldn¡¯t he tell her what happened? ¡°Donau, why did you do it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am thankful that you became angry on my behalf, but the way you handled the situation was still very wrong. You know how to act like a gentleman, right? Why didn¡¯t you just throw your gauntlet or glove at him?¡± ¡°I just got really mad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that was the first time I was insulted.¡± ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s ok that you got used to being insulted?!¡± Donau screamed at her angrily. Poliana¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as Donau continued, ¡°Do you enjoy being insulted? Is that it? Wow, that must be great, huh?! Are you proud of yourself, huh? You like people talking bad about you?¡± ¡°Donau, you know how people are. Gossiping is a normal part of our lives. People even gossip about his highness sometimes. After I became the head of the royal guards, I have been making examples of a few people making inappropriatements about me, so things have been okay. You know that.¡± ¡°But why should people insult you? Why would other men talk about you like that!?¡± Donau continued to yell, and Poliana was impressed. She knew he hadn¡¯t eaten much during thest few days, yet he seemed as strong and energetic as ever. How wonderful it must be to be so young! Suddenly, Donau grabbed Poliana¡¯s hands and shouted, ¡°Please marry me!¡± The other soldiers who were waiting outside all coughed loudly when they heard Donau¡¯s proposal. Donau, however, ignored them and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat me with respect, even at home! I will treat you as my superior even after work! You can remain a knight as long as you want, and I will never make a fuss about you being my boss! I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t have any children, and I can change myst name¡­ Gyaa!¡± ¡°You crazy bastard! What the hell are you talking about?! Have you lost your mind?¡± Poliana punched the top of his head. Donau fell to the floor and rolled in pain. ring at him, Poliana ordered the nearby guard, ¡°You there! Take this idiot back to jail!¡± When the guard tried to drag Donau away, Donau reached out to grab Poliana¡¯s hands again and protested, ¡°But it¡¯s not a bad offer for you!¡± ¡°Ha! Like Sir Baufallo would allow something like that!¡± ¡°I will convince my father!¡± ¡°You¡¯re nning to marry ady from a very good family, so what are you talking about?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like thatdy, so it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± ¡°Then what about me? Are you telling me that you like me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Donau¡¯s face became nk. The fact that he couldn¡¯t answer her question made it even more offensive. She understood why men liked to talk about women, but she couldn¡¯t understand why Donau would propose to her, especially when he knew without a doubt that something like this would harm her rtionship with Sir Baufallo. Poliana ordered them again, ¡°Take him away!¡± Before Donau was dragged away, Poliana announced, ¡°For mocking your superior, you are sentenced for a week in the underground jail cell.¡± Poliana then called for the next soldier, who appeared with curious eyes. Before she could ask him any questions, the soldier asked excitedly, ¡°Which family were you talking about? The one Sir Donau is going to marry!¡± Poliana thumped her chest in frustration. ¡°Maybe I should really retire and go back home.¡± ¡°No, Sir Poliana! You can¡¯t! I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t ask again!¡± Poliana suddenly felt a huge headacheing on. Would this nightmare ever end? *** The story of Sir Donau¡¯s proposal spread like a wildfire. The guards and the other knights who were present told their friends, who told their families. Most thought of Donau as a kind thoughtful young man who wanted to help his superior, Poliana. People praised him for trying to rescue the ugly spinster. What a true gentleman he was! The shocking story reached even the emperor. When Lucius the First heard about it, he eximed, ¡°What?! Sir Donau proposed to Sir Pol?¡± Sir Ainno, who was next to him, whispered, ¡°Your highness, control yourself. Don¡¯t show any anger. There are other people here.¡± The emperor was about to burst out the door, but Sir Ainno was able to calm him down. ¡®He is still into her, I guess.¡¯ This was a problem. Sir Ainno looked at Lucius the First, who had the saddest expression a man could have. Sir Ainno thought things would improve over time, but apparently, the emperor¡¯s feelings have deepened instead. Sir Ainno ordered all the servants to leave. The emperor¡¯s expression still looked upset. Sir Ainno had never seen Lucius the First looking this displeased. The emperor told him before that he gave up on Poliana, but Sir Ainno could tell that this wasn¡¯t the case. In fact, it seemed that Poliana was slowly bing the biggest part of his daily thoughts. Sir Ainno even saw the emperor murmuring to himself about being mmed against a wall. He grinned as if he was remembering something and then, he told Sir Ainno that if he fell in love with someone, he should m her against a wall. ¡®What the heck is he talking about? Why would I m a woman against a wall if I liked her?¡¯ Why indeed? Shouldn¡¯t he propose to a woman he loves, rather than m her against a wall? Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t understand the emperor. Lucius the First continued to mutter, ¡°Pol¡­ Pol is getting married¡­¡± Sir Ainno shook his head. ¡®This is very bad¡­¡¯ The emperor still looked so devastated, so Sir Ainno insisted, ¡°Your highness. You need to read the rest of the report. Sir Poliana refused Sir Donau and even sent him to jail for a week.¡± Suddenly, the emperor smiled widely. He looked so happy, and his smile looked so beautiful. Sir Ainno asked in annoyance, ¡°I thought you said you wished her happiness.¡± ¡°Of course, I do!¡± But the emperor¡¯s grin became wider after he learned that Poliana wasn¡¯t going to get married. Shaking his head again, Sir Ainno brought the emperor a mirror and informed him, ¡°Your highness, you used to be so great at hiding your emotions. But look at you now¡­¡± Lucius the First looked at himself in the mirror and saw the crazy smile on his face. ¡®This is wrong¡­¡¯ An emperor needed to be able to control his feelings. He took a deep breath and put on a nk face. Sir Ainno finally removed the mirror and asked, ¡°Are you calm now?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Well, you must realize the fact that the main point in the report isn¡¯t how Poliana received a marriage proposal.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± The main problem the report was trying to ry was the fact that the entire royal guard unit was imprisoned per Sir Poliana¡¯s order. The guards¡¯ families, most of them very prominent nobles, were protesting angrily. They even began a petition, asking Poliana to be removed from her position. Lucius the First had been refusing to meet these nobles in person, iming he was too busy, but eventually, he would have to hear them out. The emperor red at the report. When he first heard about the group fight, he let Poliana take care of the situation. He was going to do the same this time too, he trusted and believed in Poliana. Only What distracted him was Donau¡¯s proposal. ¡®I can¡¯t believe this bothers me this much.¡¯ Poliana was constantly bothered by the people who believed she should be married. This meant that if she got married, then this problem would be solved. ¡®So¡­ Maybe he should propose to her!¡¯ It bothered him greatly that Donau wanted to marry Poliana. He was only a little boy, but he grew up quickly and became a man¡­ ¡®Wait a minute!¡¯ Lucius the First frowned in shock, making Sir Ainno annoyed again. The emperor suddenly wondered, ¡®What if Donau actually loves her too?¡¯ Chapter 128: 128 Chapter 128 Lucius the First¡¯s heart fell. He froze for a second before asking Sir Ainno in a trembling voice, ¡°What if¡­ What if Sir Donau has real feelings for her?¡± So far, it was only the emperor who knew that secret. The secret that Poliana was, in fact, an adorable woman. But what if the other men, Sir Donau in this case, found out the truth too? Lucius the First has been iming that he would be ok for Poliana to marry a man who appreciated her, but now that it could really be happening. Lucius the First didn¡¯t know what to do. He asked Sir Ainno, ¡°Inno, what should I do?¡± ¡°¡­ make a scene?¡± Lucius the First threw the ink bottle at his friend, who caught it easily and ced it back on the table. Sir Ainno continued, ¡°Your highness, please calm down. This isn¡¯t like you at all. You need to control your emotions better.¡± ¡°And what kind of behavior would be considered ¡®like me?!''¡± ¡°Not saying things you have been telling me so far, your highness.¡± Why? Why did he have to act in a certain way just because he was the emperor? Why couldn¡¯t he feel what he felt? Why couldn¡¯t he say what he felt? The two men remained silent for a long time. After 30 minutes of silence, Sir Ainno finally said to the emperor, ¡°If you can¡¯t ept this situation, then why don¡¯t you just have Sir Poliana as your concubine?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. She was offered a marriage opportunity by a perfectly good young man, so how could I offer her something less than my proper wife and empress?¡± ¡°Are you saying you will have her as your empress if that was possible?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Lucius the Firstughed, he was clearly not himself at the moment. Sir Ainno asked, ¡°Why are youughing? What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Just think about it. Imagine Sir Pol standing beside me as my empress. It¡¯s a ridiculous picture, isn¡¯t it? It wouldn¡¯t suit her at all. It can¡¯t look any worse than her as the empress.¡± Slowly, hisughter turned into a groan, almost a sob. Lucius the First covered his face with his hands and ordered, ¡°Get out, Inno.¡± Sir Ainno ignored the order and stayed. He couldn¡¯t understand his emperor at all. ¡°Your highness, if you are that distressed, then just seduce her. You are the emperor, so why are you so afraid? There is nothing you can¡¯t do. Sir Poliana doesn¡¯t see you as a man probably because she knows she has absolutely no chance with you but if you tell her how you feel, she will jump on the chance to be with you.¡± ¡°And then what? What would I do then? Make her my concubine, huh?!¡± ¡°Why are you getting angry at me?¡± Sir Ainno was always on the emperor¡¯s side no matter what, but this time, he frowned in annoyance. Lucius the First felt remorseful when he realized how unfair he was to his friend. The emperor coughed to hide his awkwardness, and Sir Ainno also looked at the mirror to put on a nk expression. Sir Ainno said to the emperor, ¡°Just tell me what you want. Are you giving her up, or are you not? It is very hard for me to support you when I don¡¯t know what you want to do.¡± ¡°I want her to be happy.¡± ¡°Then you are giving her up¡­¡± ¡°So you are saying she can¡¯t be happy if she is with me, Inno?¡± ¡°You are very quick, your highness.¡± Before Lucius the First became depressed again, Sir Ainno changed the subject quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think Sir Donau would make a good husband for her? Isn¡¯t he an excellent candidate?¡± ¡°Sir Donau¡­¡± Lucius the First tapped the table with his finger, which was his habit when he was thinking. Sir Ainno continued, ¡°I mean, he would be better than some random young man who only wants to marry Sir Poliana to satisfy his greed, right?¡± ¡°Inno.¡± The emperor looked at him and continued, ¡°That is precisely why I am very unhappy about it.¡± Sir Ainno didn¡¯t know how to react, so he looked away. Feeling embarrassed, Lucius the First coughed again. ¡®There is no answer to this.¡¯ There was never a right answer for love. Lucius the First remained troubled, and Sir Ainno watched him in frustration. Indeed, there was no answer to this problem. *** Lucius the First called for Poliana. When she heard the order, she clenched her teeth, thinking that she was going to be reprimanded. As the head of the guards, anything that goes wrong with the unit was her responsibility. The recent fight and the fact that most of the guards were imprisoned couldn¡¯t be a good thing for her. She thought she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she was removed from her position. Her precious blue uniform with the golden stripe could be taken away from her. Today might be thest day she might get to wear it. She bowed to the emperor. ¡°Poliana Winter, your highness.¡± Her mouth was dry; she felt a sudden thirst. She expected the emperor to scold her, but instead, Lucius the First asked her, ¡°I heard someone proposed to you.¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct, your highness.¡± Poliana thought to herself, ¡®I guess he is trying to be gentle with me, he¡¯s starting with a lighter topic.¡¯ She thought that he was trying to make her feel rxed, which meant that even if she lost her position, the emperor still trusted her. Poliana felt relieved because losing her position was going to be devastating, but as long as her emperor still believed in her, that was all that mattered. The emperor asked her, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Sir Donau would be a good man to marry?¡± He was being serious, but Poliana thought he was joking. Meanwhile, Sir Ainno watched the whole scene while trying very hard not to burst intoughter. He covered his mouth and nose so Poliana couldn¡¯t see his expression. ¡®I can¡¯tugh!¡¯ Meanwhile, the emperor was trying his very best not to show how jealous he was. Lucius the First knew he had to be objective and think positively of Sir Donau¡¯s marriage proposal. In truth, Sir Donau really was an attractive marriage material. First of all, Sir Donau was the second son, which meant that he wasn¡¯t burdened with siring a male heir, or any children at all. Sir Donau also imed that he was ok with taking Poliana¡¯sst name as his own, which showed what an understanding man he was. On top of that, Sir Donau considered Poliana his family. He knew her very well, and so there was no way he would betray her in the future. Only Sir Donau was the perfect match for Poliana. They would make a good couple, and this upset Lucius the First greatly. The emperor¡¯s facial expression kept changing to that of sadness and relief, which confused Poliana. Watching the scene, Sir Ainno finally burst intoughter. Poliana turned around in surprise. She asked the emperor, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°He has been working too hard on his new knight¡¯s order so his brain isn¡¯t working correctly at the moment.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I guess it was wrong of me to ask him for a favor then.¡± Sir Ainno shook his head as he continued tough, ¡°N, no¡­ I¡¯m not busy¡­ at all¡­ Hahaha!¡± Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t even look straight into Poliana¡¯s eyes. He also refused to look at the emperor. Poliana frowned in confusion, ¡®Why is he so happy? Maybe he heard a really good joke or something?¡¯ Ignoring his friend, Lucius the First turned towards Poliana and asked again, ¡°Pol, tell me. It¡¯s a¡­ good marriage proposal, I think. So¡­ are you sure you want to refuse it? Is the answer still a ¡®no?''¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Poliana answered adamantly, ¡°Of course, my answer is no.¡± Lucius the First felt relieved at her answer, but he also felt disappointed in himself. ¡®I hate myself.¡¯ Sir Ainno was stillughing hard, and the emperor then remembered what his friend told him before. Sir Ainno said many times that he thought Lucius the First might sabotage any of Poliana¡¯s potential marriage prospects. ¡®Inno¡¯s right. I¡­ I can¡¯t say I won¡¯t.¡¯ The emperor knew that he would use any excuse that he could think of to make sure Poliana didn¡¯t get married. He felt disgusted with himself. He had all the power in the world and because of this, he needed to think and act objectively. It was especially frustrating because the woman he loved was standing in front of him and looking at him with admiration. ¡°Sir Pol, I¡­ I told you b-before that if you meet a decent man, y-you should get m-married.¡± Lucius the First stammered out the words he didn¡¯t mean, and Poliana wondered if the emperor was overworked again. Was he so tired that he couldn¡¯t even speak well? Or did something happen? Poliana then replied, ¡°But don¡¯t you think Sir Donau is being unreasonable and ungrateful?¡± ¡°Ungrateful?¡± ¡°There is an arranged marriage being nned for him with an amazing woman, so how could he propose to me? And when I asked him if he even loved me, he couldn¡¯t even give me an answer. He flinched and couldn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t even lie and say he loved me, which is what a proper nobleman would do. How rude! Besides, he proposed to me in the heat of the moment. If I epted it, I know he would have regretted it. Besides, I can¡¯t do this to Sir Baufallo and Sir Rabi. Therefore, Sir Donau would not make a good match for me, your highness.¡± ¡°Maybe Sir Donau really loves you but couldn¡¯t admit it because he was too shy or too surprised at his answer.¡± ¡°Even then, my answer would still be no. A marriage needs to be approved by the parents first. Since I consider myself an orphan, I suppose I can marry anyone I want, but this is not the case for Sir Donau. His parents are alive and well.¡± This was true. Most noble marriages were arranged by the parents, and most noble children did not object to it. Because Poliana was also an aristocrat, she did not expect to marry someone for love. There were rare cases when a nobleman and woman married for love, even if it meant going against their parents, but Poliana wasn¡¯t one of these crazy people. Lucius the First had to try his best not to grin widely. His face spasmed uncontrobly as he asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a good thing for you to marry Sir Donau?¡± ¡°I may end up marrying someone, but I would never marry Sir Donau or Sir Howe.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I would never be able to face Sir Baufallo if I did. Besides, those two young men are more like my younger brothers.¡± She considered them her family, and that was why she refused to be their legal family by marrying one of the brothers. Poliana¡¯s adamant decision made the emperor smile, but he tried his best to look serious. ¡°So, your answer is a definite no.¡± ¡°Without a doubt.¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t believe what Donau did to her. How could he propose to his own sister, to his family? This could never happen. She was, of course, thankful for his kindness, but the best thing Donau could do for her was to marry that nicedy. ¡®I guess this must be how a parent feels about his or her child.¡¯ Poliana realized that her thoughts were simr to those of Lady Bika and Sir Rabi. Just like them, she wanted the people that are important to her to have a happy and safe life. Nothing good woulde from Sir Donau marrying someone like her! Poliana was also angry at him, and that was why she ordered him to a week of imprisonment. Lucius the First said to her, ¡°Well, I guess we can get to the main topic now.¡± Poliana straightened up to listen. The truth was, Lucius the First brought her here mainly for this topic of Poliana and Donau, but he hid it well. Only Sir Ainno knew, and he continued to cover his mouth so he could notugh out loud again. *** In Nanaba castle, there were no separate guardhouses, which was a jail specifically for the soldiers. Therefore, the castle¡¯s underground and aboveground cells were used for everyone. Most guards were moved to the aboveground jail after their meeting with Poliana, but a few, including Sir Donau, were sent back to the underground cell. No jail cells werefortable, but the underground ones were especially horrible. Sir Donau made sure to move around as much as possible so he wouldn¡¯t get a frostbite. He was just thankful that he received regr meals. Normally, the prisoners were forced to make their own meals or pay for them. Even though he ran and walked around the cell as much as possible, he could never get himself warm and at night when he slept, the temperature was so cold that it was bing unbearable. During the week of his time in jail, Donau had a lot of time to think. At first, his brain refused to work, but soon, he felt regretful. ¡®But about what?¡¯ He was regretful, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why. He felt emotional; he had so many different feelings, but his brain refused to understand what they were and what they meant. For a while, he just ignored them. He kept running around the cell and told himself that after a week of this hell, he would just go back to his old life. But he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about that moment¡­ That moment when Poliana asked him if he liked her¡­ Why couldn¡¯t he answer her? Donau liked Poliana. Perhaps not as a woman, but definitely as an adopted sister and also as his superior. He admired and respected her. Marriage proposals based on this kind of feelings weren¡¯t unheard of. In fact, many knights dreamt of marrying the sister or the daughter of someone they admired. Of course, this was a slightly different situation since Donau proposed to the actual person he admired because she happened to be a woman. If he just gave Poliana that yes, that he did like her, he wouldn¡¯t have been sent to this prison. And if he had said yes, Poliana would¡¯ve understood what he meant, that he liked her as his adopted sister and his superior. So why couldn¡¯t he just say yes? Donau began to feel confused. It was partly because he was so cold and tired. He wasn¡¯t afraid that he was going to die. Besides, the prison guard came down often to check on him. There was a good chance that he might get a frostbite, but that wasn¡¯t a big deal. Many Acreians weren¡¯t new to frostbites since they lived in such a cold climate. If it became so bad that he might have to lose his toes or fingers, the guard would do something. Donau began to hallucinate a little and his mind was filled with Poliana, who was smiling happily. ¡®Why do I always picture her smiling?¡¯ Donau couldn¡¯t understand. He had no idea that this was his first love, and it was never going to work out. Only ¡°¡­Donau!¡± ¡°Sir Donau, are you ok?¡± ¡°Get up! Get up! Donau! We are here for a visit!¡± Suddenly, loud noises began to wake Donau up. He still felt fuzzy, but he slowly regained his consciousness. ¡®Wait a minute¡­ No one is allowed to visit the prisoners in the underground cell¡­ So how could this be? Did¡­ Did I die?¡¯ With a shudder, Donau opened his eyes, and what he saw confused him even more. Outside his cell, twodies stood and looked at him anxiously. The Bika family¡¯s twindies, Vaxi and Vanessa, sighed in relief as they saw Donau wake up. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally awake, Sir Donau!¡± ¡°We were so worried, Sir Donau!¡± ¡°Sir Howe! Your brother is awake! Come!¡± Donau looked at the twins in surprise. He murmured, ¡°How¡­ How did youdiese here¡­?¡± Donau could feel Vaxi and Vanessa holding his hands. This was definitely not a dream. He saw his older brother appear as well. Sir Howe wanted to punch his younger brother, but he was in the presence of two importantdies. He controlled himself and asked Donau in his fake worried tone, ¡°Are you ok, my brother?¡± Donau felt nauseous listening to his brother¡¯s fake gentlemanly behavior. The twins, however, didn¡¯t notice anything. They said anxiously, ¡°Maybe we need to get the healer.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look so good, Sir Donau!¡± Sir Howe jumped and announced, ¡°I will go get a healer right away, mydies!¡± He obviously was still doing his best to make a good impression on the girls. Donau was impressed at what kind of effect thedies had on his older brother. Sir Howe and Donau shared the same look since they were brothers, but their personalities were very different. Sir Howe was sneaky andzy without appearing so. He knew how to get out of work he didn¡¯t want to do and yet, in front of thesedies, Sir Howe seemed eager to work. Donau always was annoyed at his brother¡¯s cunning mind, and he was always envious of how talented Sir Howe was with his sword. What annoyed Donau the most, however, was how he could never hate his older brother because no matter how much Sir Howe teased and bullied him, he was also the one who supported him the most. Initially, Sir Baufallo was not nning to take Donau as his personal help to the war. The Ribo family was not wealthy, so it was going to be very hard to support both of their sons to be knights. On top of that, Donau did not show as much talent as his older brother with his sword. Donau was more suited to be an administrator, so his father suggested that he should give up bing a knight. It was Sir Howe who came to Donau¡¯s rescue. Sir Howe convinced his father that they should do whatever it took to make Donau¡¯s dreame true, even if they went into debt. Sir Howe promised that he would make it big and pay back everything for their family. The twins offered Donau a drink. ¡°Please drink this, we brought it for you.¡± Vaxi watered down the wine a little and gave the cup to Donau while Vanessa wiped Donau¡¯s face with a wet cloth. Donau knew that thesedies shouldn¡¯t be here. They weren¡¯t allowed in here. He then asked, ¡°How were you able to get here?¡± This question had two meanings. One was the fact that high borndies weren¡¯t allowed in such a ce. Secondly, the marriage arrangement wasn¡¯tplete yet. It wasn¡¯t even official, which meant that thedies should not be visiting a random young knight like this. It was especially the case because even unofficially, the marriage was being nned only between Sir Howe and one of the twins. Unmarrieddies visiting young men in a jail cell¡­ This could damage their reputations. Vaxi and Vanessa smiled prettily and replied, ¡°We heard Sir Howe nned to visit you today, so we begged him to let us go with him.¡± ¡°This was our only chance to ever see the underground jail cell, so we insisted oning!¡± Mostdies would never want to visit a ce like this. The underground jail was filthy. The edges of their long dresses were already soiled, and the ce was crawling with cockroaches and other bugs. Even Donau sometimes retched at the smell, but it seemed that the twins didn¡¯t even notice it. Donau decided that perhaps he had been wrong about these girls. They were definitely not like the otherdies he knew. He said to them, ¡°Your dresses are getting ruined. Thank you so much for visiting me, and now, I think it¡¯s time for you to leave¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, we can wash themter.¡± ¡°And if they still smell after beingundered, we can just throw them away.¡± The twins were here for a reason. They both grabbed Donau¡¯s dirty hands and whispered, ¡°We heard why you were imprisoned.¡± ¡°We heard you proposed to Sir Poliana!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Donau finally realized what was going on. He had to apologize to them. Feeling a bit awkward, he tried to pull his hands out from their grasps but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Donau was surprised, but he tried to calm down. Perhaps he must¡¯ve been much more tired than he thought. Why else would he not be able to escape the twin¡¯s holds? Donau asked for another sip of water and Vaxi quickly offered him a bottle. After a big gulp, Donau said to them, ¡°I apologize, mydies.¡± The marriage talk wasn¡¯t official yet, but still, both parties were aware of it. The fact that Donau proposed to another woman when he fully knew about the talk between Sir Rabi and his father, was unforgivable. He was being disrespectful to his potential future wife, who was standing right in front of him. But Vaxi and Vanessa shook their heads eagerly. It seemed that they didn¡¯t care at all about what he did. ¡°Not at all, Sir Donau. We understand why you did it.¡± ¡°No one thinks badly of you, Sir Donau.¡± ¡°In fact, everyone is very proud of you. We are all impressed.¡± ¡°Even our grandfather praised you.¡± This made sense. Everyone, especially the elderly, liked to hear about upstanding loyal young men. Donau¡¯s proposal was considered a refreshing and wonderful story and everyone was talking about it. Sir Rabiughed and said he understood why Donau did it because he knew how men talked inappropriately about women. Lady Bika also didn¡¯t think much of it, saying that a young man could be rash sometimes. Vaxi and Vanessa, on the other hand, were very curious. ¡°So she refused you?¡± ¡°Oh, no! But you meant well!¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you say you liked her when she asked you?¡± ¡°I know! Even if it was a lie, you should¡¯ve said yes.¡± Donau contemted deeply. He knew the right answer would¡¯ve been to tell Poliana that he liked her, even if it was a lie, but he didn¡¯t say anything, he couldn¡¯t. When he looked pensive, the twins asked, ¡°Is it because you hate Sir Poliana?¡± ¡°You hate her so much that you couldn¡¯t even lie?¡± Sir Donau immediately rejected that idea. ¡°That¡¯s not it at all. Why would I hate my adopted sister?!¡± The girls then asked, ¡°Then why couldn¡¯t you answer her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Why couldn¡¯t you answer her?¡± ¡°Well, even if you tell us, Sir Donau, it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Donau. Even if you tell us, it¡¯s toote for us to ry the message to Sir Poliana.¡± Donau decided to tell them the truth. He exined that he did like Poliana, but only as an adopted sister and as his superior. He couldn¡¯t answer Poliana at the time because he didn¡¯t like her as a woman. The twins had strange expressions on their faces. Donau asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Only ¡°Do men usually propose to a woman they don¡¯t even like just because she was insulted?¡± ¡°Do men get angry when a woman they don¡¯t even like get insulted?¡± Donau replied quickly, ¡°As I said before, I only like Sir Poliana as a superior. I respect her, and that is all.¡± ¡°Sir Donau¡­ I don¡¯t know how to tell you this¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Sir Donau¡­ This is awkward, but we think that you are very confused about your own feelings.¡± ¡°Based on your behavior, it is very clear that you are in love with Sir Poliana, Sir Donau.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ You love Sir Poliana, didn¡¯t you know that?¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Donau replied angrily, ¡°That can¡¯t be!¡± Frustrated, he tried to take his hands out from the twin¡¯s grasps, but they were too strong. He had no chance against them. Thedies then asked, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be?¡± ¡°Are you not allowed to like her?¡± Donau then replied, ¡°There is no way I like Sir Pol like that! It can¡¯t be because¡­¡± ¡°But you spent a lot of time with her, right?¡± ¡°And you know each other very well.¡± ¡°It makes sense that you would feel deeply for her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not strange at all.¡± ¡°Mydies! That isn¡¯t true! I like her only as a sister and as my superior. It is more like respect than anything.¡± Donau felt anxious to convince the twins that he wasn¡¯t in love with Poliana. He needed to prove that he didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for her, so he began to tell them the history between him and Poliana. Things that happened between them, the times he spent with her, how he thought of her; he told them about everything they went through together. In the beginning, when they first met, Donau was a bratty young man, but now, he was a proper knight just like Poliana. They were friends and he considered her his family, which meant that there couldn¡¯t be any romance between them. Vaxi and Vanessa listened to him carefully and immediately, they knew that Donau was only making cowardly excuses. ¡°Sorry to interrupt you, Sir Donau, but¡­¡± ¡°It sounds like you are telling us that you aren¡¯t allowed to love Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you? Why is it not allowed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why can¡¯t you love Sir Poliana?¡± The girls were now focused not on the question of whether he was in love with Poliana, but why he thought he wasn¡¯t allowed to love her. Donau tried to answer them angrily, but suddenly, he couldn¡¯t speak. His lips and tongue refused to work. Watching him bing speechless, Vaxi and Vanessa consoled him, ¡°How sad, Sir Donau. You didn¡¯t even know how you truly felt about her.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even know you were in love with her, Sir Donau.¡± Donau¡¯s face turned into a sad frown as he realized the truth. Slowly, he began to confess, ¡°I guess¡­ I guess I thought I would be a burden to her¡­ I would make her feel ufortable¡­¡± Why did it take him so long to figure this out? Donau felt so embarrassed that he wanted to hide. It took the twin¡¯s intense questioning for him to realize his own feelings. Donau was in love with Poliana Winter. He loved her as a family, his superior, a fellow knight, and as a woman. It wasn¡¯t important when he fell in love with her. What troubled him was why he thought he would be a burden to her if he fell in love with her. Why would a man loving a woman be a burden? Why? Donau thought that perhaps he felt this way because he witnessed how hard Poliana worked to be acknowledged as a knight. He thought that feeling this kind of love for her meant that he saw her as a woman, and that would be an insult to Poliana, who tried so hard to be recognized as a knight rather than just a woman. Donau believed that confessing his love to her would make Poliana think he didn¡¯t ept her as a knight. Donau then murmured, ¡°I thought she would be offended if she knew¡­ I think that is why¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense, Sir Donau.¡± ¡°I agree, Sir Donau.¡± Shaking their heads, Vaxi and Vanessa said to Donau at the same time, ¡°No one would take the feeling of love as an insult or a burden. As long as it is not forced on them, such a feeling would tter anyone. Sir Donau, you need to remember that Sir Poliana may be a knightess, but she is also ady.¡± Indeed, Poliana Winter was a woman. Poliana Winter was also a knight. Donau spent so much time by her side, but he had never seen Poliana as both. The result of his mistake was an angry ¡°no¡± from Poliana. He was rejected and he had no excuse for it. He was indeed guilty and deserved to be in prison. He should¡¯ve realized and epted his feelings for her before proposing to her. Instead, he ended up proposing to her first. He made a huge mistake. Donau became very pale, but he also became hopeful. He eximed, ¡°I should go confess my feelings to her! It¡¯s not toote!¡± He needed to fix this situation. Poliana clearly misunderstood his intention, and he needed to let her know the truth. He needed to do it as soon as possible because the more time passed, the harder it would be to convince Poliana about his true feelings. Donau tried to stand up, and the twins looked at him sadly. ¡°It¡¯s toote, Sir Donau.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Donau. It¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Only Donau looked at thedies in confusion, and the sisters exined to the young man kindly. ¡°Your father, Sir Baufallo, sent official marriage proposal papers to our father.¡± ¡°And our father epted, which means that we are officially engaged.¡± This was how they were allowed to visit Donau in prison. Vaxi and Vanessa continued, ¡°Proposing to another woman is fine before you are officially engaged, but¡­¡± ¡°But you must realize that proposing to another woman after you are engaged wouldn¡¯t be a good idea, right?¡± Vaxi and Vanessa smiled like angels, and Donau felt a sudden chill. He tried again to pull his hands out from their grasps, but all of his strength was not enough to free him. He stared at Sir Rabi¡¯s daughters, who had the same strong and loud voices as their fathers. And suddenly, Sir Donau realized that thedies, one of them now his fianc¨¦, inherited more than just their father¡¯s boisterous voice. Chapter 132: Story 14. Concubines’ Knightess - 132 Story 14. Concubines¡¯ Knightess Chapter 132 Poliana Winter was dismissed from her position as the head of the royal guards due to recent events. The fact that the royal guards were involved in a group fight among themselves and being sent to the prison could not go unpunished. Sir Wook, Sir Jainno, and some of the other royal guards also resigned voluntarily. Many believed that these men, as well as Poliana, lost the emperor¡¯s trust and favor. Around the same time, thew was finally passed to allow women to hold a title, and Poliana Winter officially gained the title of marquess. Marquess Winter. No one congratted her on her new nobility. When she walked around the castle, the other noblemen tried their best to avoid her. She might have been a marquess now, but there was no telling when she might lose her title. People believed that she would eventually lose everything, her title, wealth, and the emperor¡¯s favor, just as fast as she gained them. Because she was no longer a guard, she did not wear her blue uniform anymore. When she walked around in her regr tunic and pants, the people gasped at her in shock and disgust. ¡°How dare she wear something like that to the castle?¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to lose her title soon, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°This is why a woman should not be allowed to have anything, especially her own title.¡± ¡°Hmm, I wonder who will be the next head of the royal guards.¡± Marquis Seeze was especially happy about the recent event. A foreign woman as the head of the royal guards? Seeing Poliana in such a high position has been bothering him, and now, she was finally gone. He was one of many who insisted on her removal after the fight urred. When things went ording to his n, he was extremely pleased. He gifted his close friends who sided with him a few bottles of special ice wines that were produced only in hisnd. The men drank andughed together. ¡°I think his highness must¡¯ve finally realized what is right and what is wrong.¡± The elders could not stop the emperor from awarding the noble title to that woman, but they were certain she would lose it soon. Marquis Seeze smiled coldly. His grandson, Sir Bentier, only ended up being rewarded withnds. He didn¡¯t receive any titles because he was going to be a marquis anyway. On the other hand, Marquis Seki became a duke and Duke Luzo became a grand duke. ¡®Whatever.¡¯ It was clearly unfair that his grandson did not receive a title, but Marquis Seeze decided to be patient. Soon, the emperor will realize that they weren¡¯t enemies. They were on the same side, and Marquis Seeze felt disappointed that the emperor was still blind to this fact. But soon¡­ Things were going to change. The best way to make friends was through a marriage alliance. Marquis Seeze smiled like a snake that found its prey. *** After being dismissed from her post, Poliana was no longer allowed to live inside the castle. Without a dy, she quickly packed her things and moved into an inn inside the capital city. She was a soldier who was used to moving around, and this meant she didn¡¯t have much to pack. The gatekeepers watched her leave and shook their heads as if they fully expected this to happen. From her room, Poliana looked through the window and saw the royal castle. ¡®I guess I will never be allowed to work there anymore.¡¯ She had no regrets, but she knew she would miss it. Poliana never imagined that this was how her career as the head of the royal guards would end. She only had it for a very short while, but she loved working in the castle. And now¡­ It was now time to say goodbye. *** One day, Lucius the First wore a simple outfit and left the castle. Only a few men who were the closest to the emperor were allowed to follow him, which included Sir Ainno. The people wondered if he was going on a hunting trip. Everyone was aware of how overworked and tired the emperor was. It made sense that he wanted to take a break and hunting was a great way to rx and have fun. Why else would he leave the castle with so little men? It wasn¡¯t just the number of men Lucius the First took with him. Their outfits were also very simple. Each man wore a simple and in outfit, and they only carried the basic necessities. It almost looked like they were going on a pic. Lucius the First and his men did not return after 24 hours, but the people in Nanaba did not worry. They didn¡¯t get concerned even though they had no idea where he was, and he hasn¡¯t been spotted by anyone so far. Acreians were familiar with hunting. They knew that hunting did not take ce inside the capital city, or even in the nearby woods. Proper hunting urred in the deepest parts of the forests. A good hunting trip alsosted many days. They would spend a short period of time if they were hunting small animals like rabbits, squirrels, and birds but it would a different story of they were going for therger ones. Hunting deers, bears, and wild boars would cost them a few days and that¡¯s just to track them. The people of Nanaba remained calm after many days have passed. They were very understanding. Then one day, they received a carrier pigeon from the emperor. It was a message directly from Lucius the First. ¡°From this day forward, the capital city of Acreia will be Yapa.¡± It was a sneaky and devious act, and the news was not received well by the people of Nanaba. How could their emperor do this to them? The elders and the noblemen contemted. Some elders even fainted at the audacity of their emperor. Marquis Seeze, realizing he lost this battle with the emperor, grinned bitterly. Those who opposed the emperor¡¯s decision protested angrily, but Lucius the First refused to budge. He had been overworking all this time to achieve this n. The emperor decided that the best way to change the capital was not to ask for permission from the elders and the noblemen but to announce it to them after it was done. Only Lucius the First said to them, ¡°The capital of this kingdom is where I reside. I will reside in Yapa, and therefore, it will be the new capital of Acreia.¡± Moving the capital was obviously a huge event. Normally, the proper process would¡¯ve been to move everyone slowly to the new capital and then dere it the new capital with the emperor being thest to leave the old capital city. Instead, Lucius the First did it backward. He moved first and dered Yapa the new capital, giving the protesters and opposers no option other than following him. Some high-ranking civil servants still opposed and sent their resignation. Nanaba had been the heart of Acreia for generations, and they imed that they could not abandon it. But to their shock, Lucius the First epted their resignations without a word. He said to them, ¡°There are plenty of people here in Yapa who would love to take your positions.¡± Most of the noblemen who moved were young. They knew they had no choice if they wanted to keep their positions in the government and have a chance to be promoted. Many of the older noblemen decided to remain in Nanaba because it was their home. Even though Nanaba was no longer the official capital of Acreia, it was still going to be a very important ce, especially for the northern region. Most senior elders had a decision to make for themselves. Many topnds in the mid and southern continent conquered by the emperor were awarded to those who followed and supported his conquest. Unfortunately for these elders, they did not help the emperor at all when he set out to unite the continent, and therefore, they were not favored by the emperor. In the end, most of the elders decided to remain in Acreia where they felt mostfortable, which was exactly what Lucius the First wanted. The elders were furious, realizing that they had been duped by their emperor. Lucius the First only took a few people with him when he moved to Yapa. These people were the ones he trusted the most, and one of them was, of course, Poliana. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 People had no choice but to ept that Poliana was a close and trusted knight of the emperor. When her acquaintances arrivedter to Yapa, theyined to Poliana, ¡°How could you keep this a secret to us?¡± ¡°I am disappointed in you, Sir Pol!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe the emperor took you and not me, Sir Poliana! He is so mean!¡± ¡°Sir Pol! You should¡¯ve stopped me when I bought my house in Nanaba! I put all of my money in it because I thought its price would go up! But now that it¡¯s no longer the capital, I am going to lose my money!¡± She did feel sorry about not stopping those who bought some houses in the old capital city, but she had no choice. What could she have done? It was top-secret and only those closest to the emperor were allowed to know. Thankfully, Poliana had an excellent excuse. Although she knew the emperor was going to change the capital city at some point in the future, she had no idea when it was going to happen until it happened. She exined to her those whoined to her, ¡°I am sorry, but I myself had no idea until the day we moved.¡± This was the truth. A lot of people guessed that the emperor would attempt to change the capital city someday in the future, but everyone thought it would happen at least a few years from now. On the day of their move, Poliana was asked to meet the emperor outside the castle. They rode together and she was told after they left the city that they were moving to Yapa. She was shocked to hear it, and when she asked the emperor why he picked that day of all days, his reason was even more shocking. ¡°Why did you pick today, your highness?¡± ¡°Today is considered one of the lucky days in Acreia.¡± Poliana shook her head in disbelief. Her emperor was certainly one of the most superstitious men she had ever met. She had to admit, however, that most northern men were superstitious. Perhaps it was because the weather and thendscape in the northern region were harsh. Lucius the First and Sir Ainno were especially superstitious. She then asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you read too much into superstition, your highness?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the harm in it? I had to pick a day, so why not one of those lucky days?¡± Lucius the First looked at various areas carefully, and after a cautious consideration, he chose Yapa, which was the capital of the old conquered kingdom Bikpa. Remembering what happened in the Yapa castle, Poliana teased the emperor, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that the ghosts of the Bikpa king and the princess will haunt you?¡± Gali the Third and the nobles of Bika were hung naked and upside-down outside the castle wall to die. There were hundreds of them who died here that day. There was a rumor that the cries of their ghosts were heard often. People also imed that they witnessed the ghost of the poor Bika princess appearing from time to time. There were plenty of options, but the emperor most likely chose the Yapa castle because of its design and location. Poliana was still surprised, however, because she would¡¯ve thought the emperor would avoid the castle that was rumored to be haunted. Lucius the First replied with a smile, ¡°What kind of castle doesn¡¯t have one or two ghosts? All castles are haunted.¡± He seemed very confident, and Poliana believed him. After all, the emperor knew about castles much better than she did, who never lived in one until recently. The emperor and the group chatted amicably. They were a close-knit group and as they rode their horses together, they even forgot the fact that they were in the process of moving the capital city. It felt more like a nice pic. But even as theyughed and talked, they all knew what wasing. Work¡­ Lots and lots of work. When they arrived, Lucius the First hung the g of the emperor at the front of the Yapa castle. The local nobles gathered anxiously around the group and listened as the emperor announced, ¡°I will be dismantling the royal guard unit and create a new division of guards to protect this castle and the royal family. We will have a fresh start and forget the old. This new imperial guard unit will be divided into three sections. Sir Ainno Seki will be the head of the First Division, Marquis Poliana Winter will lead the Second Division, and Sir Jainno Seki and Sir Wook Tray will lead the Third Division together.¡± Poliana stood behind the emperor in her blue uniform with the gold stripe. There was no way anyone would dare to argue with the emperor. Even if the people did, the emperor was never going to change his mind. This has been his n all along. The fact that the royal guards needed more manpower was a well-known fact. This was why the emperor created a new group that was three times the size of the gold unit. Only The First Division, led by Sir Ainno, was essentially the Knight¡¯s order. The Second Division, led by Poliana, was going to be responsible for the protection of the royal family. The Third Division, headed by Sir Jainno and Sir Wook, was assigned the duty of protecting the Yapa castle as well as policing the capital city. Because thest division was required to control a veryrge area, two captains were assigned to it. *** Once it was announced that the Yapa was the new capital of the continent, people swarmed into the city. The name of the kingdom remained Acreia and the names of the old conquered kingdoms were forgotten. This was the new beginning of the greatest nation built on this continent. After the capital was moved, the second round ofwmaking began regarding their nobility system. The five-level system was epted, and Poliana was reaffirmed as a marquess. Those who thought she was going to lose her title soon groaned in disappointment and shock. Many still protested it was too big of an honor for a foreign woman, but the emperor ignored them. In the five-level aristocratic system, Poliana now had the second-highest rank. Only the royal family and the Seki family, who was promised a dukedom, were above her. Considering she was one of the most favored people by the emperor, it was very likely that she was going to receive her own dukedom someday. Poliana raised her arms high in happiness. Hurray! She loved the new noble system, being powerful was a wonderful thing. When many noblemen continued to argue against such a big reward for Poliana, Lucius the First made sure that those who deserved to be rewarded werepensated handsomely. He did this for Poliana, who was the woman he loved. He respected and understood her effort as a woman who worked so hard to be epted and acknowledged. Poliana was just about to live a life she deserved, and there was no way Lucius the First was going to take it away from her just because a few noblemenined. Marquis Seeze was obviously unhappy at the fact that he was at the same level as Poliana now. Sir Bentier, however, was secretly pleased because the emperor promised him the dukedom once Marquis Seeze passed away. This had to remain a secret, so Sir Bentier continued to mope around and look upset around others. Lucius the First, pretending to appease Sir Bentier, publicly offered him the position of the chancellor, and Sir Bentier, still maintaining a disappointed look, epted the position. Poliana knew the whole story behind it, so she grinned secretly. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 The First Division, headed by Sir Ainno, consisted of his hand-picked knights. He chose the men solely based on their skills. Sir Ainno did not consider any other normal qualities, including the men¡¯s personalities, families, and ranks. This meant that the soldiers in the First Division were excellent fighters, but they had horrible personalities. This made Sir Mahogal¡¯s life a living hell. Poliana found it interesting that somehow, Sir Ainno ended up choosing only the men that were just like him. Total jerks¡­ On the day of the officiating the knight¡¯s order, Lucius the First smiled beautifully as he congratted his friend. The emperor wished Sir Ainno his best but as soon as he saw the mascot for the knight¡¯s order, the emperor¡¯s smile disappeared. The knight¡¯s order was supposed to be represented by a dog to symbolize loyalty and bravery. The emperor expected to see a furry fluffy dog, but instead, it was a lizard! Lucius the First couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. Did his friend betray him and change the mascot to this disgusting lizard? ¡°Where¡¯s the dog?¡± Lucius the First flinched in fear. The lizard was disgusting and huge, and the emperor wondered if it was a baby alligator. Then suddenly, the animal looked up and the face of a dog appeared. The emperor gasped in shock. It turned out that it was actually arge dog wearing the alligator hide. Sir Ainno bragged, ¡°It¡¯s from the alligator I caught from the Msmel forest recently. I¡¯ll call this an alligator dog! We, the knight¡¯s order, will serve the emperor with the loyalty of a dog and the ferocity of an alligator.¡± This was clearly done to make the emperor ufortable. Sir Ainno was such a jerk! Suddenly, everyone realized where Sir Ainno had been when he disappeared. He must¡¯ve traveled to the Msmel forest to hunt an alligator. Lucius the First frowned at Sir Ainno. He had to hide his fear of lizards, so he couldn¡¯t say anything. Then, he saw the official knight¡¯s order g. It boasted of an alligator with the legs of a dog. It looked fierce and incredible. The northerners who have never seen an alligator were impressed. Therge sharp teeth, the imprable-looking hide, and the fearless eyes¡­ ¡°What an extraordinary animal. It looks incredibly strong.¡± ¡°It is an amazing mascot! We have never seen anything like it before.¡± Even the mid-continent locals and the southerners were amazed too. ¡°We have never seen such a huge alligator before.¡± ¡°Are you sure that it¡¯s not a dragon?¡± ¡°It must be a dragon! It has to be!¡± ¡°How genius! To think of putting that hide over a dog¡­!¡± Sir Ainno loved to tease the emperor, so he found it worth his time to spend day and night hunting in the Msmel forest. Sir Ainno remained serious and Lucius the First had no choice but to follow suit. He swore thatter when they were alone, he would make Sir Ainno pay for his disgusting joke. During the banquet, Poliana criticized Sir Ainno, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you went too far? You know how much his highness hates any kind of reptiles.¡± ¡°His highness has been even worse to metely, so we¡¯re even.¡± Poliana had to agree to some extent because everyone has been very busytely. When the emperor was overworked, everyone closest to him had to work even harder to keep up. Of course, what Poliana didn¡¯t know was that this wasn¡¯t what Sir Ainno was talking about. He wasn¡¯tining about the amount of work; Sir Ainno was unhappy about the fact that Lucius the First would not stop talking about Poliana to him. Sir Ainno was sick of the emperor whining about his hopeless love life. Sir Ainno, however, did not correct Poliana and let her know what was really going on. It was better that she didn¡¯t know about it. This was better for both Poliana and Lucius the First. Sir Ainno looked at the emperor. Of all the women in the world, why did his friend fall for someone like Sir Poliana? He supposed it was none of his business. As long as Lucius the First didn¡¯t confess to her, Poliana was never going to know how the emperor really felt about her. ¡®Love is such a stupid thing.¡¯ Love, feelings, and marriage. Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t understand any of them. He looked around pensively. More and more men were getting married, and this was bing a problem. Sir Ainno, who imed that he would not get married until he was over 40 years old, was slowly beginning to realize that there were less and less unmarried men around him. He was bing¡­ alone. After work, there used to be plenty of men who could go out drinking with him and enjoy the town, but now, things were changing. This was going to get worse once these men have babies. Once his men had their children, their lives would revolve around their families, not their friends. *** Sir Mahogal and Poliana chatted about the uing marriages of Sir Howe and Donau. ¡°Sir Poliana, you must be very disappointed that you don¡¯t get to attend the wedding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, but I will send them lots of gifts.¡± ¡°Are you curious where they must be by now?¡± ¡°Well, they are probably moving slower than the soldiers, so they are probably¡­¡± It was nowmon knowledge that Sir Howe and Donau became engaged to the Bika twins. The two families receivednds from the emperor in the south and were in the process of moving. They were going to be married in their new home. Poliana would¡¯ve loved to attend their wedding, but it was too far. This was especially a bad time because she was swarmed with so much work. Sir Ainno was also disappointed that Sir Howe was gone. Although Sir Howe could bezy, he was an excellent knight. Now that he was gone, Sir Ainno had to find another decent knight to fill his spot in the knight¡¯s order. On top of this bad news, Sir Mahogal was nning to retire some time soon in the future. He actually wanted to retire immediately, but Sir Ainno wouldn¡¯t allow it until he was able to find his recement. Only Most of the royal or imperial guards came from influential noble families, which meant that these knights retired early. The purpose of bing a royal guard for these young men was to further their government career and influence as a nobleman. These guards rarely saw their positions as permanent or long-term jobs. After all, they came from wealthy powerful families, so there was no need for them to ve their lives away in the guard unit. Most retired before they turned 40. Only those who were poor or from a family of generations of knights remained in the military longer. Sir Ainno turned towards the emperor again. ¡®Gosh, I¡¯m getting a headache.¡¯ He saw that Lucius the First was chatting with some of the noblemen while furtively ncing at Poliana whenever he got a chance. No one seemed to notice this except for Sir Ainno. Sir Mahogal was married with children. He had a decent marriage and Poliana was clearly not interested in him. She didn¡¯t even see Sir Mahogal as a man, yet the emperor looked at them with obvious jealousy. Sir Ainno could tell what the emperor was thinking, and he shook his head in exasperation. At the beginning of the banquet, Sir Ainno felt guilty about scaring the emperor with the alligator dog, but now, he didn¡¯t feel sorry for Lucius the First at all. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Now that the emperor was established, different colonies began to send extravagant gifts and beauties to Yapa. Every colony hoped that the emperor would take a woman from their region as his wife. The young emperor was still unmarried and all the noble families with unmarried daughters prayed that they would be chosen. Sir Howe and Donau would be married soon. Sir Beke and Sir Wook would marry in the near future. Everyone had to get married, including the emperor. Different colonies sent the most beautifuldies they could find, hoping to take the position of the empress. Even bing the emperor¡¯s concubine was a huge honor. All thedies that were sent to the emperor had to go through strict processes to be qualified. The first thing was that they could not be too young. When a thirteen-year-old girl was sent to him, Lucius the First became furious. She was immediately sent away. ¡°Did they think that I am some kind of a pervert?!¡± The emperor couldn¡¯t believe what was happening in his country! Enraged, he set an official guideline. Nody under the age of 20 was to be sent to him. Ady who was engaged could not break the engagement just to be sent to the emperor. Lucius the First believed that a good marriage could not happen when there was a huge age gap between the husband and his wife. Unfortunately, there were too many perverted old men who looked for teenage wives. Then, a new rumor began that involved Lucius the First. Then people began to think that he was more interested in middle-aged women because he lost his mother at a very young age. To prevent the Yapa castle from being filled with women, the emperor announced that he would only allow thedies who were officially selected as a potential wife to the emperor to stay in the castle. This was enough to stop the pretty girls from being sent from low-ranking noble families. Only thosedies from the rich and influential families arrived in Yapa with big dreams. Poliana stood in front of Lucius the First. She was recently given the responsibility of protecting thesedies who were epted to the castle. These were very highborndies, and because they were, they arrived with many personal servants. Eachdy brought at least threedies in waiting, ten maids, two guards, four attendants, seven servants, a groom, and a nurse. The hope was that everyone entering the castle would have pure hearts and wanted the best for the emperor, but this was obviously not going to be the case. The emperor exined to Poliana, ¡°Countless people will be arriving from different colonies, which means there will be some who would bring some ugly intentions with them.¡± The possibility of a spy or an assassin entering the castle as part of ady¡¯s entourage was not unlikely. One of the perfect ces for these dangerous figures to hide would be thedy¡¯s quarters. The emperor was sure of the presence of spies and assassins in his castle because it was exactly what he did. He sent many of his own spies to various colonies so he could keep a close eye on them. Poliana then replied, ¡°Yes. We will have to be very vignt, your highness.¡± ¡°Some of these people will try to establish themselves here, and that is why I would like you to be responsible for guarding thedy¡¯s quarters.¡± Lucius the Frist loved Poliana, so having her protect his future wives was an odd thing to ask. But despite the strangeness and awkwardness of it, the emperor had to admit that Poliana was the perfect person for the job. ¡°Because you are a woman, these people will feel more rxed around you. They will trust you more because they will underestimate you.¡± ¡°You are right, your highness. You can count on me.¡± ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± Being the emperor¡¯s personal guard was the most honored position for any knight, which meant asking Poliana to guard his wives could be considered a demotion. Poliana shook her head as a response. ¡°I do not care what I do as long as I get to serve you, your highness. If I could be any use to you, that is all I need.¡± It was decided that the First Division will take care of the emperor¡¯s protection. Poliana looked at Sir Ainno with distrust. She knew that he was the best in terms of skills, but because he was also the emperor¡¯s friend, Poliana noticed that Sir Ainno sometimes distressed the emperor. She said to Sir Ainno, ¡°Please take care of his highness.¡± ¡°This used to be my job, so I know what to do. Marquess Winter, this is none of your business now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sir Ainno and Poliana red at each other. Feeling left out, Lucius the First announced, ¡°Hmm¡­ My neck feels very sore.¡± Sir Ainno, who was already standing behind the emperor, quickly began to massage Lucius the First¡¯s neck. Poliana red at him, upset that she wasn¡¯t faster. The emperor then said to her, ¡°Just in case ites up, let¡¯s make sure we coulde up with a story. The official reason for your ¡®demotion¡¯ will be because you did something wrong, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Of course, your highness. What did you have in mind?¡± As long as it wasn¡¯t treason, Poliana didn¡¯t care. Suddenly, Sir Ainno blurted out, ¡°What about we say you threw up on the emperor¡¯s face?¡± Poliana became pale. She remembered the time when she vomited in the bathhouse and Lucius the First ended up cleaning after her. The emperor red at Sir Ainno and said to Poliana, ¡°Sir Pol, do not be worried about what happened in the past. Like I said before, I am happy to take care of you when you are drunk. I meant what I said.¡± This was not what she wanted. She hated how people must think of her. It only happened once, but it made her look like amon drunkard. She, of course, could not protest to the emperor, so she turned towards Sir Ainno andined, ¡°Sir Ainno! It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not like I get drunk every day and vomit all over the ce! In fact,pared to the other knights, I have a much better drinking habit.¡± ¡®Jerk.¡¯ She wanted to punch him, but she knew that she would lose anyway to Sir Ainno. Plus, she was in the presence of the emperor, so she had to be on her best behavior. In the end, Poliana nodded and replied, ¡°Fine. I ept it.¡± Poliana bowed and left the room. She frowned, not looking forward to the fact that she now had even more work to do. Until now, she only had to focus on protecting the emperor, but everything changed now. She would have to protect thedies and all of her entourages as well as spying and monitoring them. Finally, now alone with the emperor, Sir Ainno asked, ¡°Are you sure you are ok with this?¡± Only ¡°Does it matter?¡± Lucius the First continued to stare at the spot where Poliana was standing just a moment ago. Sir Ainno was unhappy that the most powerful man on the continent could not have what he wanted the most. Even with all that power, the emperor could not even marry the woman he loved. How ironic¡­ Sir Ainno thought that the emperor was too cautious when it came to Poliana and dealing with the elders. When he expressed his opinion, Lucius the First replied, ¡°What would you have me do? Kill all the elders like you wanted to? And take Pol to my bed even though I know that is not what she would want? Inno, that is not how things should be done. I have caused enough bloodshed so far and I do not want that anymore.¡± ¡°But your highness, you have me. Your Ainno will do anything you ask of me, including killing anyone if necessary.¡± Lucius the First smiled weakly and replied, ¡°I always end up distressing Sir Pol, always disappointing her. She doesn¡¯t show it, but she must be upset that she is being demoted.¡± He sighed unhappily. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 When Poliana ryed the message to her guards in the Second Division regarding their new responsibility, the men were obviously disappointed. These were young men who took pride in having the duty of protecting the emperor. Serving the emperor¡¯s wives was also an honorable job, but they weren¡¯t even protecting the empress, just the emperor¡¯s other wives. And even if it was the empress, it wasn¡¯t the same thing as protecting the emperor. The men¡¯s disappointment and displeasure were obvious to their leader, Poliana. Thankfully, they weren¡¯t ming her for this change. In fact, they were worried about how Poliana might have felt about the change. Everyone knew Poliana followed the emperor around like a baby duck and served him as if he was her god. So, just what did she do to get this kind of demotion?! ¡°Boss, did you get drunk again and act like a dog?¡± ¡°You made a fool of yourself in front of the emperor again, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t even show her anger at them. She remained silent because this was going to be the official story. The crazy thing was that this ¡°official story¡± wasn¡¯t even realized yet, but her men were automatically assuming that she did something wrong while being drunk. ¡®Why does everyone think I¡¯m a bad drunkard? Those jerks.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t fair. Ever since that day when she threw up in front of the emperor, Poliana had been making sure to take care of herself, besides, she had been too busy to drinktely anyway. Did everyone know about the story of what happened in the Sitrin bathhouse? She supposed that it was a good thing that everyone assumed it to be the reason for her demotion without her exining it to them, but it still felt odd. ¡®Those bastards! I¡¯ll bet the guards told everyone about what happened!¡¯ Soldiers gossiped worse than old women. They especially got excited whenever they gossiped about their bosses. ¡®Hmm¡­ Now that I think about it, it has been a very long time since I had a drinking party with the emperor. He still drinks with Sir Ainno though¡­¡¯ She felt a little envious. Poliana was favored by the emperor, but it wasn¡¯t the same thing as being a childhood friend. On top of that, she was a woman, which meant the emperor couldn¡¯t treat her the same way as the other knights because they weren¡¯t on a battlefield anymore. *** Most nations rmended monogamy, but a lot of the time, the royal families were allowed to break this rule. This was the case with Lucius the First. Of the ten topdies who were selected based on their region, family, personality, and appearance, threedies were selected to be the emperor¡¯s wives. Originally, the elders wanted all the tendies to be the emperor¡¯s wives, but Lucius the First flinched in disgust. ¡°What will my future descendants think of me when they read I had ten wives?!¡± So in the end, the selection process began and it was carried out by several men including Sir Bentier. Those three men gathered around in a private room, it was Lucius the First, Sir Bentier, and Sir Ainno. The emperor and Sir Bentier were the ones talking while Sir Ainno was technically there for the emperor¡¯s protection. Sir Bentier insisted, ¡°You must take Tory as one of your wives, your highness.¡± Recently, Duke Luzo wedded the princess from Oz, and this upset many northern nobles. Sir Bentier continued, ¡°This needs to be done, your highness. You need topromise on this.¡± ¡°Tory Seeze¡­ Marquis Seeze¡¯s ward. I have met her once before.¡± ¡°Yes, my grandfather has been preparing her for this, your highness.¡± ¡°Benti, you¡¯ve known her longer than I have, so tell me the truth. What do you think of her?¡± Lucius the First didn¡¯t remember Tory very well. He had a vague memory of seeing her at a banquet, but he knew what kind of upbringing she would¡¯ve had if she was primed to be the wife of the emperor. He wasn¡¯t happy about her family and her purpose, but this didn¡¯t mean he had any feelings against her. He didn¡¯t know her after all as a person. Sir Bentier, who didn¡¯t know Tory very well either but had interacted with her more than the emperor, gave his impression of her. ¡°She seemed kind, obedient, and verydy-like. My grandfather hand-picked her, so you can guess what she is like I¡¯m sure.¡± She was probably a perfectdy, a perfect person to be his wife. Lucius the First hated going with Marquis¡¯s n, but he had to admit that this was the best option for him at this point. Currently, the people of Acreia were angry at the emperor for moving the capital city, and selecting all of his wives from other regions was going to make things much worse. Lucius the First had to appease his people and his nobles and making Tory Seeze from Acreia as his wife was going to achieve this. Also, this would look like Sir Bentier convinced the emperor into this decision, which meant that Marquis Seeze¡¯s trust in his grandson was going to be strengthened. The emperor sighed, ¡°Hmm¡­¡± If he didn¡¯t have to choose Tory Seeze, it would¡¯ve been ok to just have just one wife. But if Tory Seeze was going to be his wife, he had to make sure she couldn¡¯t hold too much power by herself as his only wife because it would mean more power to Marquis Seeze. The princess of Oz, which was a part of their colony in the mid-continent, recently married Duke Luzo. The emperor suggested that perhaps they should choose one moredy from the southern region as his wife. Sir Bentier shook his head, ¡°Your highness, we have been having the most troubles from the people of the mid-continent. The farmers might love you, but there were many aristocrats who still despised you. If you must choose more wives, then you need to choose one each from the mid and southern regions.¡± Sir Ainno, who had been listening quietly, joked, ¡°A hero deserved all the beauties in the world, your highness. Therefore, people won¡¯tin even if you picked a thousand concubines.¡± ¡°A thousand women? Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Inno. It would take me three years just to visit each of them if I saw onedy per night.¡± Sir Ainno thought about telling the emperor he could see multiple women a night, but he knew it would only get Lucius the First angrier. He remained quiet. The emperor did not enjoy such jokes, and his hatred for it worsened ever since he fell in love with Poliana. The irony, however, was that even though he had a woman he loved, here was the emperor who was discussing the different women he nned on marrying. After a brief contemtion, Lucius the First held up seven of his fingers and exined, ¡°Let¡¯s say I can visit each woman every three days. Eachdy will get to spend her night with me twice a week and I will get to have one night a week all by myself. It¡¯s perfect.¡± Sir Ainno replied, ¡°Your highness, any wife of yours will be happy just being your wife. You do not have to be so strictly fair to all of them.¡± Only ¡°Of course, I should! You need to always be nice to your wives.¡± Sir Bentier then added, ¡°I agree with his highness on this, Sir Ainno.¡± Sir Ainno was the only unmarried man in the room. He supposed that he didn¡¯t know anything about marriage, so he backed down. In the end, threedies were chosen. The three wives that were selected were Tory from the north, Stra from the Mongsheim of the mid-continent, and Reba from the Nanikun of the south. Lucius the First wanted the least number of wives, and because he could not offend any regions, it was decided that he had to have at least three wives. Sir Bentier suggested, ¡°There might be a pressure for you to take more wives from Acreia, your highness.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Then¡­ there will probably be a talk that Tory needs to be made the empress.¡± Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°Hmm¡­ The empress¡­¡± Lucius the First¡¯s face darkened, he looked unhappy about it. Meanwhile, Sir Ainno covered his mouth to try to hide hisughter. Sir Bentier saw Sir Ainno flinch and became concerned. He asked the emperor, ¡°Your highness, what is wrong with Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°Inno is just being immature, he¡¯s probably losing his mind too.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana told me she thought Sir Ainno has been acting strangelytely. I guess she was right.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I agree that Inno has been acting extra odd around Sir Pol. Anyway, about the empress¡­¡± Lucius the First rubbed his forehead. Working too much and hisck of sleep were getting to him. He could feel his stress wrinkles faintly forming on his forehead, which was a huge concern. The emperor continued, ¡°If we decide on who will be the empress, it could be problematic. Let¡¯s just appoint thedy who bears my heir first as the empress.¡± ¡°This could cause unnecessary conspiracies and jealousies among thedies, your highness.¡± ¡°There will only be the three of them, so how much harm could they do to each other? It should be fine.¡± Sir Bentier nodded in agreement. When their discussion was over, Sir Bentier left, leaving the emperor with the portraits of the threedies. Sir Ainno didn¡¯t leave the room. He stood in front of the window and watched the guards patrolling the castle grounds. Lucius the First, who couldn¡¯t sleep yet, continued to work at his desk. ¡°Your highness.¡± ¡°Yes, Inno?¡± ¡°What if¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What if all threedies end up having only daughters? What will you do then? What if no matter how hard you try, no prince is born?¡± ¡°Then I will have to get another wife.¡± ¡°You know that is why you need to have concubines, right? Your highness, you need to remember this.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Uniting the entire continent could fail if he didn¡¯t have a proper heir to continue this work. Lucius the First knew better than anyone that he needed to have a son. It didn¡¯t matter who the mother was, as long as the emperor was their father. Thankfully, because he was still young, no one was worried about this yet. Sir Ainno teased him, ¡°I am sure that you¡¯re wishing that Sir Poliana was standing here right now instead of me, your highness.¡± ¡°Of course, and if she was here, I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve controlled myself.¡± ¡°If she wasn¡¯t barren, you would¡¯ve taken her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± Lucius the First looked out of the window. Would he have offered her to be his empress if she wasn¡¯t infertile? At first, he thought so, but soon, the emperor realized that this wasn¡¯t the case. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if Poliana was an empress instead of his wife or concubine. She would¡¯ve been miserable even if she became the empress. The Poliana Winter the emperor knew was a hardworking woman. She trained every day, which was why her hands were so rough and worn out. She loved to ride her horse all over the kingdom and train her guards. Her light brown hair, which would look golden if longer, was always cut short above her ears. This was the Poliana Lucius the First loved. Looking up at the dark night sky filled with stars, Lucius the First murmured, ¡°I want her to be happy. That is all I want.¡± Even though he said it, the emperor obviously looked like he would never give up. Sir Ainno frowned in annoyance. If he loved her so much, why not just confess to her? To hide his frown, Sir Ainno looked away. What an idiot his emperor was. *** Lucius the First¡¯s new wives arrived at thedy¡¯s quarters in the Yapa castle. Poliana was given the list of people who were to stay in this ce, so she examined the ce with hawk eyes. She had to make sure that only the people on the list lived here. Thedies seemed to be nervous because they stood close by theirdies in waiting. Poliana met Tory Seeze before. Except for the fact that her family was in a tense rtionship with the emperor, Tory Seeze herself was a lovely youngdy. She was a typical northern beauty with a quiet and obedient demeanor. Mongsheim¡¯s princess, Stra, was the youngest of the wives. She looked unhappy and anxious, perhaps because she had to share her husband with other women. In the mid-continent regions, a knightess was epted and even honored. Of all the regions, the mid-continent treated the knightesses the best. Stra smiled awkwardly to try to hide her nervousness. Her maids treated and served her with affection, indicating that the princess must¡¯ve treated her people well. Princess Reba from the small southern kingdom, Nanikun, was the oldest of the three, however, she was the smallest and slimmest. If Tory was the typical northern beauty, who was tall and slender, Reba was the typical southern beauty. Standing beside Tory, Reba looked much younger. Reba was standing with the support of herdies in waiting. She looked very tired, probably from the long journey. Poliana remembered the report on Reba. ¡®It said that she was very fragile.¡¯ People did be concerned if a woman was too delicate, worried that she might not be able to bear children but to a certain extent, fragiledies were considered feminine and desirable. When thedies left and she was left alone, Poliana grinned happily. ¡®I love how they are all so beautiful.¡¯ Poliana liked all of them, but her favorite was Tory. In fact, Tory weed by everyone in the castle. Although technically Tory had the lowest of ranks of all the emperor¡¯s wives, she was the only one who came from Acreia, and this worked to her advantage. Unlike the princesses, whose kingdoms were conquered and who now had to live in a foreignnd, Tory was being honored by her emperor from her home. Tory¡¯s maids and servants, who knew many of the women working in the Yapa castle already because they were all from Acreia, greeted each other joyously. Stra and Reba¡¯s maids, on the other hand, nced around awkwardly, trying to get used to their new and unfamiliar surroundings. The first thing the emperor¡¯s wives had to go through was to be examined by the royal doctor. There were two doctors who visited them. Poliana knew one of them. He was Baron Redikal, but she didn¡¯t recognize the other man. ¡®Hmm¡­ Maybe he¡¯s a specialist in gynecology?¡¯ He was an older man, which was very unusual for a gynecologist. A healer or doctor was required to go through extensive training. It was a very respected position and most doctors made an excellent living. It was a popr career, but it required a very long time and work to be an independent and sessful doctor. There weren¡¯t many doctors who specialize in women¡¯s health. It was very expensive to see these doctors, so those women who were poor often went to see a midwife instead. Only Nobledies, on the other hand, were usually very hesitant to seek a gynecologist, and this was the reason why there weren¡¯t many of them avable. When it was decided that he was going to get married, Lucius the First appointed a gynecologist as the second official royal doctor for his wives. Thedies were examined, and the doctor announced that they were all healthy. Thedies immediately went to their private quarters to rest. Poliana was about to leave as well when the gynecologist stopped her and announced, ¡°His highness asked me to examine you as well, Marquess.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m perfectly healthy.¡± The elderly man looked at her understandingly and replied, ¡°I have heard the rumor about you, Marquess. I think this would be a good opportunity to get you examined.¡± ¡°Well, if you must assess me, I actually would like to ask you about something else.¡± ¡°Oh, what is it?¡± Poliana looked around to make sure she was alone with the doctor. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Poliana noticed that her aide was still in the room. When she gave him a look, he left, leaving Poliana alone with the doctors. The royal doctors weren¡¯t confused at Poliana, who clearly wanted to be alone with them. They also weren¡¯t surprised that she had other questions about her health. After all, she spent over 10 years on the battlefield, which meant that she must have old injuries and side effects from them. Poliana hesitated a little and the doctors waited patiently. After a few minutes of silence, she finally exined, ¡°A long time ago, I suffered from a bad hemorrhoid. It was pretty horrible, but it got better, and I thought I was cured. But then, recently, I heard that hemorrhoids cannot be cured¡­¡± Lucky for her, the two doctors were very familiar with the condition. ¡°Did you feel any difort from it recently?¡± Hemorrhoids had a high recurrence rate, especially if one spent a long time on the toilet every day. It was crucial that whoever suffered from this condition needs to change their daily bowel habit to get better. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t cause me any pain.¡± This was why she thought she was cured. There were odd days when she saw blood in her stool, usually after drinking too much the night before, but she didn¡¯t think much of it because it seemed that the other men went through the same thing. But when she heard that hemorrhoids were an incurable disease, she became concerned. Suddenly, Poliana dropped her pants, shocking the royal doctor, but not the gynecologist. The gynecologist examined Poliana quickly and reassured her, ¡°It looks like you are doing a good job of controlling it. Just make sure you don¡¯t overdrink.¡± When Poliana pulled her pants up, Baron Redikal finally uncovered his eyes. The gynecologist suggested to Poliana again, ¡°You are here anyway, so why not just get your woman¡¯s part examined too?¡± ¡°That part is fine. It¡¯s not like I use it and I have no pain.¡± ¡°I heard that you haven¡¯t had a period in a very long time.¡± This was why Lucius the First asked the doctor to examine her. She looked perfectly healthy, but the emperor was concerned that perhaps something was going on with her. The doctor asked, ¡°Please just let me ask you a few simple questions.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t feel like being interrogated, but she nodded in agreement. Baron Redikal left to provide some privacy for them. The gynecologist asked some questions about her period. Because Poliana didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, some of her answers were unhelpful. For example, she did sometimes have spots of blood on her underwear, but she couldn¡¯t remember when it happened and how long it urred. The doctor couldn¡¯t tell based on her answers if she did have a few periods during thest 10 years or she bled for another reason. Poliana was definitely not a good patient. The doctor exined to her, ¡°When I first heard about your condition, I suspected that you may be suffering from early-onset menopause, but to be honest, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. Based on your current health, which is excellent, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s menopause. My best guess would be that you just have very irregr and infrequent periods because of stress and malnutrition, or you may have a cyst. I need to do a thorough and proper exam to figure out the cause of your condition and treat it.¡± ¡°I understand that you are just being a good caring doctor, but I am not interested. Thank you though.¡± ¡°If that is how you feel, I will respect your wish of course¡­¡± The doctor was disappointed. To treat a patient, he or she needed to be motivated to be better, but it was obvious that Poliana was not interested. She seemed more concerned about her hemorrhoid than her irregr periods. The doctor added, ¡°But if you ever have any changes to your condition, please let me know. I am well aware of how soldiers and knights don¡¯t seek a doctor until things get much worse than necessary. There is no need for you to endure pain and difort.¡± Poliana did see many cases among her colleagues where they waited too long unnecessarily and ended up making their illness much worse. It was verymon for soldiers to have a chronic illness even at a very young age. Spending years on the battlefields could take a toll on one¡¯s body. Poliana herself was beginning to feel a bit of soreness on her joints. What Poliana wanted to know was about hemorrhoids. She epted that it could not be cured, but what could she do to decrease the chance of its recurrence? When she asked about it, the doctor emphasized that she should stop drinking altogether. Abstinence? Poliana frowned because it was impossible. After their talk, Poliana left the room. When she walked out, she saw that Baron Redikal was talking with a young man she had never seen before. When the gynecologist spotted him, he also greeted the unfamiliar man pleasantly. When the young man bowed to the gynecologist, Baron Redikal stopped him and said to him, ¡°You need to bow to the marquess first. Marquess Winter, this is my disciple, Frau.¡± Frau bowed to Poliana even more respectfully than he did to the gynecologist. He was a kind-looking man with an average height. He was not lean nor muscr. He must¡¯ve led a sedentary life because he was on the chubbier side. If this man was one of her guards, she would¡¯ve pushed him out the window for not keeping himself physically active. ¡®But he is a doctor, so I guess it¡¯s ok.¡¯ A doctor never had to hold a sword and fight in a war. Instead, a doctor fought with a scalpel against illnesses. Doctors needed nimble hands, but they certainly didn¡¯t have to be fast on their feet like soldiers did. Only If Frau was a student of the royal doctor, he would most likely be a royal doctor himself one day. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea to get acquainted with any doctors, so Poliana looked at him carefully. Then, Frau introduced himself politely, ¡°Nice to meet you, Marquess Winter. My name is Frau Sneke.¡± ¡°I am Poliana Winter¡± ¡°It is truly an honor to meet the great heroine of our kingdom. I realize it may seem awkward for me to say this to you since we have never met each other before, but I want you to know that I have always respected and admired you, Marquess Winter. Meeting you in person is like a dreame true for me. I will never forget this day until I die.¡± ¡®Wow, he is an excellent tterer.¡¯ Before he said anything, Poliana had a good feeling about Frau, but as soon as heplimented her, she immediately began to dislike him. Frau was such a kind-looking young man, yet it seemed that he was just a fake. She was used to people who tried to get close to her to get to Lucius the First. They wouldpliment and tter her, and she hated them. She didn¡¯t say anything to him and was about to walk away when Frau added, ¡°And you are more beautiful than I imagined, much more so than the rumors suggest.¡± ¡®What? This is the worstpliment I have ever heard, he is just a t out liar!¡¯ Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Anyone who could see had to admit that Poliana was no beauty, and she knew this better than anyone. This was why whenever someoneplimented her looks, Poliana took it as a joke or an insult. The first thing she did was to check if Frau had bad eyesight. Unless he was blind or had horrible eyesight, he was clearly lying, and this made him a horrible person who was trying to take advantage of her. However, Frau did say she looked better than the rumors. There were many rumors out there about her and some of them indicated that she looked like a monster. So, if he meant that she didn¡¯t look like a monster and that she looked better than these ugly rumors, then Poliana supposed that he wasn¡¯t lying. Poliana studied the man¡¯s expression. He still had the kind look on his face, and it was enough to calm her down a little. Baron Redikal, realizing that Poliana might have taken Frau¡¯s words as an insult, exined, ¡°Marquess Winter, this young man isn¡¯t lying or making an emptypliment. I believe he really means what he said because I have seen him many times admiring your aplishments. He also told me more than once that he wished to meet you someday.¡± It was amon urrence for many well-known knights to acquire a few fans here and there. Not wanting to look like an ignorant bumpkin, Poliana nodded nonchntly and replied, ¡°Hmm¡­ alright, but just make sure you think before you say things like that next time.¡± ¡°Thank you, Marquess. Baron Redikal, I will be going now.¡± Frau walked away quickly, leaving Poliana feeling confused. The first thing she wondered about him was his status. She asked Baron Redikal, ¡°A son of the Baron Sneke is a doctor?¡± The Sneke family was a well-known name in Acreia. Even Poliana, who hasn¡¯t lived in Acreia very long, had heard this name. It wasn¡¯t as influential as Sir Bentier, Sir Rabi, and Sir Ainno¡¯s families, but it was still a powerful family. A son from such a family didn¡¯t have to work as a doctor. Even if the son had a great interest in medicine, he could just study it as a hobby rather than a profession. Baron Redikal then replied, ¡°He is the fifth son of that family.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He didn¡¯t have to say anything anymore, it now made perfect sense. Even a wealthy family often found it hard to take care of more than three sons¡¯ futures. The title and thends all went to the firstborn and the rest of the sons usually had to find their own ways in the world. So, the fifth son of any family wouldn¡¯t get much of an inheritance, which meant Frau made a good choice by entering the field of medicine. It wasn¡¯t as lucrative and respected as a high-ranking government official or a knight, but a career in medicine would provide him a stable life. ¡®Frau from the Sneke family¡­¡± After returning home that night, Poliana felt a little strange. She might have had many years of battle experience, and she trained every day, but Poliana knew she would not be able to win a fight against many men of her age. But¡­ for some reason, she felt certain that she could beat up Frau Sneke if she tried. There was a distinct vibe she got from him and she could tell that he was weak. Yes, she was sure that she could win against him in a fight. Baron Redikal told her that Frau and she were of the same age. ¡®Hmm¡­ It¡¯s strange because I have seen many physically slight men before, but¡­¡¯ She was acquainted with many scribes, who were small men. There were plenty of physically weak men in the world. She just forgot about this fact because she was so used to interacting with strong knights and soldiers. But even the smallest and the weakest men around her would never say something like that to her like Frau. ¡®He said he respected me¡­ I can¡¯t believe a man said he respected and admired a woman!¡¯ Frau Sneke was clearly not in his right mind. If she didn¡¯t know he was a doctor, she would¡¯ve suggested that he should go see a doctor and get himself checked. He wasn¡¯t saying that he respected his mother or his grandmother, which would¡¯ve made sense. He was telling her that he respected her, a woman he didn¡¯t even know. A woman who was his age. And he said it in the presence of another man! Poliana was shocked. Lying in her bed, she remained wide awake and unable to fall asleep. Only ¡°Respect¡­¡± Was it because she heard it from a man who wasn¡¯t a knight? Poliana kept hearing Frau¡¯s voice over and over again in her head. Suddenly, she sat up and walked towards a mirror nearby. She studied herself carefully. Her face, which was very familiar to her, looked back at her. ¡®Hmm¡­ I do look much better than before¡­ Yes. Definitely a lot of improvement over the past few years¡­¡¯ This was true. She used to look much uglier before. Poliana clenched her fists as she thought that she didn¡¯t look that bad. She was indeed ugly, but not so ugly that people would scream and run away from her. Most of all, Poliana looked very clean. Her spotless uniform certainly helped a lot too. As a woman, she might have failed in her looks, but as a person, she looked alright. Turning thirty helped a lot too. People generally were more interested and sensitive about a woman¡¯s look when she was young, but they became more lenient and uninterested when the woman became a spinster. Because of this, Poliana didn¡¯t mind the wrinkles on her forehead. They were from her walking around with a frown all the time, and Poliana thought the wrinkles made her look more regal and impressive. Poliana pushed on the wrinkles to deepen them, hoping that someday, her face would be full of wrinkles even when she isn¡¯t frowning. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 A luxurious feast began in honor of the emperor¡¯s new brides. Lucius the First danced with eachdy once in the order of their age to make sure they were treated fairly. He then danced with them again once more to be kind. Thedies smiled brightly as they danced with their new husband. Lucius the First wondered secretly, ¡®I wonder if they are really pleased.¡¯ He knew all the properdies were taught from an early age never to snow their true feelings to men. They might be smiling prettily now, but he knew that there was a possibility that they were crying inside because they didn¡¯t want to be here. Even Lucius the First himself wasn¡¯t paying attention to his partners, even though to others, he looked like he was mesmerized by his brides. ¡®I know this is rude of me, but¡­¡¯ The emperor couldn¡¯t help himself as he nced at the woman he truly loved. Poliana, as the leader of the Second Division, was busy socializing. The first people that approached her were her colleagues. After greeting them, Poliana was then swarmed by the parents of the guards that were in her division. ¡°Please take good care of our sons.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± It was a well-known fact that she was favored by Lucius the First. She might have been ¡°demoted¡± to guard his brides and not the emperor himself, but no one disrespected her in any way. People could tell that she was not someone to be underestimated. In their minds, Marquess Poliana Winter was proof that a foreigner could seed in this kingdom. She was clearly the emperor¡¯s left hand, or possibly even his right hand, and it was likely that she would live the rest of her life as a powerful and wealthy woman. People who greeted her tried to console her, ¡°We are sure you will get to leave thedy¡¯s quarters soon and be by the emperor¡¯s side again. His highness can¡¯t remain angry for too long about your drunkenness, right?¡± Every time someone said this to her, she smiled brightly and swore that she would never get drunk again. Of course, Poliana also knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep this promise to herself. Both Sir Ainno and Poliana had resting bitch faces. They found it very awkward to smile constantly for others, which meant that they found this kind of event very difficult. Her smile was clumsy, but Lucius the First couldn¡¯t stop staring at her. ¡°Your highness?¡± The voice of his current dance partner, Reba, forced Lucius the First to break his gaze at Poliana. He apologized to her, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. What did you say?¡± ¡°Are you worried about Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°A marquess isn¡¯t someone I need to worry about. She is a soldier after all, and she can take care of herself. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Here in the castle, I know you cannot wield a weapon. It is the words that can do the real damage in this world anyway. The political and social battles can be just as brutal as the ones out in the battlefields.¡± ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. My court isn¡¯t that sophisticated and harsh yet.¡± This was especially the case whenpared to the mid and southern continent, where the courts were filled with intrigues. In Acreia, the worst thing that could happen in the court was the elders having an ugly tantrum. The nobles in the northern regions weren¡¯t as sneaky and refined as the others. This was a good thing for Lucius the First, of course. The politicians in Acreia were straight in their behavior. For example, if they were unhappy with someone, they made publicints to the emperor to embarrass their enemy. In the southern regions, however, the more popr method to get rid of your enemy in the court would be framing or assassinating that person. He smiled as he thought of the people in his court, ¡®They are so innocent and na?vepared to those in the southern regions.¡¯ ¡°But your highness, people can be very smart. They learn quickly, especially if it¡¯s something that can benefit them.¡± Lucius the First¡¯s smile disappeared as he knew this was true. Even the na?ve Acreians would soon learn that it was easier to frame your enemy to bring him down rather than work harder and make an effort to aplish something to stand out. Reba studied Lucius the First carefully before offering, ¡°If you aren¡¯t feeling well, we can always return to our seats.¡± The emperor then lied, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I love to dance, and I am having a good time. How about you, Princess?¡± ¡°I am having a wonderful time as well, your highness.¡± Lucius the First wasn¡¯t having a good time at all. He loved another woman and he could never marry her, so how could he be happy? He knew that love had no purpose in a marriage for aristocrats and royal members. He was born a prince, lived as the heir to the throne, and became the emperor. As long as he could remember, Lucius the First always promised himself not to be a bad husband. Both himself and his brides had no choice in choosing their partners, why not make the best of it? Why not be kind to each other and live a pleasant life? But what the emperor never considered was the fact that he would fall in love this desperately. Was it so painful because he could never have her, or did all love feel like this? He was going to be married very soon to thesedies, but Lucius the First couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Poliana. It was even worse because he felt guilty about it. ¡®I love someone, and I¡¯m about to marry other women¡­ This is horrible.¡¯ If Sir Ainno heard this, he would¡¯ve grumbled and walked away. Because the emperor wasn¡¯t having a good time, he assumed that Reba was lying as well. He said to her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me and pretend you are having fun. It¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it at all. I am truly happy.¡± ¡°May I ask why?¡± ¡°A woman is at her happiest when she has a good husband and gets to bear many children. To get the best husband a woman can get is the greatest luck in her life. As soon as I be your bride, your highness, I will be the luckiest woman in the world.¡± ¡°So I am the best husband material?¡± Only ¡°In the current world as well as in history.¡± Reba gave him a small smile. Even after her younger sister drowned, she could smile on cue if necessary. They taught this to her even when she was still a small girl. The marriage offer from Lucius the First was the best deal she received. She knew that she was going to be one of his many brides but belonging to the emperor was still going to be a great honor. Reba didn¡¯t expect to be the empress. She assumed that Tory from Acreia would be selected. The moment she became one of the three brides of Lucius the First, she was going to be one of the three most important women in this continent. Her worth would increase dramatically not because she aplished anything, but because she became a bride of an aplished man. Reba added, ¡°I am so happy that I will get the honor to be your bride, your highness.¡± Her words made Lucius the First feel less guilty. Just as he picked thedies based on their qualifications on the paper, thesedies saw him as the emperor. As someone who could boost their standings¡­ As long as they didn¡¯t hurt each other, Lucius the First knew that he would be able to maintain an amicable rtionship with his brides. This time, the emperor¡¯s smile was genuine because he realized that this business rtionship was going to be beneficial for both of them. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Late into the night after the banquet, Lucius the First had a private meeting with Poliana. She gritted her teeth and said to the emperor, ¡°Did you know what I heard tonight, your highness?¡± ¡°What is it, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°People areining that your highness is discriminating against Acreia, and that you favor the mid and southern areas. Apparently, your new marriages have caused many to be disgruntled.¡± Poliana was so angry when she heard about it, but she couldn¡¯t even show it because she was in public and was surrounded by many important people. Poliana punched the air in frustration and Lucius the First decided to take care of something he thought of during the banquet. He gestured to Poliana toe closer. When she did, the emperor leaned forward and whispered, ¡°Do you know of anyone who has quick feet and even quicker mind? I would prefer someone who doesn¡¯t have much to do right now and is getting bored.¡± The best of the knights Lucius the First knew were already dispatched to high priority posts. He couldn¡¯t think of anyone, which meant he had to hire a new person. Poliana thought of a few men who weren¡¯t in active duty and mentioned one name, ¡°Viscount Ingreter¡¯s son Sir Deke is very quick on his feet. The only problem with him is that when he gets drunk, he begins to run straight ahead and there has been no one who could catch him so far. He is that fast.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s not the kind of person I was hoping for, but I like the fact that he is very fast. Does he know how to keep a secret?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. Even when he gets drunk, he just runs and falls. He never talks. If you have something important you need to get over with, I can¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing that needs to be done right away.¡± Lucius the First smiled and added, ¡°I was just thinking that I should be more sophisticated.¡± *** Time passed by quickly and it was the night before the wedding. Lucius the First was drinking with his friends in the middle of an extravagant bachelor party. The emperor didn¡¯t drink much. A hungover groom was never a good sight at any wedding. Lucius the First didn¡¯t look overly upset, which confused Sir Ainno. ¡®Wow, he isn¡¯t grumbling and moping like I expected. Why is that?¡¯ Sir Ainno asked the emperor, ¡°I thought you would be depressed, your highness.¡± ¡°Me? Why?¡± ¡°Lately, you have been very focused on those women¡¯s feelings. I thought you would feel sad for thedies who are going to be forced to share their husbands with each other. I guess I was wrong about it.¡± ¡°I realized that they considered getting a wealthy and powerful husband the biggest aplishment of their lives. I learned that my marriage can be beneficial for both parties, for myself, and all of my wives.¡± ¡°You are very wise indeed, your highness.¡± Lucius the First smiled. This might be the man¡¯s world, but the women made do and made sure to get what they wanted. They worked to get the best husband they could. Just as a man enjoyed a ¡°trophy wife,¡± a woman also saw her husband as her trophy that represented her status in this world. A powerful husband would improve her standing, and a wealthy husband would make her a winner in this world. This world was like a tournament. The champion who wins it gets the medal and the trophy. To the women, good husbands were like these awards. And as a good award, Lucius the First nned to act ordingly. Before he went to bed, he spent extra time on his skincare. After looking at the mirror, he nodded in satisfaction. The next day, at the wedding, no one seemed to care about the brides. It was the emperor who looked the most beautiful. Compared to him, the three brides looked in. The people didn¡¯t gasp when thedies took their veils off. Instead, they only stared at their emperor¡¯s lovely face. This was especially the case because unlike the brides who didn¡¯t sleep well the night before because they were so nervous, the emperor slept like a baby. His face shined like the bright sun. It was a perfect day. The sun shone and the birds sang happily. Some of them pooped on top of some guests¡¯ heads too, causing people tough. Poliana was busy as she was responsible for guarding the brides. She wasn¡¯t given the time to enjoy the biggest event of the year. She never even got the chance to sit down. She had to move constantly and make sure there weren¡¯t any suspicious guests or items there. She also kept her eyes on the foods and drinks, which wasn¡¯t even her responsibility. There were so many things to consider that Poliana felt overwhelmed. ¡°This isn¡¯t even my wedding, so I can¡¯t believe how busy I am!¡± She raised her fist in the air in frustration. If she was this busy at someone else¡¯s wedding, how busy would she be at her own wedding? After the ceremony, a reception took ce. Poliana was thankful that she had a decent breakfast because, for the rest of the day, all she got to eat was cake. She finished her piece quickly, and thought to herself, ¡®I am so impressed with the brides.¡¯ Poliana knew that the threedies didn¡¯t eat anything, not even a sip of water, sincest night. They must¡¯ve felt dizzy and weak, and yet thedies had pretty smiles on their faces, and they were even dancing. ¡®What strong women!¡¯ They were afraid that their tummy would look bulgy if they ate anything, so thedies were starving themselves. Poliana couldn¡¯t understand why this was such an important thing, but thedies obviously felt very serious about it. After eating her cake, Poliana continued to look around the area with hawk eyes. She couldn¡¯t rx just because the ceremony was over. Because the drinks were being served now, there were even more people entering the reception area. She had to be extra diligent. Just like Poliana, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t drink even a sip of alcohol this day. Poliana was looking around when her eyes spotted him. Sir Ainno, who felt her eyes on him, turned towards her and their eyes met. Slowly, Poliana walked around the dance floor and towards Sir Ainno. As the two official security officers of the day, they chatted quietly with each other. Sir Ainno handed a piece of sandwich, which was brought to him by a servant, to Poliana, who epted it gratefully. They were surrounded by amazing foods and drinks, but all they could eat without losing their focus was sandwiches. The servants looked at them sympathetically, but Sir Ainno and Poliana didn¡¯t even notice. They were on duty, so it was natural for them to not drink and eat whatever was convenient. It waste in the evening and the wind was calm. The sky was filled with stars, but because of theirrge torchlights, the stars disappeared. The purpose of the torchlights was to make sure that the entire ce remained well lighted. If someone was hiding in the shadow behind a tree in the garden, he would be noticed as soon as he moved. Most of the guests in the room looked familiar to Poliana now, so she focused on the servants and maids who kept entering and leaving the area. Meanwhile, Sir Ainno¡¯s eyes never left the emperor. Only Sir Ainno asked Poliana, ¡°Have you seen anything suspicious tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Not me either.¡± ¡°Good, but we can¡¯t rx yet. The reception is tost for four days, so we better remain vignt.¡± ¡°Argh¡­¡± Suddenly, Sir Ainno groaned with a frown. Poliana flinched in shock and looked at the direction he was looking at. When she saw who Sir Ainno frowned at, Poliana rxed. It was only Duke Luzo. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Poliana realized why Sir Ainno frowned in annoyance. It was Duke Luzo¡¯s hair, which was styled with so much oil that it looked shinier than thedies¡¯ jewelry. He was talking with the emperor and it was nice to see the two young nobles together. Poliana could now see a slight resemnce between the two of them. Duke Luzo, now married and slimmer, looked much better. ¡®But I guess the receding hairline would be his permanent feature now¡­¡¯ It was incredibly sad to see that his lost hair was never going toe back. Because Sir Ainno refused to be the emperor¡¯s best man, Duke Luzo almost became one instead. In the end, however, Lucius the First decided not to have a best man at all. Poliana turned towards Sir Ainno and asked curiously, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ept being his highness¡¯s best man?¡± The Sir Ainno she knew would insist on being both the emperor¡¯s personal guard as well as his best man. She expected him to im he could do it all because he was awesome but instead, he refused the offer, stating that he needed to focus on his job. Everyone who knew him was surprised to hear this news. Some thought he refused because this was the wedding between the emperor and his wives, not his empress, but these people obviously did not know Sir Ainno well. The Sir Ainno Poliana knew would have insisted on being the best man for all of the emperor¡¯s wedding. To be fair, Poliana thought this made sense because Sir Ainno was the best knight of Acreia. He was the emperor¡¯s right hand as well as his best friend. Sir Ainno replied vaguely, ¡°I will be the best man to your groom when you get married, Sir Poliana, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡®Why is he trying to change the subject?¡¯ She was curious, but she did not pry. She suspected that there must be a good reason for his decision. It was very likely that it was actually Lucius the First¡¯s decision not to have a best man. Perhaps the emperor didn¡¯t want one because he was getting so many wives all at once and he thought it would be best to have the smallest wedding party he could have. This made sense because if the emperor had a best man, each of his brides would have to have a separate maid of honor. Sir Ainno murmured, ¡°So¡­ His highness is finally getting married¡­¡± ¡°As expected, of course.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything about it? Anything at all?¡± Poliana was confused. Her emperor was getting married as he should, and that was that. So what was Sir Ainno trying to ask? What should she be feeling? It was such an odd question and Poliana didn¡¯t feel the need to even answer it. ¡®Wait a minute!¡¯ Poliana covered her mouth in shock, making Sir Ainno feel confused. He asked her, ¡°Sir Poliana, are you trying to burp or something?¡± ¡°Sir Ainno¡­ Could it be¡­ I can¡¯t believe it, but¡­¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t hide her shock. She had always known that Lucius the First and Sir Ainno were great and close friends, but this was beyond her wildest imagination. The fact that they have a ¡°special¡± rtionship¡­ She felt awkward as she asked, ¡°Sir Ainno, is that why you haven¡¯t gotten married yet? Does his highness know about your feelings? Wait¡­! He must know since you are telling me this right now¡­ So does the emperor feel the same way about you?¡± ¡®Dammit! What should I say to him?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t unheard of for men to fall in love with each other in male-oriented groups such as the military. A friendship can quickly turn into love and affection. There were even some knights who continued this kind of rtionship even after they got married. It was rare in the northern regions, but not so much in the mid and southern kingdoms. In fact, there used to be a time once when it became fashionable for knights to have a boyfriend. There were rumors that Lucius the First and Sir Ainno were more than just friends, but Poliana never believed it. But now¡­ Perhaps she was wrong! Suddenly, Sir Ainno realized what Poliana was talking about. Without hesitation, his fist headed towards her. Thankfully, Poliana was quick. She was able to dodge his punch, and to her relief, Sir Ainno did not try to attack her again. Probably because they were at a wedding. Poliana said quickly, ¡°I will keep your secret safe, Sir Ainno.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°I will consider it the most important military secret.¡± ¡°I am telling you that it¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it happen sometimes. Very rare. Very, very rare.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that!!!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± Sir Ainno was clenching his teeth, so it didn¡¯t seem like he was lying. When Poliana looked at him with suspicion, Sir Ainno posed to strike her again. Poliana knew he would never intentionally make a scene, so the fact that he seemed so angry and frustrated¡­ Poliana realized what was happening here. If someone asked her if she was in an inappropriate rtionship with the emperor, Poliana knew she would feel very angry. She would be annoyed if her pure and genuine loyalty looked like something else to others. She could understand why Sir Ainno was denying it so adamantly. Sir Ainno gagged in disgust. How could anyone think he and the emperor had that kind of a rtionship? Poliana apologized immediately, ¡°Sorry, Sir Ainno. It¡¯s just that you were asking me such a weird question. So¡­ Why did you ask?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He red at her in annoyance. She was trying to make this his fault for some reason. ¡°I was just curious because you are a woman and I thought that perhaps you felt different about this wedding than I did.¡± ¡°Why would I feel different just because I was a woman? I am his highness¡¯s knight just like you are, Sir Ainno. You need to stop thinking that women would feel more than men.¡± Only ¡°I am well aware of what a cold woman you are, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°Good.¡± There were indeed many people who thought she was emotionless. It was because when they were standing at the cliff after their final victory in the south, Poliana was the only soldier who did not cry. Since then, her nickname became ¡°the woman who didn¡¯t cry or bleed.¡± When she first heard the soldiers calling her by this name, she made sure to teach them a lesson they would never forget. Idiots! Sir Ainno exined, ¡°I was just thinking that because you are the closest woman to the emperor. That is why I asked.¡± ¡°I am his highness¡¯s knight and nothing more. I am just like you, Sir Ainno.¡± Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Sir Ainno found Poliana fascinating. What a strange woman! Lucius the First was the sole ruler of this continent. He was also the most beautiful young man, and he showed special favor towards her all the time. So how could it be that she didn''t feel anything personal towards him? He supposed it was possible that she didn''t see him as a man all the time, but shouldn''t she at least feel something sometimes? Shouldn''t her heart beat fast when he smiles at her? Sir Ainno remembered a young girl, who was the emperor''s first love, or at least close to it. When Lucius the First treated her slightly differently than the others, this girl acted like she was already the empress of Acreia. It wasn''t even that Lucius the First was overtly obvious about his feelings. He was just slightly nicer to her than the other girls, but not by much. In fact, the emperor was nicer to Sir Ainno than that girl at the time. But even then, thisdy knew very quickly that Lucius the First was interested in her. Many others realized it as well and they began to treat her better too. The way Lucius the First treated Poliana Winter, however, was unprecedented. His special interest and affection towards her were obvious, at least to Sir Ainno, but Poliana herself seemed oblivious. Was the emperor''s love not enough to capture this cold woman''s heart? Poliana stretched her neck as Sir Ainno red at her. She knew she had to say something to him, but she wasn''t sure what. Poliana turned away and looked at Lucius the First, who was dancing with his new bride. The emperor looked like he should as a new groom; not too happy but very determined. During the night, Stra ended up bursting into tears and the emperor took a great effort to calm her down. Suddenly, Poliana imagined herself crying and Lucius the First trying to console her. It was a ridiculous image, it made Polianaugh. Because Poliana wasn''t blind, she did sometimes feel her heartbeat go wild when she was with him. She could also feel how much the emperor trusted her. At some odd times, she considered that perhaps he was affectionate towards her, but she didn''t think too much about it. She was sure that she was mistaken, and she didn''t want to be preupied with those silly feelings. Lucius the First and Poliana had a simple yet great rtionship. He was her master and she was his knight, there could be no love between them. It was ridiculous even to think about such a thing. Lucius the First would never like Poliana as a woman and Poliana could never dare to fall in love with him. Besides, during thest 10 years, the emperor saw the worst of her many times, there was no way any man could love her after seeing her at her worst. This was a good thing. This meant that their rtionship could remain pure and safe. Lucius the First danced with his bride on the dance floor. Poliana stood nearby, leaning against the wall and eating a sandwich. This was her ce, and she didn''t want anything more than that. She knew where she belonged. After contemting, Poliana finally answered Sir Ainno, "I guess I feel¡­ thankful?" This was true. His highness was finally married, and she was happy for him. When Poliana smiled brightly at Sir Ainno to show him she meant what she said, Sir Ainno grabbed his forehead and shook his head in frustration. What a strange woman? Meanwhile, Lucius the First did his best to treat all of his three wives fairly and equally. The three brides were satisfied with the emperor''s kindness, but the representatives from the different regions were unhappy. The Acreians believed that Tory should''ve been favored by the emperor since she came from his homnd. The people from the mid-continent believed that Princess Stra should be favored because their region paid the most taxes and therefore provided the greatest financial benefit to the emperor. Those from the southern region insisted that since most of the colonies here voluntarily surrendered, Princess Reba should be favored the most by the emperor. To all these people, Lucius the First only had one thing to say. "It''s none of your business." Of course, the emperor wasn''tfortable with his current situation. Having so many peopleining to him and asking for the impossible things were frustrating. *** Things were bing tense in thedy''s quarters. Currently, in Acreia, there wasn''t an empress or any other female figure that could rule the castle. There could be only one head of thedy''s quarters, and this meant the beginning of a power struggle between the emperor''s new wives. The guards became nervous and asked Poliana, "Sir Poliana, you should do something about it before it gets too ugly." "Why me?" "Because you are the highest-ranking woman in the kingdom." "¡­ Are you joking?" It was true that Marquess Winter was the most powerful woman in Acreia, but her authority could notpare to that of any member of the royal family. There was no doubt that she was ranked much lower than any of the emperor''s wives. Like her guards, Poliana became nervous but also excited at the prospect of this power struggle. What kind of tactics would thedies use? Who will win? The tension between the wives was not too different from that between the knights before a duel. Thankfully, no one used any dirty tactics and nothing serious happened. Unlike everyone''s expectation, the struggle also didn''tst very long. Eachdy had different advantages because of their backgrounds, but in the end, Tory ended up being the winner. In a way, it was an obvious conclusion. Most of the maids, who were from Acreia themselves, took Tory''s side. Tory was also the only one who was most familiar with the Acreian culture and royal etiquette. Reba, who had fragile health, showed early on that she wanted to stay out of the fight for power so naturally, Stra became the second inmand. This whole process took about 2 months. Lucius the First did his best not to favor any of his wives. Because he was so busy with his newly united kingdom, he didn''t get to visit his wives often, but even then, he made sure he that spent an equal amount of time with each of thedies. In the beginning, Lucius the First nned to visit each one of his wives twice a week and have one day for himself, but very quickly, he learned that he was stupid to think that this was going to work. He was so busy that it was rare for him to even visit his wives once a week. Realizing how busy he was, the three wives soon gave up fighting to be favored by the emperor. In the end, they decided that it was better to be good friends with each other. Poliana became very popr among thedies and she felt very pleased. Because they had different ages and they were from different ces, everyone felt awkward around each other at first, but after some time, they all became close friends. The four women usually spent their time in Reba''s reception room. Being from the southern region, Reba always had the best and sweetest fruits and snacks from her homnd, and this was why thedies always ended up at her ce. They were gossiping again as usual when Stra said to Poliana, "So one of mydy friends decided to have her daughter marry Sir Gary." Poliana replied, "That idiot is addicted to gambling, he isn''t that bright either." "Oh, is that right? Thank you so much, Marquess, for such a piece of important information. I will let thedy know right away." Poliana was able to sessfully enter the aristocratic society. This meant that she knew a lot about different noblemen, and manydies with grown daughters often asked her advice for potential son-inw materials. Poliana often said to thedies that their husbands should be able to give the same information as herself, but the women believed that because Poliana was a woman herself, she would have more urate and relevant opinions on different young men. And of course, whenever the nobledies visited her for advice, they never forgot to bring her nice expensive gifts. Poliana''s office soon became filled with luxurious bribes. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Much time passed, but the problem of private armies created by certain Acreian nobles was still not solved. In fact, ording to the recent messages, it¡¯s turning for the worse. Were some of the Acreian aristocrats trying to begin a war? Because it seemed that they were increasing and arming their soldiers. ¡®Why are they always making my life so difficult?¡¯ The emperor frowned in annoyance. His personal servant Chail suggested that the emperor should rest, but Lucius the First replied angrily, ¡°How could I?!¡± With great poweres great responsibility. If he was going to bezy about ruling his kingdom, what would¡¯ve been the point of uniting the entire continent? Lucius the First was seen as a kind and generous emperor who saved many people from horrible and selfish rulers. This was the truth because indeed, Lucius the First was definitely not a tyrant. For now, the emperor knew that he would only get to rest and take it easy when he was an old man, unless he died young from being so overworked. There was so much to do and not enough of him. Just reading over the summaries prepared by the civil servants took so much time and effort. Lucius the First was frustrated and angry. He was working so hard, as hard as he could, yet the problems in Acreia wouldn¡¯t go away. It seemed that the people of Acreia would never stopining, and he couldn¡¯t understand why it was so. Acreia, as his homnd, should¡¯ve been his greatest ally, yet instead, it was the southern region that remained mostly peaceful. It was quickly bing his favorite ce because it made him feel calm. ¡°Just what is it that they want from me?!¡± The emperor mmed down on his desk, making his scribes and the servants cringe in fear. Sir Bentier, now the chancellor, approached Lucius the First quickly to calm him down. Lucius the First suddenly became embarrassed and ashamed. He narrowed his eyes as he realized what he had done just now. ¡®I am unleashing my anger at the wrong people¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a war where one wrong decision could cost him thousands of lives. The emperor knew he was overreacting, most likely because he was so tired. Finally, Lucius the First announced that he was going to take a quick break. Sir Bentier understood how stressed the emperor was, so he offered, ¡°Would you like to spar with me, your highness?¡± ¡°Spar?! Yes! Oh, wait¡­ No¡­ I guess not.¡± ¡®If Sir Bentier uses his spear, I would have no chance against him¡­¡¯ When the emperor hesitated, the servant offered, ¡°Should I go get Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want Inno either.¡± One of the guards from the First Division offered, ¡°Your highness, if you would like, I could be your opponent.¡± The emperor shook his head again. He was now well aware of how skilled, and how violent the members of the First Division were. It made sense since they were all handpicked by Sir Ainno himself. Lucius the First wasn¡¯t the type that became angry when he lost, but he knew how frustrated he would feel if he got hit today. The emperor contemted what he should do during his hard-earned break to make himself feel better. There was only one person he could think of that could improve his mood. Then, with a smile, he announced, ¡°I will be going to thedy¡¯s quarters.¡± His whole demeanor changed. The emperor finally looked happy and expectant. *** When the emperor visited her, Poliana was happy to see him. He asked her to spar with him, and she asked, ¡°But what about Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°That guy is toopetitive.¡± Sir Ainno always fought hard, even in a friendly spar, as if his life depended on it. He didn¡¯t care who he fought even if it¡¯s just another knight or the emperor himself. Sir Ainno fought savagely and he always won. It wasn¡¯t that Lucius the First was a bad swordsman, butpared to Sir Ainno, the emperor had no chance. On top of this, Sir Ainno was an ugly winner. He always teased the emperor mercilessly after a spar, and Lucius the First didn¡¯t want to endure such a humiliation today. Poliana then asked, ¡°Your highness, you could¡¯ve just asked one of the guards from the First Division to fight you.¡± ¡°They are all turning into Sir Ainno, unfortunately.¡± Poliana nodded understandingly because she knew these men well. With a sly smile, she said to him, ¡°So what you are saying is that you came to spar me because you know you could win against me, right? Is that it, your highness? That is very unfair.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯te here to win!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just joking, your highness.¡± The emperor was about to deny it emphatically, but when Poliana grinned at him, he smiled as well. Polianaughed and soon, they began their spar. Because they were at thedy¡¯s quarters, the emperor¡¯s wives became their audience. While the emperor and Poliana stretched, the servants and the maids moved quickly to prepare the seats for thedies. They even put up a tent to create a nice shade for the emperor¡¯s wives. Lucius the First said to Poliana, ¡°Sir Pol, I see that your sense of humor has improved a lot.¡± ¡°It is all thanks to you, your highness.¡± Poliana swung her sword a few times to test it out. The emperor watched andplimented her for her skills. It wasmon for the knights to stop training after a long war and it was nice to see that clearly, Poliana had never stopped training. She was indeed an excellent knight. The start of the spar was signaled as the maid, who stood between Poliana and the emperor, dropped her handkerchief. Poliana was the one who moved first to attack, and Lucius the First blocked her easily. ¡°Sir Pol, I can feel that you are stronger than before.¡± ¡°The doctor told me that a woman¡¯s stamina and strength actually increase in her thirties and forties, your highness.¡± ¡°How amazing!¡± Poliana attacked Lucius the First with everything she had, but she was no match for him. She might have be stronger, but her strength couldn¡¯tpare to that of a well-trained man. Lucius the First easily blocked even her best attacks with only one hand. Because she was a woman and therefore weaker than most male soldiers, she was taught early on that she needed to fight to kill, not maim. The precise moves to slow down or injure an opponent were used by the people like Sir Ainno and Sir Rabi. So, she fought the emperor ferociously like she always did, but she was no match for him. Lucius the First was an underrated swordsman purely because he waspared to Sir Ainno, but in truth, the emperor was an excellent swordsman. No matter how hard Poliana fought, this spar felt like a slightly vigorous workout to the emperor. Only Every time their swords met and nked, thedies shrieked. They weren¡¯t used to hearing the metals hitting each other. ¡°Oh no! Marquess Winter!¡± Suddenly, Lucius the First¡¯s sword shed and made a small cut on Poliana¡¯s face, making thedies and maids scream in shock. Stra seemed like she was going to burst into tears. ¡°Marquess Winter¡­. Your face¡­!¡± Poliana didn¡¯t think much about it and tried to continue the spar. She had much worse scars all over her body, so such a small cut didn¡¯t mean anything. But then, the emperor put down his sword and ordered, ¡°Sir Pol, you should get your cut treated.¡± ¡°Well, alright, your highness. I guess it would look awful for the head of the Second Division to have a fresh injury on her face.¡± The maids quickly brought clean clothes, a gauze, and medicinal cream. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 The maids washed the injury on Poliana¡¯s face and spread the medicinal cream on it. Everyone fussed around her, and Poliana nced around, trying to find the right moment to escape. When the people quieted down a little, Poliana announced, ¡°I think I should get going.¡± The emperor and his wives tried to get her to stay, but Poliana refused. She smiled knowingly before leaving quickly. Poliana was trying to help the royal family. They were all newlyweds, the royal couples, so she wanted to give them as much private time as possible. When she looked back at them onest time, she could tell that the emperor¡¯s wives looked expectant and pleased. ¡®I wish they would have some babies soon. A beautiful princess would be so nice.¡¯ The emperor and his wives were all beautiful, so their children had to be beautiful too. Poliana felt happy just thinking about some little royal babies filling this castle. ¡°Marquess.¡± Suddenly, one of the maids called her name from behind. When Poliana turned around, she found out that it was Cekel. Cekel Ingreter, now officially a spinster, recently announced that she would never get married. Despite her rather low-born status, she was somehow hired to be one of Tory¡¯s maids. All of the three Ingreter brothers followed Lucius the First into war, therefore, they were soon going to be given significant promotions. Their family was close and had a stable future ahead, so there was a good chance that Cekel could¡¯ve gotten a marriage offer from a noble family, but for some reason, Cekel decided to give up on finding a husband. There were many rumors about her ever since, and most of them weren¡¯t good. Poliana didn¡¯t want to hear about it, so she stopped listening to them a long time ago. Poliana was familiar with all the brothers, Aeke, Beke, and Deke, as well as their sister, Cekel. The Cekel Poliana knew was nothing like the ugly rumors suggested. Cekel was certainly not a feminine affectionate woman, but it was obvious that she took great care of those around her. Poliana liked her a lot, so whenever she spotted Cekel, Poliana approached her for a small chat. Cekel appreciated this, especially because her status in the castle was a confusing one. She was technically a maid since she was a noblewoman, but she also was not from a prominent family, so some saw her as a servant. ¡°Marquess Winter, you should put some medicine on your injury.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, Cekel. It¡¯s already done.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know because the cut hasn¡¯t been bandaged.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s really hard and annoying to bandage one¡¯s face. It looks worse than it really is, so don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll get some scabs very soon.¡± ¡°Are you going to see the emperor right now?¡± ¡°Actually, I just left him. He is with his wives, so I wanted to give them some privacy.¡± While they talked, Poliana noticed that Cekel¡¯s outfit was a bit disarrayed. Poliana knew immediately that something wasn¡¯t right. Ever since she became the head of the guards, she made sure to keep herself neat and clean. She was also very strict with his guards¡¯ looks. They didn¡¯t have to look pretty, but they better always look immacte. Poliana narrowed her eyes as she noticed how Cekel¡¯s clothes looked like it had been creased recently. It was obvious that Cekel made an effort to straighten her outfit very recently. Cekel¡¯s cheeks were also faintly flushed and she was breathing heavily. Poliana grabbed her and took her to a quiet corner before asking, ¡°Lady Cekel, did something happen to you today? If so, you must tell me. I am responsible for the safety of everyone in thedy¡¯s quarters and so, I will take care of this situation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing you need to worry about, Marquess. Besides, it didn¡¯t even happen inside thedy¡¯s quarters.¡± Poliana raised her fist in determination. Any man who mistreated ady just because she was a spinster needed to be taught a serious lesson. ¡°If anyone caused you any troubles, please tell me honestly. I will go and beat him up for you.¡± ¡°I already did it.¡± Cekel showed Poliana her palm proudly and Poliana saw that it was redder than her face. Cekel looked annoyed as she continued, ¡°And you know what he said to me after I hit him?¡± ¡°What? What did the bastard say?¡± ¡°He told me that I was the first person ever to p his face.¡± Poliana frowned angrily. She examined Cekel again to make sure she wasn¡¯t hurt. Thankfully, Cekel looked very annoyed but otherwise healthy. Poliana then asked, ¡°Was he crazy?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t have a crazy idiot walking around the castle freely. Is it someone I know? I can take care of him right away¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. I pped him pretty hard, so I don¡¯t think that I need to ruin his reputation too. I just won¡¯t talk to him anymore.¡± ¡°Good idea, but if he ever bothers you again, you can kick him in his balls. I will make sure you don¡¯t get in trouble.¡± Poliana began to teach Cekel some basic self-defense moves. Anyone could kick someone¡¯s crotch, but the important thing was one¡¯s attitude. Many women often didn¡¯t hit as hard as they could, and this was a big mistake; not hitting your assant hard enough would just make them angry. The key was to kick the man in the crotch as hard as one could. There was no need to worry if he would die because he won¡¯t. It was also helpful to scream as loudly as possible. Cekel nodded and paid attention to her as she listened carefully to Poliana¡¯s heartfelt advice. *** Only A few dayster, Poliana and Lucius the First walked down the hallway together to visit Sir Ainno, who apparently was seriously injured. Poliana didn¡¯t feel much about it, but the emperor seemed very upset. Poliana could see his eyes watering. She said to him, ¡°Your highness, please don¡¯t worry so much. I heard it isn¡¯t anything serious. He just fell off the horse and is suffering from a muscle cramp.¡± ¡°But I have never seen Inno get sick¡­¡± Sir Ainno once got stabbed. At the time, he didn¡¯t even stop; he continued to ride his horse to fight on. He was that tough, so for him to be confined to his bed was indeed very scary. Poliana was told that he didn¡¯t even break any bones, so how serious of a muscle cramp was it? The messenger wouldn¡¯t give the emperor many details, and this even made the emperor more upset. Before opening the door to Sir Ainno¡¯s room, Poliana and Lucius the First looked at each other nervously. After taking a deep breath, they walked in. ¡°Inno!¡± Sir Ainno looked perfectly fine, but the emperor didn¡¯t even notice. He ran towards his friend and hugged Sir Ainno passionately. Poliana watched from behind and her eyes began to water as well. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 It took Sir Ainno 30 minutes to figure out what Lucius the First was thinking. When he did, Sir Ainno threw his pillow at the emperor in annoyance. It turned out that Sir Ainno fell off a horse and ended up hurting his penis. Who knew one could get hurt there by falling off a horse? Poliana and the others in the room couldn''t stopughing at his funny situation. The emperor also grinned at his best friend. Some were crying because they wereughing so hard, making Sir Ainno even angrier. He threw more of his pillows at these people and Poliana stood in front of Lucius the First to protect him. "Get out!" Sir Ainno yelled, and in the end, his doctor stated that the patient should get some rest and so, everyone was kicked out of the room. The emperor looked satisfied as he said to Poliana, "My wish has finallye true." "But I thought your wish was to unite the continent, your highness." "I had two. I always prayed that Inno would someday fall on his smug face and break his nose, but every rare time he did fall, his reflex is so great that he alwaysnded perfectly on his feet. But finally, this day hase! Hahahaha!" "You look very pleased, your highness." "And it looks like I''m not the only one. You look very happy yourself, Sir Pol." Polianaughed evilly and Lucius the First followed suit. "Hahaha!" "Hehehe!" Sir Ainno was an excellent dependable knight, but he could be an overconfident jerk. Many secretlyughed at him for falling off a horse, which was such a beginner''s mistake. Poliana felt disappointed that she could tell everyone she knew about what happened to him, but it was best to let Sir Ainno keep his reputation intact. Sir Ainno''s injury made Lucius the First think deeply about his own life. After a short contemtion, the emperor decided to put a breaktime in his daily schedule despite his ever-increasing workload. He was in his 30''s and therefore in his prime, but soon, he will turn 40. Time passed by fast and it meant that his stamina, health, and mental capacity were going to begin deteriorating at some point. He might be perfectly healthy now, but he didn''t even have an heir yet. The closest person he could call his heir was Duke Luzo. So¡­ what if he suddenly died? The kingdom he created was going to experience such turmoil. Perhaps it might even break into different kingdoms again after a civil war. Even if Lucius the First had a son already, he still couldn''t die until his son was old enough to rule safely. If the emperor died when his son was too young, the new emperor would be powerless, he would be an empty shell that would get used by the elders. Lucius the First became the emperor when he was in histe teens. He was a grown man at the time, but even then, many noblemen overtly ignored him and defied him even though Lucius the First had the unwavering support from Duke Luzo. When the emperor announced that he would ease his work schedule a little, everyone sighed in relief. Many were worried about his health from being overworked, so they were d that the emperor finally made this decision. There was certainly an overabundant amount of work to be done, but this didn''t mean that the emperor had to take care of everything. He just needed to delegate the work ordingly. The problem was that Lucius the First was a perfectionist. He tried to get involved in even the smallest of matters such as regional taxws. It was absolutely unnecessary because those in charge of the locals could and should be doing this job. Those around the emperor were worried that if Lucius the First continued to overwork in his manner, he might be just like Duke Luzo, who was clearly beginning to go bald. All the men and women loved the emperor''s beautiful golden hair. If he lost his best feature¡­ It would be the kingdom''s greatest loss. The emperor''s beauty was the most important treasure of Acreia. Everyone in the kingdom was proud of it. Everyone hoped that he would grow into a beautiful middle-aged man, but if he lost his hair¡­ It would be impossible. So, in the end, a generous break time was ced in Lucius the First''s daily routine, which meant that he could sometimes even leave the city. *** While walking in the green forest, the emperor smiled happily. The smell of the trees was amazing especially because he had been stuck in the city castle for a long time by now. Being surrounded by nature made his fatigue disappear slowly. His hunting entourage also smiled. It was a wonderful day to hunt because there was barely any wind. Lucius the First then announced, "It''s so nice to be out." Ever since he left to secretly move the capital of Acreia, he was always followed by the officials every time he left the castle. When these officials were sure that the emperor was indeed just hunting, they left, but the emperor still grumbled. "It''s so sad that they cannot trust their own emperor. If they stayed any longer, they would''ve ruined this outing. And I don''t know why I have to have so many guards with me even when I am just hunting." "Totally, your highness. I don''t know why so many of them have to follow us every time." "It''s not like you are going to move the capital again." Some noblemen agreed with the emperor, but Poliana disagreed, "We need many men for your protection, your highness. It can be very dangerous outside the castle." Her guards nodded in agreement. For the emperor''s protection, it was best to have many men follow them just in case. When Poliana looked determined, Lucius the First tried to make an excuse, saying, "But if we have this many men with us, it will make it easier for all the animals to notice us and run away." Poliana frowned. "But your highness, we don''t have Sir Ainno with you either, so¡­" She hated to admit it, but it was the truth. Sir Ainno''s presence guaranteed the emperor''s safety, so without him, Poliana felt the need to bring as many of her men as possible. She felt ashamed that she wasn''t as strong as Sir Ainno, but it couldn''t be helped. ''Why did he have to get injured? That stupid jerk.'' It was odd to not see Sir Ainno, who was always by the emperor''s side, but Lucius the First seemed even more excited that Sir Ainno wasn''t with him. Before the hunting party left, Poliana wanted to bring even more guards, but the emperor was adamant that he wouldn''t allow it. He protested, insisting that his hunting day would be ruined if she brought all the men she wanted for his protection. In the end, the emperor won as usual. They were inside the Msmel forest, which scared some men. It was a very different forest than the one in Acreia. The trees looked different and there were different animals here. Lucius the First said to the men, "There is nothing to worry about. It''s perfectly safe here." This was true because arge lumber mill was built just outside the forest. Because the Yapa became the new capital, there was a huge influx of people from all over the continent, thereby increasing the need for lumber and stones. The trees on the outer edges of the Msmel forest were being cut, which meant that the forest was no longer as quiet as it used to be. Now, they are so many people around them trying to make their living. Of course, Lucius the First was beginning to get worried about the number of trees being cut. If too many were removed, the entire forest could be destroyed. Msmel was very important to the mid-continent. It was a great source of wild animals and bees for honey, and once a forest was ruined, it was impossible to revive it. This was why the emperor decided against creating a path across the forest. He said to his men, "Don''t you think a forest resembles a human body? When you clip your fingernails, they grow back, but if you cut off your hand, it won''te back. In fact, it could kill you. Killing a forest would be a stupid thing, every hunter knows this." The emperor suddenly spotted a bird flying above him. He aimed carefully and shot his arrow. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 When his arrow didn¡¯t go high enough and missed its mark, Lucius the First sighed. His hunting dog also looked disappointed. Their hunting trip wasn¡¯t very productive, and although the purpose of this outing was just to get some fresh air, the emperor still grumbled. ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve bought Inno with me after all?¡¯ Although Sir Ainno could be annoying and smug, he was an amazing hunter. Lucius the First was certain that if he brought his frustrating friend, they would¡¯ve caught something good. Just as his hunting dog looked like it gained some weight due to inactivity, the emperor¡¯s hunting skill was not what it used to be. He should¡¯ve kept himself sharper, but his recently sedentary life had ruined his abilities. On top of this, all the people he brought with him today weren¡¯t decent hunters. Poliana was no good at bows and arrows and they only had a short amount of time. Poliana was also frustrated with her mediocre hunting skills. She needed to catch something, anything, as gifts for thedies. Lately, Poliana received so many presents from variousdies, including the emperor¡¯s wives themselves. Handkerchiefs, flowers, perfumes, cosmetics, clothes, and shoes¡­ Poliana had been thanking them gratefully, but it was about time she became the one who was giving. It could be anything, even a pretty bird or a squirrel would do. Poliana did sometimes give out local specialties from hernd, but she needed to do more. Besides, the most popr local product from her ce was brimstone, and who would want that? Poliana could of course buy something, but that would look less genuine. An expensive precious stone would be a great gift, but there were too manydies she needed to gift and therefore it would cost her too much. ¡®The emperor¡¯s three wives and their maids anddies-in-waiting¡­ And of course, I have to send something to Vaxi and Vanessa since they send me gifts all the time too!¡¯ If she gifted them with some precious stones, she couldn¡¯t just give them the raw stones. They would have to be worked on by the jewelry maker, which would cost a pretty penny. Although Poliana¡¯snd was a productive and rich property, she didn¡¯t feel wealthy because she didn¡¯t get to actually see its physical money. She only got to read the reports of the tax collected from hernd. In this kind of situation, the best and the safest present was an animal she caught herself. For a gentleman, a fresh fish was also a good idea, but thedies usually didn¡¯t like it. If she could just catch a rabbit¡­ A rabbit¡¯s foot was a popr gift idea while something nice could be made with its hide. Rabbit meat was also great for stews. Poliana diligently shot her arrows, but she wasn¡¯t sessful at her attempts. Some other people caught at least some small prey such as rabbits and birds, and even then, they grumbled in disappointment. ¡°Oh man, today¡¯s hunting trip sucked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you guys didn¡¯t pee before entering the forest.¡± Lucius the First turned to his men and said in annoyance, ¡°I told you to empty your dder before the hunting starts for good luck! I told you!¡± Poliana looked at them in frustration. ¡®Ungrateful idiots.¡¯ She knew she could never be as good as these Acreians, who were born as hunters, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed. She was at least very good at catching those lizards, but they were useless for thedies. And besides, it was getting cold and the lizards were nowhere to be seen. In the end, Poliana had to return home empty-handed. When the emperor suggested that she should eat dinner with him since the cook was going to make a rabbit stew, Poliana epted and entered the castle with the emperor. They were talking quietly, and the others walked behind them without a word. ¡°Sir Pol, you look upset. Not all hunting trips can be productive, so you shouldn¡¯t feel bad.¡± ¡°But your highness¡­ I was hoping I could bring something for her highnesses¡­¡± Lucius the First looked at Poliana with an odd expression. The woman he loved and couldn¡¯t have got along very well with his three wives and the emperor didn¡¯t know how to feel about this strange situation. They say it was a lucky man whose wives and concubines got along well together, but¡­ ¡®What do I love about you¡­?¡¯ They were entering the inner garden on their horses when several people from the castle ran towards them and hurriedly greeted them. They looked so relieved to see him and the emperor became annoyed, saying, ¡°You people act like I ran away or something.¡± Well, he did it once to change the capital, but didn¡¯t they know he wouldn¡¯t do something like that again? Then suddenly, one of the royal guards ran towards them. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Your highness! Your highness! Your highness!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here. Just breathe first and talk to me.¡± ¡°Her royal highness, Stra, is pregnant!¡± Lucius the First felt his world flipping upside down. Thud! The emperor fell off his horse. He slumped on the ground as Poliana and the guards gasped in shock. It seemed the emperor couldn¡¯t respond and the people couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of the shock from falling off his horse or hearing about his pregnant wife. ¡°Your highness! Are you alright?¡± Lucius the First sighed deeply and stood up. Then with his calm voice, he ordered, ¡°Stop overreacting.¡± To everyone¡¯s relief, it seemed that their emperor was ok, especially for someone who just fell off a horse. Slowly, he began to walk towards thedy¡¯s quarters. Poliana realized that although Lucius the First looked perfectly calm, he must¡¯ve been shocked. He was pretending to be indifferent, but he forgot to get back on his horse. It was clear that he was absolutely surprised by this news. The emperor¡¯s well-trained horse remained where he was without moving, and Poliana coaxed it as she pulled its rein. She began to follow the emperor and suddenly when Lucius the First began to run, she tried to do the same. However, she spotted Chail, who was at the front door and looking so unhappy. Chail was the emperor¡¯s personal valet as well as the head of the servants in the Yapa castle. When she saw his face, Poliana knew something wasn¡¯t right. Poliana ordered her guards to follow and protect the emperor while she went to Chail. There, Poliana asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master Chail?¡± Only ¡°It¡¯s great news, of course, but¡­ It happened too fast, don¡¯t you think? Aren¡¯t you nervous about it?¡± ¡°We are talking about a perfectly healthy young man and woman, Master Chail. It¡¯s definitely a good thing, I think. Wasn¡¯t it you who let people know of this? I mean, isn¡¯t that why the news traveled so fast? What did the doctor say?¡± Poliana subtly criticized Chail, who should¡¯ve kept this kind of sensitive news a secret untilter. To have a random guard shout out that the emperor¡¯s wife was pregnant¡­ This was not the way to release a piece of important royal news. Chail then replied, ¡°The doctor is examining her right now.¡± They began to walk towards thedy¡¯s quarters, which was filled with different people waiting for the doctor¡¯s confirmation. The people whispered excitedly, but when they spotted Poliana, they moved aside to create a clear path for her. It was good to be a powerful woman. Chail eximed, clearly impressed, while Poliana shrugged her shoulders nonchntly. Then suddenly, Chail and Poliana could hear people murmuring loudly. Chail grabbed one of thedies-in-waiting and asked what was happening and she replied quickly, ¡°It¡¯s a false rm. Apparently, it is just a phantom pregnancy.¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Poliana was disappointed and she didn¡¯t have to see to know that Lucius the First was even more disheartened by the news that his wife wasn¡¯t actually pregnant. Poliana then murmured, ¡°I was so excited about the baby too¡­¡± Chail replied, ¡°It looks like you are going to get very busy now, Marquess Winter.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see? The threedies all are so desperate to get pregnant. One was frantic enough to imagine herself pregnant! Soon, there will be even a scarier power struggle in thedy¡¯s quarters than thest one. One husband and three wives! It¡¯s going to be a bloodbath!¡± ¡°¡­ Are you being serious, Master Chail?¡± ¡°No, of course not. I was just joking, but not the part about how busy you are going to get busy soon.¡± Without exining what he meant, Chail left to return to his room. When he was gone, Poliana asked one of the servants, who was very close to Chail, ¡°Hey, what kind of books does the master read nowadays?¡± ¡°Oh, Master Chail enjoys reading the fictional stories about royal power struggles, especially among the emperor¡¯s wives and concubines!¡± ¡°Dammit! I knew it!¡± Poliana punched the nearest wall in annoyance. Chail knew how serious and awful things could get in the royaldy¡¯s quarters, yet to joke about it like this¡­ What a mean guy. Chail was clearly too into his books because it almost sounded like he wanted horrible things to happen in real life just for some excitement. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to go burn all of his stupid books!¡¯ Poliana changed her outfit and headed to work. When she arrived, she found Stra crying after finding out that she wasn¡¯t pregnant. Lucius the First and Tory were consoling her gently, but Reba was nowhere to be seen. Poliana looked around and Cekel exined, ¡°Lady Reba is resting because she wasn¡¯t feeling well today.¡± ¡°Again?¡± All of the maids and thedies-in-waiting were in hereforting Stra, which meant that Reba probably didn¡¯t have many people to take care of her. Even the doctor was here with Stra. Poliana walked to Reba¡¯s quarters. She wasn¡¯t good atforting people because she never knew what to say, so she wouldn¡¯t have been any use to Stra. In addition, Poliana couldn¡¯t understand why a false pregnancy would make Stra sad. So she thought it made sense for her to go visit Reba. Maybe having Poliana with her would make Reba less lonely. When she walked into Reba¡¯s quarters, her maid was obviously happy to see Poliana. ¡®They must¡¯ve felt like they were being left out.¡¯ Many of Reba¡¯s maids were also with Stra unfortunately. Poliana felt annoyed; if these were her maids, she would¡¯ve reprimanded them for leaving her when she wasn¡¯t feeling so well. Poliana would¡¯ve punished them even. Poliana asked one of the maids, ¡°Is Lady Reba ok?¡± Instead of the maid answering, a man in the room replied instead. ¡°It¡¯s just a mild cold, so you need not worry, Marquess.¡± For a long time, Poliana tried to remember who this man was. As the emperor¡¯s personal guard, Poliana used to make a huge effort to remember people¡¯s faces and names, but that was a long time ago. As a marquess and the head of the Second Division, it wasn¡¯t her job anymore to remember these people. It was the other person who should be introducing himself or herself to her. She was now too important to waste time remembering people. The man looked kind and nonthreatening. He wasn¡¯t particrly good looking, and he was on the chubby side. He was the kind of guy who Poliana could beat up easily. ¡®Oh!¡¯ Yes, now, she remembered him. Frau Sneke. He showed her his kind smile just like he did the first time he met her. ¡®So I wasn¡¯t wrong about my feelings.¡¯ Poliana was nowpletely certain that if they got into a physical fight, she would win easily. She could probably even win an arm-wrestling match against him. He had no muscles at all and he didn¡¯t look very dependable. However, his voice was soothing and he had a calm and kind demeanor, which was perfect for his job as a doctor. Frau greeted Poliana, ¡°It is an honor to see you again.¡± ¡°Were you examining Lady Reba?¡± ¡°Yes, you can go in now and see her.¡± Frau moved away from the door to thedy¡¯s room. When Poliana was about to open the door, he did it for her immediately. Poliana was surprised that Frau would do this, considering he wasn¡¯t even a servant. Most knights and noblemen showed good manners to nobledies, but it was very rare for them to do it for her as if they didn¡¯t see Poliana as a woman. She was so surprised when Frau opened the door for her that she didn¡¯t even think to thank him. She just walked in and found Reba in her bed. She was sitting up against a plump pillow, and because she was so small, she looked like she was buried in her giant bed. Reba greeted Poliana pleasantly. Poliana bowed respectfully and asked how thedy was doing. Reba shook her head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just a cold, so it¡¯s nothing to worry about. We should be more concerned with Stra.¡± Stra was crying in the arms of Tory and Lucius the First, and Poliana wondered if this was really something to cry about. ¡®It¡¯s not like she had a miscarriage¡­ She didn¡¯t lose a baby because she wasn¡¯t pregnant to begin with.¡¯ Reba added, ¡°She was so happy because she thought she was pregnant¡­¡± She coughed and sighed deeply. A few hours ago, Stra was smiling widely because she hasn¡¯t had her monthly bleeding for a few months, and she was feeling nauseous. Stra felt certain that she was with a child. No one could have imagined that it was a phantom pregnancy. Reba said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sure she will be pregnant for real very soon.¡± It wasn¡¯t a big deal at all. It would¡¯ve been better if Stra was really pregnant, but this wasn¡¯t the worst thing. ¡®I mean, I¡¯m just d it wasn¡¯t a miscarriage.¡¯ Poliana might have cried if Stra lost a baby, but she never did. It was just a phantom pregnancy. Poliana still couldn¡¯t understand why Stra was so upset. It wasn¡¯t like Stra was diagnosed with infertility. All the wives were still very young, and they have been married for only a year now. There was no need to be desperate at this point. Poliana then replied, ¡°I agree, Lady Reba.¡± ¡°Is she really upset?¡± ¡°Yes, but his highness is consoling her.¡± Only If a woman didn¡¯t be pregnant after three years of their marriage, the people would begin to whisper that she might be barren, but it wasn¡¯t the situation in this case. They were only married for a year, which meant that they still had two more years to try without worrying. So why was Stra feeling so desperate? It must¡¯ve shown that Poliana didn¡¯t seem too concerned about Stra¡¯s situation. Reba smiled strangely and Poliana felt guilty, realizing that Reba found out how she really felt. Poliana looked away as Reba said to her, ¡°Marquess, you don¡¯t think this is a big deal.¡± ¡°You are all very young and healthy, so you will get pregnant soon, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Does his highness feel the same way about this situation?¡± ¡°His highness is a kind considerate man, so I am sure he is much more upset about this than myself.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed¡­ His highness is very kind and considerate¡­ He is a wonderful man, and¡­ Since he favors you more than his wives, I am sure your guess is better than mine when ites to how the emperor feels, Marquess Winter.¡± Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Poliana became tense, thinking that Lady Reba was insulting her. ¡°Lady Reba¡­¡± Reba reached out and held Poliana¡¯s hands. Thedy¡¯s hands were soft and warm because of her fever. She said gently, ¡°Sir Poliana, I didn¡¯t mean to insult you in any way, certainly not regarding your rtionship with his highness. I just meant that his highness values you greatly.¡± ¡°Indeed, I am very lucky, but Lady Reba, there is no doubt that his highness cares more for hisdy wives than myself, of course.¡± ¡°He can always get more wives, but it would be hard to rece a loyal knight.¡± Reba gave her a lonely smile as she let go of Poliana¡¯s hands. Reba looked down at her nket and asked, ¡°Marquess, have you ever wished you were a man?¡± ¡°Never.¡± Poliana was asked this question frequently, and every time, her answer was firm. The fact was, she never even thought of such a thing until someone asked her and whenever she answered it negatively, people seemed surprised. And every time, they would ask the same follow-up question, ¡°Why not? After having a life like hers, why wouldn¡¯t you wish to be born a man?¡± What did people mean when they said, ¡°a life like hers?¡± The funny thing was that people asked this question both before and after she became sessful as Lucius the First¡¯s favored knight. Why? During the war, no one ever asked the soldiers if they wished they were born a woman, so they didn¡¯t have to risk their lives in a battle. No one even thought to ask such a question, so why ask her if she wished she was born a man? Lady Reba exined, ¡°For me, I always imagined what it would be like to be a man. I have an older brother, so even if I was born a man, I still wouldn¡¯t have inherited the kingdom, which meant I would¡¯ve done whatever I was talented at. So, what would I have be? What kind of skills would I have learned? Would my father, the king, give mends so I can have a ce to rule on my own? Even as a child, I was often called a selfish girl, everyone told me I was greedy. They would say, ¡®How can a girl be so greedy? Why would you want to get your ownnd? Just look pretty so you can get married well. If you want things, you have to marry well.¡¯ And so, I became his highness¡¯s wife.¡± Poliana touched Reba¡¯s forehead and felt her mild fever. She seemed only slightly warmer than usual, but Reba must¡¯ve been sicker than she looked. Poliana didn¡¯t pay much attention to what thedy was saying because she assumed Reba wasn¡¯t herself. ¡®Hmm¡­ Greedy? Lady Reba? I never felt that she was like that¡­¡¯ As the oldest of the three wives, Reba was kind and generous. Poliana remembered what Lucius the First said about his wives. Unfortunately, the emperor was too busy to spend much time with thedies. He actually spent much more time with Poliana, but still, he was married to these women so he learned a lot about them. Lucius the First told Poliana that Tory was intelligent, Stra was kind, and Reba was ambitious. A woman and ambition¡­ these two things weren¡¯t supposed to go together. When Poliana asked him if it was a good thing, Lucius the First only smiled at her as a reply. Poliana couldn¡¯t understand how he felt about it, but she didn¡¯t pry. Greed and ambition. Now, these two things definitely went together. Reba continued, ¡°I became one of the three most important women in the continent. There could be no other position considered more powerful than being the emperor¡¯s wife. My life could not be considered more sessful than the way it is right now, right? I was approved by the most important man in this world. My qualifications, including my appearance, bloodline, and personality were deemed the best and that is why I am standing here. I was acknowledged and honored by everyone, but¡­ I still didn¡¯t like it when I was told to get married because if I was born a man, I thought I would¡¯ve had a better life.¡± Poliana disagreed. Being the second son of a king who lost his kingdom to Lucius the First¡­ She was certain that being his highness¡¯s wife was a much better position. Poliana thought to argue, but she decided against it. Reba was clearly not well so she was just talking nonsense. Poliana touched her forehead again to see if her fever was getting worse. Reba added, ¡°I was stupid. I was wrong. It turned out that I didn¡¯t have to be born a man to be able to hold a sword¡­ A woman can do it too¡­¡± What was the definition of happiness for a woman in this world? What caused a woman to be called greedy? Women had more power in the southern regionspared to the north, but in truth, there wasn¡¯t that much of a difference. No matter where one lived if she was a woman, a good marriage and having sons was considered to be the biggest sess a woman could achieve in her life. Because being loved by their husbands was considered their biggest happiness, some women might feel like their lives have be meaningless once they became old. As time passed, most men would lose interest in their wives, who be old women. A woman could be greedy only about being loved by her husband and having healthy sons, while a man could be ambitious about so many more things. A man could dream to unite the continent, to be promoted, and to be richer. All these things¡­ they weren¡¯t allowed for a woman. At this moment, the biggest ambition the emperor¡¯s wives could dream was to have her own son be the next emperor. Only Reba was considered a sessful woman by everyone in the world so at first, she was very happy. She didn¡¯t get to see her husband very often and in fact, she had to share him with other women, but this wasn¡¯t a big deal. She was also born rich, which meant that she never had to worry about money in her life. It might have been inappropriate to admit it, but she was satisfied with her husband in bed as well. She was considered the weakest among the wives in many respects, but she was ok with this too. Yes, Greedy Reba was happy at first because she knew she achieved the greatest sess a woman could achieve in this world. She thought her ambition was fulfilled. She smiled happily often about it at first. Then one day, when she was chatting with the other wives, Tory said to Stra, ¡°Marquess Winter has be so powerfultely.¡± ¡°Yes, but I still feel sad for her. I mean, she may have all the power in the world, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Marquess is still ugly and unmarried.¡± Tory and Stra didn¡¯t mean any disrespect towards Poliana by this conversation. They were, as all women in this world would, genuinely feel sympathetic towards Poliana. Reba was listening quietly at the time when suddenly, she learned the truth about herself. Lady Reba realized that ever since she met Poliana, she has been envious of Marquess Winter. The truth was¡­ The wife of the most powerful man in the world was envious of this ugly spinster knightess in front of her. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 A woman wasn''t allowed to hold a sword, this was the rule of their society. This was how it had always been. Reba used to watch the men with swords enviously, while Poliana made her way in this world and took the sword in her own hand. Reba believed and followed the rules the society made for her while Poliana never let go of her sword even at the worst time. The people and the society, in general, tried to take her sword away from Poliana, but she fought to keep it. In the end, Poliana seeded in bing epted as the woman who holds the sword. When Reba saw Poliana, her body vibrated with this realization, she learned how stupid and nearsighted she has been. What Reba had wasn''t a real sess; Poliana was the truly sessful one in this world. Marquess Winter got her own castle,nd, title, and favor from the emperor. Reba, on the other hand, was stuck in thedy''s quarters to have babies. No matter who Poliana married, if at all, her life and sess would not change. Poliana was truly an independent woman, a woman that could live a life like a man. Reba once read a novel with a knightess as the main character. She always thought what Poliana achieved in real life could only happen in a story but obviously, she was wrong. Reba said to Poliana, "People tell boys that they should have big ambitions. As children, we are taught that boys have ambitions, and girls have ribbons. Boys are encouraged to be greedy while girls are forced to be meek and generous. The only things that the girls can be greedy about are jewelry, pretty dresses, and a handsome husband. My mistake was that all my life, I have been greedy about the things I was told I was allowed to have. Beautiful jewels, expensive dresses, and the most powerful man on the continent¡­ But the truth is, I could''ve been greedier. I could''ve and should''ve fought for more. I should''ve at least tried to get things people told me I wasn''t allowed to have. I should''ve been braver." Poliana began to get a headache. She couldn''t tell what Reba was trying to tell her. Lady Reba began telling her about her life story and now she was talking about greed. Poliana saw that Reba was grabbing onto her nket hard, which meant that she was distressed. Poliana was worried about thedy''s throat because she was talking so much. What if she loses her voice tomorrow? Poliana said to her, "Lady Reba, you are going to hurt your throat. If you want to tell me something, you can tell me once you''re feeling better." When Poliana tried to stand up to leave, Reba grabbed her. Thedy was so weak that Poliana could''ve pushed her hands away, but Poliana didn''t. Poliana sighed and gently let Reba''s hands go as she exined, "I''m going to get you some water, that''s all. I''m not leaving, so don''t worry." Poliana got her a warm cup of water. Reba held it carefully with both hands and took a sip. Her voice sounded a little better afterward. Poliana said to her again, "I am not sure what you are trying to tell me, but perhaps you can tell me after you recover from your cold?" "If I don''t do it now, I never will get the courage to do it. I need to tell you this now." Reba knew what she was about to tell Poliana wasn''t going to work to her advantage. Poliana was a marquess and the emperor''s favored guard. Saying something that could make their rtionship awkward was going to work against Reba. But she had to say this because Poliana was a woman, a knight, and a marquess. This had to be done, so Reba continued, "There is an invisible hurdle in our society that blocks the women from having their true happiness. Unless we get rid of it, women will always remain trapped in our cage. The problem is, this hurdle is a harsh one and it is not forgiving to anyone who tries to jump over it. This is why no one ever tries to ovee it. They¡­ We¡­ don''t even try because we don''t even know that it exists. We don''t even realize that it''s a hurdle. We just think it''s there for our own protection. But you, Marquess¡­ You seeded in jumping over this wall. I''ll bet the men around you were confused and shocked to see you. I''ll bet they tried to destroy you. They would''ve threatened you to get back behind this ''wall.'' They probably used violence against you to try to force you, but Marquess Winter, you clearly did not back down. You kept going and going until the men had no choice but to ept you but in the process, you lost your gender." "I am a woman." Poliana frowned, it was the first time she reacted to Reba''s words during her rant. Poliana then exined, "Sorry to interrupt you, but you got it wrong, Lady Reba. I have never forgotten my gender in my life. Not once. I may have cut my hair short, wear pants, and carry a sword, but I never considered myself as a woman. I never even considered to make myself a man." "Yes, Marquess, I agree with you. I meant something else." "What do you mean?" "I''m saying you aren''t in the same boat as all the other women. You can''t empathize with us. In fact, you empathize with men much more." With a breathless sigh, Reba continued, "For example, a retired soldier would feel more sympathy towards an injured soldier than a merchant. Marquess, when you heard about what happened to Stra today, how did you feel? What did you think?" Nothing. Poliana didn''t feel much. Maybe a little disappointed, but nothing more than that. ''Oh.'' Suddenly, Poliana realized what Reba was talking about. When she heard about Stra''s phantom pregnancy, Poliana didn''t think much of it, and Reba saw this. This whole time¡­ This long rant¡­ It was about Poliana''sck of sympathy. Reba smiled bitterly and asked again, "What did you think?" All Poliana felt was just a minor disappointment that the emperor wasn''t going to have a baby soon. She was also a little annoyed that Stra didn''t confirm it before letting people know. This news was going to disappoint a lot of people and it was unnecessary. Poliana was also surprised that phantom pregnancy really happened in real life. She was confused about why Stra was crying so much. It wasn''t like she lost a baby, so why was she so sad? Lady Stra should toughen up a little. Of course, Poliana had enough sense not to say these thoughts out loud. Reba said to her, "I can see that you don''t feel sympathy towards Stra at all. It''s because it''s not like she lost a real baby, right? Because it was just a phantom pregnancy." Bingo. Poliana rubbed her cheek. She knew herself that she could pull up a good poker face, but today, it seemed that her thoughts were apparent on her face. With a sigh, Poliana exined, "The reason why I am not concerned about it is that all of her highnesses are young and healthy. Even if, god forbid, Lady Stra cannot have a child, there are still yourself and Lady Tory who can bear his highness''s heir. That is why I didn''t react much to Lady Stra''s news." "Please¡­ Marquess Poliana¡­ Have you ever considered why a young healthy woman, who has only been married for a year, be so desperate that she would imagine herself pregnant?" "Well¡­" "You know the answer. The most important quality we, the emperor''s wives, have is our bloodline. Our only purpose is to have the emperor''s children. It makes sense since a woman''s purpose in life is to bear children. That is how everyone thinks, including the women themselves. We see each other as tools to have sons. Those who bear sons are considered sessful and lucky. Women are often meaner to other women, but women are also most understanding of other women. But Marquess Winter¡­ You think the way the men do about us, don''t you?" Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Poliana Winter was a woman. There has never been a moment in her life when Poliana forgot this fact. She was born a woman, lived her life as a woman, and would die as a woman. Even if she was wearing pants like a man, wielded a sword like a man, and cut her hair like a man, Poliana Winter was a woman. No one could deny this fact because it was the truth. She never felt ufortable when people talked about this topic. She never felt awkward when people mentioned how ¡°unwomanly¡± she was. Until now¡­ Even if she was barren¡­ Even if she lost her breasts¡­ These things could never cause her gender to change. Poliana never doubted this. She always thought nothing in this world could change the fact that she was a woman. Whenever someone talked to her about this topic, she never became speechless. She felt that as long as she was confident, she was going to be okay. Poliana made sure to punish those who said to her that she wasn¡¯t a woman, kicking their balls was her specialty. But now¡­ at this moment¡­ Poliana became speechless. Reba pleaded, ¡°I know I am being rude. I know it¡¯s not my ce to ask you this, but I must. I am not demanding a perfect understanding and empathy from you, Marquess Winter. All I hope for from you is that you try to understand just a little bit of Stra¡¯s sadness and desperation. Could you do that?¡± Because Reba was a greedy woman, she added, ¡°And! Please think of all the women who are still stuck behind this hurdle! Please don¡¯t forget that at one time in your life, you used to also be constrained by this same wall. I am not asking you to break this wall. I am also not asking for a way out for myself. To be honest, I would love it if you could destroy this wall for all women in this world, but that would be unfair. It is not your job to do this. Besides, it would be meaningless unless each woman fights for it on her own in some way to get what she wants.¡± Reba¡¯s voice, which was getting stronger at one point, quieted down again. The wife of the emperor was begging for Poliana¡¯s empathy and sympathy. It was such an ironic and strange situation that both women looked at each other ufortably. Reba touched her hair and Poliana filled thedy¡¯s cup with warm water again for her. Poliana couldn¡¯t sit down on her chair again. She clenched her teeth, trying to control the overwhelming feeling that was erupting from deep inside her heart. She didn¡¯t know why, but Poliana felt like she was about to cry. She walked around the room for a long time before saying finally, ¡°I am a woman, Lady Reba.¡± ¡°Yes, Marquess, you are a woman, and you will be the only exception in this world.¡± ¡°I swear, I never tried to ignore or forget the fact that I am a woman¡­ I also certainly never felt like I was better than other women¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Poliana was the person responsible for thedies¡¯ protection while Stra was one of thedies being protected. Their rtionship was cordial but still very professional. The emperor¡¯s wives and Poliana were overly polite to each other, they followed the royal etiquette perfectly. They were never free to act as they wished since they were never alone. The extreme politeness, however, came from genuine care. Poliana was certainly an exception for a woman, but she never intentionally drew a line between herself and the other women around her. However, it seemed that Poliana did and she was just unaware of it. The truth was¡­ Poliana did put up a wall around herself from the other women. Subconsciously, she must¡¯ve been thinking that she was different from the other women. But to be fair, the women, as well as men around her, saw Poliana as a different being. To them, she was not a man but not a woman either. This was why it felt so odd that Lady Reba asked her to try to feel empathy towards other women. Marquess Poliana Winter was special. As long as the kingdom remains peaceful, there will never be another woman like her. She was, and always will be, the only one who got epted as a knightess. There will never be the second ¡°Sir Poliana.¡± It was a perfect mix of misfortune, luck, effort, and chance that brought her to where she was. For another knightess like her to exist¡­ That would be a miracle. Poliana had to work like a dog to get to this ce, and she never thought that she should change the world for the better¡­ To change it so that it would be better and easier for other women¡­ It was because Poliana herself believed that there was nothing wrong with the system. She always thought it was just the way it was, that it was normal for other women to live as they were. Even when Poliana met Vaxi and Vanessa, who clearly had the talent and desire to be knights, she never really thought that this world was unfair to them. It was odd because although she knew the world was unfair to the weak and unfortunate, Poliana never thought why or how certain people became weak and unfortunate. Perhaps it was because there was no need. Although she had a hard life, Poliana was still a noblewoman. She was born into a wealthy noble family and never had to worry about money in her life. Poliana had never known poverty and now, she was on top of the world. Poliana was selfish and greedy and because she was, she finally gained enough power that she could live the rest of her lifefortably. Her life was just beginning and there was a good chance that the next 50 years of her life was going to be a good easy one. So, why would she choose to live a hard life? Helping the weak and unfortunate¡­ she wouldn¡¯t gain anything from it. In fact, she might end up losing what she gained so far. Poliana never felt afraid to die whenever she went into a battlefield, but at this moment, she could find the courage to choose the harder life. Anything that wouldn¡¯t help her life be better would not help his highness either. Only Poliana decided to live her life to serving Lucius the First. This meant that she couldn¡¯t waste her time on anything else. It wasn¡¯t that Lady Reba asked Poliana to break this hurdle, but Poliana couldn¡¯t help thinking about the idea. Was it because she felt guilty that she didn¡¯t feel any sympathy towards Stra when she should have as a fellow woman? Reba said to her, ¡°Marquess, you have always been honest with us. You have done your best to protect us. You have no idea what that means to all of thedies including myself.¡± ¡°Lady Reba, I¡­¡± ¡°You always put everything into what you do, that is why I am so envious of you.¡± Poliana put her hand on Reba¡¯s gently. Thedy begged, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but among the three of us, Lady Stra likes you the best, Marquess. I guess it bothered me that you didn¡¯t seem to think well of Stra when she is so fond of you. I¡­ I am not as strong and as independent as you, Marquess, so¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was just ranting like a mad woman. And thank you, Marquess, for listening to me. As I suspected, you are very kind and thoughtful.¡± Poliana could feel Reba¡¯s hands. They were soft, hot, smooth, and beautiful. They were very different from Poliana¡¯s. The lives they lived were so different and it showed on their hands, but there was one thing that remained the same¡­ Both their hands were the hands of a woman. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Was it because Reba spent too much energy on ranting? After the conversation with Poliana, Reba¡¯s fever became worse. Leaving thedy¡¯s room after Reba fell asleep, Poliana felt tired herself. When she closed the door behind her, she saw that Frau was in the waiting area. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± ¡°I have been waiting for you, Marquess.¡± Normally, a woman would have wondered why a man was waiting for her, but unfortunately for Frau, Poliana was too tired to think clearly. When Poliana looked happy to see him, Frau smiled as well expectantly but to his disappointment, Poliana said to him, ¡°Perfect, Lady Reba¡¯s fever is getting worse, you need to go check on her again.¡± ¡°¡­alright. Take care, Marquess Winter.¡± Frau looked obviously disheartened as he said goodbye, but Poliana didn¡¯t even notice. She left without a word. The conversation with Lady Reba must¡¯vested much longer than Poliana realized. It was time to go home already and she began to head towards her office before stopping herself. She was so tired that she wanted to get to bed right away, but if she stopped by her office, there was a good chance she might get bothered by one or more of her guards. So, she left the castle and went straight home. No one was home to greet her, but her servants had the firece already going. A warm bath and food were already prepared for her, although she had no family waiting for her. Her butler delivered the letters that he received today and left. Poliana took a nice long bath and began to eat ate dinner. She nced at the pile of letters and grinned, noticing that they were from Sir Rabi and Sir Baufallo¡¯s family. Sir Rabi, Sir Baufallo, Sir Howe, Sir Donau, Vanessa, and Vaxi¡­ It seemed that their entire family sent her separate letters, making her smile. After her meal, Poliana got into her bed and began to read the letters. The first one she opened was from her adopted brother, Donau. He greeted her and asked how the emperor and the other knights were doing. He also wrote about the things that were happening in the south. Then, there was a nice surprise. Apparently, the twins Vaxi and Vanessa both became pregnant. ¡°Must be a twin thing? They probably have their monthly bleeding at the same time.¡± The Baufallo and Rabi family members often sent letters but never all at once like this. It made sense, however, because they had good news and all of them wanted to share it with Poliana. Poliana opened the twins¡¯ letters cheerfully as well. It seemed that they were all living happy lives. It was hard to know the exact situation in the southern region, but what the twins were saying matched the official messages. It seemed that the south was maintaining its peace and stability. Sirs Rabi and Baufallo¡¯s letters were filled with happiness at bing grandfathers. Sir Howe¡¯s letter sounded like he was distracted when he was writing it, but he still appeared pleased. It was the same for Donau¡¯s letter as well. There were many exmation points in his letter. Vanessa and Vaxi¡¯s letters were the calmest sounding messages. They talked about the fear and excitement of their pregnancies and bing new mothers. They also wrote that it helped that they were pregnant together. After reading all the letters, she put them back into the envelopes carefully. She was too tired, so she nned on writing them back tomorrow. ¡®What kind of gifts should I send them?¡¯ She was a marquess, so she felt like she should send something special. Anything less than that would not do. Poliana also couldn¡¯t let her butler pick out the gifts. She needed to get something personal. Poliana would have to ask around to find out what would be appropriate in this situation. Lying down on her bed, Poliana looked up at the ceiling nkly. It was an amazing piece of news, so she should¡¯ve felt like dancing in ecstasy. But¡­ she didn¡¯t. Hot tears began to appear in her eyes and before they became uncontroble, Poliana covered her eyes with her arm. Poliana cried, she cried for the children that never existed. *** Lucius the First remained by Stra¡¯s side, which impressed every woman in the castle. The married women grumbled at how their husbands didn¡¯t act like the emperor. ¡°His highness is so caring and kind.¡± ¡°Other husbands would¡¯ve just ignored his wife, saying that it wasn¡¯t like she lost a real baby.¡± Sir Ainno was one of these men. Heined, ¡°It¡¯s not like she was pregnant for real, so what is the big deal? Why is she still keeping his highness like that?¡± When the emperor heard this, he said to his friend gently, ¡°Don¡¯t say such a thing, Inno. A phantom pregnancy is when a woman truly believes that she was pregnant. She had the same symptoms as a pregnant woman, which means that even though she had to go through the physical hardship, she didn¡¯t end up with a baby. How disappointing and sad it must feel¡­¡± ¡°Your highness, I think she is just faking it.¡± Lucius the First sighed deeply, making the servants around them nervous. The emperor looked up at the sky with a serious face and muttered, ¡°We better do a cleansing ritual.¡± Sir Ainno shook his head anxiously. Everyone knew how much Lucius the First loved superstition, but a cleansing ritual inside the castle? ¡°Your highness, I wouldn¡¯t mind you getting a charm, but I really don¡¯t think a ritual is a good idea. You shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Inno, you fell off the horse. I fell off the horse too. Then my wife had to go through a phantom pregnancy. And now that you insulted my wife, a pregnant woman, you are going to have bad luck for the next three years, Inno. So we must do the ritual. Oh, I think Sir Pol also looked very tired recently, so it makes sense.¡± The emperor listed all the reasons why they should do the cleansing ritual. It was true that when Lucius the First saw Poliana that morning, she was very quiet, which bothered him a lot. Sir Ainno replied, ¡°I never insulted a pregnant wife, your highness.¡± ¡°Stra still hasn¡¯t recovered fully, which means she is pretty much a pregnant woman. Inno, you need to be nice. You fell off your horse probably because you are such a mean person.¡± Sir Ainno almost yelled out the truth, but he stopped himself just in time. He never fell off the horse. It never happened but he could not tell people what really happened. When he didn¡¯t say anything, Lucius the First grinned, thinking he won this argument. The emperor heard the news about Sir Rabi¡¯s twins¡¯ pregnancy. He would¡¯ve been very happy to hear the news at any other time, but right now, he felt a little awkward. Lucius the First called the maids and the servants and ordered them to make sure this news did not reach Lady Stra. After taking care of the most pressing paperwork, the emperor set out to go visit Stra again. Sir Ainno frowned, but he followed him without a word. On their way, they met Cekel. Lucius the First greeted her kindly, ¡°Lady Ingreter, do you have a business in the main castle?¡± Only ¡°Good morning, your highness. I am on my way to see my little brother.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. So how is Stra today?¡± ¡°She is feeling calmer than yesterday.¡± ¡°Good. Alright, you may go.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Cekel bowed and walked away quickly. Lucius the First was about to walk on as well when suddenly, he realized that something felt odd. He saw that Sir Ainno, who was standing behind him, had an odd expression. His behavior was also strange when the emperor was talking to Cekel. Why? Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Sir Ainno was a mean guy who could be rude, but as a nobleman who grew up in an aristocratic family, his manner was impable. Cekel¡¯s position in the castle was unclear. She did many things a servant did, but since she was a noblewoman, she technically was ady¡¯s maid. On top of that, all of her brothers were the emperor¡¯s knights. Also, Sir Ainno was Sir Beke¡¯s direct supervisor, which meant that Sir Ainno should¡¯ve known better than to not greet his guard¡¯s sister properly. Lucius the First asked, ¡°Inno, do you not know Lady Ingreter?¡± Even as he asked, the emperor felt confused. There was no way Sir Ainno didn¡¯t know who Cekel was. Lucius the First was well aware of how Sir Ainno barged into many of his unmarried guards¡¯ homes to force them to drink with him after all of his closest knight friends got married. The emperor was certain that Sir Ainno visited Sir Beke¡¯s home as well, which meant he would have been introduced to Cekel at the time. Sir Ainno¡¯s face became rigid as he answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know that woman.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Sir Beke introduce you to her? Well, that won¡¯t do. Now that you know her, don¡¯t forget to greet her the next time properly, okay? You will be seeing a lot of her from now on since she works in thedy¡¯s quarters.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that horse-like woman.¡± Sir Ainno replied calmly, but something wasn¡¯t right. He pretended like he wasn¡¯t interested. He was looking at the emperor, but he flinched every time he heard Cekel¡¯s footsteps. The wise emperor immediately realized what was happening. Lucius the First covered his mouth to hide his gasp. This was shocking news. *** Poliana and Lucius the First loved to gossip, especially when it was about someone¡¯s love life. It was so rare to find love because most marriages were arranged for political or financial gain, so this news of Sir Ainno and Cekel was an exciting development. Poliana and the emperor didn¡¯t keep many secrets from each other, and whenever one found a juicy gossip, it was shared without dy. They loved to share their findings with each other. After visiting Stra, Lucius the First gave Sir Ainno a break and went to visit Poliana alone. When Poliana heard the news about Sir Ainno, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. ¡®Oh my god!¡¯ Her eyes widened as she eximed, ¡°That is crazy! Are you sure it¡¯s Cekel? Cekel and Sir Ainno? Are you sure, your highness?¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± Poliana clenched her fists in excitement. She felt a little guilty to admit it, but Poliana found this topic much more interesting than the news about Vaxi and Vanessa¡¯s pregnancy. Sir Ainno and Cekel?! Who would¡¯ve guessed! ¡°Are you sure? Oh, I¡¯m not doubting you, your highness. I just¡­ Sir Ainno dating? It just doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± ¡°He ignored thedy he obviously knew and pretended he had never met her before. Inno even insulted her, calling her ¡®horse-like¡¯ to me! It is very unlike him to act this way. Something is going on between them and it could be a good or bad thing, I just know it.¡± ¡®Horse-like?¡¯ Suddenly, Poliana remembered something that happened recently. When she became speechless, Lucius the First urged her to share whatever information she had with him. Quickly, Poliana told him about the conversation she had with Cekel a while back before Sir Ainno ¡°fell off the horse.¡± Poliana exined, ¡°At the time, I thought there must be a crazy bastard who roams the castle trying to take advantage of the maids¡­ But now I am certain it was Sir Ainno. It has to be! I told Cekel to kick the man¡¯s balls if necessary. So if Sir Ainno tried to do something and Lady Cekel did as I taught her¡­ It makes perfect sense that Sir Ainno ended up stuck in his bed for a week.¡± It wasn¡¯t such a farfetched story, especially because Sir Ainno called Cekel ¡°horse-like.¡± Besides, how could anyone injure their groin by falling off a horse? Poliana suspected that although he would¡¯ve felt incredible physical pain, Sir Ainno¡¯s pride would¡¯ve been damaged even more by Cekel¡¯s kick. Lucius the First grabbed a wall andughed uncontrobly. ¡°He¡­ He said, ¡®You are the first person ever to p my face?¡¯ Are you serious? Hahaha! Inno did? Hahaha!! Cough cough¡­¡± ¡°Your highness, you areughing too hard, are you okay?¡± ¡°Inno did¡­ Hahaha!!!¡± The emperorughed so hard that he began to cough. When he finally calmed down, Lucius the First wiped away his tears andplimented his two favorite knights, ¡°Marquess Winter and Inno¡­ You two give me such pleasure. I am a very lucky man indeed.¡± Poliana wasn¡¯t sure if it was apliment or an insult, but she didn¡¯t care. As long as the emperor was happy, she was happy too. The emperor and the knightess were truly happy for Sir Ainno. They would never get involved to either help him or stop him, but they would watch from nearby and pray for him. It was going to be such a fun time to watch what happens. Lucius the First found it hrious that his friend, who always acted like he was immune to human feelings, fell in love. Poliana agreed and it was even funnier because Sir Ainno fell for someone like Cekel. Lucius the First swore to Poliana, ¡°If Inno somehow wins over Lady Ingreter, I will make sure he can marry her.¡± It would¡¯ve been more beneficial for the emperor to have his best knight Sir Ainno Seki marry for his own political gain, but Lucius the First promised that he would give his permission should Sir Ainnoe to him to marry Lady Cekel. ¡°But your highness, there is a chance that perhaps Sir Ainno doesn¡¯t have an honorable intention. You¡¯re assuming that he wants to marry her.¡± ¡°Pol, you have known Inno long enough. Do you really think he would let a woman hit him twice without hitting her back?¡± Poliana shook her head emphatically. She opened her mouth to show the emperor her missing mr and exined, ¡°My missing mr and crooked nose are all thanks to Sir Ainno.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Poliana knew better than anyone what kind of man Sir Ainno was. He was the type that would not hesitate to fight back and beat up anyone, both man and woman. So would someone like him let a woman p him and kick his balls? Never, unless he was in love with this said woman. Poliana nodded in agreement. Either this was true love for him, or Cekel was ckmailing him somehow. Lucius the First asked Poliana, ¡°By the way, have you thought of what you are going to give as a gift to the Baufallo and Rabi families?¡± Only ¡°Not yet, your highness.¡± ¡°Sir Donau is missing a front tooth, right? It would be a shame for the new father-to-be to look so ridiculous. Why don¡¯t you get him a fake ivory tooth?¡± ¡°I would like to get the couples something for the babies.¡± ¡°Then I will get Donau the fake tooth as a gift.¡± Poliana looked at the emperor sadly. On top of having a terrible sense of humor, Lucius the First also had very unfortunate gift ideas. The emperor, on the other hand, looked at Poliana happily. She looked very displeased this morning, but she looked okay now. She seemed very focused on finding the perfect gifts, and it made him very happy to see her feeling better. ¡®Love is such a powerful thing.¡¯ Just watching Poliana made him grin, but suddenly, his smile disappeared. He was free to love whoever he wanted, but didn¡¯t he decide to give up on Poliana? The only thing he could do for her was to pray for her happiness. As long as Poliana was happy, Lucius the First knew he would be alright. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 It was usually a woman¡¯s job in most families to pick gifts for family friends or neighbors. Amongmoners, some clothes, fabrics, and foods were the mostmon type of gifts. For wealthy nobles, they often hired a few craftsmen to create a special one-of-a-kind gift for their friends. Poliana had good gift ideas for men, but for a baby? She didn¡¯t have a clue. Poliana knew that high ranking nobles like Sirs Rabi and Baufallo were going to get amazing gifts. As Marquess Winter, she had to get something incredible or her reputation was going to be damaged. She couldn¡¯t send them mediocre gifts. In addition, one of the fathers-to-be was her adopted brother. She was also very close to Sir Howe, which meant that their children were going to be like her nieces and nephews. ¡®Oh!¡¯ She was going to be an aunt! ¡®I can¡¯t believe it! Me, an aunt?!¡¯ Poliana punched the wall next to her excitedly. Some of the maids who were standing nearby flinched in shock. Poliana didn¡¯t realize this fact when she was reading the letters, but now, she felt thrilled at the prospect. ¡®Gyaaa!! Oh my god! Me! I¡¯m going to be an aunt!¡¯ She panted excitedly and thought to herself, ¡®I guess this must be why people have children. They make people happy!¡¯ There were children everywhere on the streets outside the castle. Poliana felt ufortable around children, but she still liked them. She knew that Vaxi, Vanessa, Donau, and Sir Howe¡¯s children are going to be very special to her. She had to find great gifts to show that she cared. Poliana asked anyone she could find about what gifts she should get. Her guards were useless; they just told her that they will go ask their mothers. Her colleagues were no help either; they told her they will go ask their wives. Poliana then grumbled, ¡°Idiots.¡± But she was the same, she had no idea what she should get and that was why she was asking around. In the end, she went to Lady Tory. Since the emperor decided to pick out his own gifts himself, Lady Tory wasn¡¯t busy at all. Of the three wives, Poliana chose to ask Tory for good reasons. First, Stra just experienced phantom pregnancy so it was obviously a bad idea to ask for her opinion. Secondly, Poliana felt awkward around Reba because of her rantst night. Thirdly, Poliana believed that since Tory was from Acreia, she would know the custom and Vaxi and Vanessa¡¯s tastes better. Lady Tory was honored to be asked by Poliana because she thought Poliana was acknowledging her as the most influential wife of the emperor. Poliana didn¡¯t mean this, but she didn¡¯t correct Tory. Whatever made Lady Tory happy was good enough for Poliana. Tory was a great help to Poliana. She suggested many ideas Poliana never even thought of. The first thing Tory rmended was sending something small right away to congratte the couples since it would take a long time to make something custom. And Tory smiled and said something that excited Poliana, ¡°Also, it could be twins, right?¡± ¡°Twins! Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± T. W. I. N. S! Poliana almost screamed out of delight. Tory was right. Some families had generations of twins. Tory suggested that Poliana should send ten sets of something that babies could use for both mothers-to-be. Poliana loved this idea. Tory exined, ¡°Even if they don¡¯t have twins, babies require many sets of the same things. And it¡¯s important to send the same things to both of them so they don¡¯t feel like you are favoring one or the other. This will mean a lot to thedies especially.¡± ¡°You mean Vaxi and Vanessa?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly. There are often huge differences between the gifts that are sent to the firstborn son and the second-born. Most likely, Sir Howe will generally get better gifts than Sir Donau. You are closer to the second-born son of the Ribo family, right? Considering that fact, it makes sense that you would send something nicer to Sir Donau, but¡­ The wives of these gentlemen are twins and it will not do to show favoritism. It will upset thedies for sure, so it is better to be safe.¡± Tory lowered her voice, drawing Poliana closer to the conversation. ¡°And listen carefully. If they ended up having twin girls, can you imagine how upsetting that would be for them? So, Marquess Winter, you must send something that is gender-neutral. Exactly the same ten sets of gender-neutral baby items to both thedies.¡± Twins were generally considered unlucky, especially if it was twin girls. Poliana was determined, however, that if anyone called her nieces ¡°unlucky,¡± she would teach these ignorant people a lesson they would never forget. She was going to be their aunt, which meant that she would protect them. The babies weren¡¯t even born yet but Poliana was already too thrilled. After writing down all of Lady Tory¡¯s suggestions, Poliana was able to make an excellent list of gifts. She was satisfied; all she now had to do now was use her power and money to get these presents ready and send them down south. Poliana bowed to Lady Tory. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± When Poliana said that she didn¡¯t know how to thank her for her huge help, Lady Tory smiled shyly and replied, ¡°You are most wee. I think it¡¯s very important that we, the northerners, should stick together.¡± Only Tory meant well, but it would¡¯ve been better not to say thest of her words. This only reminded Poliana of the conversation between Lucius the First and Master Chail. ¡®People from different regions might end up forming their own cliques¡­ Unification is going to be very tricky¡­¡¯ The Acreians believed that the center of this whole continent was now Acreia. They emphasized that the Acreian culture was superior to all others. If the emperor didn¡¯t forcefully change the capital, Acreia would¡¯ve stayed the capital of this new kingdom forever. Because of this, many of the Acreian nobles were still very upset with Lucius the First. They should have been the emperor¡¯s biggest allies, but these Acreian nobles were in fact making his highness¡¯ life very difficult. The emperor¡¯s authority was still unstable because of this, and Lucius the First made sure this fact remained a secret to the rest of the world. This was why he didn¡¯t bring the ¡°Emperor¡¯s room¡± to Yapa. It still remained in Nanaba castle to show that Acreia was still very important to him as his homnd. Lucius the First also created a rule that stated that all royal families must visit Nanaba at least once in their lifetime in an attempt to appease the Acreian nobles. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t enough; most Acreian aristocrats were still angry about it. Poliana smiled awkwardly at Tory before leaving the room. ¡®This is going to be veryplicated¡­¡¯ Chapter 155 Chapter 155 After leaving Lady Tory, Poliana went to visit Lady Stra to console her. The emperor spent all morning with Stra tofort her, so thedy was feeling much calmer. Stra seemed very happy to see Poliana, making Poliana feel guilty. Stra said to her, ¡°His highness is very kind, but you are really caring too, Marquess.¡± Poliana knew Stra was implying that Poliana cared because she was a woman too and understood what Stra was going through. ¡®Gosh! I feel so bad¡­¡¯ Until her awkward conversation with Reba, Poliana actually thought Stra was being weak and seeking attention. Poliana couldn¡¯t help feeling horrible. It felt even worse because Poliana realized how awful she had been. Until now, she had been acting kindly to thedies as if she was doing a favor for them. Deep inside, she thought she was better than them and she thought they should feel thankful for her attention. ¡®I am such a terrible person, I¡¯m a hypocrite.¡¯ She was acting like the people she hated the most in the world. Poliana felt ashamed of herself. She murmured, ¡°I will leave you so you can rest, Lady Stra.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± ¡°You must be tired, so you shouldn¡¯t push yourself.¡± Poliana pretended to be worried about Stra¡¯s health and left the room quickly. She remembered what Reba told her. Lady Reba said that Stra liked Poliana the most, and this made her feel even worse. Stra¡¯s eyes looked red like she had been crying all day yesterday. Guilt and shame filled Poliana¡¯s heavy heart. ¡®Maybe I should go home early.¡¯ Her guards would¡¯ve loved this. The best boss in the world was the one that left their workers alone. When Poliana returned to her office and got ready to leave early, his men seemed very thrilled. Just then, Reba visited her. Thedy came alone without any of her entourage, so Poliana quickly walked up to her to support her frail body. ¡®Oh why?! Why did shee here? Why doesn¡¯t she just rest in her room?¡¯ Poliana didn¡¯t feel ready to see Reba yet. She had the courage to die and courage to apologize, but not to talk to her. Poliana looked away, unsure of what to do. ¡®Dammit! I don¡¯t even know what kind of expression I should have on my face¡­ Dammit! Okay, let¡¯s just look professional.¡¯ Poliana straightened her shoulder to look dependable and said to thedy, ¡°Lady Reba, you should be resting. You are going to hurt yourself.¡± ¡°I wanted toe to apologize to you, Marquess.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t just send your maid with a message.¡± ¡°It is a good manner to apologize to someone in person.¡± This wasn¡¯t something they should discuss in public. It wasn¡¯t going to help anyone to know about their conversation before. Poliana helped Reba so they could move to another ce. Reba said she was fine talking to her in her office, but Poliana insisted that they should go to Reba¡¯s quarters. Poliana held Reba¡¯s arm to help, and she could feel that thedy still had a fever. ¡®So she is still not feeling well¡­ So why did shee to see me?¡¯ In fact, Lady Reba felt warmer than yesterday. When they walked into Reba¡¯s quarters, the maids ran out with shocked faces. Poliana looked at her guards, who were supposed to make sure Lady Reba never left her quarter alone. Poliana said to the guards, ¡°I will talk to you tomorrow.¡± The guards looked terrified. ¡°S-sir Pol! Please!¡± ¡°Please, just punish us now.¡± ¡°Boss, please! We are so sorry! It won¡¯t happen again!¡± The guards cried out fearfully, and the people gathered around out of curiosity. Her guards were afraid of what kind of punishment they might get tomorrow, so they begged to be punished immediately. When Poliana ignored them and left, some of the higher-ranking knights came by andughed at the scared guards. ¡°Hahaha! Oh, man¡­ You guys are going to die tomorrow! You should¡¯ve done your job!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so funny!¡± *** When they entered thedy¡¯s reception room, Reba dismissed everyone. She prepared the snacks herself slowly, and as Poliana watched, she became nervous. Poliana still didn¡¯t know what she should say or how she should react. She certainly didn¡¯t feel like having tea with thedy right now. She would¡¯ve rather been with her guardsughing and joking around. ¡®Maybe I should tell her that I don¡¯t want the tea.¡¯ But Poliana knew better than to refuse thedy¡¯s tea. It would be considered incredibly rude. However¡­ Poliana was powerful enough that she could get away with such vulgarity. Power was such a frightening thing because it blurred the boundaries of what was allowed and what wasn¡¯t. It also made a person forget the fact that she was bing someone she never wanted to be. ¡®I hope she doesn¡¯t overdo it¡­¡¯ Only Reba was still not fully recovered. She was fragile, to begin with, and she often suffered from mild fever and dizziness. Even the smallest change in the weather affected her considerably. Lady Reba was from the southern kingdom, which meant she was used to warm and humid weather. Ever since she moved to Yapa where the weather was colder, Lady Reba often suffered from a cold. Reba ced various sweets and snacks in front of Poliana. They were from her own homnd and most of them had lovely sweet vors. Fried fruits sprinkled with sugar, dried fruit pieces, msses cookies, and other delicious snacks¡­ Thedies often gathered in Reba¡¯s reception room because they loved her snacks. Usually, there would¡¯ve been three or four snacksing from different ces, but today, Reba brought out everything she had. It was clear that she was just as nervous as Poliana about what was to be said between them. After she was done setting the table, Reba bowed deeply and apologized, ¡°Marquess, I am very sorry.¡± ¡°There is no need for you to apologize¡­¡± ¡°No, I must. I am truly sorry. I remember everything I said to you yesterday¡­ The crazy rant andints¡­ It was unforgivable and ridiculous. I am surprised that you didn¡¯t just walk out of the room, Marquess Winter. So I must apologize to you¡­ Yesterday¡­ I¡­¡± It sounded like another long awkward conversation was about to start. Poliana couldn¡¯t take it, so she interrupted Reba coldly. ¡°Lady Reba, there is no need for you to apologize because there is nothing to forgive. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t really paying attention to what you were saying yesterday. Please don¡¯t be so stressed about it. It is a waste of your time and effort. What you need to do now is to have some rest and get better. Please, don¡¯t even think about yesterday. I will be leaving now.¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Poliana wasn''t sure why, but she felt embarrassed. It was worse than when she saw Stra smiling at her, it made her feel guilty. Poliana was ashamed and angry. Yesterday, Reba said something rude to Poliana, but the worse thing was that most of what she said was true. Until yesterday, Poliana could confidently say that she wasn''t ignoring the truth because she didn''t know any better. But when Reba let Poliana know the facts about herself, Poliana chose to ignore it. She decided to look away from reality because she didn''t want to be burdened by it. Poliana hated to admit it, but the truth was¡­ She was running away so she wouldn''t have to avoid her responsibility. But before Poliana could leave the reception room, Lady Reba stopped her. "Marquess Winter, I am really sorry. I never told anyone about how I really felt because I couldn''t, but yesterday¡­ I felt like I could and I did. I felt like I needed to! But my feelings are my problems, but yours¡­ I know that¡­" The things she could never tell anyone¡­ Reba''s words stopped Poliana and made her think. What Lady Reba told her yesterday was shocking. No one in this kingdom would dare to tell something like that to Poliana. In fact, no one in the kingdom would ever think like Lady Reba. The majority of Poliana''s closest acquaintances were male; her friends, colleagues, and the emperor, of course. She was politely acquainted with any different women as well, such as nobledies, maids, and the wives of the emperor, but she wasn''t as close to them. Only those stuck behind the wall could think the way Lady Reba did. Those free from the wall would never understand it. If Poliana walked out of the room now, Lady Reba would never bring up this subject again. Poliana''s life would return to normal. Poliana remembered what Reba said to her. She said that of all the emperor''s wives, Stra liked her the most. When Poliana visited her, Stra smiled so brightly at her. There must''ve been other nobledies, some even from her own homnd, who visited her, but Stra seemed to be the happiest when Poliana visited her. It was probably because Stra believed that Poliana could understand how she felt. The sadness and devastation¡­ Stra must''ve believed that Poliana would sympathize with her. What Reba said to her was a shockingly new concept, but there were countless new ideas in this world and Poliana was not obligated to listen to every one of them. It was just one woman''s words. Just one woman''s thoughts. But a woman''s thought was the thoughts of a mother. One woman''s words were the words of a grandmother. Every woman was someone''s daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother. So why would they say that mother knows best, yet people shouldn''t listen to women? What a stupid contradiction. So, Poliana finally decided that she would listen to everything Reba wanted to say. She would listen to all of it. The words Reba couldn''t say to anyone¡­ The words she ended up blurting out only to Poliana¡­ ''I will hear her out.'' When Poliana sat down again on the chair, Reba finally looked calm. Reba took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. There were so many feelings she felt right now. Last night after ranting at Poliana, Rebeca regretted what she did. She couldn''t sleep at all and because of the fever, she felt confused as well. And most of all¡­ Reba hated herself. Self-hatred¡­ This was how the long rant beganst night. It was a huge mistake, so Reba kept her mouth closed. When she saw that Poliana was ready to listen, Reba realized that this was what she needed. Lady Reba needed someone who was willing to listen to her. When Reba heard that Stra was pregnant, Rebeca said to her maids, "What wonderful news." Reba smiled brightly at the time like she was genuinely happy even though she wasn''t feeling well. Her maids asked her curiously, "Aren''t you jealous, Lady Reba?" "But this is his highness''s baby we are talking about. Of course, we should all be happy!" The maids were impressed at how kind and selfless Reba was being even though her rival wife got pregnant first. Lucius the First was still young and healthy, but he didn''t have an heir. Stra''s pregnancy was definitely something that everyone should rejoice. Pregnancy was something to be celebrated no matter what. A baby should always be weed to this world. Even if the baby was to be born between her own husband and another woman, she had to celebrate this event. This was how she was taught. This was what society expected of her. The doctors were treating Reba, who had a fever, but as soon as they heard about the news, they left her to go examine Stra. Since it was about her pregnancy, only a gynecologist was needed to see her, yet everyone left Reba to go see Stra. Reba understood something at that moment, she knew that there was nothing to be done. The emperor''s heir was always going to be more important than his wives. A pregnant wife was going to be always more important than a fragile sickly wife. It was how this world worked, and Reba wasn''t allowed toin about small things like this. Alone in her bed, feeling weak and ill, Reba thought to herself that this was why every woman needed to have children, especially sons. Daughters were useless. A mother could afford the luxury of enjoying having a daughter only after she bore a healthy male heir. And suddenly, Reba realized that she was bing her mother. She was thinking about the same things as her own mother. Was this how every daughter grew up to be a mother? Reba herself was a woman, and yet she was thinking that daughters were unnecessary. She felt a little frightened by her thoughts, but she ignored her feelings. When Reba heard that it was just a phantom pregnancy, she felt sad for Stra. How desperate Stra must''ve been to imagine herself pregnant? Reba could sympathize with her because she was in the same situation. The same thing could easily happen to her too and if it did, Stra would''ve sympathized with Reba. And just as Reba felt, Stra would''ve felt relieved that it was only a phantom pregnancy. The truth was¡­ Reba couldn''t feel a genuine sense of happiness when she heard Stra was pregnant. And she was immensely relieved when she found out Stra wasn''t really pregnant. Reba hated herself for feeling this way and it was then when Poliana visited her. Poliana came to see Reba to keep herpany, and Reba was jealous of her. Poliana probably was genuinely happy when she heard Stra''s pregnancy. Poliana also probably didn''t feel an ugly feeling like relief when she heard it was just a phantom pregnancy. Poliana probably even went to console Stra with genuine sympathy. Then, after seeing how Poliana reacted, Reba realized the shocking truth. It was obvious that Poliana didn''t think much of what happened to Stra. In fact, Poliana clearly thought Stra was overreacting and being too emotional. ''But this isn''t right¡­'' It made sense that Reba would have these ugly feelings because she was not a good person. She hid her true feelings very well while someone like Stra was a truly kind person. This was why Reba wanted Poliana to sympathize with her. Feeling frustrated and confused, Reba ended up going on and on yesterday when Poliana visited her. Her thoughts were disorganized and she wasn''t used to speaking her mind. A woman was supposed to be an obedient being. Reba told Poliana that she was acting like a man, not a woman, but the truth was¡­ It was Reba who did not see Poliana as a woman. Poliana thought Reba was done talking finally, but she continued, "So I ended up saying something stupid to you¡­" Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Lady Reba continued, ¡°A wall cannot, and should not, be destroyed by a single person because it will result in everyone inside the wall being attacked by those that enforced this hurdle. Escaping this wall¡­ It is something that the individual woman needs to do on her own. It¡¯s something she needs to earn for herself to make it worth it¡­ to make her freedomst¡­ So, Marquess Winter, you don¡¯t need to do anything. It¡¯s okay because just your existence alone is enough. You are the proof for the rest of us that it can be done. After meeting you, I was able to begin hoping for more because you showed us that it¡¯s possible. You showed all of us that a woman can escape this invisible wall. So all you need to do is exist as a symbol of hope for the rest of us.¡± After her long confession, Reba became breathless. She already looked very tired. Poliana touched her teacup quietly, knowing that although thedy spoke of hope, Reba herself could not do anything for herself. She was the wife of the emperor and as the most important woman in the kingdom, her highborn status would work as a shackle. Reba was recognized as the ideal woman and that was why she was chosen to marry Lucius the First. To get what she truly wanted, Reba would have to give up being this ¡°perfect woman.¡± But if she gave up her identity, it would mean that she would lose her status as well just like the cube of sugar that was melting in Poliana¡¯s warm tea. By following and obeying society¡¯s rules, Lady Reba was able to attain the greatest status a woman could achieve inside the wall. Now, she was wanting more, no wonder she was called greedy. Poliana replied, ¡°Lady Reba, you should not be telling this to anyone. This is an extremely dangerous topic.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t! I have never told anyone this until now! Not even to my sister or my own mother¡­ But here I am, telling you all about it, Marquess Winter.¡± Reba¡¯s idea could get her into big trouble, especially because she was the wife of the emperor. What Reba wanted was this world to change, but Lucius the First was trying to maintain his new kingdom without further disruption. Any more changes and his power and authority could be in an even bigger jeopardy. And he will probably die of overwork¡­ Poliana ced another cube of sugar in her tea using a tong. After the unification of the continent, it became much easier to buy sweets. This was one of Poliana¡¯s favorite changes after uniting the kingdoms. Reba once told her that it was very difficult to farmrge quantities of sugar canes. Sweet fruits were much easier to grow and Poliana was happy to enjoy these delicious crops. Poliana took a sip of her tea. It was so sweet that it felt sticky. After a long silence, Poliana said to thedy, ¡°I think it¡¯s my turn to tell you something I never told anyone before¡­¡± After hearing about Reba¡¯s feeling of self-hatred, Poliana remembered something from her past. It was a memory that was buried deep inside of her. If she didn¡¯t have this conversation with Reba, Poliana would¡¯ve forgotten about itpletely. It happened soon after Poliana became a 100-leader. Two of her men in her division raped a prostitute. The woman belonged to a pimp who lived in the nearby vige and had a contract with the Acreian army to provide the prostitutes to the soldiers. Lucius the First was very strict in ouwing, plundering, and raping the women of the conquered viges. However, he did not forbid visiting the whorehouses. They said that the prostitute wasn¡¯t feeling well that day, so she was taking a day off. When the soldiers requested her, she refused. The soldiers wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer and they ended up raping her. The soldiers imed that it wasn¡¯t rape because they paid her afterward. If nothing else happened, this would¡¯ve been the end of the story and the incident wouldn¡¯t have even reached Poliana¡¯s ears, but the prostitute became sick and ended up passing away, which was why the matter was brought up to Poliana. The pimp visited the Acreian army and demanded payment for his loss of ¡°property.¡± The pimp imed that since his prostitute died, it was considered murder. The soldiers, on the other hand, continued to im innocence, saying all they did was got what they paid for. Murdering a prostitute was illegal; it was considered almost as bad of a crime as murdering a regr citizen. This incident became a very hot topic in her division. All the men imed that the soldiers werepletely innocent. When Poliana first heard it, she didn¡¯t think much of it. What was the big deal about a prostitute dying? The world wasn¡¯t going to change because of it. But she did think the two soldiers were at fault to some extent. If someone stole a product from a shopkeeper by force, it would be considered theft even if the shopkeeper was paid afterward. So, Poliana saw this incidence as a simple rape since even the men admitted that they took her by force. The fact that the prostitute ended up dying, however, was an unfortunate event, but not the soldiers¡¯ fault. Only When Poliana announced her verdict, the pimp seemed satisfied. He did not get what he demanded, but he was thankful that Poliana at least acknowledged the incident as rape. Her men, however, were upset and even angry. They imed that Poliana came up with this ruling only because she was a woman and she was taking the dead woman¡¯s side. ¡®Those f*cking bastards¡­¡¯ Poliana had no sympathy or interest in the dead prostitute, and she thought she made an objective and fair ruling, so when she heard her menin, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Poliana was used to being hated for being a woman, but was this really necessary? It didn¡¯t make any sense. Poliana definitely did not take the dead prostitute¡¯s side. In fact, she was initially sympathetic towards the two soldiers who were punished just because of a prostitute. Why did the prostitute die of something as trivial as being raped? She was only a prostitute, which meant that it was her job to pleasure men. Poliana thought she came up with a fair decision, but in the end, she was again med for everything. Just because she was a woman, the men took away her right to rule fairly. The men didn¡¯t care how Poliana came up with her decision. All they focused on was the fact that she was a woman. The soldiers imed that Poliana took the dead prostitute¡¯s side because she was a woman too. They called her names and alleged that Poliana ruined the two young soldiers¡¯ lives. Poliana meant to rule fairly, and she thought that she was in a perfect position to do so because she was a woman, but the men felt differently about it. When the matter became an even bigger deal, creating an obvious discontent among the soldiers, the story reached the ears of Sirs Rabi and Baufallo. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Both Sir Rabi and Sir Baufallo were appalled. They overruled Poliana¡¯s verdict and charged the men for the murder of the prostitute. They were punished ordingly, and even though the new sentence was much harsher, none of the soldiers on the baseined. They didn¡¯t say a peep about it, making Poliana feel angry and unhappy. Was Poliana supposed to sympathize with the dead prostitute just because they were both women? Whatever ruling Poliana came up with, she knew the men would¡¯ve been unhappy with it and criticized her. Did this mean that she should¡¯ve pitied the prostitute and rule in her favor? Later, when Poliana could think more clearly, she decided to be more honest with herself. The decision she made at the time¡­ It wasn¡¯t fair or an objective one. She came up with the ruling because she was afraid and she didn¡¯t feel confident in herself. She feared how the men would react. If the same thing happened now, she wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to punish the soldiers for murder. She was different now, and Poliana tried to forget how cowardly she was before. In most days, she seeded, but there were odd times when she remembered that moment. Poliana never told this story to anyone before. It was partly because she forgot and partly because she didn¡¯t feel the need to share her shame with other people. Poliana knew¡­ She just knew that if she brought up this story, the people would just say, ¡°It¡¯s because you are a woman and therefore soft and weak.¡± ¡°This is the first time I am telling this to anyone, Lady Reba.¡± Poliana drank her tea. When she was done, she saw an un-melted sugar at the bottom of the cup. She drank it all and her tongue enjoyed its sweetness. Poliana continued, ¡°Lady Reba, you told me that I see the world as men do, but I must disagree. I think¡­ I think I see the world through the eyes of a soldier, a knight. You may say that all soldiers and knights are men, so what¡¯s the difference¡­ but to me, there is a difference. I am different, which means I see and interpret the world differently. I, of course, miss things, choose to not see things I don¡¯t want to see and interpret things in a way that is advantageous to me. I am a human, after all. Lady Reba, you said that being born a woman is an unfortunate incident. You said that women are weaker and the world isn¡¯t fair to them, but the truth is¡­ The strong in this world also don¡¯t have it all good. It¡¯s the same for men too. For example, men are pressured to like drinking and dirty jokes. If a man shows great love for his family and his wife, the other men would say that he is too girly and emotional. A man gets teased for crying too. You know all of these, right? I am not trying to take the men¡¯s side, not at all! I just don¡¯t know why it is necessary at all to have different ¡®sides.¡¯ Why does it have to be men against women? We shouldn¡¯t be enemies, we aren¡¯t enemies. Women cannot survive without men, but it is the same for men too. How do you think they will feel if we tell the men that they will have to live without women? They will scream in fear and shock. I am not telling you this because I gave up on being a woman and because I think like a man. I like to think that I am acting like a knight. Like a human, I am living as I am, a woman with power.¡± Poliana wasn¡¯t going to pity the other women, but she was going to try to understand them. Poliana had lived for over thirty years, but there were still so many things she didn¡¯t know. Perhaps this side of the world wasn¡¯t something she needed to know. It wouldn¡¯t help her at all to learn about the other women. Maybe the best thing for her was to continue ignoring the problem. It would certainly be easier. Her life could go back to normal. She wouldn¡¯t have to feel these new ufortable emotions, and there wouldn¡¯t be nights likest night when she cried herself to sleep. But¡­ It was toote. She heard about it already so now, she knew. And Poliana wasn¡¯t going to run away now. In a determined voice, partly to convince herself as well, Poliana said to Reba, ¡°So from now on, please tell me all of it. All the things you can¡¯t tell others¡­ Please tell me.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you tell me things that are ridiculous. If you ever have things you want to tell me, please don¡¯t hesitate.¡± Poliana felt hurt that day when Reba ranted at her. But the fact was, it changed Poliana. It made Poliana learn a lot about herself. Lucius the First was busy being the emperor of the entire continent. Sir Ainno was busy leading the kingdom¡¯s very first knight¡¯s order, he was also distracted by his new love interest. Sir Donau and Sir Howe were newly married and were about to be fathers. Sir Bentier became the new chancellor and Sir Wook was promoted as well. And now¡­ What Reba told her was going to change Poliana¡¯s world. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to be for good or for bad. The only thing she knew without a doubt was that Poliana now saw things differently, and this was definitely a great thing for someone who leads arge group. She might choose not to act on what she learned, but she would at least learn about it. That was enough for now. Reba shook her head and replied, ¡°Oh¡­ No¡­ Please¡­ Don¡¯t forgive me so easily.¡± ¡°When did I say I was going to forgive you?¡± ¡°But you are forgiving me right now.¡± Did Lady Reba n this whole thing, sheing to her to apologize in person even though she was still ill? Whatever, It didn¡¯t matter. For some reason, Poliana liked Reba. She found thedy very interesting. Even though Reba showed her the weakest and most hateful side of her, Poliana liked her even more now. Poliana said to her, ¡°I don¡¯t tell anyone anything, so can you promise me to tell me everything?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Only Suddenly Reba wondered if Poliana had a horrible habit of listening to people¡¯s confessions about themselves. Poliana continued, ¡°But you must do the same for me. You must promise to listen to what I want to say. I am going to tell you things that I could never tell anyone else. Do you have any idea about the things I have been keeping to myself all these years?¡± Poliana met so many men in her life who treated her poorly and unfairly. There were things she kept to herself because Poliana feared that the people would hate her orugh at her. The things she couldn¡¯t tell anyone¡­ How she really felt¡­ There was no way she could tell these things to other soldiers or knights. Poliana never fought alongside Reba, but somehow, a new friendship was forming between them. It was different from what she shared with Lucius the First, Donau, Vaxi, or Vanessa. ¡®I guess there is quite an age gap between us, but who cares?¡¯ Poliana offered her hand to Reba. Women didn¡¯t shake hands, so Reba seemed uncertain but hesitantly, she took Poliana¡¯s hand. They shook hands and Rebaughed quietly. And this was how the wife of the emperor and the knightess became friends. Chapter 159: Story 15. The Cleansing Ritual- 159 Story 15. The Cleansing Ritual Chapter 159 What was the cleansing ritual? It was a superstitious event that was carried out to destroy the evils and bad luck. Different regions had different ways of doing it, but all of them had one thing inmon; it required items that were hard to acquire. The rituals usually involved alcohol, salt, and oil. In some poorer regions, people substituted these items with animal blood or grains. Northerners were notorious for being superstitious and the Acreian men were the worst of them. There were many rituals in Acreia and the most popr one was the ceremony that took ce before hunting. It was amon practice for the hunters to empty their dders before entering the forest. In Acreia, an unmarried man¡¯s urine was considered the best thing to protect oneself from an evil spirit. When people heard that Lucius the First wanted to do a cleansing ritual, everyone rejected the idea. ¡°No, you mustn¡¯t, your highness.¡± Lucius the First red at them. Everyone must¡¯ve believed that he meant to use the urine of the unmarried men for this ritual. How could they think he would do something like that? He admitted he was superstitious, but he would never do something so putrid. ¡°In Acreia, it was easy to clean it up afterward since the urine would just freeze. We are in Yapa, so how could you think I would do something like that?¡± But everyone, especially his servants, knew him very well. Master Chail tried to make the emperor feel better, but Lucius the First was upset and annoyed. ¡°I may like these superstitious rituals, but you people really thought I would do something so disgusting? How dare you!¡± The emperor muttered. It took a very long time for him to stop grumbling. That¡¯s when he looked around and announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to use alcohol.¡± To pour expensive alcohol around the castle walls? The servants, of course, knew that this was one way to do the ritual, but they all thought that the emperor would choose urine instead because he loved to drink and wouldn¡¯t want to waste good wine. What they didn¡¯t know was that the emperor cared much more about good cleansing rituals than good drinks. The story of Lucius the First falling off his horse could¡¯ve been a lovely story if the people cared about the full story. He fell because he was so surprised and happy about the news that Stra was pregnant. But in the end, it turned out that she wasn¡¯t really pregnant and the only thing people now remembered was just the fact that Lucius the First fell off his horse. The story of how Sir Ainno also fell off his horse became famous too. When people heard that the emperor was nning a cleansing ritual, different rumors began. Many believed that the ghosts of the Bikpa nobles and the Bikpa princess who were hung upside down on the wall were haunting the ce. Some even thought that Lady Stra had a miscarriage from the shock of seeing the ghost of the Bikpa princess. No matter how many times the officials stated that it was a phantom pregnancy, the people didn¡¯t care, they preferred the shocking story over the truth. This meant that the emperor needed to remain calm and objective. It would fuel people¡¯s fear if Lucius the First carried out the cleansing ritual, but the emperor refused to listen to some of his councilors. Those from Acreia were actually in agreement with the emperor, so in the end, it was decided that the ritual will take ce soon. Lucius the First prepared for it with excitement. He got some cheap but strong alcohol for the event because he didn¡¯t want to waste expensive wines. When some even more superstitious councilors protested that the ritual wouldn¡¯t be as effective if they used cheap items, the emperor replied, ¡°It¡¯s your heart that counts, not the price of the alcohol.¡± The next thing they decided on was the person who was going to pour the alcohol around the inside and outside of the castle walls. The rule was simple. The best candidate would be an unmarried virgin male, but such a man was very hard toe by. Only very young boys would qualify, so the emperor decided on finding unmarried men who have a good personality, talent, and came from a good family. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t married, I would do it myself¡­¡± ¡°Your highness, please¡­ You mustn¡¯t¡­¡± Master Chail shook his head in horror. In the end, several eptable men were chosen including Sir Ainno to carry out this ritual. Sir Ainno was almost in his mid 30¡¯s and it was very rare to find a firstborn nobleman of his age who was still unmarried. Sir Ainno grabbed the jar full of alcohol with his usual displeased expression. He was the only one in his 30¡¯s. The rest were in theirte teens to mid-twenties, making Sir Ainno stand out. Poliana murmured, ¡°If it was me, I would die of embarrassment.¡± Her words were cruel, and as soon as she said it, Poliana looked around nervously, worried that someone might have heard her. Thankfully, only Reba and Cekel were present. Since Lady Reba was her friend and Cekel hated Sir Ainno, it was ok. Poliana sighed in relief. Looking at Cekel, Poliana shook her head. The emperor swore he would let Sir Ainno marry anyone he wanted if thedy agreed, but it seemed that things were not going well for him regarding Cekel. Only Poliana knew this because Cekel sometimes asked her obvious questions. For example, one day, Cekel asked Poliana how to attack a man who tried to get close to her. Based on her observation, Poliana guessed that Cekel already kicked and pped Sir Ainno a few times already. She was also sure that Cekel kicked his crotch a few times as well. At this point, Poliana could think of only onest option, and it was a shocking and cruel one. ¡°Lady Cekel, I have onest move, but it should be yourst resort. If you are willing to lose your reputation as ady to get rid of this man, then you can use this.¡± ¡°Yes, Marquess. He is a persistent one, and I need to get rid of him. What should I do? Please tell me.¡± ¡°Okay, here is what you do. You grab his groin andugh at him. You then tell him, ¡®Too small for me.¡¯ Got it?¡± This tactic was to be used only as of thest resort when all else failed. Poliana had rarely rmended this skill. It was emotionally easier to kick a man¡¯s crotch because legs weren¡¯t as sensitive as hands. Grabbing someone¡¯s balls was an awkward thing to do. It required determination and courage. To be most effective, one had to grab them long enough to make a point. There was also a risk of being attacked afterward. Although Poliana taught her this skill, she didn¡¯t think Cekel would actually go ahead with it. But to her surprise, it seemed that Lady Cekel did carry it out. Unfortunately, her expression showed that things didn¡¯t go very well. Unable to ovee her curiosity, Poliana asked, ¡°So¡­ Did you do it? What happened?¡± Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Cekel stared at her hand and whispered, ¡°His¡­ It was big.¡± ¡®Ahh¡­. So he¡¯s big.¡¯ Cekel had two older brothers and one younger brother, which meant that she was familiar with the average size of a manhood. In Acreia, saunas were especially popr and men, after spending some time in the outdoor sauna, often returned home naked. Cekel had seen her brothers naked often enough that she knew what to expect. If Cekel thought Sir Ainno had a generous manhood, it most likely meant that he indeed had an above-average sized penis. And if he did¡­ This move wouldn¡¯t have worked. It would¡¯ve been difficult tough at him after touching him, and even if she did, he would¡¯ve known she was faking it. When herst resort didn¡¯t work, Cekel focused on avoiding Sir Ainno. She didn¡¯t even return home most of the time. Instead, she ate and slept inside thedy¡¯s quarters. This was a good idea because since Sir Ainno was Sir Beke and Deke¡¯s superior, he could visit their home often if he wished. At this point, Poliana wondered if Sir Ainno was truly interested in Cekel in an honorable way. Lady Cekel didn¡¯t think so and she felt certain about it. Cekel exined that when they first met, it was very awkward. But when they were left alone, Sir Ainno kissed her. Ever since that day, whenever he got a chance, Sir Ainno made advances on her. He would hug her or push her against a wall so he could trap her with his body. He did many things that couldpromise her reputation, yet Sir Ainno never publicly dered his interest in her and asked to court her. Cekel could think of only one reason why he would act this way. ¡®He has no interest in marrying me, he just wants to get me into his bed.¡¯ Cekel was a spinster who swore to never marry. She was also a sister of his men, which meant that he outranked her entire family. Cekel believed that Sir Ainno was trying to take advantage of her. Cekel had no intention of bing his ything. She spent most of her spare time with the other maids and made sure to avoid Sir Ainno as much as possible. The only one who knew what was going on between the two was Poliana. Cekel suspected that Poliana knew the identity of this ¡°persistent bastard,¡± but she never once said his name out loud. She never nned to confirm his identity to Poliana unless it became absolutely necessary. It was entertaining for Poliana to watch Sir Ainno struggle. It was clear he had never courted anyone before, and Poliana had no intention of helping him. Even if he was genuinely in love with Cekel with an honorable intention, it was still very wrong of him to try to force his affection on her. Besides, if he was sincere, he should¡¯ve publicly made a marriage offer to her. ¡®He should try reading a romance novel or two to learn how to do this right.¡¯ Sir Ainno spent his entire life serving and protecting the emperor, which made him an idiot when ites to love. Was his love so true that his head wasn¡¯t working well? Was that why he wasn¡¯t thinking and acting clearly? Or was he so entitled that he thought he could do whatever he wanted? In the aristocratic society, there were two options for a man and a woman to date. They either could date each other after marriage or after an official engagement. Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t a young man of twenty with hot blood; he was a mature man who should have known better. So why was he acting like an idiot? All he had to do was to offer to marry her. This way, Cekel would know Sir Ainno really cared for her, and Sir Ainno would get to marry the woman he loved. After the preparation waspleted, the emperor signaled the chosen men to begin. The young men carried therge jars of alcohol on their back and using a woodendle, they sshed the liquor on the castle walls. They had to do this on every inch of the wall by the end of today, so it was going to be hard. The men finished before the sunset. When they returned, the emperor praised their hard work and offered each of them a cup of wine. It wasn¡¯t the cheap stuff they sshed on the wall; he brought out the best wine for them. The first one to ept the drink was Sir Ainno. He emptied the cup quickly as the emperor said to him, ¡°You will have a very lucky year, Sir Ainno.¡± ¡°All of my luck belongs to you, your highness. I pray that you and the kingdom will have a sessful year.¡± That was the end of the cleansing ritual. Lucius the First wished everyone good luck and good health, and the feast began. People drankte into the night and wished for a good year for the emperor and the kingdom. The one who received the most attention at the feast was Lady Tory. Although the whole continent was united, no one forgot the fact that Lucius the First came from Acreia. ordingly, the night¡¯s feast was prepared in Acreian style. The servants wanted Tory to take the lead as the head of thedies because she knew the Acreian culture better than the other wives. Tory was, in fact, an excellent hostess. She was trained by the best thanks to Marquis Seeze, who groomed her to be the next empress. Everyone believed that Lady Tory was going to be the empress as soon as she became pregnant. It didn¡¯t matter if she had a boy or a girl as long as she was pregnant with the emperor¡¯s child. Stra and Reba aided Tory efficiently. There was no power struggle between the wives as expected by many. There were many people attending the feast. Since it wasn¡¯t an official banquet, there was no formal invitation; anyone who wanted to attend it could walk in and join them. As the unofficial mistress of the castle, Tory was supposed to oversee everything and greet everyone, but there was only one of her. Thankfully, Reba and Stra shared the responsibility and took care of different sections of the feast for Tory. This meant that Poliana had to walk around constantly to make sure all thedies were safe. ¡°Marquess, there is no need for you to be on your feet all night. You can sit down and rest, we¡¯re all fine.¡± ¡°This is my job.¡± Poliana walked around the area and returned to where Tory was sitting. Lady Tory was entertaining arge table, which was filled with mostly the important noblemen from Acreia. Only There was no nned seating arrangement, but the people ended up sitting with the others they were familiar with andfortable with. There was a clear division among the tables. Poliana shook her head. ¡®This isn¡¯t good, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ There was no way Lucius the First wasn¡¯t aware of what was happening, which meant that he was ignoring it purposely. This wasn¡¯t Poliana¡¯s concern, so she focused on her own job. She looked around when suddenly, she spotted someone familiar hiding behind a column, unable to join the Acreian group. Frau Sneke. He was clearly from Acreia as well and belonged to a prominent noble family. He was also a doctor, which was a very respectable job, so there should¡¯ve been no reason why he could not join the table full of Acreian nobles. Yet, he was standing and looking at the table hesitantly. Why? Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Frau Sneke. He looked pathetic and sad as he stood around behind the column. He looked at the feast longingly. Poliana couldn¡¯t understand why he seemed hesitant to join the party. She asked Lady Tory, ¡°Do you know that man?¡± ¡°You mean Frau Sneke? Yes, I do. If you have questions about him, I will answer them for you as best as I can.¡± ¡°There must be quite a number of people from the Sneke family here, so why is he hiding over there? Why isn¡¯t he joining the party?¡± If he felt ufortable joining strangers, he could just sit with his own family members. There should¡¯ve been no reason for a man over 30 years old to hide behind a column and look that pitiful. Poliana couldn¡¯t understand it. In fact, she found it very suspicious. What was he afraid of? Tory looked at him sympathetically and replied, ¡°It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s trying to avoid the members of his family. He was kicked out from his family.¡± Tory exined that the Sneke n was a family of knights for many generations. It was also very influential and wealthy, so although the firstborn was going to inherit the family title, wealth, andnd, there was still plenty left for their other four sons. Poliana thought Frau became a doctor because his family didn¡¯t provide for him, but obviously, she was wrong. Apparently, even as the fifth son, the Sneke family was not stingy when it came to Frau¡¯s education to be a knight. His four older brothers all sessfully became knights, but Frau failed. Was it because he had no talent for it or because he didn¡¯t make enough effort? Tory said that Frau ended up giving up to be a knight. This angered his father, Baron Sneke who passed away since then, and Frau was kicked out from his family. To make a living, Frau ended up bing the royal doctor, Baron Redikal¡¯s, student. Being a doctor as a profession was not a bad job. As long as he was skilled, it shouldn¡¯t be hard for Frau to be the royal doctor. Butpared to a knight or a government official, it was considered an inferior position. The world was very much divided by different stations. The kingdom was ruled by the emperor and the emperor was supported by the noblemen. There were five levels of nobility and only the firstborn heir could inherit this title. This meant that the younger children of a noble family were considered semi-noble. These semi-nobles lived a very simr lifestyle as the fully legitimate nobles by working for the family. A younger noble¡¯s son could be a knight, a government official, or a doctor. Of these three jobs, a doctor was considered the most inferior. Not all knights were nobles, but all noblemen were automatically given a status equivalent to a knight. This was why of the three possible positions, a knight was considered to have the most superior status. The profession of a doctor was definitely not amon position for the son of an influential family, even if he was the youngest of the five. Because Frau gave up on bing a knight, even though his family did everything to help him be one, Frau lost respect from everyone who knew him. He was a decent doctor, but this didn¡¯t matter. People would have been more understanding if he became a government official. In Acreia, Frau¡¯s reputation was ruined permanently. Tory said to Poliana, ¡°That¡¯s why he is still unmarried.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Poliana was shocked, which was understandable. During the years when Lucius the First went on his conquest, there was a noticeable shortage of marriageable men in Acreia. Most noblemen were married early, so it was strange that Frau was still single. Because most men Poliana knew were married, she assumed that Frau was married as well. Tory replied, ¡°Who would give their daughter to such a weak fragile man? I certainly wouldn¡¯t. I did hear that he was very kind and treats women well, but still¡­ Technically, he isn¡¯t even really a noble anymore. In fact, whoever lets their daughter marry Frau would end up bing Sneke family¡¯s enemy.¡± If he wasn¡¯t kicked out from his family, Frau would¡¯ve been married by now. Wealthymoners or low-ranking nobles would¡¯ve offered their daughters to him dly. But¡­ Frau had nothing. No family name and no connections. Tory added sadly, ¡°That¡¯s right. He is over 30 years old and he is still unmarried. Even the other doctors don¡¯t like him that much, so that is why he is hiding over there by himself. I think he is a nice guy, so I feel bad for him.¡± Tory wanted to help him find a woman to marry, but she couldn¡¯t. Making such a suggestion to any family would be considered an insult. Poliana asked, ¡°Since his father the former Baron Sneke is dead, wouldn¡¯t he go back to his family?¡± ¡°No way. You have no idea how bad it was when he was kicked out.¡± Tory lowered her voice to whisper, ¡°Apparently, the deceased baron left a will that stated that Frau shouldn¡¯t evene to his funeral. It was that bad.¡± ¡®For a father to not allow his own son toe to his funeral¡­ That¡¯s cold.¡¯ Poliana immediately understood the situation. She knew that although her stepmother and Liana hated her, they would¡¯ve invited her to attend her father¡¯s funeral. In a way, Frau was trapped in a vicious cycle. His unmarried status worsened his reputation in his society and his bad reputation prevented him from getting married. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Poliana felt sorry for him. Just as Tory said, he seemed like a nice guy. She was especially impressed because when all the doctors went to visit Reba, Frau visited Stra to make sure she was ok. The other doctors didn¡¯t think much of Stra¡¯s health because she was always sick, but Frau seemed very caring, he took his job very seriously. For some reason, Poliana felt closer to him. As the night deepened, Poliana left her guards to finish up. She left the Yapa castle to search for something. ¡®I wonder if I can find it.¡¯ So much time has passed, so she didn¡¯t feel confident that she would find it, but Poliana still wanted to try. She rode her horse slowly around the castle wall. It was dark and she was alone. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I see a ghost tonight.¡¯ Poliana spent over 10 years in a war, yet she had never seen a ghost before. She never used to believe in it, but after spending so much time with the northern men, Poliana thought that perhaps it was possible for ghosts to exist. Then suddenly, she saw a shadow moving ahead of her. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°Argghh!¡± Poliana recognized his voice. She didn¡¯t have to see his face to know who it was. Sir Ainno was urinating against the castle wall and when he spotted Poliana, he red at her. Poliana muttered, ¡°There are plenty of bathrooms in the castle, so why are you peeing here? You¡¯re disgusting.¡± ¡°Marquess, you ruined everything.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­? Could it be¡­?¡± Sir Ainno nodded seriously, making Poliana gasp. ¡°A-are you serious? Man¡­ You really like superstitions, don¡¯t you? So you really did it.¡± ¡°It was his highness¡¯s order.¡± Sir Ainno finished up and red at Poliana again as he continued, ¡°But now that you found out, it¡¯s not going to work. You ruined everything, Marquess Winter.¡± Apparently, there were two other unmarried men who were ordered to pee on the outer walls of the castle. Sir Ainno believed that being found out by Poliana meant that this wasn¡¯t going to work. Poliana was annoyed but she stopped herself from hitting him, she knew that she couldn¡¯t win against him. ¡®Just ignore him.¡¯ Sir Ainno asked her, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at the feast?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± When Poliana refused to answer, Sir Ainno said to her coldly, ¡°His highness already visited the Bikpa princess¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, that meant that Poliana didn¡¯t have to try to find it. She was impressed with the emperor again. He was indeed very wise and organized. Sir Ainno pointed at the wall and said to her, ¡°Just pour the drink over there. I assumed you got the good stuff so let¡¯s hope it works.¡± After she was done, she got on her horse and muttered to him, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s your fault for being found out by me.¡± Only Sir Ainnoughed and replied, ¡°You like to me other people, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, I am powerful enough now that I am allowed to do it, right? Power is such a great thing. Even you and his highness treat me with more respect.¡± Sir Ainno wondered if Poliana knew that Lucius the First was in love with her. When Sir Ainno smiled, Poliana said to him, ¡°Well, you know what? I will give you my love luck this year. I think you will need it much more than I do.¡± Sir Ainno thought about saying that he didn¡¯t need it, but he changed his mind. Poliana ended up gaining the love of the greatest man in the kingdom, so she obviously didn¡¯t need this luck. He then replied, ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you give me your love luck for next year too then?¡± ¡°Fine, fine, take it all.¡± ¡®I hope he gets rejected by Cekel.¡¯ Poliana knew that she didn¡¯t have much luck in love, and she never would. So, who cares if Sir Ainno took it all? It wasn¡¯t going to work for him anyway. Chapter 162: Book 3 – Story 16. Dance with the Flower Snake – Chapter 162: Book 3 ¨C Story 16. Dance with the Flower Snake People would usually assume that once they''ve be sessful and important, they would no longer have any worries in the world. But the truth was that this wasn''t the case for everyone. There were many who found their lives boring after they achieved everything they wanted in life. One good example was Sir Ainno Seki. As the first-born son of Acreia''s most influential family, Seki, he was the emperor''s close friend and nicknamed the best knight in the kingdom. Even though this man had everything, he rarely smiled. It would''ve been eptable if he simply didn''t smile, but in fact, he always had an ugly frown on his face. He had the same expression even in front of the emperor, so people couldn''tin. Another example was Marquess Poliana Winter. She was no longer being mistreated by everyone, but Poliana still maintained a strict nk expression on her face. Was it because it became her habit to always look stern, or did she think it made her look more important? Either way, Poliana made sure to always look bitter while working. She already had harsh features, so people believed that Poliana must''ve hated the world. It was considered a very rare urrence to see the two knights smiling kindly as they stood behind the emperor. Today, Poliana was reading her letter with her usual nk face. However, anyone who knew her well could see how her eyes sparkled like a hawk that was eyeing delicious prey. The messenger tensed anxiously. He knew Marquess Winter wasn''t a cruel person, but there were asions when an officer killed the messenger because he did not like the message he received. Her butler watched them curiously. ''Why is she acting like that?'' The letter the messenger brought was from the southern region and it was a personal one. Usually, Poliana enjoyed reading any letters from her adopted brother and his family, but today, she looked very serious. She acted like she was contemting a battle strategy. Then suddenly, sheughed. She didn''t care how loud she was being or how people stared at her. She was at home after all, which meant that she was the master of the house. The butler couldn''t stop his curiosity. He whispered to the messenger, "Do you have an idea what was in that letter?" The messenger could think of only one thing. Cautiously, he whispered back to the butler, "Viceroy Bika became a grandfather." "Aha!" The butler nodded at him. Viceroy Bika and Marquess Winter were very close. Because Viceroy Bika and Count Ribo moved to the south, there was a great distance between the two families and Poliana, but they wrote letters to each other frequently and their rtionships were closer than before. The letter stated that Sir Howe had a son while Sir Donau had a daughter. The butler now knew why his mistress wasughing so happily. "Hahahaha!" Her adopted brother and her close friend were now fathers. Poliana felt overjoyed and herugh became louder and louder. The messenger was impressed at how boisterous the marquess was. It was no wonder she became the leader of so many young knights. The butler was proud to see how the messenger looked very impressed by the marquess. ''That''s right, our mistress is definitely a great woman!'' Poliana continued tough and whistle loudly. Sir Howe and Vaxi had a son while Sir Donau and Vanessa had a girl. The letter stated that both the mothers and the babies were healthy. The babies were born only a few days apart, so Poliana could guess how hectic it must''ve been for the two families. Poliana wanted to dance around, but she noticed the messenger staring at her. She coughed and said to him, "Good work. I will have a letter ready for you by the time you return from Nanaba." "Yes, Ma''am! I will see youter, Marquess!" Poliana said her goodbye. The butler offered a room for the messenger so he could stay the night to rest before leaving, but the messenger said that he needed to leave immediately. Viceroy Bika''s parents were waiting to get the news of their great-grandchildren, so the messenger felt like he didn''t have any time to waste. When their son''s family decided to leave Nanaba, The Bika seniors decided to stay in the old capital. The messenger should''ve delivered the letter to them first, but Poliana was on his way to Nanaba. So in the end, Poliana ended up learning about Vaxi and Vanessa''s new babies before their own grandparents. *** "Good morning!" Poliana greeted everyone she met enthusiastically. When she reached her workce, she found Reba sitting in the garden. She greeted Poliana pleasantly because she knew why Poliana was feeling so happy. Yesterday, a different messenger delivered a few letters to the castle so Reba already knew of the news of the Bika and Ribo families'' new babies. Everyone was excited to hear the news. The letter was only delivered to Lucius the First, so the only things Reba knew were what the servants and the maids heard by rumors. Lady Reba had many questions for Poliana. The first question was, of course, about the health of the mothers and their babies. "Are they all ok?" "Yes. They were worried because these were their first babies, but the letter said that everything went very smoothly." "Thank god." It wasn''t umon for the births to go wrong. Reba was truly d to hear that everyone was doing well. She then asked, "And the genders of the babies?" "Sir Howe had a son and Sir Donau had a daughter." "Oh, how lovely. Congrattions, Poliana." Reba smiled, and even though it wasn''t her who had these babies, Poliana shrugged her shoulders shyly. The main conversation topic that day was, of course, Viceroy Bika''s new grandchildren. They were brand new babies, but Tory already talked about what kind of education they should receive while Stra talked about their future marriages. All Reba did was smile as she listened. Poliana was busy letting thedies know of what she learned from the letters. Of course, Poliana didn''t tell them everything that was written in Sir Donau''s letter. In addition to the facts about the birth, Donau trusted Poliana enough to reveal how he felt about being a new father. He couldn''t believe that he had a baby now, but he was very happy. Donau also talked about how angry he was that people kept telling him that he shouldn''t worry because his next child should be a boy. Donau didn''t care that he had a daughter as long as she was healthy but it seemed that everyone else felt sad for him that he didn''t get a son. Donau also thanked Poliana for the gifts. She sent ten sets of everything because she thought that he might have twins. Since he only had once baby, Donau promised that he will use whatever is left over for his next baby. The Bika twins were still recovering, so they couldn''t write Poliana their own letters. Since Tory was the one who helped Poliana pick out the gifts, Poliana thanked thedy. "Thank you so much for your help." "No worries! Like I said before, I am honored that you came to me for help." Toryughed delicately. Now that they knew the sex of the babies, she told Poliana that it was going to be easier to pick out their main gifts. Tory listed the mostmon gifts Acreians like to give. When she mentioned the fur coat, Reba flinched and said to her, "Umm¡­ There is no need for something like that in the southern region." "But isn''t it cold in the winter even in the south?" "Not really. We have wet and dry seasons, not summer and winter." Poliana remembered how humid it was in the south. She hated how sticky her body felt, and she felt sorry for her adopted brother and his family. The Bika and Ribo families used to live in the coldest part of the continent, and now, they lived in a ce that had the hottest weather. Poliana could imagine how hard it must be for them. Her eyes began to water a little just thinking about them. "Marquess, are you ok?" "Oh, I''m alright. I was just thinking about my new niece and nephew, and I felt like crying." Stra replied with a blush, "I know exactly how you feel. It is a marvelous feeling to get a new nephew or niece. When I first had mine, I cried myself too because I was so happy. I am so impressed that you have such a wonderful rtionship with your adopted brother!" Stra smiled and added, "In the southern region, we like to give silver crafts rather than fur coats." "Hmm¡­ But in Acreia, a fur scarf is a must for a young boy¡­ Don''t you think silver craft would be too feminine for a baby boy?" "Oh, what you can do is make a thick silver chain and¡­" Reba exined the traditional gift for baby boys in the south, and Tory graciously listened and nodded at her. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 The conversation changed to the topic of Stra and her older brother, who lived in the nearby area. After hearing about how close Poliana and her adopted brother Donau was, even though he lived very far away, Stra regretted not being diligent with her letters to her brother. ¡°I live very close to where my brother lives, yet I haven¡¯t been sending the letters often to him. I feel ashamed.¡± Poliana then replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s funny how these things work. Sometimes, you drift apart when you live so close because you think you can see him any time you want. Yet you actually don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ From now on, maybe I should write to him more often¡­¡± ¡®I feel bad¡­¡¯ Poliana felt terrible because any letters the emperor¡¯s wives wrote were examined before being sent out. This was part of Poliana¡¯s job and she hated it. The letters were written for thedies¡¯ friends and families, which meant that these were personal. It was very rude to invade thedies¡¯ privacy, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. The other guards thought this wasn¡¯t a big deal since Poliana was also a woman, but this wasn¡¯t true. In fact, Poliana felt worse because of it. Stra smiled pleasantly and innocently. Stra cried a lot, but she also smiled often too. She asked Poliana, ¡°Was there anything else on Sir Donau¡¯s letter?¡± ¡°No, nothing much. He just asked about any news in Yapa.¡± ¡®It¡¯s too bad there isn¡¯t any good news in Yapa. Well, I guess there is that crazy development, but¡­¡¯ There was indeed something new that happened in the Yapa castle, but this wasn¡¯t something Poliana was free to disclose. Besides, she was sure that a message about this event was already sent to the south by now. It meant that Donau probably knew about it already. ¡®I wonder if it will be a girl or a boy¡­¡¯ No one knew yet, of course. Some believed that if the upper portion of the pregnant woman¡¯s belly was full, it was a son, but this was only a myth. Even the emperor, who loved superstition, didn¡¯t believe this one. Besides, her belly wasn¡¯t big enough yet. Reba said to Poliana, ¡°In the south, men often wear bracelets or anklets too. If you fashion it like this, it should be fine.¡± Reba rubbed her belly, which was a new habit for her. She was still in the early stage, so it didn¡¯t show at all. Poliana stared at Reba¡¯s belly expectantly. Everyone will find out in a few months if there will be a new prince or princess. *** When it was confirmed by the doctors that Reba was pregnant, Lucius the First did not fall off his horse this time. The emperor told everyone over and over again to be careful with his pregnant wife. Lady Reba needed to remain rxed at all times. Of course, it was easier said than done. The emperor loved to tell people over and over again, ¡°I will be a father very soon.¡± There was no need for him to announce this to everyone since everyone already knew, but he did it anyway. As expected, everyone¡¯s attention turned to Reba. The biggest question people had was why it was Reba, out of the three wives, who got pregnant first. She was the most fragile of them after all. Of course, Reba might have been delicate, but her health wasn¡¯t bad enough that she couldn¡¯t get pregnant. Reba, however, did go through a very unstable period at the beginning where it looked like she might have a miscarriage. The doctors rmended that she needed to rest as much as possible. Once the wife of the emperor became pregnant, her body was no longer her own. As soon as the doctors ordered her to rest, she was forced to be bedridden. She was ordered to stay in bed at all times unless she needed to go to the washroom. Stra and Tory visited her regrly. Last week, Reba was finally given permission to get out of her bed from time to time. Poliana visited her and after confirming that Reba was taking a nap, she went to see Stra and Tory. Her guards reported to her several times a day about how thedies were doing, but Poliana liked to visit them to see how they were for herself. Tory already visited Reba earlier that day. After Poliana told her that Reba was taking a nice nap, Tory nodded at her elegantly. She looked worried. ¡°I am d to hear that Lady Reba looked ok today. I really hope she continues to be healthy.¡± Tory sighed quietly and added, ¡°I am very worried about her.¡± Tory was the unofficial head of the emperor¡¯s wives. She always looked so elegant, but today, she ended up showing tears. Poliana consoled her as best as she could. Reba¡¯s pregnancy wasn¡¯t an entirely a good thing for Tory, so for Tory to be this worried made Poliana feel scared. She said to Tory, ¡°But the doctors said she¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°The baby will continue to grow. Once it bes too much for her because of its weight, Lady Reba will have to be bedridden again. She was ok before she got pregnant, but now¡­¡± Tory became dizzy just thinking about her worst-case scenario. Poliana tried to console her, telling her that it was all going to be ok and that Tory should try not to think about it. ¡°You need to think positively, Lady Tory. The doctors are doing their best and Lady Reba is getting better slowly, so I am sure everything will work out. Please try not to worry.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I need to think positively.¡± Tory gave Poliana a weak smile. The rtionship between Tory and Reba was an awkward one. If Tory looked too worried, people would talk. They would think that she had ill wishes towards Reba, so Tory had to make sure she didn¡¯t show her concerns too much. Poliana tactfully changed the subject. She thanked Tory again for helping her pick out gifts for the new babies. Tory shook her head and replied, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re wee. Besides, it was my honor to help you. Please let me know anytime if you need some help.¡± ¡°Oh, then I don¡¯t mind if I do! I would love to hear your suggestion about what the next set of gifts should be.¡± Tory smiled brightly and her maids pped in excitement. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so nice to see how close you are, Lady Tory and Poliana!¡± Tory listed her gift ideas and Poliana wrote them down. Before the babies were born, it was hard to pick the gifts because they didn¡¯t know the gender of the babies, but now that they knew, it was going to be easier. Tory gave specific ideas and Reba helped them as well. Poliana was happy to see that her list was long. Tory offered, ¡°For a boy, a toy bow and arrow would be a good idea. If he starts ying with it when he is young, it will help strengthen his arms. For a girl, how about an embroidery book? It usually is very colorful, so most kids love it. Different materials are used for embroidery in the north and southern regions, so I think you should get an embroidery book from the southern region to send.¡± This time, Tory did not suggest sending many sets of the items, but Poliana thought of Vanessa and Sir Donau. Poliana knew that Donau would get upset if his daughter didn¡¯t receive the same toy bow. He would insist that his daughter could y with the bow just as well as any boys. Poliana decided to purchase two sets of each gift so she can send them to both babies. She could certainly afford it. Tory added, ¡°Oh, and it would be nice for you to send some gifts to the new mothers too.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Poliana grinned eagerly. Shepletely agreed because after all, it was the mothers who had to go through the birth of their babies. Poliana already sent medicinal herbs that were rmended for the new mothers, but she didn¡¯t send any gifts yet. Tory advised her that Poliana should put more effort into picking out the gifts for Vanessa than Vaxi. Only ¡°Because Vanessa probably feels disappointed that she had a daughter.¡± It was most likely that because she married the second son, Vanessa was probably getting lesser gifts than her twin sister. Tory told Poliana of the stories she heard before about the new mothers who were treated poorly because she had a daughter instead of the coveted son. Tory whispered to Poliana, ¡°Can you imagine risking your life by giving birth and your husband looks so disappointed because you had a daughter? What a nightmare that would be¡­ It would feel so awful.¡± Tory didn¡¯t have any children yet, so the stories she knew were probably from her mother, sister, grandmother, or friends. Luckily for Vanessa, Poliana knew Donau very well, which meant he would never be disappointed just because he had a daughter. Poliana could imagine Donau holding his wife¡¯s hand and crying as he thanked her for their beautiful new daughter. Both Sir Howe and Donau were taught very well by Sir Baufallo. They were kind young men, so Poliana was certain that they would treat their wives with respect and affection. ¡®But I guess Vanessa¡¯s mother-inw might have said something nasty to her.¡¯ Poliana could see Lady Ribo saying something pointed, but thankfully, the Bika family was much wealthier and higher-ranked than the Ribo family. Even if Lady Ribo was disappointed with a new granddaughter, she would¡¯ve never said anything too bad to Vanessa. This was specifically why Sir Rabi wanted his daughters to marry Sir Howe and Sir Donau. Poliana couldn¡¯t even imagine how horrible it would feel to be criticized for having a daughter. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Before going home after work, Poliana visited Reba one more time. She found Lady Reba awake and having her dinner. She asked Poliana to join her, which surprised Poliana. Poliana would have dly epted the invitation but unfortunately, she already had ns for the night. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Reba, but unfortunately, I already have a n for tonight.¡± Lady Cekel, who was standing nearby, stepped forward politely and offered to Poliana, ¡°Marquess Winter, it¡¯s ok if we push our dinner n for another day. I can invite you again in the future. Please don¡¯t worry about me and enjoy your dinner with Lady Reba.¡± Poliana was supposed to have dinner at Cekel¡¯s house tonight. With a frown, Poliana replied awkwardly, ¡°But of course I can¡¯t, Lady Cekel. How could I cancel our dinner n like this on such a short notice? I am sure you had the cook ready a wonderful meal for tonight¡­¡± It was rude to cancelst-minute like this, and if Poliana didn¡¯t go tonight, it was going to hurt Cekel¡¯s pride. In addition, although it was Cekel who invited Poliana to dinner, it was Cekel¡¯s father, Viscount Ingreter, who allowed it. If Poliana didn¡¯t go, it would mean she was being disrespectful towards the viscount too. Poliana currently had a good rtionship with Viscount Ingreter as well as his three sons, and she wanted to continue this friendship. If Lady Reba asked Poliana to join her for dinner a few days ago, Poliana would¡¯ve been able to cancel this dinner without upsetting anyone. Lady Reba, who didn¡¯t do anything wrong but felt guilty as she watched the two woman¡¯s conversation in horror, said to Poliana hastily, ¡°Oh, forget what I just said. Please go ahead, Poliana. I wouldn¡¯t want you to cancel your n like that.¡± Cekel replied, ¡°It¡¯s really alright, Lady Reba and Marquess Winter. The truth is, my brother told me this morning that he has a surprisest-minute guest for tonight¡¯s dinner. I didn¡¯t know how to tell you, Marquess Winter, so I have been worrying about this all day. This actually works out perfectly for me.¡± ¡°Ast-minute guest? Who?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my brother¡¯s superior, so he couldn¡¯t refuse the request.¡± Currently, Viscount Ingreter¡¯s firstborn son and heir, Sir Aeke, belonged to Sir Jainno¡¯s Third Division. Sir Beke, on the other hand, ended up in Sir Ainno¡¯s division. Poliana knew that unlike Sir Ainno, his brother Sir Jainno was a well-mannered knight. Sir Jainno would never insist on being invited to his guard¡¯s home for dinner like this. This surprise guest had to be Sir Ainno. Poliana grabbed her forehead in annoyance while Lady Reba looked confused. Poliana could guess how this happened. Sir Ainno probably heard that Poliana was invited to dinner by Cekel, so he most likely bullied Sir Beke to invite him as well. Sir Beke would¡¯ve had no choice but to invite Sir Ainno. Cekel¡¯s brother didn¡¯t know that Sir Ainno was interested in Cekel, so he probably thought Sir Ainno was just being his usual difficult self. Sir Ainno, an unmarried man of over 30 years old, was well known for inviting himself to his guards¡¯ homes for no good reason. Poliana asked, ¡°Are you going home then, Lady Cekel? Will you be attending this dinner?¡± Cekel smiled sneakily and replied, ¡°Of course not. I am a spinster and therefore an embarrassment to my family. This means that there is no reason why I should attend a dinner that will include such an important guest. I will be staying in the castle for the night, Marquess Winter.¡± Sir Ainno was not going to be happy about this. *** The emperor of Acreia, Lucius the First, was again workingte tonight. In fact, it was very likely that he might have to work all night. He wasn¡¯t allowed the luxury of spending much time with his lovely wives. He had to be satisfied with just having a glimpse of his beautiful pregnant wife sleeping. The woman he loved was too busy nowadays to visit him. His best friend, Sir Ainno, was too busy pursuing the woman he loved. Sir Ainno was supposed to have dinner with the emperor tonight, but at thest minute, Sir Ainno said he was invited to the Ingreter family for dinner. Lucius the First felt envious. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped. He should do whatever he can to get the woman he wants.¡¯ The emperor sighed deeply. Just because he wasn¡¯t allowed to get the woman of his dream didn¡¯t mean his friend should lead an unhappy life too. ¡®I wonder what he did to get invited¡­¡¯ To the emperor¡¯s surprise, he saw Sir Ainno and Cekel together often nowadays ever since the cleansing ritual. Lucius the First thought he was supposed to be the lucky one, but it seemed that he was wrong about it. Would Sir Ainno really win over Lady Cekel? But still¡­ How could Sir Ainno abandon his friend for a girl? Didn¡¯t he know that a man¡¯s friendship was supposed toe before love? ¡®Bastard, he¡¯s such a jerk.¡¯ The emperor took a bite of his food unhappily. It was going to be a long lonely night. *** There were two reactions when a person of power walked on the street. People either stepped aside to make a path, or they swarmed this person. For Marquess Poliana Winter, the first usually happened. There were odd times when a maid got enough courage to give her a gift, but most of the days, people moved aside for her. The only ones she chatted with on the street were either active-duty soldiers or retired soldiers. When she was the emperor¡¯s personal guard, she got to know many high ranking officials and scribes, but these men were rarely seen nowadays because of their busy works. Today, Poliana was invited to dinner by one of her guards. Non-military officials hesitated to invite her, but there were plenty of knights and soldiers who were eager to get closer to her. It began with one of her men inviting her, and soon, all of her guards were inviting her for dinner. There were many men in the Second Division, so it would take her over two months to visit all of her men¡¯s homes. Poliana didn¡¯t mind, however, because there was no one waiting for her at her own home. Lady Reba¡¯s morning sickness and nausea were bing worsetely, which meant that thedies¡¯te afternoon snack time no longer urred. It would have been rude to eat delicious snacks in front of a woman who could not enjoy them. Lady Reba felt guilty, so sometimes, Lady Stra brought some snacks for thedies but today, she didn¡¯t bring any food. Poliana was used to eating lots of snacks after lunch, so when she didn¡¯t get to eat anything after lunch, she found herself starving by dinner time. When her stomach growled loudly, Frau, who was nearby, mustered up the courage to ask her, ¡°Marquess, if you are hungry, perhaps we could have dinner together!¡± ¡°I have ns for tonight.¡± This was the fifth time Frau asked for dinner, and Poliana had to say no every time. She wondered, ¡®I am not sure if he is just a bit slow or really stupid¡­¡¯ He looked upset as he murmured, ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± He walked away sadly, and Poliana didn¡¯t feel good about it. It felt like she was being a bully to a nice man. She didn¡¯t know when, but she began to notice that Frau liked to hang around her often. ¡®Doesn¡¯t he know that I get invited to dinner all the time? I thought everyone knew¡­¡¯ It was a well-known fact that Marquess Winter rarely refused a dinner invitation, which meant that she had ns almost every night. ¡®If he just gives me a date that works for both of us, I would say yes. Does he not know that?¡¯ Only All Frau had to do was to ask her when she was avable. It seemed that although Frau was a smart doctor, he didn¡¯t have anymon sense or basic social skills. Poliana saw him as a delicate man, so seeing him unhappy made her feel guilty. Was he being like this because he found her difficult? Was it because she was a marquess? ¡®Do I look that hard to talk to?¡¯ But she wasn¡¯t! Not at all! She was very easy to talk to! What Poliana didn¡¯t know was that any man who fell in love with her found it very hard to approach her. Lucius the First, Sir Donau, and now Frau¡­ She was a very dense woman when it came to love and dating. This was the fifth time Frau invited her for dinner. Poliana felt horrible, so she promised herself, ¡®The next time he asks me, I will just pick a date for him.¡¯ Poliana exhaled deeply; being a woman of power could be very tiring. Chapter 165 Chapter 165 The house Poliana was invited to belong to one of her guards and his wife. The wife was a widower with a child, which meant that this was her second marriage. A soldier returning from the war didn''t always insist on marrying a young pretty girl. There were many men who offered to marry their fellow soldiers'' spinster sisters or daughters. Sometimes, they also decided to marry the widower of their fellow soldiers who passed away in the war. The emperor strongly rmended such marriages. It was a good dinner. The food itself wasn''t great, but the atmosphere was pleasant. Poliana could see that this was a happy family. The wife, although clearly not in love with her new husband, seemed pleased with him because he showed great respect for her. Her son, who was still very young, didn''t remember his own father so the young boy obviously saw his stepfather like his real biological father. As long as this boy didn''t be too rebellious as he grew up, this family was going to lead a pleasant life. Most soldiers and guards of Poliana''s age all had simrly aged children. It was because they all married around the same time and had children at the same time as well. High fertility rates were a good thing for a kingdom, especially after a war. Perhaps the government officials responsible for nning and maintaining the city''s infrastructures may not like it, but this didn''t concern Poliana at all. She liked seeing lots of kids in a family. The guard''s wife was currently pregnant, and he''s praying for an easy birth. "Since I already have a son, I don''t care if it''s a boy or a girl. I just hope he or she is born healthy." Poliana asked, "Is it ok that your son isn''t actually your real son? He isn''t your blood." "Oh, you''re funny, Boss. Don''t you remember that we, who were part of the recent war, are all brothers? Our camaraderie and friendship are stronger than any blood." The soldiers did often say that their best of friends were the ones they made during a war. Poliana felt proud of her guard. She took a sip of her wine and grinned as he joked, "If it''s a boy, I hope you will consider him as your potential heir!" The emperor''s favored knight, Marquess Winter, was single without her own heir. Whenever someone nagged her about needing to get married and have her children, Poliana always replied, "I can just adopt someone. If I find a boy who isn''t the firstborn and has good talents, I will appoint him as my heir." She was half-joking, but she''s half-serious as well. Poliana grinned and joked back, "I won''t take in just any boy. There are at least twenty parents who are dying to get me to adopt their sons. At this rate, I am going to have to create a test so I could take my pick fairly." "Oh, that sounds fun. It could be called ''Marquess Winter''s Heir Selection Contest.''" "I don''t like the sound of it." "No, it will be so fun. You should really consider it, Boss." "Hmm¡­ Maybe, but I really mean it when I say I am not going to take in just any random boy." "Of course, Marquess." A position of a marquis; it was an amazing opportunity. Even if for some reason Poliana was demoted, she was still going to remain a very high ranking noble. It was also a well-known fact that she was incredibly rich. On top of various pieces ofnd, she also had a mine and a port. It made a perfect sense that she should adopt the best boy possible as her heir. ''I can''t give my name to just anyone. After all, it was given to me by the emperor.'' The heir to Marquess Winter was going to create and lead the Winter family after her death. She had to be very picky, so she would select the best person for the job. The guard then asked, "Boss, are you really serious about not getting married at all?" "Well, there are rare times when I do want to get married, but I think what I need is a wife, not a marriage." "ha! Of course! So that means that you want a man who isn''t really a real man, huh? Someone who would be happy to have you wear the pants in your marriage? Then you will never be able to get married. What man would want to give up being a man?" Poliana was a guest in this house and the guard''s wife was present. She didn''t want to embarrass the guard for his rudeness, so she quietly did signnguage to him. -If you keep talking, I am going to make YOU give up being a man. The guards grinned and told her that he was only joking. His wife, who has been quiet so far, suggested, "Marquess Winter, I really hope you marry a handsome young man!" The wife''s eyes sparkled as she continued, "A man who is handsome, rich, and a high ranking noble." The guard''s wife exined that a sessful man often married a young pretty noblewoman, so why not Poliana do the same? Poliana justughed quietly. *** Lady Reba and Poliana were having their usual afternoon chat. When Lady Reba looked bored, Poliana told her about her dinnerst night. Poliana mentioned how her guard''s wife hoped Poliana would marry someone rich and handsome. Lady Reba gave her a nod. "I totally agree." Reba even added a few more conditions, "And this man must be intelligent and would never cheat on you." A handsome rich nobleman who was intelligent andpletely faithful to her? This was bing too absurd. Poliana then asked, "Why would such a perfect man be willing to marry me?" If she did meet such a good man, the best thing she could do for him was to introduce him to a good woman. Reba shook her head and replied, "Poliana, you just don''t get your own position. You are the only woman in this kingdom who has the right to choose your own husband. You have achieved enough sess that you can do this." The right to pick her own husband; it was a kind of a reward for being so sessful. Sessful men often took in young beautiful trophy wives. In theory, the same logic should apply to Poliana''s situation. At first, the Acreian noble''s society denied Poliana''s existence because they couldn''t understand it. They pushed her away and only contacted her if necessary. But as time passed, people got used to this idea. They became used to her and now, seeing her in the blue uniform with the gold stripe was considered a perfectly normal thing. Poliana also helped in matchmaking a few times to several very influential families, which made her an even more respected figure. She was also incredibly wealthy, which made her look even more attractive. There were plenty of people who wanted to get close to her. Lady Reba asked, "Don''t you get marriage offers?" "Yes, but nothing that makes sense. Mostly young boys¡­" Poliana frowned unpleasantly. In the past, she only received marriage offers to older men. For example, Lady Bika suggested a man in his fifties or was it in his sixties, who already had grandchildren. At the time, this was the best Poliana could dream of because she was an ugly spinster who was rumored to be barren. But now, things have changed. Her position as the leader of an entire military division and her wealth made her look more attractive. Sotely, Poliana noticed that she received many portraits of boys in theirte teens. Of course, she hated the idea of people actually thinking she might marry a young boy. If she ever got married, she wanted to marry someone her age. Not someone who was much older or much younger than her. It was insulting that the people thought she would even consider marrying such young boys when Lucius the First publicly denounced any marriage with big age gaps. At first, Poliana thought that the portraits were jokes, but they kepting. When she made it known that she would never marry someone so young, she began to receive portraits of slightly older men, but they were still much younger than her. This was because most men her age were already married. Any men her age who weren''t married were either much higher-ranked noblemen or someone not worth considering. Both types wouldn''t work for Poliana''s situation. And most men who offered her marriages were either third or fourth sons of poor low-ranking noble families. It seemed that these people saw Poliana as a goose that couldy golden eggs. Lady Reba asked, "Don''t you have someone you like? Any man you are interested in? If you offer marriage to that man, I am sure there is a good chance he will ept it." "Nope. I don''t have anyone." There were a few men Poliana may have been slightly interested in, but they were all married with kids. Besides, she never really liked them that much. And anyone younger than her¡­ Poliana could not see them as men at all. Lady Reba nodded in understanding, "Well, I guess any men your age are probably all married by now." Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Lady Reba changed the subject, "Oh, would you like to have dinner with me tonight again?" "Oh, I''m sorry but I already have ns," Poliana replied. In some circumstances, Poliana would''ve changed her ns to ept Lady Reba''s dinner invitation, but tonight, Poliana was supposed to have dinner with Sir Bentier. Although he was never her director superior, He used to be the deputymander during the war, and he was currently the kingdom''s chancellor. He was clearly a very important figure who deserved great respect. It would have been unwise of Poliana to cancel on someone like Sir Bentier. In fact, she should''ve been honored to be invited by such an important person. ''This must be why.'' Things like this were why Lady Reba felt the invisible wall that most women had to endure all their lives. She herself was one of the three wives of the emperor, but in reality, she didn''t have any practical power or authority as Poliana did. Reba, however, did not feel disappointed or jealous. She was actually a bit curious. She asked, "Oh, you must be well acquainted with the chancellor?" "Not on a personal level, but we saw each other sometimes during the war." It was a secret that Sir Bentier was now on the emperor''s side rather than on the elders'' side like most people believed. Poliana had to make it look like her rtionship with Sir Bentier was an awkward one so people continued to believe this fa?ade. It was also important to look like they are maintaining a diplomatic connection as the two top officials in the kingdom. Unfortunately, Poliana couldn''t tell Lady Reba about these details, so she offered the same official exnation she gave to everyone else. "Since he is rted to Lady Tory, I think Sir Bentier just wants to thank me for doing my job." "Haha." Reba suddenly began tough, making Poliana nervous. Was her lie too obvious? Poliana asked, "Did I say something funny?" "No, it''s just¡­ I remembered the rumor that Frau''s dinner offer was rejected by you several times. You could be a bit nicer to him, but I heard you are quite cold to him. Is that true?" "I didn''t reject him. I just told him I couldn''t ept his invitation because I already had ns." "Well, to the others, it looks like you are saying no because you don''t like him. At least that is what everyone is saying." Poliana knew this, but it wasn''t her job to care about a mere doctor''s feelings. She was the leader of the Second Division and therefore too important to worry about these things. Of course, she was still a human. She couldn''t help feeling guilty about the situation and that was why she promised herself that the next time he asked her, she would make sure to make a dinner n with him. Reba added, "I think you are doing the right thing. You need to make sure not to interact with him on a personal level." Lady Reba was fragile, which meant that she saw the royal doctors often. She had a friendly rtionship with Frau, so it was a surprise to Poliana that Reba talked badly about him. Only a few days ago, Lady Reba rewarded him a small gift for being such a caring doctor. Poliana wondered, ''Did he do something wrong?'' The Frau Poliana knew was too docile to do anything that might upset such an importantdy. She asked Lady Reba, "Did he do something wrong to you?" "Not to me, but to you, Marquess Winter. As a doctor, Frau is excellent. He is very kind and he knows how tofort patients." "So why wouldn''t you want me to¡­" "Don''t you get it, Marquess? He is showing his interest in you." Poliana understood immediately what Reba was talking about. To Reba, it must''ve looked like Frau was being an ambitious jerk who was approaching Poliana for her money and power. ''But Lady Reba is mistaken.'' Half the world poption were men, and different men had different tastes in women. However, Poliana was no one''s type; she knew that with absolute certainty. "I know what you are saying, Lady Reba, but that is not the case." "To me, it looks like it." "But to me, it doesn''t feel like it." "It doesn''t matter, but I want you to know that Frau isn''t the one for you. I mean, how dare he? He has nothing. He has no rank and no money. He is barely a noble at this point, so how dare he even try to get you, the one and only Marquess in this kingdom? I can''t believe it." "Umm¡­ I thought he was a nice guy¡­ Isn''t he?" Poliana found herself defending the doctor for some reason. Perhaps it was because she felt sorry for rejecting him so many times. She remembered how sad he looked as he walked away every time. Reba, who looked determined to convince Poliana, replied, "In terms of personality, yes. I agree that he is a nice guy. He is also a great doctor who takes his job very seriously. He is also very kind to his patients. I have noints with him as my doctor. But Poliana, have you ever thought about why?" "Why what?" "Why he still isn''t married?" Poliana remembered Tory exining to her Frau''s situation. How he was kicked out from his own family, and how all the other noble families refused to interact with Frau because they are afraid to anger the Sneke family¡­ When Poliana told Reba what she heard from Tory, Reba shook her head and replied, "If that is all, why wouldn''t he, who has a decent job, be unable to marry? That''s not it at all." This was true especially during the war. There was a huge shortage in men, so any healthy man could marry above their station easily. Reba said to her, "Frau doesn''t have the most important thing a man needs to have." "Oh, is he a eunuch? Or can''t perform his nightly duty as a husband?" Reba flushed and Poliana apologized for her callousness. Reba exined, "A position of a doctor isn''t a bad one. Sure, it''s not as good as a knight or a government official, but it''s still a decent career." "Yes, I agree." "And he is the student of the royal doctor, which means that if he tries hard enough, he could be a royal doctor too. And if he does, he will get a noble rank as well." Any noble rank that came with a job had to be returned after retirement, which meant that such a rank could not be inherited to one''s heir, but one could still lead a respected life of a noble. Poliana nodded, "Yes, that sounds right." "But the thing is¡­ He has no ambition. Frau has no intention of pursuing his career to the fullest. This is why he has a bad reputation. Even the other students of the royal doctors look down on him. On top of that, I heard that Frau likes to hang around with themoners." "Oh." Being nice was one thing, but not being ambitious¡­ It was one of the worst qualities a man could have. A docile woman was considered attractive, but a docile man? No woman would find such a person attractive. This was especially true in the aristocratic world. One thing the most nobles had inmon was ambition. A fiery need for power and wealth. The nobles had huge pride and egos for being themselves, and they didn''t look kindly on anyone among themselves who didn''t have the same qualities. Apparently, Frau even treatedmoner patients. For an average doctor, this would''ve been considered a kind deed, but for a royal doctor, this was seen as a horrible act. A royal doctor should only treat noble and royal patients, so how dare he seemoners? Poliana tried to make an excuse for Frau, "But helping those in need should be praised¡­" Reba shook her head and sighed. "He got paid for it. Frau epted money from themoners for his service, and this was why Baron Redikal made it public that he doesn''t even consider Frau as his sessor." There were moremoner patients than the noble ones, but a doctor could make much more money treating the nobles and the royal family. Frau probably enjoyed interacting with themoners more. If he treated them for free, he would''ve been teased and nothing more, but he charged themoners for his service and this was a problem. This ended up costing Frau his career and his life. If he had only shown even a fake ambition, he would''ve been able to marry by now. Most likely amoner, but perhaps even a nobledy. "Hmm¡­" Poliana changed her mind about Frau a little bit. If he acted the way he was supposed to, he would''ve led a much better life. So why did he treat themoners? Why did he ruin his life? Now no one was going to marry him. He was still Baron Redikal''s student, which was the only reason why he was allowed to remain in the castle, but what will happen once Baron Redikal retires? Reba said to Poliana firmly, "Do you now get it, Poliana?! Even if you have your own power, if you marry someone like him, it will not end well for you. So please, you need to make sure to stay away from him! Don''t give him the idea that he might have a chance with you. Just being associated with him will cause you troubles." Suddenly, Reba began to cough. Poliana offered her a ss of water and replied, "It''s nothing like that, Lady Reba. You don''t need to worry." Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Poliana wondered in confusion, ¡®Is Frau trying to get me to offer him a job? Maybe he wants to be my personal doctor so he could have a good job for life.¡¯ Poliana weed the idea. She had more than enough money and having a personal doctor on call for her would be very convenient. She knew Frau was a talented doctor, and he also had a mild manner; this could work out perfectly. So when Frau asked her to have dinner with him again, Poliana refused. ¡°I have ns for tonight again.¡± ¡°Oh, alright¡­¡± She felt so guilty as she watched him looking weak and upset. Why couldn¡¯t he straighten up like a man? Why could he not be confident in himself? Did he think she was going to hit him or something? Well, she had to admit that if he was one of her guards, she probably would¡¯ve kicked him for looking so weak. With a sigh, Poliana said to Frau, ¡°But I have some time next week, so we can have dinner then, would you like that?¡± Why couldn¡¯t he just ask her straight out when she would be free? As soon as Poliana said this to him, Frau smiled brightly like he was given the greatest gift in the world. Poliana liked seeing his usual kind smile. It was also odd yet ttering to see how he reacted to her every word. That night, when she was having dinner with Sir Bentier, she asked him how much she should pay for a personal doctor. *** Lucius the First and Sir Bentier Seeze had a secret alliance. As the Elder Marquis Seeze¡¯s sessor, Sir Bentier was supposed to be the emperor¡¯s political opponent. But during the war, Sir Bentier changed his side. Only a few people knew of his decision. It was considered one of the top secrets that they have. Sir Bentier did not want to worsen the tension between the elders and the emperor. He tried his best to convince the elders to obey the emperor, but things weren¡¯t going very well. The elders were very stubborn and refused to change. The elders continued to increase the size of their private armies. They ruled their ownnds like they were the king, which didn¡¯t agree with the emperor. Thankfully, no big incidents happened between the two sides just yet. The emperor¡¯s sudden and sneaky change of the capital continued to anger the elders while the elders¡¯ increasing military forces frustrated the emperor. It seemed that each was waiting for the other side to explode. The emperor was a very patient man. He was very young and could afford to wait much longer than the elders could. Lucius the First believed that the goddess of victory was going to be on his side. After all, the goddess¡¯s loved good-looking men. The emperor wanted to watch and see what would happen. The fact that Lady Reba from the southern region became the first of the wives to get pregnant was a huge bonus. This seemed to weaken Marquis Seeze¡¯s power a little. The elders began to regret insisting that Lady Tory should immediately be assigned as the empress. ¡°That girl is too smart for her own good. What is the purpose of intelligence in a girl? Nothing, right?¡± ¡°I hear Lady Tory is too busy working to maintain thedy¡¯s quarters that she has no time to serve the emperor. Is this right?¡± ¡°That girl¡­ She should be doing those things after she officially bes the empress.¡± ¡°I agree. I mean, look at Lady Reba. The only thing a woman needs is beauty. Lady Reba is so small and fragile and she knows how to work this quality to her advantage. After all, she was able to get herself pregnant first.¡± The angry elders sent a scathing letter to Lady Tory, ming her for not getting pregnant first. Poliana read the letter before delivering it to Lady Tory as part of her job, and she frowned at it bitterly. The letter was rude and unfair. In addition, Poliana noticed that the elders pressured anyone they couldmand to control Lady Tory. Watching from afar, Poliana felt sorry for thedy. She began to monitor Lady Tory carefully to make sure she was okay. While all these things happened, one night, Marquis Seeze¡¯s grandson, Sir Bentier, invited Marquess Winter for dinner. Poliana thought carefully about the meaning of this invitation. She was the only guest to this dinner and on the table, there were Sir Bentier, his wife, and his son. This was a very personal event and on the surface, this was for Sir Bentier to thank Poliana for her hard work. Lady Tory was Sir Bentier¡¯s rtive, and he was to thank Poliana for protecting her. This was a good excuse becausetely, it was well known that Poliana spent a lot of time with Lady Tory. Poliana was very unfamiliar with this political war. It felt strange to her oftentimes. She studied hard to learn as much as possible, but this was nothing like the real physical battles she was used to. Poliana felt disappointed that she wasn¡¯t doing as well as she should. The dinner went very smoothly. The only topics they discussed on the table were safe personal subjects. Sir Bentier talked of mundane things, and Poliana replied in the same fashion. ¡°You must be very busy nowadays, so thank you so much for inviting me to dinner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his highness who is truly busy, not me. Besides, you must be busy as well, Marquess Winter, so thank you for epting my invitation.¡± People who have known Poliana for a long time were used to calling her Sir Pol. They felt awkward calling her by her new rank, Marquess Winter, but it seemed that Sir Bentier felt veryfortable about it. He acted like she had always been a marquess, which made Poliana feel a little embarrassed. Poliana, on the other hand, didn¡¯t know how to address Sir Bentier. He used to be the deputymander during the war and now, he retired from the military and became their new chancellor. Because Marquis Seeze was still alive, Sir Bentier was still just a ¡°Sir.¡± The job of the chancellor came with the rank of a Duke, but it was considered lower than being the heir of a Marquis, so Sir Bentier kept his current status. Technically and currently, Poliana was of higher rank than Sir Bentier politically, but in the military, Sir Bentier used to be her superior. Every soldier knows that what really counts in this world was one¡¯s military rank, which would define them until they die. Sir Bentier was no longer in the military, but it didn¡¯t matter. Sir Bentier¡¯s wife said to Poliana, ¡°Lady Tory thinks very highly of you, Marquess Winter.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m very ttered. All the emperor¡¯s wives have been very kind to me, but I must say that Lady Tory has been most helpful to me.¡± Poliana and the young Lady Seeze carried a smooth conversation. Poliana has been having countless dinners with many noble families that she was used to chatting with thedies now. Theirmon subject was Lady Tory. Lady Seeze visited Lady Tory often, so Poliana and Lady Seeze had a lot to talk about. The next topic was Sir Bentier¡¯s child. Poliana looked at Sir Bentier¡¯s firstborn son, Sote Seeze, who was eating his dinner quietly. He was in his early teens, which meant it was about time for him to start training. Poliana herself began learning how to use her sword at a younger age, but Poliana heard recently that Sir Bentier was not training his firstborn to be a knight. Poliana asked, ¡°So, you really aren¡¯t going to give him the knight¡¯s training?¡± Only ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Since I became a chancellor, I thought it would be a good idea for him to follow my footsteps.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a wonderful idea.¡± Poliana could imagine Lucius the First loving this idea. For a second, she worried that Sir Bentier might betray the emperor, but she knew better. What she had seen so far from Sir Bentier told her that he wasn¡¯t the kind of guy who could y the double agent. He wasn¡¯t bold enough to pull it off. Besides, the emperor trusted him and Poliana trusted Lucius the First¡¯s decision. Both Lucius the First and Sir Bentier were waiting patiently for all the elders to die of old age. This was the most peaceful solution they have, and it wasn¡¯t such an evil idea. Old people die no matter what, so no one could fault the emperor or Sir Bentier for it. On the other hand, the elders were waiting for Lady Tory to bear a son. This was why Sir Bentier invited Poliana for dinner. When the meal was over, Lady Seeze wanted to stay a little longer, but Sir Bentier asked her to leave. It didn¡¯t look like the couple had a bad rtionship, but¡­ Poliana could see what was happening. ¡®He doesn¡¯t trust his wife¡­¡¯ Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Poliana thought that perhaps Sir Bentier was the loneliest person in Yapa. To not be able to trust even his own wife and son¡­ Of course, from Lady Seeze and Sote¡¯s point of view, Sir Bentier was probably a traitor who refused to trust his own family. Poliana realized that having a very small or no family could be advantageous. Perhaps being alone was not such a bad thing! But then¡­ ¡®Couldn¡¯t he trust his wife at least?¡¯ Immediately, Poliana shook her head, realizing how na?ve her thinking was. Most nobles went through arranged marriages for political or financial reasons. It was most likely that Marquis Seeze, Sir Bentier¡¯s grandfather, was the one who arranged Sir Bentier¡¯s marriage. This meant that Marquis Seeze most likely chose a woman whose family would be loyal to him, not necessarily to her own husband Sir Bentier. Poliana followed Sir Bentier to his library. They behaved perfectly, exactly the way everyone would expect them to be. Not too close, but not too distant either; awkward but polite. Sir Bentier asked her, ¡°Hmm¡­ Would you like to have a drink with me before you leave?¡± ¡°Sure, that would be nice. We¡¯ve drank in groups many times, but I guess we never shared a drink with each other.¡± ¡°You and I are both very busy, so why not just share one drink each? Does that sound fair?¡± ¡°That sounds perfect, Sir Bentier.¡± Sir Bentier sent the servants away, telling them that they weren¡¯t needed. As soon as they were alone, Sir Bentier and Poliana stopped acting although their demeanors did not change much. Even though they fought the same war for 10 years together, they rarely spent much time with each other before. They liked each other and wanted to get to know each other better, but they did not have such an opportunity to do so. After a short silence, Sir Bentier said to her, ¡°I think¡­ The elders are nning something, something is going to happen soon.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. In truth, the elders aren¡¯t a very well-organized group. It is made up of selfish old men who only happened to work together because of their greed¡­ There are plenty of times when an individual elder acted on his own, so there is no way I can predict these things. Anyway, all we can do is to monitor them closely. Please keep a close eye on those inside thedy¡¯s quarters. You need to especially keep Lady Reba safe.¡± The emperor was able to unite the entire continent, but the northern nobles were banding together to discriminate against the people of other regions. It seemed that some people just could not ept the fact that their kingdom now included everyone. They were all Acreians now, but the elders were busy trying to undermine the ¡°foreigners.¡± For now, the emperor was just watching them, but things could be dangerous very quickly. Sir Bentier wanted Lucius the First to do something. He wanted him to punish those who did not obey him, but the emperor was a human himself, and he couldn¡¯t help wanting to protect people from his homnd if it was possible. The problem was that these elders were taking advantage of the emperor¡¯s kindness. Sir Bentier said to Poliana, ¡°It seems that Lady Reba¡¯s pregnancy seemed to have shocked the elders¡­¡± ¡°I can understand that; I heard that this news shocked the entirety of Nanaba.¡± ¡°Recently, Duchess Luzo was insulted. Duke Luzo did his best to stop this story from spreading, but the rumors already reached Yapa.¡± This was true. Poliana already heard how Duchess Luzo, Duke Luzo¡¯s wife, was disrespected at a feast in Nanaba. Duke Luzo did not want to worry the emperor, so he tried to cover it up, but by now, everyone knew that story. In this matter, Lucius the First and Sir Bentier hadpletely different ideas. Lucius the First wanted to watch and wait while Sir Bentier believed that this problem needed to be solved right now before it got worse. Sir Bentier saw the current situation as an infection. A boil to be specific; ifnced and drained early, would heal eventually without a permanent scar, but if the infection was left alone, it was going to be worse until it was toote. Sir Bentier wanted the emperor to use his power to fix this problem. He wanted Lucius the First to pierce this boil and drain the pus. When he shared his opinion to him, the emperor grumbled and replied, ¡°You are asking me to act too harshly.¡± Many government officials wanted this tension to be resolved as soon as possible, but since the emperor wanted to ¡°monitor the situation,¡± there was nothing that could be done other than making sure it didn¡¯t escte too drastically. Not many people knew about it, but there were several assassination attempts in thedy¡¯s quarters. It was thanks to Poliana and her vignce that prevented a huge tragedy from happening. The apparent peace in thedy¡¯s quarters was all because of Poliana. Sir Bentier said to Poliana, ¡°Please keep your eyes on Lady Tory and the maids. You need to monitor them closely.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Lady Tory was incredibly intelligent. She maintained the appearance of being obedient, but she was, in fact, the one who had firm control over the entiredy¡¯s quarters. It was no wonder Lucius the First called her smart. Poliana had the opportunity to watch how Lady Tory worked, and she was very impressed. The way Lady Tory dealt with the maids and the servants was amazing. She was tactful, strong, and kind all at the same time. In the northern region, the women led more restricted lives. They weren¡¯t allowed to interact even with each other too freely, but this was different in the southern regions. At first, Tory seemed to feel awkward at the more open social rules, but she quickly adapted to her current situation. Within one year, she was able to gain absolute control over the major noble social circles around the castle. She, of course, had help from her family, but even considering this, it was amendable achievement. Lady Tory was charismatic and kind-hearted at the same time. Poliana saw her as the perfect wife material for the emperor. Lady Tory was feminine and obedient to men. She most likely felt jealous of the other wives from time to time, but Lady Tory never showed it to anyone. She actually made sure everyone got along well and kept peace in thedy¡¯s quarters. If anyone tried to criticize Reba for her fragile health, it was Tory who stopped them. Poliana may be the one who protected everyone in thedy¡¯s quarters, but it was Lady Tory who kept the peace within. If anyone found out Poliana was monitoring Lady Tory, it was going to be a huge problem. ¡®Thedies also don¡¯t know that I read their letters. If they find out¡­¡¯ Tory was too smart to do anything irrational or stupid. Her rtives, of course, were another matter. Poliana asked, ¡°Do you not trust Lady Tory? I can tell you, Sir Bentier, that she would not do anything careless or harmful.¡± ¡°I know for a fact that Lady Tory is perfect. The problem is that this will be used against her. Her perfection will be her weakness.¡± Because Tory was a perfect Acreiandy, Sir Bentier believed that she would not be able to disobey Marquis Seeze. Lady Tory would, of course, never knowingly do anything to harm Lucius the First or Acreia, but the elders were sneaky. They would try to convince her otherwise and that whatever they were nning was for the good of herself, the kingdom, and ultimately the emperor. No matter what, Tory was part of the Seeze family. If the Seeze family failed, Tory would lose her own power as well. If Tory refused to obey them, Marquis Seeze would not hesitate to threaten her. But Poliana believed in Tory. ¡°Please believe in Lady Tory, Sir Bentier.¡± ¡°I do. I do trust her. But Marquess Winter, Tory was raised to be obedient, and she is surrounded by thedies who grew up the same way.¡± Only Tory¡¯s maids anddies-in-waiting were all from the influential Acreian noble families. Their families were all loyal to Marquess Seeze, which meant that although thesedies were Lady Tory¡¯s friends, they were also spies for Marquess Seeze to monitor Tory. Poliana could not me thesedies. She said to Sir Bentier, ¡°But Lady Tory has changed.¡± People evolve; yesterday¡¯s Tory was different from today¡¯s Tory, she would continue to evolve. Wasn¡¯t it too much to ask of your children to remain the same even after they got married? For example, Sir Bentier himself turned against his own family and was now on the emperor¡¯s side. Poliana wanted to mention this fact, but she kept her mouth shut. When Sir Bentier nodded, Poliana suggested, ¡°Lady Tory can decide for herself what is right and wrong. Why can¡¯t you just talk to his highness so the emperor can let Lady Tory know of our current situation?¡± ¡°As you know, Marquess Winter, that his highness has no intention of purging the elders. As long as the elders do not cross the line too much, the emperor wishes to let them live and wait it out. Unless something drastic happens, he will not do anything, and if we assume that nothing would happen, it would be best not to let Lady Tory know.¡± It seemed that Sir Bentier understood what Poliana was trying to say, but he still refused to ept her idea. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Lady Reba, who grew up in the southern region, did not do well in the cold. Her weakness against the cold weather worsened after she got pregnant. Everyone sat around feeling warm while Lady Reba alone trembled uncontrobly because of the weather. Lady Tory gave Reba her own fur coat to wear while Stra knitted a pair of warm socks for her. They even brought in the brazier, which was only used in the dead of the winter. Unfortunately, the windows had to be opened frequently when using a brazier because the burning coals caused the room to be filled with smoke. Poliana, who was sitting next to Lady Reba, was sweating profusely. Poliana was especially weak against the hot weather because she grew up in the north. ''Isn''t she hot? How could she stand this heat?'' Poliana was shocked to see how Lady Reba continued to shake. She was in her bed that was covered in multipleyers of fur nkets. It should''ve been enough to make most people sweat, but Lady Reba''s hands were still ice cold. It seemed that no matter how hard she and everyone tried, Lady Reba could not get warm. Themon thought was that one could ovee coldness with enough exercise but unfortunately, Lady Reba was pregnant and therefore, she wasn''t allowed to move around too much. She would''ve felt better if she at least ate well, but because of nausea, Lady Reba could barely hold down little bits of food. Most of the time, she ended up throwing up anything she ate. There were two different opinions regarding this situation. Some believed that Lady Reba was overreacting. Most women went through one or several pregnancies in their lifetimes, so why did she have to make such a big deal about it? Some, however, sympathized with her. Most did show concern for her condition. Reba had always been fragile, but she was never this sick. Her pregnancy seemed to have dramatically worsened her health. The unmarried maids, when they saw how Reba was suffering, became afraid for her and also for themselves. Would they have to go through the same hardship when they became pregnant in the future? The other women, however, who went through the pregnancies themselves or had family members who went through it, consoled these young girls. They told them that it was all a natural process. "Besides, Lady Reba''s case is a bit rare. Most women don''t have it this bad. She was very fragile to begin with, and she is so far away from her home, which doesn''t help." "Look at your own mothers. Some didn''t survive, but there are plenty who had safe births, right? There is no need for you to worry." Poliana herself was bing concerned, so she liked to hear these positive things from the women who seemed to know better. Poliana''s own birth mother died soon after her birth, but her stepmother was perfectly fine after the birth of her half-sister Liana. Giving birth was certainly a dangerous thing, but not every woman died from it. Giving birth was like a war. Anyone who went to war risked themselves being killed, but not every soldier who battled died. If they were lucky enough, they could enter tens or even hundreds of battles and survive them all. Simrly, a lucky woman could survive ten births. A soldier who survived many battles was respected as a great soldier while a woman who survived many births was honored as a blessed mother. Reba was not the sturdiest woman she had ever met, but she had never been seriously sick. If she was, she wouldn''t have been chosen as Lucius the First''s wife. Reba''s mother gave multiple births and was still well and alive in Nanikun. Reba had never been afraid of giving birth because of her mother since it was believed that gics yed an important role in a woman''s health. Reba always believed that she would have many safe births in her life. But of course, there were exceptions. Not all children resembled their parents, and it seemed that unlike her mother, Lady Reba''s body did not like being pregnant. She felt like her body was wasting away slowly, and it was frightening. Everyone was interested in Reba''s health since she was with the first child of the emperor. When she showed signs of a potential miscarriage even during the early stage of her pregnancy, people became more and more concerned. Lady Reba hated all of this attention, so she tried her best to look okay. She joked, "They say that the people who look fragile actually live longer, huh?" Reba tried to act like she was getting better, but everyone could see that her condition was getting worse. Poliana became so concerned that she ordered the best medicinal products money could buy from the south. When she received the package and found that it was filled with dried white-tailed lizards, the same kind she used to catch often to feed to the emperor, Poliana became disappointed. ''I caught so many of these when I used to live in the south.'' Poliana asked the deliverer, "Isn''t this good for only men?" "It''s actually great for women too. This will help Lady Tory for sure." It was exined to her that although some people believed it was only good for men''s stamina, it was actually good for everyone. It was considered one of the best health foods in the south. Pregnant women ate it all the time to gain their strength. Many different medicines were offered to Lady Reba. Every morning, the royal doctors visited her the first to make sure she was fine. All the doctors believed that she needed to gain strength so she could safely give birth when the time came. Poliana quietly watched Reba, who was stroking her belly tenderly. She was starting to show and Poliana wondered what the baby would look like. Everyone prayed that it was a boy since Lucius the First did not have an heir yet; a daughter was going to be useless. Reba murmured quietly, "I hope it''s a boy." Poliana nodded in understanding. Of course, a son would be great. Lady Reba would be the most powerful woman in the kingdom if her child was a boy. If her son became the future emperor, she would be the dowager empress. But this was not what Reba meant. She shook her head and exined, "It''s not because I really want a son. Not because I want more power. I would just feel sorry for the baby if she was a girl. I would feel guilty." "Why would you feel that way? I don''t understand" "I acted greedily and got myself to this very important position. This means that any daughter of mine would lose her status over time in her life." The most important women in the kingdom were the emperor''s wives. If Reba had a daughter, she would be the most important unmarried woman in the kingdom. She was going to be the very first child and therefore the oldest child of the emperor, which meant that her importance and rank would be immense. But as she became older, her position would decline. There was going to be no man in the kingdom who had a higher status than her, which meant that she would have to marry below her station. She would end up marrying a nobleman, and as soon as she did, she would lose her royal status. Reba didn''t like this at all. One should always try to climb up, not down. Reba gave Poliana a small smile. This smile was different than any others Reba gave to her before. It was the smile of a mother. Reba added, "I know for a fact that if my daughter resembles me at all, she would be a very greedy girl; she would hate to lose her status." "I am sure your baby will resemble both you and the emperor." "Well, in terms of looks, I hope this baby resembles the emperor more than me." There was no doubt that Lady Reba was a beauty, but she could notpare to Lucius the First''s incredible gorgeousness. All the wives felt self-conscious about their looks when they were around the emperor. If the baby had to resemble one of them, why not resemble the more beautiful one? It would work for both a girl and a boy. "Or the baby could resemble the emperor''s mother, that would be great too." It wasmon knowledge that Lucius the First''s beauty came mostly from his mother. Poliana remembered looking at the portrait of the emperor''s mother in the "Emperor''s Room." The emperor''s mother had a very feminine beauty who looked like a delightful flower blooming on a sunny summer day. Poliana always dreamt of the emperor having many beautiful princesses. A lovely princess would be loved by all, including herself. She smiled just thinking about it. A baby was indeed a wonderful thing. The possibilities for a newborn child could be endless. Poliana couldn''t wait for Lady Reba and the emperor''s baby to be born. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 The golden-haired emperor, Lucius the First, sat at his desk that was piled up with paperwork and books. He looked down at the petition regarding the banning of the toll thendowners could charge to travelers when people crossed their cities. He contemted with a frown, wondering what he should do. A toll was one of the surest and most lucrative ways to make money for the lords who owned their ownnds. It also meant power for them because they could use it to negotiate with the otherndlords from the surrounding cities. For the kingdom as a whole, and for the royal family, the best thing was to ban this practice. It would allow free travel for everyone, which would boost many types of businesses. The entire continent belonged to the emperor now, and the new system meant that the nobles were technically leasing thends from the emperor. Banning this toll system shouldn¡¯t have been a problem. But of course, the nobles who were also thendlords were going to protest; the emperor knew this very well. ¡®The southern region will ept this; I know the mid-continent will be okay too.¡¯ The south, which used to be made up of several small kingdoms, was used to obeying their kings¡¯ orders without a fight. Now that Lucius the First was their emperor, he knew that they would agree with whatever decision he made. Thends in the mid-continent region were given to those very close and loyal to the emperor, so Lucius the First knew they would back him up as well. The problem was always Acreia. Acreia was where the emperor was born and grew up, yet it was always Acreia that fought him tooth and nail on every matter. Unfortunately, unlike in the south and mid-continental regions, the emperor¡¯s power wasn¡¯t as absolute in Acreia. It was a very ironic situation. The truth was that the elders and high-ranking nobles had a great authority in this kingdom that rivaled that of the emperor. It wasn¡¯t that Lucius the First never considered getting rid of them. It would make things so much easier, but he hesitated because these elders and the nobles did not outrightmit treason. They opposed him often and they were drunk on power, but these men never did anything illegal. Lucius the First had to admit that these nobles did not mean to rece him. They just wanted to make his life more difficult. In addition, if the emperor destroyed the Acreian nobles, Acreia would lose its power over the other regions. The south was culturally more advanced than the northern region. After the capital was moved to Yapa, Acreia was slowly learning their new culture, but it was still not as sophisticated as the southern areas. If Lucius the First reced the Acreian nobles, everyone was going to think that he bowed down to the superior southern culture. The people of the south already believed that the northerners were uneducated and barbaric. ¡®I thought the elders would die soon, yet they are still so healthy. What the heck?¡¯ He truly believed that the elders would¡¯ve been dead by the time he returned to Acreia, but he was mistaken. It seemed that Lucius the First was bing weaker and more tired from all the work while the elders were bing healthier. Lucius the First tapped his desk a few times. Tap, tap. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, he grinned and pushed himself away from his desk. ¡®Whatever. It¡¯s the next emperor¡¯s problem, not mine.¡¯ He united the continent, restructured the noble system to strengthen the royal family, and changed the capital city. Lucius the First believed he did plenty on his part, so this toll problem will have to be dealt with by the next generation. He was about to take a well-deserved break when one of the royal doctors requested an audience with him. It if was about something unimportant, the emperor would¡¯ve refused but apparently, the doctor wanted to talk about his pregnant wife. Lucius the First immediately agreed. After a respectful bow, the royal doctor asked apologetically, ¡°Your highness, I am very sorry to have to ask you this question, but I must. If wee to an unfortunate situation¡­ Who is more important to you? The mother or the child?¡± Lucius the First became upset, and when his smile disappeared, the doctor trembled in fear. The emperor replied angrily, ¡°Thinking so negatively like that will help no one. This is not the way you should be thinking.¡± The royal doctor apologized and left. Lucius the First grabbed his forehead in concern. He was worried and he didn¡¯t know what to do. All his life, the emperor had a clear picture of his dream. To unite the continent, to be the emperor of the world, to strengthen his kingdom, to inherit a stable kingdom to his heir, and live his final years in peace. But things didn¡¯t always work ording to his n. Unexpected events happened and he needed to be prepared for such things. But the death of his wife during her birth¡­ That was not something he could n for. It wasn¡¯t unthinkable that something like this could happen. The truth was, Lucius the First just didn¡¯t want to think about it. The mortality rate of the mothers and their new babies were unfortunately very high, and there was nothing he could do about it. Lucius the First felt so hopeless. He would¡¯ve much preferred a rebellion, which would be so much easier to control. ¡®It¡¯s going to be ok. It has to. We did the cleansing ritual, so everything is going to work out this year.¡¯ After Lucius the First united the continent, the overall condition of the kingdom improved significantly. The number of crops harvested was about the same, but because he lowered the tax rate, the people¡¯s lives were much better. The farmers praised the emperor and the people were generally happier than before. So why? Why was his life bing more and moreplicated? Lucius the First shook his head, trying not to think about it. He knew that worrying about things he couldn¡¯t control would not help at all. It was easier said than done, but he tried anyway. Just then, Master Chail walked in with a tray of tea. The emperor said to him, ¡°You must be very busy, so you should just let the servants do small things like this. Don¡¯t you have more important things to do?¡± ¡°There is nothing more important for me to do than serving you, your highness.¡± The emperor grinned. He picked up the teacup when he noticed a piece of paper stuck underneath the cup. There was a strange writing on it. The emperor quickly realized that it was the secret code the Acreians used to use during the war. Lucius the Firstughed. He found it ridiculous that someone thought that it was necessary to use the code again. ¡°Whose idea was this?¡± ¡°It was mine, your highness.¡± ¡°Chail, you are being silly.¡± ¡°Sir Deke agreed that this is a good idea.¡± ¡®Oh boy¡­¡¯ Lucius the First was dying to take a break, but he picked up the paper and began to read. It was a report, which meant that Chail or Sir Deke could¡¯ve just told him in person to make it easier. Why did they have to waste time and energy like this? Lucius the First created an Intelligent Unit recently and Master Chail was involved in it. Chail could be overly cautious and suspicious, but these qualities also made him very effective. Chail even brought him the information on his wives and things that were happening in thedy¡¯s quarters. Master Chail was, without a doubt, a talented spy because even Poliana didn¡¯t seem to know what Chail was doing. Or perhaps she was already aware of it and didn¡¯t mind because she knew the emperor was behind it. Only The Intelligence Unit was still in its infancy. Both the emperor and his men were new to the idea, so for now, they focused only on gathering as much information as possible. At this point, they didn¡¯t even know how to sort through all the information that they obtained. Minor squabbles between the nobles, different arranged marriages that are in ns, and rumors ofnd purchases by some¡­ The information that the emperor received was random at best. After reading the report, Lucius the First burnt the paper. As he watched it turn to ashes, he frowned. It was such a waste of paper and ink! The report didn¡¯t even include anything important. The fact that Sir Deke used the secret code could be seen as his insult to the First Division or to Master Chail. But if Sir Deke could not trust Chail, why did he give the report to Chail? This was too ridiculous. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to figure out who gave Sir Deke this idea.¡¯ The emperor was determined, but what he didn¡¯t know was the fact that it was Master Chail who got Sir Deke to be interested in the spy novels. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Lady Reba¡¯s pregnancy angered the elders and high-ranking nobles still living in Acreia. Unfortunately, their frustration affected Duke Luzo, who currently resided in the Nanaba castle. Duke Luzo tried to cover up what happened at the feast, but the emperor already knew about it; it was the Intelligence Unit that delivered the news. Lucius the First thought secretly, ¡®I better go and take care of this¡­¡¯ The National Day wasing up and the emperor decided to go visit the Nanaba castle in Acreia and deal with the Acreian nobles who have been incredibly rude to Duke and Duchess Luzo. To do this, the emperor was going to leave Yapa for the next two months. There was going to be a huge celebration in Nanaba which was going tost for 15 days. The travel time alone was going to take over a month unfortunately because there would be a huge number of people going with him. Last year, the emperor¡¯s wives did not follow him, but this year, they nned to attend the celebration as well. Of course, Lady Reba was going to be an exception. ¡°Will Lady Reba be going as well, your highness?¡± ¡°Of course not. Can you imagine how hard it would be for her to travel that long in a carriage? She will be staying here.¡± What mad man would take his pregnant wife on a long journey, especially a fragile one like Lady Reba? He would¡¯ve hated to be absent when his wife would go intobor, so Lucius the First thought carefully about his schedule. If things worked out ording to his n, he could return to Yapa by the time Reba was just a little over 8 months pregnant. It was very rare for a woman to give birth this early, so he felt sure that this would work. ¡®I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a son or a daughter as long as the baby and the mother are healthy.¡¯ Lady Reba was informed of this decision immediately. The emperor sent a servant to ry the message, and after hearing the news, Reba nodded. She knew better than anyone that she could not go with the emperor on such a long journey. Everyone was leaving for Nanaba except for her. Lady Reba felt a little lonely just thinking about it. She was having a difficult time with her pregnancy, both physically and emotionally, and she didn¡¯t want to be left alone in Yapa. She knew she shouldn¡¯t beining, but to Poliana, who was her friend, Lady Reba grumbled honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be left alone here.¡± Poliana¡¯s expression became awkward. As a friend, she should¡¯ve stayed, but as the leader of the Second Division, she needed to go to protect Ladies Tory and Stra Poliana replied, ¡°I want to stay here for you, Lady Reba¡­¡± Suddenly, Reba interrupted her, ¡°You must go! Of course, you must! Were you even considering staying here? If you don¡¯t go, those against me are going to try to use the emperor. I can¡¯t go for an obvious reason, but you can, Marquess. Just because I said I wanted you to stay doesn¡¯t mean you should say yes; we have a better friendship than that!¡± Poliana was about to nod, but she still hesitated. No matter how hard she thought, it didn¡¯t feel right to leave Reba alone. When Poliana couldn¡¯t answer, Lady Reba nagged her, ¡°Come on! You want to protect me because I am the emperor¡¯s wife, right? But I will be perfectly safe here! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to run away or something! Why are you so hesitant about this?¡± Was it because she was going to be a mother soon? Lady Reba¡¯s nagging was bing better and better every day. Poliana raised her hands in defeat. Luckily, everything worked out in the end. The next day, Tory and Stra came to visit Reba. Tory talked to Reba¡¯s doctor while Stra brought another pair of knitted socks. Tory said to Reba, ¡°I asked the emperor to bring Duchess Nani here for you.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Duchess Nani used to be the queen of Nanikun, one of the kingdoms Lucius the First conquered. After the continent was united, Queen Nani was given the rank of a duchess. Reba used to be one of the princesses of Nanikun, which meant that Tory made an arrangement to bring Lady Reba¡¯s mother to her while the otherdies were away. Reba¡¯s eyes teared up. Stra also seemed very impressed. Lady Straplimented Tory, ¡°Wow, you are so thoughtful, Lady Tory. I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± Reba thanked her as well, ¡°Thank you so much, Lady Tory.¡± Reba¡¯s mother, Duchess Nani, had three sons and four daughters. Having a mother who had many sessful pregnancies made Lady Reba feel relieved. Lady Tory had heard that Poliana was hesitant about going on the journey because of Reba. With a kind smile, but in a firm tone, Lady Tory said to Poliana, ¡°So now, you needn¡¯t worry, Marquess. I know you and Lady Reba are very close, but who will protect us, Lady Stra and myself, if not you?¡± Lady Stra added, ¡°That¡¯s right! You should¡¯ve told us if you were worried about Lady Reba. We could¡¯ve discussed it together.¡± Poliana gave them a nod. It seemed that Poliana was definitely going to Nanaba after all. *** The servants became busy packing for the journey. They were divided into two groups; those who were going and those who weren¡¯t. Poliana was busy as well. The main guard duty during the travel was to be taken care of by the First Division, but a few men from the Second Division were to apany them as well. Poliana thought, ¡®I feel like I keep losing to that bastardtely¡­¡¯ She was referring to Sir Ainno. Just like Ladies Tory and Stra, who felt disappointed that Poliana didn¡¯t consult them often, Poliana felt the same way towards Lucius the First. It has been a very long time since she spent much time with the emperor. It almost felt like he was avoiding her, but Poliana knew better. She knew very well that Lucius the First had been incredibly busy with his work. Poliana remembered the good days when she never left the emperor¡¯s side. She used to enjoy admiring his golden hair. Just watching him used to make her feel happy. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that she was his personal guard, but it certainly felt like it was a lifetime ago. On the list of maids from thedy¡¯s quarters who weren¡¯t going on this journey, Cekel Ingreter¡¯s name was present. Poliana blinked in surprise. Even if Cekel didn¡¯t attend the castle celebration, Poliana was told that Cekel would still be going to Nanaba to visit her rtives. Because Cekel was only a maid, she wasn¡¯t required to attend the royal celebration, but¡­ It bothered Poliana that Cekel wasn¡¯t going at all. ¡®Could it be¡­ Is it because of that bastard Ainno? Is that the reason why she isn¡¯t going?¡¯ The way Sir Ainno acted was shameless. It seemed that he was so confident that he truly believed no woman could resist him. ¡®What an idiot.¡¯ Because Sir Ainno spent his entire life by the emperor¡¯s side working, he was ignorant when it came to the topic of love. He may have been the greatest knight in the world, but he was the worst at seduction. Poliana went out to find Cekel in the maid¡¯s rest area. Even here, all the maids were working busily. Some were packing while others were writing letters. Poliana found Cekel alone in the corner. Unlike the other maids, who were chatting with each other, Cekel was alone. As soon as the maids saw Poliana, they smiled and greeted her. The women quickly surrounded the knightess and eximed, ¡°Marquess Winter! What brings you here?¡± ¡°We have some snacks here, would you like some?¡± ¡°Would you like me to pin a pretty flower on your uniform?¡± ¡°I was making an embroidered handkerchief for you! What kind of flower do you like?¡± Poliana enjoyed all the attention from the pretty girls that surrounded her. ¡®I can¡¯t believe how popr I am.¡¯ There was a simple reason why Poliana was so popr among thedies. Poliana was the only knight who thedies could gift handkerchiefs and flowers without damaging their reputations. Besides, Poliana was bing a very important figure in the matchmaking field in Yapa, which meant it was not a bad idea to be on her good side. Only One of the maids asked Poliana, ¡°Marquess, have you heard about what Lady Tory said for Lady Reba?¡± ¡°About bringing Lady Reba¡¯s mother here? Yes, I heard about it today.¡± ¡°Oh, so you didn¡¯t know about it either until today! We were all so surprised to hear about it. She didn¡¯t even tell us, her own maids, about her n! We only found out because Lady Reba¡¯s maids told us. We were so shocked. I wish Lady Tory would¡¯ve told us about it.¡± Another maid agreed, ¡°Totally! I know Lady Tory wanted to surprise Lady Reba, but we would¡¯ve kept her secret safe!¡± ¡®Her own maids didn¡¯t know about this?¡¯ This was supposed to be a surprise just for Reba, which meant that Lady Tory didn¡¯t have to keep this a secret to her own maids. There was no need for Lady Tory to not trust her own maids. All the women serving Lady Tory were quiet trustworthy girls. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Something didn''t feel right, but Poliana didn''t have anything concrete to work on. All she had was a few maids grumbling and nothing else. Poliana continued to let the maids chat among themselves, trying to get as much information as possible about this situation. "Apparently, Duchess Nani is going to bring many of her own maids, so more of us here will be going on the journey to Nanaba." "We are so excited to visit our home again!" It seemed that all of Lady Tory''s maids were going to Nanaba. The only maid from Acreia who wasn''t going on this journey was Lady Cekel. One of the maids turned towards Cekel and asked, "Lady Ingreter, don''t you want to go too? I heard the rest of your family are all going, so you will be all alone in your house. Wouldn''t you get scared at night?" "Of course, I would. That is why I am going to stay in the castle the whole time; I won''t go home." "Oh, but we won''t be here so you will be alone in the maid''s quarters anyway. Won''t you get scared here too?" "Lady Reba graciously gave the me permission to stay in her quarters. I am so thankful to her." "But still¡­ Wouldn''t it be better for you to go to visit everyone?" "Well, the thing is¡­ It''s just going to be very difficult seeing my rtives¡­" Cekel shook her head quietly. Cekel was at least 8 years older than most maids here, so the other girls nodded in understanding and did not prod any further. Poliana understood as well. Cekel was a spinster, which meant that her rtives were going to nag her mercilessly about finding a husband. ''So I guess it wasn''t just because of Sir Ainno that she isn''t going¡­'' Poliana looked towards the door. It was gettingte, which meant it was time for her to leave. The maids seemed so disappointed. "Are you busy right now?" "Yes, I have been invited to dinner." "Oh, who invited you this time?" Poliana thought about saying his family name, but she changed her mind. "It''s Dr. Frau." ''I guess I shouldn''t address him by his family name since he was kicked out.'' "Oh, really? Well, Dr. Frau must be so happy that you finally agreed to have dinner with him." Everyone already knew how Frau invited Marquess Winter to dinner many times only to be rejected. The maidsughed excitedly. When Poliana left, Cekel followed her. "Marquess." "Yes? What is it, Lady Cekel? Do you need to tell me something?" "So you really are having dinner with Frau Sneke tonight?" "Yes. I think he wants to get a job as my personal doctor." "Um¡­ I don''t think that''s it¡­ Marquess¡­ I''m sorry. I know it isn''t my ce to tell you, but I must. Dr. Frau has a very bad reputation." "I already know." "Well¡­" Cekel looked around, making sure there was no one listening to their conversation. Cekel appeared to be very ufortable talking about this topic. When Poliana made sure that they were alone, she tried to calm Cekel down. Poliana already knew why Frau had a bad reputation. It seemed that Cekel was worried because she thought Poliana was ignorant, so Poliana told her what she heard from Lady Tory and Lady Reba. Even after hearing it, Cekel seemed concerned. "The thing is, Marquess Winter, the rumors these importantdies hear are sometimes very edited for their delicate ears. What I heard is a bit different. They are more worrisome." This was true. Depending on the audience, the gossip changed frequently. It would''ve been unfair to judge someone based just on some gossip, but the information Cekel was about to give was most likely urate. There was a time when Cekel''s parents researched every eligible man to find her a husband, so Cekel and her parents knew many in-depth facts about different noblemen from Acreia. Cekel whispered to Poliana, "That man used to have a troubling history with women." Cough, cough! Polianaughed so hard that she began to cough. She wiped her mouth and tried her best to stopughing. A troubling history with women? Frau? The man who wasn''t that good looking and had a chubby body? Poliana didn''t have to say anything. Cekel nodded in understanding and said to her, "Yes, I know what you are thinking. I thought the same thing myself, but you need to know that there was a time when such a rumor existed." Apparently, it was before Frau was kicked out from his family. Soon after he was disowned by the Sneke family, this rumor was quickly forgotten. Some even believed, considering Frau''s average-at-best look, that perhaps it was actually Frau himself who spread such a rumor. There were others, however, who thought that the real reason why Frau was disowned by his family was because of a woman problem. Poliana wondered, ''Hmm¡­ Maybe there was a woman who tried to seduce him since he belonged to a wealthy noble family, but dumped him after he was disowned?'' Frau looked so na?ve and vulnerable that it was very possible a sly woman tried to take advantage of him. Poliana nodded, deciding that this must be what really happened. Frau Sneke was not a handsome man like Lucius the First. He was also not a talented and skilled man like Sir Ainno. His family, even when he still belonged to it, wasn''t exactly one of the top Acreian nobles. The only positive thing about him was his kindness, so how could he have been a womanizer? Poliana decided not to take Cekel''s warning seriously. She said to Cekel, "I don''t think I should be judging him based on an old rumor. I still think he is a decent guy." Poliana was no stranger to ugly rumors. People used to hear the gossip that she was the greatest seductress who controlled the greatest emperor in history. They said Poliana enjoyed having a different man every night and that she slept with every knight in Acreia. Clearly, not all gossips could be trusted. ''It has been a long time since I thought of these rumors.'' Ever since she became a marquess, she stopped hearing such rumors about her. The old gossips still existed, but there weren''t any newer versions. How boring. Poliana said to the maid, "I am a bit disappointed in you, Lady Cekel." Poliana liked Cekel a lot for her sarcasm and aloofness. Lady Cekel was a very sharp woman, so Poliana couldn''t help feeling disappointed that she believed such a ridiculous rumor. Cekel apologized again for her rudeness and Poliana immediately forgave her. "Bur Marquess Winter, please remember this one thing. It was the Sneke family that covered up this rumor." A family, no matter how powerful, could not cover up the fact that it disowned one of its sons. But any noble family could certainly cover up any rumors that involved a woman. In fact, it was done often to protect the family''s reputation. Cekel''s parents were in the process of trying to find the details of Frau''s rumor, but their track ended quickly because of the Sneke family''s intervention. Cekel met Frau many times so far, so she knew that he was a good man. Cekel also knew how false a rumor could be. But she couldn''t help feeling that something wasn''t quite right. She also knew that a rumor can be deadlier to a woman than a man. All Cekel wanted to do was to warn Poliana to be careful. What Cekel saw so far told her that Frau was interested in Poliana, not a job opportunity. It was always a woman who got hurt if something didn''t go well between a man and a woman. It was never a bad thing to be cautious. Poliana left, saying she couldn''t bete. To that, Cekel sighed quietly. "¡­" Poliana was a strict disciplined person, but would this help her if things didn''t go well? ''She is a strong person, so maybe I shouldn''t have said anything.'' After all, Poliana was in a very different situation than Cekel. Poliana was a marquess and the head of the Second Division. They were both spinsters, but Cekel was a spinster from a low-ranking noble family while Poliana was the emperor''s beloved marquess. If something did happen, Cekel believed that Poliana could take care of herself, just like she did during the war. One of Poliana''s nicknames was the "Strategy Witch." She was intelligent and powerful. Cekel began to regret interfering. She shouldn''t have said anything. Poliana wasn''t someone she should annoy, especially since her brother recently got an amazing promotion thanks to Poliana''s rmendation to the emperor. ''I should''ve kept my mouth shut.'' She was contemting when suddenly, Cekel felt someone staring at her. When she turned around, she saw Sir Ainno gazing at her from afar. It looked like he was actually ring at her intensely. Was he going to approach her and say some nonsense again? Or try to harass her again like before? Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Thankfully, Sir Ainno left without a word after staring at her for a few more minutes. "Phew¡­" Feeling relieved, Cekel sighed deeply. What the heck was wrong with that man? Sir Ainno, who was one of the very few unmarried men in all of the divisions, often visited the other guards'' homes on short notice and demanded that they eat and drink with him. He was such a nuisance but no one could dare to refuse him because of his status. Cekel was different from Poliana. Cekel was a spinster maid unlike Poliana, who was a marquess. Poliana could survive most rumors, but if a scandal began between Cekel and Sir Ainno, Cekel knew she would not survive it. Her life as an independent spinster was going to be over. It was one thing for her to embarrass her family by not getting married, but she could never shame her family by getting involved with a man. Her brothers were able to improve their family name by going to war; she should never do anything to undo their hard work. Cekel left thedy''s quarters and walked towards the main part of the castle. A maid from thedy''s quarters walked freely, but no one thought it strange because people knew Cekel had her brothers working in the main castle. Everyone assumed that she came to visit her brothers. It wasn''t hard to find her brother, Sir Deke. Sir Deke just returned from Nanaba per the emperor''s order. Seeing how hard her brother worked without rest, she asked worriedly, "Have you eaten today?" "Sis, is it true?" "What is?" "There is a rumor that the boss is eyeing you to scout you because you are a genius swordsman¡­ Gyaa!"'' Cekel covered Sir Deke''s mouth with her hand. It had been a month since theyst saw each other, and this was what her brother said to her! Cekel was furious. She had to admit, however, that there indeed were strange rumors about her. People whispered that she was a genius swordsman who actually won against Sir Ainno. They believed this was why Sir Ainno was eyeing her. For now, thankfully, most people thought that these rumors were just funny jokes, but if anything more happened¡­ Cekel didn''t even want to think about what kind of damage it would do to her family. Her parents, her brothers and their wives¡­ She would ruin all of their lives. Sir Deke protested, "Hey! Why did you do that?! I was just joking. Everyone knows that it''s just a joke!" "It''s a horrible and dangerous joke. Don''t you understand how it makes our family look? It would upset your wife too to hear such a thing." "Wait a minute¡­ The way you just reacted¡­ It looks like this story is actually true!" "Gosh! Just stop!" His sister used to be a delicate girl before he left for war, but in the 10 years he and his brothers were away, Cekel turned into a woman who learned to protect her family and support her parents in the absence of any men in the house. She also became very scary and unafraid to smack him. Sir Deke guessed, ''She must''ve changed because her engagement was broken¡­'' He was a very simple boy, especially considering that he headed the new Intelligence Unit. After being hit a few times, they finally began to chat. Cekel was helping his brother by telling him things that were happening inside thedy''s quarters. She gave him information that most outsiders would not know. It wasn''t a hard thing to do, and Cekel was happy to help her brother. Cekel never got close to any of the maids in thedy''s quarters, which meant that she didn''t know any truly sensitive secrets. This meant that she didn''t feel guilty about telling her brother what she knew. Whatever she told him was usually a very well known story inside thedy''s quarters by the time she disclosed it to him. Besides, she felt proud that she was helping the emperor. Afterward, Sir Deke thanked his sister. "Thanks a lot, Sis. I feel like I should be paying you a sry for your good work." The only source of information for him on what was happening inside thedy''s quarters was his sister. She was doing a better job than a lot of his men, so using her without paying her anything made Sir Deke feel guilty. Cekel replied, "It''s fine. I am working inside his highness''s castle, so it is my job to help him in any way I can." Cekel didn''t have big dreams. During thest 10 years, her biggest wish was for all of her brothers to return alive and well, and this dream came true. She couldn''t ask for any more than that. Her parents were no longer worried about their sons. They also epted her deration to remain a single woman, which was a huge surprise to her. Cekel also found a stable job. Everything was going so well, but Cekel still couldn''t help feeling concerned. Ainno Seki. She couldn''t remember when it began, but somehow, this man became a huge source of worry for her. When she was abandoned by her fianc¨¦ and their engagement broke, the people around her consoled her and told her she will find a better man very soon. But unfortunately, she didn''t end up finding anyone. And now, even if a good man appeared in front of her, it was toote. She was beyond her marriageable age. Just like any spinsters, she would live like she didn''t exist. Ainno Seki appeared in front of her out of blue, but he wasn''t the one for him. He really wasn''t, she had thought up a lot of reasons as to exin why. For example, there was too big of a gap between their family stations, and the most important reason she had was the fact that he was an absolute jerk. Besides, this man did not have an honorable intention towards her. He didn''t really want her as his wife. Because he didn''t have genuine feelings for her, Cekel was certain that he would lose interest in her. Soon, he would stop following her around and stalk her. Cekel shook her head. This wasn''t the time to think about this matter. It was best to forget about it; thinking about a man like Sir Ainno was a waste of her time. She turned her thoughts to Marquess Winter. She still regretted sharing her opinion with Poliana regarding Doctor Frau, but Cekel also couldn''t stop feeling like something wasn''t right. Something felt¡­ ominous. Cekel asked her brother, "Hey, so your job is to gather information on people, right?" "Yup. That''s it." "Then there is a rumor I want you to investigate. It''s a really old one and it happened when you were away. Think of it as your payment for my work. Can you do it?" "But Sis¡­ I''m busy¡­ W-wait! I meant to say yes, of course! I am all yours, Big Sis!" Sir Deke was about to refuse her request, but he saw Cekel raising her fist. He fearfully agreed to help her and Cekel nodded in satisfaction. Sir Deke, a brave knight who survived the recent war, acted like a tamemb in front of his big sister. *** Sometimes, people were blind to the obvious danger they were about to face. Poliana didn''t think much about what Cekel and Lady Reba told her. They both imed that Frau was interested in Poliana as a woman, but Poliana didn''t agree with them. It wasn''t that Poliana was rash or stupid. She just didn''t think their warning was necessary because she wasn''t afraid of him at all. What if Frau tried to attack her or take her against her will? Well, if something this ridiculous happened, Poliana felt confident that she could take him down easily. She knew that she was stronger than Frau. Poliana was certain that she could beat him up if she wanted to. In her life, Poliana went through many situations where she was almost raped. She remembered Sir Batre very well, who sodomized not only her but the other boys as well. One thing she appreciated from this unfortunate incident was that she learned something very important. What she realized after the ordeal was that she wasn''t raped because she was a girl; she was raped because she was weak. The other boys were raped because they were weak too, not because they certainly weren''t girls. Poliana knew that she, and many men, would never be able to forget Sir Batre. A person with power didn''t have to fear anyone. This was why the emperor could always hold a rxed smile on his face. This was also his way to show everyone how powerful he was. Poliana followed suit and tried to act rxed at all times. Frau was going to be no match to her in any circumstances. Poliana was the first to arrive, and soon after, Frau appeared. Awkwardly, he bowed to her and greeted her, "Hello, Marquess Winter." "Hello there." Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Frau quickly apologized to Poliana for making her wait. Poliana waved her hand and told him an apology was not necessary since she arrived earlier than their arranged time. Poliana asked, ¡°Which direction is your home?¡± Poliana didn¡¯t think that Frau lived near the royal castle. He probably couldn¡¯t afford to. She wondered if she should bring out her horse when Frau gave her an unexpected answer, ¡°I could never allow myself to bring you to such an unworthy ce like my own home, Marquess Winter. I made a reservation at a restaurant¡­¡± Frau sounded uncertain and hesitant, annoying Poliana. If he was one of her men, she would¡¯ve reprimanded him for being so weak. She could understand why Frau failed the knight¡¯s training. ¡®Hmm¡­ A restaurant¡­¡¯ It was customary to serve a guest at one¡¯s own home for dinner. Going to a restaurant was definitely something new for Poliana. Nobles invited guests to their own homes so they could show off their mansions and what their chefs could do. All wealthy nobles had professional chefs in their homes. They could afford the best ingredients, so it was rare for a nobleman to go out to a restaurant to eat especially when a guest was invited. Even themoners did not go to the restaurants often. The ingredients, especially in Aehas, are very expensive, which meant that the cost to go to a restaurant was even more expensive. It was much more affordable to just cook at home. In Aehas and Kukda, themoners were mostly poor because of the ongoing war. They were in a better situation in terms of food shortagepared to Acreia, but not by much. This meant that most restaurants in the northern regions made most of its money from travellers. And most restaurants included a bar inside, which meant that they were not appropriate ces to serve an important guest. Poliana took her men sometimes to a pub a few times before but only to drink, not to eat. The restaurant Frau took her to was different than the ones Poliana was used to. She was surprised that it was filled with customers. Poliana looked around the restaurant with interest. Frau immediately noticed her curiosity and began to exin. After Yapa became the new capital, its poption grew exponentially. The city walls were furthered out to expand the city and various infrastructure projects began, attracting even more people to the area for the new job opportunities. Yapa was always short on housings, and when more and more people poured into the city, the housing price went up significantly. To apany this new influx, thendowners started building houses without proper kitchens. The house, of course, included a brazier for heat, but most of these houses were upied by single men who did not know how to cook to begin with. It wasn¡¯t that the restaurant culture was well developed in the mid-continent, but with the increased poption and cooking ingredients, the people began to use the restaurants more and more. This change was, however, still at an early stage so most restaurants weren¡¯t high end or luxurious. Frau chose the most expensive restaurant in Yapa, but he still felt embarrassed. He exined, ¡°I know the proper thing to do is to serve you at home, but I couldn¡¯t afford a chef and I can¡¯t cook myself, so I thought this restaurant would be the best option¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Frau, being from a noble family, knew better than anyone that he was being unconventional, but Poliana genuinely didn¡¯t care. She looked around carefully. If it wasn¡¯t for Frau, she would¡¯ve never visited a ce like this. It actually felt refreshing to experience something new again. When Poliana continued to look around, Frau assumed that she was unhappy with the ce and their situation. He looked down and said to her in a sad voice, ¡°I know this ce is not worthy to serve someone so important like you, Marquess, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s actually better than the pubs I sometimes take my guards to.¡± Poliana meant what she said. It was difficult to find a pub that feltfortable serving a bunch ofrge muscr men, who drank loudly. At first, Poliana considered inviting her guards to drink at her own home, but she didn¡¯t have enough maids and servants to serve them. She lived alone and she didn¡¯t need many servants. She thought about hiring more just so she could entertain more, but her butler rejected the idea, telling her it would be a waste of money for her. She also considered perhaps designating one of the guards¡¯ homes, but none of her men had a big enough home that was well stocked like the Bika family¡¯s mansion. In the end, it was decided that they should just use a pub. They did not consider many factors when choosing the perfect ce for them. They didn¡¯t care about the quality of the drinks, the location, or the safety of the area. The only thing they considered was the size of the pub. It had to be big enough to house many guards. After they chose a ce and frequented it often, the pub expanded quickly to be specialized in entertainingrge groups. It used to also run a small lodging, but the pub gave it up and focused on its pub business. The entire three-story building became a onerge tavern. Poliana realized that the city had changed a lot since thest time she explored it. ¡®Oh, I can see there are even more taverns now.¡¯ There were also many more restaurants. Bing a capital of the kingdom seemed to have caused many changes to the city. Poliana felt disappointed in herself for not realizing this sooner. She had been so focused on her work that she had no idea what was happening outside the castle. It was the Third Division¡¯s responsibility to protect the city, so she hasn¡¯t been paying any attention to it. The Third Division was run by Sir Wook and Sir Jainno, who used to be her own men. They were now her colleagues, and it seemed that she hadn¡¯t been interacting with them at all. ¡®I better fix that.¡¯ Sir Baufallo and Sir Rabi, even after Poliana left their units, continued to look out for her. She should¡¯ve done the same for her own men. She felt ashamed of herself. The food quickly arrived and it tasted better than what she expected. Poliana was a good eater to begin with; she could eat basically anything that wouldn¡¯t kill her; she did miss her adopted brother¡¯s cooking sometimes. ¡®I wonder if he got my gifts.¡¯ It was unlikely that someone would raid the gifts sent by Marquess Winter to the family of a Viceroy, but one never knew. Sometimes, the gifts would also get damaged during the delivery. Poliana didn¡¯t say a word. It was her habit to be fixated on things that are new to her, such as new food or ces. Normally, when invited to a nobleman¡¯s home, she would¡¯ve carried a social conversation with the mistress of the house, but today, her mind kept a busy stream of random thoughts. ¡®Oops.¡¯ After finishing off her ce, Poliana suddenly realized that Frau was still sitting in front of her. He was sweating ufortably. She coughed and Frau flinched noticeably. She looked at him directly and asked, ¡°So, how much were you thinking?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Tell me what sry and conditions you were hoping for. And when can you start working? I can provide you housing in my own home, but if you insist on having your own ce, I can make that happen too. Of course, it will have to be a ce very close to mine in case I need you for a quick treatment.¡± ¡°Marquess, I¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t try to underpay you, but I also can¡¯t overpay you. I asked around so I know what the going rate is. The thing is, I don¡¯t really need a personal doctor since there is just me in my family. However, I am willing to offer you a position since you seem like a good man who works very hard¡­¡± Only ¡°Umm, Marquess¡­ I think you are mistaken.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I asked you to have dinner with me because I wanted to get to know you. It wasn¡¯t because I wanted to be your personal doctor.¡± ¡°You want to be better acquainted so you can be my personal doctor, right?¡± ¡°N-no, It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then why? Why would you want to get to know me? You should know that I am not the kind of person you can bribe or use. Just because you and I be better acquainted doesn¡¯t mean I will use my power to further your career or something.¡± Frau¡¯s face turned bright red, and Poliana assumed that he was embarrassed because she figured out his intention. She was about to tell him that it was okay, when Frau blurted out, ¡°I asked you here so I can propose to you!¡± Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Clink! Poliana dropped her fork. Her eyes widened, and Frau continued to blurt out, ¡°I was nning to propose to you because I want your money!¡± His voice became louder, and he practically shouted hisst sentence. Everyone in the restaurant stared at them, but thankfully, he didn¡¯t yell out the word ¡°marquess.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like anyone heard him addressing her by her title, and Poliana was d that she changed her clothes beforeing here. If she was wearing her blue uniform¡­ The rumor from this incident would¡¯ve been a juicy one. Perhaps Lady Reba was wrong. Poliana realized that Frau Sneke was actually a very ambitious man. Poliana worked as Lucius the First¡¯s strategist during the war. Because the emperor didn¡¯t have an actual strategy unit, Poliana¡¯s official title was the emperor¡¯s personal guard, but if there was such a unit, Poliana didn¡¯t doubt that she would¡¯ve led that division. She was called the ¡°Witch of War¡± and her specialty was using the existingndscapes as part of her battle strategy. If she was given a map and ordered to get to the other side of an unfamiliar mountain, she had no doubt that she would aplish this without a problem. Most strategists were superstitious with specific jinks. Poliana didn¡¯t like it when one was forced to battle without any advanced information. She hated going into a battle without knowing as much as she could find out about thendscape and her enemy. She believed that information was the basis of any victory. How many enemy soldiers would being? Who was going to be their leader? How did they fight theirst battle? What kind of path would the enemies take to get to the battlefield? What would thendscape look like? Poliana could be very easy going about many things, but if there was anything unexpected, such as an unexpectedlyrge number of enemies or a surprise attack, she would react at it violently. She became so furious and vicious that even Lucius the First had a hard time calming her down in these situations. And today¡­ Frau¡¯s attack was something that Poliana never expected. It was aplete shock to her. Well, Poliana decided to be brutally honest to herself. The truth was that the people around her warned her about Frau, but she ignored them. A leader who ignored other¡¯s advice and information was a useless one. A long time ago when Poliana worked as a knightess for Aehas, she once warned her superiors of the impending attack from Acreia. At the time, she was ignored and evenughed at. Poliana knew better than not to listen to others. Even if what they said sounded ridiculous, it was a job of a good strategist to listen and consider the possibility of it even urring. Now that she broke her own rule, Poliana felt ashamed. She ignored the warnings from the others, and she ended uping here absolutely unprepared. If this was a battle, she would¡¯ve died along with all of her men. Didn¡¯t people say that marriage was the grave of life? She was so shocked that she almost said yes to Frau. If Frau was smarter and continued with his surprise attack, he might have won, but unfortunately, Frau was an awkward indecisive man. Just like Poliana, Frau himself seemed shocked at what he said. They both looked at each other uneasily as they contemted. Frau Sneke proposed to Marquess Winter because he was interested in her money. In his defense, Frau actually wasn¡¯t nning on proposing to Poliana tonight. He wanted to get closer to her before asking her to marry him, but he was so nervous that he made a mistake. He even blurted out the real reason why he wanted to marry her. He obviously didn¡¯t mean to ever tell her that. It was game over. Frau wanted to disappear. He didn¡¯t know what to say, so he continued to blurt out. Frau stammered, ¡°Marquess¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I was so nervous that I¡­¡± Poliana thought quietly, ¡®So he really means it¡­ He wants to marry me for my money¡­¡¯ She was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t think. She asked, ¡°Marriage? With me?¡± ¡°I-I¡­ I know I am not worthy, Marquess, but this marriage can benefit you too. If you can read my n here¡­ I wrote it down¡­¡± Oh boy, he wrote a report for her about his proposal. Frau clumsily took out his paperwork, giving some time for Poliana to think about it clearly. It seemed that Frau was even more nervous than he looked because he kept muttering, ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit.¡± Swearing did not suit him at all. Besides, if he was thinking clearly, he would¡¯ve never sworn in front of a noblewoman like this. His hands were shaking violently as he took out his paperwork. He dropped them, and as he gathered them off the ground again, Poliana noticed his lips tightening. It was an expression Poliana was familiar with. It was the expression a man had before he was about to die. An expression one had when he knew his life was over at a specific moment. It was true that what Frau just did was an unforgivable sin. To ask the greatest Marquess of this kingdom to marry him because he wanted her money when he was barely a noble himself? A man who had nothing, not even his family name? This was ridiculous. There were plenty of higher-ranking nobles who wanted to marry her. All of them obviously wanted her status and money, but none of them were stupid and rude enough to every disclose their true intentions to her. ¡®Bastard.¡¯ Poliana narrowed her eyes. How could this man be so vulgar? There were basic unspoken rules in this world, and he was breaking them. Frau¡¯s hands continued to tremble as he kneeled in front of her. ¡°Please just kill me now, Marquess Winter. I deserve it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Poliana briefly considered smashing his head with her empty te, but she thought against it. It seemed that he was aware of his mistake, and besides, she was interested in finding out more about his intentions. ¡°Continue with your exnation.¡± It was strange, but Poliana was actually impressed with Frau¡¯s ambition. It was so unexpected because he has been acting so weak until now. It actually felt refreshing. Poliana also needed more time to organize her thoughts, so she wanted him to continue talking. Frau¡¯s face became pale before bowing deeply. ¡°I am so sorry, Marquess Winter.¡± Frau kept his face bowed and everyone around them continued to stare. They whispered, ¡°Did you hear that? That man just proposed to that woman!¡± ¡°He said he wanted her money!¡± ¡°Well, look at her face. She better be wealthy or else, no one would ever propose to her.¡± ¡°Why does that woman¡¯s hair so short?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a woman?!¡± ¡°How poor is that man that he asks a woman like that to marry him?¡± ¡®F*ck.¡¯ Only Poliana could hear them whispering. She red at them, making most of the people look away. Poliana, however, knew that although they weren¡¯t looking at her, they were trying their best to listen to her conversation. Although Poliana hated them, she couldn¡¯t me them. If she witnessed something like this, she would¡¯ve certainly stared too. She was Marquess Poliana Winter, the one and only knightess in the world. She wasn¡¯t wearing her uniform, but it was possible that some people recognized her. She had distinct scars on her face and was wearing a very masculine outfit. Poliana gestured Frau to take a seat; when he hesitated, she kicked him. Even the way he stood up and sat down looked weak and unmanly. Poliana repeated, ¡°I told you to continue.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do this, Marquess. And it¡¯s true that when I first heard about you, a woman knightess, I was very impressed. After I met you, I admit that I began to feel sorry for myself because I could never be a knight myself. I also felt jealous, but I never lost my great respect for you and your work, Marquess Winter. But then, I heard people talking about how you could never get married because no man would have you¡­ And I began to think that maybe I can propose¡­ If youe to like me, maybe you will marry me¡­ I thought it might be a good idea¡­¡± Even an unambitious man couldn¡¯t help dreaming when he saw a chance. Frau wanted a new sessful life for himself. He actually couldn¡¯t understand why more men weren¡¯t proposing to her. Although Poliana was not a beauty, in terms of her wealth and status, Marquess Poliana Winter was the best wife material. Even though he wouldn¡¯t be able to get a new title with this marriage¡­ Even though he wouldn¡¯t be the head of the household¡­ Even though he would have to change hisst name rather than the other way around¡­ Even though she was ugly and barren¡­ Even though people would point their fingers at him because he married for money and power¡­ Even though he would lose so much with this marriage, he would gain even more with it. Besides, Frau had nothing to lose at this point, so this would actually be a dreame true for him. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Things went totally wrong for Frau. If Poliana didn¡¯t assume that he was looking for a position, he would have carried on his original n and try to slowly woo Poliana. Unfortunately, Poliana was very dense when it concerns a rtionship between a man and a woman. She honestly had no idea what Frau¡¯s intention was. What Frau did to get her attention and make her see him as a viable husband material¡­ Poliana instead saw his actions a doctor did to get a job. The whole event was ruined from the beginning. Poliana arrived earlier than he did and while they were eating, Poliana was interested in only her food and barely looked up at Frau. When they were done eating, Frau was nning to ask her out on a second date, but Poliana began the conversation with a sry negotiation. Frau was so shocked and confused that he ended up blurting out his true intentions. It was game over for him. Frau said to him, ¡°Marquess, since I was disowned by my family, I don¡¯t care if I have to change myst name to yours. I am a semi-noble now, and if you marry me, my nobility will finally be established and acknowledged. Oh, and I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t have any children! I will continue working as a doctor, so you, of course, can continue to lead the Second Division¡­ So I¡­¡± As he talked, his voice became quieter and quieter. He was telling Poliana that he would love to be used by her because she was rich. Ha! Dream on! Poliana nced at the paperwork Frau ced on the table. It looked like some kind of a prenup. Based on what she saw, it didn¡¯t seem like he included any words like ¡°love¡± or ¡°affection,¡± which confirmed that he was definitely from a proper noble family. Poliana pushed herself away from the paperwork and replied, ¡°Even considering all you told me right now, it would still not be worth it for me. Marrying you¡­ I gain nothing from it. Instead, I will actually be an enemy of the Sneke family. They will hate me for marrying their disowned son.¡± Frau must¡¯ve expected such questions because he answered her without a shred of hesitation.¡±The thing is, someone like you who is a high-ranking noble¡­ Being single will work against you more and more as time passes.¡± Poliana agreed secretly, ¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯ For now, she didn¡¯t hear about it often, but Poliana was well aware of reality. There were and will be many aspects of her life that were going to be negatively affected if she remained unmarried. It was extremely rare for someone like Poliana, who was a very high-ranking aristocrat, to not marry. A powerful noble could be missing all of his or her limbs and still have plenty of marriage offers because wealth and power would make up for their missing body parts. This was especially the case for a woman. In the north, there was even a myth that if an unmarried woman died, her disappointment and anger could curse the entire kingdom. A woman, all women, needed to marry. Period. No matter what the reasons Poliana had for why she didn¡¯t feel the need for marriage, nothing changed. People¡¯s perceptions and beliefs would never change. Everyone needed to marry. Period. Everyone needed to form a family to be epted as a normal person, and this rule was especially true for those in power. No matter how powerful Poliana bes, whenever people see her, they would only see the fact that she was a spinster. There will always be those who would want to bring her down, and these people would use her single status against her. This wasn¡¯t just the case in Acreia. It was the same everywhere on the continent. Poliana then replied, ¡°You are right about that, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I have to marry you.¡± Even if she needed to get married, it didn¡¯t mean that she was obligated to marry Frau. There have been many marriage offers sent to her, and most of them were from men who were better looking and younger than Frau. Of course, some were from worse families than Frau¡¯s while others were divorced or widowed men. There were also some who were just in too young. What Frau was telling her, no matter how he worded it, was simple. He wanted to share her power and wealth. The problem was, Frau wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew what a fair deal was, and what he was offering her certainly wasn¡¯t. It would benefit him much more; he was being too greedy. If she had to make a deal with anyone, why not find a fair one? If she had to get married, why not marry a man much more handsome than Frau? Poliana liked a good looking man, just like any other woman. She served the most beautiful man in this world, so her standard became very high during thest 10 years. Frau replied, ¡°You are right, but¡­¡± This deal was going to only benefit Frau; he wanted to use Poliana! Her friends told her often that she should get married when she found someone great. They didn¡¯t tell her to be used by a man. The only thing she liked about Frau as her husband was the fact that he was at her age. The most recent marriage offer she received was from a boy of 13 years old, and Poliana couldn¡¯t hide her shock. Yes, a man of her age was definitely something positive. Hmm¡­ Poliana also realized that the fact that Frau being a doctor was also a good thing. He could take care of her or anyone she wanted. And¡­ His soft face and chubby body¡­ Other women might not like this, but Poliana actually didn¡¯t mind. She was surrounded by so many men who were muscr and sweaty, so she was sick of them. Poliana found Frau¡¯s softness refreshing. ¡®Hmm¡­ Maybe it¡¯s not so bad¡­¡¯ On top of that, Frau seemed to be a surprisingly ambitious man. It was also no secret that Poliana liked Frau as a person. His type was very rare around her. Poliana didn¡¯t believe that he was a bad man. She didn¡¯t think Frau had a bad intention against her. She said to him, ¡°There are plenty of men with simr backgrounds as you that have proposed to me. Why do you think you are better suited to me than all these other men?¡± ¡°Marquess Winter, I don¡¯t have a good reason to give you¡­¡± Frau looked down at the ground weakly. It wasn¡¯t umon for a noble to marry beneath his or her station. Frau knew that he was not worthy of her, so he was trying to make up for this by earning her affection. What he overlooked was the fact that although Poliana was the sharpest person when it involved battles, she was actually very slow when it came to this kind of situation. There have been men who were interested in her in the past, namely Sir Donau and the emperor, but Poliana never noticed their feelings; she was that slow. Fortunately for Frau, his n actually wasn¡¯t aplete failure. He had been trying to spend as much time with her as possibletely, and this helped her to see him in a positive light. Of course, she liked him as a person, not as a man, but it was still an impressive progress for Frau. There was a clear pattern in her life¡­ Poliana liked Lucius the First so much that she was forever going to see him as the perfect emperor and nothing more. Poliana loved Sir Donau like her own brother that she was going to always see him as a little brother and nothing more. Only The depth of her feelings for these men was great, but she certainly didn¡¯t feel a sense of romantic love for them. In a way, Frau actually was in a slightly better situation than the emperor and Sir Donau. Frau actually had a chance unlike the other two. Poliana looked at him quietly and said to him, ¡°I thought you were a good guy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Marquess. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± ¡°So is this why you were hanging around me so muchtely? I know most people have simr intentions towards me, but you¡­ I thought you were a good man. I guess I was wrong. This is why I should never trust anyone. I am so disappointed in you, Dr. Frau.¡± To his surprise, Poliana wasn¡¯t truly angry. This was the type of person Poliana was. She thought highly of Frau¡¯s ambition, and so she decided to forgive Frau for his rudeness and forwardness. If Lucius the First knew this, he would¡¯ve fainted. Poliana continued indifferently, ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s that. Now that we are done eating, why don¡¯t we go for a drink? The night is still very young, and I have nothing else to do.¡± Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Frau jumped in shock. ¡°P-pardon? Of course, I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t drink with ady alone!¡± This was a refreshing reaction. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡®No man has ever reacted this way to me before.¡¯ Whenever Poliana asked a man to drink with her, they would usually ask, ¡°Are you buying, Marquess?¡± Most men were eager to get free drinks from her. Frau was the first and the only one who blushed and stepped back in shock. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Poliana felt a little disappointed. If she returned home now, there would be no one waiting for her; she would be all alone. With the money and power awarded by the emperor, Poliana was able to purchase arge mansion. She filled it with expensive and luxurious furniture, but even then, the house felt empty because she had no family. There was no one who greeted her when she returned home from a long day. If she returned to the castle, her guards would be disappointed. Who would want to be around their boss? They would be annoyed that she didn¡¯t go home. Poliana felt bitter. ¡®I need a drink. I¡¯m not going home now.¡¯ Poliana looked at Frau, who was slouching again. His weak shoulder, slightly bent waist, and a kind delicate face¡­ All these things bothered her. She ordered him, ¡°Chin up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Straighten your waist.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Straighten up your shoulders and chest too.¡± ¡°Gyaa!¡± ¡°Stop slouching so much.¡± ¡°Gyaaa!¡± Poliana pushed on his body to correct his posture by force, making Frau scream both from shock and pain. It seemed that Frau was very stiff, which was a shame. He was a doctor who took care of other people¡¯s health, yet it appeared that he himself was not in good health. Poliana pped his back, trying to make him straighten up. ¡°Gyaa!¡± She was trying to be gentle, but she was a strong woman. Frau jumped and twisted his body in difort. Poliana asked him, ¡°You don¡¯t have anyone waiting for you at home either, do you?¡± Frau rubbed his back and replied, ¡°N-no.¡± ¡°Well, then why don¡¯t we be friends? We are the same age and are in the same situation, right? I am an old maid and you are an old bachelor.¡± ¡°T-thank you, Marquess¡­¡± Poliana tapped his shoulders lightly, but it was enough for him to fall. Frau had a horrible sense of bnce, perhaps because he was so unathletic and chubby. Strangely, Poliana liked the feeling of pping Frau¡¯s fleshy body. It felt very different than when she smacked around his soldiers, who had hard muscled bodies. Frau tried to run away, but Poliana easily caught him. She dragged him to a nearby tavern, telling him that since he paid for the dinner, she will pay for the drinks. Poliana thought casually, ¡®I will get to know him better, and if I like him as a friend, then I guess I should marry him.¡¯ If the emperor knew her thoughts, there was no doubt that he would faint from a heart attack. Poliana was a nobledy, which meant that it was her parents¡¯ job to arrange her marriage. Her situation was a little different than the most, however. Poliana had to choose for herself, and she knew that she should choose objectively. She knew that there should be no feelings or opinions in terms of picking her spouse. Poliana thought that it would be easier for her to deal with a desperate and ambitious bachelor than a younger and handsome man who was marrying her only because his greedy parents were forcing him to. Frau was weak. He had absolutely no power to take anything away from her. He could never steal her wealth, power, or status. Poliana thought Frau would be a better choice than the younger noble boys who might be too greedy for their own good. Besides, Poliana had to admit that Frau was the first man ever who approached her personally because his logical mind saw her as a marriageable woman. A marriage was a business deal. Both parties needed to gain from this transaction, and although it may not look like Poliana would benefit from marrying Frau, this was far from the truth. Secretly, Poliana imagined what her life could be like. She remembered the families she visited until now. Although their marriage was arranged, Sir Rabi and Lady Bika were very much in love with each other. Sir Howe, Sir Donau, Vaxi, and Vanessa¡­ Their marriages happened so fast and in surprise, but Poliana had a very good feeling about their life together. One of her guards who married his dead friend¡¯s wife and adopted her son¡­ They clearly respected each other and led a warm and cozy life together. The young Seeze couple¡­ They clearly respected each other, although there was no trust between them. Not all families could have happiness and warmth, but there was onemon element to all of the families that led peaceful lives. Respect. It would be ideal if the wife and the husband respected each other, and Poliana knew she could do this. All she had to do was find a man who would do the same for her. A man who would respect her. Poliana felt excited. Sheughed a little, thinking of the possibilities in her future. And this was how Poliana and Frau began to date each other without even knowing themselves. *** The next day, Poliana told Lady Reba about what happened the night before. To their surprise, Poliana and Lady Reba became close friends who shared each other¡¯s secrets just as they promised. They told each other everything, including the things they were embarrassed or ashamed about. Poliana told Reba everything that happenedst night because Poliana believed that Reba would never tell anyone about it. The truth was, Reba had more to lose if Poliana talked to other people because Lady Reba sometimes said some things that could put her in a very dangerous spot. Strangely, Poliana loved it when Reba told her these risky things because it made Poliana feel like she was trusted. Of course, there were times when Reba went too far, but Poliana didn¡¯t mind. Lately, Reba was stuck in her bedroom because of her condition. This meant that it was Poliana who brought her some new gossips. Firstly, Poliana admitted that Reba¡¯s guess was right about Frau. Lady Reba smiled proudly and replied, ¡°So, I was right.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Reba. Unfortunately, my mind doesn¡¯t work like that. The possibility that Dr. Frau might be interested in me like that¡­ It never urred to me at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you closed your mind to the fact that you can be a desirable woman. I am sure that there are a few men, soldiers or knights, who are secretly in love with you, Poliana¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s very unlikely!¡± Polianaughed because Lady Reba was talking nonsense. Reba asked with obvious curiosity, ¡°So, what happened afterward?¡± ¡°Oh, he told me he proposed because of my wealth.¡± ¡°What?! You should send him to jail!¡± Reba threw her needlework on the floor and yelled, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything when he said something like that?! You should¡¯ve beat him up! You should¡¯ve punched his mouth!¡± Lady Reba became so angry that she fainted. Her blood pressure was already high because of her pregnancy, so this added excitement was not good for her. The maids came running and kicked Poliana out. Poliana felt so guilty and when the doctor came running and red at her, she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Marquess Winter, didn¡¯t you know that Lady Reba should not be excited like this? She needs to remain calm at all times.¡± ¡°But I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Lady Reba is a very delicate and kind woman. Her condition is even more fragile because she is pregnant. Marquess, you can¡¯t talk like the way you usually do, all rough and uncensored. Your words can shock thedy, causing her to be over-excited. Please, Marquess Winter, you need to watch yournguage in front of Lady Reba. I beg you.¡± ¡®But she got angry all on her own¡­¡¯ Poliana felt like she knew Lady Reba better than the royal doctors. The truth was, Rebeca was actually a very daring and brave woman. She hid her true self very well to survive in this men¡¯s world. Poliana, of course, could not reveal this truth about her friend, so she remained quiet. Lady Reba¡¯s maid said to Poliana, ¡°You should not return until Lady Reba feels better, Marquess.¡± Only ¡®Oh¡­ Lady Reba must be really angry at this. I better stay away for a while.¡¯ It seemed that Reba was angrier than what Poliana expected. Awkwardly, Poliana walked towards her office when the emperor¡¯s servant stopped her. She asked, ¡°Is his highness looking for me?¡± ¡°Yes, Marquess. His highness would like to have a meal with you.¡± ¡°Of course. Please let him know it would be my honor.¡± Poliana was not as busy as the emperor, so she could have visited him at any time. She didn¡¯t want to bother him, so she stayed away from him, waiting for him to ask for her. And finally! Chapter 178 Chapter 178 When Poliana visited the emperor, Master Chail gestured to her toe closer before she entered his room. Poliana walked up to him, and Chail whispered to her ear about what happened earlier. ¡°His highness almost copsed this morning.¡± That morning was just like any other day. Lucius the First got up early and exercised before having his breakfast. He then went to work as usual. Then suddenly, he grabbed the back of his neck and groaned as if in pain. Something like this never happened before and even the calm Master Chail thought he was going to have a heart attack. Poliana¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is his highness ill?¡± Lady Reba fainted because of her high blood pressure recently, and now the emperor almost copsed too? This couldn¡¯t be happening. Poliana thought about bursting into the emperor¡¯s room immediately, but she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She decided that she needed to get more information from Master Chail. Master Chail replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s ill, Marquess Winter. I think his work is stressing him out. Some of his projects must not be going as well as he hoped. His Highness must¡¯ve called for you because he wants to make himself feel better, so please do your best.¡± ¡°What about Sir Ainno? Oh, I guess he is very busy, huh? Hmm¡­ this isn¡¯t good. Alright.¡± Poliana nodded confidently and Master Chail nodded in return trustingly. Usually, in this kind of situation, it was Sir Ainno who was called in. However, Sir Ainno, who led the First Division, was extremely busy getting his unit ready for the uing journey to Nanaba. His division was going to be responsible for the overall protection of all the travelers, and this meant that Sir Ainno had no time to have a leisurely meal with the emperor. This must¡¯ve been why Lucius the First called Poliana to spend some time with him. ¡°¡­¡± Poliana took a deep breath before walking into his room. Most of the time, even when Lucius the First was extremely upset or tired, he rarely showed it to anyone. So for him to act this way¡­ This was a very worrying situation. Poliana¡¯s concern grew by the second. The servants at the door announced Poliana and opened the door per Master Chail¡¯s order. When Poliana looked up, she saw that the emperor looked much thinner than thest time she saw him. Lucius the First greeted her pleasantly and Poliana replied worriedly, ¡°Your highness! What happened? How is it that you look so tired?!¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t even greet the emperor properly because she was so worried. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t overreacting; Lucius the First indeed looked very upset. His beautiful green eyes looked so lonely and his usually straight confident chest was slightly hunched. The emperor, who always looked like he would lead a million men with his charisma, looked tired and ordinary, making Poliana¡¯s heart ache terribly. She felt her eyes watering. What happened to her emperor since thest time she saw him? She should¡¯ve and would¡¯ve heard about the emperor¡¯s deterioration, but Poliana had no idea. ¡®Did someone prevent this information from reaching me? Or did his highness worsen this morning?¡¯ Just what was it that bothered her emperor so much?! Whatever it was, Poliana was willing to risk her own life to destroy it. Poliana kneeled in front of the emperor and eximed, ¡°Your highness! What is it that worries you so much! As your knight, I, Poliana Winter, will give up my life to destroy your enemy!¡± It was an excellent and very knightly oath to the emperor. Lucius the First looked at her affectionately and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Let¡¯s just eat.¡± Lucius the First asked her to take a seat at the table. As she watched him, Poliana became even more concerned. Usually, when a knight gave an oath like this, the emperor responded in the simrly gant way. It was a source of amusement for him. Poliana wondered, ¡®Is something really wrong¡­? W-wait a minute! Is this about Lady Reba fainting? Did he call me here to reprimand me?¡¯ Poliana was impressed with how fast the emperor received the information on what happened to Lady Rebeca since it just happened only a moment ago! At the same time, Poliana couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. She knew that Lady Reba did not like Frau, yet she still ryed the story about what happenedst night. It was all her fault that Lady Reba fainted. Poliana admitted that she was indeed guilty. Poliana was supposed to protect thedies, but she ended up harming Lady Reba, who was also pregnant with the emperor¡¯s first child. Poliana felt her guilt stabbing at her heart. It was best to apologize as quickly as possible. Poliana stood up and said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, it is my fault that I caused Lady Reba¡¯s blood pressure to go up.¡± ¡°Her blood pressure?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you called for me today?¡± ¡°Why would I call for you for something like that?¡± Poliana looked at him in confusion. Why wouldn¡¯t he call for her regarding his wives? Suddenly, Lucius the First burst intoughter. His whole face shook as heughed loudly. The emperor replied, ¡°I asked you toe because I wanted to enjoy a meal with you. It has been such a long time since we spent some time together.¡± So this was a social visit. Hmm¡­ But even so, Poliana was still very worried. She wanted to help him in any way possible. Poliana asked him in a serious tone, ¡°Your highness, if there is anything you need, I will do it. For you, there is nothing I wouldn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°I¡­ know that very well. Your loyalty to me always makes me sad and happy at the same time, Sir Pol.¡± The emperor was so sad that he ended up blurting out his true feelings. Poliana was confused, ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I was just joking. Why would I be sad when you are so loyal to me?¡± He knew that he couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, so Lucius the First pretended that he was just joking. The emperor felt even sadder in his pathetic situation. He untied the entire continent, but in front of this woman, he was so helpless. ¡®But she can never know.¡¯ The emperor wanted the continent, so he took it. He also wanted the woman sitting in front of him, and if he tried, he could have her too. But Lucius the First would never take her because she was too precious to him. Because she was so important to him, he had to hide his feelings. After the Stra¡¯s phantom pregnancy, Lucius the First decided that he was being disloyal to his wives by having feelings for Poliana. This was why he tried his best to avoid her. Only To his disappointment, Poliana looked perfectly peaceful. It was obvious she had no idea how he felt about her. Poliana was clearly worried about him, but there were no romantic feelings on her face. She still did not see him as a man. Poliana sometimes worried about Lucius the First¡¯s eyesight, but to the emperor, it was Poliana¡¯s eyesight that needed to be checked. She was sitting in front of the most handsome man in the kingdom, so how was it that she could act so nonchnt andfortable? He was doing a good job of hiding his feelings for her, but didn¡¯t they say that love was the hardest emotion to hide? How was it that Poliana didn¡¯t notice how he felt? Even his wives, after spending many nights with him, often said to him about his good looks. They were always impressed with his beauty. Even the elderly women sighed with desire when they saw their emperor. His love for her was deepening day by day. His desire for her was increasing; it was distracting him from his work. Lucius the First gestured for her to begin the meal. The knightess was not a picky eater. Even in front of the emperor, Poliana atefortably and well. She also ate very fast like she was being chased. This was a bad habit she developed from spending so many years in the war. Eating faster than the emperor was considered rude, but Lucius the First didn¡¯t care. He loved to see her eat, so he just watched happily. She had the bread baked this morning, some root vegetable and ham stew. It was a humble meal considering it was for the emperor, but this was necessary for him because his lifestyle has be sedentary. For Poliana, however, it was not enough. She thought secretly, ¡®I¡¯m going to have to have another lunch after this.¡¯ Poliana quickly emptied her dishes much faster than the emperor. As Lucius the First continued to eat, she wondered about what she should talk about to make the emperor feel better. After a while, she asked him, ¡°Your highness, have you decided what you would like to hunt at the National Day hunt?¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179 The emperor replied, ¡°I was thinking about hunting a deer since you like deer, right?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Poliana indeed liked deer meat, and it was actually the Acreian soldiers who introduced her to it. In the mid-continent and southern regions, the deer meat was softer while the northern deer meat was tougher and stringier. It was fun to hunt deer, so it would make an excellent hobby. It was unfortunate that Poliana¡¯s hunting skill was average at best. Traps allowed them to have decent catches, but in the Acreian culture, such techniques were allowed only during winter. The Acreians were the descendants of amazing hunters, so they firmly believed in hunting with their arrows. Even the emperor was shamed if he was unsessful in catching prey during a hunt. In the Acreian culture, people looked down on someone like Poliana who wasn¡¯t adequate in using a bow. Poliana resigned to ept this standard because she knew how harsh the Acreian weather was. Her old home, Aehas, where cranberries grow, had a much milder climate. The Acreians had to depend on hunting for their survival, so it made sense that they valued this skill. In other regions, hunting was considered a hobby, but in Acreia, it was for survival. It wasn¡¯t just Poliana who had to endure being criticized for herck of hunting skills. The same standards were applied to the nobles that joined the Acreian court from the mid-continent and southern regions. At first, these nobles, who enjoyed hunting as a pastime, were delighted to hear that the Acreians greatly valued this skill. But when these neers learned the primitive way the Acreians hunted, they were shocked. Many Acreian hunters often spent days tracking the animal¡¯s feces and footprints. Sometimes, they took their hunting dogs but not always. It was a well-known fact that Poliana was the worst hunter in Lucius the First¡¯s hunting party. When Poliana looked excited about the deer meat, the emperor said to her, ¡°Stop smiling and get ready, Pol. You should really try to catch something this time. Even a rabbit would be okay. You keep embarrassing yourself at the every hunt we¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°For me, I find it easier to hunt for people, your highness.¡± ¡°You are so good at tracking animals, so why is it that you can¡¯t catch them?¡± ¡°I am trying my best.¡± In arge hunting party, the tracking was carried out by the hunting dogs and anyone who had a talent for it. Poliana had an excellent sense of direction and reading her surroundings, so she was often the one leading the hunters. But oddly enough, she never caught an animal by herself so far. What was the point of finding the prey if she couldn¡¯t even catch it? The problem was that she was a horrible archer. She was a soldier whose main weapon was a sword. She had some experience with a spear, but her training never included archery. It was much easier for one to learn to use a spear than a bow. A bow took years of diligent practice and training to learn. Usually, in most armies, professional archers learned how to use a bow and no other weapons. It was only in Acreia where most soldiers, and most men in general, could use a bow fairly well. Poliana never learned to use a bow as a child. As she got older, she decided that it was best to improve her swordsmanship rather than try to learn a whole new art that wasn¡¯t going to be very useful for her in her daily life. Of course, the annoying thing was how the other men made fun of her for this. Poliana said to the emperor, ¡°I find it very hard to hit the target.¡± ¡°I am sure you can do it very well. I am certain you will catch something amazing. After all, you already caught the greatest game in this kingdom¡­¡± Poliana Winter caught the emperor¡¯s heart without even meaning to. Lucius the First couldn¡¯t finish his sentence, and Poliana misunderstood him. She thought that he really wanted her to catch something, so she decided to practice very hard until the big hunt. Afterward, they talked about mundane topics. When Poliana asked the emperor how he was doing, Lucius the First red at his cup and replied, ¡°I found out that there are awful jerks who have been dumping garbage and contaminated water near the wells. I would love to catch these bastards.¡± The emperor talked for 10 minutes straight about these horrible men. It turned out that the well water became contaminated, causing the people living around to be sick. Another recent problem was how people were wasting the woods taken from the Msmel forest just because they thought there was an unlimited source of it. Lucius the First grumbled angrily, ¡°They have no idea how important conserving the forest is! I am thinking about putting a tax on these woods.¡± If the forest belonged to a single nobleman, the people would have to pay a fee to use the trees. But because the Msmel forest belonged to the kingdom, the people could use the trees for free. Unfortunately, many have been abusing this privilege; they were wasting and overusing the lumbers unnecessarily. When Lucius the First saw the capital city being filled with a dark cloud of smoke from the people burning so much wood, he couldn¡¯t believe it. It wasn¡¯t even that cold right now! Of course, it wasn¡¯t cold ording to his Acreian standard, but for the people of the mid-continent, they found the weather to be very chilly. The emperor found that he became more and more swamped with work. He would finish one task, but he would be loaded with ten more things to do. His life was turning into an endless stream of work. Lucius the First needed an heir desperately. He needed a son who he could teach how to rule so when he became older, he could retire. Or else, the emperor was going to have to work till he dies. He was so frustrated, but slowly and surely, his expression softened. He continued to grumble about different things, but his eyes rxed and were filled with light. It was because he was looking at Poliana. After all, he was sitting in front of the woman he loved. Just watching her¡­ It made him feel happy. But the truth was¡­ He had to be satisfied with just watching her. Lucius the First¡¯s expression hardened subtly. He was being tormented by his anxiety and nervousness. Just like the woods his people were burning day and night, Lucius the First¡¯s heart was turning into ashes as well. His thoughts turned dark from time to time. The emperor sometimes felt like he was slowly losing his mind, and when he received the newsst night, he almost had a heart attack. Lucius the First tapped the table with his finger. It was his habit whenever he felt unhappy or contemtive. Poliana watched him quietly. Last night, Frau Sneke proposed to Poliana Winter. This was the truth. Lucius the First received the news yesterday and it was confirmed by his multiple sources. The emperor heard that the idiot, Frau Sneke, told Poliana he wanted to marry her for her money. What the heck was he thinking? When Lucius the First heard the first part of this report, he was overjoyed because he thought that Frau made a huge mistake. It was the worst proposal he had ever heard before. It was even worse than when Sir Donau proposed to her. Sir Donau proposed after spending days in the underground jail; he was dirty and missing a canine at the time. Lucius the First was certain that Poliana would¡¯ve refused Frau¡¯s proposal, but what he heard next was a shocker. It was reported that after the proposal, Poliana and Frau went to drink together. Just the two of them! A single woman and a single man! Together! Only Drinking! In the middle of the night! The worst thing was, the spy who reported this event lost Poliana and Frau after they left the restaurant, so no one knew what happened afterward! Did they really go for drinks? Did something else happen? This shocking event almost killed Lucius the First. It was lucky that he had a healthy heart and a normal blood pressure or else, he would¡¯ve needed a doctor. He remained in this room for a long time shaking in shock and disbelief. A man and a woman drinking at night together¡­ There was only one thing that could¡¯ve happened afterward. It was so obvious! In the past, there were some asions when Lucius the First and Poliana got drunk and fell asleep in the same room. Although nothing happened at the time, the emperor wasn¡¯t in love with her until muchter. If something like this happened now¡­ If he and Poliana got drunk together now¡­ Lucius the First knew they wouldn¡¯t end up sleeping together innocently. She was the woman he loved, so how would he be able to fall asleep next to her? The more he thought about the situation, the angrier he became. Just what happened between Poliana and Frau Snekest night? Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Lucius the First knew that the right thing to do was to let the woman he loved go. ¡°If you love someone, you should set her free,¡± right? This was especially the case recently. Ever since the incident when Stra suffered from the phantom pregnancy, the emperor was determined to forget about Poliana. He was married after all and was about to be a father too. He had to let Poliana go. He had to give up on his true love. There was no doubt that this was the logical thing to do. But even though he knew what the right thing to do was, he just couldn¡¯t do it. His heart refused to do what his brain told him to do. At first, he thought that if he didn¡¯t see her as often, he would be able to forget her. Unfortunately, he was very wrong about this, because he missed her even more after only a few days. Whenever he heard about how Poliana and his three wives got along so well, he felt guilty. Just hearing Poliana¡¯s name made his heart jump. All he had to do was stop loving her. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t have to feel so guilty and apologetic, but Lucius the First still could not give up on his love. To stop loving someone wasn¡¯t something a person could aplish by will. The harder one tried, the more they thought about the one they loved. The fact that he couldn¡¯t stop loving Poliana just proved to him that his love was real. What a frustrating situation! A piece of leather, if not used, often became unusable in time. Why couldn¡¯t his love be the same way? Why couldn¡¯t his love for her cool down over time? But even though he couldn¡¯t give up on Poliana, Lucius the First would never force her to be his. There were times when he secretly imagined possessing her, but he knew he would never do it in real life. All he wanted was Poliana¡¯s happiness; her happiness was more important than his own. Lucius the First felt like he could do anything for her as long as it didn¡¯t harm his kingdom. If she found a good man, then he would be happy to see her get married. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. He tapped the table faster and faster until suddenly, he stopped. Lucius the First reminded himself of who he was. He was the ruler of this kingdom. He was the master of the knightess sitting in front of him. He had three wives and one of them was pregnant. He had to let Poliana go; he had to let her live her life. But Poliana Winter was his favorite knight, which meant that he should be very involved in her life. He should know whether or not she was going to be marrying Frau Sneke. After rationalizing himself, Lucius the First asked Poliana, ¡°I heard Frau Sneke proposed to you¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I rejected him.¡± Poliana still thought of Frau in a positive way, but this didn¡¯t mean she was going to marry him. Just as Reba said, Poliana knew that she had the luxury of choosing her own husband. Just because he proposed to her didn¡¯t mean that she was obligated or desperate enough to marry him. epting his proposal would¡¯ve been a rash decision. Besides, perhaps someone else like Frau, who was better looking will propose to her in the near future for the same reason. Lucius the First, after hearing Poliana¡¯s reply, burst into a peal of overjoyedughter. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± The emperor often had a faint smile on his face, but it was rare for him tough out loud like this. It seemed that he loved her answer for some reason. He acted like he heard an excellent joke, and this made her feel ufortable. ¡®Does he not want me to get married?¡¯ Poliana had been serving the emperor for a very long time. She hasn¡¯t seen Lucius the Firstugh this happily since the time he kicked Sir Ainno out; this situation was very odd. Why was the emperorughing so happily? She didn¡¯t have to think too much to figure it out. To her, it seemed very obvious. ¡®Is he worried about the awkward position my husband may have in the court among the other nobles? Is he worried that the other noblemen will make a fuss about it?¡¯ If that was the case¡­. Then there was only one thing she could do! ¡°Your highness, if you wish me to remain unmarried, then I will, of course, honor your wish.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Noooooo¡­ I-if you find a g-good mannn¡­ Then y-you should get married¡­¡± Lucius the First somehow regained his peaceful smile and replied. The emperor looked more beautiful than ever. This blinded her. There was no way he could bepared to any other man. Certainly not Frau Sneke. Poliana could barely keep her eyes open because of his dazzling beauty. The emperor exined, ¡°I was just worried because I heard that that man proposed to you for an inappropriate reason. As you must know, Sir Pol, one must always be careful of gold diggers.¡± It was rare to find a gold digger in the noble system because most marriages were carefully arranged by the parents after extensive vetting and research. The concept of gold diggers existed more so among themoners and very low-ranking aristocrats. There were, however, odd times when a gorgeous gold digger sessfully captured a young nobleman¡¯s heart. In these cases, things didn¡¯t end very well for the men. They would usually end up losing a lot of their wealth and reputation. Gold diggers usually approached older bachelors who didn¡¯t have any parent that could arrange a proper marriage. These older bachelors, who usually didn¡¯t have much experience with women, were gullible. Poliana¡¯s situation was unfortunately very simr to this. Lucius the First would dly help her get married if she found a good man. He would even provide her the dowry and wish her all the best. He would feel devastated if she were to marry a gold digger. This case was especially ridiculous because Frau Sneke t out told her of his intention. The emperor was determined to remain vignt for Poliana. She was a strong woman whose protective instinct could be used against her. Lucius the First could see her being attracted to a delicate fragile man, so what if a sneaky man acted weak in front of her to gain her attention?! There were moments when the emperor considered doing this in hopes of gaining Poliana¡¯s heart. If he thought there was even the slightest chance, he would do it over and over again. What Frau Sneke was doing¡­ It was very obvious to the emperor that Frau Sneke fooling Poliana. Poliana said to him, ¡°Your highness, I don¡¯t think Frau Sneke would make a good gold digger.¡± Other than the fact that Poliana found him overly honest, Frau Sneke was also not very good looking. Beauty was an essential requirement for a gold digger. Poliana added, ¡°He can¡¯t be a gold digger because he is ugly.¡± Lucius the First¡¯s smile widened. Her answer made him feel relieved and happy. He asked, ¡°So you find him ugly, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This was the truth. Frau was not handsome, but he was kind-looking, and this was why Poliana had a good feeling about him. Her first impression of him was positive as well. But there was no doubt that he was not a handsome man. ¡°So what did you do with himst night? Just drinking?¡± Only ¡°We just talked, your highness. I decided to be his friend since we are of the same age.¡± Lucius the First sighed in relief, but what he didn¡¯t know was that he was very mistaken about this situation. Poliana did value good looks in a man, but she already had a source of beauty in her life. Lucius the First. Poliana felt that having such a beautiful emperor in her life was more than enough to satisfy her. She didn¡¯t need a beautiful man as her husband in addition to him. She could see the emperor every day if she wished, so what would be the point of having a decent looking man at home? Besides, there could be no man more gorgeous than her emperor. Unfortunately, the emperor truly believed that all Poliana wanted was to be Frau¡¯s friend and nothing more. Poliana already had so many male friends, so Lucius the First didn¡¯t think much of this situation. But the problem was, in Poliana¡¯s mind, she designated Frau as a friend who could potentially be something more. Even though Poliana knew Frau approached her for her money, she still found it amazing that there was a man in this world who dreamt of marrying her, especially a man of her own age! She was ecstatic. As soon as Frau proposed to her, he was sessfully able to grab her attention. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Poliana felt curious about Frau Sneke; she also couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like to marry him. What kind of life would she have? This was the first time ever for her to feel this way, and she liked it. She didn¡¯t care that Frau wasn¡¯t a particrly dependable man because she was dependable herself. It was okay that he didn¡¯t have any money because she had plenty. It was also fine that he didn¡¯t have a significant rank since hers was high enough. Frau told her he was fine not having any children. He wanted to marry her not because he was pressured by his parents. He himself wanted to marry her for her money and status, and she liked it. For now, Frau was at the top of the potential husband list for Poliana. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone else on the list, he was on the top. If Lucius the First knew about this, he would¡¯ve fainted. But for now, the emperor had no idea. He smiled kindly and said to Poliana, ¡°A marriage is a very important deal, so I really hope you end up marrying someone you really like, Pol. People around you may pressure you, but please don¡¯t be so rash with your decision. I will protect you and make sure no one forces you.¡± ¡°I know that, your highness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just marry anyone just because you feel pressured or feel like it¡¯s toote. Don¡¯t marry an average man, Pol. You need to marry someone who is handsome and from a good family. Someone with a good body and has a good personality. It will have to be someone I approve of.¡± It sounded like the emperor wanted her to never get married. Polianaughed at his nagging. *** After Poliana left, Lucius the First sighed. He wished he could make his worries go away. All those sleepless nights¡­ ¡®Frau Sneke.¡¯ The man who made the emperor almost faint. Lucius the First took a deep breath. He had to lose his personal feelings and think objectively about this situation. Frau Sneke. He was from a decent family, but he was kicked out of it. He was a doctor, so he wasn¡¯t even a knight even though he was from a good noble family. He wasn¡¯t rich and he wasn¡¯t a genius doctor either. So how dare he propose to Poliana? Even the emperor, with his beauty and power, couldn¡¯t dare to do it, yet here he was, a below-average nobleman daring to marry his love. Frau Sneke. His crime was so great that he deserved to be punished with death. The emperor was so furious that he wanted to rip Frau Sneke¡¯s body into pieces. ¡®How dare he covet Pol¡¯s wealth? How dare he insult the woman I love?¡¯ This information was collected and reported to him by the Intelligence Unit. The unit did not consider it very important, however, so it did not have much detail. It was only reported to Lucius the First because Poliana was his favorite knight. If she was anyone else, this incident wouldn¡¯t have been rted to the emperor, especially because Poliana turned Frau down. There were only a few things Lucius the First knew about this incident and he was unhappy about it. He wanted all the details. For example, how long have Poliana and Frau known each other? How did they first meet? How often have they been meeting? Was there a chance that they might get together? Lucius the First contemted. Should he explore this situation further? Or should he leave it alone? It seemed that Poliana wasn¡¯t interested in Frau, which meant there was no reason the emperor had to be worried about it. It would be a waste of time and manpower to explore this incident any further. However¡­ Lucius the First clenched his fists hard. The fury he felt¡­ He couldn¡¯t control it. Should he get someone to find out more about this incident? Or should he leave it alone? The emperor contemted for a long time. He had never thought so hard about anything else before. He was the emperor. All he had to do was order it and it would be done without a question. Only But¡­ If he ordered such a thing, it would be the same as him admitting that he was very interested in Poliana and her affairs. There was no reason for the emperor to spy on Frau Sneke other than his connection, not Poliana. What would the Intelligence Unit think if Lucius the First ordered it to spy on Frau? He knew no one would question his motive, but this wasn¡¯t how he wanted his men to work. He wanted his men to think for themselves and know the reasons behind what they do. A good ruler needed to follow the same rules as his subjects. Lucius the First swore he would never be a dictator, although there were days when he wished he could act like one. Like the days when he finds out that another man proposed to the woman he loved. Like the days when he felt so angry that he couldn¡¯t even tell the woman he loved the truth. Like the days when he couldn¡¯t even go out and beat up the guy who proposed to the woman he loved. Love was like an illness. It made Lucius the First to be sicker and weaker. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Normally, there wasn¡¯t much to do for the leader of an entire division. Except for someone like Sir Ainno, most highest-ranking knights rarely had to use their swords. This was especially the case as the knights became older. As they aged and climbed the politicaldder, the knights became more experienced, but they lost their stamina and speed along the way. Poliana was the one responsible for the protection of thedy¡¯s quarters, which meant that in reality, all she had to do was maintain the area by walking around the ce a few times. Most of the actual work was expected to be done by her guards. But Poliana refused to sit around. She did everything. She, of course, assigned duties to her guards, but Poliana also participated actively. She often patrolled and guarded the area herself, which annoyed her men greatly. A hard-working boss meant that her men had to work just as hard or even harder. Today, instead of going to thedy¡¯s quarters, Poliana walked towards the training field. When her guards saw their boss, they saluted her in surprise. They screamed, ¡°Oh, boss! Wee!¡± ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°We were working very hard, Boss! We weren¡¯t fooling around at all!¡± Poliana looked around expertly to check how her guards were training. Afterward, she waved at them and ordered, ¡°At ease.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°I want to practice my archery.¡± ¡°Of course! We will set it up immediately, Boss!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any of you to assist me. I don¡¯t need anyone to pick up the arrows. I just want to practice by myself, ok? You all know how horrible my archery skill is, right?¡± ¡°Of course! We won¡¯t let anyonee near you to disturb you!¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was worried someone might get identally hit by her runaway arrow. She just wanted to be alone so she wouldn¡¯t be as embarrassed. Her guards understood her intentions, knowing how bad her archery was, so they left her alone. Poliana slowly pulled the string and let the arrow go. The arrow flew halfway before falling to the ground. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Poliana tried again, and this time, the arrow reached near the target. She sighed deeply and took a slow breath. It was Lucius the First and Sir Baufallo who taught her how to shoot an arrow. These two men were excellent hunters and archers. Her teachers were amazing, but Poliana, who was their student, was terrible. It was partly because she had minimal experience. She found it hard even to find the right posture. A good posture was important for any form of fighting skills. Poliana steadied her feet and calmed down her breath. Slowly, she shot her arrow again and this time, it hit the outer of the target. This was the best one of the day so far, but she was still very far from hitting the center. Poliana thought suddenly, ¡®Sir Deke must be doing a very good job.¡¯ The Intelligence Unit was the emperor¡¯s secret project. Poliana rmended Sir Deke to lead the unit and it seemed that he was doing excellent work. Because it was not an official division, and because Sir Deke and Lucius the First chose all the members of it secretly, not even Poliana knew much about it. She didn¡¯t know who belonged to it, or even how many men were involved. All she knew was the existence of such a unit. ¡®I can¡¯t believe the emperor knew about what happenedst night at the restaurant with Frau.¡¯ It happened in a public ce with many eyes around them so it wasn¡¯t actually a secret, but it was impressive to see how fast the emperor learned about it. Poliana wasn¡¯t wearing her uniform, but there was a good chance someone recognized her. After all, she had very distinctive features. She hadrge scars on her face and her hair was unusually short. Poliana shook her head, ¡®Stop! I can¡¯t be so distracted. I need to focus.¡¯ She needed to remain calm and concentrated if she wanted to hit her target. Concentration! Concentration! It wasn¡¯t that she expected to be an expert archer. She knew very well she would never be able to aplish such a dream. She only had one realistic goal, and that was to catch something. Poliana tried shooting another arrow, and this time, it hit the outer edge of the target again. *** After her practice, Poliana changed into her blue uniform and went to visit Reba. Unfortunately, Reba was still angry and she refused to see Poliana. Left with nothing else to do, Poliana decided to go visit Frau instead. Based on her experience, Poliana guessed that Frau would be either by Reba¡¯s side or at the doctor¡¯s quarter. Poliana casually walked to the doctor¡¯s quarter and bowed to the healers she saw there. When she didn¡¯t find Frau, she raised her eyebrows. ¡®Hmm¡­ Maybe I got him too drunkst night?¡¯ Doctor Frau kept refusing to drink, but Poliana forced him. She filled his cup over and over again and pressured him to drink. He was from Acreia after all, so she expected him to be a strong drinker. Was she wrong about this? ¡®Could it be that he is so hungover that he couldn¡¯t make it to work today?¡¯ If this was true, Poliana was going to be very disappointed in him. Poliana didn¡¯t overly enjoy drinking, but because of her position, she often had to attend events that involved drinking. For this reason, Poliana would¡¯ve preferred her husband to be a strong drinker. When Poliana didn¡¯t leave the doctor¡¯s quarters, one of the doctors asked her, ¡°Marquess, did you want something?¡± Only ¡°Where is Frau Sneke?¡± ¡°Five doctors, including Doctor Frau, were sent out to the city per the emperor¡¯s order. There is a skin disease going around due to the contaminated well water and his highness wanted this situation to be contained.¡± Poliana was impressed with Lucius the First. It was only a few hours ago when they were discussing this problem, and already, the emperor figured out a solution to it and carried it out. What a brilliant idea to send the royal doctors out to help the people! Of course, the truth was that Lucius the First just wanted Frau gone from the castle. He was furious with Frau Sneke for proposing to the woman he loved, and he wanted to get rid of him. The problem was, Lucius the First never expected Poliana to go visit Frau. He never expected her to actively seek the doctor out. Lucius the First still believed that Poliana was not interested in Frau Sneke. Unfortunately for the emperor, Poliana was very interested in the doctor. She wanted to find out more about Frau and get to know him better. This was why she decided to go visit him in the city. ¡®I can also explore the city too.¡¯ She could aplish a lot of things by going outside the castle walls. She could examine the water contamination problem herself and also see Frau at the same time. She also hasn¡¯t been out in the city a lot, so this was going to be a good opportunity for her to learn more about the ce. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 The first thing Poliana did was to return home to change. Her blue guard uniform was too noticeable, and she didn¡¯t have any spare clothes left in the castle. Perhaps she could¡¯ve borrowed some clothes from the other guards, but she didn¡¯t want to wear pants. It was one thing to wear pants to the restaurantst night since she was invited. But to go out to the city¡­ She knew people might talk about her. The only pair of pants she could wear that would stop people from staring was her uniform, but if she wore her blue guard¡¯s uniform, Poliana knew a lot of people would recognize her. She was the only knightess in the kingdom. A woman with short hair wearing a blue uniform would be like her walking around the city wearing a nametag with her name in bold letters. Everyone would know that she was Marquess Winter. Poliana was actually quite popr; most, if not everyone, knew about her. Lucius the First¡¯s conquest was now a legend and oftentimes, Poliana was part of the story. The bards sang the emperor¡¯s praises and the story of Poliana was also very popr. The older poption and the noblemen didn¡¯t like to hear about her, but the young people, children, and young girls especially loved her story. She was also very recognizable, and today, Poliana wanted to remain anonymous. Therefore, she had to stop by at her home. When she arrived, Poliana took off her guard¡¯s uniform and brought out a simple dress. She didn¡¯t have many, but she had a few just in case. She also put on a handkerchief over her hair. Her dress wasn¡¯t an expensive one, so it made Poliana look like amoner. Normally, a noblewoman would have beautiful skin and hair so even an ugly dress wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the fact that she was a high-borndy, but in Poliana¡¯s case, this wasn¡¯t true. Her skin was rough and scarred, so no one would doubt she was just amoner. ¡°Good.¡± Poliana looked at herself in front of a mirror. She wanted to put on the handkerchief the way Donau showed to her before, but she wasn¡¯t very good at it. She could¡¯ve called in a maid or a female servant, but Poliana didn¡¯t even think of this idea. ¡®I look like I should be working in the field.¡¯ Poliana grinned, remembering Sir Donau¡¯s joke. She hid two daggers on her waist and wrapped her sword with arge piece of cloth to carry. When she looked at herself in the mirror again, she was satisfied with what she saw. She looked like amoner holding arge bread. She didn¡¯t look strange or out of ce. Poliana thought that even one of her guards might not recognize her in this outfit. Her butler, when he saw her, cried. In a trembling voice, he grabbed her sleeve and begged, ¡°Please, Mistress. Why don¡¯t you just wear your armor instead? Please¡­¡± ¡°Is it that bad? Do I look that horrible?¡± Poliana thought she looked okay, but she cared about how others saw her too. When she asked, her butler shook her head. As her butler, he just didn¡¯t want her to be walking around like amoner without a piece of proper ID on her to prove who she was. The butler replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that you look bad¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ You are the ¡®Marquess Winter,¡¯ and you are a very important woman. This means you need to always look important¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t reveal my true identity to anyone, so no one will know I walked around the city looking like this.¡± ¡°But¡­ What if¡­¡± ¡°Is Yapa a dangerous city that prevents women from walking around alone?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± ¡°So, I should be fine.¡± Any city couldn¡¯t avoid having beggars, pickpockets, and thieves. But a well-secured city could make sure to prevent more serious crimes such as murders and drug uses. This was the capital city of this entire continent, and it had the best people working to keep it safe. Thanks to the Third Division, headed by Sir Wook and Sir Jainno, Yapa had a very low crime rate. The royal guards roamed the city diligently to keep it safe. As Poliana walked towards the well, she was d to see that no one approached her and stared at her. However, she couldn¡¯t help noticing that she bumped into the streetwalkers often. When she wore her blue uniform, people stepped aside to create a clear path for her, but as amoner, people ignored her. Poliana was so used to walking a clear path that she kept bumping into other people. Some men red at her and yelled, ¡°Hey, stupid woman! Watch where you are going!¡± Poliana clenched her fists and muttered, ¡°I wish I could just kill them. How dare they?!¡± She gritted her teeth and regretted not listening to her butler. ¡®I should¡¯ve done what he suggested.¡¯ But it was toote. Poliana decided that if she saw these rude men again, she would beat them up. *** Only It wasn¡¯t very hard to find Frau in the city. Poliana asked around and found the hospital where he worked. When she asked one of the nurses, she was told that there was a makeshift clinic created behind the hospital building to quarantine those suffering from the skin disease. When Poliana arrived, she saw that there was arge tent set for the patients. Everyone looked very busy, including the doctors, the patients, and their families. Poliana looked around and found the person she was searching for. A weak-looking man was sitting on the ground feebly, and Poliana knew instantly that it was Frau Sneke. She walked towards him quietly and pped his back. Smack! ¡°Gyaa!¡± Frau jumped in shock and when he saw who pped him, Frau was even more shocked. ¡°Marquess!¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Poliana ced her finger on her lips to hush Frau. She couldn¡¯t help the other royal doctors recognizing her, but she didn¡¯t want everyone else in the area to learn that Marquess Winter was here. She said to Frau, ¡°Don¡¯t be so loud. I don¡¯t want people to make a fuss about me.¡± ¡°What bring you here, Marquess?¡± ¡°His highness told me about the skin disease that¡¯s going around the city. I wanted to have a look and see how bad it is when I heard that you were assigned here.¡± Poliana visited this ce out of curiosity, but she was a high-ranking government worker, which meant that she should at least learn about the current condition of the hospital. Frau asked his co-workers to cover for him and began to report to Poliana. Although the new skin disease that was going around the city was highly contagious, it was not a severe illness. The symptoms were rtively mild and were very simr to tick bites. Poliana rxed after hearing those details and began to look around. It seemed that Frau was morefortable treating themoners than the other royal doctors. The rumor about him being caught treating themoners must¡¯ve been true after all. Poliana asked, ¡°So I heard you have experiences in treating themoners?¡± ¡°Yes, I got caught by my teacher and almost got myself kicked out from the royal castle¡­¡± Frau¡¯s face became rigid. Poliana then asked, ¡°Then is it also true that you charged them for your service?¡± ¡°Well¡­ At the time, I was considering opening a hospital for themoners as a business, not as a charity project.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s an unusual idea. Usually, a nobleman would provide funds for free clinics for the people instead of trying to make money off of them.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you didn¡¯t get kicked out of the royal medical program.¡± ¡°Yes. I was reprimanded severely, so I had to give up my idea. Haha.¡± Frau exined honestly about what happened. This incident happened after Frau was disowned by his family, so Baron Redikal felt sorry for him. This was the only reason why Baron Redikal didn¡¯t kick Frau out from the castle. Frau was interested in the idea of opening a hospital for themoners because he knew he didn¡¯t belong to the aristocratic society anymore. At the time, he thought he should forget about being a nobleman and try living as amoner. He now knew this was clearly a stupid idea. Frau said to Poliana, ¡°It was really hard trying to live as amoner.¡± Poliana thought secretly, ¡®Wow, this guy is super honest.¡¯ Frau said things that most people wouldn¡¯t dare to say out loud. He was being very honest with her and Poliana liked that. Most women might not have liked what he said, but at the moment, Poliana thought very highly of him. Revealing his past mistakes and weaknesses couldn¡¯t have been hard for a man, but it seemed that Frau didn¡¯t care to show them. He didn¡¯t pretend to be strong and invincible like most men Poliana knew. Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly. If Lady Reba allowed her into her quarters for a chat, Poliana would¡¯ve received some snacks from thedy. Today, Poliana also had a very light lunch and had a vigorous archery practice. It was no wonder she was starving. Frau murmured, ¡°If you are hungry, Marquess, perhaps you should eat¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you still have more work to do?¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh, yes! So if you want to eat with me, you might have to wait at least 2 more hours¡­¡± ¡°Well, then I will just eat here too.¡± Poliana spotted a few children ying around. She waved at them and they came to her. She was used to ordering people around, so she feltfortable directing the children. The little boy asked, ¡°Why did you call us?¡± ¡°Go buy me something to eat and bring it back here.¡± ¡°Why should we do that for you?¡± ¡°Because I will pay you.¡± The children smiled brightly, and Poliana smiled as well. Money was a wonderful thing, it had the power to make everyone smile. Power and money were definitely the two best things in the world. The little boy replied, ¡°I can go by myself.¡± ¡°No, take the other children too. Bring enough food to feed all the doctors over there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Poliana knew the approximate prices of grains, gold, and salt, but she had no idea about how much cooked meals cost. She ended up giving too much money, and the children brought back a huge amount of food. The royal doctors, who have been unhappy about having to treat themoners, smiled brightly. Poliana wanted to remain anonymous, so Frau told them that one of the patients was so thankful that he bought them this meal to show his appreciation. The doctors began to eat. Poliana sat far away from them and ate as well with Frau, who was sitting next to her awkwardly. After a long silence, Poliana said to him, ¡°So, about your marriage proposal¡­¡± ¡°Pardon!?¡± Only Frau almost threw up from shock. He looked like he was about to kneel to beg her forgiveness, so Poliana continued quickly, ¡°I will consider it carefully.¡± Frau gaped, showing off the food still inside his mouth. Poliana pushed his chin up to close his mouth for him and added, ¡°So try your best; I like a man who tries hard.¡± ¡°M-m-m-m-m-m¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I am Acreia¡¯s Marques Poliana Winter.¡± Frau continued to stammer. He looked so weak and hesitant, that Poliana felt a little disappointed, but this wasn¡¯t a big deal. She didn¡¯t know when she will make her decision, but she had plenty of time to think about it. In front of the hospital building, the spinster and an old bachelor sat on the ground and ate their meals. The woman looked like a farm worker while the man looked like he was afraid of her. The air was thick with smoke, making everyone¡¯s eyes water. The food was horrible, and the sound the patients¡¯ groans were disturbing. This situation wasn¡¯t romantic at all, but Poliana found it funny. She was actually enjoying the moment. Filling her empty stomach with horrible food, Polianaughed quietly. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Lucius the First thought that by removing Frau Sneke from the castle, he could essentially separate him from Poliana. The emperor, however, made a mistake of not considering the possibility that Poliana might seek Frau out. From that day when Poliana visited Frau at the public hospital, Poliana visited him often after work. They didn¡¯t do anything special together; Frau just worked hard and Poliana watched him do his job. After hepleted his shift, they would go out to eat or drink together. They didn¡¯t see each other every day because Poliana, being a popr Marquess, was very busy. She was invited to different ces frequently, so she couldn¡¯t spend time with Frau every evening, however, they met each other often enough. Poliana began to smile andugh more often. She felt happier nowadays and she found Frau adorable. He worked so hard and she liked this side of him. Sometimes, when she was about to sit on the ground, Frau would ce his clean handkerchief on it for her. Sometimes, when she was about to walk up the stairs, he would offer her his hand. Frau clearly saw her as a woman and therefore treated her as one. Poliana liked this a lot. At this rate, it wasn¡¯t going to be long before Poliana walked up to the emperor and announced that she was going to get married. If such a thing happened, there was no doubt that Lucius the First would faint from shock. Luckily for the emperor, such a thing didn¡¯t happen. Were the gods looking out for him? Lucius the First had always been very lucky after all. He was able to unite the entire continent in 10 years and during this time, he didn¡¯t lose anyone close to him. He was also born as the sole heir to his kingdom. He was indeed a very lucky guy, and his luck helped him again because the time to leave for Nanaba came quickly. Poliana had to apany the emperor to provide protection for Lady Tory and Lady Stra. Per the emperor¡¯s order, Frau was forced to remain in Yapa. *** Cekel went out to talk to her brother, who was about to leave for Nanaba with the emperor. She wanted to find out what her brother learned about Frau, but Sir Deke hasn¡¯te to her in a very long time. She knew her brother was busy, but this was not eptable. When he needed her, she was there for him to provide as much information as possible but now that she asked him for a favor, he was nowhere to be seen. Sir Deke hasn¡¯t been home in a while either, so it was time for her to go out and find him at his work. She tried to avoid going to the main castle as much as possible, but this couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Just then, she saw Sir Ainno walking towards her. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Sir Ainno had his usual scowl on his face, making her feel ufortable. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Neither of them slowed down as they stared at each other. To Cekel¡¯s relief, he walked by her just as she walked past him. Cekel sighed deeply and thought in relief, ¡®I guess he finally gave up.¡¯ Normally, he would have approached her and said something strange. He would have tried to get her attention, especially because there wasn¡¯t anyone around them, but it seems that Sir Ainno had finally changed his mind; Cekel was thrilled. She put her hand on her chest to calm herself down. She shook her head, reminding herself that they weren¡¯t meant to be. Even if they were, she didn¡¯t want it. *** When Cekel found Sir Deke, the first thing he did was to apologize to her. He told her that he was so busy that although he found out about Frau, he didn¡¯t get the time to visit her. At first, when Cekel asked him to find out about Frau Sneke, Sir Deke wondered, ¡®Is she interested in this man?¡¯ When Cekel¡¯s three brothers heard her decision to never marry, they all felt a little guilty about it. If even one of them remained home and didn¡¯t go to the 10-year-long war, Cekel¡¯s fianc¨¦ would¡¯ve never broken their engagement. And even if he did, Cekel would have been able to find another man to marry if one of the brothers was home. Because she was the only child remaining at home, Cekel had to take care of their parents alone in her brothers¡¯ absence. And now that their situation was improving, Cekel was too old to marry unless she married a divorced man or a widower. Cekel didn¡¯t want her parents and her brothers to go around and beg around to find her a man. This was why she decided to remain a spinster. Cekel also announced that since she found herself a decent job, her family wouldn¡¯t have to support her for the rest of her life. Sir Deke felt ashamed that he and his brothers had let their sister down. It was their fault that Cekel was never able to get married. So when she asked about a nobleman, Sir Deke was excited. He immediately began to do his research on Frau and he was happy to confirm that Frau Sneke was a single nobleman. The fact that he was disowned by his family wasn¡¯t great, but it wasn¡¯t the worst thing. But it wasn¡¯t long before Sir Deke began to find out more about Frau. Just as Cekel and their parents heard a long time ago, Frau did have a problem with a woman. It was just once, and there haven¡¯t been any other rumors since then, but the incident was bad enough that Frau¡¯s family kicked him out. Apparently, Frau Sneke was in a rtionship with a servant at his own home and this angered his father greatly. If Frau was just using the woman, it would¡¯ve been considered eptable, but Frau wanted to marry her. In the end, his father disowned him. Cekel listened unhappily as Sir Deke added, ¡°But other than that, he is clean. The incident also ended cleanly.¡± It was a huge incident in the Sneke family, but after this event, Frau never had problems with any other woman. He remained single and he currently lived in Yapa. He regrly contacted his friends and acquaintances who still lived in Nanaba. Only Cekel asked, ¡°Cleanly? What do you mean?¡± ¡°That female servant ended up dying. Since then, he hasn¡¯t been in a rtionship with anyone. If he begged forgiveness, his family probably would¡¯ve epted him back, but he never did¡­ probably because of his pride.¡± The truth was, Cekel¡¯s parents already knew about what happened to Frau. They just didn¡¯t tell their daughter the details because it was an unsavory story unfit for a youngdy. Cekel thanked her brother, ¡°I see, thank you for finding out about it.¡± ¡°Oh, and you heard that Frau proposed to Sir Poliana, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. She told me herself. She refused him, so it¡¯s all good.¡± Cekel told Sir Deke the details of the proposal, which shocked him. Based on what Sir Deke learned about Frau, he never expected Doctor Sneke to be the kind of a guy who would be willing to marry a woman for money. Sir Deke murmured, ¡°I am surprised to hear that¡­ I didn¡¯t think Frau was that kind of a man¡­ Hmm, but I guess Marquess Winter is indeed very rich, so¡­¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Sir Deke looked at Cekel, hoping to find out more about what happened to Poliana and Frau, but Cekel remained quiet. He was the head of the Intelligence Unit and Cekel hoped Sir Deke learned to find his own information whenever possible so he could be better at his job. What bothered Cekel right now was whether or not she should tell Poliana about what she heard today. Poliana was a noblewoman so Cekel was certain that Marquess did not involve personal feelings when ites to her marriage. Cekel guessed that Poliana liked Frau¡¯s honesty. The fact that he straight out told her why he wanted to marry her seemed to have impressed Poliana. When Lady Reba heard about this proposal, she became so angry that she refused to see her. What happened to Frau and the servant happened over 10 years ago, so it felt odd to bring it up to Poliana. If the servant was still alive and Frau was still visiting her, it would¡¯ve been a problem, but ording to Sir Deke, the woman in question was dead. Even if Frau was still in love with that woman, this wasn¡¯t a problem. It couldn¡¯t even be considered cheating. The fact was, even if a man did cheat on his wife with another woman, this usually wasn¡¯t enough for a woman to ask for a divorce. Sir Deke offered to Cekel, ¡°If you want, I can find out more about Frau.¡± Sir Deke did his research in Yapa only. He suspected that those living in Nanaba would know more about Frau. He could send a message to his contact in Nanaba to request help if necessary. Cekel shook her head. Sir Deke thought in relief, ¡®I guess she is going to give up on him. Good. I¡¯m d. It would be better for her to be a second wife to someone more reliable than marrying someone like Frau Sneke¡­¡¯ Sir Deke grinned as he pictured Frau. To him, someone like Frau wasn¡¯t a proper man. Doctor Frau was too fragile. Cekel said her goodbye to her brother and began to return to thedy¡¯s quarters. She thought hopefully, ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all fine.¡¯ She walked slowly as she assessed the situation. If she thought Poliana was deeply in love with Frau, Cekel would¡¯ve stopped her, but this wasn¡¯t the case. Poliana only wanted Frau as her legal husband and nothing more. The problem, however, was the Cekel had no idea what was really going on. Poliana and Frau were meeting each other often for dates, and because Cekel didn¡¯t know about this, she didn¡¯t think much of the situation. Cekel sighed deeply, thinking that perhaps it would have been better if Sir Ainno and Poliana got married to each other. It would be a union of two powerful people, which meant some nobles may object, but no one could deny that their statuses were equally matched. Besides, both Poliana and Sir Ainno were famous for worshiping the emperor; perhaps they would make a great couple. Cekel could imagine them waking up every morning and bowing to the giant portrait of Lucius the First. Cekel sighed again, knowing that she was being silly. She knew something like this would never happen in real life. Both Poliana and Sir Ainno were powerful and intelligent people, so Cekel decided that there was no need for a mere maid like herself to be worried about them. They would make the right decisions for themselves; she had to believe this. There was nothing she could or should do at this point. She needed to focus on her own life now that all of her brothers returned safely from the war. She was no longer the head of the family. She didn¡¯t have to work so hard to survive anymore; she just had to live her life. *** Sir Ainno reported to the emperor of his protection n details for the journey to Nanaba. Since Sir Ainno had been doing an excellent job so far, Lucius the First didn¡¯t object to anything; he gave him his approval without another word. After the official business talk was over, Sir Ainno said to the emperor, ¡°I am nning to get married, your highness.¡± Sir Ainno looked overly calm as if this wasn¡¯t a big deal. Lucius the First asked in surprise, ¡°With who?¡± The emperor was already aware of what was going on between Sir Ainno and Lady Cekel. Sir Ainno was pursuing this woman without any sess. Apparently, Lady Cekel was doing her best to avoid Sir Ainno. So what was happening here? Sir Ainno was getting married? This didn¡¯t make sense at all, but the emperor knew his friend very well. He knew that Sir Ainno wouldn¡¯t bring up something like this unless he meant it. Sir Ainno replied, ¡°It¡¯s Lady Cekel Ingreter.¡± ¡°But as far as I know, nothing has been happening between you and Lady Ingreter. Also, the Ingreter family is well beneath the Seki family, and most of all, didn¡¯t you tell me that you wanted me to find you an appropriate wife? Am I not remembering our conversation correctly?¡± Lucius the First feigned his ignorance. He didn¡¯t want Sir Ainno to know that he knew anything. The emperor enjoyed watching his friend suffer, just as Sir Ainno secretly liked the emperor squirm. This was how they could remain best friends all these years. Suddenly, Sir Ainno replied coldly, ¡°You already know everything, so why are you pretending to not know? I know that you know, your highness; you should stop this.¡± Lucius the First grinned and Sir Ainno clenched his fists, wanting to punch him. Sir Ainno added, ¡°Didn¡¯t you think I never noticed how Sir Polianaughed hriously whenever she sees me? And every time she does, I know you are doing your best not to burst intoughter too.¡± A simr thing happened when Lucius the First revealed to Sir Ainno that he was in love with Poliana. For a long time, Sir Ainno used to burst intoughter whenever he saw Poliana. Lucius the First wanted to y this game a while longer, so he asked innocently, ¡°What are you talking about, Inno? Does Marquess Winterughing have anything to do with this? How? I don¡¯t understand what you are trying to say.¡± Only ¡°I know Sir Poliana told you about me and Lady Cekel. I¡¯ll bet you were the first one she told, weren¡¯t you? Everyone knows that you and Marquess Winter love to gossip together.¡± Lucius the First shook his head with an arrogant expression. He waved his finger and replied, ¡°You are wrong, Inno. It was me who told Sir Pol.¡± Sir Ainno thought in annoyance, ¡®Why does he look so smug about this?¡¯ When he continued to look irritated, Lucius the First finally decided to congratte his friend. ¡°I had no idea you were able to gain Lady Cekel¡¯s affection already. I know how much you love her, so I am d it worked out. Congrattions, Inno. But I am curious as to how you were able to capture her heart. Can you tell me?¡± Lucius the First was in a simr situation and he wanted to know the secret behind capturing a woman¡¯s heart. He knew he might not be able to use the same tactic on Poliana, but the emperor still wanted to know. Sir Ainno shook his head in surprise. He replied, ¡°What are you talking about? Nothing happened, Lady Cekel still doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Sir Ainno exined to the emperor, ¡°She won¡¯t budge; this is harder than I expected. It¡¯s harder than when we had to figure out how to cross the Koemong River. I haven¡¯t had any luck getting her affection.¡± ¡°But you just told me that you were getting married.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I am getting married.¡± Sir Ainno walked up to Lucius the First¡¯s desk and ced his hands on it. He leaned towards the emperor and said, ¡°I am not a great selfless man like you, your highness. I am willing to use whatever I have, including my power and influence, to make things happen for me.¡± Lucius the First, the emperor who united the entire continent, couldn¡¯t even have the woman he loved. The emperor became sadder every day as his one-sided love grew uncontrobly. Sir Ainno didn¡¯t want this kind of life. He didn¡¯t want to give up on the woman he loved. Recently, he forced Sir Beke to invite him for dinner, hoping to get a glimpse of Lady Cekel. Lady Cekel wasn¡¯t present at home, unfortunately, but when Sir Ainno saw how the Viscount Ingreter and his wife reacted to him, Sir Ainno realized the truth. Cekel¡¯s parents were so honored to have Sir Ainno for dinner, and Sir Ainno decided that he had been wrong. He has been thinking like the way Lucius the First did, and this was unnecessary. The emperor, his closest friend, loved a woman so much that he hid his feelings and prayed for her happiness. At first, Sir Ainno thought he should do the same that he should get Lady Cekel¡¯s love before formally making a marriage offer to her parents. But after the dinner, Sir Ainno learned that this way of love wasn¡¯t for him. Such a selfless love was how Lucius the First loved, not him. The ruthless conqueror was a coward when it came to love and there was no reason why Sir Ainno should follow his suit. In front of the emperor, the best knight of Acreia Sir Ainno announced, ¡°Your highness, I will make sure to marry the woman I love.¡± ¡°Even though she doesn¡¯t love you?¡± ¡°Since when did we ever involve feelings in marriages?¡± ¡°Inno¡­ Don¡¯t be like that. If you truly love her, you should be kind to her. Be thoughtful about her feelings and needs; that is what a real man would do.¡± ¡°Your highness, I am not a great man like you so I can¡¯t be that altruistic. I just can¡¯t.¡± Sir Ainno was a man of action, not words. It was a mistake to try to mimic Lucius the First. It made sense for the emperor to wait for the woman he loves to love him back, but for Sir Ainno, this didn¡¯t make sense. If you hate someone, you should punch that person. If you love someone, you should kiss that person. Sir Ainno had no idea that love could be this powerful. It made the emperor show tears, and now, it was burning him alive. Lucius the First felt upset for his friend. He knew how hard it was to love a woman who didn¡¯t love him back. The emperor, however, also knew how dangerous it could be for a powerful man to fall in love. If Lucius the First didn¡¯t consider Poliana¡¯s love, he could¡¯ve easily married her. He could¡¯ve made a usible excuse to convince her. What if he just told her that their marriage was necessary to undermine the other powerful unruly nobles? It would be a ridiculous reason, but Lucius the First knew Poliana would do it if he asked. If he ordered her, Poliana would marry him, and because he knew this very well, Lucius the First could never ask her to do it. The emperor said to his friend, ¡°Inno, you can¡¯t do that.¡± The emperor wanted Sir Ainno to do the right thing, but the great knight begged him, ¡°Lucius, please let me marry her. I love her.¡± It was rare for Sir Ainno to call the emperor by his first name. This showed that Sir Ainno was serious about marrying Lady Cekel. The emperor replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you think forcing your love on her is a strange way to show her how you feel?¡± ¡°But she won¡¯t ept my love no matter what I do! What else am I supposed to do?¡± Unfortunately, Sir Ainno had no talent when it came to love. He was in his thirties, yet he has never dated anyone before. Lady Cekel was his first love. Sir Ainno had everything; he was from a powerful family and was the best fighter in the kingdom. In addition, he was the closest friend of the emperor, which made him the most eligible bachelor in the continent. Of course, as a person, Sir Ainno was a horrible man. He had a bad temper and he treated those beneath him disrespectfully. He was extremely impatient in most things except when he wanted to prank the emperor. Overall, Sir Ainno was a mean bastard. The emperor offered, ¡°Inno, do you want me to teach you how to court a woman?¡± ¡°Your highness, I¡¯m sorry to tell you but thedies like you because of your looks.¡± Sir Ainno knew Lucius the First very well. He knew that the emperor never had to make an effort to court a woman. After all, he was the emperor who was also the most gorgeous man in the world. Besides, why would Sir Ainno take the emperor¡¯s advice when Lucius the First also was failing miserably at getting Poliana¡¯s affection? Sir Ainno said to the emperor, ¡°If I can¡¯t have Lady Cekel¡¯s love, I would like to at least have her as my legal wife! So please allow me this favor! I beg of you!¡± ¡°Inno, like you suspected, I already knew how you felt about Lady Cekel. I have been thinking that if you can make her fall in love with you, I would allow you to marry her, but¡­ This isn¡¯t the way to do it. I can¡¯t allow you to do it.¡± Sir Ainno pouted and the emperor realized that he pissed his friend off. Lucius the First began to sweat a little. His friend was a mean bastard, and he became even worse when he got pissed off. The emperor wondered nervously, ¡®Is he going to hit me? Will he flip the desk? What if he throws a lizard at me? He wouldn¡¯t dare¡­ Would he?¡¯ Lucius the First knew Sir Ainno very well, which was why he was bing nervous. But to the emperor¡¯s surprise, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t do anything. Sir Ainno also knew the emperor well, so he knew that making a fuss now wouldn¡¯t be enough to change Lucius the First¡¯s mind. ¡®If I continue to insist, Lucius isn¡¯t going to give me permission to marry her.¡¯ A nobleman could not marry without the emperor¡¯s permission. To marry Cekel, Sir Ainno had to convince Lucius the First somehow. Sir Ainno thought quickly before replying, ¡°Alright, your highness. If you insist, I will obey your order.¡± ¡°Inno¡­ Are you ill? What are you trying to do now?¡± ¡°But if I don¡¯t marry her, my heart will break, just as yours did. So I hope you understand if Iin about my unrequited love, just as you did often. I apologize in advance.¡± Lucius the First tensed as he asked, ¡°L-like me?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Lucius the First remembered how he used to drag on and on about how he couldn¡¯t have Poliana. The emperor knew how annoying he had been to his friend. Only Without hesitation, Lucius the First smiled and said to his friend, ¡°Of course, there is no ce for feelings and love in an aristocratic marriage! What was I thinking? Inno, if you get permission from Viscount Ingreter, I will let you marry Lady Cekel.¡± Sir Ainno bowed exaggeratedly. ¡°Thank you so much, your highness.¡± ¡°But after you get married, you better note to me whenever you have problems with your wife, okay?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you will still listen to me and give me advice.¡± Sir Ainno¡¯s parents and brothers were still in Nanaba. Sir Ainno decided to tell his parents about his n to marry Lady Cekel. He wasn¡¯t going to ask them for permission; he was going to just announce it to them. Lucius the First watched Sir Ainno enviously and with a sense of worry. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 The royal group left Yapa and headed towards Nanaba. The women, children, and elderly traveled in carriages while the rest rode horses or walked. Poliana was the only woman on a horse. Just in case, she wore ayer of chain armor underneath her uniform. She also made sure to carry her sword and her bow and arrows. In addition, Poliana carried her helmet as well. A helmet had always been her must-have item. The group moved slowly. It couldn¡¯t be helped because it included the elderly and the children. Some knights, who were impatient, grumbled about the speed of their travel. When Poliana heard them, she smacked their heads and said to them, ¡°Don¡¯t be such idiots! These people aren¡¯t soldiers like we are!¡± ¡°But Marquess! Remember when we were returning to Nanaba after the war? We moved so fast and we were even paving the road as we went!¡± Poliana screamed at them, ¡°Oh! Are you telling me you want to pave the road again as we go?¡± ¡°No! Not at all, Marquess! We misspoke!¡± ¡°Because if you want, I can certainly send you to where they need new roads. There are plenty of ces in the kingdom where the construction workers are working day and night to pave fresh new roads, so all you have to is let me know. I can send you there!¡± ¡°No, Marquess! We didn¡¯t mean that! We misspoke!¡± The soldiers apologized immediately. Lady Tory and Lady Stra were healthy young women, so they didn¡¯t tire easily as they traveled. Unfortunately, however, some of the maids quickly began to show signs of fatigue and dehydration. Poliana was d that they nned an ample amount of time for this trip. This way, they could make sure all of the travelers remained healthy. No one had to be left behind. If this was the army and they were going to war, anyone who couldn¡¯t keep up would¡¯ve been left behind. These soldiers were ordered to catch upter, and if they didn¡¯t, they were considered as deserters. Poliana remembered when she was a young skinny girl trying to keep up with the other Aehasian soldiers. She had to work so hard just to survive. She remembered how heavy her armor was and how hot the days were. She was sweating heavily underneath her armor and her helmet. One of the Aehas knights seemed like he was going to offer her a ride, but he didn¡¯t. But that skinny girl was now a proper knight riding her own horse. Her horse was an expensive breed, much better than any of the Aehas knights used to ride. Some time ago, Lucius the First gifted Poliana her own custom-made armor. It was made of the best quality metal and gold. Her new armor was bothfortable and beautiful. The only problem with it was the fact that it fit her perfectly. ¡®I can¡¯t gain any weight or else, it won¡¯t fit.¡¯ Poliana remembered the other knights who ended up gaining a beer belly. In this case, they had to alter their existing armor. It wasn¡¯t umon to see the middle-aged knights wearing armors with the belly part being shinier than the rest of the armor. ¡°Hahaha.¡± It was such a funny sight that it always made Polianaugh. She was now wearing her helmet, so Poliana didn¡¯t have to hide her smile. As long as she kept rtively quiet, no one could tell what she was thinking or feeling. Lucius the First, who has been chatting with Sir Ainno at the front of the group, slowly approached Poliana. Poliana stoppedughing immediately and asked, ¡°Did you need something, your highness?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take your helmet off? It makes me feel hot and ufortable just looking at it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ufortable at all, your highness. You should wear yours as well.¡± Lucius the First had many different helmets; some were practical while the others were for show. Poliana wished the emperor would wear his helmet for protection. Although the road should be safe to travel, it was always good to be overly cautious. Lucius the First shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. It would be so ufortable.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ride in a carriage?¡± ¡°That would be even more ufortable. By the way, now that I am riding with you, this reminds me of the day when we returned to Nanaba in victory.¡± Poliana remembered that day very well. She smiled just thinking about it. It was such a wonderful day with the flowers and colorful confetti dancing around them. At the time, Poliana was tensed because she was worried about a surprise attack, but she also enjoyed that day immensely. Poliana knew she would remember that day forever. Perhaps she could tell this story to people when she became an old woman. Poliana replied, ¡°You gave me a flower that day, your highness.¡± ¡°Oh, you remembered that?¡± Lucius the First looked at her expectantly as Poliana answered him, ¡°I did carry it around for a while, but I ended up throwing it away because it wilted. I certainly remembered getting it from you, your highness. It made me feel much more rxed when you gave it to me. You always have a way to make me feel better, your highness. I am always so thankful to you.¡± Poliana bowed respectfully and the hope in Lucius the First¡¯s eyes disappeared. He knew he shouldn¡¯t have been so hopeful. But he wasn¡¯t too disappointed. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing to have a little bit of hope from time to time. *** Only Because it was such a leisurely journey, the knights, who were from Acreia, had plenty of time to disappear into the woods and hunt. They were usually sessful in catching small games. They looked so smug as they returned from their hunts. Lucius the First also felt impatient and bored. He wanted to go out hunting as well, which made his guards nervous. Poliana asked for help from Lady Tory and Lady Stra, but they told her they couldn¡¯t help her. If even Poliana couldn¡¯t stop the emperor, would they be able to do it? Lady Stra and Tory were both as excited as the emperor. Their lives have been boring for a very long time, but finally, they had more excitement now. Bothdies were thrilled about this journey. Most women traveled just once in their lives; it was when they journeyed to meet their husbands, and there, they lived the rest of their lives. Thedies loved to read exciting adventure novels. This was only a simple carriage ride to Nanaba, but Lady Stra and Lady Tory were still very eager to enjoy it. Just looking outside the window of the carriage was exhrating for them. If it was going to be a long journey, they would¡¯ve tired towards the end, but thankfully, the distance between Yapa and Nanaba wasn¡¯t very great. The road between the two cities was also well paved, which made the carriage ride very smooth. Soon enough, they arrived at the Nanaba castle. Because this wasn¡¯t a victory march, they didn¡¯t parade around the city, and instead, they went straight to the castle gate. Chapter 189 Chapter 189 ¡°Wee, your highness, we have been expecting you.¡± Duke Luzo and his wife waited at the castle gate and when they spotted the emperor, they bowed deeply. At the highest point of the castle, arge g was hung to announce the arrival of the emperor. It was quite a sight as the north wind blew around it, making the magnificent g dance. Unlike the castles in the mid-continent and the southern regions, Nanaba castle was coarser, making it look sturdier and oddly beautiful. ¡°You may rise, Duke Luzo.¡± Lucius the First and Duke Luzo stood side by side. With a wig and diet, Duke Luzo regained his handsome look. Even by the emperor¡¯s side, Duke Luzo still looked gorgeous. Thedies, seeing the two most beautiful men in the kingdom, eximed in delight. The emperor announced hurriedly, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± When he entered his room, Lucius the First quickly took off his clothes and asked for a bath to be prepared. He didn¡¯t even wait for the servants to help him; he washed himself rapidly and walked towards his beloved cousin¡¯s quarters. As the emperor entered Duke Luzo¡¯s room with his golden hair still wet, the maids blushed. Even Duke Luzo was surprised to see his cousin, who came in unannounced. As soon as Lucius the First spotted his cousin, he ordered firmly, ¡°Where is my nephew? I would like to see my adorable nephew now.¡± It has been a year since Duke Luzo and his wife had their baby. During thest year, Lucius the First was dying to see his first and only nephew, but it wasn¡¯t possible. He couldn¡¯t leave the capital unattended during that time, and his nephew was too young to travel to see him. The only thing Lucius the First had was the portrait of his nephew Duke Luzo sent him and it wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy the emperor. If Lady Reba wasn¡¯t pregnant with his child, the emperor might have run away to see his nephew secretly. Duke Luzoined at the emperor, who insistently demanded to see his nephew, ¡°Your highness! Calm down!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, this is my first nephew! You were my only cousin and now, you have a baby! Can you imagine how I have been feeling the past year about not being able to see my very first nephew?!¡± ¡°But you are going to be a father yourself very soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only reason why I didn¡¯te here as soon as I heard you had a baby!¡± When the emperor left to rule in the new capital, he left Duke Luzo in charge of the north. Lucius the First promised his cousin to free him when he got married, but clearly, the emperor lied. Duke Luzo was upset that he got stuck again in the Nanaba castle with the burden of running the north again. He should¡¯ve known better than to trust his sneaky emperor. And now, Lucius the First was demanding to see his son. The wet nurse brought the baby wrapped in a thick nket. The emperor grinned widely as he held the little bundle. ¡°Hahaha, so adorable.¡± ¡°Your highness, please calm down.¡± Duke Luzo whispered to the emperor, but Lucius the First ignored him. He couldn¡¯t helpughing joyously as he eximed, ¡°How could I calm down? How could I stop smiling? Look at this adorable baby! So cute! So handsome! So heavy! He is so amazing!¡± Duke Luzo¡¯s baby boy, Park Luzo, wasn¡¯t quite a year old yet. He was taking a nap when the emperor grabbed him. The baby woke up and looked up at Lucius the First with an odd expression, making the emperorugh in delight. Because Lucius the First didn¡¯t have an heir yet, technically, Park Luzo was second in line to the throne at this point. Even when the emperor had a male heir, Park Luzo will still remain the heir to the Dukedom, which made him a very important baby. At the moment, one could say that Park Luzo was in fact the highest-ranking baby in the kingdom. When Duke Luzo saw how awkwardly Lucius the First held the baby, he became ufortable. Duke Luzo asked, ¡°Your highness, please hand me back my baby please.¡± ¡°Can he support his head by now? Yes, he can! How adorable? So cute! Haha! Very cute! Park! I am your uncle!¡± ¡°Your highness! You are scaring the baby!¡± Duke Luzo trembled as he watched the emperor dote on his baby. Lucius the First seemed to instantly fall in love with his nephew, so how obsessed is he going to be when his own child is born? Duke Luzo couldn¡¯t even imagine. The emperor clearly knew nothing about babies. Park Luzo was almost a year old, which meant that he could not only support his head, he could crawl and even stand. Yet Lucius the First was asking about if the baby could support his own head. The emperor looked clumsy holding the baby, and Duke Luzo couldn¡¯t just watch it anymore. He quickly grabbed his son back, and Lucius the First looked at him in disappointment. The heavy weight of the baby felt so warm and wonderful. Lucius the First didn¡¯t have any siblings. Duke Luzo was an only child as well. They both lost their mothers at a very young age, so they had lonely childhoods. They grew up together along with Sir Ainno, and to the emperor, Duke Luzo was like his own brother. Lucius the First loved Duke Luzo dearly, so to see Duke Luzo¡¯s baby was an incredible feeling. Only The emperor said to him, ¡°When Reba bears me a son, they can y together; your son will make a great ymate for my son.¡± ¡°Your highness, you can¡¯t do that. If you do, I will leave this castle and return to my own home.¡± What the emperor was suggesting was that Duke Luzo should send his son to Yapa to be the ymate for the emperor¡¯s child. Duke Luzo couldn¡¯t understand why the emperor would suggest such a thing. He could see sending his second child perhaps but definitely not his first-born. Duke Luzo would never give up his heir to the emperor. When his cousin looked upset, Lucius the First promised not to take Park Luzo away. Still feeling wishful, the emperor said to him, ¡°But don¡¯t you think it would be great for your son and my son to grow up together as we did?¡± ¡°Your highness, what you need to do is to have many children of your own. That would be the best way to go about it.¡± Duke Luzo imagined what it would be like for his son to grow up in the emperor¡¯s household, and he trembled in fear. His case of baldness never ran in his family, so why did Duke Luzo lose so much hair? It was all because of the emperor and how he forced Duke Luzo to work so hard. The stress and overwork were what caused Duke Luzo to need a wig. If his son had to work for the emperor¡­ Duke Luzo¡¯s eyes watered just imagining his own son bing bald too. He definitely couldn¡¯t let this happen. Duke Luzo smiled proudly and kissed Park¡¯s forehead. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Duke Luzo¡¯s son was carried out by his wet nurse while Lucius the First watched them in disappointment. He said to Duke Luzo, ¡°The baby looks just like you when you were little; he is a very handsome boy.¡± ¡°Oh, I think it was you who was the beautiful one when we were young. If your baby resembles you or Lady Reba, I am sure you will have a gorgeous child, your highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a girl or a boy as long as the baby is healthy. I would be happy with that.¡± Lady Reba showed the signs of potential miscarriage, so Lucius the First was constantly worried for her and the baby. All he wanted to be was for them to be healthy. He truly didn¡¯t care if he had a son or a daughter. He didn¡¯t even care if the baby was missing a finger or a toe as long as it was healthy. Duke Luzo sent the servants away because it was now time to work. He knew it was going to be a long day. The emperor would¡¯ve loved nothing more than to rest and y with his nephew during his stay in Nanaba, but as the ruler of this kingdom, he wasn¡¯t allowed such a luxury. He had plenty of work to do. Lucius the First felt sad at the fact that even though he was the most powerful man in the kingdom, he couldn¡¯t even rest when he wanted to. The only thing that made him feel better was working even harder so that when he was old, he could retire infort. Lucius the First asked his cousin, ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°The elders are extremely upset.¡± Duchess Luzo was slighted during a feast inside the Nanaba castle. This news angered the emperor greatly. He didn¡¯t know the details because Duke Luzo did his best to stop the rumors, but Lucius the First was still furious when he heard about it. Now that he was in Nanaba, the emperor insisted on hearing all about it. Lucius the First replied, ¡°Those old men¡­ Just because I was lenient on them, they think they are above me; they think they can do whatever they want.¡± The Acreian elders were angry about many things and they continued to argue about the issue of both Duke Luzo and the emperor¡¯s heir. The elders constantlyined about Duke Luzo¡¯s foreign wife, who used to be a princess of one of the colonies. They also grumbled about the fact that the emperor did not make Lady Tory his empress. This situation was bing too ridiculous. They were old men who were going to die soon, so why were they trying hard to cause so many problems? Lucius the First muttered, ¡°It¡¯s going to be very tricky if they pushed nationalism¡­¡± ¡°They are definitely pushing the idea already.¡± The elders believed that the Acreians were the best people on the continent. They thought the Acreians were superior to all the others and therefore, all the other people needed to be ruled by Acreia. What a dangerous and stupid concept. Lucius the First couldn¡¯t believe how absurd the elders were being. Even the emperor didn¡¯t believe such an idea, so how could these old bastards believe it? ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve forced them all to move to the new capital. I shouldn¡¯t have been so lenient.¡¯ Lucius the First didn¡¯t force them because he felt sorry for them. This was why the emperor made it mandatory only for the young government workers to move. The elders were old and annoying, so the emperor thought it would be better for them to be out of his sight. These old nobles¡­ They were so short-sighted. The only thing they have seen was Acreia and nothing more. They didn¡¯t see what Lucius the First saw. The endless stretch ofnds¡­ The Gora River in the south¡­ How magnificent the ocean was at the end of the continent¡­ The elders had no idea and they didn¡¯t want to know. They knew what they knew, and they insisted that others should follow them and their rules. These men didn¡¯t want any changes; they were such narrow-minded bastards. Lucius the First hated this. He was young and he wanted to see and learn new things as much as possible. He tried to listen to everyone and ept their suggestions as well as the new ideas that came along with them. The eldersined that Lucius the First was being unfair. They imed that he was the emperor of Acreia first, and yet he didn¡¯t try to favor the Acreians over all the others. But this wasn¡¯t the truth. The emperor was only trying to be fair. His Acreia was no longer the small kingdom in the north. His new Acreia was now the entire continent. His new world included all four seasons with different forests, rivers, and oceans. *** Nanaba was Lady Tory¡¯s hometown. Her rtives, who didn¡¯t move to Yapa, were delighted to hear that she was visiting here. Lady Stra, who was from the mid-continent, was acquainted with Duke Luzo¡¯s wife, who was also from the same area. This meant that Lady Tory was to spend most of her time with her rtives while Lady Stra nned to spend time with Duchess Luzo. Rather than trying to choose who she should follow and guard, she decided to spend her time visiting her own acquaintances. But before she could have her free time, Poliana had to make sure the Nanaba castle was secure. She looked around the area quickly but didn¡¯t spend too much time on this task since Sir Ainno was the one responsible for this job. She didn¡¯t want to step on his toes. Poliana asked Sir Ainno, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go visit your parents?¡± ¡°Later.¡± Sir Ainno looked around the castle and the guards with an indifferent expression. Poliana knew exactly what he was thinking. ¡®He is most likely thinking that the soldiers here look weak and stupid.¡¯ Sir Ainno asked, ¡°Do you have any ns yourself, Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to visit the Bika family.¡± Only ¡°I see, please say hello to them for me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If you get the time, please visit the Emperor¡¯s Room. His highness will be busy for a while and I won¡¯t have any free time either.¡± It wasn¡¯t a difficult request, but Poliana felt disappointed in herself for not even thinking of this task. This was the difference between Sir Ainno and herself; it made sense since Sir Ainno grew up here and was the emperor¡¯s closest friend. ¡®I guess this is the difference between him and me.¡¯ Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Sir and Lady Bika seniors weed Poliana with open arms. They thanked her profusely for the luxurious gifts she bought for them. They were grateful that Poliana visited them at all when she wasn¡¯t even rted to them. The couple kept thanking her, making her feel ufortable. For Poliana, it made perfect sense to visit the parents of her former superior. Sir Rabi helped her a lot almost as much as Sir Baufallo, during the war. He also allowed her to stay in his home in Nanaba when she had nowhere else to go. On top of that, Sir Donau was Poliana¡¯s adopted brother, and since he married Sir Rabi¡¯s daughter, Poliana felt that she and the Bika family were practically a family. Poliana felt that it was her duty to visit Sir Rabi¡¯s parents while she was in Nanaba. ¡°Aren¡¯t you lonely here? Without your son and your grandchildren?¡± Poliana asked. ¡°We¡¯re alright, we have plenty of rtives nearby who visit us often. We aren¡¯t short of guests.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve visited you before. After all, I live closer to you than Sir Rabi. I apologize for my rudeness.¡± ¡°Not at all; you have a very important job, so I understand you can¡¯t leave your ce easily.¡± Suddenly, Lady Bika asked Poliana, ¡°So have you given up getting marriedpletely?¡± Poliana thought in resignation, ¡®Here we go again.¡¯ She knew she was going to be nagged to no end. Poliana knew all she had to do was keep nodding, but just thinking about it made her feel annoyed. Thankfully, Sir Bika stopped his wife, ¡°Stop your nagging; if things work out, and Sir Poliana never gets married, our grandson might be the next Marquess Winter.¡± All Poliana could do wasugh. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Technically, what Sir Bika said was true. If Sir Donau¡¯s or Sir Howe¡¯s child looks promising, Poliana was perfectly willing to assign him as her heir. Lady Bika shook her head in disagreement, ¡°She could still get married and take our grandson as her heir. Since Marquess is barren, she will never bear her own child anyway.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so na?ve! What if her husband sires a child outside of their marriage? It will get so tricky!¡± ¡°So Marquess will just have to find a man who won¡¯t cheat on her!¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Do you really believe there is such a man? All men are the same!¡± Poliana ufortably watched the elderly couple fighting before looking down at the floor. This topic was something Poliana was very familiar with. In Acreia, men were favored over women in every way. For example, a woman could not inherit anything, which meant that any couple without a male heir needed to adopt a boy. A bastard son of the husband outside the marriage could inherit the title and the wealth while the legitimate daughter could not; it was truly an unfair situation. To stop the couple¡¯s fight, Poliana interrupted them, ¡°Even if I get married and my husband brings in a bastard, I won¡¯t ept him as my heir unless he is worthy. My rank is my own; it belongs to me, which means I will be the one deciding what to do with it.¡± Poliana looked at the couple and added, ¡°My greatest treasure is thest name I received from his highness. I care more about my name than my rank and my wealth. The one who will inherit this name Winter¡­ I won¡¯t make that decision lightly.¡± Poliana felt proud just thinking about her name. She was sessful in expressing her feelings, but she failed in stopping the couple¡¯s fight. Lady Bika yelled at her husband, ¡°All men are like that?! So does that mean you have many bastards out there too?! Is that what you are saying?¡± ¡°No, I never did such a thing!¡± Sir Bika yelled back; he was contradicting himself, but he didn¡¯t care. Poliana looked down on the floor again awkwardly. If the fight was happening between the two strangers, she would¡¯ve watched with interest, but this case involved her. The fight was happening between the two parents of her former superior, so Poliana didn¡¯t know how to react. In the end, Lady Bika won the argument. She triumphantly left the reception area and Sir Bika looked at Poliana uneasily. Poliana clenched her fists and said to him gantly, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone, my lips are sealed, Sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I really mean it.¡± ¡°My wife used to be so quiet¡­ she never used to scream like that before¡­¡± ¡°When you get older, you lose your hearing and ends up raising your voice a lot. It¡¯s a natural thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sir Bika¡¯s dog came to him to make him feel better, and when Poliana learned that this dog was the great-grandson of the old dog that surprised her before, Poliana was shocked once again. Apparently, Sir Rabi did not take all of his dogs. He left a few to protect the house and his parents. Sir Bika smiled and patted his dog affectionately. Every time he touched the dog, the dog¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as if it was smiling. Sir Bika offered, ¡°Would you like to raise a dog, Marquess Winter?¡± Acreia used to be called the kingdom of hunters. There was an old joke that said an Acreian hunter never lends his hunting dog even to his best friend. In Acreia, the hunting dogs were bred with utmost care. The dogs¡¯ bloodlines were considered extremely important. So, to offer someone a puppy from his own hunting dog litter was considered quite a gesture. It was the greatest way to offer friendship. Poliana rarely refused gifts, but not when it was something alive. There have been many times when people offered her their puppies, including the emperor. She refused them every time, and this was no exception. She refused respectfully and Sir Bika gave her a nod. *** It was an early evening when Poliana arrived at the Emperor¡¯s Room. ¡®It looks bigger than I remember¡­ Am I not seeing it right?¡¯ She actually was. The room was expanded and now included many more portraits of previous royal members. It used to be a single room, but now, the Emperor¡¯s Room consisted of many small rooms connected together. Only The room represented the history of the Acreian royal family. Because Poliana was not originally from Acreia, she didn¡¯t know the history very well. She did study briefly, but it wasn¡¯t enough for her to recognize the portraits. All she knew about was her current emperor and his parents, the former emperor, and the empress. ¡®She was such a beauty.¡¯ Poliana stared at the former empress with admiration. ¡®I am a woman and I am already falling in love with her.¡¯ The former empress was the female version of Lucius the First. She was certainly much more feminine, and she had a very fragile quality to her. Her ring finger was the size of Poliana¡¯s pinky. There were two rings disyed on the table underneath the portraits. The rings obviously belonged to the former emperor and the empress. Poliana wasn¡¯t interested in the empress¡¯s ring. Her eyes were mesmerized by the former emperor¡¯s ring. It was huge even for a man¡¯s ring. This was because it was made to be worn on top of his gauntlet. The first time Poliana saw this, she nned on making something simr for herself as well. She forgot about it until now, but she thought to herself, ¡®If I get married, I should make my wedding ring like that.¡¯ Poliana was trying it on her finger when suddenly, she felt someone entering the room. When she turned around, she found Lucius the First standing behind her. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Lucius the First greeted Poliana happily, ¡°Did youe here because you thought I might not have the time to do it myself? What a thoughtful person you are. You¡¯re the best, Sir Pol.¡± ¡®Oh, I feel guilty¡­ It was actually Sir Ainno who asked me to do this¡­¡¯ Poliana put on a bright smile and didn¡¯t say a word. Lucius the First continued, ¡°I see that you are admiring my parents¡¯ rings. I was actually going to use my mother¡¯s ring to propose when I get married, but¡­¡± Lucius the First walked up to Poliana quickly and looked at her sadly, hoping she somehow guessed how he felt. Poliana nodded, but for a different reason. She mistakenly assumed that the emperor was upset because he was no longer single. Lucius the First yed with one of the rings on his pal and murmured, ¡°So, the thing is, Sir Pol¡­ This ring¡­¡± They were alone, but the emperor still whispered, wanting Poliana to be the only one hearing his words. Just then! ¡°Oh, your highness!¡± ¡°What? His highness is here? Oh, there he is!¡± Lady Stra and Lady Tory suddenly appeared from one of the joined rooms. Lucius the First quickly hid his mother¡¯s ring in his pocket and stepped away from Poliana. He greeted his wives, ¡°Hello, there. What brings you,dies, here?¡± ¡°Marquess Winter requested us to join her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Lady Tory also offered to give us a tour of this ce and exin the history behind it, so we were enjoying our time here.¡± Lucius the First nodded, ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s¡­ How kind of all of you. And thank you so much, Sir Pol, for asking my wives to visit here. What a kind person you are.¡± Poliana shook her head, ¡°Not at all, your highness. It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± The emperor turned towards his wives and thanked them too, ¡°Thank you for visiting my ancestor¡¯s ce.¡± Lucius the First was about to give his mother¡¯s ring to Poliana, but the sudden appearance of his wives ruined the moment. He yed with the ring in his pocket awkwardly. The ring was so small that it would¡¯ve only fit Poliana¡¯s pinky, but the emperor still wanted her to have it. *** Afterpleting much of his works, Lucius the First began to focus on hunting. It was customary to create the National Day¡¯s feast with what was caught during the hunts, so the men felt pressured. Those who weren¡¯t sessful were often ridiculed for months, so the men were all determined to do their best. Poliana grabbed her forehead and muttered, ¡°Dammit!¡± She was getting a headache from her current situation. Sir Ainno and his guards from the First Division, who were supposed to be guarding the emperor, all disappeared into the woods to hunt. She said angrily, ¡°They abandoned their positions and just left! How could they?!¡± Sir Mahogal replied calmly, ¡°Sir Pol, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡± ¡°Sir Mahogal¡­ I am sorry you have been burdened with this job.¡± Poliana was the head of the Second Division, while Sir Mahogal was second in rank in the First Division. This made Poliana higher ranked than Sir Mahogal, but she still treated him with great respect. It was because he used to be higher ranked than her for a long time during the war, and Poliana also liked him very much. He helped her a lot in the past, so she had great admiration for him. Sir Mahogal smiled and replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯m off now. Thank you and good luck.¡± ¡°Pardon? Sir Mahogal? What are you talking about? Sir Mahogal? Where are you going?!¡± Sir Mahogal, who was an Acreian through and through, ran into the forest to catch up to the other men. Poliana raised her fist angrily after him, but it was no use. Everyone from the First Division, who were originally from Acreia, were all gone. The only ones left were the Second Division and the Duke¡¯s personal guards. Those from the Second Division stayed because they feared what Poliana might do to them if they abandoned their posts. Poliana yelled angrily, ¡°They promised they would take turns hunting!¡± One of her guards exined, ¡°Sir Pol, it can¡¯t be helped. Everyone would want to be the first one to go because the animals will hide quickly. It¡¯s always more advantageous to hunt at the start.¡± Another guard added, ¡°That¡¯s right, boss, we will keep this ce safe, so you should go and join them. I¡¯m sure you will catch something today! You have been practicing your archery very hard.¡± She certainly couldn¡¯t just leave like the others! If she did, the guards left here would have no guidance. Poliana couldn¡¯t believe how Sir Ainno, Sir Mahogal, and many of the First Division guards could just leave their posts like this because they wanted to hunt! Only Poliana grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s all because of Sir Ainno! He is the boss, which means he should¡¯ve been a good example! I don¡¯t me his men for leaving since they were just following his move!¡± ¡°It is actually a little strange, Sir Pol. It is very unlike Sir Ainno to leave like this¡­¡± Poliana¡¯s guards looked confused. It was true that Sir Ainno loved to hunt, but he wouldn¡¯t abandon his duty like this. If he was desperate to hunt, he would¡¯ve gone alongside the emperor so he could hunt and protect Lucius the First at the same time. But today, Sir Ainno went in the opposite direction of where the emperor nned to go. On top of that, he stopped anyone from going in the same direction as him, dering that he wanted to hunt alone. In the end, those who were left were Poliana, the two wives of the emperor, and a few guards. Poliana felt troubled at the current situation. Lucius the First, as the emperor, should¡¯ve been more cautious, but he loved to hunt as well. He rode out excitedly and no one could stop him. Poliana considered following him to guard him, but she stayed behind because of thedies. When Lady Stra asked to join the hunt, everyone was surprised to hear her request. The way the Acreians hunted was very different from how it was done in her kingdom, and it seemed that Lady Stra was unaware of this. Because she couldn¡¯t be the onlydy at the hunt, Lady Tory offered to apany her. Lady Stra, now looking confused and surprised as most men left, murmured, ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t havee at all¡­¡± Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Lady Tory smiled and said to Lady Stra, ¡°If the men don¡¯t return by sunset, we can just return to the castle ourselves.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m so sorry I made youe, Lady Tory. This is going to be such a long boring time, and it¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I actually wanted to see what a hunting party looks like anyway. I could never join the men because a woman alone can¡¯t apany them.¡± Lady Tory knew the Acreian men well, but she never expected them to leave them behind like this. Thedies brought only one maid each because they were warned that too many people would scare the animals away. Lady Stra sighed in frustration and Lady Tory held her hands. Lady Stra asked, ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± ¡°We need to wait.¡± ¡°So this is what Acreian men do, huh?¡± In Acreia, the women stayed home and kept it warm while the men went out to hunt. The women waited up until the men returned. The maids kept the fire going as thedies waited. Lady Stra regretted asking to tag along. They were all alone in an empty lot with nothing to do. Lady Stra felt frustrated. She murmured, ¡°If I knew this was going to happen, I would¡¯ve just stayed in the castle and chatted with the duchess. And because of me, you are here too, Lady Tory¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lady Stra. I really mean it when I say that I wanted toe and see what a hunting party is like. They rarely take women with them to things like this.¡± Lady Stra suddenly felt dizzy. She walked to her carriage to rest and Lady Tory sat by her side to take care of her and let the maids rest. It was only light, so Lady Stra felt much better after lying down a little bit in the carriage. The two wives of the emperor chatted among themselves. Lady Tory asked, ¡°What do you think his highness will catch on his hunt?¡± Lady Stra thought of the animal that suited Lucius the First the most and answered, ¡°Don¡¯t you think he will catch a wolf? He is such a good hunter, so I am sure he can do it.¡± ¡°A wolf? Well, wolf meat doesn¡¯t taste that good, so¡­ I hope he catches a wild hog since it¡¯s for the National Day feast.¡± The twodies thought differently because they grew up in different regions. Lady Stra, who was from the mid-continent region, favored farm animals while Lady Tory, being from the north, preferred wild animals. In the mid-continent, people got their meat from raising animals while in the north, meat came from the hunt. Lady Tory grumbled lightly, ¡°Now that I think about it, we never got any wedding gifts from the emperor, did we? I am a little disappointed in his highness.¡± ¡°But I thought we all exchanged wedding gifts.¡± ¡°In Acreia, a man sends an animal hide to the woman when he proposes. It has to be an animal the man catches himself. The white bear hide is considered the best gift. I understand that the emperor is too busy to go out and hunt himself, and that is why he sent the hides of the animals his men caught, but still¡­ that is not how it is done in Acreia.¡± ¡°Oh, so that is why his highness was so eager for this hunt. I had no idea.¡± On their first night together, Lady Stra woke up to find Lucius the First quietly measuring her body with his hand. She heard him murmuring, ¡°How many animals will I need to catch¡­?¡± Stra didn¡¯t know what he was doing at the time, but now, she understood. Lucius the First was trying to figure out how many animals he had to hunt to get enough hides for all of his wives. Until now, he hasn¡¯t had the time to hunt, so this was his chance. After visiting Nanaba, Lady Stra finally understood the extent of the Acreians¡¯ obsessions for hunting and animal hides. It made sense because the Acreian weather was so cold. Just a regr cotton coat was not even close to being enough to survive the winter here. Lady Stra and Lady Tory wereughing and chatting when the first sessful hunter returned. Everyone expected it to be Sir Ainno who catches something first, but shockingly, it was Lucius the First. He caught a giant deer. An arrow was stuck in his neck; it was still alive and breathing heavily. Every time it took a breath, the dogs barked wildly. Tory pped excitedly and Stra did the same. The servants took the deer down from the horse and took it away to be cleaned and gutted. Poliana was the one who was the happiest to see the deer. She said to the emperor, ¡°That¡¯s the best tasting kind of deer.¡± ¡°I know you like it and that is why I caught it for you, Sir Pol. You should take it and eat it all by yourself. Don¡¯t give it to anyone, ok?¡± ¡°Hahaha, your sense of humor is still so awful, your highness. It hasn¡¯t improved during thest 10 years.¡± Thedies watched enviously as Poliana and the emperor joked with each otherfortably. Lady Stra felt curious so she left her carriage to have a look at the deer. The servants and the dogs moved aside so she could examine it. Stra carefully touched the deer and found that its hair was rough and smelly. Suddenly, Poliana came up to her from behind and said to her, ¡°Lady Stra, you might get a tick from the animal if you touch it.¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Only Stra immediately stepped back. When she was a princess in her kingdom, she used to raise small deer and rabbits in her garden. The northern deer, however, was much bigger and tougher looking. It looked more like a wild hog. Its antlers were sorge and sharp that they looked like a weapon. Poliana continued, ¡°Your bones would break if it kicks you. Its antler can also puncture you and kill you, so please be careful.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After having one more look, Lady Stra nodded. Before she left, she leaned forward to touch the tip of the deer¡¯s antler. It felt rough like a tree bark. The deer was dying slowly, and finally, its eyes rolled back, only showing the whites. The deer continued to breathe harshly, its breath smelling awful. Stra began to feel nauseous, so she finally stood up to leave. Just then, the deer twisted its body and its legs moved to kick Stra. To Lady Stra, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She could see the deer hoovesing at her face, and although it seemed to be happening very slowly, she couldn¡¯t move away. Suddenly, she felt a shadow over herself; it was Poliana who put herself between thedy and the deer. The next thing Lady Stra felt was pain and shock as her head and her back fell to the ground. She couldn¡¯t think clearly, and her ears were ringing. She couldn¡¯t ear briefly, but within a few seconds, she heard people screaming, ¡°Gyaa! Lady Stra!¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 ¡°Lady Stra!¡± ¡°Marquess Winter!¡± Everyone screamed, but the most desperate voice came from the emperor, who roared, ¡°Poliana!¡± Lady Stra¡¯s hands shook as she touched Poliana¡¯s body, which was covering her own. Poliana wasn¡¯t moving at all as sheid on top of Stra. Poliana was very slim, but to Lady Stra, she felt like arge rock crushing her. Stra couldn¡¯t even scream because she was out of breath. Suddenly, Poliana woke up and Stra began to cry in relief. Poliana asked her, ¡°Are you ok, Lady Stra?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s you I am worried about, Marquess! Are you alright? Oh my god!¡± Poliana patted Stra¡¯s cheek gently and stood up. She wanted to get up quickly but she immediately realized that something was wrong with her body. Based on how she couldn¡¯t stand up straight, Poliana knew what the problem was. The other guards, when they saw how she moved, knew as well. Thedies and the emperor yelled, ¡°Get the doctor!¡± ¡°Marquess Winter is hurt! Get the doctor immediately!¡± Poliana muttered, ¡°Why is everyone making such a big fuss¡­¡± The servants quickly took away the dead deer and people swarmed over her. Someone helped Lady Stra to stand up and when one of the maids offered their hand to Poliana, Poliana refused. She remained sitting on the ground and checked out her upper body. ¡°Ah. Ah.¡± She could speak and breathe fine, which meant her lungs were fine. She slowly stood up, and although it was painful, she could still do it, which meant her legs were fine too. So this meant¡­ ¡°My ribs are broken.¡± Poliana diagnosed herself indifferently and those around her fussed over her. When they tried to help, Poliana stopped them and added, ¡°I¡¯m fine. All of my joints feel ok and my organs are fine too.¡± Her guards replied calmly, ¡°Oh, is that so? Good. Can you walk then, Boss?¡± Tory looked at the scene. Poliana diagnosing herself and her guards nodding in agreement that her injury was only mild¡­ This was ridiculous. The emperor announced that the hunt was over. He ordered his servant to blow the horn to let the knights and the guards know they must return immediately. Poliana tried to stop Lucius the First, telling him there was no need to stop the entire hunting party just because of her, but the emperor was adamant. Poliana thought to herself, ¡®I was lucky just now.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t umon for a victim of such a kick to die or be paralyzed. Her broken ribs could¡¯ve punctured her lungs, or her spine might have been damaged. Soon, the doctor arrived and came up with the same diagnosis as Poliana¡¯s. He stated that her ribs were indeed broken, but they were still in ce. All she had to do was to limit her movement as much as possible until they healed. When the doctor announced that this wasn¡¯t a life-threatening injury, Stra was so relieved that she began to sob into her handkerchief. She said to Poliana, ¡°I am so sorry, Marquess. It¡¯s all my fault. I insisted on touching the deer even though you warned me¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Lady Stra. It is my duty to protect you and Lady Tory. I am just d that I got the chance to prevent you from getting hurt.¡± To Poliana, this wasn¡¯t a big deal. In fact, she med herself for not being quicker. Normally, she would¡¯ve been able to roll away with Lady Stra in her arms away from the deer, but this time, she lost her consciousness when the deer kicked her. ¡®I¡¯ve be toozy and rxed.¡¯ It was partly because she was getting older, but it was also because she had be toofortable. She wasn¡¯t desperate to survive anymore because she now had everything. Money, power, and even the emperor¡¯s favor¡­ She was no longer as alert and vignt as before. Lady Stra offered her carriage to Poliana. After Poliana got into it, Stra tried to follow her into the carriage but the emperor stopped her. ¡°But your highness, I can take care of Marquess Winter¡­¡± ¡°No need. I will take care of Sir Pol myself.¡± Before Lady Stra could protest, Lucius the First entered the carriage first. When Lady Stra tried to follow him, Sir Ainno stopped her. ¡°His highness probably has something he wants to discuss with Sir Poliana, Lady Stra.¡± ¡°But someone needs to take care of her wound¡­¡± ¡°You can do that when we return to the castle.¡± ¡°Is his highness nning to reprimand Marquess Winter? That can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sir Ainno feigned his ignorance. It was possible that the emperor was going to be upset with Poliana, but he was certain it wasn¡¯t for the reason Lady Stra was thinking. Lady Stra began to cry again and Sir Ainno helped her get into another carriage. *** Poliana was looking up at the carriage ceiling when someone came in. She assumed it would be Lady Stra, but when she saw that it was the emperor, she tried to get up. Lucius the First waved his hand to stop her and Polianaid down againfortably. She was one of the few who had the special privilege of being allowed toy down in the emperor¡¯s presence. Even if she didn¡¯t, she had a good excuse because she was injured. Poliana sighed deeply, which caused her immense pain, and said to the emperor, ¡°I have gotten toocent, your highness. I have gotten too used to peace. Did you see how slow my reflex was back there? When I am all healed, I am going to have to do some serious training to improve myself.¡± Only Poliana had been focusing on training for this hunt that she has beenzy about all of her other drills. She spent any free time she had with Frau, and now, she regretted it. Instead of going to different restaurants with him, she should¡¯ve been riding her horses and doing sit-ups. And of all days, she chose not to wear her metal chain armor underneath her uniform. If she did, her ribs wouldn¡¯t have broken. She would¡¯ve only suffered from some bruises. Poliana continued, ¡°As soon as I got kicked, I couldn¡¯t breathe at all and I cked out. I can¡¯t believe I did that. I am so embarrassed. I have be toozy.¡± Poliana gave the emperor a guilty smile. When the carriage began to move, she winked in pain and Lucius the First supported her body with both of his hands to keep her still. The emperor¡¯s face was rigid. When he saw her copse to the ground after getting kicked by the deer, it took everything in him not to run after her and scream. He knew he couldn¡¯t show his true feelings to her because it would only make Poliana feel ufortable. In a calm voice, he said to Poliana, ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again.¡± ¡°Pardon, your highness?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again, no matter what. Don¡¯t ever throw yourself to save another person, even if it¡¯s me or my wives. You cannot sacrifice yourself, Poliana. You are my knight, which means your life belongs to me, right?¡± Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Lucius the First¡¯s eyes teared up as he looked at Poliana. When the tears began to roll down on his cheeks, Poliana waved her hands in shock before moaning in pain. Her own eyes began to well up at her emperor¡¯s thoughtfulness. He had to be the kindest ruler in history. Lucius the First begged her, ¡°Please¡­ Please¡­ Don¡¯t ever do something like that again. Don¡¯t make me lose you like that. You are the one I l¡­¡± Suddenly, the carriage stopped. Poliana almost fell to the floor but the emperor held onto her tightly. The door opened without a warning and Sir Ainno announced loudly, ¡°Your highness, there have been urgent news from Yapa. Duke Luzo was the one who received it on your behalf, and he brought it here for you.¡± For Duke Luzo to bring the message himself so hurriedly meant that the letter must¡¯ve included very serious news. Lucius the First¡¯s face crumpled with concern. He took the message from Sir Ainno¡¯s hand and when he read it, Lucius the First¡¯s face turned even darker. Poliana asked nervously, ¡°Your highness, what is the matter? Did something happen in Yapa?¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, Sir Pol, just rest.¡± ¡°But your highness¡­ What happened? Why are you so angry? If I can help you fix the problem, I will. Please let me know.¡± ¡°Sir Pol, I¡­¡± Lucius the First gritted his teeth. He wanted to say the words. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but he knew that he probably would never get the chance. The emperor just looked at Poliana sadly and continued, ¡°The best thing you can do for me is to live.¡± Lucius the First got out of the carriage and closed the door behind him. Poliana could hear the noises outside, so Poliana slowly got herself up and left the carriage as well. Sir Ainno was gathering some of his guards while the emperor was ordering Duke Luzo. Lucius the First said to his cousin, ¡°You will have to take care of the National Day celebration for me, Duke Luzo. I am sure you will do a good job of it.¡± ¡°Of course, your highness. You can trust me.¡± Poliana called out, ¡°Your highness!¡± The emperor turned to her and gave her orders as well. ¡°Marquess Winter, you will remain in Nanaba until your injury healspletely. You will still be responsible for the protection of thedies just as you have been in Yapa. If you return to the capital before your injury heals, I will take that as disobeying my direct order. You will be punished.¡± The emperor took Sir Ainno and some of the guards and left quickly on his horse. They disappeared within seconds and the silence that they left behind felt eerie. Poliana had a bad feeling about this. ¡®What is happening?¡¯ She was so frustrated that she wanted to swear, but she was in the presence of the Duke, so Poliana refrained herself. She ordered a nearby servant, ¡°Grab me my horse immediately!¡± ¡°Are you going to disobey his highness¡¯s order?¡± Duke Luzo, who has been watching quietly, called out to her, ¡°Marquess Winter.¡± His eyes looked calm as he said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s just get to the Nanaba castle first.¡± Poliana¡¯s thoughts raced as she tried to read the duke¡¯s expression. The kingdom was at peace, and there was nothing she could think of that could disturb it at the moment. An urgent message from Yapa¡­ It could only be one thing. She asked Duke Luzo, ¡°Is Lady Reba in danger?¡± There were only a few possible reasons why Lucius the First would leave in such a hurry. Either the southern regions began a rebellion, or his pregnant wife wasn¡¯t doing well. Duke Luzo didn¡¯t answer immediately, but his silence was enough. Poliana tried to get onto her horse to go after the emperor, but the other knights grabbed and stopped her. Poliana was feeling too weak so she had no choice but to stay. Duke Luzo said to her, ¡°Marquess, are you really going to disobey the emperor¡¯s direct order? His highness will arrive at Yapa shortly, so you needn¡¯t worry about anything. There is no need for you to go there.¡± Lady Tory and Lady Stra, who got off their carriage, were trembling anxiously. They could tell something was wrong. No one so far confirmed that something had happened to Lady Reba, but everyone could tell that things weren¡¯t okay. Lady Stra, who was still shocked by what just happened, couldn¡¯t take the stress anymore. She began to sob again, and Lady Tory hugged her tightly. It wasn¡¯t that Tory was calm, but she knew how to control her emotions better. Only Poliana watched the twodies for a short while before giving up trying to get on her horse. She desperately wanted to follow her emperor, but she knew that she would only be a burden to him at this point with her injury. Besides, she had a job to do here; she was still responsible for the safety of these twodies. Lady Tory asked the duke, ¡°Duke Luzo, what happened?¡± Duke Luzo tried to remain silent, but the stares from Lady Tory, Lady Stra, and Poliana, were so intense that he had no choice but to answer her. ¡°Apparently, Lady Reba lost her consciousness. The letter said it happened a few times since the emperor left Yapa, but this time, she hasn¡¯t woken up for thest two days. The doctors didn¡¯t say that she was in a critical condition, and since his highness will be with her very soon, I am sure everything will be okay. With her husband by her side, I am sure Lady Reba will feel much better.¡± Stra¡¯s cry became louder while Poliana¡¯s frown deepened. Lady Tory took a deep breath and bit her lips before replying, ¡°I am sure you are right, Duke Luzo. In addition, Duchess Nani is with her daughter, so I am sure everything will be okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Lady Tory, you are so wise. So, Lady Stra and Marquess Winter, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Indeed, there was a very good chance that Lady Reba was going to be okay. Lady Reba was fragile but not seriously ill. Lady Tory kept murmuring, ¡°Everything is going to be alright.¡± Poliana remained quiet but tried to think positively as well. Both Vaxi and Vanessa had their babies safely. The majority of her guards¡¯ wives also had their babies without too many incidents. Duchess Luzo also had a healthy boy less than a year ago. Many women delivered their babies safely, so it had to be the case for Lady Reba as well. Lady Reba had to be alright; she just had to be. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 The National Day feast continued ording to its original n. The meat for the banquet, however, came from the livestock rather than from the hunt. It was believed that hunting and killing animals in the forest was considered bad luck when there was someone who fell ill recently. This proved that the Acreian men insisted on hunting before the National Day for their own enjoyment, rather than tradition. The Acreian nobles gathered around Lady Tory while Duchess and Lady Stra sat down side by side from afar. No one came to talk to them and Lady Stra smiled bitterly. This was the same in Yapa whenever there was a feast; people flocked over Lady Tory, who was from Acreia but never around her. However, Lady Stra never felt lonely or scared because Lady Reba was always by her side while Poliana always kept watchful eyes over everyone from the corner. Lady Stra said to the duchess, ¡°This is supposed to be a party, but all we are allowed to do is just sit. Banquets in the north are so boring.¡± Unlike in the mid and southern regions, where both women and men were encouraged to mingle, the women were strongly suggested to remain seated in the north while the men were free to roam. Lady Stra shook her head, feeling like she was being suffocated. The Acreian nobles sitting next to Lady Tory chatted, ¡°Look over there, the duchess is looking at us.¡± ¡°Who cares? Haha, all we need is Lady Tory here. She is the only truedy in this room, right? Look at how quiet anddy-like she is, especiallypared to those southern women.¡± ¡°I know! Did you see them walking around the banquet just a moment ago? I was so shocked!¡± ¡°Exactly, when they came to me and began to talk to me, I almost dropped my ss.¡± ¡°Lady Stra tried to make an excuse, telling me that the women are free to mingle in any parties in the mid-continent. Can you believe that? Does she not know that this is Acreia and not the mid-continent?¡± Lady Tory put on a kind smile on her face and the Acreian nobles around her eximed andplimented her. ¡°Look at Lady Tory! She is a realdy!¡± The men continued to talk loudly, ignoring the others who were frowning at them. The Acreian nobles continued loudly, ¡°If things work out as we hoped, it¡¯s going to solve so many of our problems.¡± ¡°Absolutely. And the best thing is, we didn¡¯t have to get our own hands dirty. What luck!¡± ¡°Yes! Heaven must¡¯ve heard our wish and decided to grant it. It must know how much we love our kingdom.¡± Lady Tory¡¯s perfect smile wavered a little, but thankfully, no one noticed it. She knew what she must do, so with a firm determination, she emptied her head and put on an even prettier smile. These Acreian nobles didn¡¯t expect much from her. To them, Lady Tory wasn¡¯t much different than the maids and servants surrounding them. The only difference was that she could put on a perfect smile on her face unlike the other women, and that was the only reason why they made her the emperor¡¯s wife. ¡®Just don¡¯t think about it. Empty your mind, Tory, just smile. That¡¯s all you have to do.¡¯ Lady Tory knew exactly what these men thought of all women. ¡®Women have no useful thoughts.¡¯ ¡®Women have no determination.¡¯ ¡®Good women need to have obedience and the willingness to work.¡¯ ¡®The most important part of a woman was her uterus.¡¯ ¡®A woman¡¯s purpose in life is to reproduce.¡¯ ¡®Everything else, logic, intelligence, strength, andmon sense, all belonged to men.¡¯ The nobles continued to chat among themselves, ¡°The emperor is keeping tight control over the iron mine in Acreia, which is making it very hard for us to make our weapons.¡± ¡°Well, just use the metals from the other colonies then.¡± ¡°But the bestes from Acreia. All the others are of lesser quality¡­¡± ¡°In addition, if we suddenly start buying the iron from other ces, the emperor is going to suspect that we are up to something. Why not just go through the ck market¡­¡± The men talked about their dangers and treasonous n as they nced around them, making sure the other people in the banquet didn¡¯t hear them. However, they didn¡¯t seem to even notice that Tory was sitting right among them. All Lady Tory could do was smile warmly. There was nothing she could do. The situation couldn¡¯t be helped. This was how she was raised, so that was that. *** Unfortunately, there was no treatment or medication for broken ribs. The only thing Poliana could do was to wait patiently until they healed. She prayed desperately, ¡®Come on, just heal already!¡¯ Poliana had never felt so helpless before. She wanted to go Yapa, but she couldn¡¯t until her injury healed. Thinking to speed up the process, Poliana ate as much as possible. Unfortunately, the result was Poliana gaining weight rather than her bones healing faster. ¡°Why won¡¯t the bones heal quickly? What more should I do? Am I not working hard enough?¡± A royal doctor from the Nanaba castle asked in confusion, ¡°Marquess Winter, what do you mean ¡®work hard?¡¯ Are you working hard to make your injury heal faster? That doesn¡¯t make sense at all.¡± Only ¡°Yes, it does! My ribs aren¡¯t healing fast because I am not doing my best! I need to try harder!¡± The doctor shook his head. He was the personal doctor of Duke Luzo, which meant that he mostly worked on treating hair loss. It has been a while since he was given the opportunity to see a real patient with a real injury, but it turned out that his patient, Marquess Winter, was a strange and stubborn woman. What was she talking about? Trying her best to make her injury heal faster? Was she insane? ¡°¡­¡± Poliana was so desperate that her head spun. Her despair made her annoyed and moody, and she felt like her entire body ached. Her ribs and waist were injured, but her stomach and hip felt painful too. Was there arge bruise on her body? Feeling annoyed, Poliana lifted her nket to check and to her shock, she saw that her bed was covered in blood. The blood that wasing from her groin. The redness slowly but surely spread around her, soaking the bed. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Poliana was bleeding quite a bit, but what bothered her most was the fact that she was feeling dizzy and annoyed at the same time. An immense frustration and anger overwhelmed her, so Poliana kicked her bed hard. Her toes hurt, which angered her even more. The doctors ran into the room and gasped when they saw the blood. They examined her and listened to her symptoms, which were abdominal and muscle pain, and in the end, the doctors called for the gynecologist for help. After a long discussion among the doctors, the diagnosis was made. Poliana was having her period. The gynecologist exined, ¡°After the war, your body probably began to rx, Marquess Winter. It was on its way back to a normal healthy state and when this sudden injury caused you extreme stress, it must¡¯ve triggered your monthly bleeding again.¡± Poliana muttered, ¡°So my period stopped because of stress and it began again because of stress again? How ironic.¡± It has been many years since she had her menstruation, and Poliana wasn¡¯t happy about its return. Was it because of her period, or was her moodiness a coincidence? Either way, Poliana felt awful and angry. Frustrated, Poliana acted like an injured wild animal. She became very wary of everyone, even the maids who were taking care of her. Everyone knew that she was very concerned for Lady Reba, so people were very understanding of Poliana¡¯s rudeness. Her period certainly didn¡¯t help her mood either. The maids chatted among themselves. ¡°I have never seen Marquess Winter acting like that. She has always been tough on the other knights and the guards, but always kind to us. She must be in a lot of pain.¡± ¡°Exactly, and with what happened to Lady Reba¡­ Marquess Winter is very close to her, right?¡± ¡°And this is her first period in five years, right? Can you imagine how awful her body must feel?¡± The maids remembered the days when they were young and didn¡¯t have to suffer from their periods every month. They used to feel so much freer at the time; they missed their childhood. As soon as they had their first menstruation, they were no longer treated like a child. They were considered women who could bear a child. Being treated as an adult was fun and exciting, but the women still sometimes missed their younger days when they had less to worry about. In her bed, Polianaid down as she chewed on a piece of jerky. She knew she was being rude and annoying to everyone ever since her period began, and she hated it. What bothered her the most was the fact that even though she knew she was being a jerk, she couldn¡¯t stop. Poliana promised herself that she would never abuse her power, but now, all she felt was her entire body aching and her mood worsening by the minute. Poliana couldn¡¯t think straight at all. The doctors and the maids treated Poliana with kindness. The doctors were nice to her since she was their patient and the maids were kind to her because they believed that Poliana was suffering from five years worth of period all at once. ¡°Argh¡­¡± Poliana punched her bed angrily. Every time she did, her ribs hurt along with her stomach and her hip. Pain killers didn¡¯t help at all. The only thing the doctors could suggest to her was to be patient. She hasn¡¯t had a period in five years, so it was normal for her to feel ufortable. The maids put a warm cloth on her stomach, but it didn¡¯t help. In the past, Poliana has been stabbed by swords and spears. She was shot by many arrows and she was punched several times as well. Her nose broke before and she experienced plenty ofrge cuts. There were times when she had to hold her sword with her palm scraped and bleeding. She even had to roll on the dirty ground naked. All her life, Poliana had lived with various injuries. She had enough scars to prove it. She was used to sharp intense pain, but this dull constant throbbing was the worst thing she has ever experienced; it felt unbearable to her. She felt so annoyed because she couldn¡¯t control her annoyance. This symptomsted until thest day of her period. The only people Poliana could muster to treat with politeness were Lady Stra, Lady Tory, Duke Luzo, and Duchess Luzo. In the end, the National Day feast was carried on without the emperor or Poliana. *** Lady Tory decided that it would be best not to spread the news of Lady Reba¡¯s condition. This meant that Lady Tory and Lady Stra had to continue smiling throughout the feast as if nothing was wrong back home. This wasn¡¯t very hard to do for thedies because they were raised to be this way. They were taught to put a kind smile, even when someone was dying in front of them. They grew up in different kingdoms, but the twodies were educated in simr ways. Finally, the feast and all of the National Day celebrations ended. Most of the people from out of the town left Nanaba. The only guests left were Lady Tory, Lady Stra, and Poliana, who had to remain in the Nanaba castle as the emperor ordered. Only Poliana¡¯s period ended as well, and as soon as she felt better, she went around to apologize to everyone for her rudeness. She felt so guilty about her behavior. Lady Stra and Lady Tory, who were younger than Poliana, acted very responsibly during the entire celebration period while Poliana, who was supposed to be working as well, acted like an absolute jerk. Remembering how she behaved made Poliana feel frustrated as well. ¡®Why did I act like that? Why? Did I lose my mind for a few days or something?¡¯ She flushed from the shame of it. The doctors assured her that it was okay and that she should remain in her bed. They informed her, ¡°There is a good chance you will continue to have your monthly bleeding regrly from now on, Marquess Winter.¡± This meant that she might have her period even during her work shifts. Lady Tory brought up the subject of the color of Poliana¡¯s uniform. It was a bright blue because it looked elegant and it was also one of the cheapest dyes. The problem was that if any blood got on this color, it would be very noticeable. Lady Tory suggested that perhaps Poliana should get a red uniform but knowing what color blood turned into when it dried, Poliana couldn¡¯t agree. Lady Tory was very smart, yet there were times like this when it was obvious that she was a properdy who had never seen dried blood before. Poliana thought to herself, ¡®ck would be better to cover the blood.¡¯ What was really important here, however, wasn¡¯t the color Lady Tory suggested. It was the fact that Lady Tory thought of Poliana. Thedy¡¯s thoughtfulness made Poliana feel even guiltier. She said to Lady Tory, ¡°I apologize again, Lady Tory, for my rudeness during thest few days. As soon as I return to Yapa, I will resign from my post.¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Both Lady Stra and Lady Tory replied to Poliana, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Marquess Winter, we know how hard you work to keep us safe. We feel safe because of you.¡± Lady Stra added as she put her hand on Poliana¡¯s, ¡°And just a few days ago, you saved me, remember? Without you, I might be dead by now.¡± Their kindness made Poliana feel even worse. She almost felt suicidal from shame. Whenever she felt angry or frustrated, she used to kick and punch the furniture or the trees, and now, Poliana felt like she was the one who should be punished. Even though she was a patient, not many people visited her. Was it because people now knew how awful she has been behavingtely? Other than Lady Bika visiting her a few times, no one else came to see her. Poliana needed to get out of this emotional spiral. She clenched her teeth and tried to think of a way to fix the problem. She knew hitting herself was a stupid idea. The best thing she should do at the moment was to get better as quickly as possible. Ribs were fragile bones that broke easily. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many long term side effects upon breaking it, but broken ribs take a very long time to heal. Her doctors told her she needed to stay in her bed for the next two months, but Poliana left in only a month. Her torso was still badly bruised and painful, but it was endurable. It wasn¡¯t like the pain from her period; the pain from the broken ribs was sharper, which helped her be more alert. It almost made her feel like she was back on the battlefield; it reminded her that she was a knight and she will always be one. As soon as she was able to leave her bed, Poliana went to visit Lady Tory and Stra. She needed to ask them for a favor. If she returned to Yapa with the twodies, it would take about the same amount of time as when they traveled to Nanaba. The emperor ordered her to take care of Lady Tory and Lady Stra, but Poliana was desperate to get back home as quickly as possible. She was bing more and more worried as time passed because there haven¡¯t been any messages from Nanaba. If Lady Reba was fine, they would¡¯ve sent words by now. No news didn¡¯t always mean good news, and Poliana thought anxiously, ¡®Even if they are busy, they could¡¯ve still sent a letter¡­ Something must¡¯ve happened.¡¯ Lucius the First was a very thoughtful person. He cared about those around us, especially his wives, so if Lady Reba was better, he would¡¯ve sent a message so those in Nanaba wouldn¡¯t worry. Poliana needed to get back to the capital immediately but leaving Lady Stra and Lady Tory would mean that she was disobeying the emperor¡¯s order. She said to thedies, ¡°I will leave all of my men here. I can go alone, so you needn¡¯t worry about your safety.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Marquess Winter, you need to realize that you are just as important as us. To be honest, I am certain his highness worries more about you than his own wives. It is easy to find new wives and bear more children, but it is very hard to find a loyal knight.¡± It hurt her pride to say it, but Lady Tory knew it was the truth. Besides, it was more important to stop Poliana from leaving alone than trying to protect her own feelings. It would be impossible for Lucius the First to rece Poliana, a truly loyal and talented knight. The one and only knightess who helped him conquer the world. In addition, Poliana was the symbol of what the new Acreia represented. She showed how a foreigner could be sessful. Compared to Poliana, Lady Tory knew she was useless. She was going to be the easiest to rece among all the emperor¡¯s wives. It was saddening to admit it, but Lady Tory wasn¡¯t afraid to ept it. Even though Lady Tory begged her, Poliana refused to take her advice. Poliana knew her emperor might be furious at her for disobeying him, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. If necessary, she was willing to give up her position. She was ready to give up her blue uniform with the golden strip. When it was obvious that Poliana wasn¡¯t going to give in, Lady Tory suggested apromise. ¡°Then please take at least one knight with you. Someone who can protect you if necessary on the road. We will take the rest of the guards and follow you at our own pace.¡± ¡°But Lady Tory, the royal guards exist to protect the royal members. I cannot take one of them for my own protection. It would be considered treason.¡± Only ¡°That can¡¯t be. They are the royal guards, which means they have the duty to protect their leader, which is you. Besides, I have asked Duke Luzo to lend us his knights to make up for those who will go with you.¡± Poliana was surprised to hear this. It sounded like Lady Tory already had a conversation with the duke about this. Lady Stra, who has been listening quietly, held Poliana¡¯s hands gently and smiled. Lady Tory continued, ¡°We knew you would insist on going alone, Marquess Winter, so we already asked the duke for help. I understand how you must feel since you are so close to Lady Reba. Five of the royal guards have already volunteered to escort you back to Nanaba.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. Both of you.¡± Lady Tory replied, ¡°It is our pleasure. We both know that if it was one of us and not Lady Reba, you would¡¯ve done the same for us too.¡± Lady Stra said as well, ¡°We are so thankful for you, Marquess Winter, for always being honest with us.¡± What Poliana had with Lady Reba was a friendship. What she had with Lady Tory and Lady Stra was more like loyalty, but it was true that Poliana treated all of them with utmost sincerity. Thedies believed that no other knight could¡¯ve done the job of protecting them better than Sir Poliana. Poliana¡¯s eyes welled up from the twodies¡¯ kindness. It was true that the wife and the husband often grow to resemble each other. Both Lucius the First and all of his wives were all such kind people. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 The emperor did not take all of the Yapa royal guards when he left. Those that were left behind all belonged to the Second Division. All the guards from the First Division left with the emperor a few days ago. The Second Division guards that were left in Nanaba were given the order to protect the emperor¡¯s wives. Poliana asked them, ¡°So you have been in Nanaba still all this time?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, Boss! How could we leave when you are still here?¡± ¡°Well, I thought you were all gone since none of you came to visit me when I was bedridden.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not visiting your sick boss¡­ What a wonderful world we live in, right? Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°We are so sorry, Sir Poliana. We deserve death.¡± When her men trembled in fear, Poliana grinned and replied, ¡°Just kidding.¡± ¡°Boss! Don¡¯t ever do that again! Your sense of humor is beginning to resemble that of the emperor and it¡¯s not funny!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Boss! Please!¡± ¡°Oh, telling your boss that her jokes aren¡¯t funny¡­ What a wonderful world we live in, right?¡± ¡°Boss!¡± Sir Ainno had no sense of humor. Sir Mahogal¡¯s elegant humor delighted the people around him. Poliana¡¯s jokes were sarcastic but still enjoyable. Poliana nodded and they headed towards Yapa immediately. They did not stop much as they rode hard to the capital. The men worried about Poliana, whose wound still hasn¡¯t healed, but Poliana continued in determination. As they rode their horses, they passed by a messenger who seemed to be headed towards Nanaba. ¡°Sir Poliana! That was the messenger. He was heading towards Nanaba!¡± ¡°I saw him too.¡± ¡°Should we go and stop him?¡± ¡°No, just let him continue. I don¡¯t want us to slow down.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t stop the messenger on purpose because hearing the message wasn¡¯t going to be enough. She needed to see what happened in person. The fact that a messenger was sent all of a sudden meant that something changed in Yapa. Unfortunately, Poliana knew whatever happened couldn¡¯t be good. Her men didn¡¯t say anything, but it seemed that all the guards felt the same way. They began to slow down a little. Was it because they had a bad feeling about this? By the time they could see the Yapa castle, the group looked terrible. They were dirty, tired, dehydrated, and starving. On their way here, they threw away their food and water supplies because the weight was slowing down their horses. Even the horses looked awful with their mouths covered in foams. Some of the horses even tried to bite the riders in frustration. Suddenly, some of the men gasped in shock. It seemed that they saw something that Poliana missed. She asked anxiously, ¡°What is it? Tell me now!¡± ¡°Sir Poliana. Over there, on the Yapa castle¡­ It¡¯s the half-masted g!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Poliana gasped as she spotted it herself. Some of the guards began to tear up. Poliana gritted her teeth, trying not to show any tears. The devastation she felt was too great to bear. It felt like there was a hole in her heart. Poliana said in a shaky voice, ¡°It¡¯s a sad affair indeed, but we expected it, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Boss.¡± ¡°We are all knights and therefore, we cannot show any tears. Let¡¯s continue. If we are lucky, we might be able to attend the funeral!¡± Her choice of words was wrong, but it was toote to take it back. Besides, it didn¡¯t matter anyway. When the group reached the castle gate, they were stopped by the gatekeepers, who belonged to the Third Division. Poliana did not dismount. She announced loudly, ¡°I am Poliana Winter, the head of the Second Division! These are my men!¡± ¡°The Second Division? You are the leader of the Second Division?¡± The gatekeepers immediately saluted her. Poliana asked, ¡°The funeral? When is it?¡± ¡°It ended two days ago. We sent a messenger just now. Did you not see him on your way here?¡± ¡°We saw him, but we didn¡¯t stop him.¡± Based on her calction, the emperor purposely sent the messenger after the funeral. Poliana looked visibly upset at the realization. She knew that Lucius the First probably believed he did the right thing. Poliana was so devastated that she couldn¡¯t even be upset about the emperor¡¯s decision. Poliana asked, ¡°What about the baby?¡± As soon as she asked the question, Poliana realized that it was possible it was the child that passed away. But for some reason, as soon as she saw the half-masted g, Poliana somehow knew that the g was for Lady Reba. It was very possible that both the mother and the baby died, but Poliana believed that the baby had to have survived. It was a strange thing, but she was right. Only ¡°It¡¯s a princess.¡± Just as Poliana believed, the baby was alive. The guards standing behind her, however, moaned in disappointment and sadness. One of them muttered quietly, ¡°A daughter?¡± Everyone standing around her was clearly disheartened by the birth of a princess. They were all thinking that Lady Reba died for nothing. It wasn¡¯t even a son, which meant that her death now had less meaning. This was exactly why Lady Reba wanted a baby boy. For herself, she didn¡¯t care if the baby was a boy or a girl, but for the child, she knew it would have a better life if it was a son. A princess would have a decline in her status as she became older while a prince could only go up in his position. The mother of this baby wanted it to be a son. The father of this baby didn¡¯t care as long as both the mother and the baby were healthy. In the end, no one got what they wanted. No one truly felt happy about the birth of the child. Everyone sighed in sadness and disappointment. Watching them from afar, Poliana¡¯s eyes teared up. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 When Sir Wook heard about Poliana¡¯s arrival, he came to visit her. Poliana dismissed the guards, who were still with her. Sir Wook offered her, ¡°You need to rest, Sir Poliana. Is your injury okay? You should return home and go to the castle tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Sir Wook, I want to hear what happened.¡± ¡°Sir Pol¡­ You should really return home for now and rest. I will order my guards to take you home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that tired. In fact, my horse is in much worse shape than I am. Can I borrow one of your horses?¡± ¡°Alright, go wash up first and I will have a horse ready for you.¡± Poliana nodded and went to the washroom that was used by the royal guards. She got herself clean and borrowed herself a set of uniforms. By the time she was done, the sun was already set and the sky was dark. Most shops were closed by now. Sir Wook was gone and Sir Jainno was waiting for her outside. Sir Jainno announced, ¡°The castle entrance has closed. You can go there tomorrow morning when it reopens.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that why he got me to wash up first? So it would be toote for me to enter the castle?¡± Sir Jainno shrugged and replied, ¡°How would I know what Sir Wook was thinking?¡± Sir Jainno offered her to have dinner with her and Poliana didn¡¯t refuse. She ate a big meal while Sir Jainno exined to her what had happened in Yapa during her absence. Lady Reba¡¯s health deteriorated slowly after the emperor left the castle to visit Nanaba. Her blood pressure went up drastically and it refused toe down to normal. Her abdomen became filled with fluid, which meant she couldn¡¯t eat well. Lady Reba ended up losing her consciousness. Duchess Nani arrived soon after and tried her best to take care of her daughter, but it was no use. Lady Reba did regain her consciousness a few times, but when thestasted for two days, the doctors decided to send the message to the emperor in Nanaba. There was a good chance for the mother, the baby, or both of them were going to die, and they needed the husband to be present. When Lucius the First arrived, the doctors informed him that it was going to be impossible to save both the mother and the baby. The emperor was furious and devastated. He ordered the doctors to save both of them, and it was then that the doctors delivered him the will Lady Reba wrote while she was still conscious. After reading it, Lucius the First chose to save the baby. The minimum a baby could be born rtively healthy was at the eight-month mark. When the emperor arrived, Lady Reba was seven months pregnant. Somehow, Lady Reba kept herself alive for another month so she could deliver her daughter safely. Thedy passed away immediately after birth. Lucius the First, distraught, nned her funeral himself. But even after the funeral, he could not bring himself to see his baby daughter. His daughter cost him his wife¡¯s life. He never held her once, which worried the baby¡¯s nurse and Duchess Nani. After the funeral, the emperor continued to do his work but most of the time, he kept it to himself. After Sir Jainno finished telling her what happened, Poliana stood up. Sir Jainno shook his head and stopped her. ¡°Just go to sleep and go in the morning.¡± ¡°Step aside, Sir Jainno.¡± ¡°Listen to me. You look awful and you are even losing your voice. Just rest tonight and go tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°This is a bad idea.¡± Sir Jainno insisted but he could not stop Poliana. She began to walk towards the inner castle and thankfully, a horse was already prepared for her. It seemed that Sir Wook knew she could not be stopped. The patrols were guarding the gate, questioning anyone approaching them. Most people wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to enter, but the leader of the Second Division was one of the few exceptions. The guards still weren¡¯t allowed to open the main entrance, but they allowed her to enter through the side door. One of the guards asked, ¡°Are you going to see the princess?¡± ¡°No, I am going to see his highness.¡± Poliana did not go to the princess. It was not a good idea for a newborn baby to have too many visitors and besides, Poliana was here to see the emperor. She knew how sensitive and caring Lucius the First was. Poliana could imagine how ravaged he must be. It had to be worse for him than Poliana. After all, she lost her friend, but Lucius the First lost his wife. The emperor¡¯s marriage was certainly not that of an average person. He married three women all at once, and he married them for a political reason. Although it wasn¡¯t a love match, Lucius the First always tried to do his best for his wives. The emperor tried to be the best ruler he could be. He tried to be the best husband he could be. There was no doubt that he was fond of all of his wives. In the past, Lucius the First told Poliana that he liked all of his wives for different reasons. He liked Tory because she was intelligent, while he liked Stra because she was kind. He liked Reba because she was greedy. Poliana felt the same way; she also liked Reba because she was greedy. *** As she walked, Poliana got closer and closer to the emperor¡¯s residence. All the servants she saw looked upset and anxious, most likely because they were worried about their emperor. Master Chail, who was guarding the door to the emperor¡¯s room, spotted Poliana. ¡°Marquess Winter? You are here. So does that mean Lady Tory and Lady Stra are here as well?¡± ¡°No. I came here alone. They will followter.¡± It seemed that Master Chail did not receive the message of Poliana¡¯s arrival. When he saw her, Master Chail looked relieved. Poliana asked, ¡°Where is his highness?¡± ¡°He¡¯s inside.¡± Only When Poliana tried to walk in, Master Chail stopped her. ¡°Marquess Winter, he ordered me to stop anyone from entering tonight.¡± He shook his head at her, but he continued to stare at Poliana expectantly. Marquess Poliana Winter was one of the emperor¡¯s closest people, which meant that she was given a lot of special privileges, and one of them was to be able to visit the emperor even when he did not want any visitors. It was, however, unwise to abuse her power, so Poliana asked, ¡°Did the emperor also order Sir Ainno not to enter?¡± ¡°No, Sir Ainno is allowed to see his highness.¡± Poliana felt that if Sir Ainno was given an exception, she most likely would receive the same right. When Poliana refused to change her mind, Master Chail grabbed her again. He had served the emperor for a long time, so Master Chail was excellent at reading Lucius the First. Usually, Chail would¡¯ve been thrilled to have Poliana drink with the emperor and make him feel better, but for some unknown reason, Master Chail had a feeling that it was a bad idea today; and in most cases, he was right about these things. So, Master Chail asked Poliana again to return in the morning. Chapter 201: 201 Chapter 201 Even Sir Wook nor Sir Jainno could stop Poliana, which meant that there was no way Master Chail could convince her. Poliana then announced, ¡°I must insist on seeing his highness immediately, Master Chail.¡± ¡°Marquess Winter, I realize it must be very hard for you, but his highness is having an even harder time. I think it¡¯s best to leave him alone for now.¡± ¡°That is exactly why I must see him.¡± Without knocking or announcing herself, Poliana walked into the reception area, then into his private room. Master Chail and the other servants didn¡¯t follow her. His room was dark, and all the curtains were closed, making the room look like a cave. It perfectly represented how the emperor must be feeling. Once Poliana became used to the darkness, she could see the emperor¡¯s shape slumped on the chair. He was leaning against a table without making much movement. He asked quietly without looking up, ¡°Is that you, Inno?¡± It seemed that Lucius the First thought it was Sir Ainno who walked in, not Poliana. The table and the floor were littered with bottles of wine and hard liquor. Did he drink all of them or did he drink with Sir Inno? Either way, it seemed the emperor was drunk. Poliana hesitated to approach him. It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea for anyone else to see the emperor in such a state, so Poliana first closed the door behind her before lighting the nearby wallmp. Still without looking up, Lucius the First said in a pained voice, ¡°Inno¡­ Inno¡­ I really have no luck with women, do I?¡± The emperor continued to mutter about his life. Lucius the First¡¯s mother was a fragile beauty. She used to be even weaker than Lady Reba, and everyone believed that she would die young. What Lucius the First remembered of his mother was different than most people. Some would remember their mother as a loving and warm being while others probably thought of harsh punishments when they had to describe their childhood. For Lucius the First, the word ¡°mother¡± brought back the images of dry coughs, blood, and indifferent gazes. Even then, the emperor loved his mother. He was an only child, and his mother used to promise him that she would get him a younger brother, but Lucius the First¡¯s mother was unable to keep her promise to him. The first girl Lucius the First slept with was a mean girl, but he liked the fact that she was confident of herself. This girl did not doubt she would be the next empress, and Lucius the First thought very highly of her confidence. But in the end, Lucius the First¡¯s father, the former emperor, was against his son marrying such a bold girl, so he kicked her out of the castle. The girl ended up marrying into a good family, but she died of an illness at a very young age. By the time Lucius the First arrived at the Yapa castle, Lady Reba was unconscious. She was no longer the pretty girl with her entire body grossly swollen. Her small blood vessels were ruptured, making her look horrendous. As soon as he saw her, Lucius the First knew that she was not going to make it. The will she left for the emperor was filled with the legality of the situation, proving that she was indeed a royal princess who was well aware of her duties; this made the emperor even sadder. His own mother died at a very young age. His first girl ended up marrying another man and dying young too. The woman he loved right now was the one person he could not have. His own wife ended up dying while giving birth. Lucius the First thought to himself, ¡®I am so lucky in many things, but not in women, I guess.¡¯ He was given the gift of a daughter in exchange for his wife¡¯s life, but the emperor was terrified that this baby might leave him too. He could not even bear to look at the tiny being without trembling. A baby born at eight months¡­ There was a good chance she might not make it. She might die at any moment and prove that Lucius the First was indeed very unlucky. Just thinking about this possibility made the emperor feel unbearable. His mother, his first girl, his wife, and now his daughter¡­ There would be no one left in his life. The emperor waved his hands in pain as he muttered desperately, ¡°More drinks! Inno! Get me more wine right now!¡± ¡°You need to stop, your highness.¡± The one person Lucius the First wanted to see the most was Poliana. The one person Lucius the First wanted to avoid the most right now was also the same person. Slowly, the emperor looked up to find Poliana looking tired. His mother, his first woman, his wife, and his daughter¡­ Would there be any woman left in his life? Yes, and he knew the answer to this question. There was only one woman that mattered the most in his life. The woman he loved. The emperor whispered, ¡°Am I dreaming? Or am I hallucinating from too much wine? If this is a dream, it has to be a nightmare. If it is a hallucination, it is a terrible one.¡± Only ¡°Your highness, I believe you drank too much.¡± Poliana had never seen Lucius the First looking this disheveled and helpless. Just as Poliana was in terrible pain, it was clear that the emperor was suffering as well. Unable to help herself, Poliana hugged him tightly. The emperor, although shocked at first, felt ecstatic as he felt her warmth envelope him. Poliana Winter. The woman he loved. Feeling overwhelmed, Lucius the First eximed, ¡°Pol¡­ I¡­!¡± The heat from her body proved that this was no dream. Poliana, the woman he desired, was here. She was with him and she was hugging him. Even though he was intoxicated, his brain worked calctingly with cold rity. If he took her now, his dream woulde true. Poliana was also in pain from losing her friend Lady Reba. If Lucius the First professed his love for her and took her to bed, Poliana would not resist him. He could even me his actions on alcohol and the sadness from losing his wife. Afterward, he could insist on marrying her, which would mean he could keep her by his side as his forever. This was the chance he has been waiting for a very long time, and it was finally here. Chapter 202 Chapter 202 This was indeed a chance, but Lucius the First knew better; it would¡¯ve been wrong for him to use his wife¡¯s death to trick the woman he loved. His wife¡¯s funeral was only two days ago, so how could he even consider such a thing? The emperor hated himself. Lucius the First pushed Poliana away. He poured whatever was left over in the bottle into his mouth. The clear liquor rolled down his cheeks instead of his tears. He said to Poliana harshly, ¡°Get out, I don¡¯t want to see you right now.¡± Poliana¡¯s face crumpled at the emperor¡¯s rejection. Seeing Poliana hurt made Lucius the First¡¯s heartache too, but he couldn¡¯t help it. The emperor needed some time for himself. Lucius the First might have been the emperor of the greatest kingdom, but he wasn¡¯t perfect. He couldn¡¯t always remain calm and collected. Because he was the emperor, he couldn¡¯t even show his true feelings to others. He wasn¡¯t even allowed to cry in front of anyone. The sadness and desperation he felt for himself as well as his daughter, who would grow up without her mother, were immense, but he couldn¡¯t even express these feelings freely all because he was the emperor. Then, Poliana came to him. He was barely hanging onto his sanity, but when he saw her, he couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Lucius the First was a greedy man. This was why he dreamt of uniting the entire continent. The emperor was also a loving man. This was why he did not confess his love to Poliana. If she remained in this room any longer, Lucius the First knew he would end up telling her how he felt. He would end up forcing her to be his. The emperor did not have the patience to remain sane in front of her. So he screamed at her, ¡°Get out, Winter!¡± Lucius the First loved Acreia. He loved everything about it, even its harsh cold weather. All Acreians loved the winter, even though they suffered from it greatly. The bitter season represented them; it was the symbol of the true Acreians. They were proud to be the ones who were able to survive such a harsh weather generation after generation. They believed they were better than the rest of the continent. The harsher the winter was, the stronger the Acreians became. Poliana Winter, whose name was given to her by Lucius the First, was the emperor¡¯s winter. She was his love as well as his motivation; she was the only one who could move him. Lucius the First loved Poliana Winter, and because he loved her, he felt the greatest desperation and conflict. However, Poliana Winter was also his greatest pride. The emperor begged her. He begged her to leave him. Perhaps to her, it sounded like an order, but it didn¡¯t matter. This was the best he could do at the moment. ¡°I just can¡¯t do this right now. I need to be alone. I do not want you to see me like this, so please, leave.¡± Poliana¡¯s jaws tightened. Lucius the First wanted to punch himself for upsetting her. He knew she was missing a mr, which meant it wasn¡¯t a good idea to clench like this. He wished he could caress her face so she would unclench it, but he knew that if he touched her, the emperor would not be able to stop himself. He didn¡¯t wait this long and went through such a hardship just to use her body on a night like this. If he took her now, Lucius the First knew she would never be truly happy again. Meanwhile, Poliana became angry at herself for not realizing what the emperor needed. She also felt embarrassed that she overestimated her importance to the emperor. Poliana turned around to grab the door. As soon as she left, she pped herself. ¡®Snap out of it!¡¯ Lucius the First just lost his wife, and Poliana lost her friend. In truth, without the emperor, Poliana would¡¯ve never met Reba at all. It was obvious that the emperor was the one who was sadder, yet Poliana was stupid enough to think they could make each other feel better. Since when did she begin to question the emperor¡¯s order? Since when did she believe that she knew better than her sovereign? Against the emperor¡¯s order, Poliana left his two wives in Nanaba and rode back to Yapa. He ordered her to protect his wives, but she disobeyed him. Master Chail told her that the emperor did not want anyone in his room tonight, but she thought she knew better, and she entered against his order. Since when did she be so arrogant? She never wanted to be such an egotistical person, but it seemed that it was toote. When Master Chail saw Poliana leave the emperor¡¯s room looking pale, he was shocked. He asked, ¡°Marquess, are you alright?¡± ¡°I made a huge mistake. I disrespected the emperor, and I need to go and think about what I did.¡± Sir Ainno was standing next to Master Chail with a bottle of wine in his hand. He was waiting outside because Master Chail told him that Poliana was inside with the emperor. Poliana couldn¡¯t be any more embarrassed. Since when did she think she was at the same level as Sir Ainno? Only Sir Ainno looked at Poliana, who still looked very pale, and sighed deeply. He handed the bottle to Master Chail and put his hand on Poliana¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Marquess, may I talk to you in private?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go inside to see his highness right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. What his highness needs right now isn¡¯t wine; he needs some time to think.¡± This situation was greatly upsetting. He understood how horrible it was that Lady Reba passed away, but what distressed him, even more, was the fact that because of this royal death, his marriage n was dyed for at least a year. He didn¡¯t even get the chance to talk to his parents about his n. On top of that, the emperor was making a muck of his rtionship with the love of his life. Poliana looked devastated, annoying him to no end. He was having problems with his own love life, yet here he was, having to fix his emperor¡¯s love life. He turned towards Poliana and asked, ¡°What happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Poliana opened her mouth to answer, but Sir Ainno did not wait for her. There were so many things he needed to fix, and he needed to keep this as short as possible. Sir Ainno said to her, ¡°Did his highness get mad at you? Did he yell at you? If so, don¡¯t get upset. He¡¯s just drunk, that¡¯s all. Or did his highness take you to his bed? If he did, it¡¯s because he was drunk, so don¡¯t think too much about it. If you are upset, then just marry him.¡± Poliana lowered her face. It was bing harder to control her tears. She whispered, ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s all my fault. If I didn¡¯t find you that day when we were doing the cleansing ritual¡­ Things would¡¯ve been okay. I found you and that is why I ruined everything. That must be why Lady Reba¡­¡± A normal kind person would¡¯ve tried to console Poliana, but Sir Ainno was definitely not a nice person. He was an impatient bastard, so without thinking, he punched her in the stomach for being stupid. He regretted it immediately after, but it was toote. Poliana kneeled on the ground with a gasp. Sir Ainno knew punching her wasn¡¯t the smart thing to do at the moment, but he didn¡¯t feel sorry. What Poliana was saying was ridiculous, and it clearly showed on his face. Poliana saw his expression and nodded, knowing that he was right. What she said was stupid indeed. As soon as she got up, however, she tried to kick his shin. Sir Ainno evaded her attack easily and raised his fist again. Poliana immediately apologized to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I misspoke.¡± ¡°Alright. As long as you know you are being stupid, it¡¯s okay, I guess. Now, whatever his highness might have done or said tonight to you, just forget about it.¡± Poliana¡¯s face darkened again at the mention of the emperor, making Sir Ainno feel even more annoyed. ¡®Why do I have to waste my time consoling this woman?¡¯ Poliana was the woman his friend loved, but it was unlikely that things would work out between them. Sir Ainno¡¯s eyebrows cringed angrily before he took a deep breath to calm down. He thought logically, ¡®I guess even if they don¡¯t be a couple, I should at least try my best to make sure their rtionship doesn¡¯t worsen.¡¯ Sir Ainno said to her, ¡°His highness probably didn¡¯t want to show you his weakness.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I am the one who made a mistake. I was being arrogant; I overestimated my importance.¡± ¡°I am telling you that that¡¯s not it! Just how many times do I have to exin? Until now, you have only seen the best sides of his highness! The emperor just didn¡¯t want to ruin your perception of him.¡± No man would ever want the woman he loved to see him cry like a baby after his wife died. As a matter of fact, it would be the same situation for a woman too. A woman would never want the man she loved to see her crying after her husband dies. To Sir Ainno, Lucius the First was a good friend and his emperor who needed to be protected. To Poliana, Lucius the First was the greatest emperor and the ruler she served. It was likely that the emperor probably didn¡¯t want anyone to see him like this tonight. Sir Ainno said to Poliana, ¡°You and his highness are both too emotional.¡± Sir Ainno was indeed a jerk. Just because this wasn¡¯t his problem, he talked like this wasn¡¯t a big deal. Poliana felt bitter, knowing Sir Ainno had everything. Both of his parents were still alive; he also had a younger brother who had a healthy wife and children. On top of that, the woman he loved was still very much alive and healthy. Poliana became annoyed at Sir Ainno. She stopped crying, but she continued to sniffle. What Sir Ainno said was rude and hurtful, but unfortunately, it was the truth. The problem was, Lucius the First¡¯s rejection hurt Poliana deeply. She was fine when she was spurned by her parents and her colleagues. She didn¡¯t even get angry at the time. But being rejected by the emperor¡­ It felt too devastating. This couldn¡¯t be helped because it was Lucius the First who made her into the Poliana Winter she was today. The emperor made her existence as the knightess of Acreia possible. Without him, Poliana would¡¯ve died nameless somewhere in one of the countless battlefields she had faced. Lucius the First was everything to Poliana. To her, he could do no wrong. What made Poliana angry at the moment was the fact that she crossed the line. This was her fault; she ruined everything. Sir Ainno, realizing that he wasn¡¯t going to be able to fix this, muttered, ¡°I will see you tomorrow.¡± He walked away quickly. Poliana, without a word, returned to where she left her horse. Just like she entered the castle, she left by the side door avable only for the people of importance. ¡®Should I go home and drink?¡¯ Only She hated to be alone. She craved to feel drunk, but she also didn¡¯t want to drink. ¡®I don¡¯t want to drink alone though¡­¡¯ She tried to think of another ce to go other than her own empty home. If Sir Howe and Sir Donau were here, she would¡¯ve gone to them, but unfortunately, they weren¡¯t in Yapa anymore. Lady Reba was no longer alive, so she couldn¡¯t visit her either. She knew most of her closest guards must be on duty, so she couldn¡¯t go bother them either. The other guards who were off duty were most likely at home with their families, and she certainly could not disturb them in the middle of the night. Poliana thought she developed a good social circle around her, but the truth was, she had no one. There was no one she could visit this night to drink with her. She didn¡¯t cry even when Lucius the First rejected her, but now, she was afraid her tears would roll down uncontrobly. ¡®Dammit! I refuse to cry!¡¯ Poliana rubbed her face vigorously and wished sadly, ¡®I should¡¯ve epted the puppy when I had the chance.¡¯ She regretted her decision. She was so lonely. Poliana wished she had someone, or even a dog, to keep herpany this night. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 After Poliana left for Yapa, Lady Tory was still in Nanaba getting ready to leave when she was visited by a guest. She already received a message concerning the death of Lady Reba, so Lady Tory didn¡¯t feel like greeting a guest, however, it was a visitor she could not refuse, so she put on her usual smile. She was raised this way and she was very good at ying her role. ¡°Great grandfather.¡± It was Sir Bentier¡¯s grandfather and the most powerful elder of Acreia, Marquis Seeze. He visited Lady Tory with the same smile as hers. All the maids became rigid and left immediately. Marquis Seeze asked Lady Tory, ¡°Oh, so you are returning to Yapa?¡± ¡°Yes, I should¡¯ve returned a long time ago.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. You are the mistress of that castle, so you should not be absent for too long there. Besides, there has also been very good news recently, so I think it¡¯s the perfect time for you to return.¡± The only news that arrived from Yapa was the death of Lady Reba. Marquis Seeze was calling this good news, and Tory¡¯s smile faltered a little. Marquis Seeze, unaware of the change in her demeanor, continued with a pleasedugh, ¡°I was never worried about that southern girl because she has always been so weak. Even if she had a son, I knew he was going to be weak just like his mother, but she ended up having a daughter instead. What a wonderful week it has been.¡± Marquis Seeze patted her shoulder gently and continued, ¡°Bentier has been acting strangelytely, but I know he is a serious and smart young man, so I am not too worried about him. I am sure he will do the right thing. I also have great trust in you, my child. You are very intelligent too, so I am certain you will do me proud. You know what I am saying, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Lady Tory bowed obediently, making Marquis Seeze smile proudly. He slowly unraveled the gift he brought for her. It was a bottle of ice wine from his own winery in the northern region. ¡°Everything we do is for his highness, Tory. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Great grandfather.¡± Lady Tory received the bottle with trembling hands as Marquis Seeze continued, ¡°I will tell the maids to take good care of you, alright?¡± ¡°Thank you, Sir. I am so grateful for all your help. I don¡¯t know how I will ever thank you for taking such good care of me.¡± ¡°Of course, I should be taking good care of you! You are the woman who is going to bear the future emperor after all! You are the woman who will be the next empress!¡± Lady Tory smiled shyly. Marquis Seeze said a few more words before leaving. After he was gone, the maids returned and took the bottle of ice wine away. Lady Tory was certain that he probably had a word with the maids. Tory smiled at the women as if nothing happened. *** Lady Stra finally woke up after crying herself to sleep. When she heard the news of Lady Reba¡¯s death, she couldn¡¯t stop crying. Still feeling confused and sleepy, all Lady Stra could think about now was how to help Lady Tory. She needed to get up and help get ready to leave Nanaba, but her maids stopped her. The maids told Stra that Lady Tory ordered them to make sure Stra rests well. ¡®She is such a kind person.¡¯ To Stra, both Lady Reba and Lady Tory were wonderful women. Thinking about Lady Reba made Stra begin to cry again. Lady Reba, a good person, was dead now. How could this happen? And what about the baby? The newborn would never get to know her own mother. It was a tragedy, but Lady Stra knew she couldn¡¯t just sit around and drown in sadness. It was very possible that the southern colonies would insist on the emperor taking in another wife from their own region. They might even insist on Lucius the First marrying Lady Reba¡¯s sister, iming that she would take the best care of the newborn princess. Until now, Lady Stra has been remaining quiet and docile because she was the youngest and the least powerful, but she needed to be stronger now. Her maids told her to rest and they will take care of everything, but Stra needed to work. ¡®I can¡¯t just sit still anymore.¡¯ Lady Stra wiped away her tears and stood up to go help Tory. When Lady Tory saw her, she told Stra that it was not necessary for her to help, but Lady Tory still smiled kindly as if she was pleased. *** A small group was formed to take care of the new princess. The royal doctors were kept busy because they were ordered to take special care of the princess as well as Poliana, who suffered from a recent injury. Normally, they would¡¯ve liked to spend much time treating Poliana, who was a very influential figure, but the doctors were bing too tired. So they said the Frau Sneke, ¡°You know the marquess well, so you should be the one taking care of her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You should go, Doctor Sneke.¡± Frau was half forced to visit Poliana. Just like the other doctors, Frau has been working hard during the past few months. He even lost a little weight, making him look less chubby. Unwilling to look tired in front of his patient, he straightened up before going to visit Poliana. He knew how close Poliana was to Lady Reba, which meant that Poliana must be very upset. ¡®I wonder if she will cry¡­ Or maybe she is drunk?¡¯ Frau has never seen Poliana cry before, but her friend just died. It would¡¯ve made sense for Poliana to cry. This was what Frau thought, but he was shocked to see Poliana¡¯s perfectly dry face. Poliana didn¡¯t smell of alcohol either. She looked perfectly fine, making Frau feel ufortable. Only ¡®No wonder people call her the cold witch.¡¯ Frau almost felt a little fearful of her, but Poliana seemed oblivious. She stared as Frau changed the bandages on her torso. His hands felt warm to her cold skin. The desperate loneliness she felt seemed to be soothed by his touch. A dog would¡¯ve had a higher temperature, but Poliana decided that this man will have to do. She said to Frau bluntly, ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Frau gasped in shock, but Poliana didn¡¯t care. She liked his awkwardness and honesty. She now had regr periods, which meant she could get pregnant now too. If she married him, they could have children and she could have her heir. Even if she was too old to have a baby, it was still ok. Frau told her before that he didn¡¯t care if they didn¡¯t have any children. Poliana couldn¡¯t endure her loneliness anymore, and that was why she proposed to him Frau, the gold digger, might just get what he wanted. Chapter 205: Story 17. Snake Hunting - 205 Story 17. Snake Hunting Chapter 205 Lucius the First, who was upset and quiet, mostly remained in his office while Marquess Winter stayed home as a form of self-punishment. Sir Ainno, the head of the First Division, roamed around looking annoyed. This wasn¡¯t a surprise since he always had a sour look on his face, but it was a little different now. He looked especially unhappy and he frequentlyshed out at his guards. It made sense for Lucius the First and Poliana to be sad since they were both close to Lady Reba, who passed away recently, but why was Sir Ainno so angry? A strange rumor began that stated Sir Ainno was in love with Lady Reba, the emperor¡¯s wife. Sir Ainno adamantly and firmly denied this, of course. The First Division¡¯s guards chatted curiously. ¡°So, why is he so annoyed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he is an old lonely bachelor.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I heard that Sir Ainno was nning to bring up the subject of his marriage when he visited Yapa.¡± ¡°But with the recent royal death, the nobles won¡¯t be able to get married this year¡­¡± ¡°Exactly, Sir Ainno cannot get married for a whole year, and that must be why he looks so angry at the world.¡± The guards had no idea if this was true, but they didn¡¯t care; gossiping was always fun no matter what. Was it because Sir Ainno chose his men based only on their skills and not their backgrounds and personalities? The First Division was notorious for including strange and rude knights. The group consisted of men from different backgrounds including high-ranking nobles like Sir Mahogal and poormoners. There was no doubt that these men trained hard, but there were no strict rules in this division. Initially, the men, especially themoners, were ecstatic to be selected by Sir Ainno. They dreamt of gaining honor and wealth as the knights of the First Division. However, it didn¡¯t take long before these men became tired of the harsh judgment from the world. When they did well, people took it as granted, and if the men didn¡¯t do well, the others med it on their poor backgrounds. It should¡¯ve been Sir Ainno¡¯s job to take care of these men, but he was not a good boss. All Sir Ainno cared about was his men¡¯s skills. If it wasn¡¯t for Sir Mahogal, who was a much kinder and understanding leader, the First Division might have turned out even worse. The guards continued to gossip, ¡°So who is thisdy our boss fell in love with?¡± ¡°Who knows? All I can tell you is that she is one unlucky woman.¡± This mystery woman was sure to face an unfortunate fate, but the guards hoped that Sir Ainno would get married as soon as possible. Perhaps then, he would be less mean and hysteric. The guards¡¯ faces turned dark, however, as they realized that it would be at least a year before Sir Ainno could get married. But was Sir Ainno really acting this way because he wasn¡¯t allowed to get married for a year? The guards couldn¡¯t tell. Some believed it to be the truth, while others shook their heads. The truth was in the middle as usual. It was true that Sir Ainno was angry at being stopped from getting married, but he was also frustrated because he didn¡¯t know how to console his friend who lost his wife. Sir Ainno had no idea what he needed to do to make his friend feel better. ¡®I thought I just needed to drink with him a few times, but¡­¡¯ Sir Ainno spent most of his life by Lucius the First¡¯s side. The emperor didn¡¯t look this depressed when his own father, the former emperor, passed away. Sir Ainno remembered Lucius the First feeling determined to continue his father¡¯s legacy and make this kingdom better and stronger. ¡®Did lose his will to go on?¡¯ The death of Lady Reba left the emperor with the problem of the marriage contract with the southern region and a fragile newborn daughter who may not survive for long. Lucius the First still refused to see his daughter; all he focused on was his work. The emperor has always been a workaholic, but it felt different now. In the past, Lucius the First made sure to take breaks and keep up with his hobbies, such as riding, sword fighting, and hunting, but now, it seemed that the emperor forgot how to enjoy his life. All Lucius the First did was work. He appeared to be ready to dedicate his life to his work and nothing else. The emperor still put on a smile on his face, but it no longer looked leisurely and confident. Lucius the First¡¯s smile now looked dangerously fragile. To others, it might have looked perfect, but Sir Ainno knew better. Sir Ainno was extremely unhappy with the current situation. It was bad enough to see Lucius the First acting this way, but on top of this, Poliana was acting even worse. She refused toe to the castle; she was staying at her home as a form of self-punishment for disturbing the emperor. ¡®Idiots¡­ They are all idiots.¡¯ The emperor and the head of a major military division¡­ These were people who were supposed to lead this kingdom, yet they were both acting like children. Sir Ainno sighed and shook his head. As the only sane and capable person here, Sir Ainno knew it was his job to fix the situation. ¡°¡­¡± Sir Ainno sighed again and began to make a n to bring the emperor out of his depression. It was especially crucial that the emperor changed how he treated his daughter. *** Lady Tory and Lady Stra returned to the Yapa castle, which was now filled with tension and uncertainty. The emperor was immersed in his work while Marquess Winter remained home. Thedies had no idea why Sir Ainno was acting all annoyed. The newborn princess was still in a critical condition, still unable to breathe well, so someone needed to be by her side at all times to make sure she was ok. Only Duchess Nani was currently given the duty of taking care of the princess; she was her maternal grandmother, so it made sense. Everyone thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea for the duchess to permanently live in Yapa and take care of her granddaughter. This was what Lady Tory thought as well until she met Duchess Nani in person. ¡°Gosh¡­ I cannot believe my daughter gave birth to a girl. How disappointing.¡± There was no sadness in Duchess Nani¡¯s demeanor. It was clear that she felt disappointed in her dead daughter for not bearing a son. Lady Stra argued, ¡°Duchess Nani, aren¡¯t you even sad that your daughter died?¡± ¡°Of course, I am, but thankfully, I have many other children. I have two more daughters and even more sons. If Reba resembled me, she would¡¯ve been able to bear many sons, but¡­ why did she have to birth a daughter?¡± Everyone was thinking this, but no one was willing to voice it. Lady Stra and Lady Tory knew that this wasn¡¯t such a shocking thought, but they were still very angry that Lady Reba¡¯s own mother would feel this way. Originally, Lady Tory nned on asking Duchess Nani to remain in Yapa permanently to take care of the princess, but Lady Tory changed her mind. She ordered, ¡°Duchess Nani, please leave this castle as soon as possible.¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Duchess Nani asked in confusion, ¡°Pardon?¡± Lady Tory exined coldly, ¡°We, Lady Stra and I, will raise the princess. We cannot have you take care of her, so please leave.¡± ¡°But Lady Tory, I am the princess¡¯s grandmother and the mother ofte Lady Reba! How dare you tell me to leave?¡± ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t care for your daughter, you could¡¯ve said something nice about her just now, but you didn¡¯t, Duchess Nani, and that is why we cannot have you raise the princess. I cannot imagine what the princess will learn if you were the one raising her.¡± Lady Stra agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right, we are the princess¡¯s mothers now, so we will raise her. Please leave, Duchess Nani.¡± Duchess Nani was shocked. She stammered, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you are saying¡­¡± ¡°Leave.¡± Duchess Nani was no match for the two wives of the emperor. She left the reception area and Lady Tory sighed. She told the duchess to leave, but Lady Tory wasn¡¯t sure if Duchess Nani would obey her order. After all, only the emperor¡¯s order would force the duchess to leave the castle. One fortunate thing was the fact that Lady Tory and Lady Stra were indeed the princess¡¯s mothers. Even if the duchess stayed in Yapa, Lady Tory and Lady Stra could stop her from raising the princess. Lady Tory thought with concern, ¡®What will I do if his highness allows the duchess to stay? And what should I do about his highness who isn¡¯t even willing to see his own daughter¡­¡¯ Tory regretted making such a rash decision. There was no need for her to get involved like this. She had no idea how things were going to work out, and to stand out like this was not a good idea. Her n has always been to remain invisible, so what she did today was a mistake. What happened today¡­ She knew everyone in the castle would find out very soon and she couldn¡¯t even imagine how people would interpret this event. There was no doubt that her enemies would use it against her. This was why Tory had to remain calm and collected at all times. She could never afford to be impulsive or rash. She needed to make all of her decisions carefully. Until now, Lady Tory was able to remain calm. As the mistress of the castle and as the lead wife of all the emperor¡¯s wives, Lady Tory has been acting dutifully and diplomatically. It was a bad idea to do anything that might cause a conflict between the emperor and the people of the colonies. ¡®I wonder if I will be alright¡­¡¯ Tory¡¯s hands trembled and when Lady Stra held them, Tory flinched in shock. Logically, Tory knew what she did was the right thing to do, but she couldn¡¯t help sweating because of it. Lady Stra squeezed Tory¡¯s hands and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s raise our princess as the bestdy of this kingdom.¡± The way Lady Stra said her words sounded more like an oath to herself rather than a suggestion. Normally, Stra¡¯s words would¡¯ve consoled Tory, but today, they weighed heavily on Tory¡¯s mind. The nicer Lady Stra acted towards Tory, the worse Tory felt. The maids were staring at thedies. It was their job to focus on theirdies, but Tory hated their eyes on her. As soon as she was chosen by Marquis Seeze, Tory knew she would have to live the rest of her life watched by others. *** What happened between Lady Tory and Duchess Nani quickly reached the emperor. Duchess Nani became furious and demanded justice. Lucius the First did not see the duchess in person. He was satisfied with hearing the report from the servant. Normally, he would¡¯ve shown more respect towards his mother-inw, but currently, he was not in the mood. He announced, ¡°A child needs to be raised by the mother, of course. Let my wives do what they wish.¡± ¡°But your highness¡­ Duchess Nani is the princess¡¯s maternal grandmother¡­ Are you sure about making her leave¡­¡± It made sense that the mother should have the strongest say in a child¡¯s welfare, but in this case, the maternal grandmother was a blood rtive to the princess while the emperor¡¯s wives were not. Perhaps the princess would prefer her own grandmother than her stepmothers¡­ But Lucius the First made it clear that he sided with his wives. ¡°No, Lady Tory is right. I have been concerned about Duchess Nani for a while now, so this is the right thing to do.¡± Lucius the First remembered the day when his daughter was born. It was a hectic and awful day, and as soon as Lady Reba gave birth to a princess, Duchess Nani walked up to the emperor and apologized to him. She said, ¡°I am so sorry that my unworthy daughter gave you a daughter, your highness.¡± The emperor felt ufortable at the time. His wife, Reba, gave up her life for this child, yet her mother was apologizing on her behalf. The emperor was upset but what shocked him, even more, was his newborn daughter. The princess was tiny and fragile. A healthy baby would¡¯ve cried out, but the princess couldn¡¯t even do that. She was barely breathing, and it was obvious that she may not survive the night. Lucius the First became fearful. He was afraid that his daughter might not survive, just like his wife. He ignored his daughter because of his fear, and it was his mother-inw, Duchess Nani, who has been taking care of the baby until now. He felt guilty about kicking the duchess out now, but he was certain that it was the right decision to side with his wives now. How could he let someone like Duchess Nani raise his daughter? Lucius the First asked Sir Ainno, ¡°Is¡­ Is the princess ok?¡± ¡°Your highness, you should go see her for yourself.¡± Only All the servants around them looked relieved to see the emperor worrying about the princess. They all knew Lucius the First was a kind man, so they never doubted that he would care for his own daughter when he felt better. But still afraid to see the princess, Lucius the First asked again, ¡°Is she better?¡± ¡°Your highness, you really need to go see her and find out. How could I go see the princess when you, her father, haven¡¯t?¡± ¡°I can understand Chail refusing to answer me, but you too, Inno?¡± ¡°Your highness, as your protector, you know I haven¡¯t left your side. So how could I have visited the princess?¡± ¡°I see¡­ So, I am the problem.¡± After hesitating for a long time, Lucius the First finally decided to visit the princess. Sir Ainno was pleased as things seemed to be working out just fine without him doing much work. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 The princess, who couldn''t even breathe well when she was born, now looked better. When Lucius the First visited his daughter, the maids and the wet nurse sighed in relief. The emperor, now seeing that his daughter was doing better, decided to finally name her. When she opened her eyes, she looked a little cross-eyed. There, the emperor announced, ¡°I will call her Luminae.¡± Everyone sighed in relief. They have been worried that the emperor has been refusing to visit the princess, but now, it seemed that he was ready to face his daughter. Lucius the First yed with the princess''s tiny fingers, studying her carefully. Just like her mother, Lady Reba, Princess Luminae had ck hair and ck eyes. She had pale skin like her father, but she was also covered in fine hair. When the emperor showed concern about the fuzz, the wet nurse reassured him that they will fall outter. ¡°Her highness will be a great beauty, your highness.¡± ¡°Your highness, it makes sense since her parents are such beauties themselves.¡± ¡°She is bing so much stronger too, your highness.¡± Lucius the First gave a small smile and replied, ¡°Yes, I can see that she resembles me; I can also see Reba in her too.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. Princess Luminae resembles both of you.¡± ¡°Reba was a greedy woman. I am also a very ambitious man, so I think our daughter will be a greedy girl.¡± ¡°We did notice that the princess is always hungry for food.¡± ¡°Good, good. She needs to eat a lot since she was born two months earlier than she should''ve; she needs to eat as much as possible.¡± The wet nurse informed the emperor that the princess was constantly hungry, keeping her busy. Lucius the First was relieved to learn that his daughter was eating well. Perhaps it was Princess Luminae''s greed that kept her alive. The emperor murmured to her, ¡°You need to grow up selfish. You need to take what you want for yourself. You need to live long, and you cannot die before me.¡± Lucius the First hugged her, almost too tightly. He lost his mother, his first girl, and his wife too early. The emperor didn''t think he could endure losing his daughter too. Duchess Nani was furious when she was forced to leave Yapa. The southern regions protested aggressively at how she was treated, but Lucius the First ignored them. He imed that this was a family business. Lady Tory was relieved to see Duchess Nani gone. After a long day, she was finally able to rx when she was alone in her bed. Tory couldn''t rx even when she was with her own maids. From early in the morning tillte in the night, Lady Tory could not rx at all. No one asked or ordered her, but Lady Tory became the unofficial mistress of the castle. Lady Stra, trying to help, took it upon herself to raise the princess. Some of Lady Reba''s maids left with Duchess Nani back home. Whoever remained helped Lady Stra take care of the princess. Anyone who came from the mid-continent clearly supported Lady Stra. Those from Acreia, on the other hand, were clearly on Lady Tory''s side. Most of Tory''s maids were youngdies she grew up with in Acreia. They were her rtives or family friends. During thest few years, some of them left when they got married, but they were quickly reced by other equally qualifieddies from Acreia. Thedies served Lady Tory faithfully. Tory felt thankful to them, and she worked very hard to repay them. Just like the elders wanted, Lady Tory tried to live as a perfectdy. She was able to take control over thedy''s quarters in the Yapa castle just as the elders desired. Lady Tory was kind to everyone including the other wives of the emperor. She always had a smile on her face and acted in a perfect manner. This was her job. This was what everyone expected of her. She was the perfect wife of the emperor, the future empress; thedy that represents Acreia. Lady Tory needed to do what was necessary so she wouldn''t disappoint Marquis Seeze, who handpicked her himself for this role. This morning, one of Tory''s maids said in passing that Lady Stra missed her period. It was her time for her monthly bleeding, but nothing happened so far, which was worrying many of her maids. After her phantom pregnancy, it wasn''t umon for Stra to skip her period, so there had to be a reason why her maid mentioned this. This was no ident. Tory took out the bottle of ice wine from the cab. It was the one Marquis Seeze gave to her before she left Nanaba. There was a huge shortage in farnds in Acreia, which meant most avablends were used for grains and vegetables. Fruits were considered a luxury, and this was why Marquis Seeze was the only one in Acreia who had a winery. The grapes grown on hisnd were of a different variety than the ones grown in the mid-continent and the southern regions. His wine was considered a very important export item in Acreia. Marquis Seeze''s wine was considered a luxury item. Tory shook the bottle lightly and watched the liquid dance inside. There had to be more than just wine in this bottle. She wasn''t na?ve enough to believe that the bottle Marquis Seeze gave her only contained simple wine. ¡®Should I just drop it and break it?'' If she made it look like an ident and destroyed it, another bottle would be sent to her shortly. If she broke it again, there would be another bottle. If she continued to break it, soon, it won''t be bottles of wine that would arrive but anotherdy who would rece Tory herself. Even if she knew this was wrong and she wanted to stop, it was not possible. She couldn''t go against the will of the elders. She couldn''t even try to hide her intention because her own maids reported her every move to Marquis Seeze. The only reason Tory became the emperor''s wife was thanks to her family. The only reason why Tory was able to take control of the Yapa castle was due to the help from her maids, who were only following an order from her family. Just as her married maids were easily reced by otherdies, Tory knew she could be reced just as easily. ¡®Reba, Stra¡­'' Tory thought of Lady Reba who died and Lady Stra, who was still alive. Lady Tory wasn''t sure if it was a good thing that she came to be close to thesedies. They were very kind to her, and it seemed that they genuinely liked her. Tory wasn''t sure if they really meant to be her friend, because, at the end of the day, they were destined topete against each other. ¡°For my family. For Acreia. For his highness.¡± Stra was kind and genuine. Reba, the oldest of them, used to be sickly but was very dependable. Tory could never be truly genuine like thesedies. Tory''s smile was fake, unlike theirs. Their husband, the emperor, often praised her for being smart. It was a surprise because the onlypliment Tory ever heard was that she was obedient and docile. Lady Tory wasn''t sure if what she needed to do was really for the emperor and for Acreia. The problem was, she could never report her situation because she was in the middle of it. She was in the same boat as her family. If her family was destroyed, so would she. The emperor tried his best to be fair to all of his wives, but Tory knew that of all thedies, he kept his distance from her the most; it was obvious. Tory didn''t know anything about politics. All people wanted from her was her obedience, so she had no choice but to follow their orders. ¡®But I know the truth¡­'' She knew, but she had to feign ignorance. Her family told her whatever they asked her to do was for her own good. Tory knew this was a lie, but¡­ A properdy was never supposed to doubt her family''s intentions. ¡°For me.¡± Tory lied to herself out loud. She closed her eyes and buried her face on her pillow. There was nothing she could do to change the situation. Just like all the otherdies, Tory was raised to be obedient. Chapter end Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Just as Poliana promised, she remained at home as a form of self-punishment. She didn¡¯t, however, return her uniform with the gold stripe. Instead, she didn¡¯t go to work; she remained home for a month. Poliana was very strict about her punishment. First of all, she didn¡¯t leave her home at all during this time. Even at her own home, she only stayed in her bedroom and the library. She refused to see any guests and she also did not receive or send any letters. Any gifts she received, if she returned them immediately if she ever received one. Poliana got up in the morning as the sun rose and she went to bed at sunset. She ate meat only at lunch and she did not indulge herself with white bread at all during this month. She only drank alcohol at night; she drank only water during the rest of the day. She spent her time reading books about royal etiquettes and organizing the information she gathered during her lifetime about maps and how to interpret them. Poliana always wanted to write and publish a book about map interpretation. The day after Poliana decided to punish herself, Lucius the First sent her a message that there was no need for her to do so. However, this was useless because Poliana refused to see the messenger at all. And finally, after a month, Poliana Winter returned to the castle looking calmer and determined. Sir Ainno Seki had been leading the Second Division in her absence, so when the guards saw their boss return, their eyes teared up in happiness. ¡°Boss! We missed you so much!¡± ¡°Marquess Winter, please don¡¯t ever leave us again!¡± ¡°And if you must leave again, please leave us with the leader of the Third Division, not the First Division.¡± Poliana asked, ¡°Anything new since I left?¡± ¡°We spared half of Lady Reba¡¯s personal guards to the new princess.¡± Poliana nodded in agreement. It would¡¯ve been a waste to use too many guards to protect a newborn baby. While she listened to the rest of the report, Poliana frowned in concern. ¡®There are too many people here.¡¯ While Poliana was away, thedy¡¯s quarters became filled with strangers. Too many people were allowed to enter and leave as they pleased. It was because, during Poliana¡¯s absence, people such as Duchess Nani and her entourage, more doctors, apothecaries, wet nurses, newly hired maids, and merchants were called in. After the duchess left and the two wives of the emperor returned, things settled down a little, but there were still many more people freely entering thedy¡¯s quarters than when Poliana was in charge. If someone walked in with a bad intention, there would¡¯ve been no way to stop them. On top of this, there has been an increase of noblemen visiting Lady Tory and Lady Stra to greet them on their safe return. It was almost impossible to stop these people. What worried Poliana the most, however, was the fact that the nobledies seemed to be trying to create conflicts between Lady Tory and Lady Stra. ¡®Is it because there are now only two of them instead of three?¡¯ The careful peace the three wives of the emperor created was now over. After Lady Reba passed away giving birth to her daughter, there was a clear uncertainty in the castle¡¯s power structure. Three was a good number for stability. The best thing would¡¯ve been for the emperor to take in another wife, but no one dared to suggest such a thing to Lucius the First. It was partly because everyone knew how upset the emperor was, but also, the royal members themselves could not marry for a year after the death of one of them. At this point, it seemed that whicheverdy that bes pregnant first would be able to gain the ultimate power. Poliana regretted leaving. ¡®Dammit. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have left for this long.¡¯ She was feeling much better after a month to herself, but now that she saw what was going on in the castle, she began to feel uncertain. Too many things seemed to happen while she was gone. Was something very bad going to happen from all these changes? Poliana shook her head. ¡®No, there is no need to regret my decision. It had to be done.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she spent thest month fooling around and having fun. She worked to renew her energy and her goal. She needed this desperately so there was no reason why she needed to feel guilty about it. ¡®If something goes wrong, it will be their fault.¡¯ She looked around her guards slowly. The men, however, didn¡¯t notice her look. They only continued toin about how hard their lives have been under Sir Ainno¡¯s lead. Only Poliana trusted and believed in her men. She didn¡¯t doubt that they worked hard despite her absence. What worried her, however, was their rtives. Most of the noblemen anddies that entered the castle were one way or another rted to the guards. They were either their rtives, friends, or close acquaintances, which meant the men wouldn¡¯t be as vignt. For example, there was Cekel. Because her brothers were guards working in the main castle, she could often enter different areas easily without anyone thinking twice about it. Cekel could go anywhere she wanted in the castle freely without looking suspicious. ¡®I can¡¯t trust Sir Ainno in preventing this kind of problem.¡¯ Sir Ainno was excellent at taking care of problems, but his weakness was preventing potential problems in the first ce. In some ways, Poliana envied him for it. ¡®Ok, I need to stop thinking about this.¡¯ There was no point in Poliana envying Sir Ainno; she could never be him. They were two very different people, and she needed to constantly remind herself of this fact. Besides, at this point, there was a more important thing she needed to do. It was time for her to beg for the emperor¡¯s forgiveness. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Poliana said to Lady Tory and Lady Stra, ¡°It is my duty to protect and serve you, yet I left you in Nanaba and did not evene to you when you returned to Yapa; what I did was uneptable and I could ask nothing more than your forgiveness.¡± Poliana was absent for two months in thesedies¡¯ lives and she felt horrible about it. Lady Stra and Lady Tory, however, told her that there was nothing to apologize about. They tried to stop her, but Poliana kneeled on the floor and continued, ¡°I may be serving you per the emperor¡¯s order, but I take it my honor to work as your protector. You are mydies, which means I am guilty of not doing my job. From now on, I will do my best to serve you even better.¡± ¡°Please, Marquess, there is no need for this. You don¡¯t have to apologize or feel guilty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Marquess Winter. You don¡¯t have to be so nice to us¡­. You are going to make us cry¡­¡± Stra took out her handkerchief and wiped away her tears. The loyalty and determination Poliana showed them felt almost burdensome. Thedies wondered how Lucius the First dealt with so many people pledging this kind of devotion to him. ¡°Please stand up, Marquess. To us, you are the best knight we could ever hope for.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Pol, please stand up; It¡¯s time for you to go greet the princess now.¡± ¡°Her highness? The princess?¡± Poliana¡¯s eyes shined with excitement. Princess Luminae was born premature, so even though she was over 2 months old, she was still very much a newborn. Poliana was told that the princess had a rough few weeks but was finally in a stable condition. There was a strict rule on limiting the number of people that could visit the princess for her health. Poliana asked, ¡°Are you sure I am allowed to see her highness?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You were her mother¡¯s friend, so you have all the right to visit the princess.¡± Poliana immediately changed her clothes for a cleaner one and washed her hands. She also covered her nose and mouth with a clean handkerchief before following Lady Tory and Lady Stra. Lady Stra was the one who spent the most time with Princess Luminae. Lady Tory was too busy taking care of other things. It wasmonly believed that a newborn should have minimal contact with strangers. After naming his daughter, the emperor wanted to see her frequently, but the wet nurses, the maids, and the doctors asked him to wait a while longer until she was older. Lady Stra and Lady Tory, however, were free to see the princess as often as they wished because they were her mothers. No one would ever dare to stop a mother from seeing her own child. Princess Luminae, who wasying on her bed, tried to il around. She was tightly wrapped in a nket, and it seemed that she was unhappy about it, given by the frown that she wore on her face. Poliana was the first and only noble who was allowed to see the princess so far. She stared at the baby with obvious joy. Sheughed, which sounded a little creepy, but the wet nurse and thedies watched her with a warm smile. ¡®Well, this proves Marquess Winter is indeed a woman. Look at how much she likes a baby.¡¯ Some people in the room were thinking this way, but this wasn¡¯t really the truth. Poliana was happy to see the princess, not because she liked children, but because the princess was a child of her close acquaintance. Poliana did like children, but she always felt awkward around them. She never had a chance to interact with children, which meant that she didn¡¯t know much about them. All she knew was that babies are very fragile, and they could die easily. Polianaughed again creepily. She has always dreamt of Lucius the First having beautiful princesses, and it finally happened. There was a tragedy to get this baby to this world, but this didn¡¯t mean that the birth of the princess could not be celebrated. It has always been Poliana¡¯s wish to see a princess that resembled her beautiful father. Her dream finally came true. Poliana asked excitedly, ¡°So, she is breathing well!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°To be honest, this is my first time seeing a baby this close.¡± ¡°Would you like to hold her, Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°As long as you can support her head well, you can. Here you go.¡± Lady Stra gestured to the wet nurse, who brought Princess Luminae to Poliana. Poliana¡¯s hands shook as she received the baby. As soon as she held her, Poliana eximed, ¡°Oh, she¡¯s so warm!¡± ¡°Yes, babies have a higher temperature than us adults.¡± Polianaughed again happily, and this time, the princess began to cry. Looking awkward and not knowing what to do, Poliana looked around to ask for help. ¡®Help!¡¯ The wet nurse immediately took the baby away from Poliana. When Poliana rxed but looked awkward, Lady Tory consoled her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed about not knowing how to hold a baby, Marquess Winter. Most royals and nobles don¡¯t raise their babies anyway. They have the maids and wet nurses for that.¡± Lady Stra added to make Poliana feel better, ¡°Princes Luminae cries even when I hold her, Marquess Winter.¡± The wet nurse quietly took the baby to the next room so thedies and the knightess could talk in private. Lady Stra stated that she needed to get used to hearing the baby cry, so she followed the wet nurse to the next room, leaving Poliana and Tory alone. Poliana thought to herself, ¡®The baby was so warm.¡¯ Lady Tory asked hesitantly, ¡°Umm¡­ Marquess¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Tory.¡± ¡°If I ask you about something¡­ Even if it¡¯s about things I shouldn¡¯t be asking¡­¡± Poliana raised her fist gantly and replied, ¡°Lady Tory. You are the wife of the emperor, which means you deserve to know anything you wish to know in this world. Did someone tell you that you shouldn¡¯t be asking questions? Just tell me who it was, and I will go beat that person up for you.¡± Lady Tory began to look more rxed. She asked Poliana to move to a corner away from the door to make sure no one eavesdropped. Lady Tory didn¡¯t want anyone knowing about this conversation. Only She asked Poliana, ¡°Even if it¡¯s about the military?¡± ¡°Of course. If you want to learn about something, I will tell you as far as I know. Oh, but of course, I cannot tell you any national secrets¡± ¡°What about the topic ofw?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about it, but I will answer you as best as I can.¡± So, Lady Tory began to ask some basic questions. She felt silly for feeling nervous about asking Poliana these questions. ¡®I guess there was no need for me to be anxious about it.¡¯ Slowly, Tory began to mention Marquis Seeze. Poliana answered as best as she could, but she realized that she couldn¡¯t help but give a calcted answer. Poliana felt guilty and apologetic. In the past, Poliana asked Sir Bentier to trust Lady Tory, yet here she was, not fully trusting thedy herself. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 ¡®Of all people, I should¡¯ve trusted her¡­¡¯ Even Lucius the First acknowledged that Lady Tory was an unusually intelligent woman. If Lady Tory was trying to fool Poliana and sneak sensitive information out of her, she wouldn¡¯t have asked this openly. And even if Lady Tory was trying to gather information, she would¡¯ve made sure to only ask the questions Poliana could answer anyway. Poliana felt foolish for being suspicious of Lady Tory. After a short question and answer period, Tory smiled shyly and said to her, ¡°Thank you so much for exining things to me so kindly, Marquess Winter. I had no one else to ask these kinds of questions and I have been dying of curiosity.¡± ¡°I think reading a few books might help you even more to understand these topics than just me exining it to you, Lady Tory. Would you like me to rmend a few books to you?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s ok. If I had those kinds of books, my maids would notice them. They will nag me for reading on my breaks.¡± The bookshelves in ady¡¯s room needed to be filled with novels and fashion books. If there were anything more serious, people would disapprove. Poliana understood why Lady Tory could not ask anyone about these things. Lady Tory was surrounded by other nobledies just like her. If she asked one of her male rtives, they would be reprimanded. If she asked her maids to find her the books Poliana rmended, they would protest, telling her that properdies would never read such books. And of course, a properdy was also not allowed to go to the library herself to find these books. Lady Tory asked Poliana, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, would it be ok for me to continue asking you these kinds of questions in the future?¡± ¡°Of course, Lady Tory.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Toryughed with clear joy. It wasn¡¯t even a big favor she was asking, yet Lady Tory seemed so grateful and happy. Poliana felt a little embarrassed, and with an awkward expression, she asked, ¡°Well, would you mind if I asked you a question too, Lady Tory?¡± ¡°Of course. What would you like to ask, Marquess?¡± ¡°How do you n an Acreian wedding?¡± ¡°A wedding? Why would you need to know about nning a wedding¡­? That is¡­ Oh my god!¡± Tory gasped in shock as Poliana looked at her seriously. *** The truth was, Poliana Winter proposed to Frau Sneke, and her decision came from her desperate loneliness. Frau was the one who was most surprised about her proposal. He acted as if Poliana dered that she was going to kill him. Well, certain marriages could be like a death sentence, but perhaps it was an understandable reaction. ¡°M-m-m-m-Marquess?¡± ¡°Since you want to marry me for my money, I will let you use all the money you want. I wouldn¡¯t even mind if you overspend like you are a king.¡± Frau gaped in shock. It looked like he wouldn¡¯t even notice if a fly flew into his mouth. He asked, ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I will never be able to find a man with a higher status than me, and even if there is such a man, he would never agree to marry me. Besides, all men are pretty much the same and since I don¡¯t want a young boy as my husband, you will do, Frau. If you don¡¯t want me, however, just let me know.¡± ¡°N-no! Not at all! I will marry you, Marquess Winter!¡± ¡°Alright. The next time we meet, make sure to bring your side of the engagement documents. Oh, wait, we can¡¯t get engaged or married right now.¡± Due to the recent royal death, no noble could get officially engaged or married for a year. Poliana was nning on being engaged for a year before her marriage, but she decided to ignore this tradition. She announced, ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll just get engaged verbally. It won¡¯t be official or legal, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s call today our engagement day and a year from now, we will get married. Are you ok with that?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± ¡°Good! We will then have a whole year toe up with a perfect marriage contract.¡± This was how her marriage was decided and nned. Considering how a marriage was one of the most important events in one¡¯s life, there was no doubt that Poliana made this decision too spontaneously. Poliana, however, thought that a marriage would not take too much importance in her own life. She was not like the other women after all. Unlike the otherdies, whose lives depended heavily on who they married, Poliana had a career, a powerful family name, high noble status, andnds. It was more likely that Frau¡¯s life would change by marrying Poliana, not the other way around. For the rest of his life, Frau would be called a gold digger. A man who married for money. A man who gave up his own family name to marry a woman wealthier and more powerful than him. It was Poliana who proposed to him, yet she refused to see Frau during the month of her self-punishment. This meant that today was going to be the first time she meets him since their proposal. Poliana nned on discussing their marriage contract with him in detail. Lady Tory, Lady Stra, and Poliana sat in Lady Stra¡¯s reception room together. Poliana initially nned on telling only Lady Tory about her marriage n, but Lady Tory called for Lady Stra to join them. Bothdies looked very concerned and serious; even the maids around them looked shocked and worried about her, too. Lady Tory said to Poliana, ¡°Marquess¡­ To marry just because you are lonely¡­ You can¡¯t make such an important decision so rashly.¡± ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t that important to me, Lady Tory. This is for convenience, no one will ever be able to fault me for not getting married.¡± Only ¡°Then why not marry a handsome young man?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t marry someone younger than me; young men all look like babies to me.¡± ¡°Please, Marquess¡­ Please reconsider. If Reba was here, she would¡¯ve fainted.¡± Lady Tory and Lady Stra wished they fainted easily like Reba used to. Poliana frowned at them unhappily and announced, ¡°Frau is a good man. I don¡¯t see why this is such a problem.¡± ¡®That¡¯s not the problem!¡¯ Lady Tory was about to scream but stopped herself. She inhaled deeply to calm herself while Lady Stra replied, ¡°Well, I guess we are ok with it as long as you are happy, Marquess, but¡­ do you really think his highness will allow this?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Lucius the First told Poliana many times before that she should get married if she found a good man. Poliana never imagined that the emperor would refuse to allow her to get married. When she looked confused, Lady Stra exined, ¡°Marquess Winter, you are a very close acquaintance of the emperor, right? It sounds like you may be marrying too below your status¡­ which could be problematic¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that shouldn¡¯t be an issue, Lady Stra. His highness is very lenient when ites to things like that. As long as I am not marrying a descendant of a traitor or a mad man, and there isn¡¯t a severe gic disorder in his family, it should be ok.¡± Poliana felt certain that Lucius the First would give her his permission to marry Frau. After all, Cekel was significantly beneath Sir Ainno but the emperor gave his permission to Sir Ainno anyway. Poliana couldn¡¯t think of a reason why the emperor would be against her marrying Frau Sneke. Lady Stra murmured, ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­ I guess¡­ Alright¡­ I suppose¡­ but still¡­ I was expecting¡­¡± While Stra was deep in her own thoughts, Lady Tory said to Poliana, ¡°Marquess, you need to think carefully about this. It might have been hard for you to find an appropriate man because you were focusing only on the men living in Yapa or Acreia. If you look further down south, I am sure you should be able to find a man of your age. And I am certain that all of them are in a better situation than Frau Sneke. If you are concerned about finding a man who is willing to change his family name to yours, then there are plenty of kingdoms in the south that are used to this custom, so¡­¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want a better man.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Tory was confused. Frau Sneke was an unambitious and useless man. The world was filled with men that were so much better than him, yet why was Poliana saying she didn¡¯t want a better man? Every woman wanted to marry the best man they could find, right? But Poliana had a good reason for her decision. She exined, ¡°Even if a man is willing to change hisst name to mine, most men will still insist on being the head of the family. The problem is, I don¡¯t n on giving up control over my own family. I want to always remain as the head of my family.¡± Poliana loved power. Was there anything greater than power in this world? Her name and status allowed her to do as she wished. She couldmand thousands of noblemen with a single order. When she walked the street in her blue uniform with the golden stripe, people moved aside to create a clear path for her. Power was what made life worth living. Poliana had all the power in the world, and she didn¡¯t n on giving it up when she was in her own home. She swore to be in power both inside and outside her home. Poliana continued, ¡°Besides if I marry Frau, I won¡¯t have to worry about dealing with the inws. He will do as I tell him to do. Since he is marrying me for money, he wouldn¡¯t want to divorce me, which means that he won¡¯t cause any serious problems for me either.¡± ¡°Well, if that is how you feel¡­¡± This was the reason why Poliana didn¡¯t want to marry a man with better qualifications. She was right about one thing; most men in a decent situation would never allow her to be in power in their rtionship. Even if he did, the man¡¯s family, friends, and acquaintances would make it impossible for him to live in such a way. This was why Frau Sneke was the perfect man for him. He was an outsider and he didn¡¯t have any friends. No one cared about him, so they wouldn¡¯t care if he lived a powerless life. His reputation was so bad that it could not get any worse anyway. It was hard for the twodies to agree with Poliana, and it was even harder for them to oppose her. Lady Stra and Lady Tory sighed quietly. They had always hoped Poliana would marry someone great. Poliana was in the position to choose her own husband, unlike all the other women in the world, and thedies hoped that she would pick a better man than Frau Sneke. ¡®But this is the reality.¡¯ It was Poliana¡¯s life and her decision. Thedies knew that they had no right to judge her. Lady Tory asked, ¡°So will you be meeting Frau today?¡± ¡°Yes, I will first go to see the emperor and afterward, I will see Frau.¡± ¡°Are you nning on looking like that when you see your fianc¨¦?¡± Lady Stra shook her head and called for her maids. ¡°Ladies, please bring me a brush.¡± The maids moved quickly and expertly. Poliana got up, trying to escape, but she decided against it. She sat down again and thought in resignation, ¡®Well¡­ He is my fianc¨¦ now, but maybe I should look better¡­¡¯ Perhaps a little change wasn¡¯t the worst idea. *** Only Cekel murmured to herself quietly, ¡°I guess this is really happening¡­¡± She felt like her head was going to explode. She was anxious and she couldn¡¯t help it. It began when the castle became short-handed when more than half the maids and servants left to visit Yapa. Cekel remained in the castle and helped out Lady Reba¡¯s servants when needed. Because Lady Reba needed a lot of care, the maids and the servants were d of her help. Duchess Nani brought her own maids too, but taking care of a sick pregnantdy was a lot of hard work. Because the servants were considered too low-born to touch thedy¡¯s body, it had to be the maids who take care of Lady Reba closely. The problem was, the maids also hesitated to volunteer to provide physical care because it was hard. Cekel quietly took it upon herself to do this job withoutints. She was high born enough to take care of Lady Reba, but because she was considered an insignificant noble among the maids, she didn¡¯t mind doing the hard work. Things deteriorated fast after the emperor left the Yapa castle. Duchess Nani, after she arrived, began to rule the castle as if she owned the ce. The maids had no choice but to follow her orders. Lady Reba lost consciousness frequently and after the emperor returned, she passed away as she gave birth to the princess. Things happened so fast and there were so many new strange faces in the castle. While everyone was focused on Lady Reba and the new princess, a few strange things happened as well in the castle. After Lady Reba¡¯s death, the maids were moved to different departments. It was amon urrence that the maids formed their own cliques depending on where they were from and who they served, but after Lady Reba¡¯s funeral, this situation worsened. The strangest of them all was the maids from Acreia. Cekel herself was from Acreia, but she was not an acquaintance of Lady Tory. Cekel always thought that since she was from Acreia, and they have been working together for a long time, she was part of the group. But when the maids returned from Nanaba, they began to treat Cekel like she was an outsider again; It was the strangest thing. It was hard to exin what the problem was, but there was a clear tension in the air. And on top of this, Poliana, who returned from her self-punishment, announced that she was getting married, and her husband was going to be Frau Sneke. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Cekel hated what was going on around her. The odd tension that was going on inside thedy¡¯s quarters¡­ Poliana announcing that she was going to marry Frau Sneke¡­ Cekel didn¡¯t know what to do about it, especially without more information. She needed help from Sir Deke, who might be able to find out more about the current situation. Unfortunately, he was still away per the emperor¡¯s order. He had been absent from Yapa since before Lady Reba¡¯s funeral. Cekel grumbled, ¡°Damn that boy. He is never around when I need him.¡± Her older brothers were the same way. She had two older brothers and one younger brother, and all of them were useless; they were never there for her when she needed them the most. She was unlucky like that. It would¡¯ve been helpful for her to know anyone else in the Intelligence Unit, but because it was such a secretive unit, she didn¡¯t know anything about it. Cekel might have been an informant of this unit, hired by Sir Deke, but she didn¡¯t know any other agents. ¡°Gosh¡­¡± Cekel sighed in frustration. Her sixth sense was telling her that something fishy was going on and she needed to investigate it; the problem was that she had no idea what was going on at all. Cekel always thought of herself as one of the countless and nameless maids in the giant castle. She was a nobody, which meant that as long as the situation in thedy¡¯s quarters wasn¡¯t causing direct harm to her, she needed to leave it alone. Poliana knew how to take care of herself. There was no need for Cekel to be concerned about the other maids. Suddenly, she noticed Sir Ainno walking towards her with his usual harsh expression. Cekel immediately turned away. The rumor was that Sir Ainno had been unusually meantely; he was picking fights with anyone he could find. Even without this rumor, Cekel would¡¯ve done her best to avoid him. Nothing good coulde from her meeting him. If he ignored her, she hated to admit it, but it would bother her. If he came on to her again, she would be annoyed to no end. ¡®I hope he just goes away.¡¯ But Cekel¡¯s wish didn¡¯te true. When she turned away from him, Sir Ainno followed her. He no longer walked leisurely; he stalked her like a predator, making Cekel gasp in shock. ¡®He has been ignoring metely, so why is he chasing me all of a sudden?¡¯ His long strong legs caught up to her quickly. He was quite far away from her, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to catch her. His breathing was still normal too. What an athletic guy. He stared at Cekel, and when she felt his eyes on her, she wanted to hide. Instead of running away, she asked, ¡°Did you need something from me, Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°When I visited Nanaba recently, I meant to talk to my parents and formally make a marriage offer to the Ingreter family.¡± What? His blunt announcement was both shocking and confusing. Ignoring her outrage, Sir Ainno continued, ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t get the chance to visit my parents because we received the news of Lady Reba¡¯s condition. We ended up leaving immediately. So now, we need to wait one year. Well, more like 11 months now. For the next 11 months, we won¡¯t be able to officially get married or even engaged.¡± When Cekel took a step back, Sir Ainno walked up to her to close the distance. They were alone, which was a good thing. If someone saw them like this, there was no way of knowing what kind of rumor would start between them. Sir Ainno asked Cekel, ¡°Just give me 11 months, and if after 11 months you still don¡¯t like me, then¡­¡± He had never looked this serious in his life, making Cekel feel odd. She swallowed hard and asked, ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I will give up on winning over you and just marry you by force.¡± What a strange hypocrite he was! Cekel couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. She said in frustration, ¡°Do you even know how mean you sound?¡± ¡°I am telling you that I may give up on winning your heart, but I will never give up on having you as my wife.¡± This was crazy. ¡°Are you being serious, Sir Ainno? Do you really mean that? Do you feel that way about me? Truly?¡± ¡°I told you from the beginning.¡± Sir Ainno became annoyed that she refused to believe him. It was true that from the very beginning, he told her that she was the one for him. Of course, Cekel could not believe him since the second time they met, he pushed her against a wall and kissed her. This was not how a gentleman behaved. Cekel eximed, ¡°Are you telling me that pushing me against a wall and kissing me was your way of telling me you cared for me?¡± She blushed as Sir Ainno nodded confidently. She shook her head and asked, ¡°What gentleman would treat the woman he loved like that?!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself. When I realized what I was doing, it was already done.¡± ¡°What you did to me was an assault. Some might even call it a crime, you have shamed me and my family!¡± ¡°We will be married anyway, so I didn¡¯t think it would matter.¡± ¡°And who do you think would give you permission to marry me?¡± ¡°Viscount Ingreter.¡± Cekel clenched her fist and trembled. She tried to punch him but Sir Ainno grabbed her hands and put them on his chest. She pushed him, but his giant body refused to budge. Cekel was bing angrier and angrier. She red at Sir Ainno, who didn¡¯t look away. Cekel said to him, ¡°My father will never give you his permission.¡± ¡°I will make him.¡± Only ¡°Then his highness won¡¯t give you permission.¡± ¡°I already got it from him, the emperor has given me permission to marry you.¡± ¡°Then your father the Duke won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t matter since I love you. If my family is against this marriage, I will just leave it. His Highness will give me a new noble status and I will be independent. Oh, and don¡¯t worry if you are upset that you won¡¯t be a duchess. I will get his highness to make me a duke.¡± Sir Ainno had all the power in the world. He had a younger brother, who could be the next family heir, which meant he could leave his family without feeling guilty. Sir Ainno was also confident that the emperor would give him a new dukedom. He was also very rich on his own thanks to the rewards he received from Lucius the First. If he became independent, it wasn¡¯t because his family disowned him. It would be because he left the family. Sir Ainno thought quietly, ¡®If I do leave my family, I am sure my brother¡¯s wife would love it. She will be the next Duchess Seki.¡¯ Meanwhile, Cekel thought in exasperation, ¡®This isn¡¯t working. He isn¡¯t listening to me at all; it¡¯s like we are living in two different worlds.¡¯ Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Cekel always wondered why people called Sir Ainno as the only person who could prank the emperor, but now, she knew why. She felt frustrated at this stubborn man, so she asked coldly, ¡°If you are such a great man as you im, why do you bother asking me to fall for you? If you are certain I will end up marrying you in 11 months, why do you care?¡± ¡°Because, Cekel Ingreter, I am in love with you.¡± He said with such a force that Cekel¡¯s cheeks flushed. She was so shocked that she almost nodded. This was all because all women were taught from an early age to be obedient, especially to men. Cekel clenched her teeth and replied, ¡°It would¡¯ve been nice if you told me this before you kissed me by force. I will never fall in love with you, Sir Ainno. Waiting for me for 11 months would be a waste of time.¡± ¡°I will wait. Because even now, I am being patient.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I am desperate to hug you, kiss you, and touch you even now, but I am restraining myself. For the next 11 months, I will not touch you without your permission, I promise.¡± If Lucius the First saw his friend right now, he would¡¯ve been very proud. ¡°How can I trust you? Even after I pped you, you touched my b-breasts and hugged me. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± There was a good reason why Cekel kicked Sir Ainno¡¯s crotch in the past. The way he acted around her had been uneptable. When Cekel refused to believe his words, Sir Ainno offered, ¡°I swear on his highness¡¯s name.¡± It was good to have the emperor as his friend. It made his life so much easier sometimes. When Sir Ainno saw that Cekel looked a little less angry, he continued, ¡°So, what do you like? Do you like jewelry? Silk? New dresses? How about new instruments? I hope you can wait till our wedding day for the animal hide. I tried to hunt a good one when I went to Nanaba, but I didn¡¯t get a chance. But don¡¯t worry, I will get a white bear hide for you, and I will give you the best gifts anyone has ever seen in Acreia.¡± But Cekel didn¡¯t want these things. Jewelry, silk, instruments, and animal hides¡­ Cekel wasn¡¯t interested at all because, in 11 months, she was going to be forced to marry this man even if she didn¡¯t want to. She wondered how Sir Ainno would react if she told him she didn¡¯t want to see his face for the next 11 months. Cekel was about to dere it when she remembered the things that have been bothering her before she met Sir Ainno just now. She asked, ¡°Will you give me anything I want?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, as long as it¡¯s not something unreasonable.¡± ¡°T-then! You are Sir Deke¡¯s superior, right? The Intelligence Unit belongs to the First Division, so you must be!¡± Sir Ainno¡¯s eyebrows crumpled. She might have been his sister, but Sir Deke had no right to tell Cekel about this secret unit and his role in it. It was true that technically, the Intelligence Unit belonged to the First Division. However, the Intelligence Unit was the emperor¡¯s creation. Lucius the First was the one who controlled it, which meant that Sir Ainno didn¡¯t know much about it. Sir Ainno did not ask Cekel how she knew about this secret unit. He also didn¡¯t tell her that he wasn¡¯t actively involved in it. He was an excellent hunter, and he knew it when he was about to catch what he wanted. It seemed that Cekel took the bait, so slowly, Sir Ainno said to her, ¡°Is there something you want to find out? If so, I will look into it.¡± ¡°Well,tely¡­ There has been an odd tension in thedy¡¯s quarters¡­¡± Cekel told him everything she has been feeling and witnessing recently. She was wringing her hands, worried that someone might pass by and hear them, and Sir Ainno thought she looked so adorable. He was listening to her without paying too much attention when suddenly, her words caught his attention. ¡°Wait! What did you just say?¡± ¡°I said that Marquess Winter is nning to marry Frau Sneke. No matter how hard I think about it, something doesn¡¯t feel right. I asked my brother to find out about him, and thankfully, there wasn¡¯t much. I am worried that Deke¡¯s investigation wasn¡¯t thorough enough, so I was going to ask him to do a bit more, but Deke isn¡¯t around right now. I thought I had to give up on this, but¡­ You are Deke¡¯s superior, right? Would you be able to find out more about it?¡± Sir Ainno, who had a stupid smile on his face, now looked concerned. Cekel, realizing he was bothered by her request, added carefully, ¡°I know that this Intelligence Unit is for the emperor and the good of this kingdom. It should not be used for a personal reason, but when you think about it, Marquess Winter is a close acquaintance of the emperor, and her marriage concerns this kingdom greatly. So¡­ Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°Are you sure about this? Marquess Winter is really marrying this guy?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it from Lady Tory herself today.¡± This was indeed huge news. Sir Ainno had no doubt that Lucius the First would find it the greatest priority. *** Snakes can be sneaky, and this was why hunting this animal was a very difficult task. It wasmon for snakes to hide in random caves and remain ready to pounce and bite with their sharp teeth. Snakes were masters at hiding themselves. To find a snake cave, one needed to find the snake first. After spotting it, it was necessary to follow it to its home without killing it. Lucius the First had no desire to catch the old snake. He had seen these old snakes since he was a child. Not all of them were smart and sneaky; some of them were rather stupid. Some snakes were even na?ve. Only Those snakes who were greedy always said nice things to Lucius the First. They always showed interest and joy to whatever he said or did, especially when he was a young boy. Because the emperor remembered these good days, he gave up on hunting these snakes. All he had to do was wait a little while longer until these old snakes died. These elders thought they would live forever, but their time wasing. ¡®We are such different people, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped since we grew up in different times.¡¯ Lucius the First was having a private meeting with Sir Bentier, who said to him, ¡°I think my grandfather is beginning to be suspicious of me, your highness.¡± ¡°It was only a matter of time.¡± Sir Bentier smiled bitterly. He lost his grandfather¡¯s trust, and the only reason why he wasn¡¯t removed as the family heir was because Marquis Seeze was too old to find and groom another heir. Sir Bentier said to the emperor, ¡°He told me that I needed to do the right thing.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ The right thing¡­¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Lucius the First was in an irritating situation. The reason why he allowed the elders such leniency was because the elders did not wish to rece him. The elders were just being greedy for power and wealth and thankfully, most of them were still far away from him in Nanaba. But the way the elders were acting¡­ It was getting closer and closer to being treason. The emperor asked Sir Bentier, ¡°Benti, why did you decide to be on my side rather than your family¡¯s?¡± ¡°Me, your highness?¡± ¡°Yes, you. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to just obey your grandfather? If you are on my side, your authority may diminish. You know this, right?¡± Lucius the First nned to reduce the nobles¡¯ power to strengthen his position. This was going to anger many people, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. The emperor just wanted to know how Sir Bentier was feeling about this situation. Sir Bentier answered, ¡°It¡¯s because I wanted to be helpful to you. I want to follow you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only reason?¡± ¡°Your highness, you always tell people to be realistic and stop dreaming, but I think it is you who needs to see the reality. I am on your side because I want to. Your highness, you always show us that you trust us. You have shown us the end of this continent. I, and everyone who supports you, will always believe in you, your highness.¡± ¡°What a bigpliment; I feel both ttered and burdened.¡± Lucius the First grumbled, ¡°I guess this means that the elders don¡¯t want to be on my side.¡± ¡°They are just afraid of changes. Once they admit it, they think it would be toote for them.¡± The problem of the elder¡¯s private armies was still unsolved. The size of their armies was much bigger than before the war began, although no one seemed to notice this. It was a big problem. Why couldn¡¯t everyone get along? Sir Bentier asked, ¡°Are you going to just continue to watch?¡± ¡°Yes, since I don¡¯t have solid proof. The elders may not want to admit it, but the base of my authorityes from Acreia. If I get rid of all of them, it will be like spitting on my face. If there was clear proof that the elders did something wrong, I would be able to punish them, but they are so sneaky. There is nothing I can do at this point. All I can do is remain patient and wait for my chance.¡± The emperor was waiting for the snake to lift its head and reveal itself. What he hoped for was for this old snake to die of old age soon. The most patient one was going to win this game. Lucius the First could step on the snake¡¯s tail or wait for the snake to lift its head. Either way, he would win, but there was one thing he needed to remember. A snake was a devious animal filled with poison; even its smallest bite could be fatal. Lucius the First murmured, ¡°There are no snakes in the north, yet there are so many men who are devious just like these snakes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same everywhere else, your highness.¡± ¡°I suppose.¡± Suddenly, the emperor¡¯s office door was kicked open. A private meeting was taking ce, so there was only one person in the kingdom who could dare to burst into the emperor¡¯s room like this. Sir Ainno, looking confident and nonchnt, bowed casually to the emperor; the way he moved was both elegant and strong. ¡°I have something to report to you, your highness.¡± ¡°Alright, the meeting was almost over anyway. Sir Bentier, you may go now. Continue your good work.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness. I will see youter.¡± Sir Ainno turned towards Sir Bentier and asked, ¡°Actually, this concerns you as well, Chancellor, so please stay for a while longer.¡± Sir Bentier was about to leave, but he sat down again. Sir Ainno exined to the emperor the odd tension Cekel felt inside thedy¡¯s quarters. Both Lucius the First and Sir Bentier nodded. Sir Bentier said quietly, ¡°My grandfather was very worried when Lady Reba became pregnant. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he did something or is nning to do something soon. It would be the right time to cause a problem since the death of Lady Reba has caused so much grief and confusion to the people.¡± The emperor murmured, ¡°Is the snake about to lift its head¡­¡± Only ¡°Your highness, you can¡¯t be too lenient anymore.¡± Lucius the First was unhappy about this whole thing. This was a fight among men, so why were the elders trying to bring it to his wives? It has only been a month since his wife¡¯s funeral, and Lucius the First was still not fully healed yet. Sir Bentier gave him a piece of solid advice, ¡°Your highness, perhaps you can distance yourself from Lady Tory for a while and act closer to Lady Stra, which will anger them even more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to use women as bait. Besides, Lady Tory and Lady Stra are my wives, which means it is my duty to protect both of them.¡± ¡°But your highness, you need to ept the eventuality¡­¡± Sir Bentier continued in a cold voice, ¡°If you end up getting rid of my grandfather, you will have to do the same to Lady Tory.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that has always been the n.¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215 From the very beginning, Lady Tory was always considered a disposable wife. Both Lucius the First and Marquis Seeze felt this way. It was an unfair situation, but it was the way of the world. Lucius the First thought to say something, but he stopped himself. Yes, it was indeed unfair; it was very wrong. Sir Bentier was Marquis Seeze¡¯s direct grandson as well as his heir, yet he was given the chance to decide for himself which side he wanted to be. Because Sir Bentier showed his loyalty to the emperor, he was going to be pardoned even if and when the entire Seeze family was punished for Marquis Seeze¡¯s wrongdoing. On the other hand, Lady Tory wasn¡¯t going to be given a chance to prove herself. It was very likely that it wasn¡¯t even her choice to marry the emperor. She became the wife of the emperor because of Marquis Seeze¡¯s power. If Lady Tory did something that caused harm to him, Lucius the First wouldn¡¯t have felt guilty about removing her from her position when the time came. But the truth was that Lady Tory didn¡¯t do anything wrong. In fact, she did an excellent job as his wife. The only reason Lady Tory wasn¡¯t pregnant was because Lucius the First did not visit her as often, thinking that she wasn¡¯t going to be by his side for too long. But despite it, Lady Tory took her responsibility as his wife very seriously. She served him very well, maybe better than some of his men. ¡®Was it wrong of me to distance myself from her?¡¯ If she became pregnant, it would¡¯ve been a good enough excuse for Lucius the First to keep her by his side even in the worst-case scenario. The emperor regretted his actions. He had been treating Lady Tory as a member of Marquis Seeze¡¯s family, not as herself. An intelligent kinddy. His own wife. It wasn¡¯t her fault that she belonged to that awful family. Lucius the First felt guilty, ¡®This must be why Reba left that will for me.¡¯ Her will was filled with the legality of her death and the birth of her child, but in the end, there was a single sentence she wrote personally. It was heartfelt and at first, Lucius the First thought it came from her as a mother. Now that he thought about it, her words must¡¯vee from her as a woman on behalf of all the other women in his kingdom. The emperor murmured, ¡°Tory is such an intelligent woman¡­ It would be such a waste.¡± He thought suddenly, ¡®I feel like I had a simr feeling about someone else before¡­ When was that¡­?¡¯ Sir Ainno interrupted the emperor¡¯s thought, ¡°What does it matter? She is a woman, so who cares if she¡¯s smart?¡± Sir Ainno approached the emperor. He came here because there were two things to report. Sir Ainno didn¡¯t have the patience to wait any longer. The emperor asked, ¡°Did you have something else to tell me, Inno?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness, but this doesn¡¯t involve the chancellor, so please leave, Sir Bentier.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As soon as the chancellor left, Sir Ainno asked the emperor, ¡°Your highness, did you know?¡± He asked the question, but Sir Ainno knew the truth. The emperor clearly didn¡¯t have any idea about what happened to Poliana. That was the only reason why Lucius the First was sitting in his chair calmly. If he knew, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t doubt that the emperor would¡¯ve made a scene. Sir Ainno said to him, ¡°Apparently, Marquess Winter is getting married.¡± Lucius the First¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He didn¡¯t even have the sense to ask if this was true. The emperor turned rigid and silent, and just to make sure, Sir Ainno repeated himself, ¡°Marquess Poliana Winter is going to get married.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Lucius the First stuttered as he stood up. Sir Ainno quickly pushed him down, so he sat down again. It was a good thing because the emperor¡¯s legs were shaking badly. Lucius the First began to bite his fingernails as Sir Ainno repeated himself one more time, ¡°Marquess Poliana Winter is going to get married.¡± Three times. Sir Ainno said the same thing three times just so that the emperor could not deny reality. Lucius the First shook his head and insisted, ¡°You, you, you, you, you, you are too funny, Inno. What an awful joke.¡± ¡°Your highness, why would I tell you such a joke when I know how you feel?¡± ¡°Who is it? Who is she marrying?¡± Lucius the First could not believe it. His Poliana was getting married? Marriage? Poliana, who didn¡¯t even see the most handsome man in the kingdom as a man? She was getting married? Sir Ainno replied, ¡°She is marrying Duke Sneke¡¯s younger brother, Frau Sneke. Apparently, she is marrying him. She wille to you for your permission to get married after a year from now.¡± Lucius the First shook his head faster and faster, making Sir Ainno worry that he might hurt his neck. The emperor muttered, ¡°No¡­ No, no, no¡­ this can¡¯t be. I know about that man; Pol will never marry someone like him, and Pol told me herself that Frau is too ugly. Inno, you know how my Pol loves beautiful people!¡± Lucius the First refused to believe the truth, and Sir Ainno had no choice but to be cruel to make him understand. ¡°Your highness, it¡¯s not like she is going to marry you even though you are the most beautiful man in the kingdom.¡± ¡°Nooooo!¡± The emperor screamed desperately. From the outside, it must¡¯ve sounded like the emperor was being attacked. One of the servants knocked on the door quickly. Sir Ainno opened it and the servant asked, ¡°What is going on? Is his highness ok?¡± ¡°A huge problem has urred. We need some privacy to discuss this so make sure no onees near this door.¡± The servant asked worriedly, ¡°Is it something very serious?¡± Sir Ainno lied smoothly, ¡°It is something that can affect the entire kingdom.¡± This wasn¡¯t technically a lie. Lucius the First always said that he was the kingdom itself and since this situation affected the emperor, it meant that it might affect Acreia as well. After closing the door behind him, Sir Ainno grumbled, ¡°Your highness, people are going to think I hurt you. I didn¡¯t punch you or cut you, so why did you scream so loud?¡± ¡°Your news¡­ It hurt more than being cut by a sword.¡± Lucius the First held his hands together tightly and looked down. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Only He kept repeating himself like a parrot. Clearly, this was a serious problem for him. To wake him up, Sir Ainno smacked the back of the emperor¡¯s head. He apologized immediately afterward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness, but I had to do it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ ok. I needed that.¡± Lucius the First touched his head and asked, ¡°Inno¡­ Is this really true? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Like I said many times before, yes, your highness. Sir Poliana apparently announced this to Lady Stra, Lady Tory, and their maids, so it can¡¯t be a lie. I was told that she even asked them how to n a wedding, which means that she wasn¡¯t joking either.¡± With a sigh, Sir Ainno added, ¡°I think Sir Pol will being to see you any time now.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± Chapter 216 Chapter 216 The emperor continued, ¡°But isn¡¯t it strange?! I mean, why would my Pol marry some ugly noble who isn¡¯t even a real noble anymore?! Why? On top of that, he¡¯s a gold digger; he said so himself! And he isn¡¯t even a handsome gold digger, he¡¯s an ugly one! I cannot ept him, I will not!¡± Panting heavily, Lucius the First added, ¡°There is no doubt that he is trying to steal all of Pol¡¯s wealth! He is going to use it all up! He is trying to use and corrupt my innocent na?ve Pol!¡± Sir Ainno replied calmly, ¡°Your highness, Marquess Winter¡¯s wealth is so great that it would be very difficult to ¡®use it all up.¡¯ You must know better than anyone since it was you who rewarded her. And as for her ¡®innocence¡¯ and ¡®naivety¡­¡¯ Your highness, since when has Sir Poliana ever been innocent and na?ve? You know very well what a rough mouth she has. You¡¯ve heard her talk with men, right?¡± Love was a funny thing. Poliana was called the ¡°witch¡± by many for a good reason, yet the emperor, who was in love with her, called her innocent. In the past, Sir Ainno wouldn¡¯t have understood how the emperor felt, but now, he was in love himself as well; Sir Ainno could sympathize with Lucius the First. The emperor continued to rant, ¡°Why him? Of all the good-looking noblemen, why did she choose that ugly man? Is it because he is ckmailing him? Does he know her weakness somehow? No, that can¡¯t be! My Pol is so perfect that she would never let any man hold something over her! Wait, is it because she just doesn¡¯t know men very well? She doesn¡¯t have any experience with good men, so maybe that¡¯s it! Oh, that must be it!¡± Lucius the First grabbed his head as if in pain and added, ¡°This is all my fault! I should¡¯ve let her mingle with young high-ranking noblemen!¡± The emperor wasn¡¯t making sense anymore. Sir Ainno smacked the back of his head again. How could Lucius the First think Poliana didn¡¯t know men and that she didn¡¯t have any experience with men? This was a woman who spent thest 15 years in the military! What was Lucius the First talking about when he said to ¡°let her mingle with young high-ranking noblemen?¡± There was no way the emperor meant this. Sir Ainno asked, ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± ¡°My Pol is the greatest woman there is! So why is she wanting to marry a poor nobody like Frau? Why doesn¡¯t she just date some good-looking men instead! It must be all because she doesn¡¯t have any experience with men!¡± To Sir Ainno, the emperor wasn¡¯t making any sense, but Lucius the First was actually right about one thing. It was true that Poliana wasn¡¯t used to men as ¡°men.¡± Because no man has ever approached her with a love interest, Poliana didn¡¯t know much about love and dating in general. It didn¡¯t matter that she was surrounded by thousands of men for years. Most of them were married and none of them were interested in her as a woman. She was a ssic target for a gold digger. Someone who only knew about her work and nothing else in the world¡­ She was a gold digger¡¯s dream. Although Lucius the First was right, Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t ept this logic. First of all, Sir Ainno didn¡¯t care; he didn¡¯t know much about Poliana for a reason. Also, the way the emperor was acting looked more like a tantrum, not a rational argument. But Sir Ainno was the emperor¡¯s friend. He was also a fellow man in love, so Sir Ainno decided to think carefully about what to say. After a short silence, he decided that this whole situation was the emperor¡¯s fault. Sir Ainno said to him, ¡°She said she made this decision because she was lonely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That night when she visited you and you screamed at her to leave¡­ You should¡¯ve taken your chance with her, your highness. She realized that she had no one. Most of her guards were married, which meant that she couldn¡¯t just barge into their home and insist on getting drunk with her. She didn¡¯t even have a dog, so Sir Poliana decided that she will get a husband. And since there was only one man who proposed to her so far, she decided on Frau. He was the only one avable to her.¡± Lucius the First nked out. He remembered that night and his face crumpled into an ugly frown. He covered his face with both hands; he didn¡¯t want even his friend to see his expression. Sir Ainno asked quietly, ¡°Why did you do that?¡± He was genuinely curious. Sir Ainno¡¯s question stabbed Lucius the First¡¯s heart painfully. If it was Sir Ainno, he would¡¯ve taken such a chance without hesitation. If he was alone with the woman he loved¡­ If he thought he had even the slightest chance to make her willing to be his, Sir Ainno would¡¯ve taken it. He didn¡¯t care if it was the wrong thing to do; he didn¡¯t care if she didn¡¯t love him. Lucius the First screamed his excuse, ¡°Did you think I made her leave because I wanted to?!¡± He was still hiding his face with his hands as he continued, ¡°At the time, one of my wives just passed away from giving birth to my daughter! How could I have used that asion to take Pol as mine? On top of that, Pol was Reba¡¯s friend! She was suffering just as I was, so if I tried anything, I meant that would¡¯ve been using her sadness against her. I could never do something like that! It¡¯s just wrong!¡± ¡°If it was me, I would¡¯ve. I always will take whatever chance that I can get.¡± Only ¡°That¡¯s you, not me, Inno! I am not like you; you know that! If I was in your situation¡­ If I was an heir to a dukedom and not the emperor, I would¡¯ve taken my chance! As the emperor, if I forced her into my arms, I would make Pol unhappy. If I didn¡¯t stop myself that night¡­ What would¡¯ve been the point of waiting for this long? Even if she epted me that night, it would¡¯ve been only from her pity towards me. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it at all. As a man who respects her will, I could never do something like that to her!¡± It was such a long excuse that made Sir Ainno sigh impatiently. His friend was too nice, too kind, and too weak sometimes. His emperor cared too much about his wives, who he married for a political reason. His ruler cared too much about the snake-like elders too. It was no wonder that Lucius the First cared greatly about Poliana¡¯s feelings. She was the woman he loved after all. The emperor¡¯s kindness was one of the reasons why his subjects were so loyal to him, but his caring nature was acting like a poison in his love life. ¡°Your highness¡­ You have a problem.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡± Lucius the First pulled out his sword and attacked Sir Ainno, who grabbed his hand and pushed the emperor down on the floor. Sir Ainno said to Lucius the First, ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± Tears rolled down the emperor¡¯s eyes as he whispered, ¡°I know, I know that I¡¯m an idiot.¡± Chapter 217 Chapter 217 When Sir Ainno left the emperor¡¯s office, he saw that Poliana was waiting outside. It looked like she might have been waiting for a long time. She didn¡¯t walk in because of what happened a month ago. He was about to leave after nodding at her before asking in surprise, ¡°Sir Poliana, is that perfume I smell on you?¡± ¡°Yes, thedies put it on me.¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Poliana hated putting anything on herself such as makeup. The most she was willing to do was put a little bit of oil in her hair to style it, so this was a shocking change. When Sir Ainno looked outraged, Poliana frowned, and replied, ¡°You¡¯re being rude.¡± It has been a long time since theyst met, and this was how he treated her. Poliana wanted to punch him, but she knew she wouldn¡¯t win against him; it was pointless for her to even try, Master Chail knocked on the door to announce her. Poliana red at Sir Ainno before straightening up. This was the first time she was seeing the emperor since that awful night. She needed to behave perfectly for she knew that she had no room for mistakes. ¡°Greetings to your highness.¡± Poliana kneeled to give a proper and respectful greeting to the emperor. Lucius the First, looking upset, said to her, ¡°Stand up, Sir Pol. There is no need for you to kneel. Why are you acting so formal all of a sudden?¡± He sent her a message a month ago, telling her there was no need for her to punish herself and lock herself in her home, but Poliana ignored it and didn¡¯t even send him a single letter all this time. And now, she was going to get married; this was wrong on so many different levels. Poliana replied, ¡°I am forever grateful for your forgiveness, your highness. I have done you a great wrong, yet you have been so kind.¡± ¡°Sir Pol, please stand up. Why are you acting this way? Are you trying to make me sad? Please have a seat and look at me. Please look at my eyes when you speak. That night¡­ I was too drunk and I didn¡¯t want to show you that side of me. I didn¡¯t want you to see me like that. That is why I asked you to leave.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t refuse. She quickly stood up and sat down on the chair. She has learned her lesson. Punishing herself for thest month was plenty enough, so there was no need for her to feel guilty anymore. When she looked alright, Lucius the First sighed in relief. Poliana replied, ¡°Thank you, your highness. How have you been?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important, don¡¯t you have something more pressing to tell me?¡± ¡®Something important?¡¯ Poliana tried to figure out what the emperor was referring to. During thest month when she was alone in her home, she hasn¡¯t been interacting with anyone. She didn¡¯t know anything important that happened during this time except whatever she heard that morning. The only thing she could think of was her visit to the princess that morning. ¡°Oh, I did see Princess Luminae this morning, your highness. She resembles both you and Lady Reba, which means that she will be a great beauty!¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Indeed, your highness. I always thought a princess would look best with blond hair, but I think I have to change my opinion on this. She looks gorgeous with ck hair too.¡± ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t you have something else you want to tell me? Something very important?¡± ¡®Even more important than the princess?¡¯ Poliana couldn¡¯t think of anything. The emperor must already know everything about what was happening in thedy¡¯s quarters. Poliana didn¡¯t doubt that her guards kept the emperor well informed. The private conversation she had with Lady Tory that morning¡­ It was just the two of them so she couldn¡¯t imagine the emperor knowing about it. And even if he did, it wouldn¡¯t have been something he would be interested in. It wasn¡¯t that important of a conversation. The emperor continued to pry, ¡°It¡¯s not something that is work-rted. It¡¯s something that involves your personal life, Sir Pol. Something very big. Umm¡­ I heard that you already told my wives about it this morning¡­ Is that right?¡± ¡®Wow, the Intelligence Unit must have amazing sources.¡¯ It was only a little while ago when she announced her marriage n to Lady Tory and Lady Stra. The maids helped her put on some perfume and brush her hair, but during this short time, it seemed that Lucius the First heard of the news already. Poliana was truly impressed with their Intelligence Unit. Lucius the First watched her anxiously. Poliana wasn¡¯t showing any emotions, which meant he couldn¡¯t figure out what she was feeling or thinking. Poliana finally answered, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I decided to get married. I will be marrying Frau Sneke from the Sneke family.¡± ¡°Why? Why? Of all people, why Frau? He isn¡¯t a very good man.¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t a bad man either.¡± Poliana smiled lightly. Every time the woman he loved smiled, Lucius the First could not look at her in the eyes because he felt so guilty as if he had done something wrong. Poliana added, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad deal for me, your highness.¡± Frau Sneke was not a traditionally ideal husband material, but Poliana wasn¡¯t a good wife material either. Frau was too weak for a man, but since Poliana would make a strong head of the family, it didn¡¯t really matter. In fact, it was possible that they might really make a good match. Most of all, Poliana felt that it would take too long and it would be too hard to find a ¡°good man¡± for herself as everyone wished for her. ¡®Frau is a good enough match for me.¡¯ Poliana didn¡¯t want toplicate things. This was just a marriage; It wasn¡¯t a life or death situation. If for some reason, things didn¡¯t work out, she could just give him some alimony and divorce him. The strange thing was that society was more epting of a divorced woman than a spinster. Poliana had nothing to lose from this marriage. Only ¡®And if I bear a baby, that would be amazing¡­¡¯ When she first had her period, Poliana hated the idea, but after she decided to get married, she realized that this could be a good thing. Poliana imagined what she and Frau¡¯s baby would look like. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a boy or girl; their baby would be ugly. And if this child stood next to the beautiful princess¡­? ¡®It would make such a funny picture.¡¯ It was indeed fun to imagine such things. Poliana smiled again quietly, and this time, she looked genuinely happy. Her joyful smile was enough to shut Lucius the First up. Poliana didn¡¯t know herself, but since she proposed to Frau, she has been thinking about Frau a lot. Now that she considered him her man, she found him almost cute; she was beginning to like him more and more. And they were going to live together forever¡­ Chapter 218 Chapter 218 To Poliana, belonging to a unit was very important. Once she was part of a group, that group became her life. It was true that she didn¡¯t feel any loyalty to her group when she was in the Aehasian military, but that was because it was such a horrible unorganized unit. The Acreian army was very different. The reason why she still showed great respect to Sir Baufallo, Sir Rabi, and Sir Mahogal was that she felt like she belonged with them. Her need to belong made sense since she spent her childhood and teenage years alone; no one cared for her at the time. Lucius the First epted her, and in turn, the other knights and armies acknowledged her as their own. As time passed, Poliana¡¯s obsession to belong became even stronger. And for the first time in her life, she was going to have her own family. Her own family, which she chose herself! Until now, the Acreian military was like her family. But once the war was over, her close friends moved away to different parts of the kingdom. This was why Poliana has been so lonely, and the only way to fix this problem was to create her own family. Her need to belong made her feel affection towards Frau, which was a very unfortunate thing for the emperor. Lucius the First asked Poliana, ¡°Sir Pol¡­ Did you put on perfume?¡± ¡°Yes, thedies put it on me!¡± ¡°You look very happy.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ Is that so?¡± Lucius the First looked down because he found Poliana¡¯s smile too bright. The heartache he felt for his unrequited love¡­ The jealousy he felt towards Frau¡­ He needed to let these feelings go now. The emperor knew what he had to do. ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s ok if he is not a good man, Sir Pol. If you are happy, that is all I need.¡± To pray for her happiness¡­ This was what he needed to do. If he truly loved her, Lucius the First knew it was the right thing to do. The emperor smiled sadly. Unaware of his true feelings, Poliana smiled happily. Lucius the First had to keep reminding himself that if Poliana was happy, he needed to feel happy for her too. *** Poliana continued to smile widely as she roamed around the castle. The rumor was that Poliana remained home for a month as a punishment for disobedience. There were only a very few people who knew exactly what happened that night, but because everyone knew how close Poliana was to Lady Reba, people understood why Poliana must¡¯ve felt emotional at the time. Some men even imed, ¡°Well, Marquess Winter is still a woman, after all. It makes sense that she is emotional.¡± Young lower-ranking knights who said things like this out loud were dragged away by others loyal to Poliana to be beaten. Any older knights who said such things were subtly ridiculed for being old-fashioned. It seemed that the way people thought about Poliana was slowly but surely changing. It was especially a surprise since there were days when Poliana was hated for just being a woman. When Poliana spotted her fianc¨¦, she called out his name, ¡°Frau!¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± ¡°Did you bring what I asked you? The paperwork?¡± ¡°Yes, I certainly did!¡± Frau, when he heard his name, jumped readily. Because it was almost at the end of his work hour, Frau and Poliana walked out together from the doctors¡¯ office. After they left, the other royal doctors, who were shocked to see what happened, began to gossip, ¡°What did Marquess Winter want with Mr. Frau?¡± ¡°What paperwork? What was she talking about?¡± ¡°Do you think Doctor Sneke is being hired as her personal doctor?¡± ¡°Wow, he has been following around the marquess so diligently, and I guess it paid off. He has done well for himself, what a promotion.¡± No one could even imagine that Frau was bing Poliana¡¯s husband. They all assumed that he was being hired as Marquess Winter¡¯s personal physician, so they began to discuss what kind of sry he might receive. Meanwhile, Poliana carefully read over the documents Frau brought for her. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Poliana checked his birth certificate that shows his birthdate and proves his nobility. She also checked the document that shows his family history, his tax reports from the year before that shows his wealth, a document that indicates his current address and ce of work, and finally, a health certificate that lists his current medical conditions, including any history of his family¡¯s illnesses. These were all the necessary things that needed to be studied thoroughly before any noble marriages. The most important thing to make sure was his identity. In this case, there wasn¡¯t any problem since Poliana already knew Frau and his acquaintances. Frau read over the documents Poliana brought for him as well. He didn¡¯t take as long, however, to examine them. Everything she read was what she expected, but his financial state was much worse than she anticipated. ¡®Does he like to gamble or something?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t one of the official royal doctors, but since he was a student of one and worked in the castle, Poliana suspected that he received a decent sry, but for some reason, Frau had no money at all. Many men were bad at saving money, but it was still no excuse for Frau to have nothing. Besides, there were plenty of men in the kingdom who were savvy and frugal. For example, there was Momo, who saved enough money to buy a house in Nanaba. Poliana thought sadly, ¡®Of course, as soon as he bought one, the capital was moved to Yapa and he lost a lot of money from it.¡¯ When Momo found out about the move of the capital city, he cried in front of Poliana and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me the capital was being moved?!¡± Feeling bad, Poliana gave him an interest-free loan so he could purchase another house in Yapa. Based on her understanding, Frau led a boring life. He didn¡¯t enjoy drinking and she hasn¡¯t heard any rumors that he was into gambling. This could mean only one thing; Frau was just horrible at managing money. ¡®I guess he has a bad spending habit. Oh well.¡¯ Only As long as he didn¡¯t be addicted to gambling, it was going to be ok. Poliana was ready to ept his ws. Other than hisck of wealth, there wasn¡¯t anything else that concerned her. Then suddenly, Poliana remembered something. She asked, ¡°Oh, now that I think about it¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I heard that there was a woman you loved so much that you abandoned your family. What happened there? Did you break up with her?¡± When Poliana first heard this story, she thought Frau was used by a gold digger. But when she heard more about it, Poliana thought that perhaps it could¡¯ve been a genuine love story. Well, at least on Frau¡¯s part. Before, Poliana didn¡¯t care about this, but now that they were going to be married, Poliana felt that it was necessary to know exactly what happened. Frau¡¯s face darkened immediately before bing pale. Poliana asked, ¡°Is it something you can¡¯t answer, or is it that you¡¯re still with her?¡± Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Frau denied it hurriedly, ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not it at all! She has passed away.¡± He looked down again and exined, ¡°It is all in the past. It happened many years ago!¡± Poliana thought about it quietly. So it seemed that Frau¡¯s once-in-a-lifetime love story ended because of her death. Was it because Lady Reba died recently? Poliana wasn¡¯t unhappy to hear what happened. She felt a little relieved that the woman in question was gone. Poliana replied, ¡°You aren¡¯t a young man, so it is understandable that you have a past. I don¡¯t, but I am a special case.¡± After looking through Frau¡¯s documents, Poliana warned him, ¡°I will be writing this in the contract, but I will give you a warning in advance; if you cheat on me, I will kill you.¡± ¡°I would never do that.¡± ¡°And if you do anything that shames or embarrasses the Winter name, I will kill you.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, I really mean it.¡± Poliana took out her dagger and began to y with it. She threw it in the air again and again, and every time its sharp edge shone against the sunlight, Frau¡¯s face paled further. Poliana continued, ¡°And the documents you brought¡­ They may be urate. If there is any falsehood on this paperwork, it¡¯s going to be very bad for you. I hate liars.¡± Lucius the First ripped Gali the Third¡¯s mouth when he lied. Frau nodded in understanding, making Poliana grin in satisfaction. ¡®He¡¯s cute.¡¯ To Poliana, Frau looked adorable. *** Lucius the First, for his birthday feast, only invited the Acreian elders and the high-ranking nobles on purpose. He had a n, which was to have a serious conversation with them as ast attempt to force their obedience. It was true that these men have been a pain in his life, but they were also the people who made Acreia. Lucius the First wanted to give them ast chance. Of course, if this didn¡¯t work, then he was going to have to do a snake hunt. He and Sir Bentier have been nning this hunt for a while now. Poliana¡¯s wedding n was also going very well, thanks partly to Lady Tory. Poliana asked anything she wasn¡¯t sure about, and Lady Tory answered as best as she could. Lady Tory was only too happy to help, especially because Poliana was always there for her to answer any questions she wanted to ask. Poliana was the only one who Lady Tory felt safe to ask about the topics about the kingdom. ¡°Oh, so that would be called tax evasion.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Tory, that¡¯s definitely tax evasion.¡± Poliana was now expert, but even she could tell that the case Lady Tory talked about was illegal. Poliana was fascinated whenever Tory asked about various stories she heard from somewhere. She could tell that these illegal deeds were done by Lady Tory¡¯s acquaintances, but Tory was very sneaky about not revealing their identities. Even if Poliana knew who these people were, she had no intention of telling the emperor about them. Poliana was just happy that Lady Tory now knew that what her acquaintances were doing was wrong. Their conversations were kept secret. Everyone thought that Poliana and Lady Tory were only talking about Poliana¡¯s uing wedding. It made sense because Poliana was alone. She didn¡¯t have her parents or any other family members to help her arrange her wedding. It wasn¡¯t an odd thing for Poliana to ask a nobledy for help. Frau also didn¡¯t have his family to help him arrange the wedding. Even if he wanted to n it himself, he couldn¡¯t because he couldn¡¯t afford it himself. Everything was paid by Poliana. If Marquess Winter¡¯s wedding bes a sess, Lady Tory¡¯s reputation was going to greatly improve. To help arrange a high-ranking noble¡¯s wedding was considered a great honor only given to older nobledies. The reality was a little different than what the maids and otherdies believed, however. The truth was, Poliana¡¯s wedding was being arranged mostly by her butler and maids. Tory did help in giving advice, but only at the very beginning. Their time spent together was rarely about Poliana¡¯s wedding. What Poliana found odd was Lady Tory¡¯s mood. Some days, Tory looked relieved while other times, she looked like she was worried about something. Whenever Poliana asked if something had happened, Lady Tory refused to give her a real answer. She only exined that she was too tired from work. It was Poliana¡¯s lucky day today. She was permitted to visit Princess Luminae. Poliana was even allowed to hold her for a while. On her way to the princess¡¯s room, Poliana met the oldest and the second oldest son of the Ingreter family. She saw Sir Beke often, but it had been a long time since she met Sir Aeke, who retired from his active duty and was transferred to have a desk job. For some reason, the two brothers were together in the garden enjoying the sunlight. Poliana greeted Sir Beke pleasantly, ¡°Sir Beke, long time no see!¡± ¡°You too, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you, two brothers, together.¡± She stood next to them to sunbathe as well. Sir Beke asked her, ¡°Has something good happened recently? You look really good.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s because I began to get facials; I¡¯m taking care of my skin now.¡± It only began recently, so it was nice that he noticed it already. Poliana realized that it was worth the money and time to get her skin improved. The maid who was working on her told her to avoid the strong sun whenever possible, but Poliana had already forgotten about it; sheughed brightly as she enjoyed the sun. Both Sir Beke and Aekeughed as well and replied, ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re too funny, what a good joke!¡± They both thought Poliana was kidding. Just then, Sir Aeke became aware that he could smell something. ¡®Hmm? What is this scent?¡¯ At first, he thought it was from the flowers since they were in a garden, but the scent was a little moreplicated. It smelled more simr to what he could smell in his wife¡¯s room sometimes. It wasn¡¯t too strong, but it definitely was not from nature ¡ª it had to be man-made. Only Sir Aeke looked around and the only difference within thest few minutes was the fact that Poliana came to them. In disbelief, he asked, ¡°Sir Pol¡­ D-did you put on some perfume by chance?¡± To the brothers¡¯ shock, Poliana answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡¯ spray it, it¡¯s just a dab.¡± ¡®Oh my god!¡¯ Both Sir Aeke and Beke backed away in shock and took their swords out. They yelled at her jokingly, ¡°Who are you, and what have you done with Sir Pol?!¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s an imposter, but where would you be able to find such an ugly girl like her?¡± ¡®Bastards.¡¯ The brothers were only half-joking, making Poliana annoyed. These men needed to be taught a lesson. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 ¡°¡­¡± Poliana sighed, she thought about punching the Ingreter brothers but decided against it. She was feeling pretty good because she saw Princess Luminae earlier. Sir Aeke and Beke were both shocked that Poliana put on perfume. They never thought they would see the day when Poliana does something feminine like this. Poliana was the woman who kept her hair short because she was toozy to wash her hair often. Until she became a royal guard, she used to wash herself only when absolutely necessary. Just like many soldiers, she used to believe that washing too often would increase the chance of getting caught by the enemy¡¯s military dogs. So to see Poliana wearing a perfume¡­ Sir Beke murmured in fear, ¡°Sir Poliana¡­ Could it be that you are very sick? Do you have an incurable illness or something?¡± Sir Aeke asked, ¡°Did Lady Reba¡¯s will say you need to be more feminine?¡± Sir Beke pped as if in understanding, ¡°Oh, that makes sense! Did Lady Reba give you her perfume as herst gift? Is that why you put it on? That¡¯s it, right?¡± The brothers seemed excited. Poliana tried her best to be patient, but she couldn¡¯t help raising her fist, which shut the Ingreter brothers up. Sir Beke finally whispered, ¡°So¡­ was the rumors true? We heard that you¡¯re marrying Frau, who was kicked out from the Sneke family. The maids were talking and we didn¡¯t believe them, but¡­¡± The brothers stared at Poliana desperately. They prayed that the rumors weren¡¯t true. Unfortunately, Poliana was really marrying Frau. She put her hand on her waist and replied, ¡°It¡¯s true. I will be marrying Frau Sneke.¡± ¡°But why?!¡± ¡°Why, Sir Poliana?! That man is a nobody; he isn¡¯t even a knight!¡± Sir Aeke and Sir Beke began to talk at once. They loudly nagged her and their reason for it was the same as everyone else¡¯s. ¡°Sir Poliana, he isn¡¯t good enough; his status doesn¡¯t suit yours!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You are Marquess Winter after all! Someone like him cannot marry you!¡± ¡°Sir Poliana! Why don¡¯t you just marry one of the knights?!¡± ¡°Or at least a man who is good looking!¡± ¡°You can do so much better. He has no money, looks, and status.¡± Poliana yelled, ¡°Just stop!¡± She exined to them the reality of her situation. Poliana was 33 years old. She said that all of her colleagues were married with children, and pretty much most of the other noblemen that were slightly younger than her were also either married or engaged. Those who weren¡¯t married were either at least 10 years younger than her and Poliana refused to marry children. Those much older than her that might be interested in marrying her were widowed. It was true that the continent was big and if she continued to search, she might find a better man that was more suitable for her. However, as she searched, she wasn¡¯t going to get any younger. Poliana decided that it was time topromise and this was the good time to do it. Unlike otherdies, Poliana had the right to choose her own life, so she was happy to do this. Poliana was a powerful woman, and everywhere she went, people paid attention to her. This was especially the case nowadays because of the rumor of her marriage. Sir Ainno, who was walking far away from them, noticed Poliana and approached her. Sir Beke has been trying his best to avoid Sir Ainno, and when he noticed Sir Ainno, he quickly walked up to his boss and exined what he just heard. To Sir Beke¡¯s shock, Sir Ainno replied, ¡°I already know.¡± Sir Ainno looked perfectly calm. He looked at Sir Beke coldly, making Sir Beke cringe a little. Sir Ainno also looked at Poliana coolly, making her yell at him, ¡°Stop that!¡± ¡°What? What did I do? I didn¡¯t say anything, Sir Poliana.¡± ¡°You were looking at me like you thought I wasn¡¯t good enough. You made me feel bad!¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because you feel guilty because you have done something wrong, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Unfortunately, Sir Ainno was the best and the strongest knight of Acreia, which meant that Poliana couldn¡¯t argue with him. She trembled angrily. ¡®What a jerk.¡¯ But she was partly d to see him because she had been meaning to ask Sir Ainno for something. Poliana said to him, ¡°By the way, I am sure you will fulfill your promise to me.¡± ¡°Promise? What promise?¡± Sir Ainno asked in confusion. Poliana snorted, remembering the exact word Sir Ainno said to her before. She exined, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember telling me that you will be my groom¡¯s best man at my wedding? I remember it very clearly, so thank you for your offer.¡± Frau had the worst reputation among men, so Poliana knew that her future-husband had no one to stand by his side on their wedding day. She heard that Frau had no friends because any friends he had left him once he was kicked out from his family. Having the best knight of Acreia as his best man was going to only improve Frau¡¯s reputation. Sir Ainno looked at her unhappily. ¡®At the time, I thought Lucius would end up winning her¡­¡¯ Even if the emperor didn¡¯t, Sir Ainno thought Lucius the First would never give his permission to Poliana to marry anyone else. Sir Ainno was only joking when he offered to be her groom¡¯s best man, but now, it was toote. This was all because of his stupid friend. Sir Ainno tried to back out, and Poliana refused to let him off. As they argued with each other, the Ingreter brothers grabbed them and eximed, ¡°We have an idea, Sir Ainno! You must marry Sir Poliana, you must save her from marrying Frau Sneke!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sir Ainno! Just marry her for a year and then you can divorce her; this is a perfect n!¡± Sir Aeke and Sir Beke continued to insist that Poliana should marry Sir Ainno. They hated the idea of her marrying Frau and the more they talked, the bigger Poliana¡¯s frown became. Only Of all people in the world, why would she willingly marry Sir Ainno? Sir Ainno also had an ugly scowl on his face. Of all people, how could Cekel Ingreter¡¯s own brothers tell him to marry someone other than their sister? Only Lucius the First and Poliana knew about Sir Ainno¡¯s proposal to Cekel Ingreter. Sir Ainno decided that this was a perfect time to announce this so that everyone could now. Then, Sir Ainno ced his arms around Sir Aeke and Sir Beke. He did it in a friendly manner, but his arms felt like a prison to the Ingreter brothers. Sir Ainno said to them, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°B-boss? W-we¡¯re sorry we said you should marry Sir Poliana. We will never say such a thing again.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s right, Sir Ainno, we¡¯re Sorry. We won¡¯t do it again, so please don¡¯t hit us¡­¡± With a scary smile, Sir Ainno said to the brothers, ¡°In one year, I will be marrying Lady Cekel. We¡¯re going to be family, my brothers. I hope we get along.¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Sir Aeke, Sir Beke, and Poliana¡¯s eyes widened at Sir Ainno¡¯s sudden deration. Even the people around them who were passing by stopped to listen. They were all focused on Sir Ainno. They stared with intense curiosity and interest. ¡°S-sir Ainno? Y-you¡¯re joking, right? Your sense of humor is getting worse¡­ I am afraid the emperor¡¯s sense of humor is rubbing off on you¡­¡± ¡°O-our sister¡¯s name is indeed Cekel¡­. Hahaha¡­ But maybe you¡¯re referring to another Lady Cekel? You must be mistaken¡­ It could not be our sister¡­ You have to be joking¡­¡± Cekel was rather amon name, but unfortunately for the Ingreter brothers, Sir Ainno repeated himself, ¡°I proposed to Lady Cekel Ingreter. Yes, your sister. There is no mistake. I¡¯ll marry her once the year of mourning is over.¡± Sir Beke¡¯s eyes wavered while Sir Aeke tried to continue smiling, still wishing that Sir Ainno was kidding. Was this really happening? Or were they dreaming? If they were, this had to be the worst nightmare. The atmosphere became tense and when the Ingreter brothers realized the seriousness and realness of the situation, they asked Sir Ainno again, ¡°Do you really mean this? You are really marrying our sister? Cekel Ingreter?¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Sir Beke began to tear up, and it wasn¡¯t from happiness. Even though Poliana knew about Sir Ainno¡¯s feelings for Cekel, she was also shocked as well. She had no idea the situation has progressed this much in such a short period of time. Just how and when did Sir Ainno pull this off? Marriage? And why didn¡¯t his highness share such a juicy story with her? Thest thing she heard about Sir Ainno and Cekel¡¯s situation was that Cekel was still refusing him. Did Cekel change her mind about him? If so, why? How? So what happened since then? Poliana asked Sir Ainno, ¡°So Lady Cekel epted your affection? Are you sure?¡± Sir Ainno replied confidently, ¡°11 months. I have 11 months to make her fall for me; she permitted me to try.¡± ¡°I am pretty sure she will still hate you in 11 months.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re still getting married.¡± Poliana frowned, realizing what Sir Ainno was saying. ¡°Sir Ainno¡­ are you saying that you will force her to marry you? You will misuse your power like that? Are you serious?¡± Sir Ainno nodded proudly. It was good to be powerful. Poliana knew better than anyone how great it was to have power, but what Sir Ainno was about to do was not eptable. Poliana knew she needed to stop it. She eximed, ¡°His highness will never allow such a thing! You can¡¯t do this!¡± Sir Ainno looked at her calmly and replied, ¡°I already have his permission. It is done.¡± Poliana gaped in shock. It now made sense that Sir Ainno felt confident dering his intention for Lady Cekel in public like this. This wedding was going to happen no matter what. He said to the Ingreter brothers, ¡°You understand what I¡¯m saying, right, brothers?¡± Sir Aeke and Sir Beke answered at the same time, ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Sir Ainnoughed dryly as he tightened his arms around the brothers. He was enjoying the Ingreger brothers¡¯ difort. There was no doubt Sir Ainno was a perverse man. Poor Cekel. Sir Ainno began to slowly drag them away to a dark corner as he said to Poliana, ¡°Well, we need to get going. We need to discuss some family business, Sir Poliana, you should understand. I will see youter.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk, Sir Ainno¡­¡± Poliana shook her head while the bystanders stared at them with interest. Soon, the entire Yapa was going to know about Sir Ainno¡¯s deration and Poliana¡¯s marriage n. This meant that the right and left hands of the emperor were both getting married. This was a huge deal that was going to affect the entire kingdom. ¡®I can¡¯t believe his highness is allowing this¡­ Is he really going to let Sir Ainno force Cekel into an unwanted marraige?¡¯ Poliana was certain that Sir Ainno must¡¯ve had a fit in front of the emperor to get this permission, and if his highness gave his permission, there was nothing Poliana could do. It was too bad for Cekel, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. But if Cekel wanted to get divorced in the future, Poliana would be there to help. Was it because the Ingreter brothers mentioned Lady Reba? Poliana suddenly felt a little down now as she thought about herte friend. Lady Reba¡¯s almost every possession was taken away by her mother Duchess Nani. Whatever was leftover were distributed among Lady Tory, Lady Stra, and Lady Reba¡¯s maids. Poliana was offered to take something if she wanted, but she refused. Lady Reba also did not leave a will for everyone. There was no time since her death was quite sudden and unexpected. She only left one and it was for the emperor. Poliana was her friend, possibly her closest friend in Yapa, yet she never got to talk to Lady Reba before she died. ¡®There were so many more things I wanted to tell her¡­ There were even more I wanted to hear from her¡­¡¯ Things Poliana could never tell anyone else¡­ Deep secrets she wanted to share¡­ Lady Reba was her true friend and now, she was gone. The only one left on this earth from Lady Reba was her daughter, Princess Luminae. The daughter Lady Reba hoped was a son. In about 15 years, the newborn Princess Luminae was going to be married. Who will the princess end up marrying? Lady Reba was worried that any daughter of hers was going to have an unfortunate life. Was she right? Poliana was afraid to find out. Only
People found it very hard to believe how much Poliana changedtely. The perfume¡­ her skincare routine¡­ Her happier mood¡­ Her smiles and giggles¡­ They looked at her like she had gone crazy. The guards of the Second Division were the first ones to ept her changes. They had no choice, after all. Anyone else who kept mentioning the fact was quickly punished until they shut their mouths. Most women, however, saw Poliana¡¯s changes in a positive way. They were d to see Poliana finally acting like a woman. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing for her to improve herself now that she¡¯s getting married. She is a woman no matter what people say, so this change makes perfect sense. Good for her.¡± The older men, however, were still grumbling about her. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she take off her pants and just wear a dress like a normal woman? Why does she keep carrying a sword? Why does she still act like a man even though she is going to be a bride?¡± But the ones who were most shocked and concerned by her changes were those who knew her well. The men who went to war with her were genuinely worried about her, so they all went to Lucius the First and voiced their concern, ¡°Your highness! Marquess Winter has lost her mind!¡± They were seriously rmed and they wanted their emperor to fix the situation before it got worse. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Sir Mahogal, who was unfortunately still working for Sir Ainno, ran to Lucius the First as soon as he heard the shocking news. When he arrived at the emperor¡¯s reception area, he saw Master Chail standing in front of the door. This was a good sign because it meant that the emperor was avable to receive visitors. ¡®Perfect!¡¯ Sir Mahogal excitedly asked Master Chail, ¡°Is his highness inside?¡± Master Chail shook his head without a word, which was an unusually rude behavior for him. When Sir Mahogal looked at him in confusion, Master Chail shook his head again and waved his hand. ¡°You can just go inside, Sir Mahogal.¡± Still confused, Sir Mahogal did as he was told. He walked into the room, and as soon as he did, he realized why Master Chail was acting strangely. Lucius the First¡¯s reception room was filled with knights who were in shock from the same news. They were telling what they saw and heard to the emperor. It looked like most of the knights inside Yapa were all gathered here. Sir Mahogal realized that he was toote to the party. Most of them were the knights who were part of the conquest. The scene reminded Sir Mahogal of the strategy meetings they used to have during the war. The knights were talking earnestly to the emperor, who was sitting there with a serious face. When the knights spotted Sir Mahogal, they all spoke at once. ¡°Oh, Sir Mahogal, you¡¯re here too!¡± ¡°Come,e! You¡¯rete!¡± ¡°Sir Mahogal, what did you see? Tell his highness what you saw!¡± ¡°Did you know what I saw? I saw Sir Poliana smelling a flower, a flower! Sir Poliana did!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing! I saw something worse! I saw Sir Poliana humming! She was humming, I tell you!¡± ¡°I even saw her hiding her scars with makeup! I thought I was going to faint!¡± The men were busy sharing what they witnessed. Sir Mahogal didn¡¯t know how to join in, so he found an empty chair and sat down. The knights continued to talk loudly for a while longer but slowly, they began to calm down. And thankfully, the men began to ept the situation. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s not that she put the flower in her hair, so I guess it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose so.¡± ¡°Sir Poliana is still doing an excellent job leading her guards, so I guess we can let her do what she wants. Her own men seemed shocked to see the changes, but I think they¡¯ve already epted them. She also still has a very firm grip on her unit too.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay for her to put on some perfume. It isn¡¯t like it¡¯s hurting anyone, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I mean, if she is going to get married, it makes sense that she wants to improve her skin. Marquess Winter¡¯s skin is so awful that she will probably need a year to improve it.¡± In the end, the men decided that there was nothing wrong with their Poliana Winter. For some reason, their frustration changed its direction towards Frau. This was all Frau Sneke¡¯s fault. It had to be!¡± ¡°Frau Sneke is no good! He just doesn¡¯t suit Sir Poliana, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°If he wasn¡¯t kicked out from the Sneke family, perhaps he would¡¯ve been an alright choice, but he was abandoned by his own family, abandoned! If he doesn¡¯t belong to a noble family, doesn¡¯t that pretty much mean that he¡¯s amoner?¡± ¡°Absolutely, so how dare he propose to the marquess?¡± ¡°He has no money or status. He has nond, and he was kicked out of his family. He is also old, and he isn¡¯t even a knight! He¡¯s just a doctor! I am against this marriage!¡± Lucius the First, who was holding his forehead with his hand as if he was having a headache, flinched. The knights, however, were too busy talking that they didn¡¯t notice. The men continued, ¡°I am against this marriage too! I heard he even said that he was doing this for her money! He¡¯s a gold digger!¡± ¡°I went to have a look at him, and he was also ugly too!¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right, he¡¯s ugly too; an ugly gold digger like that needs to be destroyed!¡± The emperor¡¯s ears were clearly very much focused on the men¡¯s conversation, but the knights were still unaware. One of the knights suddenly disagreed, ¡°Actually, I am ok with this marriage. Frau is indeed unmanly and weak, but this means that he will treat Marquess Winter with the greatest respect. He will do as he is told and they might just have a quiet marriage.¡± Lucius the First slowly looked up to see the man who thought positively of Poliana¡¯s uing marriage. The knight, unaware of the hatred in the emperor¡¯s eyes towards him, continued, ¡°I mean, think about it. Any man who marries Marquess Winter will have to give up his family name and take hers. If she wasn¡¯t rich, what man would be willing to do that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I guess¡­¡± The other knights agreed reluctantly, ¡°It¡¯s true that I would never give up my family name. I would never take a woman¡¯s name as mine.¡± ¡°Me too, no amount of money would make me do something like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, my name was a gift from my ancestors, so how could I ever sell it?¡± Any man who married Marquess Winter had to take herst name. On top of that, Poliana was barren, which meant that they would have no heir. Some of the knights nodded in agreement, but those who disagreed argued, ¡°But Marquess Winter¡¯s name was given by his highness himself! It won¡¯t be such a sad thing to take an honorable name like Winter. Besides, Sir Poliana would be able to make even the most vicious man obedient! She doesn¡¯t need a weak doctor like that! She can do so much better!¡± ¡°But what can we do? It¡¯s not like we chose him, the marquess did!¡± ¡°I had no idea that Sir Poliana had such a low standard.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! Everyone knows how much Sir Pol cares about people¡¯s looks.¡± Only ¡°So why would she decide on such an ugly man?!¡± ¡°Well, she apparently said that she didn¡¯t want a much younger man.¡± ¡°So what are your thoughts on this, Sir Mahogal?¡± Sir Mahogal, who was sitting quietly, flinched when his name was called. He sat up straight and faced the men. The reason why the men turned to Sir Mahogal was that they were talking about good looking men. The most handsome man in the room was without a doubt Lucius the First, but it was a well-known fact that Poliana did not see the emperor as a man. The next in line for the list of handsome men were Sir Mahogal. Indeed, people witnessed Poliana blushing from time to time in front of Sir Mahogal, who was a very handsome man. He was also from a good family and his manner was excellent. If he wasn¡¯t married, Poliana would have been very interested in him. After some careful thought, Sir Mahogal replied, ¡°For someone important like Sir Pol¡­ I do think she needs a man who is at least as good looking as me.¡± Chapter 223 Chapter 223 All the knights booed Sir Mahogal, who just shrugged his shoulders. Hisment was disgusting, but unfortunately, it was true that Sir Mahogal was indeed a very good looking man. If Poliana saw how her colleagues were behaving, she would¡¯ve been annoyed. They were certainly her friends and co-workers, but they were not her rtives. They had no right to agree or disagree with her marriage n, yet these men were seriously discussing the situation as if they were talking about their own sisters or daughters. They were talking about her like her future was their business. Poliana was ugly, old, and barren; she had all the three qualities of an undesirable woman, however, she was also incredibly wealthy and powerful. Wealth and power could be enough to make all of her worst faults look ok. To these knights, Poliana was someone they wanted to protect. They felt affectionate towards her and wanted the best for her. So, the men continued to argue if Poliana should marry Frau Sneke. ¡°Yes! Yes! No! Yes! No! No! No! Yes!¡± The meaningless discussion went on and on and it seemed that they could note up with a decision. They formed two sides and continued to argue intensely. ¡°How can you approve of such an uneven marriage?¡± ¡°What? This is what Marquess Winter wants! She wants to be happy! So how could we object of this is what she truly wants?¡± ¡°How could she be happy in a marriage that does not suit her? Do you really think she will be happy marrying that gold digger?¡± Finally, one man suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s stop this nonsense and talk to the marquess herself. We need to convince her!¡± Hisment sounded logical, but everyone else disagreed. They argued, ¡°But we can¡¯t. If we talk to her about her marriage, she¡¯s going to think we¡¯re nagging her. You know how she is going to react if we approach her.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. She hates being nagged. Last time I suggested something, she forbade me from approaching her for weeks. She was so cold to me. It was not fun.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s think logically for a second. We need to figure out why Sir Poliana decided to get married. We have been telling her to get married for a long time, but she never agreed to it. So why did she change her mind now? What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s lonely! Isn¡¯t that what she said?¡± ¡°She was very close to Lady Reba.¡± One of the knights, who couldn¡¯t take this anymore, offered loudly, ¡°I will offer my nephew to marry her! This will fix everything! I am willing to sacrifice my nephew for her!¡± All the other knights began to boo the man as they yelled, ¡°Your nephew is only 14 years old. He could be her son! You know she isn¡¯t going to agree to this!¡± Lucius the First, while sitting in his chair, watched his knights quietly. Why did these men feel so strongly about Poliana¡¯s marriage? They were talking as if her marriage affected them greatly. They were acting like Poliana¡¯s brothers, fathers, and grandfathers. Just as the emperor was busy with work, these knights were very busy men too. This was why it was so strange that the knights were still here arguing. They have been doing this in front of the emperor for hours now. It seemed that none of them were even getting tired; their voices became louder and louder. Lucius the First thought quietly, ¡®It looks like they are enjoying this situation¡­¡¯ His eyes narrowed, slowly figuring out why. Most of these men got married right after they returned home from the war. Their honeymoon was probably sweet, but soon after, they began to have children. By now, their wives were probably more focused on their children than their husbands. Their children were probably in their rebellious teen years and want nothing to do with their fathers. It was clear that these knights were bored with their lives. They were busy with their work, but they were used to it. What theycked was something interesting in their lives, and they finally found it. Poliana¡¯s marriage¡­ This was the most fun they had in years! Lucius the First sighed; his face was filled with worry and irritation. ¡®And these are the men that aplished the unification of this continent with me.¡¯ The only man in this room who had any right to have an opinion on Poliana¡¯s marriage was Lucius the First, and this was because he was in love with her, and because he loved her, he had to say something he didn¡¯t really mean. ¡°Stop, everyone. I, the emperor, have decided to respect Marquess Winter¡¯s decision.¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± The knights all turned to the emperor as if he betrayed them. Lucius the First continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± The emperor gritted his teeth, worried that he might begin to cry at any moment. Lucius the First raised his voice on purpose and opened his eyes wider as he added, ¡°Doesn¡¯t Marquess Winter look happy now?¡± She has been seen humming often nowadays. People reported witnessing herugh too for no reason. These small changes that were very unlike her¡­ These were proof that Poliana was happy. Lucius the First fell in love with her small smiles. He really wanted Poliana to be happy. Her happiness was more important than his own. Sir Ainno once ranted that it didn¡¯t make sense how the emperor of the greatest kingdom could not even have the woman he wanted. But the truth was that it was because he was the emperor that he had to give her up. There was no good reason for Lucius the First to stop Poliana from marrying the man she wanted. The men nodded after listening to their emperor. The room turned quiet as Lucius the First closed his eyes. ¡®That¡¯s right. As long as she¡¯s happy¡­ That¡¯s all that matters.¡¯ He opened his eyes and ordered, ¡°Now, you¡¯re all dismissed. Return to your works but remember this one thing. If that man makes Marquess Winter cry even a single tear¡­¡± Lucius the First clenched his teeth, finally showing small evidence of his true feelings. He didn¡¯t bother putting on his usual fake smile. ¡°If that man makes Marquess Winter sad, I will kill him. I will end him.¡± Only It was an oath, and the knights waved their hands in shock. They begged the emperor, ¡°Your highness! Please, don¡¯t say such a thing!¡± But they weren¡¯t asking the emperor to spare Frau Sneke. They wanted something much worse for him. ¡°You cannot just kill him like that! That would be too easy for him; you¡¯re being too kind!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, your highness! He needs to be tortured for at least a year!¡± ¡°Hang him upside down and drown him!¡± Lucius the First smiled happily, impressed at his knights for being such good friends of Poliana. He said proudly, ¡°You men are such good knights. What a beautiful friendship we all have!¡± A single tear finally rolled down from Lucius the Fist¡¯s eyes. He wiped it away quickly, and the knights in the room assumed that it was a tear of joy for their friendship. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Following Lucius the First¡¯s order, Sir Deke explored the southern regions before stopping at the viceroy¡¯s official residence. The viceroy, who controlled the entire southern region, Sir Rabi, weed Sir Deke with open arms. Sir Rabi was genuinely happy to see Sir Deke. It has been a very long time since he got a visitor from the capital. He was also very fond of all of the Ingreter brothers. The Bika family offered to throw a banquet in honor of the guest from Yapa, but Sir Deke declined it since he needed to do a lot of work here. Unlike in the northern and mid-continent region, there weren¡¯t many intelligence agents Sir Deke could rely on, which meant that he had to do the work himself. It was an annoying situation, but it could not be helped. Thankfully, the southern region has been very quiettely. After the incident with Duchess Nani, who was thrown out from the Yapa castle by Lucius the First, there was a concern that the colony, Nanikun, might cause problems, but nothing happened. Instead, the people of Nanikun mourned the death of Lady Reba and prayed for the health of Princess Luminae. The people of other southern colonies felt the same way. There was also a big interest in who would be the next wife of the emperor to rece Lady Reba. Everyone expected it to be ady from the south again. There was still a rumor that the emperor preferred middle-aged women, but other than that, things were rtively quiet. Many nobledies of the south secretly felt expectant, hoping that they could be the next wife of the emperor. After Sir Deke was done doing his research in the south, he readied himself to return to Yapa, but before he did, he dropped by the Viceroy¡¯s house onest time. Although he didn¡¯t want a huge banquet in his honor, he still wanted to be the Bika family¡¯s guest. When the war was over and many of the knights ended up staying as guests of Sir Rabi, Sir Deke heard that these men were treated luxuriously. He wasn¡¯t one of the guests at the time because he was away with his brothers Sir Aeke and Sir Beke, which made him feel envious and curious, so he wanted to be one now. He wanted to experience the luxury of being a Bika family guest. It was also considered a great honor to be a guest of Sir Rabi and his family. The entire Bika family weed him. Sir Donau, who was about the same age as Sir Deke, was especially happy to see his old friend. They spent a lot of time together during the war and they became close friends at the time. It has been a very long time since theyst saw each other. Sir Deke joked, ¡°You¡¯re being too nice to me, Donau. If you think you are going to get something from me, you¡¯re going to be disappointed. I have nothing, so stop being so nice.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I am really happy to see you, that¡¯s all. Don¡¯t be such a jerk.¡± ¡°How is life in the south by the way?¡± ¡°Pretty good, except for the summer; it¡¯s too hot here. I miss the north sometimes.¡± The family of the viceroy and the Ribo family both lived in their official residence. Sir Baufallo was thendlord of the adjacentnd, but Sir Rabi offered to live together since his residence was so big. In truth, Sir Rabi just wanted to be close to his twin daughters so he could watch out for them. The inws ended up living together as one big family. Sir Howe was happy to live with Sir Rabi, who he idolized, and Sir Donau was ok with the situation as well since he got to live with all of his family. Although, being surrounded by family and rtives all the time could be a little overwhelming sometimes; this was why Donau was happy to see a new face. Sir Donau asked, ¡°Did you get to check out the road conditions? Are you done all of your work?¡± ¡°Yes, it seems like all the roads are in good condition. They¡¯re very cleanly made, and it was much better than the ones in the mid-continent. I don¡¯t think there is much to worry about.¡± The official reason for Sir Deke¡¯s visit was to check on the roads. It was a usible excuse since the emperor was indeed nning on uniting the entire kingdom with well-built roads. For easy imports and exports among the colonies, solid essible roads were necessities. This was his big n for the future. Sir Deke made sure to always carry a map, telling everyone he was just checking on the roads. Thus, no one suspected that he was there for another reason. He also marked the map of any roads that needed to be repaired so it looked even more convincing. Sir Donau replied, ¡°Of course, my father-inw is the viceroy, after all. He¡¯s very thorough in taking care of everything. He is an excellentndlord.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Sir Deke eximed and added, ¡°You sound so natural calling him your ¡®father-inw!''¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sir Donau looked away in embarrassment while Sir Dekeughed. It was so nice to see Sir Donau lookingfortable and happy in his new life. It was clear that Donau was content. Only Sir Deke had nothing to do until dinner, so he decided to walk around the residence. The truth was, one of his purposes here was to find out the general atmosphere of the Viceroy¡¯s residence. It was obvious that the emperor was right in trusting Sir Rabi with such an important job. Sir Deke could see that Sir Rabi¡¯s residence was well-kept and well-run. All the works were done efficiently, and everyone seemed generally satisfied here. Then suddenly, Sir Deke screamed when he saw a strange creature on the ground. ¡°Arrggh! What the heck! What is that?¡± He almost fell to the ground from the shock of it. Sir Deke took a step back and took a careful look at the animal. To his surprise, he realized that it was a dog. But it was not the kind of dog he knew. The dog¡¯s face had simr features as the northern dogs, but the animal had no hair on its body. It looked like a duck or a chicken without any feathers. What surprised him, even more, was the fact that there were simr looking creatures on the ground all over the ce. Most were underneath the tree in a shade or lying against cold stones. It seemed that these animals were trying to keep themselves cool. ¡°What the heck!¡± Bardo Bika, who was walking alongside Sir Deke, exined, ¡°The dogs and the cats were not doing well with the heat here, so we shaved them.¡± Thinking about the luxurious hair the northern dogs usually have to fight against the Acreian cold, Sir Deke felt pity towards these dogs. His eyes began to tear up a little, so he quickly turned away and headed towards the dining room where the dinner was about to begin. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 The Ribo and Bika families gathered around with Sir Rabi as the head of the table. Both Sir Rabi and Sir Baufallo greeted Sir Deke pleasantly and a light-hearted conversation began; they asked each other about how their mutual acquaintances were doing and how things were going in Yapa in general. The Bika twins expressed their sadness to Sir Deke regarding the recent passing of Lady Reba. ¡°Sir Pol told us she was a very kinddy. We were both very saddened by the news.¡± ¡°We are just d that the princess is doing well at least.¡± Sir Deke replied, ¡°I am just happy to hear that you¡¯ve delivered your babies safely. Everyone in Yapa was d to hear about it.¡± Everything seemed great in the south. Sir Deke was satisfied with what he saw. There was nothing that would worry the emperor here. Sir Deke was also pleased on a personal level. When he first heard about his friend, Donau¡¯s marriage, he was worried because it seemed that Donau was being sold to Sir Rabi. Thankfully, Sir Donau looked very happy. It looked like their wives were the ones in control in their rtionships, but both Sir Donau and Sir Howe seemed happy. Sir Deke never thought it would be possible for a man to be happy to live with a woman stronger willed than him, but in truth, it was very possible. Both Sir Howe and Sir Donau also had a great rtionship with their brother-inw, Bardo. It was Bardo who approached his new brothers because he was so happy to finally have male siblings; they became best friends right after. The conversation over dinner continued pleasantly and finally, the topic of Poliana was brought up. Sir Donau mentioned, ¡°Sir Pol must be out of her house by now.¡± Sir Deke replied, ¡°I only heard about her self-punishment after I left Yapa.¡± Donau smiled bitterly because he knew very well how determined and serious his adopted sister could be. He said, ¡°I was so shocked when we stopped receiving letters from her.¡± Sir Baufallo added, ¡°Of all people, I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be surprised Sir Pol would do something like this.¡± Sir Rabi nodded in agreement. Sir Howe muttered, ¡°I can guess what must¡¯ve happened. I¡¯ll bet his highness said whatever she did was perfectly fine, but she probably insisted on punishing herself. It¡¯s an easy guess, knowing Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Well, her determination is also one of her strongest qualities.¡± ¡°She should¡¯ve at least sent us a message to exin why she won¡¯t be sending any more letters for a while.¡± The Bika twins grumbled, ¡°We were so worried when we didn¡¯t hear from her after Lady Reba¡¯s passing.¡± They looked genuinely upset and disappointed in Poliana, so the knights sitting around them shook their heads, exining to them that it would have been strange for Poliana to exin her own punishment. Donau asked Sir Deke for a favor, ¡°When you get back to Yapa, can you deliver some gifts to Sir Pol?¡± ¡°Gifts?¡± ¡°It would be faster for you to deliver them than us sending them through a messenger.¡± Sir Deke was confused. He tried to remember if he was missing something. Did something happen to Poliana? ¡®Why is Sir Poliana getting gifts?¡¯ Sir Deke assumed something must¡¯ve happened while he was traveling all over the kingdom. He didn¡¯t really care what happened since it sounded like whatever happened was something good. If Sir Donau, who lived in the south, knew about it, everyone in Yapa must¡¯ve known about it by now. Although he didn¡¯t care what happened, Sir Deke felt a little ashamed that he, the head of the Intelligence Unit, didn¡¯t know about it. This was embarrassing. Sir Deke asked, ¡°Why? Did something happen? Did she get promoted? Is there any position higher than the head of the division? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± As far as Sir Deke knew, Poliana was at the highest level a knight could achieve. Suddenly, Vanessa interrupted him to answer, ¡°We heard that she¡¯s getting married. Sir Pol has been so kind and generous to us when we had our babies. We know there is no way for us to repay her, so we thought it would be a good idea to send her a small gift as quickly as possible.¡± Vaxi added, ¡°We would obviously love to attend her wedding, but I don¡¯t think it will be possible.¡± The twin sisters sighed in disappointment, and Sir Deke gasped. ¡®Sir Pol is getting married? What?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Sir Deke who looked surprised. Other than the young couples on the table, everyone else seemed shocked, too. ¡°What? Sir Pol is getting married?¡± ¡°To who?¡± ¡°When did this happen? When did you get this news, Vanessa?¡± Sir Rabi, Sir Baufallo, and Lady Bika¡¯s eyes widened as they asked all at once, and Sir Donau answered them calmly. The letter from Poliana arrived that very morning. It was the first letter she sent since she went into her self-confinement, so when he saw it, Sir Donau opened it happily. Inside the envelope was a message that she was getting married. Lady Bika eximed, ¡°Oh my! Marquess Winter is getting married?!¡± She pped in joy; her cheeks even flushed. ¡°Wow. Sir Pol is really going to marry someone?¡± ¡°Did the letter say who the groom is?¡± ¡°Yes. It is the fifth son of former Duke Sneke. His name is Frau Sneke; he¡¯s a doctor, and he¡¯s the same age as Sir Poliana.¡± Sir Baufallo, Sir Rabi, and their wives frowned unhappily. It was clear that they did not approve of Poliana¡¯s choice. They had the same reaction from most people in Yapa when they heard this news. Sir Baufallo and Sir Rabi both remembered Frau being kicked out from his family. They were also unhappy about his job as a doctor. The only thing they approved of was his age. Sir Deke remembered his sister asking him to investigate Frau, so he was even more surprised. How did this happen? ¡®When I get back to Yapa, I will have to find out what exactly happened.¡¯ Only Why would Sir Pol marry a man who was clearly after her money? Sir Rabi announced quietly, ¡°Frau Sneke is clearly not worthy of Sir Pol¡­ I don¡¯t like this at all, but if this is Sir Pol¡¯s decision, I will have to respect it and congratte her.¡± Sir Baufallo shook his head slowly. In the past, he told the knightess that if she wanted to remain a knight, she should never get married, but time has changed. Now, he knew that she could get married and still be epted as a knight. She worked hard and she earned her ce in this world. People around her respected her. Sir Baufallo always thought she would live alone, but it seemed that she was getting married. This was a good thing, but he really did not like her choice for her husband. ¡°Frau Sneke is not the right man for her¡­¡± It didn¡¯t sound like it was a love match either. When Sir Baufallo looked upset, Vaxi and Vanessa replied, ¡°We agree with you, most people feel that way.¡± ¡°But since this is what Sir Pol wants, we decided to congratte her.¡± Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Sir Donau and Sir Howe agreed with their wives. ¡°I feel the same way, Father. I respect my adopted sister''s wishes.¡± ¡°Me too, Father. I''m sure Sir Pol didn''t make this decision lightly.¡± The brothers knew that Poliana was an intelligent and careful woman. They believed that she would have considered all the possible consequences of her marriage before making this decision. But the truth was, Poliana decided to do this in a very rash way. In fact, if she had epted the Sir Bika Senior''s offer of a puppy, Poliana would''ve never decided to get married. Poliana was in an emotionally vulnerable position because she felt so lonely, and it worked perfectly to Frau''s advantage. It was his lucky day. In the end, everyone on the table agreed that they should all respect Poliana''s decision. Sir Deke, feeling awkward, didn''t say much. It seemed that he was the only one who knew about Frau''s deration about how he wanted to marry Poliana for her money. Perhaps it was best for people not to know about it or else it would upset them even more. Vanessa and Vaxi nodded, ¡°We are so d Sir Pol is marrying someone her own age.¡± ¡°Totally, I remember her telling us she doesn''t want to marry a younger man.¡± Sir Donau felt a little sad, remembering how Poliana was his first love, but his feelings for her were now a distant and fond memory. He loved his wife and his daughter. While everyone chatted amicably, Lady Bika kept murmuring to herself, ¡°Frau¡­ Frau¡­¡± The name sounded familiar. She had a bad feeling about it, and suddenly, she looked up. ¡°Sir Donau, did you say Sir Poliana is marrying Frau Sneke?¡± ¡°Yes. His name is Frau and he is from the Sneke family. He is currently working as Baron Redikal''s student; he''s a doctor.¡± Lady Bika''s face became rigid. She was normally a very calm and kind-lookingdy, but at this moment, she looked like a witch. She looked so angry, which was very unusual. It was also considered very rude to look so unhappy in front of a guest. Sir Rabi held his wife''s hand gently and asked, ¡°Dear, what''s wrong?¡± ¡°Just give me a moment. I need to think. Frau Sneke¡­ Frau Sneke¡­ So that would be the current Baron Sneke''s younger brother? The man who had that notorious affair with a maid in his own household?!¡± No one could agree or disagree with Lady Bika''s question because no one knew. Vanessa and Vaxi had no idea what their mother was talking about. Sir Rabi and Sir Baufallo were not in Acreia when this happened because they were away at war. Sir Donau and Sir Howe were the same. Sir Deke knew about this scandal since he recently did his own research, but he could not reveal this fact. If they asked how he knew about it, it would be very hard for him to exin it. Lady Bika eximed, ¡°No one here remembers this?!¡± She raised her voice and Lady Ribo frowned before answering, ¡°Oh, oh! Yes, you''re right, Lady Bika. Now that I think about it, I do remember. There was a huge scandal where a son of a duke wanted to get married to a maid. It was a huge deal, so I assume that that was the Sneke family?¡± Sir Rabi murmured coldly, ¡°So, that man has another woman?¡± Lady Ribo, now remembering more about it, exined, ¡°I think that maid died soon after that scandal. Right, Lady Bika?¡± Lady Bika nodded unhappily, which made Sir Rabi feel a little better. After all, Frau Sneke was the same age as Poliana, which made him 33. It was not an odd thing for a man of 33 to have a past. As long as he was unattached right now, it was going to be okay. Sir Rabi announced, ¡°If she''s dead, then I guess it''s all good.¡± Sir Baufallo asked, ¡°Does Sir Pol know about this man''s past?¡± Sir Donau answered suggested, ¡°Well, knowing Sis, I am sure she did her research before deciding to get married. You know how her hobby is collecting information, right?¡± ¡°Haha, that''s right. She used to refuse to go into battles if she didn''t have enough information about them¡­¡± ¡°So, Sir Pol is really getting married¡­¡± ¡°What a joyous asion!¡± Suddenly, Lady Bika yelled as she pped the table, ¡°What are you people talking about! This is a joyous asion?!¡± ¡°D-dear, w-what''s wrong, are you ill?¡± ¡°Are you people all crazy? A joyous asion, how could you all say this!¡± Ignoring her shocked husband, Lady Bika pointed at the three young men at the table. The three men straightened, just like they used to when they were in active duty and ordered by their superior. Lady Bika looked faint as she stood up weakly. Before Sir Rabi could help her, Lady Bika ordered firmly, ¡°You three need to go and stop this wedding right this minute!¡± Her voice sounded almost scary. It was so loud that it echoed throughout the dining room. It was no wonder she was the wife of a prominent knight. The three men stood up and saluted her. ¡°Yes, Ma''am!¡± ¡°Right away, Ma''am!¡± ¡°Of course, Ma''am!¡± Their reaction was by reflex from their years in the military. Lady Bika, suddenly realizing how odd her behavior was, quickly began to exin her reasoning behind her request. The three men, however, did not need her to exin herself. They were ready and willing to follow her order. That very night, the three young knights rode to Yapa. They had only one goal and one mission in mind. They had to stop the evil Frau! They had to prevent Poliana''s wedding from happening! The night deepened and heavy ominous rain fell on the three young men, but they never stopped riding. Meanwhile, as Cekel predicted, the maids inside thedy''s quarters became divided into two sides. Some sided with Lady Tory, while others supported Lady Stra. Strangely, this made Lady Stra and Lady Tory be even closer to each other. Instead of Lady Reba''s reception area, the two wives of the emperor began to gather inside Lady Stra''s reception room. Instead of the sweet fruity snacks from the south, grainy desserts from the mid-continent region were served. Lady Stra was now fully responsible for raising Princess Luminae while Lady Tory remained the unofficial head of thedy''s quarters. Taking care of a newborn was a hard job, but in truth, it was the wet nurse who did most of the work. When Lady Stra seemed apologetic, Lady Tory suggested, ¡°Stra, could you take care of arranging the emperor''s birthday feast this year?¡± ¡°Oh?! I think that job is too big for me; I don''t think I''m qualified to do it.¡± ¡°I am sure you can do it!¡± ¡°But¡­ All the powerful Acreian nobles were invited this year, right? It will have to be a perfect Acreian banquet, and I know I won''t be able to do it.¡± Due to Lady Reba''s recent passing, it was decided that the emperor''s birthday party will be a much smaller asion than usual. Only the Acreian nobles and those aristocrats in Yapa were invited, which meant that the banquet would have to be in Acreian fashion. Stra, who was not from the north, did not feelfortable taking care of such a big event. Lady Tory said encouragingly, ¡°You can do it, Lady Stra. The feasts in the mid-continent regions are actually moreplicated. I will help you do it, so don''t worry.¡± Stra hesitated, but Lady Tory has been taking care of a lot of the thingstely. Stra has been thinking that she should be helping more, so this could be her chance. In addition, she could learn more about the Acreian customs this way, which will be helpful to her in the future. Stra nodded and replied, ¡°Alright. But if I do something wrong, you have to promise to tell me right away.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Tory replied kindly, but Stra still seemed uncertain. She knew any mistakes would be criticized harshly by the Acreian nobles. When Stra looked concerned, Tory offered, ¡°If you do a good job, I will give you a gift.¡± Tory gestured to her maid, who brought a bottle of wine. When Stra saw it, her eyes shined. She eximed, ¡°It''s the ice wine!¡± Tory replied quietly, ¡°So, you have heard about this wine.¡± Chapter 227 Chapter 227 The ice wine from Acreia was legendary. Lady Stra did not particrly enjoy drinking, but even she knew about this wine. It was made only in one region in Acreia, and because of the ongoing war between Aehas and Kukda, it had been almost impossible for people of the mid-continent and southern regions to enjoy this wine. Lady Stra¡¯s father, who was the king of his own kingdom, only had one bottle and he kept it safe as one of his treasures. Lady Stra asked excitedly, ¡°Where did you get that?¡± ¡°This ice grape grows only in Marquis Seeze¡¯snd. Marquis Seeze is my great grandfather, and when we visited Nanaba recently, he gave me this as a present.¡± ¡°Oh, then you can¡¯t give that to me. It is a precious gift from your great grandfather. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Lady Tory smiled teasingly as she handed the bottle back to her maid. The maid took the bottle with trembling hands, terrified that she might drop the priceless item. Lady Tory said to Stra, ¡°I am not giving it to you for free. I will only give it to you if you do well with the emperor¡¯s birthday party.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I heard from Duchess Luzo that the Acreian nobles and the elders can be very picky¡­ They will be harsh critics of anything I do.¡± When Stra looked disappointed, Tory said to her encouragingly, ¡°So, you¡¯ll just have to do a perfect job so no one canin about anything. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°R-right? Since you are offering such a priceless gift, I guess I will have to do my best.¡± ¡°You can do it, Stra!¡± The twodies giggled together like little girls. The atmosphere in the reception area was light and happy, making even the maids on different sides smile. Lady Stra¡¯s maid brought new tes of snacks. Stra looked at Tory expectantly. She always felt like she owed Tory, so providing tasty snacks was the least she could do. Lady Stra exined, ¡°My new chef made it. He¡¯s very good at his job. Try it.¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Sweet snacks were rare in Acreia, so Tory took a bite of a cookie excitedly. It was indeed delicious, and Tory murmured, ¡°I wish the marquess was here to enjoy it; she would like this.¡± ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Marquess Winter is too busy nning her wedding.¡± Tory picked up another cookie. Feeling embarrassed that she was eating all of the snacks, she offered one to Stra. Lady Stra shook her head gently. ¡°My chef is so good at his job that I gained so much weight. I need to control myself.¡± ¡°I understand how it would be so easy to gain weight on food like this.¡± Tory ended up cleaning up the te all by herself. Her Acreian chef was great at cooking meat and making jerkies, but that was it. He was awful at making any other types of dishes or desserts. It was going to take a very long time for the Acreians to learn the sophisticated cooking of the mid-continent region. Tory wondered secretly, ¡®Is she really gaining weight because of overeating? Or¡­¡¯ She was smiling, but deep inside, she couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Whatever happens¡­ Even if she is pregnant¡­¡¯ Tory¡¯s maid informed her recently that Lady Stra stopped having her period. It was unknown whether it was because she was pregnant, or because she usually had irregr periods. Was it another phantom pregnancy? Apparently, Stra didn¡¯t even call for a doctor to get checked. Was it because Stra believed it could be another phantom pregnancy? Did she not want to be embarrassed and disappointed again? The maid brought more cookies, and Tory continued to eat. Stra teased her that at this rate, Tory might gain weight too. The maidsughed at her joke, and Tory, still a smile on her face, focused on the taste of the cookies. They were indeed delicious. *** At that same time, Poliana was busy discussing her wedding dress design with a dressmaker. It was a tradition for a bride to wear the most expensive outfit she owned on her wedding day, but most of the time, the women decided to get a new outfit made for this asion. It was a good chance to get a nice outfit. Lucius the First was a generous emperor. He sent the best designers and dressmakers to Poliana. He also allowed her to use whatever royal fabric he owned in the castle. Poliana didn¡¯t know much about different types of fabrics. All she knew about were uniforms and bandages. The dressmaker asked Poliana, ¡°Should we first decide on the fabric? Is there a specific color you would like, Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°Blue.¡± ¡°Well, blue is great, but most brides prefer red, gold, or purple.¡± ¡°Blue, and I want it to be the same blue as the guard¡¯s uniform.¡± The head of the dressmittee, Lady Siming, looked at Poliana awkwardly. The main reason why the guard¡¯s uniform was blue was that it looked rich. Blue dye was also one of the cheapest. The expensive dyes were gold, red, and purple. There were different shades of blue that were more expensive, but the specific one Poliana wanted was the cheapest one of them all. Lady Siming exined patiently, ¡°Marquess Winter, the shade used for the uniforms is too dark and is therefore not appropriate for a wedding dress.¡± ¡°Blue.¡± ¡°I heard that you like dark-colored clothes. Why not try a lighter and brighter color this time?¡± Lady Siming took out a few different fabrics and tried putting them against Poliana. The maid brought a mirror and ced it in front of the twodies. Lady Siming said to her, ¡°See! Don¡¯t these bright colors look good on you? What do you think?¡± ¡°Blue.¡± ¡°I can see that you aren¡¯t going to change your mind¡­¡± In the end, Lady Siming gave up. Poliana was well known for her stubbornness, so Lady Siming knew her effort was going to be useless. Now that the fabric was decided, next was to determine the dress¡¯s design. Lady Siming asked nervously, ¡°You are going to let your hair grow, right? Please tell me you won¡¯t cut it short.¡± Both Lady Siming and all the maids looked at Poliana beggingly. Poliana has begun to take care of her skin, but she hasn¡¯t thought about what she should do with her hair. After a few moments of thinking, Poliana answered, ¡°Well since I am getting married¡­ I guess I should let it grow¡­ Right?¡± ¡°Yes! Absolutely! How long do you think it will be if we let it grow until your wedding¡­ Does your hair grow fast, Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°It grows at a normal speed.¡± Only ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s really short now, but if you let it grow, I am sure it will be ok.¡± Poliana knew nothing about clothing design, so she let Lady Siming take care of it. Lady Siming was only happy to take on responsibility. The next topic was the gifts to be exchanged between the groom and the bride. All the women in the room looked at Poliana expectantly. Poliana answered, ¡°I will be the one taking care of all the gifts.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The maids looked disappointed, but this was expected. Normally, it was the groom that gave more expensive and extravagant gifts to his bride. In this case, however, it made sense that Poliana took care of everything since Frau was penniless. One of the maids said eagerly, ¡°I heard that Lady Ingreter got a box full of jewels as a wedding gift!¡± Chapter 228 Chapter 228 The maids eximed as they talked about Cekel and Sir Ainno. ¡°Wow, that sounds so amazing!¡± ¡°I am so envious! A whole box of jewels?¡± The biggest story in Yapa at the moment was Sir Ainno and Cekel¡¯s uing marriage. Just like Frau and Poliana, there was a huge gap between Sir Ainno and Cekel in terms of wealth and status. People, however, reacted differently to the two couples. Whenever they heard about Poliana and Frau, theyughed or shook their heads. A woman marrying so beneath her? Everyone found it either ridiculous or uneptable. However, a woman marrying above her station? All the women found the story of Sir Ainno and Cekel romantic. Many women were jealous as well. They pouted, saying how sneaky Cekel was. Didn¡¯t she dere that she was never going to get married? That she was going to remain a spinster? Yet here she was, getting married to the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom. People were also curious. How did someone like Cekel capture Ainno Seki¡¯s heart? There were many rumors, but nothing was confirmed. Thedies also enjoyed Sir Ainno¡¯s passionate courtship of Cekel. Sir Ainno was a jerk, and he was a very forward and forceful man, but it seemed that no one noticed it. It was partly because he was a great actor. Ever since Cekel gave him permission to try to win her over, he has been acting like a perfect gentleman. When he gave her a bouquet of flowers, he made a noticeable effort not to touch her hands. Whenever he escorted her, he asked for her permission respectfully. He even asked for her permission whenever he kissed the back of her hand. To thedies, he was a perfect gentleman. Poliana, however, knew he was faking it. ¡®What a jerk.¡¯ Her guess was that Cekel was training Sir Ainno to act in this way. If this was the case, then Sir Ainno must really love Cekel. Lady Siming asked Poliana, ¡°And what will you do about the wedding animal hide?¡± Traditionally, the groom was supposed to hunt an animal and give its hide as a wedding gift to his bride. But unfortunately, everyone knew Frau was not a hunter. He was a chubby slow man. It was very likely that he wouldn¡¯t even be able to catch a chicken inside a chicken coop. Poliana considered hunting an animal herself but quickly gave up on the idea. Poliana herself was not a talented hunter. It was best to just purchase a hide. She didn¡¯t even want or need one, but it was the tradition. When Poliana said she was going to buy a hide, Lady Siming replied excitedly, ¡°There is no need. His highness told me that he will be giving you a ck bear hide as a gift for you. He has one that he recently received as a gift.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°His highness was actually disappointed that he didn¡¯t have a white bear hide for you.¡± ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense¡­ His highness is so generous. I guess I better go and thank him in person soon.¡± Poliana epted the emperor¡¯s gift without a fight. It was a good idea never to refuse a gift like this. Lucius the First also offered to give Poliana jewels, but she politely refused them, especially because he was offering a ring and Poliana wanted to get one custom made for her. Poliana asked Lady Siming, ¡°For the wedding ring¡­ I was thinking about making one big enough to fit my gauntlet. What kind of stone do you think I should use?¡± ¡°Marquess! During the wedding, you will be exchanging the rings with your future husband. Are you telling me that you will be wearing your gauntlet at your own wedding?!¡± Lady Siming eximed in shock. The maids, who were working nearby, also ran towards them and said hurriedly, ¡°Marquess Winter! You will have to wear your ring during the entire wedding, and if the ring falls off even once that day, it means your marriage will suffer bad luck!¡± ¡®Even the women are so superstitious here.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the Acreian men who were suspicious. The northern women also strongly believed in myths. There was no doubt that such a ring would fall off a few times during the wedding and the reception. It would also look quite ridiculous for her to be wearing a ring that big. Poliana pouted in annoyance, realizing that she was going to have to give up on her idea. Lady Siming, watching Poliana change her mind, quickly learned that it was possible to persuade Poliana sometimes. ¡®I am going to have to try changing her mind about the blue dress.¡¯ Lady Siming thought carefully. It seemed that Poliana was not interested in fashion at all. The only reason she insisted on the color blue was that it was the color she was most familiar with, or perhaps she just liked the color. If she could get Poliana an opportunity to wear different colored clothes before the wedding, Lady Siming thought she might be able to change Poliana¡¯s mind about the blue wedding dress. Poliana, who was only used to dark colors, would never agree to wear a bright pink outfit, but¡­ ¡°Marquess Winter.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Are you working on his highness¡¯s birthday? During the party?¡± ¡°No, I am not going to be on duty. The emperor forced me to attend his banquet as a guest.¡± This was the gift Lucius the First demanded from Poliana. Poliana wanted to be working that day just like at his wedding, but she had no choice but to do as the emperor wished. It was her duty to make him happy. Poliana thought worriedly, ¡®All of the Acreian nobles will be there¡­¡¯ But Lucius the First wanted to be surrounded by his close acquaintances and friends on his birthday. He didn¡¯t want the people closest to him working that day. The emperor was lonely, which was why Sir Ainno was also forced to be off duty that day. Of course, this made both Poliana and Sir Ainno very nervous about the security that day. Lady Siming said to Poliana, ¡°That is great! Then you should wear a nice robe that day at the party.¡± ¡°Why? Do you need me to look like a clown so I can entertain the guests?¡± Only Poliana didn¡¯t think Lady Siming meant a simple indoor robe. It was likely that the dressmaker wanted Poliana to wear a very feminine and extravagant dress. Lady Siming exined patiently, ¡°There is a famous story about you in a dress in the Yapa castle during the war, right? I heard that you are very awkward in dresses, which means you should wear it often before your wedding, so you get used to them. It would be embarrassing for you to be walking down the isle awkwardly in your wedding dress.¡± Poliana replied indignantly, ¡°I was walking funny that time because I had hidden daggers on my thighs. I don¡¯t walk strangely in a dress. I can even dance very well in it.¡± ¡°I am sure you can! It¡¯s just that everyone thinks you can¡¯t. This would be a great chance for you to show them!¡± Poliana liked this idea. It was true that the story of her fighting bravely in a ripped dress and thick makeup was widely spread. The knights talked of it proudly, but Poliana didn¡¯t like it at all. When Poliana looked convinced, Lady Siming quickly added, ¡°I will make a perfect dress for you. Let¡¯s make it something other than blue so that it doesn¡¯t ovep with your wedding dress.¡± Lady Siming looked at Poliana expectantly. After a few minutes of thinking, Poliana finally answered, ¡°I think green would be ok.¡± ¡°Excellent. I will make a green dress that matches his highness¡¯s beautiful green eyes.¡± This was the perfect answer. Poliana smiled widely and Lady Siming grinned in satisfaction. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 The Yapa castle became busy even though the emperor¡¯s birthday was still a week away. Many of the nobles from far away arrived early to attend the feast. Each nobleman brought a huge entourage with him, so the castle quickly became overwhelmingly popted. The attendance rate of the Acreian nobles this year was 100%. This was because knowing that many elders would refuse toe, Lucius the First wrote in all of the invitations. -His highness Lucius the First had something very important to announce so attendance is strongly rmended. Until now, it was never mandatory to be present at the emperor¡¯s birthday banquet. This was especially the case now because Acreia was now the entire continent, which meant many of the nobles would have to travel very far to reach Yapa. But this year, Lucius the First made sure to write that he wished everyone would attend. He didn¡¯t outright order the noblemen, but everyone knew that it would be wise not to against the emperor¡¯s wishes. Things could get very ugly quickly for those who displeased the emperor. Yapa castle was huge, but it barely amodated the guests that came from all over the continent. The entire city of Yapa filled with people, and for the security of the capital city as well as the royal family, the guards had no choice but to work overtime. Most of them had to give up their weekends and days off. Poliana, who was asked to be off duty on the day of the birthday feast, felt embarrassed as she watched her men work so hard. This was why she worked extra hard and passionately until the actual banquet. The four heads of the three divisions gathered together. It has been a long time since all the lead knights havee together. Instead of Sir Ainno, who was the head of the First Division, Sir Mahogal attended in his ce. The First and the Second Division were burdened with securing the castle while the Third Division became responsible for the surrounding viges. Each leader discussed the n to protect everyone efficiently and effectively. ¡°The Knight¡¯s Order will help during this time. Our priorities would be, of course, in the following order: his highness, Lady Tory and Lady Stra, Princess Luminae, and Duke and Duchess Luzo.¡± Sir Mahogal suggested, ¡°I think having a regr patrol would be enough to provide protection for the princess.¡± Poliana agreed with Sir Mahogal. If Princess Luminae was a son and the heir to the kingdom, a knight would¡¯ve been given the honor of protecting her. But since she was a princess, the chances of someone trying to harm her were slim. In addition, Princess Luminae lived in the deepest part of thedy¡¯s quarters, which would make it very hard for an assassin to reach her without getting caught. Sir Mahogal added, ¡°On the day of the banquet, the First Division will take care of the security of the party. All the guests will be asked to disarm themselves before entering the party. Only those given permission by the emperor to carry arms in his presence will be allowed to bring weapons.¡± As he announced this rule, Sir Mahogal looked at Poliana. Sir Jainno and Sir Wook also turned towards her. On the day of the feast, Poliana was going to be off duty. She was going to be one of the guests, but Poliana was one of the few people who were allowed to be armed in the emperor¡¯s presence. Knowing how Poliana enjoyed wearing her uniform, the three knights assumed that she would be heavily armed this time too. Sir Mahogal suggested, ¡°We know you are going to attend the party armed, so why don¡¯t you at least get a fancy sword?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be bringing my sword.¡± It was clear that the three men were remembering the day when they were ambushed by Gali the Third in the castle. Poliana shook her finger and added, ¡°You will all see that what happened that day was not me. It was an unnecessary embarrassment and misunderstanding. I can walk and move just fine in a dress and I am going to prove it at the uing party.¡± Embarrassment? Misunderstanding? The three men couldn¡¯t understand what Poliana was talking about? To them, what Poliana aplished that day in the Yapa castle was a symbol of bravery. Poliana was well prepared and was able to save Lucius the First from the evil Gali the Third. She gave all the other knights hope that they could conquer the world. It was that day that the men were able to truly ept her as their own. Sir Wook said to Poliana proudly, ¡°Sir Pol, you were so amazing that day!¡± Sir Mahogal¡¯s eyes teared up just thinking it, before adding, ¡°It is such a famous story! I heard you were so great, Sir Poliana.¡± Sir Jainno said as well, ¡°I wasn¡¯t there, and I wish I was. I heard you were quite a sight.¡± Sir Mahogal and Sir Jainno weren¡¯t present that day. They were truly disappointed that they did not get to witness Poliana¡¯s bravery. Sir Mahogal was especially upset that he missed the whole thing. At the time, he was selected as one of the knights topete in the tournament. Of course, Sir Ainno ended up winning the whole thing all by himself, so Sir Mahogal didn¡¯t get to participate in the tournament either. He and many of the other knights were trapped by Gali the Third, and by the time they escaped and reached the emperor, the fight was over. Sir Mahogal asked Poliana in confusion, ¡°What do you mean, Sir Poliana? You mean your bravery? Why would you call what you did an embarrassment?¡± Only Poliana replied, ¡°I refused to dance with anyone, so a rumor started that I can¡¯t dance at all, that¡¯s not true!¡± In addition, people believed that she could not walk properly in a dress because she walked funny that day. It was ridiculous that people believed this. She was a knight after all; she was a person who used her body as a weapon, so why would anyone believe that she couldn¡¯t walk well in a dress? Even if the silk shoes were slippery, why would people think she wouldn¡¯t be able to move gracefully in them? ¡®Jerks!¡¯ Sir Wook was the worst of them all. He was present at the time, and apparently, he told everyone how awful she looked that day. Based on what she heard, most people believed she looked like a monster covered in blood and ugly makeup. Poliana had to admit that she did look scary that day. Her makeup was indeed awful and it must¡¯ve looked shocking when she threw her wig away, but still¡­ So this was her chance to look decent. She was going to wear a dress and walk straight! She was going to prove to everyone that she could dance just fine! Poliana announced in determination, ¡°You will all see! You will see that I do not walk funny in a dress! I will show it to everyone!¡± ¡°Haha, alright. So does that mean you will be attending the party with Doctor Sneke?¡± Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Poliana shook her head and replied, ¡°No, Frau Sneke won¡¯t be apanying me to the party.¡± Frau was not important enough to even get an invitation. The emperor¡¯s birthday feast this year was to include the highest-ranking Acreian nobles. The security of the party was going to be extremely tight; a nobody like Frau couldn¡¯t even dream of being invited. Sir Mahogal asked, ¡°But aren¡¯t you engaged to him? So shouldn¡¯t he be your guest?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t engaged.¡± It was illegal to get married or engaged within the year of a royal death. Poliana nned on skipping the standard engagement period and just get married as soon as it was allowed. Although Poliana and Frau were promised to be married, they weren¡¯t legally engaged. Sir Jainno was confused. Even if they weren¡¯t technically engaged, everyone in Yapa knew they were going to be married, which meant that Frau would be allowed to attend the party. Sir Jainno asked, ¡°But he would still be allowed to go as your guest, right?¡± Poliana shrugged her shoulders. She did consider taking Frau with her, but when she asked, Frau became pale and asked, ¡°Do I have to, is this mandatory?¡± ¡°Well, no.¡± ¡°T-then, I don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°Hmm, alright, as you wish.¡± This was the end of their conversation that day. Poliana didn¡¯t ask Frau why he didn¡¯t want to go. They weren¡¯t married yet, and therefore she didn¡¯t want to act like a nagging wife, and besides, she could guess why he wouldn¡¯t want to attend this party. Since all the important Acreian nobles were invited, it was very likely that Frau¡¯s family, the Snekes, were going to attend as well. Frau was kicked out from his family and he wasn¡¯t even allowed to attend his own father¡¯s funeral. Meeting his family now would be a painful experience. Sir Wook nodded. ¡°Well, I can understand why he wouldn¡¯t want to go. I am guessing the Sneke family will be attending, right? And Frau Sneke is still a nobody, so it would be embarrassing for him to face his family now.¡± Sir Mahogal shook his head with sympathy. For a family to prevent a son from attending his own father¡¯s funeral¡­ Frau must¡¯ve angered his family very badly. Sir Mahogal especially could not understand this. A family, no matter how dysfunctional, was still a family. Not all families could be happy. Not all family members could get along with each other. Things happened for a reason. For example, look at Poliana. She was practically abandoned by her own father. If Poliana was even a little bit prettier¡­ If she was a little bit less resilient and strong¡­ She would¡¯ve never met Lucius the First, and if she never met the emperor¡­ All of them would¡¯ve never met. *** It was finally Lucius the First¡¯s birthday. Lady Stra worked very hard to arrange the banquet with the help from Lady Tory. Even the harshest critic had to agree that the feast was perfect. Lady Stra asked Tory and many of the other Acreiandies to decide on the food and drinks. The banquet hasn¡¯t begun yet, but Stra still felt so proud of herself. Her eyes teared up as she eximed, ¡°It is all thanks to you, Tory!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Tory didn¡¯t answer, Stra turned towards her. To Stra¡¯s surprise, Tory was shaking visibly and ring at the reception area. When Stra took Tory¡¯s hands in shock, Stra felt that Tory was shaking very hard. ¡°Tory? Are you ill? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, I¡­ I guess I am very nervous.¡± ¡°Oh, Tory, I should be the one who is nervous. Oh my¡­ Why are you shaking so much?¡± ¡°Everything is fine. I just need to rest a little.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Tory smiled kindly, which made Stra¡¯s smile wide. Tory looked around and saw that there were many people around them. Tory gestured for Stra toe closer and whispered, ¡°Can I tell you a secret?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The truth is, I don¡¯t want to give you the bottle of ice wine.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re too funny!¡± Straughed hard and replied, ¡°Just because you said that, I now feel like I must taste it!¡± ¡°Haha, I hope you like it.¡± Whatever the emperor¡¯s wives did, they always were the center of everyone¡¯s attention. Lady Stra and Lady Tory were only talking, but the maids nearby never took their eyes off from them. Tory closed her eyes and held her hands together. Knowing that she will have to see those she knew before tomorrow at the banquet¡­ Her heart refused to stop beating fast. *** The banquet began sessfully. The Acreian nobles, who heard the feast was orchestrated by Stra, tried their best to find faults with it, but they were disappointed. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Considering she¡¯s from the mid-continent, I guess she did alright. The party seems very proper.¡± ¡°Well, Lady Tory helped, which must be why it¡¯s so perfect.¡± ¡°Exactly. Lady Stra is from the mid-continent, so she probably doesn¡¯t know anything about Acreian customs. Lady Tory probably arranged this whole thing.¡± Acreian banquet followed very frugal and tight rules. The only areas where men and women could mingle was in the middle where the dance floor was. Women and men weren¡¯t allowed to eat together, so their tables were separated. Only A man and a woman were allowed to dance together if their families were previously well acquainted. It was only 30 years ago when the rule eased, and a man was allowed to ask ady to dance. A woman was strictly forbidden to ask a man to dance. An unmarried woman was not allowed to roam around the banquet alone. A married woman could, but it was frowned upon. A wild hog and a deer were roasted whole for this party. It was not necessary to serve only Acreian drinks, so many expensive bottles of mid-continent wine were served. In some kingdoms, the rules dictated that the most important figures appearedst to the party, but this wasn¡¯t the case in Acreia. However, the highest-ranking figures were to be seated first, which meant the emperor and his wives had to sit down before the others were allowed to sit. Lucius the First, in his extravagant outfit, looked around the room. He was still the most beautiful man in the kingdom, and those Acreian nobles smiled bitterly. Duke Luzo, who sat next to the emperor, was also a very handsome man, but next to Lucius the First, he looked average at best. The emperor¡¯s golden hair shined brightly against the light, and the balding men in the room looked away in shame and envy. Lucius the First stood up. He was satisfied to see that all the nobles he wanted present today were all here. After the feast, the emperor nned on talking to some of them individually one by one. He opened his eyes and began, ¡°As you must all know, something very sad happened recently.¡± At the mention of thete Lady Reba, everyone looked down humbly. The emperor continued, ¡°I am very grateful that my other wives and my new daughter, Princess Luminae, are all healthy. I would like to thank you all for attending this party to wish me a happy birthday. And thank you, Lady Stra, for arranging such a wonderful banquet for me.¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Lucius the First praised his wife and Lady Stra stood up to bow to him. She replied, ¡°You are too kind, your highness. I was only able to arrange this banquet thanks to Lady Tory; without her help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it.¡± Lucius the First turned to Lady Tory and praised her as well, ¡°Thank you, Lady Tory. I am always so grateful that my two wives get along so well like sisters.¡± ¡°How could we be jealous of each other when we are so honored to serve you, your highness? And Lady Stra is so very kind that I have noints. I am just grateful to have you and Lady Stra by my side.¡± The older noblemen began to congratte the emperor on his good luck. They talked about his beautiful wives and prosperous kingdom, but Lucius the First did not feel lucky. ¡®Howe none of the annoying elders are dying?¡¯ He hated the fact that his thoughts were turning negative. The servants began to serve the food and the guestsughed and enjoyed it. Poliana sat next to Tory. Lady Tory and Lady Stra sat at the seats of honor. Next to the emperor¡¯s wives were supposed to be Duchess Luzo and Duchess Seki, but Poliana was given the seat of honor instead. Poliana greeted Duchess Seki awkwardly. Next to Lucius the First was Duke Luzo and Sir Ainno. Those who were trusted the most by the emperor were allowed to sit next to him. In reality, Poliana should¡¯ve been sitting next to Lucius the First, but because she was a woman, she was seated next to the otherdies. Lucius the First didn¡¯t even think that this was how the seating was going to be arranged. Poliana was just as surprised. In the previous feasts, men and women were seated together, but this time, Lady Stra made sure to follow the Acreian tradition. Since she knew how hard Lady Stra worked on nning this, Poliana didn¡¯t dare to ask to get her seat changed. ¡®But I want to sit with the men.¡¯ Lady Stra talked happily with Duchess Luzo while Tory looked ufortable for some reason. Normally, she would¡¯ve said a few kind words to Poliana, but today, Lady Tory was very quiet. For example, Lady Tory would¡¯ve said something like, ¡°What a beautiful green dress you are wearing, Marquess. It is the exact shade of the emperor¡¯s eyes.¡± Normally, Poliana would¡¯ve been happy to sit next to the emperor¡¯s wives and chat, but today, Tory seemed unhappy. Poliana asked, ¡°Lady Tory, are you alright? Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°No, Marquess. It¡¯s just that I am still very nervous¡­¡± ¡®Nervous?¡¯ Lady Stra interrupted their conversation, ¡°Lady Tory has worked very hard to help me n this party. That is why she¡¯s so anxious; I think she¡¯s anxious for me.¡± Poliana nodded. ¡°I think I can rte to that. I always get so nervous when I see my guards dueling with a guard from another division.¡± Tory turned to Poliana and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not acting appropriately. I can do better; I need to smile more.¡± Tory smiled brightly. It was a perfect smile of a perfectdy, but Poliana didn¡¯t like it at all. ¡°Lady Tory, if you aren¡¯t feeling well, there is no need for you to fake a smile.¡± ¡°No, Marquess. This is my duty. When you were a lower-ranking knight, you had to always put on a smile in front of your superiors, right? This is the same thing. I must smile in public; that¡¯s my job.¡± It was indeed the same thing for everyone. Tory was right, but Poliana shook her head and replied, ¡°But I don¡¯t do that anymore, Lady Tory. I don¡¯t smile if I don¡¯t want to. You, Lady Tory, are the wife of the emperor and therefore you are not required to put on a smile unless you feel like smiling.¡± With a sigh, Poliana continued, ¡°And if someone forces or orders you to smile, then please tell me the name of that person. I will beat him or her up for you.¡± Lady Tory giggled. People who forced her to smile? That would be pretty much every Acreian noble in the kingdom. Tory suspected, however, that if she told Poliana the truth, Poliana would really go after every Acreian noble. This time, Tory couldugh for real. After the feast, the main portion of the party began. Lucius the First stood up and approached Tory as he offered her his hand. Tory took his hand gently and the emperor nced at Poliana secretly. Poliana looked different than usual today. Her hair, how a bit longer, was neatly arranged with oil. She was also wearing a refreshing green dress. Lady Siming was a truly talented dressmaker. The dress hid Poliana¡¯s overly well-developed and muscr upper body. Poliana was also wearing a few simple jewels. Lucius the First loved Poliana no matter how she looked, but this feminine side of her made his heartbeat even faster today. The emperor praised her generously, ¡°Green suits you very well, Sir Pol. Are you nning to wear dresses often now?¡± ¡°No, your highness. I only wore it today to redeem myself from what happened a few years ago in this castle.¡± Poliana stood up suddenly and began to dance by herself. Three steps to the right, three steps to the left, turn forward and turn backward¡­ Her moves were graceful, proving that she could indeed walk and dance well in a dress. Lucius the First said to her, ¡°I remember how you and Sir Donau were so brave that day.¡± Only ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t bring any weapons today, your highness.¡± Lucius the First gave up on his love, but this didn¡¯t mean his feelings were gone. He would love Poliana forever and he would have to live with it for the rest of his life. The emperor knew he would die with this love and pain deep inside of his heart. Lucius the First smiled to hide his bitterness. Did Poliana know that even the most powerful man in the kingdom had to fake a smile sometimes? Duke Luzo took his wife¡¯s hand and walked to the dance floor. The other men began to move as well, trying to find partners such as their wives and fiances. Poliana looked around, trying to find an appropriate dance partner. She proved to everyone that she could walk normally in a dress. Now, it was time to show that she could dance as well. Most of all colleagues were dancing with their wives, so Poliana decided to wait. If she waited patiently, she was sure one of the knights would ask her to dance eventually. Today, none of the men seemed surprised to see her in a dress and wearing makeup. The men have changed just as Poliana has. She looked especially natural and decent today, and the other knights learned that a woman, even Poliana, could change without looking drastically different. The first song was a very long one. Poliana was enjoying the music when someone offered her his hand. It was Sir Ainno. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Poliana stared at the hand he offered before looking up at Sir Ainno. She asked in confusion, ¡°What are you doing? What¡¯s with the hand?¡± ¡°Wanna dance?¡± ¡°You? With me? Dance? You want us to dance together? Are you serious? But what about Lady Cekel¡­ Oh.¡± Because Lady Cekel was present at the party as Lady Tory¡¯s maid, she was not allowed to leave herdy¡¯s side. Of course, if she asked Lady Tory in advance for a day off, Cekel would¡¯ve been able to attend the party as a guest today, but she instead volunteered to work on the emperor¡¯s birthday. There were many maids dancing around on the dance floor, but Cekel watched from afar quietly. She asked to work today all because of Sir Ainno. Cekel knew that if she attended the party as a guest, she would be obliged to dance and converse with her unofficial fianc¨¦. Sir Ainno offered Poliana, ¡°Why don¡¯t I dance with you instead of being your groom¡¯s best man? Would that be enough to get me out of my promise?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You already offered, so I will not release you from your promise. Besides, it was you who offered without asking for my permission, not me.¡± ¡°At the time, I thought you would end up marrying someone else.¡± ¡°What? Who? Who would I marry?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. Dammit¡­¡± Sir Ainno looked obviously annoyed. It was clear he didn¡¯t want to chat anymore. Poliana suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you dance with your mother?¡± Duchess Seki, who was sitting next to Poliana, flinched and replied, ¡°Oh, there is no need. I don¡¯t want to dance with him, hahaha.¡± Duchess Seki quickly escaped to her husband so she could avoid dancing with her son. ¡°¡­¡± Poliana thought understandingly, ¡®So I guess Sir Ainno is a jerk even to his own parents.¡¯ She asked Sir Ainno, ¡°Are you not in a good rtionship with your parents¡­?¡± ¡°They told me they find me too intimidating because I am so perfect.¡± ¡®More like you always act like a jerk¡­¡¯ Poliana could understand how Sir Ainno¡¯s parents must feel about their oldest son. It seemed that Sir Ainno never discussed his life decisions with his parents. For example, he decided to join the emperor on the conquest all on his own. Sir Ainno also announced to his parents about his marriage n rather than talking about it with them. Obviously, Sir Ainno¡¯s parents didn¡¯t like their son very much, and Poliana wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°Hmm¡­ Should I dance with you? Or not? Maybe? Maybe not?¡± Poliana grinned at Sir Ainno and began to tease him. Meanwhile, the first song finally ended and Lucius the First returned to the seat with Lady Tory. He took Lady Stra¡¯s hand for the next dance when he spotted Sir Ainno and Poliana together. The emperor asked, ¡°What are you two doing? Is this some kind of a protest against me because I made you take a day off today?¡± Stra giggled and exined to the emperor what the two knights were arguing about. Poliana reported to the emperor, ¡°Sir Ainno was just telling me that he doesn¡¯t want to stand as my groom¡¯s best man at my wedding. He promised, and now he is trying to break his own words, your highness.¡± Sir Ainno defended himself, ¡°Your highness, I am sure you understand why I am trying to avoid being part of this.¡± The two loyal knights, Poliana and Sir Ainno, both looked at the emperor, who announced firmly, ¡°The best knight of our kingdom breaking his word? That can¡¯t be. I will not allow it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sir Ainno red at his friend who just betrayed him. How dare he! Sir Ainno was only trying to help, yet it seemed that the emperor chose love over their friendship, and it was only one-sided love too! Dammit! Sir Ainno had no choice but to do as he was told. Just then, several knights approached them and began to ask Poliana to dance. ¡°Give me your hand, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°May I have this dance, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°How about me?¡± ¡°I have a lot of time too, Sir Pol. My wife sent me here to dance with you, Sir Poliana!¡± Poliana didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but she realized that this was her chance to tease Sir Ainno. Maybe all these knights were asking her to dance to save her from dancing with Sir Ainno the Jerk. Sir Ainno muttered, ¡°¡­ you¡¯re all going to regret this.¡± He wanted to punch them all, but today was the emperor¡¯s birthday. It would have been uneptable for him to use violence on such a happy asion. He was helpless in this situation, especially because he did not have a high rank. Among the highest ranking Acreian nobles, Sir Ainno was only one of many knights and nothing more. He regretted not epting a dukedom of his own when the emperor offered him. Sir Ainno refused because he wanted to keep his freedom, but he realized that he made a mistake. Poliana chose the first knight who approached her the quickest. The other knights didn¡¯t seem disappointed at all. In fact, they all looked relieved. As long as it wasn¡¯t Sir Ainno who got chosen, they didn¡¯t care. Lady Tory, who watched sympathetically, murmured to Cekel, ¡°Lady Cekel.¡± ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± ¡°I will give you my permission to dance with Sir Ainno today. Just one dance.¡± ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Only All the knights around them heard this and frowned in disappointment. Poliana frowned as well, annoyed at Sir Ainno¡¯s grin. Cekel quickly and emphatically shook her head, ¡°There is no need, Lady Tory. I would like to stay by your side for the rest of the party.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, Lady Cekel. It looks like Sir Ainno has no one to dance with him. He obviously needs a dance partner, so I am asking you to do this. Just one dance. Go on and enjoy it.¡± ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Poliana and her dance partner walked to the dance floor in disappointment. A quick and upbeat music began to y, but they didn¡¯t feel happy. At least, Poliana was d that she could finally show everyone that she could dance properly in a dress. She was not an overly skilled dancer, but her steps were calcted and urate; she was a soldier, after all. Because her partner was also a knight, his steps were also very measured. For some reason, they made good dance partners. Poliana made sure to avoid looking at Sir Ainno and Cekel dancing together because she didn¡¯t want to see Sir Ainno¡¯s satisfied grin. If she saw his smug expression, Poliana knew her blood pressure would go up uncontrobly from anger. This was not fair at all. She was going to refuse his offer to dance with her, leaving him all alone without a partner, but as usual, Sir Ainno got more than he deserved. He got to dance with the woman he loved. Sir Ainno was handsome, talented, and came from a rich powerful family. And now, it seemed that he was going to get the woman of his dreams. Yes, this world was not a fair ce. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 One day, a long time ago, Lucius the First said to Poliana that he would not dance with her. He remembered the day when Poliana pushed him against a wall. Just thinking about that time made his heart go wild. It was such an exhrating day for him. The emperor would never be able to forget that day. The emperor did not ask Poliana to dance. He danced with a few differentdies other than his wives, but he never danced with Poliana. Poliana, on the other hand, would¡¯ve been happy with just one dance that night, but her colleagues kept asking her to dance with them. The knights all thought that they would never get to dance with Poliana again since this was the first time they have ever seen her looking feminine. Poliana danced so many times that her feet began to sweat. She had excellent stamina, but even she was tired by the end. As the night deepened, the second feast began. Tory suddenly stood up and gestured to her maid. Her maid quickly brought a box that contained the bottle of ice wine. The maid carefully handed the bottle to Tory, who took it and announced, ¡°Everyone. I have something to reveal.¡± All of the guests were already focused on the bottle of ice wine even before Tory said anything. Ice wine was considered a raremodity. The ice grape only grew on a smallnd in Acreia, which belonged to Marquis Seeze, and Marquis Seeze rarely sold his bottles. Ice wine was thought to be the most sought after drink in the kingdom. Tory opened the bottle herself. Pop! A clear sound rang throughout the room. Tory continued, ¡°Today¡¯s sessful feast is all thanks to Lady Stra. I promised her before that if she carried out her n well, I would gift her this bottle.¡± People eximed in surprise. Lady Stra was supposed to be Lady Tory¡¯spetition, so for her to offer such a precious gift¡­ Many people thought very highly of Lady Tory. Of course, there were many men who grumbled in annoyance. They thought Lady Tory too forward. How dare a woman, even if she was the wife of the emperor, make a public announcement like this? And how dare she give such a precious item to Lady Stra? A woman! No woman would ever be able to appreciate this priceless wine! Stra¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation. Tory poured a ss of the ice wine for Stra herself. Its signature clear green color filled the ss beautifully. Everyone seemed mesmerized by the wine¡¯s amazing color and sound. Even watching it being poured made some people feel drunk. Lucius the First licked his lips. Because his father, the former emperor, was not in a good rtionship with Marquis Seeze, both the former emperor and Lucius the First have never tasted the ice wine before. And now, it seemed that his wife, Lady Stra, was going to get the opportunity to taste the drink even the emperor himself never had before. Lucius the First swallowed loudly. ¡®I¡¯m sure Tory will give me a ss too.¡¯ The emperor wanted to try the wine too. It was the most expensive drink in the kingdom. It was actually something that money could not buy. It was the wine that even the emperor never was allowed to taste! Stra held up the ss with both of her hands carefully. The scent of the wine was sweet and refreshing. Stra eximed, ¡°Oh my!¡± Just the smell of it seemed enough to make her feel intoxicated. Stra said excitedly, ¡°It smells very different than any other wine I have ever tasted!¡± Everyone in the room was envious of Stra; some even wanted to be her at that moment. Lady Stra slowly picked up the bottle and filled Tory¡¯s ss as well. She said to Lady Tory, ¡°I can¡¯t drink such a treasured wine all by myself. We need to share. Have a taste, Lady Tory.¡± Lucius the First swallowed loudly again. He stared, hoping and expecting that he would be offered a ss, but it seemed that his wives forgot about him. They were busy taking care of each other. They didn¡¯t even turn towards him. In the end, the emperor gave up on tasting the wine tonight. When Sir Bentier became the next Marquis Seeze, he would get to finally drink this priceless wine. ¡®Someday! Someday, I will make sure I get to taste it.¡¯ Lady Tory and Lady Stra cheered and smiled at each other. Many others looked at them proudly. It seemed that the two wives of the emperor were indeed good friends. Stra looked excited and curious about the wine while Tory looked at her with a kind smile. Lady Tory¡¯s smile was that of a perfectdy. A perfect smile of a perfectdy. All the guests watched expectantly at the emperor¡¯s wives. They were curious about how thedies would react when they tasted the wine. Many were also d to see Marquis Seeze¡¯s gift being used with such kindness. Tory¡¯s eyes suddenly met Marquis Seeze¡¯s. Without meaning to, she looked away. When she did, Tory faced Poliana, who was sitting next to her. Poliana was also looking at Tory expectantly, hoping that she would get to taste the wine. Poliana looked like a puppy waiting for a treat. Poliana was thinking the same thing as Lucius the First. She thought that if she stared at Tory hard enough, she would be offered a taste. Stra announced eagerly, ¡°Well, then, I am going to try it now!¡± ¡°Stra, wait.¡± Tory never lost her kind smile. She touched Stra¡¯s hands and made her let go of her ss. Poliana frowned in confusion as she watched Tory¡¯s body tremble. Tory murmured, ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡± Only Tory, with her shaking hands, put Stra¡¯s ss, her own ss, and the bottle of ice wine in front of her. She gave Stra a smile before turning towards the emperor. Lady Tory said clearly, ¡°Your highness! I would like to present this ice wine as a piece of evidence against Marquis Seeze!¡± Lucius the First¡¯s eyes shined. People began to murmur in confusion while Tory continued to shake visibly. Stra was about to say something to Tory but Duchess Luzo grabbed her and made her sit down. Stra protested, ¡°B, but Tory¡­!¡± ¡°Shush! Lady Stra, you need to remain quiet. This isn¡¯t the time for you to get involved!¡± Stra¡¯s maids also came running and pulled her away from Tory. The only one remaining close to Tory was Poliana, who watched quietly and calmly. Poliana hated surprises. Most of the time, when she faced an unexpected situation, she became angry and hysteric, but tonight, Poliana remained calm. She was surprised at herself, and soon, Poliana realized why she could remain this rxed. It was because it wasn¡¯t her battle. This was Tory¡¯s battle. Tory just dered war. She didn¡¯t bring any weapons. She was all alone and she was here to fight with nothing but herself. Poliana was one of many bystanders at this point. Whether she would get involved or not waspletely her choice. Then suddenly, a burst ofughter was heard. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Someoneughed but it was not possible to determine who it was. Moreughter followed from different ces. Theughs¡­ They weren¡¯t the sounds you were supposed to hear on a battlefield. This was not right. Suddenly, people began to shout out, ¡°Lady Tory must be intoxicated from the scent of the ice wine.¡± ¡°Or perhaps she already had a taste? Maybe Lady Tory drank a little too much tonight?¡± ¡°Her maids should be reprimanded. They obviously weren¡¯t taking care of theirdy very well tonight. How could they let theirdy get this drunk? This is uneptable.¡± At the mention of them, Lady Tory¡¯s maids began to move quickly. Cekel remained still, but the other maids surrounded Tory, who was still trembling uncontrobly. Tory was in shock and fear that she was powerless against her maids¡¯ hands. Lucius the First, who has been quiet until now, gestured for the maids to step away from Lady Tory. He ordered, ¡°I want to hear more from my wife. Leave her be.¡± The maids hesitantly stepped back from Tory. Lady Tory, panting helplessly, supported herself by leaning against the table. Marquis Seeze, who was watching Tory, looked calm. Marquis Seeze slowly said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, I think that perhaps my granddaughter is confused. She must be very intoxicated, and she must think she is dreaming. I apologize for her rudeness.¡± ¡°No, I think you are wrong, Marquis. I don¡¯t think my wife is drunk at all. And even if she is, I would like to hear her out. What she¡¯s saying is very interesting. Aren¡¯t you curious too, Marquis Seeze? Don¡¯t you want to know what my wife has to say about you?¡± Lucius the First waved his hands to quiet the marquis. He leaned forward from his chair and turned towards Lady Tory. ¡°Mydy, please continue.¡± The banquet room became very quiet and cold. The nobles became confused about what was happening in the room. Was the emperor teasing his wife or was he taking her usation seriously? It was impossible to tell. Sir Ainno gestured to Sir Mahogal to move the guards around a little inside the banquet hall. Everyone was staring at Lady Tory. The Acreian nobles, who were watching her warmly just a moment ago, now red at her coldly. Tory could feel the iciness from their stares. Her teeth began to chatter, but she continued with her words, ¡°T¡­ this bottle is poisoned.¡± Someone shouted a question, ¡°What kind of poison?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Tory¡¯s eyes wavered anxiously. As soon as she answered, some of the nobles began tough loudly. One of them yelled, ¡°My Lady Tory, I think you are drunk. Why don¡¯t you return to your room and rest a little?¡± Tory replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of poison was put into this wine, but I am certain it is poisoned! M-my guess is that it is something that would harm a woman. Marquis Seeze gave me this bottle to give it to Lady Stra. He was trying to poison her. If you investigate this wine, you will find out that I am telling the truth!¡± People did not believe in Tory¡¯s words. Most thought that she was just drunk and talking nonsense. It couldn¡¯t be helped because her logic did not make sense. One needed solid evidence to use someone, but all Tory offered was a bottle of ice wine. It was true that the bottle had to be from Marquis Seeze, but to use him of poisoning it? This didn¡¯t make sense. And Lady Tory also didn¡¯t know what kind of poison was used, which made her argument even stranger. Marquis Seeze said calmly, ¡°This is a false usation.¡± He didn¡¯t bother exining himself. Marquis Seeze just looked at Lady Tory coldly. Tory said desperately, ¡°I am telling you the truth, your highness! This bottle of wine is poisoned. It has to be! Marquis Seeze gave me this bottle and told me to make sure Lady Stra drinks it.¡± Marquis Seeze said to Lady Tory with a frown, ¡°Lady Tory, please stop. You are embarrassing me and everyone here.¡± ¡°No! This bottle is poisoned! I am telling you! This wine needs to be tested!¡± Suddenly, one of Lady Tory¡¯s maids ran towards her, ¡°Lady Tory! Just stop!¡± As if by an ident, the maid pushed the bottle and the ss off the table. The priceless wine spilled all over the floor. Poliana watched in disgust. ¡®I didn¡¯t think of the maids. I missed it.¡¯ Only Poliana has been so focused on the men that she didn¡¯t even think of watching the maids, who were gathered behind Tory. The maid who spilled the wine kneeled on the floor. She bowed her head down so low that her hair became wet with the wine on the floor. The maid begged, ¡°Please forgive my rudeness, your highness, but I cannot just watch anymore! It is true that this bottle was poisoned, but it was not Marquis Seeze who did it! It was Lady Tory! She is the one who poisoned it! I could not say anything until now because I wanted to be loyal to mydy. Thest thing I can do for her now was to spill this wine so you could not test it. If you did, you would find out what kind of horrible poison she put in it¡­¡± Tory closed her eyes. Her trembling eased a little, and suddenly, she began tough. Poliana was shocked to see Toryughing in this situation. Tory¡¯s smile was now that of resignation. Tory said to her maid, ¡°I thought you were loyal to me.¡± ¡°Mydy! You shouldn¡¯t have poisoned the wine¡­!¡± The maid began to cry and the other maids ran out to kneel in front of the emperor as well. They said to him, ¡°Your highness! Lady Tory has been jealous of Lady Stra ever since the phantom pregnancy incident! Her jealousy has been bing uglier, and we, her maids have been the target of her anger, until now¡­ When Lady Reba became pregnant, Lady Tory¡¯s envy became much worse! There has been a rumor recently that Lady Stra is pregnant, and that is why Lady Tory tried to poison her! Lady Tory is a stupid woman! Please punish her!¡± ¡°You must punish her, your highness!¡± All of Lady Tory¡¯s maids, except for Cekel, kneeled in front of the emperor and begged him to punish their owndy. Cekel remained standing and looking pale like a ghost. This was what the tension inside thedy¡¯s quarters meant. The maids were nning to betray Lady Tory. Tory¡¯s eyes were still closed. She knew this might happen, which was why she considered telling this to the emperor in private. But Lucius the First has been very busytely with work. He rarely visited thedy¡¯s quarters, and when he did, he went to see Stra. If Tory went to see the emperor, people were going to notice, especially her maids. Tory has been waiting for a long time, but she never was given time to be alone with the emperor. Her maids used to be her childhood friends. They grew up together in Acreia, but now, Lady Tory was all alone. Tory knew that from day one, she would be known as the crazy woman. She would disappear quietly after tonight. Would history even remember her? Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Lady Tory could have just given Lady Stra the ice wine to drink. Tory suspected the poison inside the bottle was not lethal because if Stra died soon after drinking the wine, it would¡¯ve been too obvious that Marquis Seeze was the culprit. It was most likely something subtle that was bad for women or something that would trigger illness whenbined with other food. Tory knew she would never be med, but she still didn¡¯t want to harm Stra. Stra was too kind and Reba, although could be strange, was honest and genuine. Tory didn¡¯t care at this point if she was named the crazy wife and be executed. All she wanted was for Stra to be safe. She didn¡¯t want to have to poison Stra. This was for Stra, and this was also for herself. This was why she decided to begin this battle and enter it alone. Tory decided to go for her n B. She said to the emperor, ¡°It¡¯s true, your highness. I am a silly woman who became blinded by her womanly jealousy. I repaid my debt to Marquis Seeze with wrongful usations. Marquis Seeze is indeed innocent.¡± Her sudden change in tone made people gasp. Lucius the First became tense instead of feeling disappointed. He instinctively knew something big was about to happen. The snake hunt he has been procrastinating¡­ It was about to begin by the baby snake the elder snakes raised. Tory continued, ¡°It¡¯s true that Marquis Seeze is innocent of poisoning the wine. But I would like to report Marquis Seeze for something else. The marquis has been illegally raising a personal army for a very long time. He also has been selling three times the legal limit of bottles of wines that are allowed for a noble. At least 90% of these sales were carried out with cash to avoid paying taxes, and Marquis Seeze has been doing this for the past few decades. I believe the amount of tax he evaded must be greater than you can imagine, your highness.¡± Baron Bird shouted, ¡°Lady Tory! Have you truly lost your mind?! What are you talking about? You are not making sense at all!¡± Tory turned towards the noble before continuing in a clear voice, ¡°Baron Bird illegally owns and uses a piece ofnd that is considered a greenbelt. He also stole the wheat that was given to the poor from the government and sold it illegally to other kingdoms. He also stole from the royal military supplies.¡± ¡°W-what¡­! How¡­?!¡± Tory continued without hesitation. She stated the secret crimes carried out by each Acreian nobles present in the room. If one of them shouted at her, she made sure to state his crimes. She remembered the exact dates and the specific details of each crime perfectly. Tax evasions, treasons, and so on¡­ Some of them were already known to Lucius the First while others were very new to him. At some point, the emperor began tough. His wife was indeed a very intelligent woman. The small and big things she must¡¯ve seen during her life in Acreia¡­ She must¡¯ve somehow put meanings behind all of them and realize their importance. It would¡¯ve been very hard for her to achieve this. She was a woman and in Acreia, women weren¡¯t given proper education. The men believed that women would be too arrogant if they became educated. A smart woman was both useless and dangerous. After stating all she knew, Lady Tory added, ¡°Therefore, I report to you, your highness, Marquis Seeze, and the other nobles based on these crimes.¡± The Acreian noblemen protested angrily. They screamed and red at Lady Tory. This had to be a fearful time for her because after all, she was only in her early twenties. The noise continued until the emperor pulled out his sword and threw down his scabbard on the floor hard. ¡°Be quiet! Have you forgotten that you are in the presence of me, your emperor?¡± ¡°Your highness! Tory has lost her mind!¡± ¡°Your highness! You heard what she just said! She clearly is crazy!¡± ¡°She needs to be dragged out and punished immediately your highness!¡± Lucius the First turned to her and asked, ¡°Tory, are these things you im true?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°She is lying!¡± ¡°She is crazy! Your highness, don¡¯t believe her words!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled just because she is your wife, your highness!¡± Lucius the First said firmly, ¡°Enough! Obviously, I do not want to have a crazy woman like my wife. This means I must hear her out. So Tory, do you have any proof or witness that can support your ims?¡± ¡°My proof is the noblemen that are present here.¡± ¡°That is not enough.¡± ¡°I¡­ I do have proof.¡± The noblemen screamed, ¡°Then show it to us, you b*tch!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Bring it here right now! Show us!¡± The only reason why the noblemen didn¡¯t throw food and tes at Tory was because of the guards around them. They clearly wanted to kill her and Tory flinched in fear. But Tory didn¡¯t run away. She announced, ¡°I do have proof, but it¡¯s not here.¡± Before anyone could say anything more, Lady Tory continued, ¡°Inside the second library of Marquis Seeze¡¯s primary castle, there is a desk made of ck wood. It has four drawers with separate keyholes and these will only open if you put the keys in the right order. There are three locking systems inside and if the drawers aren¡¯t opened properly, there is a secret internal disposal system that will destroy the proofs inside the drawers. Your highness, the proofs are inside this desk.¡± Sir Bentier gasped in shock. He was aware of this desk, but he didn¡¯t know the existence of the secret drawers. How did Tory learn about this? It didn¡¯t take long for him to figure out the answer. The reception room where the elders met with Marquis Seeze¡­ The room where Sir Bentier was not allowed to enter¡­ Tory entered it often to serve tea and snacks. The men thought Tory would not understand what they were talking about because she was a woman. They thought she was ignorant, but the truth was that Tory remembered everything. Sir Bentier knew that Tory was intelligent, but he didn¡¯t trust her. It was because she was raised by Marquis Seeze since she was very young. Tory was raised to be obedient to the marquis. Only Poliana was right, Sir Bentier should¡¯ve trusted Tory more. Sir Bentier murmured to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, I believe Lady Tory. She¡¯s probably telling the truth.¡± ¡°That is my thoughts exactly, but at this point, all we have are her words. I can¡¯t do much.¡± Lucius the First also knew Tory was very smart, but he still made a mistake of underestimating her. He thought that she was smart for a woman, and he regretted it. Only if he recruited Tory just like he did with Sir Bentier¡­ Things would¡¯ve worked out much better. If the emperor trusted and believed in Tory, Lady Tory wouldn¡¯t have to fight this lonely battle all by herself. He could imagine how scary this moment must be for her. The emperor thought disappointedly, ¡®I made a mistake, how unfortunate.¡¯ Just then, Marquis Seeze stepped forward. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Marquis Seeze said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness! This woman has lost her mind. Please do not pay any attention to her. My sorrow for my granddaughter¡¯s illness cannot be expressed with words. I am an old man so I should¡¯ve been the one who suffers such a sickness, yet this young girl¡­ She must be suffering from dementia! It should¡¯ve been me! Tory¡­ Tory¡­ You were such a smart girl, so what happened?! How could this happen!¡± Marquis Seeze cried sadly, making people feel sympathetic towards him. But it was Tory who wanted to cry. What she did just now¡­ Tory betrayed her own world. The problem was, she was part of this world. She was a member of it and therefore, the destruction of this world meant that she was destroying herself. She contemted and hesitated about this for a very long time; she was raised to be obedient. She was expected to remain quiet and do as she was told. By doing this, what she aplished during her entire life was going to be destroyed. Just like that ice wine that was spilled on the floor, what she just did could not be taken back. Tory finally revealed thest weapon she had, ¡°Duke Jimi, Viscount Speal, and the other eight high ranking noblemen¡­ They all have the same secret desk in their libraries. This is because Duke Jimimissioned a very talented woodworker to make the same desks for all of them.¡± As soon as she finished the sentence, Tory became dizzy. She staggered a little because she no longer had any energy left. In Acreia, women were condescending but at the same time, they were overprotected. In such a kingdom, Tory left as a properdy who was praised as the best example of what a woman should be. She smiled, danced, sang, and sewed. The people she could talk to were very limited. The topics of her conversations were always monitored closely. Even as the wife of the emperor, she never directly ordered anyone other than her own maids, who were on Marquis Seeze¡¯s side. So for her to make such a dramatic usation in public¡­ Tory was not used to this. She was fearful as she felt so many men ring at her with deadly anger. Her legs shook and it took everything she had to remain standing. This was too much. She wanted to cry. Tory leaned against the table and continued, ¡°I am not crazy! My mind is perfectly sane! Those noblemenmitted crimes, and therefore they are traitors. Yes, all of them! Guards! Go arrest them right now!¡± She yelled out the order, but no one moved. An awkward silence fell in the room, and Tory looked down. She was done. She gave up everything she had, but the guards refused to follow her order. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Tory understood that a woman¡¯s words were meaningless. Women could not tell the truth from the lie. A woman was too emotional and therefore could not make logical decisions. From the beginning, Tory was just a tool. She was going to be used by men until she was no longer useful. She was going to be thrown away because she was disposable. If Lucius the First punished Marquis Seeze, Tory was going to be punished along with him. If Tory didn¡¯t do what Marquis Seeze wanted, she would¡¯ve been reced by anotherdy by her own family. Either way, she was going to be abandoned, so if this was her fate, why not just say what she wanted to say? This was the reason why she decided to make such a public usation. If she was going to be disposed of in the end, she wanted to at least show everyone what she could do. People might think of her as a tool, but she wanted them to know that she was a living person. Tory learned so much recently, but deep inside, she knew what her new knowledge wasn¡¯t going to save her from her fate. Since she made her decision to do this, she has been feeling so many different emotions. Guilt, regret, sadness, and fear¡­ The only people that helped her keep going were Stra, who tried her best to help in any way possible, and Poliana, who gave up a lot of her time to talk to her. ¡®This is it. It¡¯s over for me.¡¯ When Tory closed her eyes in resignation, Poliana suddenly shouted, ¡°What the heck do you think you are doing?! Guards! Obey Lady Tory¡¯s order immediately!¡± Poliana didn¡¯t ask Tory anything. She didn¡¯t demand an exnation from thedy. Poliana took Tory¡¯s side without a word and when Poliana ordered, the guards, who have been remaining still like statues, began to move quickly. Poliana moved to stand by Tory¡¯s side. All Poliana did was stand next to her, but the relief Tory felt was immense. Tory felt safe because she knew Poliana would protect her. No one would¡¯ve followed her order except for the fact that Poliana did. Some of the royal guards stood in front of all the exits to prevent anyone from escaping while the others grabbed the ropes and divided the noblemen into the guilty and innocent groups. The noblemen protested, but¡­ Only Over half of the guards present in the banquet hall were from the First Division, which was made up of the crazy bunch of men Sir Ainno handpicked himself. When the noblemen tried to fight back, these guards threatened, ¡°Shut up! Do you want me to beat you up? I am going to bind you, either way, so you can choose how you want it done. I would love to punch you a few times, so just try me!¡± ¡°F*ck you! Are you resisting me because I used to be amoner before bing a knight? How dare you!¡± These guards did not hesitate to use violence against the noblemen, who were technically still innocent until proven guilty. When these guards acted viciously, some young noblemen argued, ¡°How dare you act in such a vulgar way? You are a knight, so don¡¯t you think you should act ordingly?¡± ¡°What? Do you think I became a knight because I wanted to? I was forced to be one by Sir Ainno and I can¡¯t even retire! Do you know what kind of life I have right now?!¡± A knight of the First Division could not leave his unit until he found a recement. Sir Howe was an exception, thanks to his powerful new father-inw. Even if the knight brought a suitable man to rece himself, it never worked out because the new recement needed to be approved by Sir Ainno, who had an incredibly high standard. This was why most of the knights in the First Division, including Sir Mahogal, were forced to remain in their position. These knights of the First Division were frustrated and angry. They knew no mercy and because they were the best fighters in the kingdom, the noblemen had no chance against them. Even when four young noblemen attacked a single knight all at once, the knight had no problem restraining them with ease. The men of the First Division did not hesitate to arrest the noblemen, but it was a different story for the knights of the Second Division. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Those in the Second Division were mostly from Acreia themselves. The noblemen they were ordered to arrest were somehow rted to many of the guards in the Second Division. They were either their close or distant rtives. The guards had no choice but to arrest the noblemen since it was an order from their direct superior, but they felt awkward using ropes to bind the prisoners. It was especially hard because most of the men to be arrested were elderly. When the guards of the Second Division hesitantly approached Marquis Seeze, he turned to the emperor and said calmly, ¡°Your highness, it is true that I have a desk in my library made of ck wood. However, there are no secret drawers or locking systems inside of it. I have no idea what Lady Tory is talking about. The only crime I may havemitted is to be na?ve enough to trust my granddaughter. Your highness, please make a wise decision.¡± Lucius the First nodded, ¡°Yes, I agree. I should not be ming you and the others for anything without solid proof. I totally understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± The noblemen brightened a little, ring at the guards and again protesting that they should be released. The guards remained uncertain and looked at the emperor and Poliana in confusion. Poliana red at them angrily, making the guards of her unit look down in fear. The guards decided topromise, which meant that they watched over the noblemen closely but did not bind them with the ropes. The emperor continued, ¡°Of course, all the crimes Lady Tory just used you of¡­ These crimes are very serious indeed and therefore, I cannot just ignore them. A thorough investigation will be necessary, so you, my noblemen, can remain in my castle until it is all over. I do not want people to think that one of my wives has gone mad, so I will make sure an impartial investigation is carried out. Sir Ainno, send the guards to thends of these noblemen and find out everything necessary.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Those noblemen who purchased the ck wood desks together trembled in fear. Lucius the Firstughed at them and said reassuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, my loyal subjects. I don¡¯t me you for having one or two secret systems at home. After all, you are all important men with important information about this kingdom. I also am aware that many, if not all, noblemen are involved in minor tax evasions and illegal activities. As long as these crimes are small and petty, I will forgive them. So there is no need for you to worry so much! You have all supported Acreia for a very long time, so this is the least I can do.¡± The noblemen could not stop worrying, however, because their crimes were not small or petty. There was nothing they could do at this point, unfortunately. If they protested against this investigation, it would be like admitting their guilt. Marquis Seeze asked quietly, ¡°Your highness, do you truly mean to do this? Do you really want to go against us?¡± His voice was eerily rxed, but his gaze was intense. The emperor shrugged his shoulders and replied, ¡°I am doing this investigation to prove your innocence, so why do you look so angry? Marquis Seeze, have you lost your hearing? I am doing this for all of you!¡± ¡°We, the elders, have supported Acreia! We made it what it is today! So how dare you!¡± Marquis Seeze finally lost his calm. He screamed at the emperor and Lucius the First replied quietly, ¡°That is exactly why I remained quiet until now. Perhaps it was a mistake to believe that things could go on like this until you, elders, die. I honestly thought you wouldn¡¯tst this long. I was wrong.¡± The emperor opened his arms to show himself off. Lucius the First, in his crown and his fineries, looked amazing. He was no longer a boy king, but the emperor of this continent. Lucius the First continued, ¡°Have you ever saw or treated me as your ruler? Do you still see me as a young 18-year-old king? What I wear on my head right now isn¡¯t a crown of a small kingdom named Acreia. I wear the crown of the greatest kingdom in this world. Do you still believe that the small piece ofnd in the north is the whole world? I have conquered the entire continent! I rule thisnd! I am not someone you can deceive and fight!¡± Only The emperor in his thirties and the marquis in his seventies¡­ Marquis Seeze screamed while the emperor replied quietly. Marquis Seeze¡¯s voice was louder, but it was Lucius the First¡¯s charisma that impressed the people in the room. The elders who have been protesting until now finally gave up and gave in to being bound by the ropes. Suddenly, Marquis Seeze realized the truth too. Just as Lucius the First imed, the emperor was not someone he could fight and win against. Why did he not realize this before? It was because he had known the royal family for too long. Marquis Seeze still remembered Lucius the First as a young boy with a pretty smile; this was the biggest mistake of his life. It was finally all over now. Once he admitted his defeat, Marquis Seeze¡¯s anger suddenly turned towards the woman who created this situation. He screamed, ¡°Tory! You stupid b*tch! Do you have any idea what you have just done?! I raised you and made you what you are and this is how you repay me? How dare you betray me?!¡± When Marquis Seeze tried to approach Tory, the guards stopped him. The marquis raised his cane and pointed at Lady Tory, who flinched and hugged herself in fear. Marquis Seeze continued, ¡°Do you know who made you the wife of the emperor? Do you even know what I did for you? And what is it that you think you will gain from doing this? Do you think you will be rewarded? What a stupid girl! You are very mistaken. It is all over for you too, all over! Do you really think you will be safe after tonight? You are the granddaughter of a traitor now! You will be punished! Did you do this because you wanted to act like a hero? That stupid girl with a sword must¡¯ve tainted your mind! Did you really think you could be somebody? Everything you have right now¡­ It is all thanks to me! It was all me! Without me, you are nothing! You would be just a crazy b*tch with a pretty face!¡± ¡°I know that!¡± Tory was shaking hard, but she looked straight into Marquis Seeze¡¯s eyes and replied, ¡°I know that very well! I know it all! I know that because I am a woman, I am meaningless! It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t know thew, but I do know what is right and what is wrong ¡ª and poisoning a girl is wrong! How can you call a murder a necessity?! And if women are so useless and meaningless, what can you possibly aplish by murdering one? If any woman can be easily reced, why is killing one necessary?!¡± Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Marquis Seeze continued to yell at Lady Tory, ¡°You stupid, stupid b*tch! You don¡¯t know anything!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right; I am stupid! I can¡¯t help my emotions affecting my decisions! That is why I don¡¯t care about your goals and your ambitions! I don¡¯t want to know the ¡®big picture¡¯ you nned for this kingdom! All I want is not having to poison my friend!¡± Marquis Seeze¡¯s reasoning was not logical. This whole situation was ironic. If women were thought to be unable to make logical decisions because they were too emotional, then why did Marquis and the elders depend on Tory, a woman, to poison Lady Stra? Marquis Seeze screamed that it was all Tory¡¯s fault, but he was mistaken. It was true that Tory was the one who betrayed him, but it was going to be the emperor, Lucius the First, who was going to use thew to judge him. Despite this, Marquis Seeze continued, ¡°You b*tch¡­! You¡­! How dare you¡­!¡± The guards were holding the marquis. They could feel his arms shaking in anger. Marquis Seeze could not control his anger. All his life, he has been worried about being betrayed. He has always been wary of his son, his friends, and his grandson. He never even fully trusted Sir Bentier, who was his own heir. But despite his suspicious nature, Marquis Seeze never worried about his daughter, wife, and granddaughter betraying him. It was because he believed that women couldn¡¯t do anything. All women were only good for bearing children and keeping their homes tidy. But it seemed that he was wrong. ¡°Tory¡­ How could you¡­!¡± Marquis Seeze shook his cane and suddenly, the top of it came off, revealing a hidden knife underneath. He threw it at Tory as hard as it could. Although he was in his seventies, Marquis Seeze was diligent in taking care of himself. The guards were helpless to stop this sudden movement by this old man. Poliana covered Tory from behind and turned around to protect thedy with her own body. Tory was frozen in fear and they fell together as the knife pierced Poliana¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Dammit!¡¯ The pain was sharp, but all Poliana could think about was her career. ¡®Is my shoulder going to be useless now? Would it be permanently damaged? But that would mean I will never be able to hold a sword! What should I do? Ok, I will just retire! I will return to mynd and enjoy the hot springs for the rest of my life!¡¯ As soon as she was done making her decision, Poliana suddenly realized that the pain she felt was came from a flesh wound, not from a broken bone. She immediately re-nned her future, ¡®Huh? I think it¡¯s just a simple flesh wound. Yes! Excellent! My bone is fine, which means I don¡¯t have to retire! I will keep this position for the next 30 years! Awesome!¡¯ The guards of the Second Division, who were holding Marquis Seeze, violently pushed their prisoner after they realized their superior was injured. Poliana quickly looked up to look at the faces of the guards. She was going to remember them and make sure to give them special trainingter for not doing their job properly. The next thing Poliana did was to turn towards the emperor to make sure he was ok. Lucius the First was standing and frozen in ce. Sir Ainno, despite what happened, was standing right beside the emperor and not moving at all to help her. Sir Ainno put his thumbs up for her. Poliana stood up quickly and asked, ¡°Lady Tory, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes¡­ Yes, yes¡­ Y, yes¡­¡± As soon as she was sure Lady Tory was unhurt, Poliana put her own thumbs up for Sir Ainno. Without saying a word, the two knights knew what each other was thinking. Sir Ainno said to Poliana with his eyes. -You are pretty good, huh? Poliana told him silently. -I am more impressed with you, Sir Ainno. You didn¡¯t even move a muscle when that old man threw that knife. Sir Ainno shook his head and pointed at Marquis Seeze. He sneered at her. -If it were my guards, something like this would¡¯ve never happened. Poliana became angry because it was true. She turned towards the guards and shouted, ¡°Marquis Seeze just attacked Lady Tory, the emperor¡¯s wife! He hasmitted treason! Let the Third Division know to close down the castle gate and arrest everyone in Marquis Seeze¡¯s household. That includes his servants as well as his family! Hurry up! Do it right now!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Poliana!¡± ¡°Sir Poliana, how is your wound?¡± ¡°Stop fussing over me! Just do your job right now! This wound is nothing!¡± It was just a flesh wound. Compared to all the other wounds Poliana suffered in her life, this was a very minor injury. The guards dragged the prisoners out of the banquet hall. Among the group were the members of Marquis Seeze¡¯s family including Sir Bentier. Poliana thought secretly, ¡®I guess only a few people know about Sir Bentier¡¯s loyalty to the emperor. It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ But the emperor valued Sir Bentier, which meant that Sir Bentier was going to be released very soon. It was obvious that Sir Bentier knew this because he didn¡¯t look very concerned as he was taken away. When the members of the First Division came to arrest Tory, who was also a member of Marquis Seeze¡¯s family, Poliana kicked them away. ¡®Have they lost their mind?!¡¯ *** After the guards took away the prisoners, the room became quiet. There were only those nobles who were on the emperor¡¯s side, such as Duke Seki and the nobles from other colonies. Even Lady Tory¡¯s maids who were clearly hired by Marquis Seeze were dragged away. Only a few of her maids, including Cekel, were left behind. They were frozen in fear, but Cekel was the first one who recovered. She bravely approached Tory to help her. ¡°Lady Tory, are you ok?¡± With Cekel¡¯s help, Tory stood up and looked around. Stra was surrounded by her own maids and she was arguing with them for some reason. The other nobles stared at Tory with contempt. In the past, Tory was considered the perfectdy and the ideal match for the emperor. She did be the emperor¡¯s wife and the unofficial head of thedy¡¯s quarters in the castle. She was treated by many noblemen as the future empress. But now¡­ Those same noblemen who praised her were looking at her coldly. They were looking at her like she was a monster. This couldn¡¯t be helped because Tory destroyed the sacred rule among the Acreian aristocracy. ¡®I knew this was going to happen. I expected this.¡¯ Only Tory knew she was never going toe out of this alive. She was, in fact, surprised that her n worked out this well. The only unexpected damage was Poliana¡¯s injury. Tory asked Poliana, ¡°Marquess, are you alright?¡± Poliana moved her wounded arm vigorously and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lady Tory. This is nothing. One time, I had to fight with a dagger sticking out of my body.¡± Poliana¡¯s guards protested, ¡°Sir Pol! Stop moving your arm like that!¡± Poliana ignored them without a word. Then suddenly, Stra escaped her maids and ran towards Lady Tory. ¡°Tory!¡± ¡°No, Lady Stra! Stop!¡± ¡°Lady Stra! You mustn¡¯t!¡± Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Stra¡¯s pretty face was covered in hot tears; she held Tory¡¯s hands desperately and continued to sob. Stra was saying something but she was crying so hard that no one understood what she was saying. Calmly, Tory pushed her away and ordered Stra¡¯s maids, ¡°Take Lady Stra away right now!¡± ¡°No, Tory!¡± Stra protested, but three of her maids came to take her away. Lady Stra was too weak to even fight them and she was taken to Duchess Luzo. After the duchess finished talking to her husband, Duke Luzo, she left the room with Stra. The emperor announced quietly, ¡°I apologize for having to do this, but it can¡¯t be helped. My birthday party is obviously over, so you may all return to your guest rooms in the castle.¡± The inside and the outside of the castle were closed. It was going to be a long time before those who live in Yapa returned home. It was also very possible that many noblemen from Yapa were never going to go back home. None of the noblemen were going to be freed until the full investigation was over. The people still in the room didn¡¯t argue or protest. Those left in the banquet hall were either on the emperor¡¯s side or kept a neutral political stance. They all knew that all of Tory¡¯s usations had to be true. And they all had to admit that some of the crimes the elders and the noblemenmitted were too big to be forgiven. Lucius the First walked up to Tory. When he saw Poliana¡¯s blood-soaked dress, he sighed in distress. Poliana imed that she was going to prove to everyone howdy-like she could be, but instead, she ended up confirming again what an amazing soldier she was. She swore that she was going to dance gracefully in her dress, but she ended up getting stabbed from protecting Lady Tory. Lucius the First supposed it was a typical day for his brave knightess. The emperor said to her, ¡°Sir Pol, you must go and get your wound treated first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, your highness.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t in your twenties anymore, Sir Pol. If you don¡¯t get things healed quickly, you are going to sufferter. Go right now.¡± ¡°But it is just a flesh wound; I didn¡¯t hurt my bone.¡± Poliana moved her arm again enthusiastically, making the emperor sigh again. After Poliana got hurt protecting Stra a while back, the emperor ordered her not to ever get injured like this. He wanted her to never endanger herself to protect others, but clearly, she was not the obedient type. At least, Poliana was lucky both times. If the knife got her face¡­ Things could¡¯ve been a lot worse. The emperor shuddered just thinking about it. He said to Poliana firmly, ¡°Sir Pol, if you don¡¯t go right now, I will carry you myself to the doctors, you know I would.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯m off!¡± Poliana saluted the emperor and left quickly. She also bowed to Lady Tory before leaving the room. She was a little worried about herdy. Lucius the First was a kind and merciful emperor, but he has proven to be cold and decisive when it concerned traitors and their families. This was a crazy situation. A wife of the emperor using her own family of treason in front of all of the Acreian nobles! This unfortunately put Lady Tory in an awkward position. She was a family of a traitor, so how would Lucius the First react? What would he do to her? Poliana decided not to worry too much about it. Her emperor was the greatest ruler in the world. She was confident that Lucius the First would make the right decision. She believed in him. After Poliana left, Tory kneeled in front of the emperor. Lucius the First decided that he had been wrong about how unlucky he was with women. The fact was, he was unusually lucky when it came to having incredible women in his life. He said to Tory, ¡°This was the most shocking birthday gift I have ever received in my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were many things he needed to discuss with her, but it was clear that Tory was in shock. She was shaking visibly and in no condition to carry a logical conversation. Lucius the First yawned on purpose and said to her, ¡°I am very tired now and I am sure you are even more tired than I am. Go rest for now, Tory. We can talkter.¡± Tory looked like a broken doll. She was too weak to walk on her own, so the emperor¡¯s personal maids helped her leave the hall. Watching his wife walk away, Lucius the First murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too bad? What a waste.¡± The emperorughed quietly. The day he captured Poliana, who was an Aehasian soldier at the time, he thought it was such a waste that she was a woman. He had been reading over her personal records and he knew how talented she was. He thought at the time that if she was a man, he could use such a skilled and intelligent soldier in his army. A woman and a knight. Knightess Poliana Winter. She was the greatest treasure he acquired during his conquest of the world. She was the woman he loved, and she was also his most loyal knight. She was a great strategist and she made him very happy. The emperor murmured with a grin, ¡°If Tory was born a man, Sir Bentier would¡¯ve been reced by her by now. He would¡¯ve had no chance against such a formidable woman.¡± Lucius the First had always praised Tory for her smartness, but the truth was, he had been underestimating her because of her gender. Even though he knew there was no limit to what a woman could do, because he had witnessed it with Poliana Winter, he still made this stupid mistake. If only he had given Tory a chance just like he did to Sir Bentier¡­ Something dramatic like this would¡¯ve never happened. Tory wouldn¡¯t have been forced to go through such a cruel time on her own. Sir Ainno, who has been standing nearby quietly until now, replied, ¡°You should do what you wish, your highness.¡± Only ¡°And what is my wish?¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ll bet it will be easier than how it was with Marquess Winter. You must admit it.¡± The emperor knew that Sir Ainno was right. There could be nothing more difficult than a woman bing a knight. This meant that this had to be easy. The emperor had an idea and he wouldn¡¯t have thought of it if he never met Poliana. ¡®She is indeed my greatest treasure.¡¯ His love for Poliana, a new bride-to-be, grew bigger day by day. *** The emperor has been procrastinating this snake hunt for a long time, and in the end, it was resolved in a single day by his wife¡¯s usation. Sir Bentier, who was imprisoned in a jail cell designated for noblemen, couldn¡¯t believe the emperor¡¯s luck. No one could doubt that Lucius the First was indeed meant to be the emperor of this continent. Chapter 240: Story 18. A short break from the hunt - 240 Story 18. A short break from the hunt Chapter 240 Some of the guards from the First, Second, and Third Divisions were selected to be sent to Acreia. Their mission was to collect evidence against the Acreian noblemen. Sir Mahogal and Sir Jainno apanied them to lead the team. Both men were from a powerful Acreian noble family, which meant that they must be familiar with a nobleman¡¯s library. Some thought that perhaps the emperor should send even more soldiers in case of a rebellion within Acreia, but Lucius the First decided that it was not necessary. This was because all the noblemen who may start a rebellion against him were all arrested and imprisoned in the Yapa jail. Of course, the elders and some of the high-ranking nobles were illegally holding private armies of their own. The question was, would these soldiers be loyal to their masters, or will they disperse on their own. Lucius the First betted that these soldiers wouldn¡¯t go against him. After all, their masters, who were supposed to lead them and pay them, were all imprisoned. In fact, the emperor gathered the heads of these armies and asked them, ¡°Will you really go against me?¡± The soldiers didn¡¯t seem too interested in starting a war. The power of Lady Reba¡¯s usations was greater than she expected. Most elders ended up confessing their crimes voluntarily. Sir Bentier continued to pretend he was still on the elders¡¯ side. In fact, it was Sir Bentier who scared the elders and the noblemen into confessing. Sir Bentier told them about what happened to those who were captured during the conquest. The royal families and the noblemen who fought against Lucius the First were severely punished. Sir Bentier imed, ¡°At this rate, it is very likely that our entire families will be executed. Ournds will be confiscated. We might not even die a decent death; we might end up being ripped into pieces in public to show everyone what happens to traitors.¡± Sir Bentier exined that although the emperor looked like an easy-going man, Lucius the First was a cold and decisive. He imed that he witnessed a very scary side of the emperor during the war. Sir Bentier continued, ¡°If we confess right now, he might at least let the women in our families live.¡± This wasn¡¯t something Sir Bentier nned with the emperor, but he was certain that the emperor would not be cruel to the women just because they belonged to traitors¡¯ families. Sir Bentier suspected that only the actual traitors would be punished. In addition, although Lucius the First had been an emperor for over 10 years, he was still at an early stage of power. The emperor knew better than anyone that it would be unwise to be seen as a cruel ruler. Most elders, when they heard their grandsons and granddaughters may survive this situation, gave up without a fight. They admitted their defeat and they were ready to ept whatever punishment willingly. They all acted submissively and Sir Bentier shook his head in disappointment, ¡®If only these old men acted this way from the beginning¡­¡¯ If these noblemen were loyal to the emperor, they would¡¯ve been treated with respect for the rest of their lives. The elders could¡¯ve led peaceful lives and end up dying with tranquility in the arms of their family. Thest person Sir Bentier visited was Marquis Seeze. Most noblemen were imprisoned with their families together inrge jail cells, but Marquis Seeze was put in a private room by himself. There was only one reason for this and it was because he was deemed the most dangerous of them all. As soon as Sir Bentier walked in, Marquis Seeze red at his grandson. It seemed that Marquis Seeze now knew how his grandson betrayed him. Of course, it was actually his granddaughter, Lady Tory, who ended up betraying him in the biggest way possible. Marquis Seeze said to Sir Bentier coldly, ¡°I assume it was you who convinced and trained Tory to betray me.¡± ¡°I am just as shocked as you are, grandfather. I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! How could a mere girle up with something like this! She couldn¡¯t have done it on her own!¡± At first, this was Sir Bentier¡¯s exact thought. Although he had witnessed Poliana¡¯s incredible aplishments, he always thought she was an exception, but now that he had the time to think, Sir Bentier realized that he had been wrong. Men would always think that women can¡¯t do anything. Yet ironically, men use women all the time. The women bear children and take care of their homes for their men. Women were often used as obedient spies to get information, and they could sessfully carry out their missions. Sir Bentier did not voice his realization to Marquis Seeze. He knew his effort would be wasted. Marquis Seeze, who was set in his own way, would never believe his grandson. Marquis Seeze asked angrily, ¡°What did Lucius the First promise you for this? What is it that he gave you that you are willing to betray your own family!¡± ¡°His highness promised me the gift of overwork for the rest of my life.¡± Sir Bentier was already promised a greatnd and rank as the heir to Marquis Seeze. He didn¡¯t have to side with the emperor for wealth. The only thing he gained from being on Lucius the First¡¯s side was an overabundance of work. Marquis Seeze screamed, ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for your stupid jokes! Just what is it that he promised you?¡± Wealth and power. Everyone dreamt of these two things. Logically speaking, Sir Bentier didn¡¯t get to gain too much by siding with the emperor. In fact, if he stayed on the marquis¡¯s side, he could¡¯ve ruled the Nanaba, the old capital, like a king himself. Some men would¡¯ve preferred this over working as a chancellor for the rest of their lives. Only But Sir Bentier had seen too much. He witnessed what deadly heat could be. He saw different types of lizards and he watched how corrupt the nobles in the mid-continent and south regions could be. Sir Bentier realized that what he saw and experienced in Acreia was too limited. What he thought was the world was only a very small part of something much bigger. His realization began at Koemong River. From there, he continued on with the emperor, and Sir Bentier was able to see the end of the continent. Lucius the First kept his promise. Sir Bentier was there at the edge of the cliff as the knights and the soldiers cried out the emperor¡¯s name in admiration and joy. The emperor did not have to keep his promise of freeing the people of this continent. He did not have to make their lives better. He was the emperor of the entire continent, so he could¡¯ve done whatever he wanted, but Lucius the First kept his promise. He was a good honest ruler, which was a rarity. The emperor was also lucky to have so many amazing and loyal people who followed him, and this was why Sir Bentier decided that he had no choice but to help the emperor achieve his dream. Sir Bentier replied to Marquis Seeze, ¡°You would not understand even if I exin it to you, Grandfather.¡± Sir Bentier could not understand Marquis Seeze and the elders. Sir Bentier did not ask Marquis Seeze to confess, because as the leader of all the traitors, there was no way Marquis Seeze would not be executed. This was going to be thest private conversation they will ever have. Marquis Seeze refused to stop condemning his grandson. Sir Bentier remained quiet and respectful like a dutiful grandson. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Poliana went to the royal doctors as ordered by the emperor. She was the only one that crazy day who got injured. It wasn¡¯t really that she was unlucky; it all happened partly due to her sense of duty. When she entered the room, the doctors gathered around in shock. The doctors were already feeling confused and fearful because they witnessed soldiers and knights running around the castle. The entrances and exits of the castle were all closed, and several frightening rumors were spreading already. Some believed that Lady Tory had gone crazy while others heard that the Acreian nobles started a rebellion. The royal doctors have been too scared to leave their clinic, especially because one of the royal guards warned them not to roam around the castle without a good reason. The doctors were also dying of curiosity. What the heck was happening outside? And when Poliana, who must have the answers to their questions, appeared, they were beyond excited. But as soon as they saw her injury, the doctors¡¯ fears grew even more. ¡®Marquess Winter is injured¡­ Why?¡¯ ¡®She isn¡¯t even one of the guards on active duty¡­ She is one of the heads, so why is she injured? What happened?¡¯ ¡®Are there other injured out there?¡¯ The leader of an army unit was not supposed to be a dangerous job. It was more of a desk job since the main duty of the head of a division was to train and control the royal guards. This was why there was no age limit to when the division leader needed to retire. An old person of over 60 years could do the job. So the fact that Poliana was injured¡­ The doctors became scared. ¡®Is there really a rebellion going on?¡¯ ¡®But I thought none of the guests were allowed to carry weapons inside the banquet hall.¡¯ Then, the doctors noticed Poliana¡¯s outfit. Instead of her usual uniform, she was wearing a dress. This fact meant that she must¡¯ve been off duty during the party. Yes¡­ she became injured. This could mean only one thing; something very bad has happened that endangered the wives of the emperor! Poliana¡¯s beautiful green dress, which was the same color as the emperor¡¯s eyes, was soaked in her blood. The doctors were used to treating wounded noblemen. There were odd times when they helped some maids who cut their hands with scissors or a piece of ss, but they have never seen a nobledy bleeding profusely. Thankfully, one of the doctors who participated in a war as a military doctor, had the sense to help Poliana. He yelled, ¡°What do you think you are all doing?!¡± He ran towards Poliana with the necessary tools. He was frustrated at his colleagues, but the military doctor himself was also shocked by seeing ady hurt so badly. When he got closer, he realized that it was Poliana Winter, which was someone he knew before. ¡°Marquess Winter, how does your injury feel?¡± ¡°Oh, you. Long time no see. My wound isn¡¯t so bad this time. Only a flesh wound. And thankfully, I am the only one injured today. But you should get a couple of the doctors to go visit the emperor¡¯s wives to make sure they are doing okay.¡± Poliana ordered the doctors and began to chat with the military doctor. When she kept trying to take her dress off, the doctor stopped her. ¡°If you keep moving like that, you are going to make your wound bleed even more. You know this, Marquess Winter, so why do you keep doing it?¡± ¡°I guess I am a little shocked myself too.¡± Today, Poliana was given the opportunity to watch a battle as an outsider. Until now, she had entered all of the battlefields as Lucius the First¡¯s knight. She had never expected to be a bystander of war, especially a war that was started by a woman. Poliana felt excited as if she came from a battle herself. She felt like she just experienced a great victory. ¡®Maybe this is why the man goes crazy about illegal dog fights?¡¯ Poliana hated unexpected situations, but today, she didn¡¯t feel upset. Was it because she wasn¡¯t in the middle of this war? The military doctor used his scissors to cut into Poliana¡¯s dress to get to the wound. It had to be done as quickly as possible before the blood dried; the doctors would¡¯ve ripped her clothes off if this happened in the middle of a war. Suddenly, one of the younger doctors asked the military doctor, ¡°Should you be doing that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The military doctor became confused as the younger doctor pointed at Frau, who was in the corner trembling. The younger doctor exined, ¡°I mean¡­ I know it isn¡¯t official, but Marquess Winter is to marry Frau Sneke, right? S-so¡­ shouldn¡¯t Doctor Sneke be the one treating her wound?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± The military doctor remembered that Marquess Poliana Winter indeed was a nobledy. Ady who was going to get married next year! When a nobledy needed treatment, the room needed to be cleared as much as possible. Only the necessary people were allowed to stay and the curtains were also prepared just in case. The military doctor realized that one of his bad habits from the war times remained with him. Poliana also forgot that she was a nobledy. Since her future husband was a doctor, there was no need for the military doctor to treat her. He apologized, ¡°Oh, I am very sorry. Please forgive me, Marquess.¡± ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right!¡¯ Poliana nodded seriously, acting like a proper and generous noblewoman. She and Frau moved to a private room. As Frau grabbed his tools, he looked upset. ¡°Marquess, are you sure you¡¯re really ok?¡± ¡°It hurts, of course.¡± Her bone was fine, but a knife pierced through her flesh, so of course, she was in pain. Because Poliana looked so calm, everyone assumed she was feeling just fine, but she was only pretending out of pride. All knights were like this. Those who endured pain well were considered the greatest knights. Poliana was raised this way as well. She was taught never to show how much pain she was in. If she did, she would be criticized and reprimanded. But now, she was a noblewoman and it was her right to tell people if she was in pain. When Poliana tried to take her dress off again, Frau covered his face in embarrassment. ¡°N-no, Marquess! You needn¡¯t do that! I can just cut into your dress around the shoulder area to expose the wound!¡± When her wound was revealed, Frau cleaned it with a clean wet piece of cloth. He was sweating the entire time as he stammered, ¡°T-thank god you aren¡¯t hurt too badly.¡± Only ¡°Yes, I agree.¡± ¡°So did an arrow get you?¡± ¡°No, it was a knife.¡± ¡®Damn that old man.¡¯ Poliana gritted her teeth. She learned a valuable lesson today thanks to Marquis Seeze. This must be why they say young people have so much to learn from old people. A hidden knife inside his cane! From now on, she will have to check the older noblemen¡¯s canes and umbres too. Frau asked, ¡°So what happened?¡± Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Poliana said to Frau, ¡°Something extreme and crazy happened alright.¡± ¡°Extreme and crazy?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it was incredible.¡± Poliana gazed at Frau. Now that she thought about it, Poliana realized that Duke Sneke was one of the nobles that were arrested tonight. ¡®Hmm, I will have to tell them not to arrest Frau.¡¯ The royal guards were busy arresting the guilty nobles as well as their family members, who were scattered all over the castle. Frau was kicked out from his family, but his name was still Frau Sneke. Even if he was most likely going to be releasedter, it wasn¡¯t going to be good for him to be arrested. Poliana was powerful enough to do this for her future husband. ¡®It¡¯s good to have power.¡¯ When she didn¡¯t have it, she used to hate those in power, but now that she had it, she loved it. Frau carefully sewed up her wound. He offered her sedative, but Poliana refused. The power she enjoyed right now came from her position, and she could maintain her position only by doing her job well. As the head of the Second Division, there was something Poliana needed to do after getting this medical treatment. Frau murmured, ¡°I am so d that you weren¡¯t hurt too badly. Thank god.¡± It was clear he was concerned because his face was now filled with relief. ¡°Were you worried about me?¡± ¡°Yes. I was worried about what might happen to me if you died, Marquess¡­ Oh, I misspoke, didn¡¯t I? S-should I sew up my mouth?¡± Frau brought his needle and thread close to his lips. He was sometimes too honest. Poliana patted his shoulder sympathetically and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I like your honesty.¡± She could understand why Frau must be concerned for himself. He was now known to everyone as the poor weak man who proposed to a wealthy powerful woman for her money. His reputation could not get any worse, so what would happen to him if his future bride died? He would most likely have to file for bankruptcy at the very least. All of Poliana¡¯s wealth would be taken back by the kingdom and Frau would be left with nothing. Frau did his best to treat Poliana¡¯s wound gently. He was so focused on her injury that his mouth was slightly gaping, making him look funny. His shoulders, which were usually slumped weakly, were tensed. Every time the needle pierced Poliana¡¯s skin, Frau murmured quietly, ¡°It¡¯s going to sting a little¡­. Sorry¡­ A little pinch¡­¡± It was more than a little pinch. In fact, most patients would¡¯ve jumped in pain. But what Poliana felt was a little different. Instead of the needle, her focus was on the warmth from his fingers and his breaths. Poliana didn¡¯t know, but her cheeks were flushed a little. ¡®Wait a minute¡­ Could this be what people call a ¡®romantic moment?¡± A healthy man and a woman in a private room¡­ Two people promised to be wed soon¡­ A little bit of nudity and their skins touching¡­ Was this moment going to lead to a sessful romance? Or will it be a failure? Until now, Frau and Poliana did not engage in any physical intimacy. They were proper nobles after all. They could be intimate after their marriage. It was especially not hard for them to refrain since they were no longer young kids. They weren¡¯t in their teens anymore. Poliana thought logically, ¡®But a light kiss would be fine during this engagement period.¡¯ It would look too awkward if they kissed for the first time on their wedding day. Wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea to kiss from time to time, so they get used to each other? Poliana¡¯s heart began to beat fast. She was about to get closer to him when Frau stepped back and announced, ¡°It¡¯s all done, Marquess. Please make sure to take your medicine. Oh and please, do not move your shoulder.¡± This was the first time Frau treated Poliana as a doctor, but he heard many things from the other doctors, including the military doctor, about Poliana as a patient. Apparently, she made the worst patient because she was too stubborn. She never listened to a doctor¡¯s advice and she did not take care of her body. Frau wondered if he should somehow put a restraint on her so Poliana could not move her arm and shoulder. He could not trust her at all. ¡®I wish she would be more careful.¡¯ Frau wished she would be more careful with herself, at least until they got married. What was the point of having a skincare regime if she was going to keep getting these awful scars? Until her wound healed, her skincare was going to stop. Frau also didn¡¯t know what happened, but if it was bad enough that a division leader was injured, it had to be something big enough to keep Poliana very busy for a long time. ¡°Marquess, please take care of yourself.¡± Frau begged and Poliana nodded with a grin. *** A few dayster. ¡°What?¡± The emperor eximed in shock after Baron Redikal reported his findings. The royal doctor bowed deeply. It was shocking news, but it was the truth. Baron Redikal repeated himself, ¡°Both Lady Tory and Lady Stra were poisoned.¡± ¡°So the security of my castle has been that weak?¡± Lucius the First could not help his anger and it was understandable. Any ingredients that enter the castle were examined thoroughly. Only those from the designated farms could send their products and everything was harvested and processed by a designated noble family and its servants and workers. Only Even if the quality of the ingredients was not the best, the safety of the royal members was always the priority. This was the same for all high-ranking noblemen since there was always a risk of poisoning. The emperor knew that his royal guards were excellent. The Second Division, led by Marquess Poliana Winter, boasted of its air-tight security. From first nce, it looked like the Second Division was unorganized, but the guards followed very strict rules. Poliana also often did surprise checks to make sure all of her men always remained alert. Thinking about how hard the guards worked, the emperor began to calm down a little. He could guess when the poisoning must¡¯ve begun. His guess was confirmed by the royal doctor¡¯s exnation, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like thedies were poisoned for a very long time. Their symptoms are very mild¡­¡± ¡°Fine, fine. I guess if this thing began around that time, it couldn¡¯t have been helped.¡± The poisoning had to have begun when the emperor and most of the nobles were away to Yapa. The emperor returned alone much earlier than expected, and so many things happened around that time. It was a very confusing period, especially because the head of the Second Division along with many of the royal guards were absent as well. It was during this very time when many of the maids were reced. There were also quite a number of new hires inside thedy¡¯s quarters. Many strangers from the mid and southern regions entered the castle because of the birth of the new princess as well as the funeral of Lady Reba. At the time, the emperor was also not in his right mind and Lucius the First suspected he may have made some mistakes during that time. After Baron Redikal left, the emperor asked for the second-inmand of the Second Division. Unfortunately, the answer he received was unexpected. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 ¡°Your highness, he¡¯s on probation.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°His wife belongs to one of the noble families that have been arrested recently. He put himself on probation, so he is off duty now.¡± Lucius the First touched his forehead in frustration. Perhaps this was one of the main reasons why he didn¡¯t want to go on the snake hunt. Acreia was a hugend but its poption was very small. This meant that the aristocratic poption was even smaller. Most, if not all, Acreian knights were closely or distantly rted to one Acreian noble or another. This was especially the case because most Acreian nobles married other Acreian nobles. Everyone was somehow rted to everyone. The emperor ordered, ¡°I do not doubt the second-inmand¡¯s loyalty. Just order him toe.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± After the guard left, Lucius the First began to tap his desk with his fingers. ¡°Things are going very interesting¡­¡± He was, of course, being sarcastic. Things were not interesting at all. ¡°I wonder who did it¡­¡± Was it the elders? It was a fact that the head of the elders¡¯ Marquis Seeze has been using Lady Tory to infiltrate thedy¡¯s quarters. There were also others who made attempts, but they were never this bold. Was it the southern regions that poisoned his wives? The southern regions were still grieving the death of Reba, so if it was them, Lucius the First would be very impressed with them for aplishing such aplicated mission. But no matter how much he thought about it, the emperor did not think that it was the southern regions. Then the only people he could think of was the mid-continent region. Since both Stra and Tory were poisoned, his initial thought was that it couldn¡¯t have been the mid-continent. Why would they hurt their owndy? But then¡­ The royal doctor stated that thedies were only mildly poisoned with slight symptoms. It seemed that the poison used in this case was not a life-threatening kind. Instead, it was supposedly very bad for women. It could cause irregr periods and miscarriage during pregnancies. The doctor stated that there was an antidote that could easily neutralize the poison, so it was very possible that someone was poisoned along with the culprit¡¯s target and was given the antidoteter. This couldn¡¯t be Stra¡¯s doing. This belief wasn¡¯t from the emperor¡¯s wish to trust his wife. It was from his belief in his judgment of characters. Stra was a very emotional woman who didn¡¯t have the nerves to pull something like this off. This meant that it had to be the mid-continent colonies themselves, not Stra herself. ¡®I guess they got me this time.¡¯ The mid-continent region was much more sophisticated than Lucius the First believed. He realized that there was still so much he could learn from the region he currently resided in. If it wasn¡¯t for Tory¡¯s outburst, no one would¡¯ve known about thedies¡¯ poisoning until the symptoms became more severe. Everyone¡¯s time is precious, and the emperor¡¯s time was even worth more. After a short wait, the second-inmand of the Second Division arrived. Poliana also arrived; she was no longer wearing her green dress. She was in her uniform, as usual, making Lucius the First feel disappointed. ¡®I didn¡¯t even get topliment her properly.¡¯ The emperor didpliment her abundantly, but it seemed that he had forgotten all about it. Poliana and her second-inmand both looked stiff. Before they entered the emperor¡¯s room, they passed by Baron Redikal, who told them about the poisoning. Poliana kneeled before Lucius the First briefly before telling him, ¡°Your highness, please forgive me for my rudeness, but I will beg for your forgiveness for what happenedter.¡± ¡°Of course. I love the fact that you are so efficient.¡± Lucius the First sighed and continued, ¡°Some bastard poisoned my wives and I would really like to catch this person.¡± ¡°You will, your highness.¡± Poliana gestured to her second-inmand to bring out the documents, which included the list of people who entered thedy¡¯s quarters during Poliana¡¯s absence. This list was made by Poliana, who has been going around to talk to her guards to figure out who has been frequenting the castle when she was away. Poliana has been already busy enough with nning her marriage, teaching Tory about thew, and doing the work she missed during her self-punishment, yet she somehow found the time to make this list as well. Poliana said to the emperor, ¡°As you know, there is a rumor in thedy¡¯s quarters that Lady Stra may be pregnant.¡± ¡®Oh, I didn¡¯t know that.¡¯ He was the husband, yet he had no idea that one of his wives may be pregnant. This was because Sir Deke, who was the main source of information for Lucius the First especially regarding thedy¡¯s quarters, was gone on a mission in the south. Poliana didn¡¯t know this and talked as if the emperor already knew everything. Lucius the First decided to pretend that she was right. Poliana continued to exin, ¡°Because of how Lady Stra suffered from the phantom pregnancy in the past, no one has been talking about this out loud. This means that one of the maids began this rumor on purpose. I believe that maid needs to be investigated. Apparently, she was a newbie that came in during my absence. At that same time when she was hired, there was also a cookie maker that was newly employed.¡± Poliana clenched her fists and her teeth. The emperor could see that she was shaking in anger. She added, ¡°At the time, I thought it was strange, but since these two people were sent by Lady Stra¡¯s homnd, I let it pass. On top of that, whatever this cookie maker made was served to bothdies equally, so I didn¡¯t think there was an issue. I now realize that I made a huge mistake.¡± If Poliana¡¯s guess was right, this meant that she has been watching her owndies being poisoned right in front of her eyes. It was no wonder that Poliana shook with fury. Lucius the First ordered the maid and the cookie maker to be arrested immediately. The second-inmand left quickly, but Poliana stayed behind. ¡°Do you have something else to say, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°I know it isn¡¯t my ce, but¡­¡± ¡°Sir Pol.¡± Lucius the First sighed and interrupted Poliana. Ever since that night when he yelled at her, Poliana has been treating him differently. It was all his fault, and it was time for him to tell her how he felt. Only ¡°Sir Pol, there is nothing you can do or say that I would consider ¡®not your ce.¡¯ The people I trust the most in this world are Duke Luzo, Sir Rabi, and you, Marquess Winter. I would never want you, my loyal knight, to feel that you can¡¯t say things to me.¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°But what about Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°Inno is¡­¡± Lucius the First frowned and continued, ¡°Lately, I noticed that he is blinded by love.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree.¡± Poliana nodded enthusiastically and tried her best not tough. Sir Ainno was her secret rival and at least at this moment, it seemed that she won. In addition, the emperor trusted her at the same level as Sir Rabi, who she respected greatly. It seemed that she was one of the top three people in the emperor¡¯s life. Of course, the secret truth was that she was actually number one in Lucius the First¡¯s heart. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Lucius the First said to Poliana firmly, ¡°So, you may say anything you want to me, Sir Pol. As long as it is not something that will hurt you, I am happy to hear whatever you want to say to me.¡± Poliana¡¯s smile turned into a serious expression. What she was about to ask wasn¡¯t something to take lightly. ¡°Your highness, what will you do to Lady Tory?¡± ¡®Oh, that.¡¯ It was no wonder Poliana hesitated. She was asking about a family matter as well as a national matter. It made sense that she felt like she was overstepping. Lucius the First leaned against his chair and answered, ¡°When I first took you in¡­¡± It has been a while since they talked about the past. Realizing that this was going to be a long chat, Poliana sat down. The emperor continued, ¡°At the time, I was such acking ruler. I didn¡¯t know much. It was the first time I left Acreia. It was my first war and I worked so hard to make everything so perfect. Now, I know that it was all unnecessary. I was very na?ve.¡± ¡°Your highness, you were perfect even then!¡± It was not a good idea to over-tter Lucius the First. When he waved his hand at her, Poliana kept quiet. The emperor continued, ¡°To be honest, the reason why I took you in at the time was to be different than everyone. I wanted to see and show people what I could be. I wanted to be the one who was generous and charismatic enough to take in the knights from my own enemy kingdoms. I wanted to be an emperor who could even ept a knightess. Therefore, there is no need for you to thank me. I was not, and still am not, a great man. In fact, I should be the one thanking you. I have learned so much from you, Sir Pol.¡± It was true that Poliana showed Lucius the First how strong and determined a woman could be. She also taught him the importance of working hard and never giving up. At the time he took her in, Lucius the First had no idea what an important Poliana was going to be to himself as well as to his kingdom. A woman to be a knight in Acreia¡­ And to aplish this without bribing anyone or having a powerful family¡­ There were still days when Lucius the First could not believe how far Poliana hade. And the day he realized what he felt for her was ¡°love¡­¡± His whole world changed. ¡°As I said before, I learned from you, Sir Pol, that a dead woman¡¯s vengeance is no match for a living woman¡¯s determination. Of course, now I know that I was wrong about that too. It isn¡¯t a woman¡¯s determination; it is a person¡¯s determination.¡± In this world, when someone referred to a person, they were referring to a man. A man was a person while a woman was specifically called a ¡°woman.¡± This was ridiculous since both men and women were people. Lucius the First muttered, ¡°Sometimes, Reba would say something like that.¡± ¡°Lady Reba?¡± Poliana was shocked because such a topic was taboo in this world. And to say something like this to the emperor¡­ Poliana¡¯s eyes widened. Lady Reba promised her that they would not keep secrets between them! Poliana felt a little betrayed, but a deaddy would remain forever silent. Lucius the First reminisced his memories of his dead wife, who had a fragile body but the biggest ambition he had ever witnessed. The emperor replied, ¡°She sometimes asked me if I would hire another woman who is as talented as you, Sir Pol.¡± Lady Reba asked this question many times, and the emperor¡¯s answer was always the same. ¡°Every time she asked me this, I said no. I am sure you understand why.¡± ¡°Of course, your highness. Until this newly expanded kingdom experiences long term stability, it would be unwise to introduce any big and controversial changes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, and besides, I was so young when I took you in. At the time, I had nothing to lose since I was only a young boy emperor of a small kingdom. But now, I am the emperor of the entire continent. I cannot afford to make significant mistakes anymore.¡± ¡°Of course, your highness.¡± ¡°And at the same time, I thought that it would be impossible for me to meet another woman like you, Sir Pol. You are the gift from heaven, so how can there be another woman as talented and intelligent as you?¡± Lucius the First was certain of this at the time. He continued, ¡°But I was wrong again. I was na?ve and stupid. Recently, I witnessed it again. The power of a woman¡¯s¡­ no.¡± Lucius the First shook his head. His golden hair shined beautifully as he corrected himself, ¡°A person¡¯s determination.¡± Poliana had to stop herself from kneeling in front of him and swearing her loyalty to him again. As usual, her emperor gave her an answer that exceeded her wildest expectations. This was why she trusted him. This was why she would follow him anywhere. The path Lucius the First set out for himself was going to be a tough one, but Poliana was willing to fight for him. The emperor said to her, ¡°This is my answer to your question.¡± ¡°Your highness, having the chance to honor you is the greatest honor of my life.¡± ¡°And having you as my knight is the greatest luck in my life, Sir Pol. Haha, and since Tory is so smart, I am not sure if she would be willing to ept my n.¡± ¡°Oh, she will.¡± Poliana¡¯s eyes widened with certainty. Poliana knew that she and Tory were different. Poliana wasn¡¯t given any other option other than the path she was given while Tory could choose. But even so, Poliana seemed certain of how Tory will react, making the emperor curious. ¡°Is this some kind of a woman¡¯s sixth sense? Is that how you know?¡± Only ¡°No, I know because I trust my friend.¡± The emperor¡¯s greatest knight and love used to be his dead wife¡¯s best friend. Now, it seemed that she was also a great friend with his other wife. The emperorughed awkwardly, unable to describe what he was feeling. Histe mother once told him, ¡°If you are unsure how to react or feel, justugh.¡± Poliana saluted solemnly and left the room. Still feeling strange, Lucius the First grumbled, ¡°I can see that the kingdoms that believe the women are inferior have been using their women very effectively. The mid-continent region especially.¡± After thinking quietly for a while, the emperor suddenly thought of a person he has been forgetting. ¡®I wonder where Sir Deke is and what he is doing¡­¡¯ He should¡¯ve returned from the south by now, but the emperor hasn¡¯t heard any news from him yet. As the main member of the Intelligence unit, Sir Deke should¡¯ve heard of what happened at the Yapa castle by now and be here. Yet, he was still absent and nowhere to be seen. Lucius the First couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 At the same time when the emperor was thinking about Sir Deke, the said knight was stuck in the southern region. The three men, Sir Howe, Sir Donau, and Sir Deke, left the viceroy¡¯s home on a mission given by thedy of the house. They were to save Poliana, the ¡°unfortunatedy¡± who was about to be ¡°used¡± by a gold digger. As soon as they set out, a heavy rain began to fall. The rain itself was not enough to stop these three brave knights, but another problem appeared because of it. The Gora River began to overflow, making it impossible to cross it without risking their lives. Sir Donau and Sir Howe, who were on a mission to stop the wedding, looked anxious. They didn¡¯t know what to do. At first, they tried to cross the river, but the locals stopped them immediately. ¡°Sirs, you will die trying to cross this river!¡± ¡°But we must go on! We can¡¯t be stuck here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We can¡¯t be stopped just because of the rain! How could this be?!¡± The brothers looked devastated. Because of the dangerous weather, there haven¡¯t been any messages crossing between the capital and the southern regions. Oddly, the only one calm among the three men was Sir Deke, who was the head of the Intelligence Unit. He was the one who should¡¯ve been most worried, but it looked like he was very calm. It was true that he should be on top of all news and intelligence in the kingdom, but Sir Deke felt rxed. This was because he knew that Lucius the First was a reasonable man who would never fault a man due to bad weather. Of course, what Sir Deke didn¡¯t know was the fact that he was in serious danger of being fired. Perhaps it was better that he didn¡¯t know. Ignorance was bliss. *** Tory was alone. A royal doctor visited her to make sure she was ok and one of the emperor¡¯s personal maids came by to help her bathe and change. Other than these two visits, Tory was left alone. No one came to see her. Tory has always been surrounded by her maids. They functioned as a shield and a wall for her, as well as a prison that jailed her, but now, she was all alone. All alone. Tory felt strange, delighted, and fearful of this new loneliness. Tory no longer stayed in thedy¡¯s quarters. She was isted in a safe ce and she was served by the emperor¡¯s personal maids. Since most of Tory¡¯s own maids, provided by Marquis Seeze, betrayed her, this was a necessary step. Tory did not me her old maids; she would¡¯ve done the same thing if she was in their ce. Tory was not curious about what might happen to her now. Perhaps it was because by making the recent public usation, she proved to herself that she was brave enough to risk her own life. Rather than feeling scared or anxious, Tory felt proud and satisfied with what she aplished. Unfortunately, she also felt too empty to feel happy. She felt too exposed and she felt like she didn¡¯t belong anywhere anymore. There was nowhere for her to go, which made her feel helpless. The amount of powerlessness she felt¡­ Only those who went through a severely traumatic event would know what it truly felt like. This was why she was pleased when Lucius the First finally visited her. Whatever future she may have, Tory was ready to ept it. Not knowing was worse than the actual punishment. The emperor looked much more tired than when he was at his birthday feast. Of course, his fatigue could not diminish his beauty. Sometimes, his incredible beauty scared those around him. As soon as he walked in, Lucius the First joked, ¡°Thanks to your birthday gift, I haven¡¯t had the time to rest at all since that day.¡± As always, his jokes were awful, especially because half the time, he was being sarcastic. Tory¡¯s usation didn¡¯t just affect those noblemen directly used. A nobleman belonged to a noble family, who was always associated closely with various government workers. There were many associated figures who were arrested even though they might be innocent. This was necessary and after an investigation, they were going to be released. However, this meant that many of the high-ranking government officials were missing from their works. Many government projects and ns were ced on hold because of the current situation. Lucius the First continued, ¡°This was one of the reasons why I didn¡¯t choose to go on the snake hunt¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tory looked down without a word. Lucius the First shook his head and said to her, ¡°I am not trying to me you. In fact, you captured all of the snakes and gave them to me. I haven¡¯t done it myself since I feltzy and you ended up doing it for me; you¡¯ve aplished a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Tory didn¡¯t say anything, Lucius the First added, ¡°Listen. I am not nning to punish you. You have unburdened me greatly and for that, I will be rewarding you.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± After a long hesitation, Tory opened her mouth. It was clear she wanted to say something, but when she couldn¡¯t go on, Lucius the First gently encouraged her, ¡°Is there something you want?¡± ¡°How could I? I wouldn¡¯t dare, your highness.¡± Tory shook her head. Marquis Seeze raised his own personal army, which was considered treason; he would have to execute three generations of his family for that. If Sir Bentier secretly sided with the emperor, the Seeze family would¡¯ve fared much worse. Only Originally, Tory was a distant rtive of Marquis Seeze, but this was not enough for her to be forgiven for his crime. Oftentimes, women and children were forgiven, but they also lost their nobility. If a man lost his status, there were ways he could make it again in this world. For example, Sir Bentier and a few noblemen, whose crimes were minor at best, were forgiven by the emperor. These men were going to do well in their careers, but there were no women who were pardoned like this. A woman belonged to a man. Her husband, her father, or her brother¡­ She was not an independent being. Tory said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, I know my ce. I am a woman and therefore a silly useless being. Even if you tell me I have unburdened you and helped you, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I betrayed my own family. Therefore, how could I be rewarded when I am someone who brought ruin to my people? I cannot feel happy about this situation.¡± Tory was ready to die if necessary. She didn¡¯t beg for forgiveness. Since Marquis Seeze was a traitor, she was most likely going to lose her noble status and be amoner, and since amoner cannot marry a royal member¡­ Tory and Lucius the First¡¯s marriage was going to be invalid. So when she bes an unmarrieddy who loses her noble status and is known to have betrayed her own family¡­ Her future, no doubt, was bleak. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 A woman could not ownnds. This meant that the most Lucius the First could give Tory was money, which would be only too easy for someone to take if Tory did not have a male guardian. Perhaps the emperor would find her a male guardian, but she was the woman who betrayed her own family. Who would be kind and selfless enough to take care of her with good intent? If she wasn¡¯t executed, Tory could imagine what kind of horrid and shameful life she would lead. Thinking of her future, Tory couldn¡¯t be sure if she would not regret her decision to betray her life. Lucius the First said to her, ¡°If you wish to remain, my wife, I will make it happen somehow.¡± ¡°I would never dream of it. Please don¡¯t even mention it.¡± ¡°If you leave, then this castle will no longer have a mistress.¡± Tory flinched and asked in shock, ¡°Did something happen to Lady Stra?¡± Lucius the First smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°The truth is¡­ she asked for a divorce.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Tory became confused and speechless. Lucius the First was also shocked when he first heard this. Within thest few days, it seemed that he was going to lose one of his wives because his marriage was going to be invalid while the second wife wanted a divorce from him. Perhaps his original guess was right. Maybe he really was unlucky with women. Tory said to the emperor, ¡°There is a chance Lady Stra may be pregnant.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t. She was poisoned. You as well, Tory.¡± Poisoned? Tory tried to remember if she has been feeling different and the answer was no. Hearing that there were another spy and conspirator in the castle¡­ Oddly, this news made her head be much clearer. It was as if she woke from a long sleep. Lucius the First continued, ¡°It was Stra¡¯s new maid and the cookie maker. Stra is innocent; it was her father who ordered it. I tried to do my best to investigate this situation without Stra learning about it, but it seems that she found out. Beforeing here, Stra came to me crying with a signed divorce application form.¡± Stra, who used to be a princess of her own kingdom, could not endure this situation. She told Lucius the First that she was responsible for her maid¡¯s crime and therefore, she will take the burden for her family. Stra also stated that this was the only thing she could do for Tory. This was unpleasant and unexpected. He has been contemting what to do with the mid-continent colony when his wife asked him for a divorce. No man ever expected to hear such words from his wife, let alone the most beautiful man in the kingdom. He has never been unkind to his wives. Sure, their marriage was arranged for a political reason, but their rtionship was amicable. The emperor never expected Stra to ask for a divorce. Stra exined that she was doing this because it was the polite and responsible thing to do. Unlike in the north, a woman in the mid-continent region could ask for a divorce from her husband. This was Stra¡¯s own personal decision and it was going to cost her family dearly. Stra, however, didn¡¯t care. She refused to change her mind. Tory gave up everything for her friendship with Stra. Stra felt that she must do the same thing. Lucius the First was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t say anything. He just took the divorce papers from her and left. It wasn¡¯t that the emperor loved Stra. It was just that his pride was hurt. This was a selfish andplicated man. Their marriage was an arranged one, but Lucius the First made an effort to be kind to his wives. He couldn¡¯t help feel a little disappointed and betrayed by Stra¡¯s request. What a selfish man he was. Tory said to him, ¡°Lady Stra is probably very emotional right now. She asked for a divorce out of impulse, but in time, I am sure she will regret it. Your highness, please do not divorce her.¡± ¡°Will you feel the same way about what you did? In time, will you regret reporting your family?¡± Tory didn¡¯t know how to answer this question. The emperor continued in a kind voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Tory. I like to think I am a good judge of character, and the Tory I know is a good person who knows what is right and wrong. You can¡¯t im that Stra made this decision out of emotions. I mean, we are all humans, which means we all have emotions. You did what was right even though you knew it was going to harm you. It was one of the bravest things I have ever seen.¡± Lucius the First opened up his palm. It was time to make his offer. It was going to be up to Tory to ept it or refuse it, and the emperor hoped that she would say yes. Tory didn¡¯t notice how his expression became expectant. Only ¡°If you and Stra leave, this castle will be without a mistress for a long time. I thought about it and remembered that this isn¡¯t the first time Acreia will suffer such a time. I lost my mother at an early age and I left Acreia for a long time to conquer the world. The only recent time this kingdom had an official royal mistress was when I married you, Stra, and Reba. So I thought about it. Will Acreia be ruined if it no longer has a mistress? No, it won¡¯t. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Because there will be plenty of people who can take over the tasks.¡± ¡°Exactly. That is the right answer. Even if andlord is absent, thend will continue to be maintained by his vassals. A store will continue to be run by the hired help even if the owner takes a break. Even the nobledies¡­ They do not actually do the work. They have maids for the housework, the nannies for their children, and cooks for the cooking.¡± Tory has been listening dutifully when suddenly, she gasped. She usually looked down when the emperor talked to her, but she looked up at him with her eyes widened. Tory realized what this conversation was about. The emperor was offering her a job! He continued, ¡°If the mistress is missing, one needs to hire someone to do the job. This is what I am offering you. I won¡¯t lie to you; it is going to be very hard. You will have to live among those who detest what you did. They will not trust you. For you, remaining in Yapa alone will be very difficult to endure. Even if you refuse my offer, I will understand. In fact, I think you should refuse if you know what is good for you. So, what would you like to do?¡± Lucius the First looked at her seriously. Tory knew he was right. She began as the emperor¡¯s wife and now, she was the woman who betrayed her own family and whose marriage was no longer valid. So for her to remain in the castle¡­ Tory could imagine how she would be treated. People will disrespect her and hate her, but¡­ Chapter 247 Chapter 247 What Lucius the First offered was something Tory couldn¡¯t refuse. She straightened up slowly. With herdy-like posture and bright eyes, Tory didn¡¯t have to say a word. The emperor said to her, ¡°I cannot give you a title that is inheritable, but instead, I will give you a status that is fit for your position.¡± Tory did not have to ask the emperor how a woman could be given a position and an official status. This was because both of them knew that it was possible. It has already been done. There was already a woman who achieved an official government position and andlord. Marquess Poliana Winter. Because it was already done once, it could be done again; it was actually going to be much easier. For an easier and morefortable life, Tory knew she should refuse this offer. But if such a boring life was what she truly wanted, Tory would¡¯ve never betrayed her family. And if she didn¡¯t make the public usations, she would¡¯ve never been given this offer. Tory kneeled and kissed the back of Lucius the First¡¯s hand. She will never get to kiss his lips and be in his arms, but she wasn¡¯t disappointed. There was never love between them, and in fact, Tory preferred this working rtionship much better. Tory put her forehead on the emperor¡¯s, no longer her husband¡¯s, hand. She then finally burst into tears. *** Lucius the First offered the same thing to Stra, who refused. She would¡¯ve preferred to work as a volunteer maid; Stra knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle a position that never existed before. It was a new position people will have a hard time epting and therefore, she didn¡¯t want it. Stra asked, ¡°Is Tory ok?¡± When she learned that Tory was poisoned by her own people, Stra was shocked. She began to cry again and Lucius the First waited patiently until his ¡°ex-wife¡± calmed down. When he asked if she really wanted a divorce, Stra nodded. Lucius the first never had to make an effort for a woman, yet here he was, being rejected by his own wives. ¡®Life can be so funny.¡¯ It was true. Life was so full of unexpectedness. The emperor, however, was d that he was given the chance to learn from so many people around him, including his ex-wives and his knights. Stra asked, ¡°A-are you going to g-get married again?¡± ¡°Well, yes since I don¡¯t have an heir yet.¡± ¡°Oh, then are you going to propose to Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°W-why are you suddenly mentioning Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°Because you love her, right?¡± Cough cough! Lucius the First began to cough in shock. Stra, with a sympathetic expression, patted his back gently. The emperor thought nervously, ¡®I made a mistake.¡¯ He shouldn¡¯t have coughed. He should¡¯ve pretended ignorance and act normally. Lucius the First thought that it still wasn¡¯t toote. He could just say he had a tickle in his throat¡­! But then, when he looked at Stra¡¯s face, he realized that she was certain of his love for Poliana. There was not an ounce of doubt in her face. ¡®How did she know?¡¯ Lucius the First sighed and decided against lying at this point. He recently lost a wife to childbirth, he lost the second one to a divorce and the third one on a technicality. He lost all three wives recently, and suddenly, he began to wonder, ¡®C-could it be that all of them knew about it¡­? That they were just keeping silent for my sake?!¡¯ This was the worst situation he could imagine. Lucius the First shook his head, wanting to hide somewhere. After a long silence, he finally asked, ¡°How did you find out?¡± Only the emperor¡¯s closest friend Sir Ainno knew this secret. It was true that love was the hardest emotion to hide, but Lucius the First was born a royal. He had enough training since childhood to keep a poker face. This was actually his specialty. He was so confident that he hid his feelings for Poliana perfectly. He was always very business-like around her, so how did Stra find out? Were there more people who knew about this? Lucius the First needed to know. His curiosity was killing him. Stra replied, ¡°I found out¡­¡± Stra, the princess of a conquered kingdom, was secretly in love with the emperor, who invaded hernd. So many people died from this war, but all Stra could think about was how generous the young emperor was to those who surrendered. And when she finally met him, he was more beautiful than she could ever imagine. She fell in love instantly. She continued, ¡°I found out when I saw your expression after the marquess got kicked by the deer.¡± This was a lie. The truth was, Stra knew for a very long time. Perhaps from the very beginning. Was it because she was in love with him? Or was it because she was lucky? For a long time, Stra learned that Lucius the First¡¯s gaze always somehow found the knightess. Just like the rumors, the infamous knightess was an unusually ugly woman. And unlike the rumors, there was no romance between the emperor and the marquess. The emperor¡¯s love was one-sided and the knightess was definitely unaware and not interested. Lucius the First asked, ¡°Was I that obvious at that time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m the only one who noticed. It could¡¯ve been only seen from my position at the time.¡± Stra had the emperor¡¯s weakness, but she wasn¡¯t happy about it. She always tried desperately to hide her true feelings for him, and it was a coincidence that she found out how he felt. She wasn¡¯t jealous because the knightess was an amazingly kind woman. Stra admired Poliana greatly. Poliana was apletely different kind of friend than the other wives of the emperor. Poliana was very understanding and lovely, so how could Stra be angry at her? Thankfully, Stra¡¯s love for the emperor cooled quickly when she found out his love for Poliana. Instead, her interest in his love life intensified. The emperor who was secretly in love with his knightess! How will this exciting story end? What Stra felt for the emperor was real, but it took less than a year for it to cool down. As far as she knew, Lucius the First has been feeling the same way about Poliana for years, and it seemed that his love refused to lessen. Just how long has he been in love with her? And when will it end? Will it ever end? Stra felt sympathetic towards Lucius the First day and night. Only Then one day! She learned that the biggest obstacle between Poliana and the emperor¡¯s potential marriage disappeared! It was the day when Poliana¡¯s period returned. And now! Lucius the First was no longer married. He was single, and although he was technically a divorce with a newborn baby, who cares? He was the emperor after all! If Poliana and Lucius the First were in love¡­ They could be together! ¡®Oh, maybe his highness doesn¡¯t know that the marquess is no longer barren.¡¯ Poliana¡¯s change in condition was not a well-known fact. It was a private and personal knowledge, so those who knew did not talk about it openly. And so many things have happened since Poliana returned that Stra doubted she had time to talk about it with the emperor. Stra firmly believed that the reason why Lucius the First did not propose to Poliana was because of her perceived infertility. Once the emperor learns that this was not the case, then he would be thrilled! At least that is what Stra thought. She said to him, ¡°Your highness, if it is the problem of her infertility¡­¡± Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Lucius the First shook his head, ¡°No, that¡¯s not why I haven¡¯t proposed to her. Well, first, I have to admit that it was one of the main reasons, but not anymore. Stra, the moment I marry Marquess Winter, she will lose everything she had achieved so far.¡± Her honorable knighthood, wealth,nds, rank, and even herst name ¡°Winter¡­¡± Lucius the First did not want the woman he loved to be unhappy. This was why he gave her up. The emperor continued, ¡°I really want the marquess to be happy. For that, I am willing to give her up. I can also wish her the best when she marries another man. I can even be okay with her putting herself at risk to do her job¡­¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes darkened, making Stra feel sad as well. Now that she heard Lucius the First¡¯s reason, she could understand. He was right, of course. The Poliana they knew would not be happy to hear the emperor¡¯s proposal. Poliana would probably be concerned that Lucius the First was losing his sight and call the royal doctor immediately. Stra realized that the emperor truly loved Poliana; she felt both impressed and jealous. Meanwhile, Lucius the First remembered the times when Poliana put herself in danger. She used her body to shield Stra from the deer and Tory from the knife thrown by Marquis Seeze. The woman he loved¡­ She was a knight. This meant that when she risked her own life to save herdies, Poliana should be praised. However, after the deer incident, Lucius the First was clear about his order. He told her to never risk her own life again. He asked her to live. The woman he loved almost died in front of his eyes. It happened not only once, but twice. Lucius the First truly wanted Poliana¡¯s happiness. Whoever she chose as her husband, he decided to ept it even if the man was a gold digger. But Poliana continued to risk her life, even though she was expecting to get married. If she died¡­ Nothing would matter anymore. Lucius the First trembled before standing up suddenly. ¡°You are right, Stra. I do love Pol.¡± Stra stared in surprise as the emperor continued to murmur. He looked like he just had an epiphany. ¡°I have no luck with women. My mother died when I was young, and my first girl died young too. One of my wives died from birthing my daughter and the other two wives will no longer be my wives.¡± Lucius the First¡¯s eyes darkened as he continued, ¡°And Marquess Winter almost died twice already this year.¡± The emperor now looked determined. ¡°I am a selfish bastard, so I won¡¯t back down anymore.¡± ¡°Your highness?¡± ¡°I am going to go and propose to Marquess Winter now.¡± The beautiful man dered in front of his soon to be ex-wife. He walked out into the sunlight, blinding Stra¡¯s eyes. *** Poliana was not in the royal castle today. Lucius the First gave her some time off because of her injury. Normally, Poliana would¡¯ve insisted on continuing to work, but after the upsetting night after Lady Reba¡¯s death, Poliana has been following the emperor¡¯s order without arguing. Lucius the First, without his guards, left the castle and headed to Poliana¡¯s mansion. Inside his pocket was his mother¡¯s wedding ring he forgot to leave in Nanaba. When Poliana¡¯s butler opened the door, he gasped, ¡°Y-your highness! I will let the marquess know immediately.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t bother her. She is a patient after all.¡± The butler¡¯s eyes moved down to the wildflowers in Lucius the First¡¯s hands. They were obviously plucked from the royal garden. The emperor was also holding the dainty ring that probably won¡¯t fit Poliana¡¯s finger. These were the two things Lucius the First brought to propose. Confidently, he walked in. Whatever happened, he was going to do this today! Lucius! He was the man! He will propose to Poliana! ¡®I don¡¯t care what happens anymore!¡¯ Who cares if she was barren? Lucius the First had a very healthy nephew who could take over his kingdom. Of course, he knew that appointing his nephew as his heir was going to create a lot of controversy and uproar, but he had a n. Instead of his original hope, which was to retire early, he was willing to work till his death. If he could only have Poliana¡­ He was willing to give up his lifelong dream of retirement. He was ok with working until his dying day. He was ok with working his entire life. Lucius the First loved Poliana Winter. He was willing to give up his n for her. He was going to make her his empress so nobody could look down on her. No one will be allowed to doubt his love and trust in her. If anyone protested, he was going to ruin that person and his or her entire family! Lucius the First was serious about this situation. He has been behaving like a perfect gentleman, but this was now not the time to be patient. This needed to be done now. Standing in front of Poliana¡¯s bedroom, he inhaled the flowers deeply. The sweet scent made him feel wonderful. ¡®This is it! I am going to do this! I swear I will make her happy!¡¯ The emperor opened the door and walked in confidently. ¡°Your highness, what a nice surprise.¡± Poliana was shocked to see the emperor walk into her bedroom unannounced. But she knew how to look calm when she felt surprised. Poliana put on a rxed smile and greeted the emperor. Unfortunately, Lucius the First could not smile himself. This was because there were two people in the room. In addition to Poliana, there was a man beside her. On top of that, Poliana had her top off. Frau jumped in shock and stammered, ¡°Y-y-your highness!¡± He kneeled before jumping again the second time. Frau looked around in confusion before grabbing the nearby tablecloth to cover Poliana¡¯s upper body. Poliana smiled quietly and said to him, ¡°His highness has seen me naked many times before, so there is no reason for me to cover up. Oh, wait, am I not supposed to say things like this to you?¡± ¡°Oh, I-I-I-I guess, Marquess Winter.¡± Only ¡°The doctor is right, Pol. And I shouldn¡¯t have walked in like this.¡± Poliana said to the emperor, ¡°Oh, you needn¡¯t worry, your highness.¡± When she tried to get up, Lucius the First took a step back and said to her hurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t move, I came here just to see how you are doing. Oh, and this is a gift for you.¡± When the emperor opened the door, Frau was in the middle of examining Poliana¡¯s recent injury. Just seeing them together was enough to diminish Lucius the First¡¯s confidence. The biggest problem was how happy Poliana looked. While he was falling more and more in love with her, it seemed that Poliana was beginning to fall for another man. Poliana eximed, ¡°Wow! Flowers! You love flowers, your highness. Did you know that every time you give me something, it¡¯s always flowers?¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness, but the thing is, I prefer food! Hahaha.¡± Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Poliana put her shirt back on and stood up. Thankfully, Fra stopped trembling and Lucius the First smiled. He already took a step back and if he lost his smile now, this would mean he lost this roundpletely. From the moment he walked in, Lucius the First barely noticed Frau. His eyes were filled with the woman he loved. Poliana was smiling in happiness. She didn¡¯t look like she was filled with an overwhelming sense of joy, but it was obvious that she was pleased. Her smile once made Sir Donau fall in love with her and now, it was working the same way on the emperor as well. Quietly, the emperor handed her the flowers, which no longer looked as fresh and lively. Was it the flowers that wilted or Lucius the First¡¯s confidence? ¡°Sir Pol¡­ You look happy.¡± ¡°Oh, is that right? Hmm¡­ I guess it¡¯s alright. Hahaha.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, you look good. I guess you are happier about your uing marriage than I thought.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Poliana brought the flowers to her nose to enjoy its scent. This was one of the changes that urred in her life. Lucius the First hid his sadness and smiled for her. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all that matters. As long as you are happy, I am happy too, Sir Pol. Rest now.¡± The emperor walked out the door. Frau asked Poliana, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask him to stay for a while longer?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I think he is actually running away because he is afraid I might begin to nag him. He¡¯s probably tired both mentally and physically, so I better let him go.¡± Frau and Poliana chatted quietly. Meanwhile, Lucius the First¡¯s eyes began to water. He realized the sad truth, which was that it was finally and truly time for him to give up on Poliana. If marrying Frau was going to make her happy¡­ The emperor knew it was the right thing to do. If she wanted, he was even willing to sing at her wedding. He would give her the most expensive and luxurious wedding gift. He would give her the wedding of her dream. Perhaps he would hire the best makeup artist in the kingdom to make her the most beautiful woman¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Lucius the First bit his fist, trying hard not to cry. It was too difficult. ¡®I am no longer a young man, yet here I am¡­ Crying over a woman¡­¡¯ He swore he was going to confess his love to her today, but he failed again. What was he supposed to do? Inside his pocket, his mother¡¯s wedding ring rolled around all alone. His fist began to bleed a little from him biting when suddenly, the emperor heard some noises towards the stairs. He didn¡¯t want any disruptions, so he asked Poliana¡¯s butler not to let anyone upstairs, so this was strange. The emperor could hear the butler yelling, ¡°You can¡¯t go upstairs!¡± ¡°Do you know who we are? How dare you!¡± Some men were arguing with the butler, annoying Lucius the First greatly. He was trying to deal with his loss and sadness, and the continued noise finally made him roar, ¡°There is a patient in this house, so how dare you make such noises!¡± When the emperor walked down the stairs, the two men, who were arguing with the butler, looked up. They were very familiar faces. ¡°Your highness!¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± Sir Howe and Sir Donau bowed deeply to the emperor. Lucius the First was surprised to see the two brothers back in Yapa. It was even more surprising to see them looking like hobos. The emperor asked, ¡°What the heck happened to you? Why are you here? Did you get kicked out from your family or something?¡± The two young men¡¯s father-inw was the viceroy of the southern region, which means they should be doing very well for themselves. But here they were, covered in dirt and looking like they haven¡¯t eaten in a while. The only reason Lucius the First recognized them was thanks to the 10 years they spent together on the battlefield. How the two brothers looked right now actually was worse than when they were in the war. The brothers¡¯ father was a firm believer in good hygiene and always made sure his sons kept themselves clean. Just as Lucius the First was curious about what happened to the brothers, Sir Howe and Sir Donau had many questions. They asked speedily, ¡°Your highness, is it true that you have imprisoned all of the elders?!¡± ¡°Your highness, is it true that Sir Bentier has been arrested as well?!¡± ¡°Your highness, we came straight here after arriving in Yapa, so we have no idea what happened during thest few weeks in the capital!¡± ¡°We are so confused!¡± They didn¡¯t seem embarrassed about their appearance orck of information. The emperor could guess that the brothers led afy life in the south. He didn¡¯t like seeing them looking this ridiculous and being so loud. He ordered them to quiet down, ¡°You need to be quiet. There is a patient upstairs.¡± ¡°Sir Pol got injured?!¡± Sir Donau, shocked, began to run upstairs. The butler tried to stop him but Lucius the First nodded to let hime up. Sir Donau tried to run straight to Poliana¡¯s bedroom, but the emperor grabbed him. ¡°Stop, Sir Donau. She is having a nice time with his fianc¨¦, so you should not disturb them. Besides, you are filthy; you need to wash up first before going to see her anyway.¡± ¡°But there is no time, your highness!¡± Sir Howe jumped in, ¡°That bastard is here right now?!¡± Sir Donau also red at the bedroom door, and Lucius the First realized that something strange was going on here. The brothers, normally so calm and kind, looked like they were ready tomit a murder. Why were Sir Donau and Sir Howe here looking so horrible? Why haven¡¯t they heard about the imprisonment of the elders, which should¡¯ve shocked the entire kingdom? Why were the brothers looking so furious? The emperor asked, ¡°What happened? Just tell me first.¡± ¡°Your highness! That bastard¡­ Is it true that our adopted sister is marrying that dog?¡± ¡°If you are referring to Frau Sneke, then yes.¡± This was the sad truth, but it was toote to change it. The wedding n was going well and everyone knew by now about it. Of course, most people weren¡¯t interested because they thought it was a strange and unsuited match. The public was more interested in the wedding between Sir Ainno and Cekel. Only Sir Donau and Sir Howe argued, ¡°We are against this marriage!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t happen!¡± The emperor thought silently, ¡®Me too. I don¡¯t want it either.¡¯ Lucius the First hid his feelings well. He put on a nd smile, knowing why Sir Howe and Sir Donau were against this marriage. Lucius the First remembered Poliana¡¯s happy smile just a moment ago. If this was what she wanted¡­ The emperor would do anything for her. Lucius the First said to the brothers, ¡°Stop, boys. Calm down. I know very well that they aren¡¯t well matched, but Sir Pol¡­ She¡­ She seems to like that man Frau, so¡­ If you saw her, you would understand.¡± ¡°What?! Pol likes that bastard?!¡± ¡°That makes it even worse! She can¡¯t marry him!¡± ¡°Your highness, did you know that that bastard got kicked out from his family because he married a servant?!¡± Chapter 250: Story 19. Destroy the Gold Digger – Story 19. Destroy the Gold Digger Chapter 250 Sir Howe repeated his brother¡¯s words, ¡°That¡¯s right! That bastard was married, your highness!¡± ¡°Married?¡± This was the first time the emperor heard about this. But the reality was, without the emperor¡¯s permission, Frau, as a nobleman, could¡¯ve never been officially married. This meant that at most, he lived with a woman for a while, but nothing more. As a man himself, Lucius the First did not think too much of Frau¡¯s past experience with women. This was within the norm of any young nobleman. Besides, the maid was dead. If she was still alive, it would¡¯ve been a problem. Lucius the First said to the brothers, ¡°But the servant died, didn¡¯t she? So just calm down.¡± Ironically, it was the emperor who was trying to convince Sir Howe and Sir Donau to let Poliana marry Frau. What a strange and ridiculous situation. The woman he loved was about to marry another man, and he was trying to convince the opposers otherwise. ¡°How can we calm down, your highness?!¡± Sir Howe protested angrily as if he forgot he was in the presence of the emperor. Sir Donau seemed to agree with his older brother. These two young men were beginning to be rude, so Lucius the First was about to say something when Sir Donau said, ¡°He even has a child!¡± Oh, that changed everything. Lucius the First did not know about this. Slowly, he began to feel his burning fury engulfing his entire body. He has never been this angry before. If the brothers were telling the truth, Lucius the First swore to destroy Frau in the most painful way possible. ¡°Tell me everything.¡± The emperor¡¯s instinct told him that the snake hunt was not over yet. There was still the most dangerous and disgusting snake to be destroyed. Frau Sneke. *** Poliana¡¯s three closest male friends left Poliana¡¯s home. Lucius the First ordered Sir Howe and Sir Donau to calm down. This was a critical situation and at a time like this, one needed to remain calm and collected in order to fix it. The brothers, who just arrived from the south, were confused at the current political situation in Yapa. They needed to rest and learn what happened during their absence. Meanwhile, Lucius the First called for a meeting of the knights. Most, if not all, knights that gathered before to discuss Poliana¡¯s marriage came together once more. These were the men who truly cared about Poliana. Sir Mahogal, unfortunately, was away on business in Acreia so he could not attend. The atmosphere in the room was tense. This was mainly because Lucius the First, who called for this meeting, was looking furious. It was obvious that he was ready to kill someone. The amount of hostility in the room was simr to when they were in the middle of a war. Sir Deke, who went his separate way from Sir Howe and Sir Donau as soon as they arrived at Yapa, joined in as well. This was a good thing since Sir Howe and Sir Donau were too upset to exin what they knew calmly. Apparently, Frau Sneke, who was the fifth son of the former Duke Sneke, fell in love with a servant in his own house. The couple wanted a life together and dreamt of getting married. Of course, Frau¡¯s family refused to allow this. In the end, Frau and the servant got married secretly by themselves and eloped. Their escape was aplete failure. No matter where they went, it was obvious that they were from very different sses. The couple hid in the servant¡¯s hometown. The entire town, including the servant¡¯s family, did not wee them. Just as the nobles were against marrying amoner, themoners were also against marrying up. In her own hometown, the servant became known as the wh*re who seduced a na?ve nobleman. Frau became known as an idiot young master who would soon realize his mistake and abandon the servant. The fact that Duke Sneke was thendowner of the servant¡¯s hometown didn¡¯t help either. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Why didn¡¯t Frau just take in the servant as his mistress or concubine? There were plenty of noblemen who did this. Frau could make her his concubine and allow her to live afortable life. Why was he being so stubborn and stupid? The Sneke family gave Frau an ultimatum. Either he abandoned the servant and returned home or he would be disowned. Frau chose the servant and the couple left to live in Nanaba. Frau had no money and no skills. He needed a job and thankfully, not many people in Nanaba knew about what happened to Frau since the Sneke family did its best to hide this embarrassing event. Baron Redikal, who didn¡¯t know what happened to Frau, epted him as his student. Baron Redikal assumed that Frau was just an unlucky young man who got kicked out from his family for a minor disagreement. This was how Frau learned to be a doctor. The career as a doctor was considered lowlypared to being a knight or a government official, but it could still be a profitable job. Only Besides, Frau and the servant believed that as long as they were together, it would be okay. That is all they wanted. Then, the maid became pregnant. Frau wanted to learn to be a doctor as quickly as possible and live with his wife happily ever after. But¡­ The servant died during childbirth. She bled to death. Frau learned to treat people, but he didn¡¯t learn much about treating women. Just like many of the doctors, he believed that treating women was a job for the gynecologists and the midwives. Unfortunately, the midwife in the town they lived in refused to help the pregnant servant because she did not want to anger Duke Sneke and his family. In the end, Frau was left with a newborn baby. He could not endure the sadness and hardship, so he decided to return to his family. When he walked back to his house, his parents demanded that he abandon his baby or at least dere the baby a bastard. Frau refused. His new baby, his son, was his heir. His son was born between himself and his legal wife. Duke Sneke screamed at Frau, ¡°Then don¡¯t even bothering to my funeral when I die! You are no longer my son!¡± Frau asked his wife¡¯s parents to raise the baby temporarily. To raise his son properly, Frau realized that he better learns to be an excellent doctor. Although the career as a doctor was considered lowly in the noble society, it was a rich position to themoners. During his studies, Frau also diligently researched the difference between the medical knowledge of themoner doctors and the doctors that only treated the noblemen. Frau learned that there were situations when the simple home remedies used among themoners worked much better. Frau, of course, suffered from depression after he lost his wife. He knew he needed to do more to raise his son well, but it was difficult. Everyone, both the noblemen and themoners, treated his son like an unwanted bastard. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 One thankful thing for Frau was that his son wasn¡¯t treated too poorly in the town where histe wife¡¯s parents lived. The grandparents were firm believers in leading a quiet, almost hidden, life and Frau understood them. Frau himself was born into a wealthy noble family. He grew up as a young master with afortable life. When he gave up this for love and became a father, Frau finally could understand how his parents must¡¯ve felt. His parents were adamantly against Frau marrying the servant because they loved him; they knew that if Frau did this, the rest of his life would be a difficult one. Any children of Frau would end up living even harder lives because they would be consideredmoners. When one of the vassals from Frau¡¯s home visited him, Frau¡¯s son bowed to him deeply. The same vassal that used to bow to Frau¡­ Frau told his son not to do this, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. His son¡¯s maternal grandparents wanted to raise their grandson as amoner. This was the first time Frau regretted having a child with histe wife. This must¡¯ve been why his own parents were so against the idea. Frau became contemtive. He gave up everything for love, but even after his downfall, no one dared to treat him like amoner. But his son¡­ It was apletely different story. His son that was born out of love was going to live as amoner. It was impossible for Frau to ept it, but this was the way of the world. Frau¡¯s siblings refused to forgive him and acknowledge him as their family. If Frau abandoned his son, perhaps he could be epted back into the family. Either way, Frau¡¯s son was never going to be a nobleman. Frau refused to give up on his son. He was willing to live as amoner rather than abandon his child. His son was everything to him. The best thing Frau could think of for his son was to make enough money to educate his son so he could be a government official. Of course, would this be possible? Would his family somehow prevent this from happening? Frau didn¡¯t know what to do. It was around this time when he first heard about Marquess Winter. ¡°Dammit. A woman getting such a high noble status?¡± ¡°Marquess? Is this a joke? I mean¡­ This means that woman is going to outrank all of us!¡± ¡°I get that she did a lot during the war, but isn¡¯t this too much?¡± ¡°And I heard she¡¯s barren too¡­¡± ¡°Then will the title go to her husband when she gets married?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t going to work like that. I heard only the heir can inherit the title, but since she is barren¡­ She will probably just adopt a son.¡± ¡°I heard she is basically an orphan herself. So that means that she doesn¡¯t have anyone she can adopt from her distant rtive, right? So that means her title will end after her death.¡± ¡°Unless a widower with a son marries her, then the son would get everything. What a lucky bastard that would be!¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Who in the right mind would marry an ugly woman like that?¡± The cowardly and ignorant men were gossiping while Frau listened quietly nearby. Frau was fascinated and from that day, he began to do his research on Marquess Winter. In Aehas, a daughter could inherit the family title if there was no male heir in the family. In Acreia, where a woman could not hold a title, a male heir needed to be adopted, usually from a distant rtive. So what would happen to a barren woman with no rtives who ends up marrying a man with a bastard son? It was going to be possible for the man¡¯s child to be the official heir. This was exactly what Frau Sneke wanted. This was his goal. *** The other knights and the emperor had no idea about the details of Frau¡¯s past. And in truth, they didn¡¯t even want to know. The problem was the fact that Frau intentionally hid the existence of his child. If Poliana knew about it, would she have decided to marry him? No, Poliana was not that na?ve. Lucius the First could not hide his anger. Poliana Winter was incredibly wealthy and powerful, especially for a single person. There were plenty of people in the world who approached her, hoping to get something out of her, but these men who proposed to her were honest about themselves. They disclosed to her about their marriage history and let her know if they had any children. Some even told her about their mistresses and concubines. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to fool Poliana about certain things since she was not originally an Acreian noble. It was very hard for her to know the old rumors about the Acreian noblemen, but despite it, those men who proposed to her still were honest. This was because Poliana was a close acquaintance of Lucius the First, and if anyone tried to fool her, it would be followed by the emperor¡¯s fury. Poliana herself also was a scary woman. People who knew her knew enough not to disrespect her. So the conclusion was, Frau was an idiot. Was he just stupid or was he crazy to do something so risky and dangerous? For nobles, marriage was a business contract; there were unspoken andmon-sense rules that needed to be followed. This was the basis of the noble society. Someone like Frau, who tried to fool another fellow noble¡­ He was considered the worst of the worst. All the men in the room, including Lucius the First, panted in anger. Only ¡°This is the worst kind of gold digger. The worst! I have never seen such a horrible man before! Going after her wealth¡­ That was bad but understandable, however, to sneakily go after her title¡­ To attempt to make his bastard the next Marquis Winter¡­ How dare he! He has been pretending to be innocent and dumb, but he is clearly a skilled conman!¡± Lucius the First never gave Frau permission to marry a servant. Duke Luzo, who was in control of Acreia during the war, also would¡¯ve denied this request. A nobleman could marry only if he received permission from the ruling figure. Any marriage without it was considered invalid. This made Frau¡¯s son a bastard. If Frau wanted to keep his noble status, then there was no way for his son to avoid being called a bastard. But if he became amoner to make his son legitimate, then he would never be able to marry Poliana. So Frau chose to marry Poliana as a nobleman and make his bastard son the next Marquis Winter. ¡°This is the biggest scam of this century!¡± Sir Donau, who cared deeply about his adopted sister, shook with anger. Sir Howe, standing next to his brother, muttered about different ways to torture Frau. The brothers were not making much sense, but they both had a clear message; they wanted to kill Frau. What made them the angriest was the fact that Frau must¡¯ve thought it would be easy to use Poliana because she didn¡¯t have an extended family or rtives, but this was not true; she had Sir Donau and Sir Howe as her brothers! Frau Sneke must die! Chapter 252 Chapter 252 One of the knights suddenly asked, ¡°But what if Marquess Winter already knew about the existence of Frau¡¯s bastard? Or what if she still wants to marry him even after we tell her?¡± Sir Donau replied indignantly, ¡°My adopted sister would never do such a thing!¡± Sir Howe nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right! Pol would never be that stupid!¡± Lucius the First agreed with the brothers. He has never been this angry in his life. He wouldn¡¯t have been as angry as right now even if Duke Luzo betrayed him during the war. The emperor dered, ¡°Frau Sneke has made a mockery of the marquess, which means he has also ridiculed me, his emperor! How dare he! How dare he do this to my Sir Pol!¡± Lucius the First was so angry that he could not hide his feelings for Poliana. Thankfully, no one caught on. Everyone knew that Poliana was the emperor¡¯s favored knight. Even when people knew they were together naked, no one had any doubt that the two were involved romantically. Everyone in the room was furious. They were all wealthy and powerful men, and they were ready to avenge their fellow knight. ¡°Let¡¯s go kill him right now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s burn him alive.¡± ¡°Should we cut his limbs off first and then hang him upside down in the city hall for people to throw rocks at him?¡± ¡°No, we should cut his limbs off and then put his body in a barrel so we can roll him in public and shame him.¡± ¡°My fellow knights, you are being too kind! Why not rip his limbs off rather than cut them off?!¡± ¡°He lied, so the first thing we should do is cut off his lips!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡± ¡°And light his tongue on fire!¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± The man threw gruesome suggestions excitedly. If they worked this hard during the war, perhaps they would¡¯ve been able to aplish the conquest in 5 years rather than 10. These were the knights who killed countless soldiers on the battlefield. They would show no mercy when torturing a guilty man, especially a man who tricked their fellow knight. ¡°Let¡¯s go grab him first before he runs away.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just order the guards to arrest him?¡± ¡°No, that might begin an ugly rumor and harm the marquess¡¯s reputation. Let¡¯s do it ourselves. We need to do this quietly and discreetly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. For Marquess Winter¡¯s reputation, we need to do this ourselves. I can do it.¡± A few of the knights stood up, ready to go. Sir Donau gritted his teeth and stopped them. ¡°We can¡¯t arrest him right now!¡± ¡°Why not?!¡± ¡°If we get him right now, it will harm my adopted sister. Everyone in the continent knows that she is marrying this bastard. They aren¡¯t officially engaged, but they are in reality. So what do you think will happen if we grab him right now and torture him? Everyone will know that something bad happened. They will know that Marquess Winter was tricked by him. People will know that she was fooled by that snake!¡± This made sense. No one could argue with Sir Donau¡¯s sound logic. Lucius the First nodded slowly and gestured Sir Donau to continue. ¡°What is most important at this point is how things are going to be perceived by the public. As I said, everyone knows that my sister is nning to marry that bastard. Thankfully, Marquess Winter has all the control over this wedding and that man has nothing. If Sir Pol decides to break up with him and discontinue the wedding n, people are going to believe that she changed her mind. They will not think she was fooled by him.¡± The head of the Second Division and a doctor, a Marquess and a barely-nobleman¡­ This wedding involved two people who lived inpletely different worlds. Even if Poliana changes her mind before the wedding, no one was going to think it strange. In fact, it was going to make sense to many people. Lucius the First gestured to Sir Donau toe closer. When the young man did, the emperor patted his head affectionately. ¡°Our Donau has always been such a bright boy, and now I can see that he has be an even more intelligent man after he got married.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡± Both brothers, Sir Donau and Sir Howe, were very smart, but generally, people believed Sir Howe was smarter because he was quicker and slyer. Sir Donau was known to be more of a boring but consistent man. But things have changed. Under his father-inw, the viceroy, Donau learned a lot. He worked more as an official than a knight, which meant that although he lost a lot of his muscles, he gained much knowledge and wit. They used to be called the witty older brother and the slower younger brother, but now, Sir Donau and Sir Howe were known as the clever brothers; it was a nice change. ¡°Then the first thing we should do is let Marquess Winter know about this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, she needs to know about Frau immediately¡­¡± Sir Donau offered, ¡°I will go visit her and tell her today.¡± Lucius the First shook his head, ¡°No.¡± Now that they had a n to protect her reputation, Lucius the First¡¯s priority was to protect her heart. Sadly, it seems that Poliana has fallen for Frau Sneke. When she finds out she has been betrayed¡­ This news was going to sadden her greatly. The emperor dered, ¡°I¡­ I will tell her myself.¡± With this n, the men left the room. Sir Howe and Sir Donau returned to Poliana¡¯s home, which was where they were staying. Their official reason for visiting Yapa will remain as a business trip for information collection. *** After the knights left, there were only two men left in the room. The one who cared the most about Poliana and the man who didn¡¯t care much. Sir Deke and the emperor. Sir Deke kneeled in front of Lucius the First and began with begging. The emperor¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he roared, ¡°This is Marquess Winter we are talking about! The greatest woman in this kingdom! So how can this happen? How is it that the head of the Intelligence Unit did not know about what a snake her future husband was! How could you not have known everything about him?¡± ¡°Your highness! This is all my fault. I deserve to die! There was a huge flood in the south, which prevented me from knowing what happened in Yapa! I am responsible for everything!¡± Lucius the First was angry about one thing while Sir Deke was apologizing about somethingpletely different. When the emperor was about to roar again, Sir Deke continued, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, your highness! The truth is¡­ My sister asked me to investigate Frau in the past. I didn¡¯t know the importance of her request at the time so I only looked into him in Yapa. If I have extended my research to Nanaba and find out more about the Sneke family, I would¡¯ve learned about this¡­ This is all my fault.¡± Lucius the First tilted his head curiously. This was news to him and he wanted to find out more. The emperor asked and Sir Deke exined how Cekel was his main source of information regarding thedy¡¯s quarters. Instead of a sry, she asked for information on Frau. The emperor asked, ¡°So Lady Ingreter was against this marriage?¡± Only ¡°Yes. She said for some reason, she detested Frau. She said there was something not right about him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ A woman¡¯s instinct perhaps?¡± Lucius the First thought for a second before turning towards Sir Deke again. ¡°Anyway, it is indeed all your fault. You didn¡¯t do your job and you didn¡¯t take your sister¡¯s request seriously either!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, your highness!¡± ¡°I will give you onest chance! Find out everything about Frau Sneke!¡± ¡°I will!¡± Chapter 253 Chapter 253 The knights and the emperor made sure Poliana didn¡¯t know about their n. The emperor extended Poliana¡¯s vacation on purpose. When she protested, the emperor told her that her time off was a form of punishment. He told her never to risk her life again, and she disobeyed him. Poliana nodded in understanding. Poliana was overjoyed to see her adopted brothers Sir Donau and Sir Howe. She hugged them tightly. They wrote to each other often, but it was not the same as seeing them in person. Poliana smiled widely. While the brothers distracted her, Lucius the First made sure Frau could not visit Poliana. Meanwhile, the Intelligence Unit worked tirelessly. Sir Deke needed to find out where Frau¡¯s child and his maternal grandparents lived and how much money Frau was sending them. Frau sent letters often to an ¡°acquaintance¡± in the small Acreian town. In reality, he was sending money to his child and his inws. The reason why Frau lived so poorly wasn¡¯t that he was frugal. It was because he sent everything to this child. Since he moved to Yapa, he visited his son a few times. But unfortunately, he hasn¡¯t been able to travel to Nanaba during thest 6 months because the work has been so busy. Frau had to miss his son. He had to miss him a lot. Lucius the First was sure of it. The Intelligence Unit spread a false rumor regarding the Sneke family. Duke Sneke and his family were one of the many Acreian nobles who were arrested due to the recent scandal. The false rumor stated that a few of the town people living in the Sneke¡¯snd were hurt during a scuffle. Within a few days, Frau became noticeably anxious. Just as Lucius the First predicted, Frau asked for some time off. Frau apparently told Poliana that he was worried about a few close acquaintances in his hometown. He was lying again to Poliana since it was obvious that he was going to visit his son and his inws. Poliana asked him, ¡°Will these acquaintances of yours be invited to our wedding?¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh-n-no. It would be too difficult for them to travel that far.¡± ¡°Oh, how disappointing. If you are going to visit them, they must be very close to you.¡± Of course, they were. One was his own son and the other two were his ex-inws. ¡°Y-yes, Marquess.¡± Those who knew the whole story found Frau despicable, but Poliana had no idea. Frau was sweating heavily and stammering, but Poliana thought he was just scared of her. Sir Howe and Sir Donau didn¡¯t stay long in Yapa. They left within a few days and thanks to Lucius the First, Frau was kept busy and unable to meet with Poliana. Poliana felt disappointed, but this was a good thing for Frau. If Sir Donau and Sir Howe spotted him, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to control their anger. Frau, Sir Donau, and Sir Howe all left Yapa. Stra left Yapa to visit her homnd to take care of the divorce papers. Tory was still in istion for her own safety. Poliana was a powerful woman, but she was still on her vacation ordered by the emperor. Poliana took this order very seriously and did not consider it a vacation. However, she also didn¡¯t trap herself inside her home like thest time. Instead, she worked hard on her wedding, which frustrated Lucius the First. A few days after Frau left Yapa, Lucius the First visited Marquess Winter. Poliana was contemting what kind of stone she should use for her wedding ring. When she saw the emperor, Poliana greeted him. She was especially d to see him because Lucius the First had a much better taste than she did. ¡°Your highness, I am so happy to see you. What kind of stone do you think I should use for my wedding ring?¡± ¡°Pol, that is not important at all. Let¡¯s talk about thatter. For now, wouldn¡¯t you rather go on a pic with me?¡± How could he say her wedding ring wasn¡¯t important? Poliana has been pondering about this matter very seriously, and when the emperor answered her so nonchntly, she felt shocked. Lucius the First, on the other hand, felt frustrated at how hard Poliana was nning her wedding. ¡°Sir Pol, I am just worried that you have been working too hard when you should be resting. This is supposed to be your vacation. Why don¡¯t you go on a pic with me?¡± ¡°Sorry, your highness, but I¡¯m busy.¡± Poliana refused, not because she was truly very busy, but because this wasn¡¯t the time. The kingdom was in turmoil, so for the head of the Second Division to go on a pic with the emperor like nothing was happening¡­ It wouldn¡¯t look right. Lucius the First begged her desperately, ¡°I really would like you to go with me. I am asking you for a favor.¡± Poliana¡¯s resolve weakened quickly. She heard about the emperor¡¯s divorce, which meant he was now going to be a divorcee with a newborn baby. She felt bad for him, so she asked, ¡°How many guards were you nning to take?¡± ¡°The two of us.¡± ¡°You mean me and Sir Ainno?¡± ¡°No, just you and me.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not possible.¡± Poliana closed her lips and looked away. It was rude of her to act like this, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. No one would fault her for acting this way because after all, she was one of the few who were responsible for the emperor¡¯s safety. She had no choice but to refuse the emperor¡¯s request. For his safety, it would be better for Lucius the First to go alone with Sir Ainno rather than her. ¡°Inno is too busy dating and enjoying his love life nowadays that he abandoned me. If I go on a pic with him, he is going to annoy me with all his romantic stories.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Only Lucius the First recently lost all of his wives, so what man in his right mind would talk about his own romance. But then¡­ Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t just an ordinary man. He was a jerk, and everyone knew it. Despite the recent political chaos, the stories of Cekel and Sir Ainno¡¯s romance continued to be popr. Poliana asked curiously, ¡°Is it really true that things are going well between them?¡± ¡°Apparently.¡± Poliana snorted. It was so unexpected, and she was surprised. She remembered giving her love luck for this year to Sir Ainno. ¡°I gave him my love luck because I thought my love luck was in fact bad, but I guess I was wrong. Perhaps my luck in love was actually pretty good.¡± ¡®Oh, that must be why Sir Pol¡¯s own love life is in such a horrible situation¡­¡¯ Lucius the First could tell that Sir Ainno had the greatest luck in love this year. If he pushed on to marry Cekel by force this year, the emperor didn¡¯t doubt that their rtionship would¡¯ve been unrepairable, but because of Reba¡¯s death, their wedding had to be dyed, which gave them a year to get to know each other better. Sir Ainno was very smart in wooing hisdy and it seemed that things were going very well for him. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 It was rumored that things were going well between Sir Ainno and Cekel. They became closer thanks to frequent conversations. Both Sir Ainno and Cekel¡¯s marriage and Poliana and Frau¡¯s marriage involved two people whose social statuses did not match. However, peopleughed when they talked about Poliana¡¯s wedding while they found Cekel and Sir Ainno¡¯s union very romantic. Women, especially, talked about it with dreamy eyes. Sir Ainno¡¯s parents, Duke and Duchess Seki, knew they had no influence over their first-born son, so they didn¡¯t bother objecting or voicing any kind of opinion. They approved the marriage without a word and Cekel¡¯s parents also did the same. Their marriage was blessed by everyone in the kingdom. Lucius the First thought in annoyance, ¡®He is such a jerk.¡¯ The happiness Sir Ainno enjoyed right now should¡¯ve been Poliana¡¯s. It was her love luck, not his. It was only a superstition, but the emperor firmly believed that this was why Poliana¡¯s love life didn¡¯t work out. Lucius the First was a superstitious man, after all, and Poliana¡¯s current situation was the worst. There were plenty of decent men in this world, so why did Poliana have to be fooled by the worst man possible? The more he thought about it, the angrier Lucius the First became. The emperor also felt sad for Poliana. His sadness showed on his face, but Poliana mistook it as sorrow for losing his three wives, and it sounded like his best friend Sir Ainno was no help at all. Although he was the emperor, Lucius the First was still a man who got lonely. Poliana felt sympathetic towards him and in the end, she nodded. ¡®I mean, he won¡¯t go too far, right? He probably just wants to go hunting in the nearby forest¡­¡¯ Lucius the First knew how important he was. Poliana believed that he would never put himself in danger on purpose. The emperor smiled awkwardly when Poliana agreed to go on a pic with him. Suddenly, Poliana realized that there was something more to this outing. ¡°Your highness¡­ a-are you nning to do an overnight trip?¡± ¡°Hahaha! I love how quick and smart you are, Sir Pol. I will have all the preparation done, so all you have to do is show up. See youter!¡± Poliana yelled after him, but Lucius the First ran awayughing. What was her emperor nning? *** The next day, the emperor and Poliana were ready to leave. The high ranking government officials became worried about this unexpected trip. After all, Lucius the First had a history of secretly moving the capital city without telling his own government. The men begged Poliana, ¡°Marquess Winter, if you find out that he is nning to move the capital again, you need to stop him. You need to do whatever is necessary. If you need to tie him down with a rope, just do it.¡± Poliana snorted, ¡°What are you talking about? It has only been a few years since he moved the capital to Yapa, so why would he move it again? Don¡¯t be so ridiculous!¡± ¡°But he has done this before! He might do it again!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just you people who didn¡¯t know about his n! At the time, those very close to the emperor knew about his n to move the capital. We¡¯ve known about it for years actually.¡± The men¡¯s eyes widened in shock. They could not believe what they just heard; all of them felt hurt. ¡°What! You knew! And others too! But why not us!¡± Poliana could see the men¡¯s eyes tearing up, so she quickly ran away. ¡®Why do people say women cry a lot? It¡¯s the men sometimes who can be much more emotional.¡¯ The emperor and Poliana rode their horses. Because Lucius the First did not tell Poliana where they were going, Poliana followed without a word. Her recent injury wasn¡¯t too serious, so she didn¡¯t have any problem riding. Poliana grumbled, ¡°You should¡¯ve brought more guards for your protection, your highness¡­¡± She learned that morning that the rumor was true, Sir Ainno was indeed so distracted by his love life that he didn¡¯t seem to care at all about the fact that the emperor was going on a trip with only one knight. Normally, Sir Ainno would¡¯ve insisted on apanying them, but this time, he didn¡¯t look interested. He just waved at them, which shocked Poliana. ¡®This is so strange¡­ Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡¯ Why did Sir Ainno look at her so oddly? He was looking at her like she was a prey about to be caught. Poliana couldn¡¯t understand. It wasn¡¯t like the emperor was going to sell her off as a ve somewhere. So why was Sir Ainno looking at her like that? The emperor replied confidently, ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine, Sir Pol. I am very strong, you know. I am actually more worried about you, Sir Pol. How is your injury? Does it hurt to ride?¡± ¡°My bone didn¡¯t get injured, so I¡¯m fine, your highness. I just have to keep the wound clean so it doesn¡¯t get inmed. By the way, Sir Bentier is still in prison, right? So, who is in control while you¡¯re absent, your highness?¡± The emperor didn¡¯t tell Poliana how long their trip was going to be either. She guessed that it was going to be at least an overnight trip, and it was very possible that it could be several days before they returned home. So if the chancellor and the emperor were missing¡­ Who was going to rule the kingdom? Lucius the First smiled happily, ¡°Oh, I have a wonderful cousin named Duke Luzo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Poor Duke Luzo. Poliana prayed for the poor man, who was going to be overworking again for a while. The emperor rode fast even though he knew Poliana was recently injured. They have a history of crossing the continent, so this felt easy for both of them. Besides, there weren¡¯t any battles they had to win on their way, so both Poliana and Lucius the First felt rxed. Poliana asked, ¡°Your highness, just where are we going?¡± She could tell that the emperor had a clear destination in mind. The fact that she didn¡¯t made it frustrating. It was definitely not Nanaba. They definitely weren¡¯t going to Duke Luzo¡¯s castle. No matter how hard she studied the map, Poliana couldn¡¯t figure it out. Only Just then, she saw a familiar name on the map. Duke Sneke¡¯snd. ¡®It can¡¯t be this ce¡­¡¯ But it was. Thinking it was finally time to tell her, Lucius the First told her, ¡°We are going to the Duke Sneke¡¯snd.¡± ¡°Is there a very rare animal you want to hunt in the area? Or is there something fun to watch there¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I guess it¡¯s both. I need to hunt down something there and I also want you to see something.¡± Lucius the First wanted to hunt down the gold digger and he wanted Poliana to witness the fact that she was marrying a fraud. The emperor technically did not lie, but he let Poliana misunderstand. Poliana thought that they were going into a forest to hunt, but this wasn¡¯t the case. The emperor was going to hunt down Frau Sneke and he wanted Poliana to see the truth. Poliana, ignorant of what was going to happen, looked excited. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 The town they arrived at was a small rural one in the rough Acreian mountain. Poliana never imagined the real reason why she was brought here; she just looked around the area and enjoyed the small vige. Itsndlord, Duke Sneke, was currently arrested and in jail, but the town was still running as usual. It was not overly big or small; it was an average-sized vige and its main industry seemed to be hunting. There was a well-built inn often used by the hungry, which was fortunate. This meant that Poliana and Lucius the First did not have to sleep outdoors. Poliana walked around leisurely. At first, the vigers watched with suspicion at the sudden appearance of strangers, but when they realized that it was a woman, they rxed a little. ¡°She looks pretty rich, right?¡± ¡°A woman traveling alone?¡± ¡°No, I saw that she came here with a man.¡± A woman rarely traveled alone. The vigers watched with interest as Poliana roamed the town. They weren¡¯t looking at her with suspicion anymore; they stared at her with interest and curiosity. The reason was simple; Poliana was ugly. If a beauty suddenly appeared in town, people would¡¯ve been suspicious. ¡°Yeah, she looks wealthy, but what¡¯s with the scar on her face?¡± ¡°I know, right? Did she got mauled by a wolf or something?¡± ¡°Or maybe she got hit by a wagon when she was little.¡± Ugly women were moremon than beautiful ones. Poliana wasn¡¯t beautiful, but people could tell that she was obviously a wealthy nobledy. But to have a richdy with so many scars¡­ It was a rarebination. It was one thing for her to be unattractive, but it was quite another for a woman to have such arge scar on her face. The vigers stared and whispered, ¡°Remember how my neighbor¡¯s youngest daughter got poked in the face by an arrow when she was little? It happened a few years ago. She was ying around and ended up getting hurt.¡± ¡°Yes, but her face looks fine now, right? Howe?¡± ¡°She was lucky because Master Frau was there at the time. He gave her some medicinal cream and she didn¡¯t end up with a scar on her face.¡± ¡°Really? Wow. Her father actually dared to go to Master Frau for a favor? He must¡¯ve been really desperate.¡± ¡°Well, she is his only daughter and if she was scarred, she would¡¯ve never been able to get married. He was very worried, so he was willing to risk being beaten. He visited the master and begged him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ My feet have been draining pus for a while now¡­ Should I go visit him too? Master Frau is still here, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. You are going to get in trouble.¡± For the first time, the vigers began to talk about a person Poliana recognized. She couldn¡¯t help but get closer to listen. When the people stopped talking, Poliana called for them. At first, the men didn¡¯t realize Poliana was talking to them, but when she called out to them again, they replied, ¡°Oh, did you need something, Ma¡¯am?¡± The vigers approached her respectfully. Poliana was a foreigner with an odd scar, but there was no doubt she was someone wealthy and important. People suspected that she was either a high-ranking nobledy or a wife of a very wealthy merchant. Poliana asked, ¡°You were talking about this man named Frau. Are you referring to the Master Frau of the Sneke family?¡± ¡°Huh?! Yes, Ma¡¯am! Do you know the master?¡± ¡°I am his acquaintance. So it¡¯s true that Frau is currently visiting this town?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! It¡¯s true!¡± The people became even more awed and respectful when they realized that Poliana was acquainted with Frau, who was a nobleman. Poliana learned where Frau was staying in the vige. She couldn¡¯t help smiling as she walked. ¡®Wow, what a coincidence.¡¯ She came here with Lucius the First as a random outing, so what were the chances that she would meet her fianc¨¦ here? Poliana secretly loved it; she hummed quietly. ¡®Maybe this isn¡¯t a coincidence. Maybe it¡¯s fate.¡¯ It was such a corny thought that Poliana giggled. Thankfully, there was no one around her to witness her odd behavior. Within a few minutes, Poliana arrived at the small house, which seemed empty. She could, however, hear people talking behind the house. There was also a faint sound of a childughing, making Poliana smile as well. Then, she heard the conversation. ¡°¡­ even if you say that¡­¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped now. It¡¯s toote to change.¡± It was Frau¡¯s voice. Poliana thought in relief, ¡®I guess I found the right ce.¡¯ She smiled happily. Wanting to surprise her fianc¨¦, Poliana walked towards the backyard quietly. The conversation continued and as she got closer, she could hear it more clearly. ¡°Please, Master Frau, you must rethink your decision. You, as well as the child, could get hurt from this. Please just forget about us and the child and live your life freely.¡± ¡°How can a father abandon his own son! I could never do something like that, so don¡¯t even say it!¡± Poliana, suddenly realizing this was a very serious conversation, stopped on her tracks. She was no longer smiling. Instead, she gritted her teeth. Her jaws clenched painfully as she made sure to keep herself hidden. She moved slowly and carefully walked towards Frau and an old man. ¡°Master Frau¡­ If yourdy finds out about this, she is going to be furious.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell her so she will never know.¡± ¡°But how¡­¡± ¡°This rule doesn¡¯t apply to youmoners, but us nobles had a strictw about inheritance. That woman I am about to marry cannot have her own children. When she dies while I am her husband, everything she has will be inherited to my son.¡± The old man didn¡¯t know thew, so he could not argue with Frau. However, it was clear that the old man did not like this situation. Normally, amoner like him would never dare to argue with a nobleman like Frau, but¡­ The old man knew what an honor it was for a man like Frau to have loved his daughter, but in the end, the result was not a happy ending. ¡°But Master Frau, if you end up dying before thedy¡­¡± Only ¡°I will make sure that never happens.¡± Poliana inhaled sharply. The sound of a childughing got closer. A young boy ran up to Frau and hugged him tightly. ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Hahaha! How have you been, my son?¡± Frau lifted up the boy and kissed his cheeks several times. The boyughed happily and hugged Frau even tighter. It was a beautiful scene of a father and son, but Poliana could not smile at them. The boy was an average-looking child. Just like his father, the young child had round shoulders, and considering he grew up in a small vige with an old couple, the boy looked well-fed. Other than that, there was nothing special about this boy. He was just one of many vige boys and nothing more. Poliana shivered as she thought angrily, ¡®He wants to give my title to that boy?¡¯ Chapter 256 Chapter 256 The left side of her lips jerked in shock and anger. She was wealthier than most small kingdom¡¯s rulers used to be. She had the best piece ofnd on the continent. Her position as the head of the Second Division was the highest any knight would hope to achieve in his life. She was still beloved and trusted by the emperor of this entire kingdom. Poliana had everything. There were many in this world who envied her. But of all the things she treasured in her life, the one that was most valuable to her was her name. Her name ¡°Winter¡± was her greatest treasure in life. It was given to her by her emperor so she would never forget that amazing winter day when she was reborn. The freezing weather that froze her to her bones¡­ The cruelty she experienced¡­ And then the moment that made her forget all of her pain¡­ When she swore to be Lucius the First¡¯s knight forever¡­ It was the happiest day of Poliana¡¯s life. She would never forget that fateful day. Poliana made sure that everyone knew her intention. She said many times that if she found a worthy child, she would adopt him and give him her name. She would make him her heir. Her name would be gifted to the one who was special and worthy. Her acquaintances often joked that they would train their sons to just get the chance to be her heir. Poliana trembled in anger, ¡®And he wants to give it to his son? Just like that? Without my permission? Without even letting me know?¡¯ Poliana was the head of the Winter family. It wasn¡¯t umon for a bastard child or a stepson to inherit the family title, but Poliana had no intention of doing something like this. If she knew Frau had a child, she would¡¯ve never considered him a potential husband. The only reasons she thought well of him were his honesty and ambition about wanting her wealth and the fact that he was the same age as her. If she knew he had a son, she would¡¯ve beat him up the moment he proposed to her. Poliana continued to tremble. It took everything in her to control her anger. Still unaware of her presence, Frau announced to his son proudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my son. I will turn you into a nobleman.¡± Grit. Poliana clenched her mrs hard. Suddenly, she felt someone¡¯s hand on her shoulder. It was a gentle touch and without turning around, she knew who it was. It was Lucius the First. Poliana turned around slowly, and when she saw his face, she knew why he brought her here. He was here so she would learn the truth. This was what she was supposed to see. Her face crumbled the moment she realized her reality. Poliana couldn¡¯t stand how idiotic she has been. She was so stupid that she got fooled by a gold digger. Poliana murmured to Lucius the First, ¡°I am so sorry, your highness, for making you worry¡­ If I haven¡¯t been so stupid¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, Sir Pol. It¡¯s that man¡¯s fault. All of it. Don¡¯t me yourself for this, you mustn¡¯t. ¡± The emperor tried to console her, but it was no use. Poliana¡¯s face became filled with grief. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Sheughed quietly, not knowing how to react. Because she could not lose her control in front of the emperor, Poliana clenched her teeth again. She tried to remain calm, but she couldn¡¯t help but keepughing. The truth was¡­ Poliana was embarrassed. She was so mortified that she wanted to die. She wanted to cry but she keptughing. She wanted to kill Frau. She wanted to run away. She wanted to burn the entire vige. Nothing in the world could make things better for her. She wanted to die. She wanted to kill. All her life, Poliana lived with her sword. She killed to live. She killed for her dream. She had to kill to achieve her goals. Poliana was not afraid to draw blood. She did not hesitate. If necessary, she did not hide from killing. ¡®This is the worst.¡¯ She wanted to kill Frau, but more than that, she wanted to kill herself. How did this happen? All she did was to see one doctor positively. He was her age and she thought he was a good man. She ended up liking him, and Poliana wondered if what she did was so wrong. If her only fault was to misjudge a man¡­ The punishment for it was too cruel. Just how much pain did she have to go through to get over it? Poliana looked down in shame. She could not bear to look at the emperor. He must¡¯ve thought she was aplete idiot. She was so stupid that ipetent that her emperor had to bring her here himself to fix the situation. Poliana understood why the emperor did this. If he just straight out told her, she would¡¯ve been mortified. If he punished Frau himself, Poliana would¡¯ve felt guilty and incapable. This was why the emperor took the time and effort to bring her here. What a kind and generous emperor he was. Lucius the First didn¡¯t have to do this. He could¡¯ve just taken care of the situation himself. All he had to do was not allow the marriage to take ce. So the fact that he brought her here for her to see in person¡­ The emperor knew her very well. He understood her. Lucius the First knew that Poliana was beginning to fall for Frau. She wasn¡¯t deeply in love with him, but it was obvious that she liked Frau very much. This was why the emperor did this. It was all for her. Poliana thought bitterly, ¡®I was so stupid, feeling excited about the wedding¡­¡¯ It was true. She has been excited about the uing marriage. She was so happy about getting married, forming a family, and bing part of someone¡¯s life. The process of preparing her wedding was a joy. She was happy. Only It was so rare for a man to approach her as a woman. She was secretly happy about Frau¡¯s proposal. She was dreaming of a life with Frau. Laughing together¡­ Eating together¡­ Talking before going to bed about their days¡­ Some women found it stressful to n a wedding, but Poliana loved it. Picking out the invitation design was fun. Choosing the venue and the food¡­ All these things were enjoyable for her. She was so excited about her wedding day that she became blinded. She didn¡¯t see clearly what was most important in a marriage. She didn¡¯t see what kind of man she was marrying. She has been stupid beyond reasons; she had no excuse for her mistake. She was lonely and this man used her weakness against her. ¡®I¡­ I should¡¯ve just gotten a puppy¡­¡¯ She was offered great puppies by many people. A dog would¡¯ve never betrayed her like this. A dog would¡¯ve never made her sad like this. A dog would¡¯ve never infuriated her like this. If she just got a dog, something like this would¡¯ve never happened. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Poliana realized the big and stupid mistake she made. The moment Frau revealed that he was after her money, she should¡¯ve walked away from him. She should¡¯ve known that he had an ulterior motive. Even if she didn¡¯t suspect this, she should¡¯ve never epted him. He was clearly hical and rude, so she should¡¯ve dumped him. Why? Why did she go on like she did? Why did she believe him? Why did she trust him? Why did she act so foolishly? Poliana thought he was a na?ve innocent man. She thought he just didn¡¯t know how to converse properly. But the truth was¡­ If he was truly a good man like he thought, he would¡¯ve never married for money. The only excuse Poliana had was the fact that she was so shocked by his proposal, she didn¡¯t think clearly and logically. Looking back, there were so many warning signs, but she was blinded at the time. Poliana was so embarrassed. She was ashamed and mortified. She wanted to die, especially because she made her emperor go through this much effort for her. She felt guilty and she didn¡¯t know how to express her regret. The emperor recently lost all of his wives one by one, and with the current political turmoil, Poliana was well aware of how busy he was with his work. Unfortunately, it seemed that Poliana created even more work for him, which was the worst thing a knight could do. ¡®Why? Why is this happening to me? Why me?¡¯ All of her colleague knights got married without any problems. They married well and they lived normal lives, so why did Poliana have to go through such a hardship like this? Everyone got married easily, so why couldn¡¯t she? Poliana didn¡¯t know what to say to the emperor. She was ashamed that she still wasn¡¯t married. She was ashamed that she provided a reason for people to ridicule her. She was ashamed that she created a situation where her emperor had toe to her rescue. She was embarrassed that she was such a bad judge of a character. She would¡¯ve rather lose a battle than going through this right now. She could not be any more mortified. Poliana murmured, ¡°I¡­ I will¡­ make sure¡­ s-something like this¡­ never happens again¡­ Your highness¡­¡± It took everything she had not to cry. During thest few years, Poliana ended up being nude in front of the emperor many times. But this incident¡­ It was much worse. She felt more embarrassed and humiliated now than when he saw her naked body. Lucius the First, watching how tormented Poliana was, swore to himself silently, ¡®I will not let that bastard die easy.¡¯ The emperor said to her, ¡°You can cry, Sir Pol.¡± He reached out, trying to hug her, but Poliana stepped back. The shock and sadness quickly became reced by fury. She was now a hunter and her prey needed to be punished. She was ready to hurt Frau very badly. ¡°Die!¡± She ran towards Frau with all the strength and speed she had. She swung her scabbard as hard as she could, making Frau fall to the ground with his son still in his arms. The child began to cry, and Frau looked around in confusion. When he finally spotted Poliana, he stammered, ¡°M Marquess¡­ This¡­ This isn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°You bastard! How dare you con me?!¡± ¡°Marquess! This isn¡¯t what it looks like¡­!¡± ¡°What! You will make your son into the next Marquis Winter? Do you think you have the power to do that?! To make a bastard son of a servant the next Marquis Winter? You have lost your mind, haven¡¯t you? You are a nobody pretending to be a nobleman!¡± She didn¡¯t need to hear his excuse or exnation. She heard everything she needed to hear. Poliana kicked Frau¡¯s chin hard, disappointed that she wasn¡¯t wearing her usual metal-studded military boots. Poliana then used the back of her sword to hit Frau¡¯s mouth, making his lips bleed and breaking his front teeth. The child, who got up from the ground, ran after Poliana. ¡°Why are you hitting my dad! You are a bad person!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your father who is a bad person; he has done me wrong.¡± Poliana thought about kicking the child away, but in the end, she just pushed him away gently. The child tried to attack her again, but the old man grabbed him. This woman, who appeared suddenly, was clearly no ordinary woman. The way she moved¡­ Her fighting skills¡­ The old man immediately realized who she was and became pale. Poliana put her foot on Frau¡¯s chest. His face and mouth were now covered in blood, and when she stepped on him, Frau coughed. The blood sttered onto her dress, but Poliana didn¡¯t notice. She took out her dagger from her pocket and ced it on his neck. Frau trembled in fear as Poliana said to him, ¡°Marquis? You were going to make that bastard of yours a Marquis after me? Did you really think you could get away with this? Tell me, Frau Sneke. How stupid did you think I was that you nned something like this? Me! The head of the Second Division and the emperor¡¯s close acquaintance! Have you forgotten that I am Marquess Winter?!¡± ¡°P-please¡­ Just spare my son¡­¡± ¡°I hate liars.¡± Poliana moved her dagger from his neck to Frau¡¯s mouth. Frau could taste the bitter taste of the de as it hit his broken front teeth. When Gali the Third lied to the emperor, Lucius the First ripped his mouth open and killed him. The king of Kopi ended up losing his genitals. What Frau didn¡¯t know was that the one who cut off the Kopi king¡¯s genitals wasn¡¯t Lucius the First; it was Poliana who did it. Poliana was a woman who did not show mercy, even to a king. This meant that she would have absolutely no mercy for a conman. Poliana contemted for a second before removing the dagger from his mouth. Frau sighed in relief but Poliana quickly stepped on his nose for a second beforeing down. Poliana threw the dagger on the ground beside him. Only ¡°Cut it off.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Cut it off.¡± Frau stood up, shaking uncontrobly. When he picked up the dagger and brought it to his mouth, Poliana shook her head. Frau was only a nobody, which meant that he did not deserve the same kind of punishment as Gali the Third, who was a ruler of his own kingdom. Frau deserved much worse. Poliana pointed at his crotch and said to him, ¡°Cut it off.¡± Frau¡¯s eyes widened in understanding. The child continued to wail loudly while the old man was on the ground, kneeling and begging desperately for mercy. The vigers, by now, surrounded them and watched curiously. Then suddenly, one of the brave bystanders yelled, ¡°Hey, that man over there is Master Frau. He is the son of the former Duke Sneke.¡± The viger could see that Poliana was no ordinary woman, but Frau was the brother of the current Duke Sneke. The man thought that if he saved Frau, perhaps he would be rewardedter. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 ¡°So?¡± ¡°Master Frau is a family member of ourndlord, so you can''t do this¡­¡± Poliana red at the viger, making him flinch. She said to him, ¡°Duke Sneke and his family are no more. They will not be returning here. If you are so worried about this man being rted to your formerndlord, then I will be your newndlord.¡± She looked around, and the vigers didn''t have to question whether she could do this. It was clear, based on her behavior and the way she spoke, that Poliana was a woman of great power. She continued to announce, ¡°I am the most loyal knight of the greatest emperor Lucius the First. I am Marquess Winter! This man here has brought shame to my name and my reputation! He has abused my trust and he has wronged me greatly! Worst of all, by doing this, he also has brought shame to his highness''s name and reputation! This crime cannot go unpunished! He can only repay his debt with his life! But this bastard is a nobody! He is not a nobleman! He isn''t a knight! He is nothing, and therefore, his life is not worth anything! He cannot pay for his crime with his life and that is why I am punishing him myself!¡± The vigers kneeled as Poliana revealed her identity. Everyone has heard of the infamous marquess, and no one doubted that Poliana was the one. iming another noble''s identity was considered a crime, after all. Besides, the way she acted indicated that Poliana was obviously a very high ranking noble. Someone as high-ranking as Marquess could kill any innocentmoner without being punished. So how could anyone me her or try to stop her when she was about to punish someone who was guilty? Poliana turned back to Frau and ordered again, ¡°Cut it off.¡± She looked down at him like he was an insignificant bug on the ground. This was why she loved power. She was no longer a young powerless knight from Aehas. She did not have to endure people''s rudeness or insults. She now had the power to punish anyone she wanted. Cruel punishment was necessary for her to maintain her authority. She needed to make good examples of those whomitted crimes so others would think twice before doing something stupid to her or to those around them. There was no room for mercy in this situation. Lucius the First did not usually rule by fear and violence, but there were certainly times when he used them when necessary. ¡°¡­¡± Frau kneeled with his head on the ground and begged forpassion. This was useless, however. Only those who deserved mercy would get it, and Frau certainly was not one of them. Poliana said to him coldly, ¡°Do it now before my anger turns towards your child. Cut it off.¡± This threat was enough to make him move. Frau finally got up and pulled down his pants with shaking hands. Poliana stared at his manhood which was shriveled from pain and fear. Frau begged, ¡°Please¡­ Not my son¡­ Please forgive him¡­¡± ¡°Daddd!¡± The boy, who was still held firmly by the old man, cried out. He was annoying, but Poliana stopped herself from hurting him. Although the boy was the original source of this situation, he was innocent. It was Frau''s greed that started all this, not the child. The boy didn''t deserve to be punished. Poliana wondered bitterly, ¡®Why am I the one looking like the bad guy here?'' All the vigers were kneeling on the ground in fear. In the middle was the man who was bleeding and crying. A young boy was nearby crying after his father. The only person standing here was Poliana, who was screaming at the man to cut his genital off. This wasn''t fair. The current situation made her look like a nasty witch. She was certain she was a horrible person when in truth, it was Frau who was the viin! She waited patiently and watched as Frau, still shaking, brought the dagger to his manhood. After a short hesitation, he cut himself. A stream of bright red blood spurted out. ¡°Arrgg!¡± Frau screamed and slumped forward in pain. Poliana watched coldly and walked towards the piece of flesh on the ground. Without any emotion, she stepped on Frau''s penis and crushed it. Frau now was a eunuch. He would never be able to have sex again. He might even die today from bleeding. ¡®Well, he is a doctor so I''m sure he will be fine.'' Poliana felt like he should be thankful to her. She nned on killing him, which was what he deserved, but she spared his life because of his young son. She said to him, ¡°If I ever see you or your son again, I will kill both of you. If a rumor starts from this about me that makes me look bad, I wille after you and kill you. If I find out my reputation has been damaged from this, I will kill you. If you ever shame my family name again, I will kill you. I am Poliana Winter. My name was a gift from the emperor. If this name bes blemished, I will kill you. I won''t kill you kindly or painlessly. If and when I kill you, it won''t be pretty. I will make sure to kill your child in front of you before I kill you.¡± Frau cut his own genitals off to save his son, but this fatherly love did not impress Poliana. After all, it was from this love that started this whole ugly situation. ¡®He already has a son so it should be fine for him even if he can''t sire another child. It''s all good.'' Poliana turned towards the vigers and announced, ¡°I am sure all of you know what to do and what not to do from this day! I meant it when I said I will be your nextndlord. Make sure you do not anger your new lord!¡± Poliana felt much better. She walked towards the ce where the emperor was standing. Whatever happened in the vige now wasn''t her problem anymore. They already reserved the room at the town inn, but she didn''t want to stay in this vige anymore. Poliana decided that they should ride to the next town before the sun sets. ¡®But before that¡­'' Poliana bowed deeply to the emperor and apologized, ¡°This will never happen again your highness.¡± Lucius the First looked at her sadly and replied, ¡°Sir Pol¡­ I keep telling you that this isn''t your fault¡­¡± ¡°Because of my mistake, I have caused you unnecessary grief, your highness. I sincerely apologize.¡± ¡°No, Sir Pol. You didn''t do anything wrong. You did everything right today. You did it excellently. I am proud of you.¡± Lucius the First hugged Poliana tightly. Poliana didn''t fight and in fact, she rested her head on his shoulder. The emperor caressed her head gently and murmured, ¡°You did very well. You were amazing. You didn''t do anything wrong.¡± He decided quietly, ¡®I better deal with the Sneke family myself.'' The whole Sneke family had to know what was going on, yet they didn''t say anything. It was obvious why. They were jealous of Poliana, who was a foreign woman with more power and wealth than them. They clearly wanted her to suffer. If Lucius the First punished Duke Sneke harsher than he deserved based on his official political crime, people were going to talk. Fortunately, the Sneke family was very close to Marquis Seeze, which meant that there had to be many more secret crimes involving Duke Sneke. Finally, the snake hunt was over. The political snakes were all in jail and the gold-digging snake, the worst kind, was punished. Lucius the First would''ve preferred much harsher torture for Frau, but he decided to respect Poliana''s decision. Now, the only thing left for him to do was¡­. ¡®I need to propose to her!'' He was going to do this right. Instead of some flowers he picked, he was going to give her the whole garden full of flowers when he proposed. He was going to give her his mother''s ring and make Poliana the next empress of Acreia. He was going to tell her how he felt about her for a long time. Lucius the First swore to himself that he would propose to her, even if she refuses him. He wanted to let her know that he loved her with all of his heart. He needed her to know that he loved her desperately. Chapter 259: : Book 4. Story 20. If you make trouble, I will take care of it - 259 Book 4. Story 20. If you make trouble, I will take care of it Chapter 259 Poliana and Lucius the First grabbed their things from the inn. It was gettingte and the nearest town did not have an inn. This meant that they would have to travel to a farther vige and if they wanted to get there before the sunset, they had to move fast. The sun set fast in the mountainous areas. The viges in the area built walls around themselves for protection against wild animals as well as strangers. The entrance to the different towns closed at night. The nobles could enter the viges even after the doors closed if they could prove their nobility. However, it was time-consuming to do this, so it was best to get to the town before it got too dark. The emperor rode his horse quietly. It wasn¡¯t just because he needed to ride fast; it was more because hispanion was not interested in having a conversation. Lucius the First did not have to see Poliana know how upset she was. He could feel it on his skin. When was thest time Poliana was this upset and defeated? Never. Lucius the First could not remember the time when Poliana wasn¡¯t robust and confident. The emperor knew what he had to do first as soon as he returned to Yapa. Revenge! Poliana¡¯s punishment for Frau was too mild. It was not even close to being enough to satisfy Lucius the First. He wanted to do much more, but the emperor needed to respect Poliana¡¯s wishes. If he did something back in the vige, it would¡¯ve made Poliana look weak. If he punished Frau further in the future, this would also make Poliana look soft. However, he could still punish others involved in this scheme. Thankfully, there were people back in Yapa he could hurt. The Sneke family didn¡¯t do anything to stop the marriage between Poliana and Frau even though they must¡¯ve known the truth about Frau. A decent nobleman would¡¯ve let Poliana know what kind of man Frau was. After all, the Sneke family itself disowned Frau. However, Duke Sneke didn¡¯t say a word. If someone from the Sneke family said something, would the situation have gotten this bad? It wouldn¡¯t have been hard to let Poliana know. Just one word¡­ That would¡¯ve been more than enough. ¡®I am going to make them regret it.¡¯ Lucius the First gritted his teeth quietly. He could tell that his knightess was in pain and knowing how hard she must be trying to hide her sadness was killing him. He swore to himself that someone would pay for this. Lucius the First¡¯s emotions changed from anger to sadness over and over again. His face showed what he was feeling while Poliana¡¯s expression remained emotionless. Knowing how much pain she must be going through¡­ The emperor¡¯s heart ached. Poliana Winter has always been strong and confident. Even when she was about to be raped by the enemy soldiers, Poliana never gave up fighting. So to see her so defeated like this¡­ It was hard to watch. ¡®She must be extremely upset, which means¡­¡¯ At this moment, who would be able to understand how Poliana felt? Just thinking about her made Lucius the First want to cry. He desperately wanted to hug her, but he stopped himself. He wasn¡¯t sure about what he should do. Should he hug her? Should he not? While he contemted, Poliana was feeling hopeless. ¡®Dammit. I want to kill myself.¡¯ The emperor was the most important person in the world to her. She always wanted to look good in his eyes, yet what happened today ruined everything. It made sense that she was suicidal. Of all people, why did something like this happen in front of his highness? No one could be perfect all the time, but everyone wanted to look perfect in at least one person¡¯s eyes in the world. To some, it could be their parents. To others, it could be their spouses. To Poliana, it was Lucius the First. Her emperor took her in and changed her life forever. To him, Poliana wanted to always remain a good knight. Just like a child wanting to be praised, her motive was pure yet obsessive. ¡®Sh*t¡­ Should I just really kill myself?¡¯ Poliana really wanted to die at this moment. She wanted to drown herself or hang herself. If she didn¡¯t do something, Poliana suspected she might die from embarrassment. Only yesterday, she was smiling and giggling while nning her wedding. Now, Poliana was humiliated about the small happiness and joy she felt for her future. Was she being punished because she desired something she didn¡¯t deserve? Something that did not suit her? Unable to endure the overwhelming humiliation, Poliana suddenly pped herself. p! It was such a loud sound that Lucius the First jumped in shock. ¡°W-w-what was that?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness. I was falling asleep, so I pped myself to wake up.¡± ¡°You are an excellent rider who can ride in your sleep, Sir Pol, so don¡¯t ever do that again.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness!¡± Poliana replied emphatically. The p actually helped because she really did feel awake. Only ¡®What the heck am I thinking? Punishment? What punishment! F*ck it! It¡¯s that bastard who conned me! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡¯ Poliana gritted her teeth, and the emperor told her to stop or else she would hurt her teeth. He was right, of course. Poliana was missing a mr, which meant that she should take extra good care of her remaining teeth. But right now, she was so furious that she couldn¡¯t help gritting her teeth again. She has been wrong. She shouldn¡¯t have to feel embarrassed. She wasn¡¯t being punished for anything. The universe was on her side. Poliana realized this because first of all, she was Lucius the First¡¯s knight. On top of it, she was a powerful noble. Power was justice and since she had all the power in the world, justice was whatever she decided it to be. Poliana didn¡¯t do anything wrong. All she wanted was justice and nothing more. But despite this truth, Poliana still couldn¡¯t help feeling embarrassed. She has never been this humiliated in her life. It would¡¯ve been less humiliating to enter the training hall naked. Poliana wondered, ¡®Did highness feel like this that night?¡¯ She remembered the night Lucius the First rejected her. It was after she returned from Nanaba. Sir Ainno exined that the emperor told her to leave because he didn¡¯t want her to see him in distress. At the time, Poliana didn¡¯t understand what this meant, but now she realized what Sir Ainno was talking about. She understood perfectly because, at this very moment, Poliana wanted to reject Lucius the First! If she wasn¡¯t the head of the Second Division¡­ If she wasn¡¯t the only guard present to protect the emperor¡­ If there was just one more royal guard with them¡­ She would¡¯ve run away from Lucius the First. It wouldn¡¯t have been as bad if what happened today urred in front of anyone else in the world. But of all people¡­ She never wanted her emperor to see her humiliated like that. Of all people¡­ Why did it have to happen in front of her emperor? Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Lucius the First was Poliana¡¯s emperor and master. She was a knight that swore to hold her sword until her dying day to protect her sovereign. Poliana would jump into the fire for him. She would fight a vicious tiger for her emperor. Lucius the First was the very first person who recognized her as someone worthy. He epted her as a knight and treated her with the utmost respect. He was her savior, which meant that she could not help but be loyal to him. To Poliana, Lucius the First was a hero. He was her god. She, however, did not think her loyalty for the emperor was overdone. She believed that every knight in the kingdom felt the same way about Lucius the First as her. Of course, she was mistaken. Sir Ainno and Poliana were notorious for their unusual devotion to the emperor; most people thought it was more like an obsession. The point was, Poliana finally thought she could understand how Lucius the First must¡¯ve felt that night when he told her to leave his room. She felt exactly the same way at this very moment. The person you trusted and treasured the most¡­ Even if this person was the most important person in your life, there were things you wouldn¡¯t want to show about yourself. Poliana wanted the emperor to see only the best side of her, the side he helped her to achieve. Poliana was a close friend of Reba. They talked about everything, including things that were raw and ugly. They shared their worst sides to each other. This was possible, not because their friendship was deep, but because their rtionship began this way. Because Poliana was in awe of her emperor, she wanted to show only the best side of her to him. She wanted him to be proud of her. She wanted him to think she was perfect. Of course, there were times in the past when he saw her drunk, but¡­ That was insignificant. ¡®What happened today¡­ This isn¡¯t right.¡¯ Poliana was afraid that the emperor would now see her as a woman who was desperate for men. At this very moment, she wanted to be alone. She wanted everyone in the world to leave her alone. She needed to be by herself. And if she couldn¡¯t be alone in this world¡­ At the very least, she wanted Lucius the First to leave her. It wasn¡¯t that she was rejecting him or hating him. She still loved him more than ever. She just didn¡¯t want him to see her like this. She was so humiliated, and she felt guilty. Poliana found it difficult to look Lucius the First in the eyes. If she hadn¡¯t been feeling so lonely, especially after that night when the emperor asked her to leave¡­ None of this might have happened. Trying to snap out of her thoughts, Poliana pped herself again. p! ¡®How dare I try to me his highness for this mess! I am the worst.¡¯ Lucius the First jumped again. He was used to seeing her assaulting various nts and buildings, but never herself! This was not eptable! ¡°Sir Pol, you must stop.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness.¡± Poliana¡¯s cheek reddened. She knew that it would swell or bruise by tomorrow morning. Hesitantly, she asked, ¡°How¡­ How did you know?¡± Her voice was weak. Lucius the First was conflicted. Should he tell her the truth? That her adopted brothers rode nonstop through the bad weather to tell him about it? Or should he tell her that he found out by coincidence during his own investigation? If he told her the truth, Poliana would feel grateful to Sir Howe and Sir Donau, but it would also make her feel guiltier and more embarrassed. If he lied to her, then at least, she would think that not many people knew about her embarrassing situation. The emperor decided to lie for her feelings. ¡°Sir Pol, you know how important you are to me. I did my own research on that man to make sure he was worthy of you.¡± ¡°I did too¡­¡± Poliana was impressed with the Intelligence Unit once again. ¡®Wow, the Intelligence Unit must be a powerful organization.¡¯ The emperor replied, ¡°It is obvious that the Sneke family purposely kept this a secret. The older members of that family would know all about what happened to Frau, but the younger ones obviously wouldn¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel too upset. There aren¡¯t that many people who know about this. Your breakup won¡¯t result in bad rumors.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the rumors I am afraid of.¡± Ugly and strange rumors followed Poliana everywhere since the beginning. She was used to them and she expected them to be with her always. The important things were whether or not these rumors were true and if people would dare to speak of them in her presence. If these rumors weren¡¯t true, Poliana didn¡¯t mind them. What bothered her the most in this situation was the fact that the emperor had to get involved to fix it. How does he feel about this mess? Until this afternoon, Poliana had no idea about the truth about Frau. It seemed that Lucius the First made sure his own investigation and the findings remained hidden from the public. By doing this, he allowed Poliana to be able to punish the criminal on her own terms. Poliana felt so thankful and ashamed. And now¡­ She began to regret her decision. Poliana asked, ¡°Do you think I was too kind to him? Was that punishment too light?¡± Should she have ripped all of his limbs off and hang him in the public square? Poliana provided a weak excuse, ¡°I didn¡¯t rip his limbs off because of the child there.¡± ¡°No, Sir Pol. You did very well.¡± ¡°Should I have sent the child away and ripped his arms off?¡± ¡°Well, I must admit that you were indeed very generous back there¡­¡± Initially, Poliana nned on beheading Frau to be kind. Her life has been filled with blood and she did not hesitate to kill when necessary. The elderly Sir Bika once told her that not all murderers are knights, all knights are murderers; Polina knew that this was very much true. She was a murderer. In fact, she studied and was trained to kill. It was her job and her career, which meant that anyone who hurt her reputation needed to pay with their life. The only reason why she didn¡¯t kill Frau back in the vige was because of the child. She thought that killing a child¡¯s father in front of him was too cruel. Lucius the First said to her again, ¡°I do think you were a little too kind, especially considering what he did.¡± Polianaughed bitterly and replied, ¡°I guess I will now have another nickname, a eunuch maker.¡± She bit her lips, making Lucius the First¡¯s heart jump. She added, ¡°I apologize again, your highness, for being such an idiotic knight¡­¡± Only ¡°Stop, Pol. You need to know that I like you the way you are. I like you because you are the way you are.¡± Who cares if the woman he loved was a professional eunuch maker? It just meant that the other men would be too afraid to approach her. Lesspetition for him. Who cares if the woman he loved was a knight? If for some reason, she gets kidnapped, she would be able to survive on her own until he rescued her, this was a good thing. So what if the woman he loved was ugly? Again, lesspetition for him! Lucius the First smiled kindly at her. He was a youthful beauty before, and now, he had matured into a gorgeous man. Poliana¡¯s cheeks reddened as she stared at his smile. It wasn¡¯t from pping herself; it was from something different. ¡®I swear, I will never even think about getting married again.¡¯ Poliana thought in determination. She had no idea how sad her thought would make her emperor. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 In the end, Poliana and Lucius the First arrived at their destination shortly after the sunset. They entered the vige right before the entrance closed for the night. The two headed straight to the town inn and thankfully, there were empty rooms avable. The innkeeper, who thought she wasn¡¯t going to get any guests that day, greeted Poliana and the emperor happily. But when she noticed the appearances of the two, she seemed shocked and confused. ¡®Hmm¡­ Is he a gold digger who seduced a wealthydy and they are eloping?¡¯ But this scenario didn¡¯t make sense since the dy¡± looked too scary. It was one thing for ady to be ugly, it was quite another for a noblewoman to have so many noticeable scars. At first, the innkeeper wasn¡¯t even sure if Poliana was a woman, but she saw Poliana¡¯s breasts. Yes, this was definitely a woman. ¡®Maybe she is the mother and she is taking her runaway son back home?¡¯ The innkeeper decided that this must be the case. It seemed that thedy was very wealthy. The inn had two rooms and she took both of them. Before entering the rooms, Poliana made sure the hallway and the stairs were secure. It was a long traumatic day, but she was still a knight. She would never forget to do her job. The more she studied them, the more confident the innkeeper felt that thedy was the mother and the young man was her son. The ¡°son¡± was very tall, but the ¡°mother¡± was tall as well, so it made sense. Poliana didn¡¯t care what the innkeeper was thinking. After Lucius the First went into his room, Poliana turned towards the innkeeper and asked, ¡°Do you sell alcohol here too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I need quite a lot.¡± ¡°How many bottles do you need?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± She needed enough to make her forget that day. Poliana¡¯s eyes burned in determination. *** As the lead of Acreia¡¯s Second Division, Marquess Winter received various privileges from Lucius the First. There were so many that it now made no sense to list them all. Poliana was allowed to be armed and draw her weapon in his presence even during the peaceful non-war times. She was allowed to lie down in front of him even when she wasn¡¯t ill or injured. Poliana could also enter his room and meet with him even without his permission. During a conversation between the emperor and another person, she had permission to interrupt in order to speak to his highness. She was allowed to enter his personal space and even argue with him. In the past, Lucius the First enjoyed drinking with his men. During the wartime, he often invited his knights to drink in his tent. This pastime, however, became a rare urrence after he moved the capital to Yapa. It was because Lucius the First became too busy. During thest few years, only Sir Ainno had the privilege to drink with the emperor from time to time. Besides, there were plenty of official feasts which made it unnecessary to invite his knights for private drinking. On a rare asion when he did decide to drink, Lucius the First made a point of not inviting Poliana. The time of the emperor seeing his knightess¡¯s naked body without an incident was now over. If he saw her naked now¡­ Lucius the First knew he would not be able to control himself. He was a healthy man in love and his desire couldn¡¯t be stopped. ¡°¡­¡± This was why the emperor hesitated to allow Poliana to enter his room when she knocked on his door. Poliana was standing in the hallway. Lucius the First noticed that she had something beside her. It was arge barrel about half her size. ¡®How did she carry that up here? This is the second floor.¡¯ Based on the size of it, it was obvious the barrel wasn¡¯t something Poliana could carry up the stairs by herself. The emperor asked her, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alcohol, your highness!¡± Poliana answered proudly. Lucius the First already knew what it was, since it obviously looked like a barrel that held liquor. He rified his question, ¡°I meant how did you get it.¡± ¡°I purchased it from the town hall. Apparently, they have been storing some of these for the uing town festival.¡± ¡°No, what I meant was, how you got such arge barrel up here.¡± Poliana clenched her fist proudly and replied, ¡°I rolled it!¡± She was telling him that because it was so heavy and she could not carry it, she rolled it upstairs. Lucius the First could understand that the seller might have helped bring it from the town hall to the inn. So she rolled it up the stairs from the first floor to the second? ¡®Wow. It couldn¡¯t have been easy to do that. It looks really heavy.¡¯ If she had her men with her, she would¡¯ve ordered them to do it for her. She could¡¯ve ordered someone from the town to do it, but it seemed that she did not trust any of them to do it right. ¡°Umm¡­ Sir Pol, you must be very tired. Do you really think drinking is a good idea?¡± Suddenly, Lucius the First stopped himself, realizing he was making a mistake. He remembered thest time he pushed her away, trying to do the gentlemanly thing. It turned out that what he did that night was thepletely wrong thing for him. It might have helped in pushing Poliana towards that bastard Frau. He failed himself once, but now, he learned his lesson. He needed to do better this time. He needed to take the chance when it presented itself to him. Hesitantly, Lucius the First let Poliana enter his room. She began to roll the barrel towards the door when she stopped, realizing that the width of it on its side was too wide to fit through. Before she could do anything, Lucius the First helped her. He put it upright and carried it easily into the room. It took all of her strength just to roll it, but the emperor carried it easily. This was the difference Poliana had to remember between the emperor and herself. Lucius the First asked her, ¡°Are you telling me we should drink all of this?¡± ¡°I will drink it all and die, your highness.¡± ¡°Well, I like drinking too, but don¡¯t you think it will hurt your injury?¡± ¡°No, your highness. Alcohol is great for wounds.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s good for a wound when it is poured on top of it to prevent infection. I don¡¯t think drinking it is the same thing.¡± Only Poliana ignored him and began to set up the table. She opened the barrel and took out two cups. She also brought out the pieces of deer jerky she purchased along with the liquor. ¡°Umm¡­ Pol.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. I am ready.¡± She sat down on the chair and filled the cups. Poliana looked determined for some reason, making Lucius the First feel uncertain. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ He allowed her to enter his room, but now¡­ The emperor could not guarantee her safety from him. His desire for her was so great and Lucius the First did not think he could control himself if an opportunity presented itself to him. Any other woman would¡¯ve been safe with him, but not Poliana. Only Poliana, she was the only one for him. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Lucius the First was a dangerous beast when it came to Poliana. Ever since the day at the cliff after he conquered the world, his desire for her has been growing nonstop. He could no longer trust himself to leave her alone if she became naked again. The emperor no longer saw himself and Poliana as the emperor and his knight. Their rtionship was no longer a business one, at least not to Lucius the First. Of course, Poliana was unaware of this significant change in the emperor¡¯s mind. Since she didn¡¯t know about it, it wasn¡¯t her fault that she acted the same way as she always has been around him. It was the emperor who changed. It was him who needed to maintain control over his feelings and needs. But a wild beast was impossible to tame. His love for her was about to explode. He decided silently, ¡®I will just send her away to her room after a few drinks.¡¯ His love for her was one-sided. Poliana still saw their rtionship as a pure emperor-knight one. It was only Lucius the First who coveted and desired her secretly. He thought to himself, ¡®I just need to remain calm and in control.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if Poliana got drunk as a skunk. As long as the emperor didn¡¯t make a mistake, this night could stay innocent. Lucius the First was so distracted by his impure thoughts that the alcohol dribbled down from the corner of his lips. He wasn¡¯t focused at all. ¡®I will just drink a few sses and send her away.¡¯ Thankfully, Poliana was a heavy drinker. She drank just as well as any other knights he knew. He suspected that she would probably feel very tired in a little while and voluntarily return to her room. *** Unfortunately, Lucius the First¡¯s guess was wrong. After finishing her second cup, Poliana stared at the table nkly. ¡°This is a pretty strong liquor, isn¡¯t it, Sir Pol? ¡­? Pol? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, her face crumpled, making the emperor tense. Was she going to throw up? But she only had two cups so far. She did, however, have a history of vomiting after drinking, so perhaps¡­ Secretly, Lucius the First hoped that Poliana would really throw up. That way, his impure thoughts would disappear, and he would spend the night taking care of her. In addition, Poliana would feel so guilty about throwing up in front of the emperor again that if he asked her, she would return to her room without a fight. But the emperor did not get what he wanted. Poliana ended up doing something much worse than throwing up. Large drops of tears began to roll down her eyes. Lucius the First almost dropped his cup. He would¡¯ve much preferred her vomit over her tears. Poliana Winter was someone who did not show tears lightly. The emperor knew her tears were more meaningful than anyone else in his life. Even when every knight was crying at the cliff, Poliana remained dry-eyed. There were times when she was hated for smiling or crying just because she was a woman. That difficult time was now over, yet Poliana still remained stoic. Poliana Winter was the woman who did not cry when she was in danger of being raped. She did not cry when she betrayed her own country. She still didn¡¯t show any tears when there were so many awful rumors about her. People believed she was a cold woman. Yet here she was, crying her eyes out. It was obvious she was extremely upset; Poliana bit her lips not to wail out loud. Her lower lip looked like it was about to bleed. Lucius the First stammered, ¡°D¡­ Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± What should he do? He tried to console her awkwardly and when she realized there was someone in the room ready to listen, Poliana burst into sobbing. ¡°Buaaa!¡± ¡°Pol? Sir Pol? Poliana?¡± ¡°Buaaaaa!¡± ¡°Sir Pol¡­ Please don¡¯t cry. Why are you crying? It¡¯s that bastard who did you wrong. You did everything right. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You were great. Please don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Buaaaa! I¡­ I wanted to get marriedddd!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know. I know you were happy to get married. I know it very well.¡± ¡°I¡­ I trusted himmmm!¡± ¡°You should not trust anyone in this world. I am the only one you can trust. Trust me and no one else. No, wait, don¡¯t trust me either.¡± While nning her wedding, Poliana felt excited. It felt like a dream to her and now, she was clearly in a nightmare instead. She felt miserable. Poliana didn¡¯t do anything wrong. The only mistake she made was bing lonely. She was so lonely that she made a rash decision. She chose the wrong person. She decided to get married even when she didn¡¯t have to. Only Was this mistake so horrible that she deserved to feel this horrible? Poliana couldn¡¯t ept this situation. She was well aware of the fact that in this world, there are things that can¡¯t be done even if she tried her best. It was just the way it was in this world. This didn¡¯t just apply to Poliana; it was the same for everyone. For example, no matter how hard Poliana trained, she would never be able to carry thisrge barrel like Lucius the First could. Poliana learned to give up at an early age. She learned that dwelling too much time on something impossible was a waste of time and effort. She took this lesson very seriously. It was part of her life and no one could change this. Some people said that Poliana was born without enough ambitions, desires, or wishes, but this wasn¡¯t the truth. Poliana knew that this was a learned behavior. She learned to give up on things she knew she couldn¡¯t have. Poliana realized this when she became Lucius the First¡¯s knight. It was then that she discovered that she did have ambitions and wishes. Poliana didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s sympathy. She didn¡¯t have any sympathy for herself either. She worked hard when necessary and she got what she wanted. She achieved much in life. She was a knight because she earned this position. The point is, Poliana did not wish for things that could not be had. However, she did wish for things that everyone else had. She wanted a family who would greet her when she returned home. She wanted a partner who would respect her and spend his life with her. Poliana didn¡¯t expect love, but she hoped for apanionship. Everyone in her life had this, and therefore, Poliana did not believe wanting the same wasn¡¯t being greedy. Anyone should be able to form a family if one tried hard enough. Some people were lucky enough to be born into a loving family, to begin with. Others who didn¡¯t have this could still get it if they made an effort. It should¡¯ve been easier than bing a knight. This was why Poliana was so upset. Why was getting a family so hard for her? It was so easy and simple for everyone else to form a family, so why did it seem so impossible for her? Why? Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Poliana wailed, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrongggg!¡± ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t. Sir Pol, you clearly didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If anyone says otherwise, I will kill him!¡± Lucius the First sounded like a tyrant, but he didn¡¯t care. He swore to never be one, but at the moment, he felt like he could really kill whoever dared to hurt Poliana. ¡°I wanted to have a familyyy! I didn¡¯t even do anything wronggg!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Pol, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Poliana filled her cup again. Lucius the First considered stopping her, since it seemed that she had more than enough, but he let drink. If he stopped her now, he suspected that she would cry even harder. ¡®I¡¯m sure she will get tired soon and just fall asleep.¡¯ It would be best for her to just fall asleep. Lucius the First remained patient and continued to listen to herining. ¡°I wanted to have children tooooo!¡± ¡°Of course, of course. If you get married, of course you would want to have children too.¡± The emperor wanted to cry. He didn¡¯t know about how Poliana¡¯s period returned. He still thought she was barren and so he had no idea that Poliana was hoping to have children with Frau. In the past, Poliana smiled and said that she didn¡¯t care if she didn¡¯t have any children. Lucius the First now believed that Poliana liked Frau so much that she dreamt of having his children. ¡°I liked himmm!¡± The emperor became frustrated and swore loudly, ¡°Dammit!¡± ¡®So she really liked him!¡¯ He despaired. Perhaps her feelings for Frau weren¡¯t as deep as the emperor¡¯s, but still¡­ It was obvious she liked that jerk. It now made sense that she was so upset right now. She must¡¯ve felt like she was betrayed. Just looking at her in pain made Lucius the First¡¯s heart ache painfully. ¡®I need to kill him! Rip his limbs off!¡¯ He didn¡¯t care if people called him a tyrant. It was very unlike him to want to punish someone for a personal reason, but Lucius the First couldn¡¯t help it. Besides, it was Frau who started this mess. It was him who hurt his Poliana. The moment Frau decided to fool Marquess Winter, he must¡¯ve known that the punishment for such a crime would be harsh. Everyone knew how close the emperor and Poliana were. Scamming Poliana was the same thing as scamming the emperor himself. Poliana was his. Poliana was the woman the emperor loved. It just so happened that he didn¡¯t have the courage to confess his love to her, but still, she was precious to the emperor. And it seemed that Frau made his woman cry. Lucius the First had to admit that this situation was partly his fault. He was too weak to do anything about his feelings for her. He had been keeping his distance, thinking it would keep Poliana safe, but in the end, he ended up pushing her towards a gold digger who hurt her badly. Poliana continued to cry as she muttered, ¡°That bastard.¡± Her tears refused to stop, so she kept drinking and ate her jerky to keep herself hydrated. ¡°That bastard!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. He¡¯s a very bad man.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a jerkkk!¡± ¡°Yes, I agree, Pol.¡± One cup, two cups, three cups, four cups, five cups, six cups¡­ Before she reached the tenth cup, Lucius the First stopped her. ¡°Pol, I know how you must feel, but don¡¯t you think you are drinking too much¡­¡± Her tearful angry eyes looked up to him. If he made a mistake here, Lucius the First would be the ¡°bad guy¡± in her eyes. Poliana was so drunk that she wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. Poliana slowly began to point at Lucius the First and murmur, ¡°You are the bad gu¡­¡± ¡°Here, drink. You can drink all you want. Here you go.¡± Lucius the First handed her a cup filled with the liquor. He already gave her his heart, so why not more drinks too? Poliana snorted and giggled. She was crying a moment ago, but now, she was smiling. She picked up the emperor¡¯s cup and filled it too. When she offered it to him, Lucius the First knew that tomorrow, he would experience the worst hangover in his life. ¡®But I need to keep my mind clear¡­¡¯ When he hesitated to take the cup, Poliana red and murmured, ¡°You are the bad gu¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s drink!¡± If he didn¡¯t drink with her to humor her, Poliana was going to hate him. Lucius the First had no choice but to do as she wished. He hurriedly took the cup from her and announced, ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s get drunk! Like I told you before if you get in trouble from drinking, I will take care of you, Pol! Don¡¯t worry about a thing and drink!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Poliana clumsily wiped away her tears and replied, ¡°You are the best, your highness!¡± ¡°I need to remain awake and sober¡­ I need to remain sober¡­¡± Lucius the First kept telling himself to not get drunk, but it was an impossible task. *** The barrel was now half empty. Both Lucius the First and Poliana¡¯s eyes looked nk. They were both very drunk, and this was no wonder. The alcohol they were drinking was a typical Acreian liquor, which was considered the strongest on the continent. Some people watered it down because they found it too strong, but Poliana and Lucius the First drank it raw. p! Poliana pped Lucius the First¡¯s chest with her wet hand and she cried. She buried her face in his chest and kept murmuring what a jerk Frau was. This went on for a long time before Poliana finally became tired. The emperor did not push her away; in fact, he hugged her and patted her back soothingly. ¡°That bastard!¡± Pat, pat. ¡°Hahaha¡­ You are so great, your highness. I like you a lot.¡± Pat, pat. ¡°That jerkkk!¡± Pat, pat. ¡°Hahaha, your highness is the best.¡± Poliana was going through a rollercoaster of emotions. She kept going back and forth between swearing at Frau andplimenting the emperor. Meanwhile, Lucius the First continued to pat her back while he kept repeating himself, ¡°Poliana! I love you!¡± He was obviously just as drunk as Poliana was. He was so intoxicated that he confessed his love for her loudly. It was quite a sin as the two talked without listening to each other. Only ¡°Buaaa! That jerk!¡± ¡°Poliana! I love you! I love you! I love youuuu!¡± Poliana¡¯s speech was slurred while the emperor was speaking very well. However, he was very drunk himself and he had no idea that he was telling her his secret out loud. ¡°I love you, Poliana.¡± ¡°You are the best, your highness!¡± ¡°I love you. I¡¯m in love with you. You are the love of my life. I love you. I have been in love with you for a long time. I don¡¯t care about the kingdom! I don¡¯t care about what a proper empress is supposed to be! I love you and that is all that matters! I love you, Pol!¡± The problem was that Poliana, who was too drunk, wasn¡¯t even listening. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 ¡°Yourrrr highnessss¡­ You¡¯re the hotestttt man in the worldddd.¡± Poliana loved beautiful people! She was still in Lucius the first¡¯s arms when she looked up at him happily. Seeing him up-close like this¡­ He was indeed so very handsome. He was beautiful and handsome. It was such an honor to serve such a gorgeous emperor. Lucius the First replied, ¡°That¡¯s right! I am very good looking! I really am the ¡®handsomest¡¯ guy in the world! So why is it that you don¡¯t see me as a man? Is it because I am too good looking? Is it a turn off because I am too handsome? Can you not see me as a man because I am prettier than you? Would you like me better if I had a scar on my face? Would I look more manly that way? Is that it? I mean, even if I had a scar on my face, I would still look beautiful. It¡¯s something you will have to ept, Pol! It is such a curse, Sir Pol! Why am I so handsome? After I fell in love with you, I became even more magnificent. It is all your fault, so you must take responsibility! You must take me as yours!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ You are so hot! Your highness, I like you so so much. I will follow you everywhere!¡± ¡°Love me, Sir Pol. I made a mistake. It is all my fault. I should¡¯ve confessed my love for you when I first realized it. I was scared. I shouldn¡¯t have asked you to follow me from behind. I should¡¯ve asked you to stand beside me. You need to be by my side. I should¡¯ve asked you to be mine!¡± Lucius the First sounded like a little boy as he drunkenly confessed his love for her. Unfortunately, Poliana was not listening at all, as she was intoxicated as well. She stared at him nkly, feeling amazed at how beautiful her emperor was. He was so handsome that she began to drool. ¡®Dammitttt! His highness is so hot!¡¯ When she was captured by his men and brought to him, this was her very thought. She was happy at least that she got to see such a beautiful man before dying. Lucius the First became even more beautiful as he became older. His mature look made him more masculine. His beauty was so perfect that it blinded her eyes. It didn¡¯t matter that she has been with him for over a decade; his look still amazed her to this day. And today, she got the opportunity to be in his arms and enjoy his face up close. This was the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. ¡°Your highness, you are so handsome.¡± ¡°Poliana, please see me as a man!¡± Poliana admired his loveliness and Lucius the First continued to beg her to love him. They were both talking to each other yet none of them were listening to one another. Lucius the First cried as he begged for a kiss from her, ¡°Pol! Please! Please love me! I am not just an emperor. I am a man! Kiss me! Kiss my lips!¡± Then¡­ A miracle happened. Poliana followed his order. ¡°¡­!¡± Poliana rubbed her lips against Lucius the First¡¯s lips. The emperor, who has been whining and begging, became rigid. Slowly, he put his hands on her shoulders. Poliana thought in wonder, ¡®This definitely feels different than kissing the back of his hand.¡¯ After the kiss, Poliana licked her lips. This wasn¡¯t the first time her lips touched the emperor¡¯s skin. She, as his favored knight, had the honor of kissing the back of his hand countless times. But the feeling of his lips on her own¡­ It was a very different experience. More¡­ Lucius the First begged for more. His lips, slightly apart now, were shaped perfectly. They were the most beautiful lips in the world, and they were ready to be kissed. Poliana didn¡¯t need any convincing. She put her lips back on his lips again without hesitation. Because his lips were apart, her lips opened a little as well. The man pulled her closer to him and his tongue slid into her mouth. The man and the woman kissed passionately like there was no tomorrow. When they finally moved apart, they began to undress immediately. Both of them were excellent undresses thanks to their extensive time in the battlefields. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Their passion was on fire. The only thing on their minds was the need for pleasure; neither of them was thinking logically. They were both quite intoxicated and it was unlikely that they would realize what was happening until the next day. Poliana kissed Lucius the First again as he hugged her hard. A man and a woman who liked each other¡­ They were alone in the room and the night was deepening, which meant there was only one natural thing that could happen. Lucius the First was an experienced lover, but he moved awkwardly. He kissed her desperately as if he was a child tasting something sweet for the first time in his life. The strange thing was, Poliana didn¡¯t wish to push him away. Only Ever since she first joined the Aehasian army, Poliana was in constant danger of being raped. The risk of sexual assault did not lessen because of her looks. Rape wasn¡¯t about appearances; it was about power. This was how Poliana understood it and she epted the danger. Now, Poliana was the highest-ranking knight in the kingdom. Some epted this fact easily because she was a noble. Others still found it inappropriate because she was a woman. There were still many whoughed at her appearance and behavior, but this did not change the fact that she was a knightess; She was a woman in the military. And in the military, men often fell asleep together after heavy drinking. There were many times in the past when Poliana fell asleep among them and more than once, men instinctively reached out to grope her. Perhaps it was because her unattractiveness did not change the fact that she was a woman. People asked Poliana how she could fall asleep among other men so easily. How could she sleep so well when she could be in such danger? The truth was¡­ She never slept well in these situations. Her body intuitively knew not to rxpletely and Poliana trusted her instinct. Whenever she was touched while asleep, Poliana woke up immediately. There has never been an exception. Even when she was so drunk and Sir Ainno dragged her out of the tent to throw her out¡­ Even when Sir Donau carried her to her own tent¡­ Poliana opened her eyes to check who it was before falling asleep again. If another soldier touched her by mistake while they slept after a wild drinking party, Poliana¡¯s reflex kicked in; she would punch or knee whoever touched her in her sleep; This has been her habit her entire life. But tonight¡­ It was different. Their lips touched and their tongue danced around each other. True, it was her who took her clothes off first, but still¡­ She could not understand what was happening, And most of all, for some reason¡­ Her heart was beating fast. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Poliana¡¯s reddened and swollen eyes looked into Lucius the First¡¯s beautiful green eyes. His eyes were filled with love, making her heart swell up with affection as well. What a lovely man this was! This man was begging for her to love him. He was asking her to ept his love. His body was burning with lust, yet he has been keeping his distance because his love was greater than his desire for her. This proved his respect for her and he was pleading for her permission to continue. Her emperor was the loveliest man in the world. His love for her was true. Lucius the First felt that he wouldn¡¯t mind drowning in his love for Poliana. Today has been such a traumatic and upsetting day, but Poliana, who has felt the greatest betrayal she has ever felt in her life, was suddenly able to regain a little bit of her faith in humanity. At the very least¡­ This man in front of her would never betray her. This was a fact and she knew this very well. Poliana was hungry for love and affection. She needed warmth. She needed someone¡­ But not just anyone. She didn¡¯t need the prince charming on a white horse. All she wished was a man who epted her as she was. Someone who respected her. This man, who was standing in front of her and begging her to ept his love¡­ Poliana knew that he was the one man in this world who truly understood her. Unable to fight her own emotions, Poliana hugged Lucius the First tightly. This was the unspoken consent he has been waiting for, and happily, the emperor continued to confess his love for her. His confession went on all night. *** The sun rose brightly the next morning after a night of passion and drunkenness. Poliana woke up early just like any other day. As soon as she sat up, her hand reached for her mouth as she gagged. Considering how much she drank the night before, this was actually a very mild hangover. Her head was spinning, and her body spun with it. She closed her eyes and waited for it until it finally stopped. She gagged again, feeling like her head was hit by a hammer a few times. There was a constant buzzing deep inside her ears and the intense headache tormented her. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was the ringing in her ears that was causing her headache or the other way around. It didn¡¯t matter in the end, however. The end result was the same; she felt like she was dying. Her stomach felt awful, her mouth dry, and her throat scratchy. These were all the signs that she most likely vomited a few times during the night. She licked her dry lips, but they refused to moisten because her mouth was so dry. These were all typical symptoms of a hangover. Poliana looked around in confusion. She was still not fully awake and because her eyes were swollen, she could not see very clearly. Poliana could see, however, that there were vomits all over the room along with pieces of clothes everywhere. The barrel was still standing, but it was half empty. ¡®I drank all that¡­¡¯ She gagged again and regretted, ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have done that¡­¡¯ Her headache was getting worse. She had no memory of what happenedst night. Thest thing she remembered was rolling the barrel upstairs into this room, but afterward¡­ Things were unclear. Poliana wasn¡¯t worried because it looked like she stayed in this room all night, which meant she didn¡¯t create any major problem outside the inn. ¡®Oh, wait! His highness¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the time to think about herself. What if something happened to the emperor while she was drunk? Her eyes opened fully, and she suddenly felt wide awake. To her relief, Poliana found Lucius the First sleeping beside her soundly. His hair, spread on the bed, shined like pure gold against the morning sunlight. The most beautiful gold ring could not shine like his hair did just now. Poliana grinned, admiring him. She woke up to find herself beside a man on the same bed, but Poliana wasn¡¯t surprised. This wasn¡¯t the first time something like this happened. Besides, of all men in the world, nothing could¡¯ve happened between herself and her emperor. Poliana didn¡¯t remember anything, but she was certain of this. ¡°Argghh¡­¡± Poliana stretched her arms and groaned. She felt even more awake when she noticed that both herself and Lucius the First were naked. To her credit, Poliana, again, was not surprised. There has been more than one asion in the past when they fell asleep drunk and naked. Both Poliana and Lucius the First had a habit of taking their clothes off when they¡¯re too drunk. They fell asleep naked together before and every time something like this happened, Sir Ainno would flinch in disgust. He warned them more than once to be careful. But what was there to be careful about? Nothing was ever going to happen between them. Poliana and Lucius the First were in a pure rtionship free from the typical gender restrictions. They loved each other as human beings, not as a man and a woman. Poliana reached down the bed to grab her sword. She tried to stand up when suddenly, she felt an odd sensation. Something was very different. This feeling¡­ This was not something she felt in the past after a wild night of drinking. Strangely, her back and waist ached. It felt odd between her legs as well. Poliana also noticed that her body was covered in red marks. ¡®Hmm¡­ Maybe this inn is infested with bedbugs or fleas?¡¯ This was a remote vige inn where hunters frequented, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. It actually made sense. Feeling annoyed, she lifted the nket to check the bed. ¡®Or maybe my period began? Dammit.¡¯ If this was the case, she was going to feel so embarrassed. To have her emperor witness her period¡­ How awkward! It was one thing to be naked in front of him; it was quite another to have her period in front of him. Poliana looked around the room again and saw that there was no blood. She sighed in relief but then she noticed something between her legs. It was whitish, dry, and sticky¡­ She knew what it was. ¡°¡­¡± Poliana¡¯s brain stopped working. Only ¡®Wait a minute¡­¡¯ Poliana brought her hands to cover her mouth. She breathed in and out deeply a few times. It helped her headache a little, but the panic inside her began to grow. ¡®Wait, wait, wait¡­. Oh, f*ck! Wait a minute!¡¯ Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out¡­ Poliana tried to calm down by breathing slowly. Her body trembling slightly, Poliana checked to see again who was sleeping beside her. It was a man in his thirties with the most beautiful appearance in the world. It was a man she knew very well. ¡°F*ck¡­¡± Her voice shook. She prayed and prayed, hoping she was mistaken, but her prayer was not answered. The man sleeping next to her naked was Lucius the First, her one and only emperor. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Poliana rudely threw the nket down the floor, revealing Lucius the First¡¯s naked body. He frowned in his sleep and grumbled, ¡°No¡­¡± They were in a mountainous vige and the early mornings were still very chilly. Poliana swore, ¡°F*ckkk¡­.¡± Her eyes widened to their maximum size. Her entire body trembled. Poliana left the bed quickly. When she was sitting down, she didn¡¯t realize it, but now that she was standing, she realized that her entire body felt heavy like she was a piece of soaked cotton. Her limbs also refused to work, and she ended up falling on the floor as they got tangled on the nket. Her fall wasn¡¯t too bad; it didn¡¯t make a loud noise. Shended awkwardly, but it wasn¡¯t bad enough to cause her pain. Poliana grabbed her scabbard and without hesitation, she hit her head with it. Bam! First was assaulting the nts, then the buildings, and now her strange habit progressed into hitting herself. She was already suffering from a headache, so the hit made her head spin even more. The pain was intense, making her roll on the floor in agony. Her body became tangled in the nket. Her mouth opened and she screamed silently. Unfortunately, this was not a dream. No matter how hard she wished, this was real. All the evidence pointed to one conclusion, and there was no other exnation; she didn¡¯t want to ept it, but her denial wasn¡¯t going to change that fact. A man and a woman drunk in the same room¡­ Spending the night on one bed¡­ The muscles of her legs, back, and waist aching¡­ The feeling of dried semen between her legs¡­ ¡®We slept together!¡¯ They did. Not just sleeping in the same bed but ¡°sleeping¡± together. ¡°Arrgghhh!¡± Poliana pulled at her hair, trying to remember what happenedst night. Pulling her hair worsened her already-painful headache, but she had to try. Just what happened? How did this happen? Why? She had to remember. She must! But just as she knew very well, there were things in the world that could not be aplished no matter how hard you tried. Unfortunately, this was one of them. Poliana could remember small useless bits and pieces, but not the whole picture. Yesterday¡­ She wanted to forget about Frau and what happened to him. This was why she purchased therge barrel of alcohol and visited the emperor. She nned to get drunk and forget about everything. But it seemed that she had made a huge mistake. The result of her actionsst night was a nightmare. In addition, she meant to forget what happened yesterday, but she ended up forgetting what happenedst night. Bam! Bam! Poliana hit herself again a few times, and miraculously, she was able to remember a little bit more. Poliana remembered giggling as she buried her face on Lucius the First¡¯s bare chest. She remembered touching him everywhere. His bare skin on her hands¡­ She kept giggling and touching him. Poliana remembered feeling happy and excited for some reason. The feeling of another person¡¯s warmth was pleasant. Lucius the First smelled nice and his skin was smooth. The feeling of his hard muscle underneath was enough to melt her heart. She especially liked his chest because they were so smooth yet so hard¡­ ¡°No! Not this! This isn¡¯t what I need to remember! I need to remember how it happened!¡± Her face became pale. Just what was she supposed to do now? Would she be able to remember more of what happenedst night? Poliana pulled at her hair again, and again, she remembered a little bit more. Lucius the First was pulling back and Poliana remembered wrapping his body with both of her legs and pulling him closer as she giggled¡­ No! She didn¡¯t want to remember anymore. Poliana shook her head vigorously and the dizziness was enough to make the memories disappear for a moment. This was a big problem. If she heard that something like this happened to someone else, she would¡¯ve giggled and gossiped about it for days. She would¡¯ve wondered if the man and the woman would end up getting married. If one of them was married, would the cheater get divorced? She would¡¯ve imagined the worst possibilities and gossip about this with Lucius the First. But now that it happened to her¡­ She could notugh about it. This was not fun at all. This was a huge ident. ¡°Y-y-your highness! You need to wake up!¡± Her mouth was so dry that she could barely speak. Her voice sounded unusually lower than usual. Poliana crawled towards the jug of water. Thankfully, it was full. ¡°Your highness! Please wake up!¡± Poliana desperately asked the emperor to rise. It was very rude of her to do this, but this was an emergency. ¡°Your highness!¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­. Chail¡­ Just five more minutes¡­¡± Lucius the First kept grumbling with his eyes closed. He must¡¯ve thought that Master Chail was trying to wake him up. ¡°Your highness! It¡¯s an emergency!¡± ¡°Chail¡­ My entire body aches¡­ I am tired¡­ I think I might being down with something, so I¡¯m going to sleep for a little while longer¡­¡± ¡°Your highness!¡± Cough! Poliana¡¯s mouth was so dry that she kept coughing. She took a sip of water and tried to wake up Lucius the First again. ¡°Your highness! We aren¡¯t at the castle! It¡¯s me, Poliana!¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡± ¡°Please wake up, your highness!¡± Finally, the emperor¡¯s eyes opened. He blinked a few times and his face crumpled in pain. He still looked very sleepy so Poliana wet her hand and wiped his face for him. She focused on his eyes. ¡°Your highness! This is an emergency! Your highness, please wake up!¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Pol? What¡¯s happening? I want to sleep a bit more¡­¡± ¡°Your highness, I think Imitted a crime.¡± ¡°Sir Pol, did you go rip the limbs off that snakest night?¡± Lucius the First was still half asleep and confused, but despite it, his trust in his knightess was still strong. He knew that Poliana would never do something unreasonable and hical, which meant that he couldn¡¯t think of anything she could¡¯ve done that would be considered a ¡°crime.¡± Only ¡°Arrgghh!¡± Suddenly, he frowned as his handover headache overwhelmed him. ¡®Just how much did I drinkst night¡­?¡¯ He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Just as Poliana did, the emperor could also see that the barrel was half empty. The problem was, he couldn¡¯t¡¯ remember much fromst night. Lucius the First felt weak and tired even though he slept till the morning. He could understand why he was tired; it was a typical symptom after drinking too much. Lucius the First, however, was not concerned. Even though he was tired, he felt great. The reason why he grumbled about wanting to sleep more was because he was sleeping so well. In fact, it was the best sleep he has ever had. He almost felt like he didn¡¯t want to wake up at all¡­ Then suddenly, his nk face changed into that of a realization. His eyes widened slowly as he saw the marks on Poliana¡¯s naked body. He looked around to see the room and the bed. ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Lucius the First rubbed his face, realizing why he was feeling so tired. He tried his best to remember, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything. Although, one thing was certain. ¡®I slept with her.¡¯ He wanted to die at that moment. Lucius the First loved Poliana. He had been in love with her for the past few years, and this is what he ends up doing? He slept with her in a dingy inn¡­ This was their first time, and it wasn¡¯t romantic at all¡­ and the worst of it, he couldn¡¯t even remember it. How did it happen? Did he do well? Did she enjoy it? Was he able to satisfy her? All these important things¡­ The emperor couldn¡¯t remember any of it. And what worried him the most was¡­ ¡®Did¡­ Did I force her¡­?¡¯ Thest thing he could remember was him trying to console Poliana, who was crying. He was certain that at that time, she was drunker than he was. Did he sleep with an unconscious woman? If she was too drunk, it was very possible that Poliana wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight back. Or perhaps she fell asleep and he¡­ Lucius the First flinched in disgust. ¡®I am the worst.¡¯ To sleep with ady who was too drunk to know any better¡­ This was not eptable. Even if he didn¡¯t sleep with the unconscious or asleep Poliana, Lucius the First still felt horrible. To sleep with the woman he loved before confessing his feelings for her¡­ He was the worst! He deserved to die! The truth was, he did confess to her over and over again, but clearly, the emperor did not remember this. Lucius the First wanted to die. ¡°Sir Pol¡­ Did I¡­¡± The emperor couldn¡¯t finish his question, but it didn¡¯t matter. Poliana kneeled and lowered his face until it touched the floor hard. Bump! It was loud enough that the people on the first floor would¡¯ve wondered what was happening upstairs. Poliana begged, ¡°Your highness! You must kill me! I¡­ I¡­!¡± ¡°You¡­?¡± ¡°I think I raped you because I was too drunk!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lucius the First could not hide his shock and confusion at Poliana¡¯s confession. In situations like this, wasn¡¯t it natural for everyone to think it was the man who took advantage of the woman? Of course, women had sexual needs too. Of course, it was possible that a woman could take advantage of a drunk man. But normally¡­ It was the man who was considered at fault, not the woman. However, Lucius the First did not question Poliana¡¯s exnation since he had no memory of what happenedst night. If Poliana remembered¡­ Then she must¡¯ve been right. ¡°Pol¡­ I¡­ I cannot remember much fromst night because of all the drinking¡­ Do¡­ Do you remember what happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember either, your highness. Nothing at all.¡± Poliana answered quickly. Her tone was a bit defensive as she remembered her groping the emperor and wrapping her legs around his naked body¡­ Touching him was one thing but to have her legs around him like that¡­ Poliana put on her best nk face. She could never tell him what she remembered, so Poliana decided to pretend ignorance. The emperor asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t remember either, then why would you think¡­¡± ¡°I am sure of it! I took advantage of you!¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think you should be proud of that¡­¡¯ Lucius the First was still feeling shocked. He didn¡¯t know what to say to her. Meanwhile, Poliana was certain of what happenedst night. Her logic came from many different facts. Firstly, Poliana remembered very well what Lucius the First told her the first time they met each other. That freezing winter day, he said to her, ¡°I would never sleep with an ugly woman like you. I would rather take a dirty prostitute to my bed.¡± Poliana has never forgotten his words. Not once! She remembered it clearly because it was such a shocking day that day. His beauty and his cruel words¡­ It was an extremely memorable day. Secondly, Poliana was certain that Lucius the First did not see her as a woman. There have been many asions when they got drunk and fell asleep in the same bed. However, something like this never happened before. It was obvious that he only saw her as his knight and nothing more. The only time he would ever willingly sleep with her would be if every other woman in the kingdom died and she was the only chance to repopte the world. So the fact that something like this happened¡­ There could be only one exnation. Only one culprit¡­ It had to be one of the two in the room, and it had to be her. Yesterday, the emperor was perfectly fine. It was Poliana who was emotionally fragile. On top of this, she could remember herself groping him¡­ Her face became rigid. Poliana decided to give up on trying to remember more fromst night. No matter how hard she thought, there was only one exnation. She took advantage of the emperorst night. Her face reddened from embarrassment and guilt. She was so dehydrated that no tears showed from her eyes, but she was definitely crying on the inside. Her eyes were very red. Yesterday had to be the worst day of her life. Her emperor witnessed how she was conned by a gold-digger andst night, she ended up raping him. This had to be a nightmare¡­ How could this happen? All she wanted to do was to show him only the best side of her, but in the end, she ended up doing the worst thing she could possibly do to him. Poliana wanted to die. The two people in the room were both feeling suicidal. Lucius the First decided that he couldn¡¯t let Poliana believe she was the one who took advantage of him. ¡°Pol, it would¡¯ve been me who took advantage of you, not the other way around. It had to be me!¡± ¡°No, your highness! It was me!¡± Only ¡°But Sir Pol! You are a woman and I am a man!¡± ¡°A woman can take advantage of a man too, your highness! It¡¯s very possible!¡± ¡°Yes, of course¡­ Yes, I know it¡¯s possible, but¡­¡± Lucius the First could not disagree with her too strongly. He was afraid that if he did, Poliana would offer to show how it could be done. Poliana kept insisting it was her and begged again, ¡°Your highness! I deserve death!¡± ¡°No, no, Pol¡­ Get up¡­ No matter how hard I think about this, I think you got it wrong. It was me who took advantage of you, not me. It had to be me. I know you very well and I know that you are not that kind of person. I just know it.¡± Lucius the First loved Poliana. Poliana loved him too but not as a man. She loved him as a knight would love her emperor. This was why the emperor was sure it was him who took advantage of her. Of course, they were both wrong. What happenedst night waspletely consensual. The man and the woman became drunk and horny, and they ended up sleeping with each other. The problem was¡­ Neither of them could remember what happened. Chapter 268: 268 Chapter 268 Poliana said to Lucius the First, ¡°How will I ever be able to pay for such a crime¡­¡± She looked determined to fix this situation one way or the other. Poliana was ready to stab herself with her own sword if necessary. She was suicidal, to begin with, so all she needed was an order. Lucius the First began to focus on stopping her. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong, Sir Pol. Nothing at all. It is clearly all my fault.¡± ¡°No, your highness! This is all my fault! If I didn¡¯t bring that cursed barrel of alcohol¡­ If I didn¡¯t get so drunk¡­ I wouldn¡¯t havemitted the heinous crime of taking advantage of you!¡± ¡°But hear me out. There is no proof that you did what you believe, Sir Pol. I am sure it was me who took advantage of you.¡± ¡°Your highness! You once told me that you would rather sleep with a dirty wh*re than with an ugly woman like me! You meant what you said and I have never forgotten your words. So for me to do something like this to you¡­ I have broken your trust in me¡­¡± Lucius the First shut his mouth. He didn¡¯t remember the words exactly, but it was obvious that Poliana did. ¡®Gosh, she still remembers that? She has been thinking about that until now? Dammit! Why can¡¯t she just forget about things like that¡­¡¯ If he could go back in time, he wanted to beat up his young self and punch himself in the mouth. If only he knew at the time how important this woman would be in his life! If he knew that he would fall in love with this woman in 10 years, he would¡¯ve approached it differently! For some reason, there were so many things the emperor needed to apologize for when it came to Poliana. Was this fate? Did this mean they were meant to be? Lucius the First flinched, feeling his body bing cold. He could not take back what he said in the past. If he told her now that she was beautiful, Poliana would not believe him. Poliana continued, ¡°Your highness! I know very well that you will never see me as a woman unless every other woman in this world dies! That is the truth! Besides, you prefer fragile beauties than a sturdy woman like me! I know this! So how dare I take advantage of you! I must¡¯ve lost my mind¡­!¡± She continued and there was no way for Lucius the First to stop her. The emperor wondered what would happen if he confessed his love for her right now and asked her to marry him. It wasn¡¯t going to work. Poliana¡¯s self-esteem was already rock bottom because of that bastard gold digger. She would never believe his words at this point. The emperor knew that Poliana would think he was proposing just because they slept together, and he was trying to be responsible. She might even think he pitied her. Lucius the First said to her, ¡°Listen, Sir Pol. I was very young at the time. I misspoke. I mean, you are very cute and pretty. I like the way you look. To me, you look very lovely.¡± Poliana shook her head emphatically. She already made up her mind and she refused to listen to him. Poliana firmly believed that it was her to take advantage of the emperorst night. She replied, ¡°In the militaryw, raping another member of the army is considered s serious crime. If a knight sleeps with thedy he serves, he loses his title and is exiled to a foreignnd¡­¡± ¡°Poliana, snap out of it! You aren¡¯t making any sense! First of all, this continent is one single kingdom, which means there is no ¡®foreignnd.¡¯ In addition, this isn¡¯t the wartime anymore! So¡­¡± Lucius the First suddenly figured out a solution to this situation. It wasn¡¯t a big n, but he thought it might be the best one he has. The emperor continued, ¡°Remember what I told you before? I told you that if you cause any trouble while drunk, I will take care of it! I told you many times! And now, it is time for me to do this for you! I will fix it! I will take care of this situation!¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t understand or ept the emperor¡¯s offer. To her, this situation had a clear victim and the attacker. So how could he say that he, the victim, would take responsibility? It didn¡¯t make any sense. It didn¡¯t follow any kingdom¡¯sw. It certainly did not follow the Acreianw. Poliana rejected the idea, ¡°Definitely not, your highness!¡± ¡°Sir Pol! You need to calm down! We both do!¡± Poliana at least agreed with hisst words. It was true that they needed to remain cool and think clearly. She tried her best, even though her heart was racing, and her breathing was uneven. Poliana took deep breaths in and out to calm down, but it only made her feel even more emotional. ¡°Your highness! I don¡¯t think I should be forgiven!¡± ¡°Sir Pol, I am telling you that I do, so why do you keep trying to punish yourself?! I am telling you that I am fine!¡± ¡°But even if you forgive me¡­ It doesn¡¯t change the fact that I havemitted a crime! Your forgiveness still won¡¯t make it ok!¡± ¡°But I am telling you! Sir Pol! I forgive you!¡± The situation was getting out of hand now. Neither of them was in their right minds, and Lucius the First continued to babble. He was so desperate that he ended up blurting out the truth. ¡°Sir Pol! It¡¯s all fine! It¡¯s fine because I probably liked it! I am sure I enjoyed it!¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! I forced you, your highness¡­!¡± ¡°All men enjoy these things!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! Donau told me that it¡¯s not always good for men!¡± Poliana¡¯s adopted brother was an outstanding and proper young man. Knowing him allowed Poliana to believe that not all men were ves to lust. She has met plenty of men who could not control their sexual desire, but there were exceptions in this world. Only Lucius the First could not argue with her. If he told her she was wrong, it meant that he was saying all men in this world were ves to their lust. He was the emperor of this entire kingdom and a man himself, and as such, he could not make such a im. So in the end, the emperor had no choice but to im it for himself only. ¡°I am like that!¡± The situation was bing stranger. The ¡°victim¡± was iming that he enjoyed being ¡°used,¡± while the ¡°attacker¡± was rejecting the idea. In the end, Lucius the First came up with logical proof. He said to her, ¡°Look at our bodies, Sir Pol. Does it look like we only did it once?¡± Poliana thought for a moment. She did as he asked and examined their bodies. Slowly, she realized that the emperor was making some sense. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°See, Pol? You have to admit that we clearly have done it more than once. I mean, it looks like we¡¯ve done it at least three times¡­¡± Chapter 269 Chapter 269 What an embarrassing and awkward conversation they were having right now¡­ Lucius the First¡¯s face turned red. Poliana felt her body bing hot as well. She fanned herself with her hands as she blushed. ¡®I think it¡¯s true that we were having a good time¡­ I think it felt good¡­ I¡¯m sure his highness was liking it too¡­¡¯ She remembered him hugging her tightly. She remembered the emperor¡¯s body all over her own. If he didn¡¯t like what was happening, he wouldn¡¯t have done that, right? Thinking aboutst night made her entire body burn. Poliana looked down and when she became quiet, Lucius the First pushed on, realizing that he was winning this argument. ¡°Pol, it was an ident. I am telling you that it was.¡± He meant it when he said he wanted to think ofst night as an ident. To have slept with the woman of his dreams for the first time after getting drunk¡­ Lucius the First truly wanted to cry at the tragedy of it. It was even worse because he didn¡¯t remember any of it. If he did, he could im responsibility, but since he had no memory of what happenedst night, the emperor couldn¡¯t. If he tried to take responsibility at this point, he was certain Poliana would try tomit suicide. She wouldn¡¯t believe him, and her self-confidence was going to plummet even further. She was in a fragile state, so Lucius the First decided that it was best to discussst night in detail at ater date. For now, it was important to move on. The emperor said to her, ¡°It was an ident, Pol. We made a mistake after getting drunkst night. We are both responsible, which means no one is at fault, Sir Pol. We need to forget about it and move on.¡± ¡°But your highness¡­ It was me¡­ I need to¡­¡± ¡°Stop! You need to stop ming yourself!¡± Lucius the First ordered firmly, interrupting Poliana. If he didn¡¯t conclude the incident as an ident with no one at fault, their rtionship was going to go nowhere in the future. ¡°Sir Pol, it was an ident.¡± ¡°Alright, your highness¡­¡± Poliana disagreed, but she nodded. In a situation like this where two nobles got involved, there were two possible conclusions. Either they were forced to get married or they forgot about it and pretended as if nothing happened. Lucius the First wanted the first option, but if he offered it to her, he knew Poliana was going to kill herself. To prevent this, he repeated himself, ¡°It was an ident.¡± ¡°Alright, your highness.¡± When the emperor said firmly, Poliana nodded as if she made a decision. It killed Lucius the First to tell her that what happened between them was just an ident, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. This was the best solution for now. He said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s forget what happened. We will not talk of it again.¡± ¡°Ok, your highness. To do this for me¡­ Your highness¡­ I hope you know how much I appreciate your kindness. My life is yours as always. I will live the rest of my life to repay this debt.¡± Lucius the First loved her deration. ¡®That¡¯s right. We will get married and you will stay by my side for the rest of our lives!¡¯ But of course, the emperor felt upset after the conversation. ¡®Shoot¡­¡¯ He sighed, realizing again how he slept with the woman he loved from drinking too much. This was not how he behaved. He wasn¡¯t like this at all. He wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to expect a perfect first night, but he at least hoped for some romance. Was that too much to ask? On top of that¡­ There were so many things Lucius the First wanted to try with Poliana. So many things he wanted to do with her¡­ Even the things he hated because they were too kinky¡­ He would¡¯ve loved to try them with Poliana. Just thinking about them was enough to wake up his lower half again. Lucius the First secretly pulled the nket to cover himself. He also turned away from Poliana a little, trying to hide his excitement. Meanwhile, Poliana was slowly gaining her mind back. Her eyes, which have been looking confused, were beginning to gain their usual intelligence. Lucius the First, stealing secret glimpses of Poliana, clenched his teeth. He couldn¡¯t look her straight in the eyes when he said to her, ¡°Well them, Pol¡­¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. What do you need from me?¡± ¡°You should really get dressed.¡± They werepletely naked during the entire discussion. Lucius the First, still in the bed, at least covered his lower half, but Poliana, who was on the floor still kneeling, had not a single piece of clothes on her body. Old scars, new cuts and injuries, ck and blue bruises, and discolored patches of skin¡­ Yet to Lucius the First, Poliana¡¯s nude body looked extremely attractive. Was it because she has been taking care of herself in preparation for her wedding? Either way, she looked magnificent to him. ¡°Of course, your highness.¡± Poliana began to grab her clothes and get dressed. Lucius the First, feeling embarrassed, turned away. This was why he missed her reaction. Poliana, who has never been embarrassed to be naked in front of Lucius the First, was turning red. Her face and her neck were blushing furiously. Poliana hurriedly got dressed as she kept ncing at the emperor secretly. Beautiful face and perfect statue-like body. His perfect smooth skin that was kissed by herst night¡­ Only ¡®Arrgghh!¡¯ Something inside of her exploded. She told herself, ¡®Stop it, you dirty woman! You have lost your mind! Keep calm!¡¯ Poliana bit her lower lip in frustration. The emperor told her to forget about what happenedst night. He told her that it was just an ident. Poliana agreed to it, but she knew deep in her heart that their rtionship could never go back to the way it was beforest night. Even if they agreed to forget what happened¡­ Things will never be the same again between them. When she realized this truth, her body became cold but notpletely. There was still a small fire left inside of her and if the right man came into her heart¡­ This small fire was going to grow into a full-blown explosion. *** They skipped their breakfast and left the inn early that morning. The innkeeper, based on what she heard from their room, decided she knew exactly what happened. At first, she thought Poliana was the mother who came to the mountain to find her runaway son. But the innkeeper realized that she had been wrong; the guests had to be a marrieddy and her secret lover. She heard everything that went on in their roomst night, and¡­ She concluded that they had to be lovers. As the innkeeper watched them leave, she shook her head. This strange couple was making love all night, and this morning, they got up bright and early to leave without even eating their breakfast. What a healthy and strong couple they were! What stamina they had! Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Their way back home to Yapa was filled with awkwardness. The first ufortable moment was when Poliana got onto her horse expertly. When she got on top, she remembered another piece of memory fromst night. ¡®Gyaaa! I need to kill myself!¡¯ It was a shocking memory; Poliana remembered being on top of Lucius the First. This definitely proved that she took advantage of him. She couldn¡¯t bring up this new information to the emperor, however. If she did, it would be like bringing up the painful discussion again when they both agreed to forget about it. It didn¡¯t feel right to go through the same debate over again. ¡®Gyaaa!¡¯ Poliana screamed silently as her face became pale. Thankfully, the emperor did not notice anything since other than a subtle flinch, Poliana looked perfectly normal. The truth was that the lower half of her body was feeling especially tender, most likely due tost night. But even when she suffered from the worst hemorrhoid of her life, Poliana silently rode her horse to the war. Compared to that time, the difort she felt right now was minimal. It wasn¡¯t like she was bleeding. It wasn¡¯t like she was injured. There was no reason why she shouldn¡¯t be able to ride her horse. Of course, she couldn¡¯t help the extreme embarrassment she felt. Poliana found it difficult to face the emperor, so she purposely rode slightly in front of him and looked straight ahead. They were close enough that silence shouldn¡¯t have been ufortable between them, yet Lucius the First felt a distinct unease in the air. He tried to focus on the beautiful scenery around him. The sky, the birds, the ground, the wind, and¡­ the beautiful backside of Poliana who was riding ahead of him. She was part of the scenery, right? So why couldn¡¯t he enjoy the view of her? ¡®I can¡¯t remember anything fromst night!¡¯ No matter how hard he tried, it was useless. ¡®What a waste!¡¯ He tried and tried, but his brain remained nk. The only thing he could remember was the vague feeling of pleasure. ¡®Yes, it was good. It had to be great! I am certain it was amazing!¡¯ The emperor had three wives and even before he got married, he had plenty of bedmates in the past. Butpared to all of those experiences, Lucius the First firmly believed thatst night must¡¯ve been the best night of his life. It had to be because he was with the woman he loved. To every other man in the world, Poliana might have been an unmarriageable woman, but to Lucius the First, she was the most precious person in his life. She was the woman who made the emperor of this entire kingdom lovesick. He liked it. It had to be good. His body felt thoroughly pleasured. To have had her and fall asleep next to her¡­ Just thinking about it made the emperor feel rxed and satisfied. ¡®I think I might even remember how her breasts felt like¡­?¡¯ Lucius the First reached out to the air and squeezed. Poliana was very thin. Even in the mid-continent region, where men preferred slim and fragile women, Poliana was considered too thin. Considering the fact that she had not a single extra ounce of fat in her body, Poliana wasn¡¯tpletely t-chested. However, when she had her loose clothes on, it was impossible to tell. ¡®Hmm¡­ I think they were actually quite¡­¡¯ Lucius the First kept squeezing the air when suddenly, he realized what he was doing. He sighed, thinking how idiotic he was acting. In a typical romance story, the main character, usually a knight, would ¡°take responsibility¡± for thedy if something like this happened. He would either marry her immediately or at least give her a token of his affection as a proof of their engagement. Lucius the First supposed Poliana, his knightess, did something simr. She did offer to take responsibility, but instead of offering to marry him, she offered to be punished by either dying or losing her knighthood and her wealth. The awkwardness continued all the way to Yapa. They stayed in different inns on the way in different viges, and until they reached the capital city, neither of them drank a single sip of alcohol. *** When Poliana reported for her duty after returning home, it was her colleagues that greeted her. Her closest knights were at the castle entrance, waiting for her early in the morning. When Poliana saw them, she didn¡¯t know what to think. ¡°Could it be¡­Do you people all know about¡­¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Well, Sir Pol, your marriage is something that is very important to all of us, right?¡± Dammit! Everyone knew about the gold digger Frau and how he fooled her! Poliana felt dizzy and weak. She was a strong and sturdy woman who has never felt this helpless before. This was a new experience. Her friends surrounded her and greeted encouragingly, ¡°Sir Pol! Wee back!¡± ¡°You went through a lot!¡± ¡°Marquess, we have fixed this problem. We prepared something for you.¡± Prepare what? Why were all the men looking expectant and pleased? Poliana clenched her teeth, realizing that what happened between herself and Frau was not a secret. How will she ever ovee such an embarrassing incident? While she contemted furiously, the other knights murmured among themselves. Suddenly, a young boy was presented to her. ¡°Hello, Marquess Winter!¡± The boy saluted her nervously and Poliana nodded. She assumed that he was someone¡¯s new help. The young boys who were hired as a knight¡¯s help often were na?ve and stupid. Oftentimes, they thought they knew best and even acted rudely towards Poliana, who was a female knight. It didn¡¯t take long, however, to properly train these young idiots. All that was needed was how Poliana trained Donau in his younger days. One of the knights suddenly announced to Poliana, ¡°This is my nephew.¡± ¡°So?¡± This should¡¯ve been the end of their conversation, but the knight exined that he was offering his nephew as her new groom. Poliana smiled kindly and punched the knight hard. ¡°Hey! Why did you just punch me?!¡± ¡°You are trying to sell your nephew? What kind of a man are you?!¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to marry my nephew than a crazy gold digger?¡± Poliana flinched. When she was about to punch him again, the knight said to her loudly, ¡°Hey! We are in the presence of his highness! How dare you act this way, Sir Pol!¡± Only Lucius the First shook his head and said to Poliana, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Keep going, Pol.¡± This was all the encouragement she needed. Poliana showed no mercy to the knight. The knights ushered Poliana and the emperor inside where a drinking party was prepared. The knights dered loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s get drunk!¡± ¡°I took today and tomorrow off, so we can get totally drunk and forget about everything!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°I did too!¡± It seemed that every high-ranking knight who was acquainted with Poliana took some time off to ¡°console¡± her. Lucius the First frowned, knowing that these men were only using Poliana¡¯s situation as an excuse to drink. Poliana went through such a difficultst few days after the incident with Frau. She cried, for god¡¯s sake! The emperor watched her suffer, so he knew how upset Poliana was, yet here the men were, pretending to console her when in fact, they just needed an excuse to drink. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Lucius the First looked unhappy but Poliana epted the knights¡¯ invitation thankfully. She raised her ss and announced to them, ¡°If I ever say again that I will get married, you guys should all stop me!¡± ¡°We will!¡± The knights cheered excitedly, but the emperor could not do the same. He wanted to get married to her, but it seemed that Poliana was now determined to avoid it. Only a few days ago, she got drunk and an unexpected incident urred. Yet Lucius the First watched as Poliana continued to empty her ss along with the other knights. He felt anxious and he walked up to her nervously, ¡°Pol, are you going to be drinking a lot today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just water, your highness.¡± Poliana replied in determination and showed him her cup. Indeed, inside her cup was clear cold water. It was going to be very hard to avoid drinking at a party that was thrown in her honor, so the emperor asked, ¡°So the other knights aren¡¯t pressuring you to drink?¡± ¡°When I told them that I will cry if I drink, they gave me water to drink instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This party was to console Poliana, but it was obvious that the knights did not feelfortable with her crying. What good friends¡­ Poliana said to the emperor. ¡°I will just drink cold water. I swear I will never get drunk and lose control over myself again. If I ever drink again, I will give up myst name.¡± Herst name ¡°Winter¡± was given to her by Lucius the First. It was something she treasured the most in her life, so she really must¡¯ve meant it when she said she would never drink again. At first, only those very close to Poliana were at the party, but soon, more and more people arrived. Sir Ainno, who joinedter, first came to check on Lucius the First¡¯s health. When the emperor looked upset, Sir Ainno grinned just to annoy him. And when the knight saw Poliana Winter, who got very close to being trapped by a gold digger, he began tough hard. Sir Ainno asked, ¡°W-were you able to deal with that gold digger?¡± ¡°I made sure he will never be able to do anything like this again.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m sure you did!¡± Sir Ainno, who rarely showed any emotions,ughed loudly. Everyone in the room was thinking the same thing, ¡®What a jerk.¡¯ Sir Ainno¡¯s love life was going very well. Cekel no longer ran away as soon as she spotted him. In fact, they chatted together often nowadays. The emperor no longer had any wives. Although the knights and the soldiers were still very busy, the maids now had a lot of time to spare. Sir Ainno, who should¡¯ve been too busy to have any spare time, made sure to make time to visit Cekel to talk with her. The main topic of their conversation had been Poliana and Frau. As soon as she learned the truth about Frau, Cekel was relieved to hear that the emperor got involved himself to fix the situation. Sir Ainno was able to use the topic of Poliana¡¯s current problem to get closer to Cekel and make her feel less wary of him. In some way, it was Poliana who helped him with Cekel, which was why Sir Ainno didn¡¯t try to annoy Poliana further. Sir Ainno turned back to the emperor. Lucius the First should¡¯ve been happy to stop the woman he loved from getting married to a gold digger. But strangely, the emperor looked upset. Sir Ainno whispered to him to ask why, but Lucius the First just shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to answer and Sir Ainno didn¡¯t prod him further. ¡®I will ask himter.¡¯ Sir Ainno didn¡¯t know the details, but the emperor¡¯s mood must¡¯ve had something to do with Poliana. What else could there be? And since both Poliana and Lucius the First were alive, Sir Ainno assumed that things would eventually work out somehow. Meanwhile, Poliana was making another determined deration, ¡°I will live alone forever! It¡¯s not worth getting married! I am going to get a dog too!¡± Poliana has been drinking only water, but she seemed to be having a good time as if she was drunk. Lucius the First was wondering when he should propose to her, so whenever Poliana loudly yelled that she will never get married again, his heart ached. ¡®I swear, I am never going to get involved with a man again!¡¯ She was going to stop drinking from now on, and even if she took a sip of alcohol, she will never drink with a man alone. Her bad habit was to fall asleep on the spot whenever she became drunk; she was going to have to fix this. In this society, it was impossible to avoid drinkingpletely. There will be times when she must participate in drinking. Today, she got lucky, but next time, these same knights, who were being so understanding, will very likely pressure her into drinking. Poliana didn¡¯t think it was unfair since she did the exact same thing to others. This was the way of life in the military. Only Poliana yelled again, ¡°I will live alone forever!¡± A long time ago, Sir Baufallo told her to live alone if she wanted to remain a knight. At the time, Poliana couldn¡¯t tell him with certainty that she will never love. She knew enough that no one could ever tell what the future held. She also thought it would be a shame to live her entire life without knowing what love felt like. Now, 10 yearster, Poliana made a huge mistake of falling for a man. It was going to be the biggest mistake of her life. So, she kept repeating to herself that she would never get married and every time she did, Lucius the First became more and more upset. *** So the rumor of how Marquess Winter¡¯s wedding was canceled spread fast. This story spread much faster than the one about her getting married. People¡¯s reaction was very different than before. When they first heard that Poliana was marrying Frau, people refused to believe it. However, when they heard the wedding was off, everyone nodded. They have all been expecting this news, so they weren¡¯t surprised at all. After all, the difference in status between Poliana and Frau was too great. Poliana had everything to lose from this marriage while Frau had nothing to lose. The older generation still felt that it was necessary for everyone to get married, but most of the elder nobles were either imprisoned themselves or had friends or rtives in jail now. The high-ranking nobles were too busy dealing with their situations that they had no great interest in what was happening to Poliana. People, who were interested, assumed that Frau didn¡¯t return to Yapa because he was upset about the breakup. People guessed that Frau somehow annoyed Poliana enough to make her dump him. Some even believed that the power of the marquess exiled Frau so he could never return to the capital. Such a thing wouldn¡¯t have been hard for Marquess Winter to order since Frau was aplete nobodypared to her. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 The current political turmoil worked in Poliana¡¯s favor. Some powerful nobles, who were jealous of her, might have used her failed marriage n against her, but most nobles were busy dealing with the kingdom¡¯s situation one way or the other. On top of it all, the Sneke family was closely involved in the crimesmitted by Marquis Seeze. The Sneke family was most likely be destroyed anyway; the only reason why Frau wasn¡¯t in prison right now was thanks to Poliana. In addition, there really was no noble that was powerful enough to fight against Poliana. The only one who might be able to use this new development against her was Sir Ainno Seki, but he had no interest in her. In the end, no one really cared about Poliana breaking up with Frau Sneke. Those who were closely acquainted with Poliana knew what happened, so they refused to mention this incident. Poliana tried her best to forget about the situation and Lucius the First did his best to stop any unsavory rumors starting. The result was that it didn¡¯t take long for the kingdom to forget about Frau Sneke and Poliana¡¯s rtionship with him. Lucius the First let Poliana know that it was Lady Bika who helped in revealing the truth about Frau, so Poliana sent a thank you letter and a gift to her. If it wasn¡¯t for Lady Bika¡¯s amazing memory, Poliana might have married the jerk. Poliana remembered Frau saying he was going to make sure he didn¡¯t die before her. ¡®Hmm¡­ Make sure how¡­?¡¯ Poliana sincerely hoped that he didn¡¯t mean to be a murderer because if he did, then it meant that her ability to judge a character was severely impaired. Poliana also thanked Cekel. ¡°I wish I listened to you when I had the chance.¡± She sighed deeply. Lately, Poliana noticed that only two things she gained were the habit of sighing and weight. Her diet or the amount of training she had haven¡¯t changed much, yet she noticed herself gaining weight around her waist. A long time ago, Sir Baufallo used to be upset about this exact same problem. At the time, Poliana didn¡¯t understand him, but now, the same thing was happening to her. Oh, the joy of getting old¡­ Cekel shook her head and replied, ¡°Please, you shouldn¡¯t feel so bad about all this.¡± She felt guilty because she didn¡¯t stop Poliana harder. Cekel thought she should¡¯ve made more effort and be more insistent. If she only had more information at the time¡­ It was such a regrettable situation. She should¡¯ve insisted that her brother, Sir Deke, research further about Frau Sneke. Currently, Poliana was the head of the Second Division and therefore, she was responsible for the safety of the royal family. Cekel, a royal maid, was one of many who served the royal family. At this moment, the head of thedy¡¯s quarters was the emperor¡¯s first-born daughter Princess Luminae. Because she was still an infant, her nannies and wet nurses took care of her. There was no need for Poliana to be by her side for protection and Cekel, who was an unmarried maid, was not needed either. Many of the maids had to leave the castle because their families, most of them being Acreian nobles, were imprisoned. But even though there were significantly fewer maids present, there were still more than enough in the castle especially since the emperor now didn¡¯t have any wives. Cekel wasn¡¯t having busy days, but she was frustrated by another matter. Everyone kept asking her about how her wedding n was going, and she was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Cekel preferred to talk to Poliana about other things, but Poliana ended up asking the same question as everyone else. ¡°So Cekel, how is your wedding n going? Have you made significant progress?¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to ask me that question.¡± ¡°Oh, I just meant that if you need, I can give you some of the items I prepared for my own wedding. I hope you aren¡¯t offended by my offer. Everything I have is of the best quality. Many of them were things I prepared with Lady Tory.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I mean, I understand that you might not feelfortable using my stuff because of what happened to my wedding. I get that you might think they are tainted or unlucky, but I think you will be fine because your groom is Sir Ainno. That jer¡­ I mean, Sir Ainno is such a strong-willed man that I don¡¯t think any bad luck would dare toe after you and him.¡± ¡°I¡­ I would appreciate anything you can spare me, Marquess Winter.¡± Having the Seki family as the inws were going to help the Ingreter family greatly in many ways but preparing for the wedding was bing a huge burden for Cekel¡¯s parents. Although the Seki family did not ask for an unreasonable dowry, the Ingreter family still had the responsibility of trying its best to match the gifts offered by the Seki family. If Cekel epted the items Poliana prepared for her own wedding, it was going to unburden her family greatly. Sir Ainno told Cekel that she didn¡¯t have to bring anything to the marriage, but Cekel wasn¡¯t thick-skinned enough to do such a thing. Cekel felt a little embarrassed that she had to do this, but she had no choice. She epted Poliana¡¯s offer and she was thankful for it. Poliana nodded and said to her, ¡°And if you ever feel like you can¡¯t live with him, let me know. I will help you with the divorce.¡± ¡°¡­ you¡¯re funny, Marquess.¡± Cekel smiled bitterly because no one knew what the future may hold. *** In Yapa, the civil servants were the busiest men because any evidence the royal guards found were dumped on them to be processed. It was the job of the royal guards to arrest the criminals while the civil servants were responsible for examining and determining the official crimes and their appropriate punishments. All the guilty noblemen were arrested, which meant that the knights were now free to enjoy their time off. The civil servants, however, were burdened with a never-ending amount of work. The head of all of the civil servants, the chancellor, was officially still imprisoned. Unofficially, he was still working for the emperor, but because there was a limit to what he could do in the prison, Duke Luzo was ordered to remain in Yapa. Duke Luzo sobbed and screamed, ¡°But you promised to leave me alone after I get married! You promised I wouldn¡¯t have to work like a ve anymore!¡± Lucius the First feigned ignorance, telling his cousin that he promised no such thing. The emperor stated, ¡°I told you I would let you go after things settle down.¡± Only In the end, Duke Luzo was saddled with all the responsibilities of the chancellor as well as those of the emperor while he was gone with Poliana. When Lucius the First finally returned, Duke Luzo couldn¡¯t control his anger. ¡°How could you do this to me?! You went away just to hunt a gold digger? How could you?¡± ¡°I told you, it wasn¡¯t just any gold digger.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Not just any gold digger? So you mean an ugly one?¡± ¡°Listen here, Luzo. Marquess Winter is very special to me.¡± ¡°And I am not?!¡± The emperor replied in a serious tone, ¡°Listen to me carefully.¡± Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Lucius the First¡¯s voice turned genuine, making Duke Luzo¡¯s eyes widen. Whenever the emperor¡¯s demeanor turned this serious, there could be only two reasons. 1. To use him and make him work harder. 2. To discuss something as a family. Duke Luzo wondered anxiously, ¡®What could it be this time?¡¯ A lot of his hair, now long gone, was never going toe back to him. He wore a wig to hide the bald spot, but it just wasn¡¯t the same. Every strand left was precious to him, and Duke Luzo decided that if he lost more, he would have to be brave and stop wearing the wig altogether! Lucius the First took a deep breath. This secret of his¡­ Only his best friend and one of his ex-wives knew about it. Now, there was going to be one more person in this world who shared his secret. ¡°I am nning to propose to Marquess Winter.¡± ¡°Umm¡­. Hmm¡­ Actually, that is not a bad idea. So by having Marquess Winter, the most loyal knight in this kingdom, as the empress, you will prevent the power struggle within the royal family. You will then get an heir from getting more wives. Yes, I get it. What an amazing and clever idea. You are indeed a very wise emperor, your highness.¡± Duke Luzo looked at the emperor with deep respect. It was true that Lucius the First abused his cousin from time to time, but Duke Luzo had the utmost faith and respect for his cousin the emperor. A man¡¯s marriage was personal business, but the marriage of the emperor was a matter of the entire kingdom. It was no wonder the duke took the emperor¡¯s n as a political solution. Because Lucius the First no longer had any wives, either from death, divorce, or annulment, and he still was without a male heir, the emperor was now required to get married again. Because things didn¡¯t go well with his three previous wives, there was a good chance that the government would want the emperor to choose a perfect empress this time to begin with, rather than have the wives fight over the position. In the Marquess Winter¡¯s family, there was only one member, Poliana Winter. If she became the next empress, there won¡¯t be any worry over the other members of the family abusing the new-found power. In addition, Marquess Winter was the emperor¡¯s close acquaintance, which meant that she will always side with Lucius the First. Even if it means she needs to sacrifice herself, Duke Luzo had no doubt that Poliana would do what is best for the emperor. Lucius the First replied, ¡°That is not what I meant, Luzo.¡± ¡°Oh, no? Then what is your reasoning behind your n, your highness?¡± Duke Luzo was confused. He agreed with the emperor¡¯s n, yet Lucius the First seemed upset at his reaction. The emperor sighed, frustrated at the fact that no one in this world will wonder if he wants to marry Poliana because he loved her. Why couldn¡¯t people see what an amazing loveable woman she really is? Lucius the First replied, ¡°I want to propose to her from my heart, not for political reasons.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Duke Luzo nodded in understanding and said to him, ¡°Oh, is Marquess Winter very upset about the whole gold digger incident? But to marry her out of pity¡­ I don¡¯t think that is what the marquess would want. I doubt she will ept your offer, your highness.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, Luzo¡­ I¡­ I love her.¡± ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to say anymore, your highness. I understand.¡± Lucius the First gaped in shock. Did Duke Luzo already know about the emperor¡¯s secret love for Poliana? Was he so obvious about his feelings? All this time, Lucius the First thought no one knew about it, but it seemed that everyone knew! How could this be? Duke Luzo continued, ¡°I mean, you will never find a more loyal knight than the marquess. She is a true talent as well and she will do anything for this kingdom. I wish I had a knight like that for myself too.¡± Lucius the First sighed in relief. Duke Luzo didn¡¯t know anything. No one would ever suspect that the emperor is in love with his knightess. Lucius the First replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, Luzo. I really mean what I said. I am in love with the marquess. I don¡¯t love her as a loyal knight; I love her as a woman.¡± ¡°Pardon? What did you just say?¡± Duke Luzo tapped his ears a few times, thinking he misheard. The emperor repeated himself emphatically, ¡°I am in love with Poliana Winter.¡± ¡°¡­ your highness, how many fingers am I holding right now?¡± Duke Luzo, after hesitating, put up both of his hands with only the middle fingers raised. The emperor found this hrious, but he stopped himself fromughing out loud. He asked seriously, ¡°My eyes are working perfectly fine, so put your hands down, Luzo, before I break your fingers. Now, where did you learn this inappropriate gesture?¡± ¡°From Sir Ainno.¡± ¡®That jerk¡­¡¯ Only Because Lucius the First spent 10 years with the knights and soldiers during the war, he was well aware of various vulgar words and gestures. Duke Luzo, however, grew up and lived in a rather sheltered environment inside the royal castle all this time. So where would this innocent man learn such a distasteful gesture? Well, of course, it was Sir Ainno. The culprit was always closer than he could ever imagine. To be more specific, the actual source was Sir Jainno. Since he was a young boy, Duke Luzo witnessed Sir Jainno gesturing this way to his older brother, Sir Ainno. Duke Luzo, however, did not exin the specifics to the emperor. After all, it really was thanks to Sir Ainno that Duke Luzo knew this. Lucius the First continued to talk about his love for Poliana. This was the second time he had to reveal his secret, the first time being Sir Ainno, so the emperor found it much easier this time. He talked about how he learned his true feelings for his knightess, how he tried to forget about it, and how he could not. Lucius the First also exined why he could not confess his love to her yet. While he talked about his feelings, the emperor looked very emotional, which made him even more beautiful. Afterward, Duke Luzo said to him, ¡°Hmm¡­ I can see how much you suffered emotionally, your highness.¡± Duke Luzo¡¯s reaction was very different than that of Sir Ainno probably because the way the emperor exined his feelings have changed. When he confessed his feelings for Poliana to Sir Ainno, Lucius the First was in love with her but had no ns of proposing to her. Poliana was not the right woman to be the empress, but now, the emperor found his reasoning ridiculous. He hated himself for being so stupid. Now, he felt very differently. He didn¡¯t care if she didn¡¯t have the qualifications to be the empress. No matter what, Lucius the First was going to propose to her. He was determined to do this. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Lucius the Firsts didn¡¯t care if he didn¡¯t have an heir. It would be too cruel for him to have to turn away from his true love just because she was barren. Until now, he has been acting patient, but his patience only resulted in aplete disaster. A disgusting gold digger ended up having his try at Poliana. If the emperor continued to be stupid and ¡°wish for her happiness from afar,¡± Poliana may end up facing more hardship in the future. The emperor said to Duke Luzo, ¡°Pol is very upset right now, so it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to propose to her any time soon. I n on waiting until the royal death period is over before doing this.¡± ¡°I think that is a wise idea, your highness. You need to do this when she feels better. If you are sure this is what you want to do, then you must do it. And you can just have one or two wives for an heir.¡± ¡°Oh, about that¡­ My wife will be Pol and Pol only. I will not marry anyone else.¡± What was the emperor saying? Duke Luzo looked shocked and Lucius the First understood. The emperor knew very well that he needed his cousin for his n to work. To be exact, Lucius the First needed Duke Luzo¡¯s son¡­ The emperor exined, ¡°Pol is barren, so I will not be able to get an heir from her. This is why¡­¡± ¡°Your highness, then what are you going to do about your session¡­ W-why are you looking at me like that, your highness?¡± Duke Luzo trembled and took a step back, but the emperor continued to stare at him expectantly. Duke Luzo wondered, ¡®Could it be¡­ Is he trying to make me his heir? He can¡¯t! He wouldn¡¯t dare!¡¯ If Duke Luzo was an ambitious man, he would¡¯ve taken over the throne while Lucius the First was away on his conquest. Instead, Duke Luzo worked tirelessly for his emperor for 10 years, fighting against the elders to keep supporting Lucius the First and his dream of uniting the continent. During this time, Duke Luzo ended up sacrificing his hair. Duke Luzo did his part. He served his emperor to his best ability. He has done more than enough. When Duke Luzo looked at him suspiciously, the emperor shook his head. He was only a year older than his cousin. ¡°Luzo, our age difference isn¡¯t big enough.¡± ¡°T-then¡­ You¡­!¡± The person Lucius the First wanted was Duke Luzo¡¯s son. When he realized what the emperor wanted, Duke Luzo could not believe it. To marry a barren woman, his cousin was trying to steal his son away from him. What a thief! Duke Luzo was willing to sacrifice his hair, but not his own son. He shook his head hard and screamed, ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Luzo. Your son will be the next emperor of this kingdom! How amazing would that be!¡± ¡°No! Never! You can¡¯t! My son is very docile and kind just like me! If he bes an emperor, he will have a very unfortunate life! He will suffer from severe ulcers and lose his hair from the stress of running the kingdom!¡± No baldness ran in his family. No baldness ran in his wife¡¯s family either. So if his own son became bald, what would people think? They will think it began from Duke Luzo! The truth was, his baldness came from the stress of working too hard, but people will believe that he was naturally bald if his son was bald too, especially since his wife had such luscious hair. This wouldn¡¯t do. Duke Luzo cannot have people think baldness ran in his family. He couldn¡¯t bring such a shame to his family and his bloodline. He said forcefully, ¡°If you refuse to marry additional wives, I am against you marrying Marquess Winter! I will oppose it as a member of the royal family! I will oppose it as hard as I can!¡± Lucius the First was shocked to see his cousin, usually so obedient, rebelling against him. Duke Luzo has always been a very submissive man, but it seemed that he has changed ever since he became a father. The emperor begged him, ¡°Luzo,e on¡­¡± The duke covered his ears and replied, ¡°I refuse to listen to you, your highness! I know what you are going to say. You are going to tell me that I can always get more sons, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Luzo. My daughter and your son can marry each other. This will make your son a proper and official heir to this throne.¡± ¡°Your highness¡­ You will have me abandon my son for your love? Are you so blinded by your feelings that you will make me do this? You will sell your own daughter for this?¡± It was such a shocking thought that Lucius the First became upset. The emperor loved his daughter and his nephew, which was why he thought it would be a good idea for them to marry. He never imagined that Duke Luzo would feel this way about his n. Perhaps he was too rash and selfish about it all. Lucius the First realized that he needed more time and nning. The emperor felt bad about it, so he apologized to his cousin, ¡°I think I was being too hasty. They are still only babies, after all.¡± ¡°I agree, your highness.¡± Only Duke Luzo looked at his cousin resentfully and the emperor looked down guiltily. Then suddenly, Duke Luzo thought, ¡®Something doesn¡¯t sound right.¡¯ During this conversation, something was nagging him. Duke Luzo has been so distracted that he didn¡¯t figure it out immediately, but it didn¡¯t take him long to realize what he was missing. ¡®Marquess Winter¡­ Didn¡¯t she get her menstrual cycle back?¡¯ Duke Luzo remembered clearly how the doctors were bbergasted when Poliana began to bleed again. This news wasn¡¯t very important to him, so Duke Luzo didn¡¯t think too much about it at the time, but now¡­ He considered telling Lucius the First about it, but he kept his mouth shut. Marquess Winter was the same age as himself. What was the chance that a woman, who spent half her life on battlefields and without periods, be really fertile even if her bleeding began again? There were women who safely had children after turning thirty, but these women usually had multiple children beforehand. For a woman over thirty to have her first child¡­ Things could be very ugly. What will happen if Poliana died while giving birth? At the scariness of it, Duke Luzo shivered. Lucius the First already lost one wife to childbirth. If it happened again, especially to the woman he loved¡­ The emperor may not recover from it. Duke Luzo decided that it would be best for the emperor to never marry Poliana. This way, there would be no risk of something so tragic. Duke Luzo said to the emperor again, ¡°I am against this marriage. You need to know this, your highness. I am against you marrying the marquess.¡± Duke Luzo turned away from the emperor. His objection may hurt the emperor now, but it was for his own good. Duke Luzo hoped that someday, Lucius the First would realize that what he did came from love. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Lucius the First silently watched his cousin leave. Duke Luzo left with his back turned on the emperor, which was unusual. Normally, the duke took a few steps back before turning around, which was the proper royal etiquette. ¡®I guess he is really angry¡­¡¯ It was understandable since the situation involved Duke Luzo¡¯s son. In the previous generation, Lucius the First¡¯s father, the former emperor, ended up having an unfriendly rtionship with his younger brother, Duke Luzo¡¯s father. The former emperor ordered Duke Luzo to be raised in the royal castle so Lucius the First would have a good friend growing up. Duke Luzo¡¯s father felt like his son was stolen from him. Until the day they died, the brothers never made up their differences. Lucius the First did not want the repeat of this family tragedy. ¡®But I need Park as my heir.¡¯ To gain his love, the emperor decided to be a little selfish. Even if the duke did not agree to this n, if Lucius the First passed away without an heir, Duke Luzo was going to have to inherit the throne, and his son afterward. It didn¡¯t really matter if Lucius the First officially announced and groomed Park Luzo as his heir. Of course, the problem was that the emperor would have to work until his dying day to make sure the kingdom became as stable as possible for the next generation. ¡®I guess I will never be able to retire¡­¡¯ In his head, Lucius the First went over the things he would have to aplish before he died. He sighed, knowing that there were too many to do and not enough time. He was the ruler of this kingdom and therefore, he was destined to lead a lonely life. Was wanting a woman of his dream by his side too much to ask? Was he being too greedy? Why was it that Poliana¡¯s happiness and his own happiness could not exist together? If the emperor told Poliana Duke Luzo¡¯s initial thoughts, which was to marry her for a sound political gain, Lucius the First suspected that Poliana would agree to the n. She would ept his proposal easily and she will work hard as the new empress of this kingdom. She would remain his loyal subject. But¡­ This is not what he wanted. The emperor wanted Poliana¡¯s heart. He wanted her to want him as a man, not as her emperor. He wanted them to be a true wife and husband. Just as Poliana dreamt of finding a husband that respected her, Lucius the First dreamt of having her as a loving wife. Was this too much to ask? Was he being greedier than when he swore to unite the entire kingdom at the age of 18? ¡®Pol, I miss you.¡¯ Whenever he felt lonely or tired, the emperor wanted to see Poliana. But unfortunately, it has been impossible to see her because Poliana decided to go through special training after the traumatic experience. Due to the recent imprisonment of the guilty elders, the royal guards haven¡¯t had much to do. The Second Division especially actedzily since they no longer had the extended royal families to protect. Poliana announced that she will begin special training for herself as well as her men, which meant that Poliana visited the royal castle often. However, she never purposely looked for the emperor. There was no doubt that she was avoiding him. *** Long after Tory¡¯s incredible act of courage at the banquet, Yapa slowly began to gain peace again. To most people in the kingdom, nothing much has changed other than having an emperor who was single again. Nothing changed in Lucius the First¡¯s life either. He woke up early in the morning for exercise and after a brief rest, he went to work. He worked tirelessly in hopes that he might still someday retire. Even though he was busier than ever, the emperor still felt lonely and empty, most likely because it was impossible to see Poliana anymore. In the past, he had the same issue; it was very difficult to meet Poliana before too. But the difference was whether this was happening on purpose. As long as Poliana continued to avoid the emperor, Lucius the First couldn¡¯t help feeling insecure. The emperor still heard about what Poliana was up to. How the head of the Second Division visited Princess Luminae¡­ How the head of the Second Division requested to visit Lady Tory but was denied¡­ How the head of the Second Division had an argument with the head of the First Division¡­ Even though the emperor heard plenty of stories about Poliana¡¯s activities inside the castle, she never came to visit Lucius the First. Although he understood why she was acting this way, he still felt disappointed, even a little upset, at Poliana. Lucius the First became sicklier by the day from being lovesick and overworked. His big secret of what happened with Poliana didn¡¯t help his condition either. Sir Ainno, who was the only one who might have been able to prod the emperor about what happened during the trip, was too busy with his own love life and wedding preparation. Sir Ainno was determined to marry as soon as the royal death period was over and to aplish this, he has abandoned his best friend. But even if Sir Ainno insisted on knowing what happened, Lucius the First would¡¯ve never told him about the night he spent with Poliana. This was why the emperor wasn¡¯t upset with his friend. Sir Ainno might have been his best friend, but Lucius the First still would never talk about that night. This meant that the emperor had no one to talk to; he had to suffer alone. Only It became the emperor¡¯s habit to y with his mother¡¯s wedding ring, which he still hasn¡¯t returned to the Emperor¡¯s Room in Nanaba. All he could do was wait in pain. While the emperor became weaker, Poliana¡¯s survival instinct was kicking in. Poliana was still very grateful for the emperor forgiving her. Although that night was a result of both of them getting drunk, Poliana felt that what she did ashamed the emperor. Her crime was unforgivable, yet her kind emperor offered to forget about the night. Poliana was determined to pay back for his kindness by being the best knight she could be. ¡®I better be extra careful from now on. Something like that can never happen again.¡¯ Poliana was determined. Her nickname was the ¡°War Witch.¡± People believed that she was as cold as the freezing winter day. She was known for her mercilessness and ruthlessness during wartimes. There used to be plenty of enemy generals who swore to hunt her down and kill her. During the war, people died every day. Even when there was no battle, those who were injured died constantly. Poliana was used to losing people around her. So what happened? She used to be iron-willed. She used to be so strong and in control, but now¡­ She was too rxed. Peace had ruined her body and soul. The incredible power she held made her weak andzy. It all began after her friend Lady Reba died. It was okay to feel sad about a friend¡¯s death, but the mistakes she made afterward¡­ They were not eptable. Sure, a lonely woman could be fooled by a gold digger. It was okay because there wasn¡¯t any permanent damage to her reputation, but to assault her own emperor in such a manner¡­ How could she?! How dare she?! ¡®Dammit!¡¯ Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Poliana covered her face in shame. There was no way she could see the emperor''s face. She wasn''t a horny teenage boy, and yet Poliana couldn''t stop thinking about that night. She wished she could remember what happened clearly, because if she did, at least she would know exactly what happened. But the reality was, she remembered very vaguely and mostly how she felt, not the detail of what really happened. And how she felt¡­ It was embarrassing to admit it, but she remembered feeling good. ¡®Dammit! I think it was really good.'' If it was an awful experience, all she would have to do is forget about it. This was especially the case since Lucius the First ordered her to forget as if nothing happened. The problem was¡­ Poliana couldn''t forget, probably because it was such a shocking event. They both agreed to forget, but they both knew that they couldn''t. Both Lucius the First and Poliana knew they would never be able to forget that night. This was partly because if they didn''t, they might lose each other. Their rtionship might get ruined, so at the time, both believed that pretending to forget was the best option. ¡®It''s never toote. I better snap out of this.'' Perhaps it really was toote, but Poliana decided not to think this way. It wasn''t too hard for her to do this since she had a strong will. She had always believed what she chose to believe, and she was going to do the same thing in this incident too. ¡®I have been acting too weakly¡­ I was seduced by thefort of my new life¡­ This is why I made such a huge mistake¡­ This is the worst. I deserve to die. People can be such azy and greedy being, but I can''t be one of them! I need to be better!'' This was why Poliana decided to go through special training. Since she no longer had much work to do, she filled her daily routine with intense training. Poliana announced that she will no longer drink. She no longer epted dinner invitations just like the way she used to when she was a skinny young girl, Poliana trained like her life depended on it. Poliana was interested in how the First Division, under Sir Ainno''s order, trained so intensely. Sir Ainno may have been less interested in his best friend the emperor because he was busy with his love life, but Sir Ainno never actedzy about his work. The Knight''s Order''s training was always one of his priorities. When Poliana visited the First Division to ask about the training, the guards replied rudely, ¡°It will be too hard for you, Sir Poliana.¡± Everyone knew all the knights of the First Division were jerks, but this was too much. If Sir Mahogal was here, things would''ve been in better order, but he was on vacation. Poliana smiled brightly and kicked the rude guard viciously. The knights of the First Division shivered in shock. They knew they had no choice but to acknowledge Poliana as the head of the Second Division, but they had no responsibility to ept her as their own boss. But¡­ Poliana''s kicks and punches were shockingly painful. When Sir Ainno punched them, the guards feared for their lives. When Poliana did it, they feared bing debilitated. The guards knew they would not suffer an immediate death, but to suffer for a very long time and very painfully¡­ It was a scary prospect. Poliana knew that violence was not the answer to everything, but these jerks kept forcing her to use it. She was able to gain some control over the guards, but Poliana still felt upset. When she continued to pant angrily, Sir Beke walked up to her. He kicked his colleague, who was on the floor in pain, and said to Poliana, ¡°Sir Pol, our training may be too difficult.¡± With his eyes, he silently said to her, ¡°This is hell.¡± Poliana replied bravely, ¡°That''s exactly what I want.¡± Poliana clenched her fist and raised it up in the air. When she looked determined and ready, Sir Beke kindly exined to her what their training involved. After the training, Poliana copsed to the ground. When Sir Ainno spotted her, he walked up to her and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± The royal guards of the First Division saluted their boss immediately while Poliana remained on the ground weakly. When she couldn''t seem to answer him, Sir Ainno asked the guards instead, ¡°Why is the head of the Second Division here? What was she doing?¡± ¡°She has been going through our training with us, Sir.¡± ¡°Did she do well? Was she able to keep up?¡± ¡°No!¡± Poliana''s eyes wavered, but she still gritted her teeth when she heard the guard''s answer. ¡®Jerks.'' Why couldn''t they give a little white lie and say she did well? ¡®Honest jerks.'' Both the guards and their bosses were assh*les. Sir Ainno looked down at her with his usual disgruntled look. Poliana, feeling upset, asked, ¡°What?! Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°No, it''s just¡­ His highness has been acting strangelytely, so I was wondering if you knew anything about it.¡± She knew a lot about it, but Poliana couldn''t answer. When she remained silent, Sir Ainno assumed that Poliana didn''t know anything. He looked away and ordered his guards, ¡°Take care of her. Help her return home or something.¡± He left, leaving his guards feeling frustrated. ¡°What should we do? Who should help her?¡± ¡°Let''s just get one of the guards from the Second Division. She is their boss, right?¡± ¡°I agree!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°But if the boss finds out we didn''t help her ourselves, he is going to be furious.¡± ¡°Oh, maybe, and she''s a woman, so we might get in trouble¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Isn''t Beke her friend or something?¡± ¡°Oh yeah! Sir Beke is her close acquaintance, so¡­ Wait a minute! Where did Sir Beke go?¡± ¡°He ran away as soon as the boss appeared.¡± ¡°Well, that''s understandable. Sir Ainno is going to be his brother-inw, right? That sounds horrible. I would''ve run away too if I was in his shoes.¡± The guards of the First Division chatted leisurely while surrounding Poliana. Just then, a random dog appeared and walked up to Poliana with its tail wagging. The dog began to lick Poliana''s face, perhaps wanting her to y with him. Poliana was feeling too weak to push the dog away. When the guards continued to discuss what to do with her, Poliana used every strength she had left to raise her hand and said to them, ¡°I¡­ I will take care of myself, so¡­ Go away.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Pol!¡± The guards left immediately, leaving Poliana alone with the dog. Somehow, Poliana pushed herself so sheid on the ground on her back. Looking up at the sky made her feel a little better. The dog continued to lick her face, and soon, Poliana realized that the dog was after the saltiness of her sweat. He wasn''t licking her because he liked her. She was fine with it except for the fact that the dog had awful breath. ¡®I''m going to die here like this¡­'' Poliana felt too tired to move. Perhaps it was a mistake to dismiss the guards. She didn''t want to do anything. She couldn''t. She was regretting her decision to join the special training when Sir Beke returned. ¡°Umm¡­ My brother told me to invite you to dinner when I see you, Sir Pol.¡± Sir Aeke told both Sir Beke and Sir Deke to invite Marquess Winter for dinner when they got the chance to see her so the family could thank Poliana for giving her wedding items to Cekel. But today wasn''t the day for a dinner invitation. Poliana was too weak, so Sir Beke helped her get home. Chapter end Chapter 277 Chapter 277 This went on day after day. Poliana participated in the intense daily training of the first division and ate plenty to keep up. When she returned home, she copsed onto her bed and fell asleep immediately. It was amon knowledge that a good and plentiful rest was necessary for physical training to be most effective. Poliana, however, wasn¡¯t after physical improvement. She was training to strengthen her mind and so far, she didn¡¯t think she was doing enough. The maids of the marquess¡¯ household were concerned for their mistress. Even though Poliana was eating just as much as any male knights, Marquess Winter remained skinny. She just won¡¯t put on any weight. When the maids shared their worry, Poliana reassured them that she was perfectly fine. She was gaining a lot of muscles, so it is likely that Poliana weighed quite a bit. But what the maids wanted was for Poliana to get a little of fat on her, not more muscles. Poliana wrote a daily log of her training and the result. She was happy to see that she was making progress. For the first few days of her training, Poliana had to be helped to return home by Sir Beke or other knights because she could not walk on her own. But since yesterday, Poliana was able to ride the horse back home all by herself! She felt like she could do anything in the world! Poliana was feeling great when Sir Ainno said to her, ¡°If you keep doing this, you will die.¡± Sir Ainno didn¡¯t really care about what happened to her, but if she fell ill or hurt herself while going through his training regimen, Sir Ainno knew Lucius the First would be nagging him to no end. Sir Ainno said to Poliana, ¡°From now on, you are banned from participating in the First Division¡¯s training program, Marquess Winter.¡± His voice, his tone, and the way he spoke¡­ He was such a jerk, but Sir Mahogal, who recently returned from his vacation, kindly exined to her the reasoning behind Sir Ainno¡¯s words. There was no argument that Poliana¡¯s body was different from that of the other male guards. The difference was especially great whenpared to the knights of the First Division, who were the best of the best in the kingdom. If Poliana continued to try keeping up with these exceptional men, she really might end up hurting herself badly. It might look like she¡¯s making some progress for now, but in reality, her body was most likely to being damaged. Poliana nodded in understanding, so she decided that she would take a break today. And starting tomorrow, she would begin a different type of training. ¡®Tomorrow¡­ I should drop by to check on my men in the Second Division, and¡­ Huh?¡¯ She was going through her schedule when she noticed a red mark on the day before yesterday. Poliana wondered why she marked this day with red ink, which was the most expensive colored ink. ¡®Did someone die on this date? No, that¡¯s not it¡­ Is it someone¡¯s birthday¡­? No, that¡¯s not it either¡­ Wait! Oh! I remember.¡¯ After thinking for a while, Poliana finally remembered. Yes, it made sense. It was about this timest month when she had herst period. Yet¡­ This month, it hasn¡¯t begun yet. When Poliana was examined at Nanaba castle, the royal doctor told her she will most likely get her periods regrly now. He was right because when she returned to Yapa, she did have her periods consistently. This was why she marked the calendar, so she would not have an unfortunate and unexpected ident. But this month¡­ She was a few dayste already. Poliana wasn¡¯t worried, however, because there was a simple and logical exnation for it. ¡®Well, I have been training extremely hardtely, so¡­¡¯ Poliana has been training hard like a woman on a death mission. She, in fact, trained harder than when she was in the war, so it made sense that her period stopped. If her doctor found out, he would nag her that she should take better care of herself, but Poliana didn¡¯t care. Why? Because she was a bad patient! But as long as she lived as a good knight and good subject to the emperor, it was all good, right! Of course, it was! Nodding vigorously, Poliana threw the calendar on her desk. ¡®Who cares if I don¡¯t get my periods back? It¡¯s not like I n on having kids or something.¡¯ Polianaid down on her bed feeling justified. All she had to do was to sleep, but for some reason¡­ Her body felt different. Something wasn¡¯t right. ¡®Hmm¡­ I wonder¡­¡¯ She has never had a regr period in her life. She had more months of no periods than the ones with menstruation. It was a normal urrence for her not to have periods, which meant that she shouldn¡¯t have been bothered by this situation. Yet¡­ She kept thinking¡­ ¡®Why am I bothered? Is it because I was thinking about having kids only a little while ago?¡¯ It was a short-lived dream for her. There were days when she grinned about creating a family with Frau and perhaps even having kids of her own¡­ OF course, the result of her dream was a tragedy in the end. Poliana ended up taking advantage of the emperor. ¡®Gyaaa!¡¯ Poliana left her bed suddenly and punched the wall loudly. ¡°Gyaaa!¡± Her room was soundproofed, but the entire household heard Poliana¡¯s scream. Her butler, shocked to hear his mistress, ran to her room. ¡°Mistress! Marquess!¡± ¡°Arrggghh!¡± When he entered the room, Poliana was assaulting the wall and the furniture. Her butler was well aware of the marquess¡¯s strange method of relieving stress, so he quietly closed the door behind her. When the other servants and the maid gathered around outside her room, the butler exined to them what was happening and ordered them to keep quiet about it. Only ¡°But shouldn¡¯t we stop her?¡± ¡°She will stop when she is done.¡± She was a very important woman. Her health and well being should¡¯ve been her priority, so Poliana¡¯s staff assumed she would stop soon. However¡­ They were wrong. Poliana¡¯s stress-relieving habit continued intensely. She kicked the wall so much that her silk wallpaper was ripped. At first, the butler reced the entire wall with new wallpaper, but soon, the butler realized that it was no use. Poliana kept doing it over and over again, and in the end, he decided to patch it up by cutting a flower-shaped piece of silk and gluing it on. He, unfortunately, had to do this frequently. It was an annoying job, but this was his responsibility, not Poliana¡¯s. Marquess Winter had other matters to worry about. ¡®Dammit! Have I lost my mind? Why can¡¯t I stop thinking about his highness?! What is wrong with me?¡¯ It was the job of a good knight to think about his emperor day and night, but Poliana¡¯s thoughts were going in the wrong direction. Ever since Sir Batre ¡°spared¡± her marriage prospect by sodomizing her, Poliana learned to hate the feeling of men breathing down on her. It was okay for her to feel her colleagues¡¯ heavy breaths while they worked out together, but if a man intentionally blew warm breath at her¡­ Poliana flinched in disgust. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Poliana¡¯s nightmarish memories of Sir Batre disappeared when she heard the news of his death. The rumor of an unknown man stabbing the corpse¡¯s anus was enough to soothe her mind. She no longer thought of him or had upsetting shbacks of him. But now¡­ Poliana had new shbacks of the night she spent with Lucius the First. How she wrapped her thighs around him¡­ Touching his soft skin¡­ Groping his chest shamelessly¡­ She could not forget these memories. ¡®I have finally lost my mind.¡¯ Poliana believed that she needed to be punished. She believed that the appropriate punishment for her crime would be death. Frau tried to con her into marriage, but his crime did notpare to what she did to the emperor. Poliana sexually assaulted Lucius the First. The rapist and the victim agreed to forget about what happened, but this didn¡¯t change the fact that Polianamitted a crime. The very generous emperor told her to forget about that night, but Poliana kept obsessing about what happened. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. It wasn¡¯t that she could remember much of that night. It also wasn¡¯t her first time feeling the body of a man against her own. So what was it that she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it? Because Poliana was often treated as ¡°genderless,¡± she had plenty of chances to witness nude men. She also touched plenty of them too, so Lucius the First¡¯s bare body shouldn¡¯t have been too memorable to her. So why! Why! Why! Why did she keep thinking about it?! ¡®This is driving me nuts!¡¯ This was why she could not go visit the emperor. She couldn¡¯t face him. Lucius the First saved her life, and this was how she repaid him for his kindness. And now, her mind continued tomit the crime of remembering that night. She was a horrible knight. She deserved death. Poliana was so frustrated because she couldn¡¯t talk to anyone about it. What happened that night¡­ How it felt¡­ How she felt now¡­ This would have to be her secret forever. So what should she do about this problem? How was she going to stop thinking about the emperor in such an impure way? Lucius the Firsts¡¯ skin was soft while his muscle was hard. It felt so good to touch him¡­ It felt amazing to p his chest! Poliana thought she was probably the only one in the kingdom who pped the emperor¡¯s bare chest. The amazing sensation that only she knew¡­ Poliana couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. Polianaid down on her bed and looked at her hands. She tried so hard to forget, but she couldn¡¯t. Even when she trained so hard that she fell into a dreamless sleep, whenever she woke up in the middle of the night, thinking about the emperor was all she could do. Poliana recalled Lucius the Firsts¡¯ warmth. ¡®His highness was so warm.¡¯ Thinking about him was what she did whenever she got the chance, so how could she face him? So it was only when the emperor ordered all the heads of the three divisions to gather that Lucius the First was able to reunite with Poliana. *** The emperor ordered the heads of the First, Second, and Third Divisions for a work-rted discussion. Originally, the First Division, which also worked as the Knight¡¯s order, was considered the emperor¡¯s own personal use. The First Division usually did not have designated daily duties. The Second Division was the group that was responsible for the royal family¡¯s protection in real life. The Second Division also took care of the security of the inside of the castle. The Third Division was responsible for the security of the capital city outside the royal castle. After the recent major incident, Lucius the First ordered the First Division to focus on the emperor¡¯s protection. But now that things have settled down, and there were only two royal members left to be protected, things could go back to normal. Sir Wook, the head of the Third Division, smiled and said to Poliana, ¡°You must be happy about this, Sir Pol. The Second Division is again the only group protecting the royal family.¡± Sir Wook made a gesture of drinking, which was an invitation for Poliana to go drinking to celebrate. Poliana shook her head weakly and replied, ¡°I quit drinking.¡± Sir Wookughed loudly, ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re too funny! Are you trying out new jokes?¡± Sir Jainnoughed as well. Sir Ainno was already gone. Poliana was about to walk out of the room with the other knights when the emperor called for her, ¡°Marquess Winter, please stay for a while longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Poliana considered making an excuse to leave but gave up on the idea. After the other knights left and they were alone, Poliana sat in front of the emperor. At first, thankfully, Lucius the First talked only about work. Poliana felt relieved and focused on the conversation, but soon enough, the emperor brought up the subject she dreaded. ¡°Pol, after that night, I¡­¡± Poliana¡¯s body became rigid as she answered automatically, ¡°Your highness, you needn¡¯t worry about a thing! I didn¡¯t tell anyone about it. And I also haven¡¯t drank once since that night either!¡± ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t tell anyone about it either.¡± He nned on proposing to Poliana after the royal death period was over, but if he proposed to her out of the blue, Poliana was going to be shocked. So the emperor decided that their rtionship needed to improve first. To aplish this, he had no choice but to bring up what happened that night. Lucius the First exined, ¡°Just listen, okay? I thought about it a lot and I am certain that it was me who took advantage of you, Pol. I mean, think about it. It doesn¡¯t make sense that you forced me. You are a woman and I am a man. I think I did it out of my desire and lust. So what I¡¯m trying to say is that I will take responsibility.¡± ¡°Your highness, it was me who took advantage of you.¡± Only Poliana straightened up and interrupted the emperor coldly, surprising Lucius the First. He wondered if she remembered something from that night. Poliana seemed so certain of the fact that she was at fault, but this only fueled the emperor to be even more insistent. Whatever she may remember¡­ They were both very drunk so her memory couldn¡¯t be very urate. Besides, there were no evidence or no witnesses to prove anything, so the emperor decided to push on. ¡°Pol, it was me, stop arguing with me.¡± ¡°No, your highness, it was me. I am sure of it.¡± ¡°I am telling you, it was me who took advantage of you that night.¡± ¡°No, I am certain it was me who assaulted you, your highness.¡± ¡°Are you saying this because you remember something from that night?¡± Poliana, feeling cornered, yelled loudly in annoyance, ¡°I was on top of you, your highness! I was sitting on top of you that night!¡± Shaking her head in frustration, Poliana continued, ¡°It was me, your highness! I used your body! We decided to forget about it, so why do you keep bringing it up, your highness?!¡± Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Lucius the First argued, ¡°Well, maybe somehow we just got tangled! You know, if you are horsing around, things like that could happen!¡± Poliana yelled, ¡°If I was just ¡®sitting¡¯ on top of you, do you think I would be saying this?!¡± Poliana dared to raise her voice to the emperor. Her face frowning in frustration, she left the room without asking for his permission. Lucius the First could not stop her. He was so surprised that he wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. His heart was beating so fast like he ran hundreds of miles nonstop. ¡®Calm down, Lucius¡­ Calm down¡­ Calm down¡­ I need to calm down¡­¡¯ The emperor rested his chin on his hand and thought carefully. So he wasying on the bed and Poliana was on top of him¡­ And she wasn¡¯t just ¡°sitting¡± on top of him¡­ And Poliana was certain, based on this piece of memory, that she took advantage of his drunk body¡­ So¡­ ¡®She was on top of me!¡¯ There was no need for further exnation. ¡°¡­!¡± The emperor copsed onto his desk while clutching his chest. His heart, pride, and desire were all damaged from this piece of information. Something so great and incredible happened yet he couldn¡¯t remember any of it¡­ He hated himself. He hated his brain for being so stupid. Lucius the First felt foolish for secretly being happy about vaguely remembering the feel of her breasts. Something even greater happened, and all he could remember was the hazy shape of her breasts¡­ The emperor wanted to cry. It was the first time since his parents died that he felt like crying like this. Lucius the First tried and tried to remember that night, but nothing came up to his mind. He even hit his head a few times with his hand, but it was no use. *** Poliana was furious, and as the woman in power, she did not relieve her anger alone. After all, Poliana had plenty of men in her control to help her feel better. When she walked into the Second Division¡¯s breakroom, the guards saluted her loudly. Poliana was disappointed to see that the room was sparse. She hoped that if one of her men who weren¡¯t supposed to be taking a break was ying hooky so she would have an excuse to punish him. But to her annoyance, it seemed that all of her men in the Second Division were honest and diligent. Normally, any boss would¡¯ve been proud to have such good men, but today was not a normal day. Poliana asked, ¡°Is there anyone here who wants to spar me?¡± The young handsome men in the room all looked away, unable to meet her eyes. As the head of the Second Division, Poliana was a powerful and influential figure both politically and in terms of military authority. If a young guard wanted to make it in this world and get promoted, this would¡¯ve been a good chance to volunteer and get on her good side. This would be the chance to be noticed by the boss. However, it seemed that no one wanted to be sessful because no one volunteered. The guards had a good reason to remain quiet. Poliana sparred a few times recently with the guards of the First Division recently, and the way she fought was considered legendary. When Poliana sparred, she attacked like she was in a real battle. It wasn¡¯t just her that fought so hard; many spars were fought seriously, and most young knights were excited at the chance of sparring with a veteran soldier. Many of the young guards never had the chance to fight in real battles so sparring those who were in the war was the only way to learn the realness of a battlefield. However, Poliana, who obviously had less stamina and strength, was known to fight viciously. To be her most effective self, Poliana attacked only the most vulnerable body parts. If a man got a lighter version of her attack, he would be in severe pain. If a man got the full force of her attack, the man could be permanently crippled. Her savagery worsened recently after she trained with the First Division. All the soldiers of the royal guards were well-trained men, yet those who had the opportunity to fight Poliana, dered that it was like fighting a hungry tiger. ¡®Our boss Sir Pol¡­ I don¡¯t think she became physically stronger, but she became scarier, right?¡¯ ¡®Totally. We better never get on her bad side.¡¯ The superstitious guards of the Second Division believed that if their boss died, she would be the guardian ghost of Yapa that protected the capital forever. Poliana walked around the room leisurely as her men stood straight and in fear. She looked at them as if they were pieces of meat to be bought and eaten at the butcher¡¯s shop. Who will be called to face this tiger? Suddenly, Poliana¡¯s face turned ugly as she gagged. ¡°rgh.¡± Poliana gagged a few times, and the men felt hurt as they said to her, ¡°B,Boss¡­ You are too mean. We get that we smell rotten, but to gag in front of us like that¡­¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it¡­ rgh¡­ I¡­ rgh¡­¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t stop gagging so she ran out of the room. The smell in the guard¡¯s breakroom was a familiar smell to her. Men¡¯s sweat, blood, urine, mold, alcohol, juice, stale bread and meat, and mouse poop¡­ There was nothing new there; Poliana was used to the smell. In fact, she has smelled much worse during the war. So why did the familiar smell suddenly make her sick? For some reason, Poliana could not stop gagging. Her head kept telling her the smell was fine, but her body was reacting violently against it. It was painful to keep gagging, so Poliana ran to the washroom, thinking that if she vomited, she would feel better. But unfortunately, nothing came out when she tried to throw up. Poliana put a finger inside her throat, but even then, she barely threw up anything. Poliana tried to think of what might be happening to her body. ¡®Hmm¡­ have I been training too hardtely?¡¯ But she used to train even harder in the olden days, right? Sure, she was younger then, but¡­ Poliana supposed that there was a huge difference between being in one¡¯s teen years to being in one¡¯s twenties. This meant that being over thirty was going to feel very different, and when she turned over forty, her body would deteriorate further. It was true that the knights who went through harsh training and battles ended up sufferingter. It wasmon for the soldiers to have pain even after their broken bones mended. It didn¡¯t mean that these soldiers could not continue to fight, but¡­ Only ¡®I was feeling fine until this morning. Well, I guess I have been overly tiredtely.¡± Poliana decided to take the rest of the day off today. She felt guilty, knowing that she should take better care of herself. If she continued to abuse her body this way, Poliana knew she might end up suffering greatlyter. She had a hard life for the first twenty years of her life, so Poliana strongly believed that she deserves her next forty years to be amazing. In fact, her current situation was the best scenario she could ever hope for. She had a great power and her life was finally good. Such a wonderful life should¡¯ve been only the beginning for her. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Poliana gritted her teeth and began to pant in panic. Inside of her mouth felt gross from throwing up. ¡°¡­¡± Poliana desperately wanted to deny the cruel reality, but it was very hard. For a while now, it was bing harder to ignore the distinct possibility. The changes in her body¡­ She could imagine what these may mean, and now, it was time to find out rather than keep ignoring them. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Missing period, feeling poorly, and gagging for no reason¡­ All these symptoms could be exined by harsh training, but what if there was an idental one night stand before all these symptoms? Poliana left her work early to return home. There, she expertly put on a dress and wrapped her hair with a handkerchief. Since the day she decided to get married, Poliana chose not to cut her hair. It was now long enough to touch her shoulders. Should she cut it now? Should she not? Poliana red at the mirror for a while before deciding to keep it because she knew the handkerchief looked better on her with long hair. Her butler asked, ¡°Mistress, are you going out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The butler was happy to see Poliana in a dress because it meant that she wouldn¡¯t go too far¡­. Well, actually, this only meant that she wouldn¡¯t go out training like a maniac. Poliana didn¡¯t get on her horse. Instead, she chose to walk. She asked around and found the ce she was looking for. It wasn¡¯t the market but an area in the suburban area. After taking a deep breath, Poliana walked in. The owner of the ce was an old woman. The old woman¡¯s job was something women needed in every vige. She was a professional who had extensive experience and knowledge that could help women with their health. She was a midwife. Because most doctors did not have much knowledge of women¡¯s health, the midwives were necessary. Although they did not have official and organized schools and research, the midwives¡¯ experience helped in keeping down the death rate of pregnant mothers and their babies. The old woman asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Now that she said it out loud, Poliana felt dizzy. The midwife asked her to have a seat. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around here.¡± ¡°I just had some business to attend Yapa recently.¡± The midwife didn¡¯t get on with the examination immediately. Poliana showed her frustration, but the old woman didn¡¯t seem to care. Poliana might have had 20 years of battlefield experience, but the old woman had 50 years of experience as the midwife of this town. The old woman asked Poliana many personal questions. Where did she live? How old was she? When Poliana refused to answer them, the old woman grumbled but examined her nheless. After a little while, the midwife said to Poliana, ¡°Congrats, you¡¯re pregnant.¡± ¡°F*ck!¡± ¡°A pregnant woman should not swear like that! If you do, you will end up having a baby with a cleft lip. You¡¯re old enough to know better!¡± The old woman pped Poliana¡¯s back a few times. p! p! The midwife was shockingly strong, and in the end, the head of Acreian Second Division Marquess Poliana Winter surrendered. ¡°Dammit! Argh! Fine! Fine! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Poliana ran out of the door and sighed deeply. She didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Your highness¡­ Lucius the First¡­ My dear emperor¡­¡± It seemed that even her emperor¡¯s sperms were amazing since it only took one time to get Poliana pregnant. She wondered why it took so long for Lady Reba to get pregnant and why the other two ex-wives never did. Poliana kicked the wall hard, and the midwife inside yelled at her, ¡°Why are you kicking my home? You¡¯re pregnant, which means you should be more careful, be kinder!¡± ¡°Alright, alright! Sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Poliana wanted to cry. Why was her uterus suddenly working so hard when in thest thirty years, it refused to work at all? Why? How? What the hell! She wanted to believe that it wasn¡¯t Lucius the First¡¯s baby, but it was not possible. The only man she slept with was the emperor, so it had to be his. Poliana leaned against the building wall. She felt too dizzy to stand straight. Both of her legs began to shake. Pregnant. She was pregnant! People say that it was easy to miscarry at an early stage of pregnancy, so how did her body endure such hard training while pregnant? Poliana found it difficult to believe what was happening. She watched Lady Reba bedridden during most of her pregnancy. She needed the doctor¡¯s permission just to get the chance to sit on a chair, yetpared to that, Poliana¡¯s body seemed like it was invincible. Poliana believed that her life was alright. Some may believe she led an unfortunate life while others believe that she should¡¯ve been greedier for more in her life. But today¡­ Finally¡­ Poliana believed that a true cmity urred in her life. Something was going very wrong here. Was her life destined to be destroyed this way? Immediately after she was born, her birth mother passed away. Her own father and her stepmother wanted her to die. Poliana lived many years living and surviving without having a clear goal. She lived an unappreciated life for decades. She almost died many times before finally meeting the emperor who acknowledged and epted her as a true knight. She was given a new name and she worked hard. She made many notable aplishments. She was finally respected; she even had colleagues who liked her. The only thing left for her was to live a happy life, so why was this happening to her? It was one thing to be fooled by a gold digger, but to get pregnant by Lucius the First? Of all men¡­ Why did it have to be the emperor? Lucius the First currently did not have an heir. ¡®Well, that¡¯s not true.¡¯ Technically, Duke Luzo and his son were next in line. Duke Luzo was a truly loyal cousin and ally to the emperor. If Lucius the First did not get an heir, the next option was to have Princess Luminae marry the Duke¡¯s son and have him be the next heir. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, though the new emperor¡¯s legitimacy wouldn¡¯t be as strong as if it was Lucius the First¡¯s own son. The emperor united the entire continent. He dreamt of a strong unified kingdom and he didn¡¯t n on it falling apart after he was gone. In thisplicated situation, Poliana Winter became pregnant with the emperor¡¯s child. The gender of this baby was obviously unknown at this point. So as the loyal knight of the emperor, what should Poliana do? She could think of four options. 1. Honesty. She tells the emperor the truth. 2. Escape. She runs away. 3. Abortion. She gets rid of the baby. 4. Suicide. 5. This has to be a dream. When she wakes up, she will realize that it was only a nightmare, so there is nothing to do. Nothing to worry about. Only Poliana chose option 5. She was too tired, both physically and emotionally, that she needed some rest. *** The next morning. Considering it was such a traumatic event yesterday, Poliana slept rather well. With a clearer head after a restful night, Poliana contemted what happened. ¡°Why is this happening to me?!¡± Poliana despaired at the fact that she wasn¡¯t dreaming. She was truly pregnant with the emperor¡¯s child. This was really happening. Although it was hard to ept the truth, she could no longer just sit still and feel miserable. Now that she could think a little better, a thought popped into her head suddenly. ¡®Wait a minute! That midwife may have been wrong, right?!¡¯ Chapter 281 Chapter 281 That¡¯s right! Exactly! Poliana grinned widely. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of this earlier?¡¯ Midwives were not official professionals. They had more medical knowledge than the public, but these women were certainly not doctors. On top of that, the midwife Poliana saw yesterday had an awful personality. Since she seemed like an awful person, that old woman probably was an awful midwife too. Poliana finally felt much better. She calcted the days and realized that it would be too difficult to tell if she was indeed pregnant at this stage. It was very possible that the midwife was mistaken. Poliana put on a different dress and a handkerchief than yesterday to go out. Her butler didn¡¯t say a word; he only helped her get ready and opened the door for her. Poliana, feeling a little guilty, gave an unnecessary excuse for her outing, ¡°I am on a secret mission to check on the Third Division¡¯s work.¡± The butler did not doubt his mistress¡¯s word. Instead, he felt sorry for the Third Division. *** Poliana sighed as she walked the street. ¡®I better find a different midwife to see what she says.¡¯ Today, Poliana rode her horse to the city center. The most urate way of finding out would be to see the royal gynecologist, but if she did, everyone would know the truth. To keep her secret, Poliana needed to visit a vige midwife. Poliana asked around, making a point of only asking women in her same age group. She asked a few women and luckily, Poliana learned that there was a famous midwife living nearby. Because she was so popr, this midwife¡¯s ce was very busy. Most people waiting were women, although there were a few husbands that came with their wives. There also were a few kids who came with their mothers, making the waiting area rather noisy. Poliana waited with a rigid face. She was sweating profusely, and when it finally came to be her turn, the midwife examined her and announced, ¡°You are still at a very early stage, so I¡¯m surprised that you already know. Yes, you are indeed with a child.¡± ¡°Arghh¡­¡± ¡°Why are your hands so rough and calloused? You better be more careful now that you are pregnant.¡± ¡°Arghh¡­¡± It was like a death sentence to her. It was actually worse than a death sentence. As Poliana walked out of the midwife¡¯s house, her shoulders slumped. She felt weak; Poliana was able to reach where her horse was waiting for her, but she didn¡¯t feel strong enough to get on top of it. Two midwives confirmed her pregnancy. She was pregnant; there was no denying it now. After spending the night with Lucius the First, Poliana went into intense training. There should¡¯ve been a high chance that she miscarried from it, but her baby still survived. ¡®I can¡¯t believe the baby is still alive after me training so hard¡­¡¯ Both midwives told her that she needed to take it easy. The training she went through wasn¡¯t something Poliana nned herself. It was something created by the infamous First Division. There were moments during the training when Poliana wondered if she might die from it. ¡®Reba¡­¡¯ The memories of her friend made Poliana feel bitter. Lady Reba was forced to spend most of her pregnancy in bed and even then, she did not survive childbirth. Suddenly, Poliana shivered in fear. It was a good thing Lucius the First was currently unmarried. If he wasn¡¯t¡­ If Poliana became pregnant when he was still married¡­ ¡®If it happened then, I would¡¯ve had no choice but tomit suicide.¡¯ How shameful would that be? If it happened, Poliana wouldn¡¯t have been able to face the emperor¡¯s wives. She really would¡¯ve killed herself out of shame and embarrassment. Poliana returned home and washed up. She changed into her usual uniform and went to the castle to visit Princess Luminae. In the past, the princess had three mothers, but now, she had none. The only family Princess Luminae had was her father, but this wasn¡¯t an unusual situation. The princess had plenty of nannies and maids that she would never be truly alone. Besides, all nobles and royal families never raised their own children. Princess Luminae was now past her newborn stage. She was growing fast and strong, making her father Lucius the First proud. Now chubby, the princess was adorable. She only inherited the best features of her parents. Princess Luminae was so pretty that people believed she would grow up to be an even greater beauty than her own father. When the princess spotted Poliana, who visited her often, she recognized her and reached out to her. Poliana saw the princess¡¯s cute chubby fingers and smiled. Poliana buried her face on the baby¡¯s tummy. The wonderful smell of the baby and her warmth felt unfamiliar, but for some reason, Poliana missed it. Everyone was a baby at one point in life, but no one really remembered being a baby. Perhaps people liked children because they missed the time of their lives they didn¡¯t really remember. Poliana smiled bitterly and whispered to the princess, ¡°I did something very wrong, Princess.¡± Poliana was a friend of the princess¡¯ste mother. Reba used to be the one person Poliana could talk to about anything and everything. They were honest with each other and their friendship was real. Dirty chats, dangerous topics, disgusting words, horrible treacherous thought¡­ Poliana and Reba used to share their lives. If Reba was still alive, Poliana would¡¯ve told her about this situation. More urately, if Reba was still alive, something like this would¡¯ve never happened. No matter how drunk Poliana gets, she would never take advantage of a married man. Poliana slept with the husband of her dead friend. This ugly thought made her even more upset. ¡®Should I really kill myself?¡¯ If Reba was alive and heard what happened, how would she react? Would she have hated her? Found her disgusting? Or would she have just nagged her and in fact found it funny? Either way, Poliana would¡¯ve loved to have her friend back. She missed Reba. Poliana was a knight. She has always been a knight, which meant that she learned to not be too sentimental about friendships and memories of those who were no longer alive. This was necessary for her sanity, so Poliana quickly erased the thoughts of Reba. Missing her was making her feel even guiltier. She was already feeling bad about it so she didn¡¯t need anything to make her feel worse. Only Poliana asked the baby princess, ¡°What should I do?¡± Dammit! What was she supposed to do? She got drunk and made a huge mistake. Other people made drunken mistakes all the time and lived their lives fine, so why did her life have to change so much from a single misstep? Why did she have to get pregnant? ¡®Should I go tell the truth?¡¯ The emperor and Poliana decided to forget about what happened, but now, there was going to be a child. A child¡­ This wasn¡¯t something they could forget about. So should she go to Lucius the First and tell him the truth? How should she exin this to him? ¡°Your highness¡­ I am sorry to tell you but about that night¡­ I believe I am suffering from a side effect from it.¡± To this, Lucius the First would ask her, ¡°Oh, what is the side effect?¡± If she replied, ¡°I am pregnant,¡± what kind of reaction would the emperor have? Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Poliana couldn¡¯t imagine how the emperor would react. Maybe her confession would create an incident where the emperor falls off his throne. It will be the first time ever in history that something like this had happened. ¡®But I can¡¯t just ¡®forget¡¯ about this anymore! It¡¯s not possible!¡¯ While Poliana contemted, Princess Luminae giggled beautifully. Her golden hair, though different shade than her father¡¯s, still shined with amazing luster. The head of the Second Division felt burdened as she wondered, ¡®What if his highness asks me it¡¯s really his?¡¯ How should she answer if he asks such a question? Poliana didn¡¯t know. Of course, she knew her emperor wouldn¡¯t ask a question like that. He wasn¡¯t that kind of man at all. She knew he would instead try to console her. He would say something like, ¡°You must¡¯ve been feeling lonely and scared.¡± He would be kind and gentle to her. It was only Poliana¡¯s imagination that he would ever ask her if the child was truly his. It was the worst and the scariest thought and Poliana couldn¡¯t stop it from haunting her. Poliana wouldn¡¯t spend the night with any other man. Lucius the First was the only one, but there was no proof of this im. It was going to be just her words. If she was Lucius the First, Poliana would¡¯ve been suspicious. Since she took advantage of him, who is to say she hasn¡¯t done this before? In her mind, she was just a drunk woman who ¡°raped¡± a defenseless man. So if such a woman went to the ¡°victim¡± and tell him and she was pregnant with his child, who would believe her? If the man believed her, that would make him an idiot. The truth was, Lucius the First was indeed an idiot when it concerned Poliana. But Poliana was unaware of this. To her, the emperor was the most handsome and kindest ruler there ever was or could be. Normally, Poliana would¡¯ve felt more confident about her situation and how to deal with it. With her utmost trust in Lucius the First and her powerful status, she would¡¯ve been more decisive, However, the reality was that Poliana¡¯s emotional state was still very fragile from everything that happened to her. She couldn¡¯t help feeling pessimistic, and it also didn¡¯t help that her hormones were out of bnce. Usually, when a woman became pregnant by ident, an abortion was rmended. It was the darkest responsibility of the midwives. However, in this case, this was not an option. This baby¡­ It wasn¡¯t just Poliana¡¯s. If it was, Poliana wouldn¡¯t have hesitated in getting rid of it, but it was also partly Lucius the First¡¯s, and Poliana could never harm the bloodline of her emperor. So if she could not kill it, the only option for her was to keep it. Now that this decision was made, the next dilemma was what to do after she had the baby. If she had it in the current situation, this baby would be a bastard. There were two types of bastards; either recognized or unrecognized by the parents. The former was the lucky one that sometimes even they could be adopted by a married couple. The mostmon example was if a couple only had daughters and the husband ended up having a male bastard outside of his marriage. Oftentimes, this child would be adopted and be the official heir to the family. So what if the child was not recognized by the father? Then, the decision was for the mother¡¯s to make. She could abandon the child at the doorstep of the father¡¯s home if she wished. Poliana was going to be a mother. She was going to have an unwanted child. What are her options? The usual options for a woman in her situation were as followed: Abandon. Kill. Have the child be adopted by someone. In the worst-case scenario, pretend the child is her current husband¡¯s. The first two options were not eptable to Poliana. This baby was going to be Lucius the First¡¯s. If it was a son, although he would be a bastard, he will still be the first-born son of the emperor. This child would have to be raised ordingly as part of the bloodline of the royal family. There were romantic stories out there about this kind of situation. An unmarrieddy bes pregnant with a handsome knight¡¯s child. The knight, a highborn nobleman, was already married with an heir. The knight secretly supports the single mother and his son. The knight¡¯s official heir ends up dying identally and the single mother and the bastard son reunite with the knight; a happy ending! This was considered a romantic and beautiful story that was popr among the knights. If Poliana was not the pregnant one but the knight, she would¡¯ve been willing to support the single mother too. Abortion was not an option. Poliana also could not abandon her child. When she heard the romantic story, Poliana thought it was a nice fiction, but now that it was happening to her¡­ She realized how horrifying her situation was. ¡®Why, why, why, why me! Why meee!¡¯ Poliana screamed silently and stomped her feet. Her body tensed, and she ended up squeezing the princess, who was still in her arms. When Princess Luminae began to cry, Poliana immediately rxed. She tried to console the baby, but the princess refused to stop crying. Poliana quickly ran out of the door and yelled, ¡°Help!¡± The wet nurse, who was waiting nearby, quickly held the baby in her arms. The princess had been just fine when she left her with the knightess, so the wet nurse red at Poliana, who ran away hurriedly. Poliana could hear the princess crying even louder, making her feel guilty. ¡®I¡¯m so d her highness is healthy.¡¯ Poliana¡¯s life was in a shamble, but at least Princess Luminae was healthy, which was all that mattered. Well, at least, this is how Poliana tried to think, but it didn¡¯t take long before she became frustrated again. ¡®Dammit! It¡¯s not okay at all.¡¯ Only She pouted angrily. The early stage of pregnancy is supposed to be fragile and dangerous. All pregnant women were told to be careful and avoid any vigorous activities during their pregnancies. So how was it that Poliana and her baby survived the most intense training in the kingdom? It was the First Division¡¯s hellish training! ¡®I wish I miscarried. I wish I lost the baby.¡¯ Poliana¡¯s thoughts were turning dark. She truly wished that she miscarried her baby naturally. It would¡¯ve made things so much simpler. It would¡¯ve been better if this baby disappeared without anyone knowing. It was such a terrible thought that Poliana bit her lips. Poliana remembered Stra crying for days because of a baby she never had. At the time, Poliana learned to understand how Stra felt, yet here she was, thinking that it would be better to lose her own baby! Punch! Punch! Poliana attacked the stone wall angrily. To feel saddened by Stra¡¯s baby that never existed, yet wanting her own real baby growing inside of her to die¡­ The irony of it was tooplicated. There was no good solution to this problem. All Poliana could do was to assault the wall until she felt better. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Once a woman was pregnant, everything in her life changed to amodate the baby. She was told to only think good thoughts, eat good things, hear good sounds, and see good scenes. In her case, however, this wasn¡¯t going to work. Unfortunately, Poliana Winter was not a good person. Everything was supposed to be good when a woman was pregnant, but how could this rule work when the mother-to-be herself was not good? All Poliana wanted was for this baby to be gone; she did not need or want this child. It was painful to be in this situation, but the only reason why she could not go through with the abortion was that this child was her emperor¡¯s own blood. ¡®I am the worst.¡¯ Poliana couldn¡¯t stop punching the wall. If it wasn¡¯t for the gloves, her knuckles would be bleeding by now. She was on her way to report to Lucius the First, but her legs refused to move fast. She walked slower and slower as she wondered, ¡®What if he doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s his?¡¯ Just imagining such a scenario was painful. If he doubted her words, Poliana knew she would be hurt for life. She would never be able to recover from it. Lucius the First had to believe her. Poliana was single and the emperor was eligible again. Since she was pregnant with his child, the best option now would be for them to get married. By getting married, they will effectively stop any ugly rumors. Yes, Poliana and Lucius the First¡¯s marriage¡­ When the maids spotted Poliana, they bowed respectfully and greeted her, ¡°Hello, Marquess.¡± When the royal guards saw her, they saluted her immediately, ¡°Boss! How are you doing today?¡± An elderly nobleman nodded to her and asked politely, ¡°Long time no see, Marquess Winter. Shall we have dinner together soon?¡± When Poliana refused, the man left in disappointment. She had to get married. There was no other way. And with this marriage, everything she achieved will be¡­ Poliana couldn¡¯t swallow. She felt so overwhelmed that her body burned. Her name was Poliana Winter. She was born in Aehas and currently, she was the head of the kingdom¡¯s Second Division. She received the title of marquess from her emperor Lucius the First. Herst name ¡°Winter¡± was the treasure given to her by the emperor herself. Her hair was shorter than any woman in the kingdom. It barely reached her shoulders. She did not wear any makeup or jewelry, but despite theck of these fineries, no one who saw her doubted her nobility and importance. The uniform she wore proudly was that of royal guards, beautiful blue with a golden stripe across her shoulder and chest to represent her rank. Poliana was one of the few who were allowed to carry hidden weapons inside the royal castle, even in the presence of the emperor. ¡®Everything his highness gave me¡­ Everything I achieved¡­¡¯ She knew that Lucius the First would not be unkind to her. She could bet her life on this fact. The only time he said ugly words to her was the first time they met, but that couldn¡¯t be helped. Because he recently lost all three wives, Poliana knew he would be especially kind to her. If she bore a son, she suspected that he might not even marry another wife. Just as he valued her as his knight, Poliana was sure he would treat her respectfully as his wife. He would treasure her. Lucius the First was a man of honor. The emperor would be able to make her dreame true. The dream she thought she might live with Frau¡­ She knew that with the emperor, she would be able to form a warm family filled with respect and affection. The emperor was definitely a much better husband material than Frau. It wasn¡¯t even a fairparison. Lucius the First was the most beautiful, kindest, and smartest man in the kingdom. A gold digger like Frau could never even dream of bing half as good of a man as the emperor. Lucius the First would never ask Poliana the cruel question she dreaded. He would never fault Poliana even though all of it was her fault. He would instead take responsibility and punish those who would dare to disrespect her. He would make sure there is no negative rumor about her. He would trust her and believe everything she says. ¡°¡­¡± Poliana gritted her teeth and began to walk faster. When the emperor¡¯s servant saw her, he greeted her pleasantly. Lucius the First has been denying anyone¡¯s request to see him today, but he allowed Poliana to enter his room. ¡°Pol, did youe here because you wanted to see me?¡± The woman he loved has been avoiding him. The emperor has been looking ill but as soon as he saw Poliana, his whole demeanor changed. Lucius the First felt true happiness when he saw the woman of his dream. He decided not to hide his feelings anymore. He looked at Poliana lovingly. ¡°Your highness, I¡­¡± Poliana clenched her fists. Her hands trembled as she continued, ¡°Your highness, I would like to take a break from my duty.¡± ¡°¡­ is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, I would like to get an extended vacation. I need to go take care of mynd and I would like to enjoy some time off. I have been feeling very tired and my muscles have been very achytely, perhaps from the recent injuries. I think the hot springs from mynd will be helpful. I have also been suffering from insomnia, so¡­ I would really like some time off.¡± Lucius the First frowned. Everything he was hearing now was not what he expected. Poliana wasn¡¯t feeling well? And she wanted to go away on vacation? He nned on winning her heart somehow, but what she was telling him now was too shocking for him to do anything. The emperor replied, ¡°Of course you can take as much time off as you like, but do you really need to go to yournd? Can¡¯t you take a vacation in the city?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t visited the ce once in a very long time, so I think I should go.¡± If things didn¡¯t go right, there was a chance she might never be able to return. It was from her greed and selfishness that she asked for a vacation rather than a retirement. Poliana was a selfish person. She didn¡¯t want to lose anything she received from the emperor and this was why she was lying to him. The love in his gorgeous green eyes¡­ Poliana couldn¡¯t endure it. She thought his love was for her as a knight, and Poliana felt too guilty to ept his affection. After a short silence, the emperor replied, ¡°Of course¡­ Of course, you have gone through a lottely, Pol. I understand.¡± Only Lucius the First nodded. So many things have happened after Reba¡¯s death. Tory¡¯s public usation, which led to a political turmoil, the Frau incident, and of course, the shocking night they spent together¡­ Poliana did look very tired of all the things that happened to her. She also looked very thin, perhaps from the harsh training she put herself through. Lucius the First¡¯s heart ached painfully as he said to her, ¡°You do need a vacation, Pol, so I will allow it. Please have a restful time off for however long you need. No matter when you return, the position as the head of the Second Division will be yours and yours only, Pol. Always.¡± ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t leave immediately. She hesitated, but Lucius the First did not notice her behavior because he was too deep in his own thoughts. ¡°Pol.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pleasee back to me.¡± Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Poliana, who has been looking hesitant and uncertain, suddenly straightened up. There was a clear determination in her eyes as she replied, ¡°I will return to you, your highness. I swear I will because my ce is with you.¡± This wasn¡¯t just an answer to the emperor¡¯s question, but also a vow Poliana made to herself. Lucius the First knew what his knightess meant. He understood how she felt, and even then, he couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed. ¡®I should¡¯ve proposed as soon as I saw her today.¡¯ Regretting his inaction was useless at this point, it was always futile. Lucius the First said many horrible things to Poliana when he first met her. For example, he announced that he would rather sleep with a dirty wh*re than with her. He said to her that he was prettier than she was. The emperor also ordered his men to get a decent looking soldier to bed her before killing her. Lucius the First knew he could never fault her for not falling in love with him just based on the things he said to her. Poliana had never done any wrong with him. Everything was the emperor¡¯s fault and his alone. But Poliana swore to him that she would return. No matter what happens, she will be back. As long as Lucius the First allowed her, she will stay by his side as his knight. The emperor regretted it again and again. If he knew he was going to fall in love with her, Lucius the First would¡¯ve never said such rude things. He med the war; he was too nervous about achieving his dream that he said things he shouldn¡¯t have. Poliana¡¯s request today might have sounded simple but what it represented certainly wasn¡¯t. Poliana¡¯s head was filled with what might happen if she bore a son while the emperor couldn¡¯t stop thinking about proposing to her. And in the end, they parted their ways for now. *** Instead of telling the truth, Poliana chose to run. She didn¡¯t have a n. Not having a n was her n. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t show now, but soon, her body would change. If she remained in Yapa, people would know that she was pregnant. An unmarried woman pregnant¡­ It was going to be the juiciest gossip this city had in a very long time because it would involve Poliana, who was a famous figure, to begin with. Currently, the most popr story in Yapa involves Sir Ainno and Cekel¡¯s uing wedding. This was going to be the best time for Poliana to leave quietly while the city was distracted. Once the wedding takes ce, people¡¯s interest will turn towards her. Marquess Poliana Winter, who broke up her engagement to Frau, suddenly getting pregnant¡­ What a sensational gossip it would make! Everyone will want to know who the father is. They will want to know what she does with the child. This was why she had to leave Yapa. Lucius the First minimized the powers of the noblendlords in the kingdom, but Poliana¡¯s authority and influence were still much greater in Sitrin than Yapa. It was going to be easy to refuse guests from entering hernd. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry about how people saw her. Poliana will stay in the castle mostly, iming she wasn¡¯t well and needed rest. She will have her baby without anyone finding out. If it was a girl, she would raise her as her own. If it is a son, she will still raise him as her own, of course. If the child resembled the emperor, she would confess to him. This was Poliana¡¯s n so far. This was the least logical n, but Poliana decided to just go with it. It may have been a selfish decision, but she didn¡¯t care. Her life hasn¡¯t been easy on her. Life was never easy for anyone, but hers was a little more difficult than that of most. She had to work extra hard to achieve what she had now, and she didn¡¯t n on giving everything up. It was too big of a punishment for a one night¡¯s mistake. Poliana didn¡¯t want to lose it all. Her power, her reputation, her career, and her name¡­ She wanted to keep all of it till her death. Poliana nned on taking everything with her to the grave. She would never let any of her achievements go. Her name especially¡­ She would never give up her name. Perhaps it was too early to think too far. There was no guarantee that she would give birth safely. She was a healthy sturdy woman, strong enough to withstand intense training, but childbirth was a very unexpected event. Even though there was a chance she might not even make it to term, Poliana still could not even imagine losing her aplishments. She now had 7, maybe 8, months left till her baby was born. Until then, she will be constantly at risk of miscarriage. Even though the logical thing to do was to marry Lucius the First, Poliana didn¡¯t want this option. To give up everything and marry? It was too unfair. It was true that Lucius the First was the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom. He was the best husband material without a doubt. And to gain such a husband, there were so many things Poliana had to give up in return. She would lose so much of herself, she thought. Lucius the First was the emperor of this kingdom. He ruled this continent. If she married him, Poliana would gain a lot, of course. Things she used to have¡­ Things she never was allowed to have¡­ Things she lost¡­ It was possible that Poliana might gain more than she loses. For example, if she became his wife, she would get to experience many new things. She will get new kinds of powers and given the chance to think differently. Poliana was in her thirties. She was still very young, but still too old to get a whole new life and experience new things. Poliana worked like a dog to aplish what she had now. She finally had enough power to live the way she wanted, so was it too much to ask to keep her current life? To enjoy herself? Wasn¡¯t it only natural that she wants to remain in power? Only ¡®Let¡¯s just think positively. It looks like I will be getting a true heir of my own, so it¡¯s a good thing, right? Whatever!¡¯ If the baby didn¡¯t resemble the emperor, things were going to be very simple. She was going to give birth in her ownnd, so it was going to be easy to forge papers for her child. All she had to do wase up with a fake nobleman¡¯s name to put on the birth paper. She would im that she got married and the father of her child identally died right before birth! She was powerful enough, especially in her ownnd, to aplish this. ¡®So easy.¡¯ Poliana continued to live in denial. On a battlefield, the best option sometimes was to run, and now that she decided to do this, Poliana didn¡¯t waste any time. She got a few guards for her protection and left Yapa. She was supposed to rest, but it wasn¡¯t going to happen. She had to ride to her ownnd, but her body was strong enough to withstand the intense training, so Poliana felt certain she would be able to survive the horse ride. One good thing was that whether her baby was a boy or a girl, it would be a strong one. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Poliana owned manynds. How many pieces ofnd were considered many? There was no specific set number, which meant that some might argue that Poliana did not own manynds. Either way, before returning to Nanaba, Poliana was given two more towns on top of her already-existingnds. During their ten years of conquest, there were many ownerlessnds on the continent. The current situation was that Lucius the First did not have enough loyal subjects to give all of thesends. The emperor purposely broke up thends into even smaller pieces when he awarded them. Those who received multiplends were given different pieces in the three regions: the north, the mid-continent, and the south. This caused most of the noblemen to be unable to visit all of theirnds in their lifetimes. This was exactly what the emperor wanted. By doing so, he was making sure the noblemen¡¯s powers were dispersed all over the kingdom. This made it difficult for an individual or a group of noblemen to grow their force extensively. Just as he did with the military, Lucius the First also changed the ownershipw of thends. The noblemen no longer hadplete control over theirnds as if they were the king of their properties. All thends and the people living off of them belonged to the emperor now, and thendlords were essentially leasing thends from Lucius the First. The noblemen had to pay a fee to the emperor and the royal family to use thesends. This neww took effect only a few years ago, and unfortunately, mostmoners were still unaware of the meaning of this change. They still saw theirndlord as the ultimate ruler of thend. To them, theirndlord was still someone to be obeyed and feared. In the past, before thisw, thendlords had the power to do anything they wanted within theirnds. Even though Lucius the First took away this right, many noblemen still abused the people living on theirnds. Even with the neww, andlord still retained power as an enforcer. Andlord also had the authority to set the tax rate within hisnd. This meant that in her ownnds, Poliana was the most powerful person. She suspected that it would be very easy to forge official papers for herself. Among all thends she owned, Poliana visited two of them. One was her hometown, Cranbell, which was known for its cranberries, and the other was Sitrin, which was famous for its fertilend. Sitrin was an extremely productive piece ofnd, making up the majority of Poliana¡¯s ie. Some would say that it was the best piece ofnd in the kingdom and it made sense that Lucius the First gifted it to his most loyal knight. It was located near Yapa, the capital of Acreia, and Sitrin even had hot springs, which made it perfect. Poliana nned on staying in Sitrin. It bothered her that it was so close to the capital city, but she didn¡¯t want to travel too far in case the guards she brought might notice her condition. *** The vassals of the Sitrin castle could barely breathe. They were extremely anxious about the arrival of their mistress. Poliana was a generousndlord. In this world, the bestndlord was an absent one. Since she received thend a few years ago, Poliana never once visited Sitrin. She received the financial reports regrly and as long as the numbers looked good, she did not pay attention to whatever was happening in Sitrin. It was so close to Yapa, yet she never visited it once. This created a perfect environment for corruption to ur here. However, the vassals of Sitrin remembered what happened in the past. When Poliana was in Sitrinst time, she examined the financial papers with the eyes of a hawk. She was able to find a single numerical mistake on the documents and questioned the vassals mercilessly. This was why the men were about to have a heart attack. Their only hope was that Poliana was visiting to spend her vacation, which meant that she will not be interested in working. The officials of Sitrin reviewed the documents over and over again to make sure there weren¡¯t any mistakes. The servants, the maids, and the locals all worked together to clean the castle inside and out until it was spotless. The local guards patrolled the area, again and again, to make sure there wasn¡¯t anything that might upset theirndlord. Because the previous owner of Sitrin was cruel, Poliana had a good reputation. For her arrival, a room and a bath were prepared. The castle chef worked tirelessly to prepare a feast for his mistress and the apanying knights. ¡°Wee, Marquess!¡± As soon as they spotted the group, the patrols rode back to the castle to let everyone know. The drawbridge went down immediately, and the castle gate was opened. The vassals bowed deeply and greeted their knightess, ¡°Wee, Mistress!¡± Their lord, Marquess Winter, got off her horse. It looked like she rode very hard because she looked exhausted. Her eyes were red, and she was covered in dirt and dust. The butler, realizing his mistress needed a bath first before the feast, gestured to the maids to get to work. Poliana eyed everyone until she found the butler. Without a warning, she grabbed him, making everyone around be pale in shock. Poliana yelled, ¡°Get me some jerkies!¡± There was a great extravagant feast prepared for her, yet Poliana screamed for the jerkies. No one could understand why, but what people didn¡¯t know was that Poliana was suffering from her morning sickness. Everything she usually ate made her feel nauseous. All the way to Sitrin, all Poliana could stomach was the jerkies. She constantly chewed on them, annoying her guards. ¡°Boss, why do you keep eating that cheap stuff? You are the head of the Second Division and our boss! You need to have a better taste!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If you want meat, we can go hunt a deer for you!¡± Only Poliana replied coldly, ¡°This is what I want to eat, so stop nagging me!¡± At one point, the guards caught a deer for her, but Poliana refused to eat it. When they stopped by the viges from time to time during their journey, Poliana looked for the worst and the cheapest food possible rather than proper meals. The other knights could not understand why their boss¡¯s taste in food changed so drastically. Poliana herself could not understand this change either. She refused the delicious food offered to her. Instead, she kept chewing on the jerkies. Poliana tried different types of food on the way to Sitrin, but nothing seemed to satisfy her. When she arrived, Poliana raided Sitrin¡¯s pantry and found the dried meat and bags of old flour. The chef, who has been working hard to prepare for the marquess, lost his kitchen to her. The vassals begged her to stop, but Poliana ignored them and got to work. She ced a small brass pot filled with water on the fire. Before the water began to boil, Poliana threw in all the ingredients all at once. When the content of the pot began to boil, everyone frowned. The chef began to cry in shock. ¡®The marquess has the worst taste in food!¡¯ Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Their mistress, Marquess Winter, had the worst taste in food ever. At this rate, the Sitrin chef knew that he, an expert in fine dining, would be fired soon if he could not satisfy thendlord¡¯s taste buds. The mysterious stew made of old jerkies, flour, and water continued to boil ominously. Polianadled some onto a bowl and let it cool for a while before trying a bite. After tasting it, she became angry. ¡°This doesn¡¯t taste right!¡± ¡®What is wrong with her?¡¯ ¡®She made it herself and now she is angry at the food?¡¯ What was going on here? People around her had no sympathy for her. After all, theirndlord didn¡¯t even greet her vessels when she arrived. Instead, she immediately ran to the pantry and the kitchen and began to make a pot of her disgusting stew. Everyone looked at her coldly. But Poliana didn¡¯t care about how they felt. She ignored them, especially because she found it hard to control her anger over the content of the pot. ¡°This doesn¡¯t taste the same as before!¡± ¡®What does she want?¡¯ No one could understand what Poliana was trying to aplish. She made the appalling stew herself and now she was getting angry over it. It was not a surprise that the stew tasted awful. The vessels watched her make it and there was no way that it would taste good. The ingredients and her cooking method were both terrible. Poliana chewed on her lips and tried to figure out what went wrong. The ingredients? They were the worst kind. Her cooking method? It was the simplest one out there, and yet the taste seemed different from before. Why? Poliana was still a soldier. She was on vacation, but this did not change who she was. Then suddenly, her eyes twinkled. Poliana pointed at therge metal pot in the corner and ordered, ¡°Get me that pot.¡± The servant took out the giant pot, which was only used when there was arge banquet. Poliana began a fire from scratch in the castle garden. She gathered the firewood herself and began to go through the same process again. She found even more inedible things such as molded jerkies, awful-smelling cheese, and the grain flour that looked like it was about to go bad. Poliana also added some salt and spices. The final result looked like normal stew, but those who witnessed how it was made knew that it couldn¡¯t be edible. Surrounded by the knights and the vessels, Poliana tried it. ¡°Yes, this is it!¡± She nodded in satisfaction. She used the same method and ingredients for the first try, but Poliana realized that what makes the difference was the portion size and the size of the fire. During the war, that one time when she cooked, she was given arge pot and an equallyrge fire to feed the men. ording to her, this was the secret to the sessful military cooking. Poliana, clearly looking pleased, continued to stir the pot. This was the remake of her infamous ¡°dog stew.¡± The stew not even the dogs would eat. This was the food she has been craving desperately for some reason. Poliana smiled happily and the knights wondered, ¡®Does that stew really taste that good?¡¯ The story of the ¡°stew that not even the dogs would eat¡± was legendary. The young knights, who have only heard of this story but never tasted the stew before, became curious. One of them, unable to stop himself, asked her, ¡°Boss, may I try it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Me too! ¡°I want to have a taste too!¡± The other knights also seemed eager to try. They filled a few bowls with the stew excitedly. The knights, every one of them, were young, na?ve, and inexperienced. When they had one taste, all of them began to gag. ¡°rghh!¡± ¡°Boss! I can understand why it¡¯s called the dog stew! No dog would ever eat such a thing!¡± Poliana red at them and asked, ¡°Have you ever actually seen a dog refuse to eat it?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I asked you if you¡¯ve actually seen a dog refusing to eat it! Are you a dog? Is that how you know?¡± ¡°N-no, Sir Poliana.¡± The knights became scared when Poliana overreacted and seemed furious. When they shivered in fear, Poliana grinned and replied, ¡°It¡¯s true that even the dogs won¡¯t eat it. Anyway, you should never throw your food away, so you better finish your bowls.¡± Now that she ate what she craved, Poliana felt more generous. She was full now, which helped her in finding her manners. Unfortunately, it was toote. The vessels were staring at her in confusion. Poliana cleared her throat and greeted them, ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Wee, Mistress.¡± It was obvious the vessels did not really mean what they said. *** The Sitrin vessels expected theirndlord¡¯s stay to be short. There were noblemen who preferred to be hands-on with the running of theirnds while there were others who were happy to just receive the ie. In this case, Marquess Poliana Winter was thetter. Poliana clearly did not have any emotional attachment to hernd, but the locals still loved her. The people of Sitrin were abused badly from their previous lord that they were extremely happy with Poliana, who was, although absent, very generous. The locals hoped that Marquess Winter¡¯s family would rule theirnd for many generations. Marquess Winter was greatly respected and admired. Unfortunately, the people of Sitrin knew that as the head of the Second Division, Poliana wouldn¡¯t stay in their little town forever. This meant that this might be their only chance to meet theirndlord! Only The locals wanted her to tour thend of Sitrin. The vessels and the officials wanted theirndlord to review their paper works because they wanted her approval and be free of further scrutiny from her. The butler and the castle maids wanted their mistress to rest, which was her reason for this visit. The merchants of Sitrin wanted Poliana to get to work and approve and renew the trade permits. The city guards, although they technically belonged to the kingdom, didn¡¯t hesitate to make various requests to Poliana. The result was Poliana working as hard as before. It was impossible to ignore the requests of the locals. There were many things she needed to take care of as thendlord. She had an excuse not to get involved in person when she lived in Yapa, but now that she was here, she could not ignore her duties. ¡°Marquess, what should we do with the goods we confiscated from the bandits of the surviving enemy soldiers?¡± ¡°There are many vagabonds who are pretending to be refugees to get into our town. What should we do?¡± ¡°You also need to decide on the trade list for this town.¡± Theirndlord, Marquess Winter, was an infamous knightess during the war. She was known to be ruthless, which scared the Sitrin vessels enough to work with perfect transparency. They knew that based on the rumors they heard that if they made a mistake, they would end up losing their manhood. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Those working for Poliana in the Sitrin castle were anxious ever since they heard the news about her visit, but now that Poliana was here, they finally had the chance to prove their worth to her. The officials sought her out actively, making Poliana¡¯s life very busy. Poliana had enough to worry about, but she did not avoid her responsibility. In a way, she was just like her emperor; Poliana was a workaholic. She visited Sitrin partly to rest, but she was barely given a chance to sit. Poliana, however, didn¡¯t mind. Her n was to get forged papers and to do this, she was going to need help from the local officials and the vessels. Poliana prioritized the requests and worked efficiently to the officials¡¯ delight. It was supposed to be her vacation, but in the end, it was her apanying knights that ended up getting a break. They enjoyed the hot springs, the wonderful food, and the time off. Just to keep in shape, they did the bare amount of training. Most royal knights were from a good family with good looks and talents. The women of Sitrin, both thedies and the maids, admired the knights from the capital city. The young men loved being appreciated by thedies. ¡°This is like heaven.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want to go back to Yapa.¡± Even in Yapa, the royal guards were respected, but there were plenty of them in the capital city. In Sitrin, they were considered rare. In fact, they were the only royal guards in Sitrin castle, so the locals reacted excitedly around them. After being revered for a few days, the knights looked well-rested and pleased. When Poliana saw one of them, she grinned. The knight looked very well; his skin shined brightly. Poliana asked, ¡°You must be having a good time, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir Pol! The hot spring here is amazing. When the people in Yapa learn about it, they are all going to want to visit.¡± Sitrin was already a richnd. If people learned about the hot springs here, there would be an increase in visitors from all over the kingdom, which wasn¡¯t what Poliana wanted. She wasn¡¯t interested in making Sitrin into a tourist spot. There was a reason why Poliana asked one of her men toe see her. It was time for her guards to return to Yapa. ¡°Why do you think I called for you today?¡± The knight suddenly felt scared, and he didn¡¯t know if he did something wrong. The knight tried his hardest to remember, but there was nothing that came up in his brain. ¡®D¡­did I not train enoughtely? Does she know? But the other guys didn¡¯t do much either. Is she going to make an example of me?¡¯ Poliana asked again, ¡°Do you not know?¡± The knight shivered. His entire body tensed, but he knew what to do. The knight straightened and replied, ¡°My apologies, but I don¡¯t know! If you tell me, I will fix it immediately!¡± ¡°Do you know what the Intelligence Unit is?¡± ¡°I am not aware of such a group, Sir Pol!¡± ¡°You must know.¡± ¡°Is it a newly formed unit? I am sorry I do not have any information on it! I will find out right now!¡± ¡°So you are going to pretend ignorance? Who do you think rmended Sir Deke to his highness for this unit?¡± When Poliana continued to push, the knight stared for a little while before grinning. His bright white teeth shone as he stopped pretending and replied, ¡°So you knew about it, Boss?¡± ¡°Just a little bit.¡± ¡°You are definitely the best among all the bosses of the divisions, Sir Pol.¡± Poliana shrugged, enjoying the ttery. It was indeed Poliana who rmended Sir Deke to lead the Intelligence Unit. Over time, although she didn¡¯t know the specifics of this secretive group, Poliana could guess who might be part of it. And one of them was her own guard standing in front of her. He was a member of the Second Division, but he also worked for the Intelligence Unit covertly as well. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to get him fired from the Intelligence Unit.¡¯ As part of the Intelligence Unit, he should not have admitted his position to Poliana even if she prodded him. Because this unit was created in a hurry, it seemed that its men weren¡¯t trained properly. However, it seemed that the members at least did a decent job gathering information. ¡°So you must now know why I called for you.¡± ¡°Did you need something from me?¡± ¡°The real reason I came here isn¡¯t for a vacation.¡± ¡®I actually came to have a baby.¡¯ Poliana trusted her guards. She believed in their loyalty to her, but the problem was, all the royal guards, including herself, were loyal first to the emperor. And it was Lucius the First who was the one she had to keep her secret from. Poliana believed that all secrets eventually get revealed in this world. This was why it was best to keep the number of involved people as small as possible. The more people there were who knew about the secret, the faster it will be for the secret to be exposed. Poliana said to her guard, ¡°I came here to run away.¡± The knight¡¯s eyes sharpened at her confession. The powerful Marquess Winter running away? From what? When telling a lie, it was most convincing when one would include as much truth as possible. Poliana decided to tell the guard the truth about what happened with Frau as the reason for her stay in Sitrin. She told him about how embarrassing it was to find out that a gold digger almost fooled her into marrying him. It was such a tragic story that the guard quivered angrily. ¡°And what did you do to that bastard, Boss?¡± ¡°I chopped it off.¡± Did she mean his neck? When the knight pointed at his neck questioningly, Poliana shook her head. The knight thought about the other body parts that could be cut off, and he suddenly remembered Poliana¡¯s nickname. The knight nodded in understanding and Poliana said to him, ¡°Revenge isn¡¯t what really matters right now. There is a bigger issue.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I am too embarrassed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her guard frowned and nodded. It was true that such an incident was humiliating. She called off the wedding, but people still talked about it sometimes. If it wasn¡¯t for Sir Ainno¡¯s and Cekel¡¯s uing wedding, Poliana¡¯s failed marriage n would¡¯ve been the talk of the town. Most of the people in the kingdom didn¡¯t know what really happened, but those who mattered most to Poliana knew. Perhaps it would¡¯ve been better for the strangers to make fun of her rather than those close to her to pity her. Poliana said to him, ¡°I am just mortified.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too embarrassing.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Only ¡°And as time passed, my embarrassment became bigger. This is why I ran.¡± ¡°Boss¡­¡± ¡°I forgot to tell his highness, but I am nning on staying here long term.¡± The guard nodded and Poliana continued, ¡°So you guys should return without me.¡± ¡°But who will guard you here?¡± ¡°Sitrin castle¡¯s guards will protect me, so you will return without me.¡± ¡°But Boss¡­¡± Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Because Poliana was so busy since the first day she arrived at the Sitrin castle, her guards have been having a nice time off. The knight looked at her in disappointment, wanting to stay in Sitrin a while longer to enjoy himself, but Poliana waved him away. The knight bowed and left the room, feeling sad that he had to say goodbye to the wonderful hot springs. Staring at the closed door nkly, Poliana thought to herself again, ¡®When I return, I better tell Sir Deke to fire him from the Intelligence Unit.'' A few dayster, the knights that apanied Poliana left Sitrin to return to Yapa. Poliana continued to work hard as she survived on the dog stew three meals a day. The castle chef, who has been happy to have the Yapa knights enjoy his food, was the most disappointed now that the only guest left was Poliana, who insisted on eating only the awful food she made herself. The chef thought that once the dog stew was gone, Poliana would search for a new kind of food. He secretly stole a little bit of stew at a time to give it to the stray dogs living outside the castle. Everyone in the Sitrin castle, except the chef, was happy that the marquess was here. A castle without its owner always felt too empty. As long as the lord or thedy of the ce wasn''t too cruel, it was always better to have him or her present. One day, Poliana finished most of her work for the day. She decided that this was the day for her to get things over with. She gathered the butler, the heads of the maids, and the vassal in her room. An unmarried woman getting pregnant was an embarrassing incident, but if she showed any remorse or guilt, people were going to take advantage of her. With a straight and confident face, Poliana announced, ¡°I am pregnant.¡± The vassals gaped in shock, but the butler and the head of the maids looked calm. This was not an unusual urrence in a noble household. The butler and the head of the maids have seen it all. The only difference, in this case, was the fact that this was happening to a mistress rather than a master, but no one cared about it. This situation was especially well epted by the people of Sitrin because the mid-continent had a much more open culture than Acreia. Here,dies and the noblemen were allowed to mingle and interact more freely. Cheating on spouses and having bastard children weren''t very umon. One of the vassals asked, ¡°I¡­is that why you came here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about marriage¡­¡± The vassal couldn''t seem to finish his sentence. The infamous Marquess Winter became pregnant and came to Sitrin without a marriage n. It was obvious that her intention was to have the baby here in secret. There had to be a reason why Poliana couldn''t get married. Unlike the butler and the head of the maids who remained calm and quiet, the vassal continued to ask different questions. He asked how far along she was and how her health was. Poliana answered as politely as she could, but she preferred the nonchnt reactions of the butler and the head of the maids. Poliana ordered, ¡°For now, close down the inner castle so that no strangers can enter. Only those delivering food will be allowed toe and go. The number of people entering this city should also be limited¡­¡± The butler offered before Poliana could finish her order, ¡°Mydy, instead of doing all that, have you considered staying in the country house?¡± ¡°The country house?¡± ¡°Yes, there is a vi that was built right where the original source of hot spring exists. The foreigners are forbidden to enter this ce. Only the maids and the cook usually frequent this ce. It is located in a rather remote area and there is only one way to get to this ce. It is very easy to keep tight surveince there, which was why many important figures used this ce to rest and carry out private businesses.¡± The head of the maids added quickly, ¡°Mydy, you came here for your vacation, which means that no one will question why you stay at the country house. The officials here won''tin because you will still be closer to Sitrin than when you lived in Yapa.¡± While the vassal looked uncertain, the butler and the head of the maids seemed ready to take on this mission with efficiency and precision. They were clearly professionals in this field, and Poliana was impressed with them. If you are sick, you should visit the doctor. If there is a war, you should call for the soldiers. If you need to have a bastard baby in secret, you should ask for help from the butler and the maids. To the butler and the head of the maids, this was an easy task. Normally, something like this happened to thedy of the house, which meant that it was very difficult to hide things from the master of the house. In this case, Poliana was the owner of the castle and therefore, there was no need to keep this secret within the household. When things were decided, the butler and the head of the maids left to get everything ready. The vassal, looking awkward and still shocked, was about to leave as well when Poliana stopped him. ¡°Stay a little while longer.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, mydy.¡± Poliana discussed with him about forging the papers for herself. It wasn''t a very difficult problem; the vassal reassured her not to worry about a thing. Falsifying documents was going to be easy. It was another matter that was going to be tricky. The vassal asked, ¡°Mistress if it is a son, are you going to make him your heir?¡± ¡°I haven''t decided yet.¡± What will happen to the baby, whether it was a boy or a girl, was going to depend on how much the baby resembled the emperor. Poliana was not a fortune teller so she could not predict what her baby will look like. Even the best fortune-teller of the kingdom would find it hard to guess such a thing. The vassal regained some of his calmness as they talked about paper works, which was his specialty. His eyes looked at Poliana intelligently as he suggested, ¡°If you wish, you can have your baby be adopted by one of the vassals and make him your heir. This happens rather often, mydy. You can also have the baby be adopted by a noble family without its own heir. There are many options for you.¡± Swallowing nervously, the vassal hesitated before asking a dreaded question, ¡°And if the father isn''t of blue blood¡­¡± He was risking his life by asking such a question, but there were going to be many things the vassal needed to take care of, which meant that he needed to know as much as possible about the situation. ¡°If the baby wasn''t of blue blood, I would''ve never decided to keep it,¡± Poliana replied firmly. In the kingdom, the high-born nobles were nicknamed the ¡°blue blood.¡± This was because the nobles never worked outside, allowing their skin to remain pale and therefore making their veins look blue. The truth was that everyone had red blood. It didn''t matter if you were amoner or a nobleman, and Poliana, as a knight, knew this very well. Lucius the First liked the color red, but because it was considered the color of themoners, he needed toe up with another color to represent him. Poliana believed that the color of the emperor''s blood must be gold. ¡°Phew¡­¡± The vassal sighed in relief at her answer, but Poliana certainly wasn''t. If her baby wasn''t of noble blood, she wouldn''t have kept it. The problem here was, however, that the father of her child was too high born. Chapter end Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Lucius the First, the father of Poliana¡¯s unborn baby, was disappointed to see the royal guards return without his knightess. Apparently, Poliana asked for a long vacation, and by doing this, she was testing his patience. When Poliana first asked for some time off, Lucius the First was expecting her to take a month off at most. But it seemed that her absence in Yapa could be much longer. Sir Ainno said to the emperor, ¡°Just fire her already.¡± He sounded annoyed at the fact that Poliana dared to take a long time off from her duty. When Lucius the First red at him, Sir Ainno looked right back at him and said, ¡°If you tell her she is fired, she wille right back your highness. You know this.¡± ¡°I will not fire her!¡± ¡°Well, you have to though, don¡¯t you?¡± If Lucius the First proposed to her and married her, Poliana would be the next empress. To be an empress, however, Poliana had to give up on being the head of the Second Division. And there was no way Poliana could give up her position easily. This meant that her decision to ept bing the next empress would depend on how sweetly Lucius the First seduces her. Luckily, this task was something Lucius the First felt confident he could aplish. The only reason why things were not going ording to his n was that he was purposely keeping his distance from her. There was no one more handsome than him in this world. Poliana has revered Lucius the First¡¯s beauty many times before. She was proud of his looks. She considered it the national treasure. If Lucius the First really put his effort in courting her, he felt certain that Poliana would fall for him. While the emperor burned with confidence, Sir Ainno had his own problem to worry about. Sir Ainno asked him, ¡°Your highness, what do you prefer, a bear hide, or an alligator hide?¡± ¡°Bear.¡± It was an expected answer from the emperor and Lucius the First looked at his friend in annoyance. The emperor was envious of Sir Ainno. He didn¡¯t even get to propose, but his friend was contemting what would be the best wedding gift for the woman he loved. Lucius the First was jealous. ¡°Your highness, I had no idea but apparently, an alligator hide is very expensive. In some cases, it is much more expensive than the hide of a white bear.¡± ¡°But think about it, Ainno. Don¡¯t you agree that bears are much cuter? So furry and cuddly.¡± ¡°I think it would be a good idea to actually catch arge alligator and hang its hide at home.¡± ¡®I am going to never visit his home.¡¯ The emperor felt very strongly about this. Unless his friend hangs the hide of a furry beast, Lucius the First was never going to visit his home. Sir Ainno began to insist that the emperor should give him a wedding gift. Lucius the First nodded and asked, ¡°And what will you give me when it is my time?¡± ¡°You should ask me that after you are sessful with your proposal, your highness.¡± ¡°Come on, listen to me carefully.¡± Lucius the First began toy out his big n and Sir Ainno listened just like he did when the young emperor told him about his n to unite the continent. Sir Ainno¡¯s eyes looked nk, but he was definitely listening. ¡°Ok, Ainno. So the first thing I will do when Pol returns is to seduce her.¡± Sir Ainno nodded and the emperor continued, ¡°And when Pol falls in love with me, I will propose to her.¡± It seemed that this was not a very detailed n, but Sir Ainno decided to let it go. ¡°Since Pol treasures her status as Marquess Winter, I am going to get an appropriate boy to be adopted as her brother and get him to inherit the name.¡± Lucius the First continued, believing that this really was the perfect n. Sir Ainno knew right away that it was not going to work. ¡®He¡¯s going to fail.¡¯ In the past, Sir Ainno believed that if Lucius the First put his mind to it, he could seduce any woman in this world. But now, he knew that this was not the case. In fact, in some cases, a man¡¯s effort could cause the woman to run away in disgust. Sir Ainno learned that being good looking, rich, and talented, did not guarantee a woman¡¯s love. Cekel taught this lesson to him during his courtship. Sir Ainno said to the emperor, ¡°I heard that the duke will be opposed to you marrying the marquess.¡± ¡°That is why I came up with two strategies.¡± Only Lucius the First thought that what Duke Luzo said when he first told him about his feelings for Poliana made sense. It was one thing to want to propose to her because he loved her, it was quite another when ites to how to convince the others of his n. Lucius the First wished he could just tell the world that he was marrying her because he loved her, but he knew that Poliana could feel differently about it. Ugly and strange rumors followed Poliana everywhere, so it was necessary toe up with a logical reason for their marriage. He needed to give her a good reason to give to the world for marrying him. The feelings they have for each other¡­ This was not going to be enough to make the world understand. The best backstory was going to be a political one. By having Poliana as the empress, the emperor would be able to strengthen his power over his united kingdom. This was the reason he was going to give to the world while he tells Poliana the truth. He would tell her that everything he tells the world was a lie and he wanted to marry her because he loved her. Sir Ainno, listening carefully to the emperor, knew that Lucius the First¡¯s best bet was to actually lie to Poliana too. Tell her that he wanted her as his empress for a political reason, and most likely, Poliana would agree to his proposal. But Sir Ainno did not say a word. The emperor looked happy just thinking about his n, and Sir Ainno didn¡¯t want to dampen his excitement. As well, Sir Ainno was busy with his own wedding n and he felt too busy to give proper advice to the emperor. A month passed, then two. Lucius the First waited for Poliana¡¯s return eagerly. He ordered the gardeners to make sure the flowers bloomed at all times in the castle. His mother¡¯s ring was always ready in his pocket. Time passed by cruelly, and half a yearter, Lucius the First finally made his move. He did not want to be one of those men who nags when it was him who told her to take as much time off as possible. He was ok to wait longer, but he at least wanted to know that she was doing ok. So instead of sending a knight or one from the Intelligence Unit, the emperor sent an auditor to Sitrin. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 An unwanted and unexpected guest arrived at Sitrin, making all the local officials anxious. Even though it wasn¡¯t the usual time for such a visit, an auditor from the capital city was here. The vessels were impressed with the emperor¡¯s thoroughness in managing hisnds, not knowing that the official was actually here to spy on Poliana, not the city. The ¡°auditor¡± from Yapa asked, ¡°Where is the marquess?¡± He asked to see Poliana and the vessels sweated nervously. If they refused to let him see their mistress, this could be a problemter. Poliana had been staying at the country house and refusing to meet with anyone other than the people working in the Sitrin castle. For the auditor to request a meeting from her was not unreasonable. It actually made sense for him to meet with thendlord of Sitrin. If this meeting did not take ce, the auditor may think that Poliana was being disloyal to the kingdom and the emperor. The vessels made various excuses to keep the auditor busy while Poliana contemted. She could not refuse to see him, but if the auditor saw her, he would notice her giant stomach. There was no hiding the fact that she was very pregnant. Unless the auditor suddenly became blind, he would know immediately. Thankfully, the auditor was already acquainted with Poliana. As soon as she heard his name, her face brightened a little. She decided to see him. When the auditor heard that he was granted an audience, he sighed in relief. Poliana greeted him, ¡°Long time no see, First Level Scribe. When did you be an auditor?¡± When Poliana was responsible for the emperor¡¯s personal protection, she became acquainted with all of the high-ranking scribes. Poliana especially became close to a few scribes and the one closest to her was the auditor standing right in front of her now. Scribe Momo. Their friendship became a little shaky after Momo purchased a home in Nanaba by using all the money he earned during the 10-year-long war. When Lucius the First suddenly changed the capital city to Yapa, Momo ended up losing a lot of money and Momo became upset at the fact that Poliana did not tell him the emperor¡¯s n. Fortunately, Poliana felt guilty and loaned him a significant amount of money at zero interest, and this was enough to mend their friendship. Momo used to be an excellent scribe who was very tight-lipped. Poliana knew that he was someone who could be trusted. ¡°Long time no see, Marquess. I had a very devastating reason for giving up my position as a royal scribe.¡± The auditor Momo, who used to be the scribe Momo, looked thin and tired. Momoined about what happened to him. There were four levels of scribes in the government: the third level, the second level, the first level, and special level. There was a great need for the second and third-level scribes but only a limited demand for the first and the special levels. Most first and second level scribes nned on changing their department as a long-term n because they had a better chance of promotion, but for Momo, bing the special level scribe was the dream of his life. Momo wanted to remain in his current department and be the special level scribe that served the very first emperor of the entire kingdom. However, Lucius the First thought very highly of Momo, who was an efficient worker with unwavering loyalty and tight lips and sent him to the audit department. The emperor promised to return Momo to being a scribe if he did well as an auditor, but so far, this hasn¡¯t happened. Momo said to Poliana in frustration, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the emperor is being unfair! I mean, what did I do to deserve this?!¡± ¡°But this was a promotion. He sent you to the audit department because you are good.¡± ¡°But I like being a scribe! I really liked my old job!¡± Momo filled Poliana in what was happening in Yapa as well, and during their entire chat, Momo¡¯s hand and eyes never stopped working. The vessels of Sitrin alreadyined to Poliana that Momo was an incredibly detailed auditor. He may not have agreed, but Momo, with his experience in the war and his detail-oriented mind, as perfect for this job. The Sitrin administration and ounting were transparent. Momo smiled in satisfaction and asked Poliana, ¡°By the way, you look very well, Marquess. When are you returning to Yapa? His highness misses you terribly.¡± ¡°Well, I made a mistake. ¡°Mistake?¡± ¡°Yes, a huge one.¡± Poliana, who has been sitting behind arge desk and covering herself with a thick shawl, stood up. When she removed the shawl, her pregnant belly was revealed. There was no denying that she was with a child. Poliana could lie if she wanted. She could say she was suffering from a tumor or a parasite in her stomach. Although Momo was an excellent government official, he could be rather slow in things of this nature. There was a chance he might buy her ridiculous lie. But instead, Poliana told him the truth. She could trust him. Just as Lucius the First knew, Momo knew how to keep a secret. ¡°Huh!¡± Momo gasped and began to cough in shock. Poliana walked to him and patted his back to help him breathe. She said to him, ¡°If people in Yapa find out, my reputation is going to be ruined.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Momo, clearly worried for Poliana, promised her, ¡°I will keep your promise with my life, Marquess!¡± ¡°I knew you would, Momo. Thank you.¡± Only ¡°There is no need to thank me! After what we have been through! We are friends after all.¡± It was wonderful to have a friend you could trust. Momo said again, ¡°I swear! I will keep your promise to my grave!¡± ¡°Thank you. Oh, and please just make up something for the emperor. I would be too embarrassed if he finds out.¡± ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t worry about a thing, Marquess!¡± Poliana smiled as she caressed her stomach slowly. It was a coincidence that she befriended the scribe, but now, it seemed that her friendship was paying off. At the time, the other knights often told her it was useless to befriend the scribes because they were small-minded government officials. But Poliana did not listen to them. She used to discuss and debate with the scribes often about the emperor¡¯s beauty and how to spread the truth about his highness¡¯s greatness to the world. The vessels stood at the castle entrance as they waved goodbye to Momo. Momo arrived at Sitrin with a lightly packed bag, but now, he left with many gifts. As an auditor, epting such gifts could be seen as epting a bribe, but he and Poliana were good friends. Most people knew their rtionship. He may have visited Sitrin on official business, but his friend ended up giving him a few presents. What was so wrong with that? The only one who could fault him was the emperor, but Momo knew Lucius the First wouldn¡¯t dare. After all, it was the emperor who abused his power and sent him to Poliana in pretense. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Lucius the First shivered in fear. ¡®What if Pol neveres back? What will I do?¡¯ Poliana promised him to return before she left. At the time, Lucius the First believed her, but now, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the ominous feeling growing inside of him. Something didn¡¯t feel right. He was missing something very important. The auditor he sent to check up on Poliana sent him a report as soon as he returned to Yapa. The report was short and concise. Nothing significant to note. Lucius the First immediately summoned Momo. The emperor needed much more detail, but Momo had nothing more to say. ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything special to that ce.¡± ¡°But this doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°I already sent you a detailed audit report.¡± ¡°All you said was ¡®Nothing significant to note!¡¯ That can¡¯t be all!¡± Momo was acting rebellious to the emperor¡¯s annoyance. The state of Sitrin¡¯s financial state wasn¡¯t what the emperor wanted to know. Lucius the First was desperate to learn how Poliana was doing. There was a reason why the emperor sent Momo on this mission. For some reason, Poliana and Momo got along very well from the beginning. Momo was already married with a child, which was why Lucius the First thought he could trust him with Poliana. In the past, Momo and Poliana used to gossip for hours at a time, so the emperor knew that they would chat excitedly when they are reunited. But the report Momo made was too short and simple. It looked like a daily report the knights of the guards made. ¡°Nothing happened, your highness, so if you keep asking me if something happened¡­ There is nothing I can tell you other than the fact that nothing happened¡­¡± Momo was clearly being defiant to the emperor. Has he always been this brave and stubborn? Perhaps the fact that he lost his job as a scribe made him a little bitter towards the emperor. Momo refused to say a word about what he saw in Sitrin. Lucius the First, feeling weak, asked Momo where he learned this bad habit of writing such a short andzy report. Momo exined to the emperor what happened when they were in the southern region during the war. After Lucius the First received the surrender from the southern kingdoms, every government official, especially the scribes, had to work day and night. The surrender papers wereplicated and required a lot of attention, which meant that there weren¡¯t enough royal scribes to shadow the emperor constantly to record Lucius the First¡¯s day. In the end, the scribes had no choice but to ask the royal guards for a favor. There were always a number of guards staying by the emperor¡¯s side, so it should not have been a difficult job. At the time, Poliana was the person given this duty. At first, she did her best to write in detail, but soon, she was too busy with her own work and became toozy to make constant notes. In the end, she dumped the work to her second inmand, who in turn, gave the job to his subordinate. As the job became passed around, the records became shorter and shorter. When the scribes returned to their job, they saw pages after pages of ¡°Nothing significant to note.¡± The scribes, especially Momo, never forgot this tragic and angry incident. From then on, the scribes made a point of using the sentence ¡°Nothing significant to note¡± everywhere they could. Soon, the scribes realized that this made their job so much easier. They still wrote many details for official documents, but on everything else, it became amon practice to write this sentence. Momo said to the emperor, ¡°The marquess is enjoying her vacation, spending much of her time in the hot springs to cure herself of chronic fatigue. She also is keeping herself very busy with the running of hernd. Marquess Winter has never run her ownnd before, so she told me she is learning a lottely. Other than that, she is making sure to spend most of her free time in the hot spring. She used to never listen when we told her to take care of herself, but now, she wasining that she doesn¡¯t feel like she used to. Cold wind makes her bones ache, so she told me she will return to Yapa when she feels better.¡± ¡°So what I want to know is when that would be.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Momo tried to remember how long it took his wife to return to her normal life after the birth of their child. If he remembered correctly, it took a very long time. Poliana, a woman who would need to work as a knight, would probably require even more time to recover. Momo replied, ¡°Maybe 3 years?¡± ¡°How can the head of a division be absent for 3 years?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like she has anyone to protect in thedy¡¯s quarters anyway.¡± Momo remained calm while Lucius the First couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety. He has been ignoring the official demand to get married as soon as the royal death period ended. At this point, the emperor could not imagine having a wife other than Poliana. He has been waiting for her return so desperately, yet it seemed that she had no ns toe back any time soon. Things became even worse after Lucius the First had a bad dreamst night. In his dream, he heard a puppy barking adorably. The emperor ran towards the sound and saw a puppy caught in a bush and crying. ¡®Oh, he¡¯s trapped.¡¯ Lucius the First immediately got to work to cut the branches off, but before he could rescue the puppy, a giant alligator-dog creature attacked the puppy. It was a nightmare. After dismissing Momo, the emperor contemted in despair. His friend Sir Ainno has been too busy to pay attention to him. Duke Luzo, after yelling his objection to the emperor¡¯s marriage to Poliana, returned to Nanaba. Lucius the First had no one around him to listen to his worries. Only It would be going too far for him to ce a permanent spy in Sitrin just to get information on Poliana. Besides, the Intelligence Unit was short on spies at the moment anyway. Unfortunately, this unit was still very unorganized. It took all the members of the Intelligence Unit to gather information necessary for the security of this kingdom. It wouldn¡¯t look right to send one of the spies to Sitrin. The knights would believe that the emperor was wary of Marquess Winter, or they might think that the emperor was trying to get rid of her. Such thoughts could turn into ugly rumors, which, in turn, might result in something very harmful. Most of all, it didn¡¯t feel right to hire a spy to check up on the woman he loved. It actually sounded rather criminal to do something like this. ¡®If I do this, it would make me a stalker.¡¯ Lucius the First had no choice but to trust Poliana and wait for her. As long as he allowed it, Poliana promised to remain his knightess. And a proper knight always returned to his or her emperor. Lucius the First was happy and sad at the same time that Poliana was his knight. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Poliana heard that many pregnant women dream frequently as they got closer to their due dates. This was, however, not the case for her. Perhaps her father, who was probably living quietly in Cranbell, had the conception dream instead of her, but Poliana didn¡¯t care about him and what kind of dreams he might be having. She had no desire to think about him, so she quickly changed her thoughts. Until she was halfway through her pregnancy, Poliana didn¡¯t bother slowing down. She woke up early in the morning to train as usual. She trained after every meal as well. The maids worried that she might miscarry if she continued such a vigorous lifestyle, but Poliana ignored them. Her baby survived the First Division training, which meant that this child could endure anything. Poliana kept herself as active as possible while staying at the country house. She made sure not to be seen by others. As time passed, she became bigger and the changes in her body began to scare her. There was no way around this. ¡®I admit, I am scared.¡¯ Poliana¡¯s birth mother died from a fever after her birth. Poliana¡¯s friend Reba died after a difficult pregnancy as well. Of course, Vaxi and Vanessa both gave birth to their babies safely. There were plenty of people she knew, the wives of her colleagues mostly, that gave birth safely, but Poliana was still afraid. Because she was thendlord and the mistress of the entire Sitrin, Poliana could not show her fear to others. So every night, she trembled alone in the bed. ¡®I am so scared!¡¯ Dying while giving birth was the worst kind of death Poliana could imagine. Marquess Poliana Winter dying while giving birth to a bastard? It made her quiver just thinking about it. She achieved so much in her life, but they will be forgotten. She will only be remembered as the woman who died giving birth to a bastard. Poliana wrote a will and sealed it close. On top of it, she wrote: -If I die while giving birth, make sure this will reach Sir Donau of the Ribo family. In her will, she exined who the father of her baby was and why she had to hide her pregnancy. Poliana knew she could trust Sir Donau to respect her wishes and follow her orders. And with that, Poliana was ready for her death. She waited not for the birth of a new life but for death. And if she survived, her fate would depend on what the child looks like. It didn¡¯t matter if the baby was a girl or a boy as long as it did not resemble its father. If the baby looked just like her, it was going to be very simple to fix her situation. She just had toe up with a forged birth certificate for her child with a fake father. She would leave the baby in Sitrin and return to Yapa to ask for the emperor¡¯s permission to be married to an imaginary man. So easy, right? Poliana felt certain the emperor would give his permission. She didn¡¯t doubt that her emperor would never force her to remain a single mother. But if the baby resembled its father¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Poliana decided not to think about this possibility. As her due date got closer, she became meaner and more sensitive. The people of Sitrin castle, who were excited to have a generous and kindndlord, were very understanding, considering her condition. All animals be sensitive when their due date nears. Even a loyal dog often ran away to a ¡°safer¡± ce to have its puppies. There were some servants who felt sympathetic towards Poliana, who was without a husband or a family. Then one day, Poliana felt herbor pain beginning. The midwife and the local doctor, who had been staying in the country house for a few weeks now, helped Poliana into her bed. The pain Poliana was feeling was the worst she has ever felt. After the enema, the midwife and the doctor constantly lifted her skirt to check. The sharp and hellish pain began to overwhelm her every few minutes. Poliana has experienced severe injuries before. She was sliced with a sword, stabbed, shot by an arrow, and attacked with a hammer and a hatchet. She broke her bones plenty of times and she almost died a few times as well. When she had to fight so many men while being naked, the pain she experienced was immense. But of all the pain she felt in the past, this was by far the worst. The agony every few minutes was so blinding, and the worst thing was the fact that it kepting faster and more frequently. ¡°Arghhh.¡± Poliana¡¯s entire body was drenched in sweat. When she clenched her teeth, the midwife shook her head and whispered, ¡°Mistress, you will damage your teeth that way.¡± Poliana refused to listen. She continued to grit her teeth, unable to think clearly. She has been brushing her teeth with salt five times a day because she cared about them, but at this moment, she didn¡¯t care. The pain was blinding and Poliana felt an overwhelming sadness and loneliness. And most of all¡­ She couldn¡¯t stand the fact that this wasn¡¯t fair at all. Poliana screamed, ¡°I¡­ Living as a woman¡­ Has done me no good at all! Nothing ever good came out of being a woman for me! It sucks that I have to do everythingggg¡­ a woman has to go through in a lifetime. This sucks so much¡­¡± Only Indeed, Poliana was born a woman. And indeed, her life as a woman has never been a good one. Only the strongest survived in her world of men, and just the fact that she was a woman made her physically weaker than most men. But despite the unfairness of this world, Poliana did not despise being a woman. This was all thanks to Sir Batre, who taught her that being weak was worse than being a woman. Poliana did not cry when she was raped because the others, the boys, were also raped. Of course, it was unfortunate she suffered from hemorrhoids. This world did not show mercy to the weak. Most of the time, a woman was weaker than a man. However, anyone, even a woman, could work hard and be stronger. If she got on the top of the world, no one would be able to hurt her. Poliana always believed that a woman should not me her misfortune on her gender. This was especially true because death did not discriminate between the strong and the weak. But today¡­ Poliana realized that what she believed was not the truth. Today, Poliana med her pain and situation for being a woman. Today, she felt that she was treated unfairly because of her gender. Poliana wished she was born a man. What an unfair world this was. If she really died, Poliana swore she could be a ghost that cursed all the men in the world forever. ¡®I will curse that all men are required to give birth too! All the babies in the world should be born from men!¡¯ Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Poliana was a very healthy woman who worked out regrly all her life, but having a baby at her age was not an easy thing. After 10 hours ofbor, Poliana finally held her baby in her arms. She had no energy left in her to do anything; she wanted to go to sleep immediately, but she knew she needed to check something. ¡®Let¡¯s do this!¡¯ Poliana widened her eyes and red at the baby. She needed to know¡­ ¡®Baby! I need to look at my baby! I need to check and see¡­!¡¯ ¡°Mistress, what a handsome baby son!¡± Poliana finally saw her newborn. Golden hair and red wrinkly face. She didn¡¯t have to look further; Poliana wanted to faint as she felt weaker. The midwife and the doctor eximed in surprise, ¡°I have worked as a midwife for 35 years, but I have never seen such a handsome baby.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Arghh¡­¡± Poliana¡¯s eyes began to fill with tears. The midwife and the doctor mistook her cry as a new mother¡¯s relief and happiness. Poliana didn¡¯t care what they thought, however. She knew she shouldn¡¯t cry in front of others, but Poliana couldn¡¯t control her emotions. ¡®Dammit!¡¯ The baby resembled his father. Her new son still could not open his eyes, but Poliana didn¡¯t have to see to know what color they would be. Even though the baby had the usual red wrinkly face of a newborn, there was no mistake that she could see Lucius the First in him. All the features of the emperor were right there on her son¡¯s face. It looked like a famous artist drew a portrait of the younger version of Lucius the First. Poliana knew this was a likely result, but there were odd times when the children did not resemble their parents at all, so she has been feeling hopeful. Until now. ¡®Dammit! I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ There was no point in forging a birth certificate for her son. Everyone who saw her son would suspect that Lucius the First was the father. Lying was going to be useless. Poliana weakly covered the baby¡¯s ears gently and swore, ¡°F*ck.¡± She used to be nicknamed the ¡°witch of military strategy¡± during the war. Everyone knew how much the emperor trusted and relied on her to win many battles. In every battle, Poliana always made sure to have an escape n. Running away was not something to be ashamed of. This was the same in life, which Poliana believed was a battle as well. However, when running away, one needed to be well prepared. One needed to have a solid n for the escape to work. And in this case, Poliana made a huge mistake. She ran away without a n; She failed herself. *** Poliana began to feed her high-born son. Her entire body was swollen as if someone beat her recently. Her breastmilk wasn¡¯t very free-flowing, but thankfully, her baby was a strong eater. Poliana already had a wet nurse and a nanny ready to get to work. High-borndies never raised their own children. A wet nurse was there to feed the baby and the nanny was there to do the rest to take care of the baby. Before giving birth, Poliana thought being a mother would be a simple job. But she was very wrong. The wet nurse told her that the birth mother needed to feed her baby for at least a month. Poliana was confused, asking, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That way, the baby will be healthy.¡± ¡°But this baby is already very healthy. He will be just fine without my breast milk. I mean, he survived that crazy training.¡± Poliana wasn¡¯t making sense. In the end, she began to feed her son as the nanny consoled her, ¡°Mistress, you just need to endure this for a month. I will also get you the herb that helps dry up breast milk production, so it happens gradually.¡± ¡°And after a month, I will feel better?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I guarantee it.¡± Poliana had to feed her newborn every half an hour to an hour for a month. The rest of the work was done by others, but since she had to be awake every half an hour, Poliana was constantly tired. ¡®I¡¯m so sleepy.¡¯ Poliana watched her baby eat with bleary eyes. Thinking about her situation and her bleak future made her shiver. ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ Poliana still hasn¡¯t named her baby yet. She nned on naming it after birth and when she was certain no one would suspect who the father was. But now, it was toote. She had no idea that her son would resemble his son this much. The simrity was uncanny. Just why did he have to be born looking like this? Did her son want to let everyone in the kingdom know of his precious royal blood? During the pregnancy, Poliana nicknamed the baby the Dog Stew since she craved it so much. There was a myth that a baby named with somethingmon and unimportant will live a long healthy life. Believing this, Poliana still continued to call her son the Dog Stew. In addition, she did not think she had the right to name her son at this point. Poliana red at Dog Stew, who still could not open his eyes. The baby had no idea what was happening. All he did was just continue to eat. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Poliana regretted noting up with a good n before running to Sitrin. She was now trapped, and she had no idea what her next move should be. It was toote to tell the truth. In hindsight, she shouldn¡¯t have run away like that. ¡®But I had no idea he would resemble his father this much. Where did my blood go? Why doesn¡¯t he look like me at all?!¡¯ Poliana continued to examine the baby closely. Even though she still could not see the baby¡¯s eyes, and even though the baby¡¯s nose was still smooshed from the birth, there was no denying that Dog Stew was Lucius the First¡¯s son. Only The wet nurse and the nanny, who didn¡¯t know what their emperor looked like, were excited at how handsome the baby was. ¡°The master must resemble the father, my Lady.¡± They didn¡¯t say it outright, but it was clear that everyone was relieved that the new baby did not look like Poliana. The mother, however, disagreed. Poliana would¡¯ve preferred her baby to be ugly. It would¡¯ve been fine for her son to be even uglier than herself. She didn¡¯t care if her son grew up to resent her because of his looks. All Poliana wanted was for her baby to either resemble herself or no one. ¡®Hmm¡­ Maybe the hair color is simr to mine?¡¯ Her son¡¯s hair was not the clear golden color as the emperor¡¯s. It was a little duller like her own. But of course, a baby¡¯s hair color could change as he grew up. Poliana slowly patted her son¡¯s hair. Dog Stew finally opened his eyes and she saw that they were the clear green color just like the emperors¡¯. The baby clearly had no idea what he was seeing, but he still looked at her intensely. He looked adorable. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Poliana was overwhelmed with worries. She gritted her teeth and red at her son. ¡®Why did you have to look just like your father? Why? Do I now have no choice but to propose to his highness? DO I now give up everything I built for myself?¡¯ The sounds she made with her teeth were frightening. If she wasn¡¯t holding her baby, Poliana would¡¯ve punched the wall by now. She knew it was the wrong thing to do, but Poliana wished to keep her son a secret. Her original n, if the baby did not resemble Lucius the first, was to keep the baby fatherless. She knew that keeping the emperor¡¯s first-born son a secret was an awful thing to do, but Lucius the First was still very young. He could remarry and have plenty of sons, so what would be the point of having a bastard son as his firstborn and possible heir? This was the reasoning behind her original n. It was just a convenient excuse, but Poliana didn¡¯t want to admit it. Because of the newborn, only the wet nurse, the nanny, the doctor, and a maid were allowed into the country house. The head of the maids delivered the congrattory message from the vassals to Poliana. Most people around her in Sitrin knew what Lucius the First looked like. All they knew was that the emperor was the most beautiful man in the kingdom. The head of the maids, however, did know the face of the emperor, but she didn¡¯t say a word. She studied the baby closely in admiration, but that was it. Poliana trusted the head of the maid to keep her secret. The problem was the vassals, who knew what the emperor looked like. Once they saw her son, Poliana was afraid that they would know immediately who the father was. But then, there were so many people in the world who looked alike. On top of that, people rarely remembered their faces perfectly. The vassals saw the emperor a few years ago, so how many of them would be able to remember his face well? Even if they did, there was no way that any of them would feel certain about it. If Poliana denied it, they might just believe her. There was also a chance that the vassals might not even think of the emperor when they saw the baby¡¯s face. But then¡­ Lucius the First was no ordinary beauty. His face was so beautiful that he even made the portrait artists cry from time to time. The scribes wrote in countless records how beautiful the emperor was. Poliana, as the head of the Second Division, met and worked with plenty of handsome men, but none of them couldpare to Lucius the First. In her mind, Poliana believed that anyone who saw the emperor even once could never forget his beauty. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t my baby look like me¡­¡¯ If Dog Stew was anyone else¡¯s baby, any noblemen in the kingdom, Poliana could¡¯ve kept him as her heir without a problem, but the baby was the emperor¡¯s son. The baby was of royal blood. The baby might have been born out of wedlock, but he was still the first-born son of the emperor. Poliana could guess how fearful the vassals were going to be once they realized this truth. And what if Lucius the First decided to acknowledge the baby as his own? And what if the emperor was unfortunate enough to never bear another son? Then her baby was going to be the next emperor¡­ Poliana shivered in fear. Poliana was an infamous figure. She was despised by her enemies and admired by her allies. To be the woman who bore the next emperor¡­ This was not the life she wanted. Poliana grabbed her head. She needed to think of another n. If she couldn¡¯t hide who the real father of her son was, should she perhaps try to fake the fact that she is the mother? Let the emperor tell everyone that he had this baby with an unknown woman? Unfortunately, Poliana knew this was an impossible n. First of all, the official record showed that the emperor did not sleep with anyone since his marriage to his three ex-wives. All the women that spent the night with the emperor were recorded in the royal documents. One option was to lie that the emperor spent a night with a woman when he was traveling with Poliana, but this would require Lucius the First¡¯s cooperation. Poliana knew very well that the emperor would not agree to this n. He would say that he would rather marry her instead of lying to the world. ¡®Arghh!¡¯ Poliana screamed silently and her stress must¡¯ve been felt by her baby. Her son stopped sucking and began to cough before vomiting. The nanny took the baby away to soothe him while Poliana cleaned herself up. The more she thought about her situation, the angrier she became. No matter how hard she tried, Poliana could note up with a n. She needed help. She needed an ally. She needed someone who would point out her mistakes but also support her wholeheartedly. Poliana quickly brought out a piece of paper and began to write a letter. Other women would¡¯ve asked for help from their parents but Poliana didn¡¯t have a family. In a situation like this, there was only one person she could trust. She gave up writing a proper elegant letter. Instead, she wrote, -My beloved brother Donau, I am in trouble. Help. *** Poliana tried to organize her thoughts. What were her crimes so far? She lied to the emperor, she raped the emperor, and she essentially kidnapped a member of the royal family, her son; there was no end to her wrongdoings. After sending the letter, Poliana scratched her head. Perhaps it was best just toe clean now, but it was toote. The moment she ran away after lying to the emperor, she knew there was no going back. ¡®But his highness will forgive me.¡¯ Only Her trust in Lucius the First was unwavering. He might get upset with her, but she could not imagine the emperor punishing her harshly, if at all. Poliana knew that the worst punishment she has been envisioning would never happen. But the current situation was the worst possible scenario. ¡®I should¡¯ve told him the truth.¡¯ Although she knew there was no point in regretting, Poliana couldn¡¯t help it. She should¡¯ve been braver and face the emperor from the beginning. She tried to cover it up by lying to him, and by doing this, she made things much worse. Why did she do it? What was wrong with her? Why didn¡¯t her brain stop her from making this huge mistake? Poliana hated herself for it. The regret she felt was too heavy to endure. All she wanted to do was be alone. She wanted to tell everyone to leave, but her newborn son wouldn¡¯t allow such freedom. Her royal-blooded son asked for his mother very often. He was a very demanding baby. When there wasn¡¯t enough breast milk, Dog Stew cried angrily. Poliana became annoyed. She yelled at the wet nurse, ¡°Just feed him your milk!¡± As the baby continued to cry, Poliana became even more frustrated, ¡°What an irritating baby¡­ I grew up fine without my mother¡¯s milk! Your sister did fine too, so why are you being so demanding!¡± Chapter 295 Chapter 295 What Poliana didn¡¯t realize was the fact that by the time she visited Princess Luminae for the first time, she was a few months old already. Poliana was being unfair when shepared the newborn Dog Stew to Princess Luminae. Poliana, however, did not realize this fact. All she could feel was annoyance and despair. She didn¡¯t have the patience to understand her baby; she didn¡¯t even make an effort. When Poliana obviously looked frustrated, the nanny took the baby outside. Alone in the room, Poliana finally had some peace and quiet to think clearly. This was when she realized that she was being unfair to innocent Dog Stew. Her son didn¡¯t even do anything, yet Poliana, his own mother, was getting angry at him for no good reason. ¡®I¡¯m the worst.¡¯ She could imagine how disappointed her emperor would be if he saw her like this. He would be especially upset at how his own flesh and blood was being treated. But to Poliana, Dog Stew was the emperor¡¯s son and the source of her misfortune. At the moment, she could not see her baby as her own son or her family. She did not feel any love for him at this point. In the noble society, there was a clear priority set for the firstborn son as the heir to the family. After the third son, the rest of the children were considered expendable. This was the same for Poliana; she couldn¡¯t remember being ever loved by her parents. She might have carried him for 10 months and went through excruciating childbirth, but Dog Stew still did not feel like her family. He was an unwanted and unfamiliar figure; a royal prince and nothing more. She would¡¯ve felt more affection towards him if he did not resemble Lucius the First so much. What Poliana wanted was a family. She wished for a family that would greet her when she returned home from work. But even though she now had a son of her own, Poliana didn¡¯t feel any joy at all. Then one day, a guest arrived at Sitrin. Poliana could refuse most visitors from entering hernd, but this particr guest was no ordinary visitor. It was not Sir Donau, the person Poliana has been hoping to see. She still hasn¡¯t heard anything from her adopted brother yet. This guest was actually the man Poliana dreaded to see the most. It was the emperor, Lucius the First. *** With the First Division knights¡¯ protection, the emperor visited Poliana¡¯s Sitrin. As soon as the royal visitor arrived at the Sitrin castle entrance, Poliana was informed of the news. She jumped in anger at howx hernd¡¯s security system was. One would need to have a few days of traveling to get to the Sitrin border to her castle, so how was it that none of the Sitrin patrols reported to her in advance? ¡°What were the patrols and guards doing?!¡± ¡°They were all captured and ordered to guide the party to the castle safely.¡± ¡°It was the First Division that escorted the emperor? Dammit, it now makes sense since that unit is made up of the worst jerks¡­¡± The patrols guarding the Sitrin borders approached the party to find out who wasing into thend. When the patrols realized it was the emperor, they were surprised and tried to get to Poliana as quickly as possible, but before they could leave, the knights of the First Division apparently grabbed all of them to prevent any of the patrols from reporting to the castle. It was obvious that the emperor wanted this visit to be a surprise. Poliana didn¡¯t have to see it in person to know what happened. ¡®So his highness came in person¡­ Is this a sign that I should confess to him?¡¯ Officially, the emperor was touring the entire kingdom now that Acreia was stable. However, the real reason was that Lucius the First could no longer be patient. He could not endure another day without Poliana so he came to Sitrin to take her back to Yapa. Not wanting her to figure out his true intent, Lucius the First made a point of visiting the othernds first. He toured the kingdom for 6 months before visiting Sitrin. The reason why Poliana was unaware of the emperor¡¯s tour wasn¡¯t because of the work by the Intelligence Unit or Poliana¡¯sck of sleep. It was because the vassals felt that they had nothing to fear from the emperor¡¯s visit. Since Sitrin¡¯s administration and ounting were clean as the snow, the vassals believed that there was no point in reporting the possibility of the emperor¡¯s visit to their mistress. They truly believed that there was nothing to hide inside Sitrin. Of course, what they didn¡¯t know was the fact that Poliana recently bore Lucius the First¡¯s son. Poliana also hasn¡¯t been interested in anything happening outside of hernd. She didn¡¯t pay any attention to the rest of the kingdom, and the result was the shockingly unexpected visit from the father of her secret son. And Poliana, who mistakenly overestimated the power of the Intelligence Unit, believed that the emperor must know about her secret. ¡®His highness¡­ He must know everything!¡¯ She thought that the Intelligence Unit found out about the existence of the royal baby! Poliana became paranoid, wondering if there was a spy inside her ownnd, possibly even inside the country house! ¡®There is no point in lying to him anymore.¡¯ Poliana invited Lucius the First to the country house. She knew she had to show him the baby, and because Dog Stew was too young, he could not go outside for a while longer. On his way to the country house, Lucius the First could not stop smiling. He was finally going to be reunited with the woman he loved. On the way to the country house, the emperor was briefly informed of Poliana¡¯s situation. All he heard, however, was that she remained inside the country house and did not leave the ce for a long time. The emperor became worried that she might be suffering from a serious illness. ¡°Poliana!¡± Only The person he missed the most. The woman he loved. Lucius the First opened his arms to hug her. Even though she has been vacationing at the country house with a hot spring, Poliana looked awful. Her skin and her hair were dry and rough, but thankfully, she seemed to be walking fine. The emperor, however, was curious why Poliana looked so tired and worried. Poliana kneeled in front of the emperor and confessed, ¡°I have done something terrible! I deserve to die, your highness!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lucius the First became confused. It was true that Poliana¡¯s vacationsted much longer than expected. Was this really a crime? Not to the emperor. Lucius the First gave her permission to take all the time in the world. Even if she took 10 years off, the emperor would¡¯ve never gotten angry with her. Poliana bowed deeply, hitting her forehead on the floor. Lucius the First asked in shock, ¡°P-pol?¡± ¡°I lied to you and tried to hide the birth of a royal prince! You saved me by making me your knight, yet I ended up reying you with lies and disloyalty! I deserve to die!¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 ¡°Pol! Calm down! What happened? Whatever you did, I will forgive you!¡± Lucius the First, worried for Poliana, helped her stand up. He came here to see the woman he loved and missed terribly. He did note here so the woman he loved would apologize to him. Lucius the First could not hide his confusion and in turn, Poliana¡¯s face became rigid. ¡®D-does he not know? Did I just confess for no reason?¡¯ ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean a prince?¡± ¡®Dammit¡­!¡¯ Poliana finally realized that the emperor did not know anything about Dog Stew. This meant that she confessed for nothing. It was unfortunate, but it was also toote. She already said the words, and now, she needed to own up to them. For a second, she considered telling him she was only joking, but Poliana quickly decided against the idea. There were things you could joke about, and there were things she should never joke about in this world. Giving birth to a bastard son was not an appropriate jest material. She could make up another lie right now. Perhaps tell him she misspoke and that she gave birth to a son who was fathered by someone else. Poliana knew that her emperor, such an understanding and kind man, might just believe her. But this only meant that she really needed to tell him the truth. She could not lie again to the man who trusted her so much. She needed toe clean. *** The innermost room of the country house was a luxurious yet cozy bedroom. There were two beds here, one for the mother and a crib. The crib looked elegant and extravagant. Although the baby was born in secret, his mother was still the powerful marquess while his father was the emperor of this kingdom. Poliana, though did not feel any affection towards him, tried her best to give Dog Stew the best of everything. Her sonid in the crib sleeping peacefully. Because of the sleeping baby, all the curtains were drawn to keep the bright sun out, but the room was still light enough for Lucius the First to see the baby¡¯s face. He rubbed his eyes over and over again. He came here to see the woman he loved, but in addition to reuniting with Poliana, he also found a baby that looked just like him. ¡°C-could he be¡­¡± While the emperor stuttered in shock, Poliana¡¯s frown became uglier. ¡®Dammit! I should¡¯ve found out more before confessing like an idiot!¡¯ ¡°Could this be my son?¡± Lucius the First¡¯s smile became wider by the second. The emperor and Poliana identally slept with each other. It was a drunken mistake, yet here was a result of that night. It was the greatest and most unexpected gift. Lucius the First was confused and overjoyed at the same time. He could not hide his smile. Ever since he achieved his dream of uniting the continent, the emperor knew he was a pretty lucky guy. In fact, since he was a baby, luck was always on his side. Lucius the First was born the only son to the Acreian emperor, which meant that he had nopetition to the throne. The only possible rival was his cousin, who was such a docile man with no ambition. Within 10 years of bing the Acreian ruler, Lucius the First became the emperor of the entire continent. The only thing he thought wascking was luck with women, but it turned out, this was not true. In fact, it seemed that he was especially lucky in this aspect as well. Perhaps, those hard times he had to endure was all for this very moment. Lucius the First closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡®How can my fate be so kind to me? I am actually a little scared right now.¡¯ His luck was so great that the emperor felt like he was dreaming. Lucius the First continued to keep his eyes closed and meditated for a minute to control his excitement. Meanwhile, Poliana watched in horror because she believed the emperor was so angry that he was trying to calm down. She begged him, ¡°I have done a terrible thing, your highness! I swear I did not mean to hide your son from you forever. I was just blinded by the fact that I might lose my power¡­ No! No, I mean! That is not what I meant! I just thought that since we agreed on forgetting about what happened that night, it would be wrong of me to bring up that topic again. I did not want to upset you, but when the baby turned out to be a boy¡­ And he resembles you so much¡­ I was nning on telling you the truth¡­! I really did!¡± She tried to emphasize the fact she never actually lied to him! Poliana kneeled on the floor again. Lucius the First inhaled deeply, trying very hard not to act too enthusiastic. The emperor replied, ¡°Yes, I can see that the boy looks just like me.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! And he is extremely healthy.¡± Poliana, thinking to lessen her guilt, stressed how healthy their son was. If the emperor realized how she kept the baby strong and healthy, perhaps his anger would lessen. Besides, it was true that the baby was extremely well. He even survived the intense training when he was only a few weeks old growing inside her tummy. Lucius the First frowned and replied, ¡°Why are you talking only about the baby¡¯s health, Pol? What about you? How are you? Have you been resting well after giving birth? It is very important to take it easy, so why do you keep kneeling on the cold floor? It kills me to think of you having our baby all alone without me, my heart aches for you.¡± The emperor took off his cloak and put it around Polina¡¯s body. He gently helped her stand up and sit on the chair next to the firece. The way he acted around her was filled with love and happiness. It has been so long since she felt the emperor¡¯s affection. It was not just Lucius the First who missed Poliana. Poliana had not realized how much she missed him. She felt her eyes filling up with tears. Only Even though Polianamitted such a huge crime, the emperor was just as kind as ever. He did not me her for anything. Poliana has be uglier while the emperor was still gorgeous. He was indeed the true treasure of this kingdom. Her cheeks were flushed, but Poliana wasn¡¯t aware of it. Even if she did, she would¡¯ve just thought it was because she was so thankful for the emperor¡¯s generosity. Lucius the First murmured in joyful disbelief, ¡°I never imagined you would conceive a child from that one night.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness. I was very shocked as well.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ I can imagine how scared you must¡¯ve felt. Why didn¡¯t you tell me, Pol? It kills me to think how worried you must¡¯ve been¡­¡± ¡°Your highness¡­¡± It was true that Poliana has been distraught all through her pregnancy. When Lucius the First consoled her, she became emotional. Just as she thought, her emperor wasn¡¯t going to abandon her. Even though she did something so terrible, he wasn¡¯t ming her; he was actually worried about her. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 ¡°Having a baby is an extreme ordeal. To do that all by yourself without a family around you¡­ If I knew, I would¡¯ve never left your side, Pol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I was a bit scared, your highness.¡± Lucius the First babied Poliana, who nodded at him vigorously. At times like this, Poliana and the emperor made a perfect couple. In front of the emperor, Poliana could be herself; she could tell him things she could never admit to others. Poliana had been so anxious, but now she saw how understanding Lucius the First was about their situation, she became relieved. She even felt a little silly for worrying so much. She should¡¯ve just told him everything from the beginning. Since they now had a child together, they had to get married, but Poliana didn¡¯t want to be the emperor¡¯s wife. She guessed that Lucius the First didn¡¯t necessarily want to have her as his wife either. If they both thought hard enough about it, perhaps they coulde up with a solution. Of course, if they don¡¯t, they will still have to get married. The important thing was that she knew the emperor would respect her and help here up with a n. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Poliana giggled, making the emperor smile. He looked around the room leisurely and saw the warm firece and the woman sitting in front of it. The woman he loved. Her dark circles looked awful and her skin was rough, but her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shined with intelligence. The baby that resembled him was sleeping soundly in the nearby crib, making the entire room feel warm and peaceful. When he closed his eyes, a lovely sweet scent greeted him. It was the smell of a newborn and milk. The emperor could smell his from Poliana, too. ¡®This feeling¡­ It reminds me of that time.¡¯ Poliana¡¯s blushing cheeks made him remember the beautiful sunset that day at the cliff. Her smile also looked very simr to the one she had on that day. Lucius the First grabbed his mother¡¯s ring inside his pocket. He could not be patient anymore. ¡°Pol, I have something I must tell you.¡± The emperor decided to give up on wooing Poliana first. They now had a child. Not just any child, but a son. This baby was the emperor¡¯s firstborn son. He could not have the baby remain a bastard, which meant he had to marry Poliana. To marry her, he had to propose to her, and before proposing, he first had to tell her how he felt about her. Lucius the First needed to let Poliana know that he wasn¡¯t marrying her just because of the baby. He wasn¡¯t marrying her because he needed to, but because he wanted to. The emperor wanted to tell her that he has been in love with her for a very long time. Lucius the First has felt affection towards Poliana soon after their first meeting. The depth of his feelings changed after that fateful day at the cliff of the southernmost region. Since then, his heart began to beat strangely, and his brain became filled with lust and conflict. The emperor now could admit that he was in fact obsessed with his knightess. ¡°Pol, that day at the cliff when I saw you¡­¡± Poliana didn¡¯t mean it, but she ended up making Lucius the First fall in love with her. The cruel part of this situation was that Poliana had no idea while the emperor suffered secretly. ¡°I learned that what I felt for you is love. I tried to hide it and deny it, but the fact didn¡¯t change that I fell in love with you, Pol.¡± He knew she might reject him. Either way, they had to get married and Lucius the First hoped that their feelings were mutual. The emperor quickly nned out his future in his head. A son who resembled him. A wife he loved with all of his heart. He was going to be the luckiest man in the kingdom. For a long time, Lucius the First did not think he was meant to have this kind of happiness, but now, his impossible dream was about to be a reality. It was so close¡­ ¡°I¡­ I have been in love with you for a long time.¡± The emperor kneeled on one knee in front of Poliana. He took out the ring, which shined brightly. The ownerless ring was now just about to find its new mistress. Before reaching for her hand, Lucius the First, who had his face down from shyness and nervousness, looked up. When he saw Poliana¡¯s face, his smile disappeared. Her face was cold as ice; she certainly did not look like a woman happy to receive a proposal from the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom. The gentle smile and flushed cheeks disappeared. Instead, her face was filled with shock, betrayal, and even resentment. Her eyes began to fill with tears. Lucius the First held her hand, which was trembling. Only ¡°Your highness¡­¡± Poliana bit her lips, unable to finish her sentence. Lucius the First knew immediately that he made a wrong choice by proposing to her like this. Poliana continued, ¡°Your highness¡­ My sovereign¡­ The emperor of Acreia and the master of thisnd¡­ You may be shocked to hear this, but I have never resented being born a woman in my entire life. Even when I was being raped by my superior¡­ Even when I almost died during a battle because I wasn¡¯t strong enough¡­ Even when I was beaten just because I was a woman¡­ Even when I was captured, bullied, ignored, almost poisoned, hated, and attacked just because of my gender¡­ I never hated being born a woman. Perhaps I believed all of these things happened because it was wartime. Maybe I thought this was the same for everyone. It is also very possible that I just got used to being treated this way and so did not know any better.¡± Her entire body shivered a little, but Poliana continued, ¡°Your highness. I have never resented being a woman, but right now¡­ You made me feel it. You made me hate being born a woman, your highness, my master, my savior; the one who gave me my sword. The first one who ever epted me and allowed me to follow. You¡¯re the very one who made me into a proper knight.¡± Although her eyes watered, Poliana didn¡¯t cry. She stared at the emperor in front of her. The most beautiful man in the kingdom¡­ The man she could never even dare to have¡­ But even though this very man confessed his love for her, Poliana didn¡¯t feel happy. Instead, she felt sad. Lucius the First, the emperor of this kingdom. He was indeed her master and her everything. Poliana would dly die for him. She was willing to do anything for him, but at this moment, Poliana condemned him. ¡°If the person who was behind you at the cliff was a man¡­ If it was a man who shadowed you everywhere during the war to protect you¡­ If I was a man, would you have loved me this way? Would the overwhelming excitement you felt at that time from conquering the world trantes into the feeling of ¡®love¡¯ if I was a man standing behind you then?¡± Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Falling in love was all about the right timing. If the person standing behind Lucius the First that day at the cliff was a man¡­ If Poliana Winter was a man¡­ Would the emperor still have fallen in love? The answer was¡­ ¡°No, Pol.¡± His heart beat so fast that day¡­ The intense feelings that overwhelmed him¡­ She was so precious, too precious, that he could not even dare to touch her. It was even harder for him to watch another man approaching her. He was keeping her safe from him, but he ended up letting a gold digger snake get to her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to make sure no one hurt her. He nned on keeping her close, but this time, it was he who had hurt her. The snake Frau hurt her pride while Lucius the First ended up hurting her heart. Lucius the First stammered, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make you cry, Sir Pol¡­ But I guess I failed.¡± The emperor used tough at those who believed in unrealistic romance stories, but it seemed that Lucius the First made the same mistake. He forgot the reality and caused his most loyal knight to shed tears. Hot tears finally rolled down Poliana¡¯s cheeks. Her teeth were clenched hard. She looked like she was experiencing the worst moment of her life. Worse than when she found out the truth about Frau. Poliana began to sob uncontrobly. Lucius the First embraced her gently and Poliana did not fight him. She cried quietly, not making a sound, which made it even worse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s all my fault, Pol¡­ It¡¯s¡­ I made a mistake. It¡¯s my fault.¡± The emperor caressed her hair gingerly as if he was consoling a child. His hands were kind and sweet. The emperor was supposed to never apologize. He was supposed to never make mistakes, and even if he did, he wasn¡¯t supposed to apologize for them. Unfortunately, it seemed that when ites to Poliana, Lucius the First constantly did things that required him to apologize to her. Perhaps it was their fate to be in this kind of rtionship. ¡°I am not supposed to apologize to anyone, yet I keep wronging you, Pol. I am sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Before Poliana met Lucius the First, she didn¡¯t have a purpose for life. She lived for the sake of living, and she was getting tired of the effort she had to make just to survive. Just when Poliana felt like she had enough of her life, it was then when Lucius the First offered her something to live for. A goal. He made her an offer, and he asked her if she would follow him. Poliana was abandoned by her own family. She was bullied and abused by everyone in her own army. She had no good reason to live, and yet she desperately worked to live. The emperor was the first one to see her talent. He recognized how hard she worked. He told her he needed her. He told her he liked her. Even though he knew she was a woman, he epted her as a knight. He acknowledged her as a knight. Lucius the First offered her a dream she never even imagined could be her own. He gave her an opportunity to be part of his future. It was such a wonderful dream. Poliana became stronger for him. She studied and worked harder to serve the emperor better. Most importantly, she learned to see herself in a positive way. Every time Lucius the Firstplimented her, her pride in herself grew. Her entire life changed for the better after she met him. She had a dream to pursue. She made friends. She was gifted with superiors she respected and subordinates she could trust. She even got an adopted brother. All of these things were thanks to serving the greatest emperor in history. Everyone worked together to achieve the emperor¡¯s dream. The wonderful times Poliana had were all because of Lucius the First. But now¡­ Everything she achieved¡­ The works she aplished¡­ They were all going to be taken away from her. Her dream life was beginning to shatter. It was Lucius the First who gave her everything, yet it was also him who was destroying it all. He was such a beautiful man, but he was dirtying everything she had. The witch who seduced the emperor. The wh*re. The crazy b*tch. The ice-cold woman. Poliana was used to what people called her. Even when they weren¡¯t true¡­ Even when the things people talked about her were horrendous and ugly¡­ Polianaughed them off. She was okay because she knew that her rtionship with the emperor was pure, but as soon as Lucius the First confessed his love for her, everything people have gossiped about became true. The story of her, a stupid b*tch, seducing and fooling the emperor, now was going to be true. The stories that were made up to bring her down by the enemies were going to be the truth. ¡°She is a woman, so what do you expect?¡± This was the worst sentence she has ever heard about herself, and it was going to be a true statement now. Was this really correct? No matter how hard she worked, was her gender going to be her greatest limit? Will she never be able to ovee this? The impossible path of knightess was made possible by the emperor. But now, it was Lucius the First who was taking her life away from her. Was being a woman truly a curse? Was this the end for her? Did all of her hard work not going to matter? If Poliana was born a man, something like this would¡¯ve never happened. If she was born a man, she would¡¯ve never been forced to feel this miserable. If she was born a man, her emperor would¡¯ve never been forced to apologize to her like this. Poliana pushed Lucius the First away and wiped away her tears. ¡°Your highness, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It is all my fault. All of it¡­ All¡­¡± ¡°Pol, stop saying that¡­!¡± Only ¡°I have done you wrong. As soon as the prince is old enough to travel, I will send him to you to Yapa.¡± She told him that she will ¡°send¡± their son. She didn¡¯t say she herself will return with their son. Lucius the First flinched, realizing that his confession ended up causing the situation to be worse. ¡°Poliana, are you saying you want to give up your right as his mother?¡± ¡°I will leave everything up to you, your highness. It¡¯s ok if you do not acknowledge him as your own. If you wish, I can raise him here in secret. If you wish to take him as your own, then please hide my identity and have our son be adopted by one of your future wives.¡± ¡°Poliana, I never asked you to give up being the mother to our son.¡± ¡°And I never said I will raise this child myself.¡± Lucius the First¡¯s and Poliana¡¯s eyes met intensely. The emperor was surprised by her reaction, but he understood her; this was the woman he loved, this was the Poliana Winter he knew. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 ¡°Like I said earlier, your highness, I am desperate to keep my power. If I raise the prince as my own, I will lose so much of myself, so how could I do it?¡± ¡°You can marry me!¡± Lucius the First reminded Poliana of the things she dreamt of when she was nning her wedding with Frau. The emperor knew he could provide all of the things she wanted in a family. ¡°Pol, you told me that you wanted respect from your spouse! You said love was not necessary. We can have that! It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t love me because I love you enough for both of us. As long as you respect me, we can have that cozy and warm family you dreamt of! I¡¯m not going to have you as my concubine or one of the wives. I want you as my empress. It¡¯s not because you bore me a son! Even when I thought you were barren, I nned on proposing to you and make you the empress of this kingdom. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if you couldn¡¯t give me an heir!¡± If he wished, the emperor could have filled his harem with thousands of beauties. Yet here he was, begging this woman to be his one and only wife. He was ok with her never having his children; he was ok with her not performing the duties of the empress. Lucius the First continued, ¡°That is how much I love you. I adore you. I tried to give you up for your happiness, but it didn¡¯t work out. I can swear on this kingdom that you will be my one and only wife.¡± The emperor was desperate. He had everything in this world except for one thing; love. With a baby between them, Poliana and Lucius the First had no choice but to get married. The mistake the emperor made was being too rash and impatient. He was so desperate and excited that he forgot to think of how Poliana must feel. Quietly, she replied, ¡°And as soon as I be your wife, your highness, I will no longer be your knight.¡± Just like Lucius the First, Poliana was desperate too. She stammered in tears, ¡°You promised, your highness! You promised that I could remain by your side as your knightess forever! An empress or the wife of an emperor could never be a knight, so why do you keep asking me to give up myself?¡± ¡°But you wanted to be my knight to serve me, to follow me and be with me! You told me before that you are willing to work a desk job if it was for me! Being my wife¡­ The only change for you will be that your position will change, but you will still be mine. You will always be by my side. This will never change.¡± If the emperor offered her a pen and paper and asked her to serve him as his empress, Poliana would¡¯ve been much more receptive to the idea. The former empress¡¯s ring and flowers weren¡¯t what Poliana wanted nor needed. She finally exploded. ¡°I don¡¯t want this! I am telling you, I don¡¯t!¡± Poliana went through so much because of one drunken mistake. Months and months of carrying this baby all alone¡­ and now, she was being forced to be her emperor¡¯s wife, she did not want this one mistake to be the reason for a marriage. ¡°All the other knights get married and have families while remaining your knight, so why can¡¯t I?! Why me? Why just me! Why can¡¯t I have that too? Just because I ended up having someone¡¯s baby¡­ A baby I didn¡¯t even want¡­ Why must I be your wife?! I don¡¯t even love you!¡± Indeed, most knights Poliana knew were married with kids. But even after the wedding, these knights¡¯ lives did not change. No one ordered them to give up their career. But Poliana had to. Why? It was because she was a woman and the man was Lucius the First. Poliana continued, ¡°Why do I have to confirm what so many people believed? That I was a woman who seduced you! Why do I have to give people the reason to mock me for being a woman? I do not want to enter thedy¡¯s quarters! I do not want to be an empress either! Why do I have to give up the name you gifted me? Why do I have to live in the Yapa castle when I have my own ce? I thought you, of all people, would ept what I have be, your highness. I am Marquess Winter. You were the one who gave me everything! That is why I thought you were going toe up with a n that will allow me to keep what was mine. Even if it may be impossible, I thought you would at least try¡­¡± Poliana knew very well that they had no choice but to get married. She had epted her fate as soon as she saw her son, but what made her so sad and angry was the way Lucius the First was behaving. She was truly disappointed in him. Her beautiful emperor was her religion. Poliana believed in him. He was greater than anything she knew in this world. What she wanted was for him to suggest that they shoulde up with a solution other than getting married, but what he gave her was a love confession. If he first became angry at her¡­ If he first offered toe up with another n other than getting married¡­ It would have been much easier for her to ept the idea of marriage if they could note up with another solution, she wouldn¡¯t have felt so betrayed and miserable. ¡®This is strange.¡¯ Poliana had to admit that what she felt did not make sense. Why did she feel so much worse by the emperor¡¯s love confession? The most beautiful and eligible bachelor in the kingdom confessed his hopeless love for her, so why was she feeling so sad? Only The only answer Poliana coulde up with was the fact that she was a woman. All of her colleagues were married yet they were allowed to keep their career and status. Their life did not have to change much. Odd times, some knights did retire, but how they were treated by the others did not change. Besides, these knights weren¡¯t forced to retire. It was their choice. No male knight was asked to leave their position just because they got married. No male knight was forced to quit their job because they had a child. No man ever had to change theirst name just because he now had a wife. The only thing the men lost after getting married was the freedom of a bachelor, but this could notpare to what Poliana had to give up. It was Lucius the First who first epted her as a knight, yet it seemed that it was also the same man who made her hate being born a woman. Of course, Poliana didn¡¯t want to me him. Everything that was happening to her was all because she was a woman; this is what happens to a woman. Poliana¡¯s scream woke the baby up. Dog Stew began to cry loudly and il his arms. Poliana walked up to him and held him in her arm. Lucius the First watched and murmured, ¡°I am an idiot. I always say I want your happiness, yet I always end up hurting you.¡± When Poliana told him she did not love him and that she never wanted this baby, Lucius the First felt deep pain. ¡°I was so blinded by my love for you that I did not consider you and our baby. I gave you everything and now I was asking you to give them all up. I absolutely understand why you are angry, Pol.¡± Poliana continued to keep her back to him and consoled Dog Stew. She didn¡¯t say a word, she just began to feed her baby. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Those working for Poliana in the country house could not hide their anxiety as if they were the ones whomitted a crime. They made sure to appear as inconspicuous as possible so they would not annoy the emperor or the knight¡¯s order. Their fear was well-founded. Everyone who saw their mistress¡¯s baby has been admiring the newborn. Their new master was a beautiful baby and they have been wondering who the father might be, and now¡­ they knew. There was no doubt that the mistress¡¯s son resembled his highness the emperor. It was an uncanny likeness. A few months ago, when their mistress confessed that she got drunk and took advantage of a man, everyone thought it was just a joke. But now that they saw the emperor¡¯s face, the staff knew that Poliana¡¯s story had to be true. It was impossible to guess what their mistress was thinking when she ran away to Sitrin. Poliana herself didn¡¯t know what she was thinking at the time. Since she tried to hide the emperor¡¯s son, she could be considered a traitor. In the worst-case scenario, Sitrin, the ce that helped her hide, could be punished. Every citizen of this city could be forced to be ves as a result. It wouldn¡¯t have been a surprise to see the emperor¡¯s knights attacking and arresting Poliana at this very moment, but for some reason, everyone in the knight¡¯s order remained quiet. Lucius the First brought only a few of the members of the First Division for his safety. When these knights saw Dog Stew, who looked just like their emperor, they were so shocked that they could not even move. The knights all stood still and murmured among themselves, ¡°Why do you think Sir Pol did this? What do you think?¡± ¡°I think the problem is that she wasn¡¯t thinking.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t sound like her¡­¡± ¡°Dammit¡­ I can¡¯t believe our very first empress after the conquest is going to be so ugly¡­¡± ¡°How do you know for sure she will be the empress?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that baby? It¡¯s a son! And she isn¡¯t just anydy. She is the marquess, which means she has to be made the empress. I can¡¯t believe Sir Pol is going to be the symbol of Acreiandies! Man, she is such a lucky woman. To be a royal member just by having a baby¡­ All thanks to her being a woman; this is what women do.¡± p! Sir Beke hit the knight who badmouthed Poliana. When it seemed that there was going to be a fight, Sir Mahogal yelled, ¡°Everyone just shut up.¡± The very first knight¡¯s order of the kingdom. The members of this unit were selected solely based on their skills. There were many knights who were both very talented and well mannered, but for some reason, most of those chosen by Sir Ainno had terrible personalities. They were infamously aggressive and rude. The second inmand of this unit, Sir Mahogal, was thankfully a kind and decent man. There were many days when he wanted to quit, but he knew that his presence was necessary to control this angry group. Even Sir Beke, who was a normal guy, acted horribly when he was around the other knights of the First Division thanks to their bad influence. When Sir Mahogal heard that Poliana gave birth to the royal prince, he didn¡¯t know what to think. The other knights¡¯ unthoughtfulments, however, made him angry. He shook his head as he asked, ¡°Think about it. Do you really think this incident will make the marquess¡¯s life better?¡± ¡°Of course. She will be the empress of this kingdom. There can¡¯t be better promotion than that, right?¡± ¡°Totally. I mean, perhaps we could have worded it kindlier, but it¡¯s true. This is the best thing that could¡¯ve ever happened to her.¡± Most of the knights thought Poliana was lucky in having the emperor¡¯s son, but Sir Beke didn¡¯t agree. ¡°I disagree with the others, Sir Mahogal. Why would Sir Pol ever want to be the empress¡­¡± Sir Mahogal nodded, ¡°Exactly. For an averagedy, bing the empress would be a great honor, but do you guys really think this applies to Marquess Winter? If she bes the empress, she will have to give up being the head of the Second Division. She will also have to retire from being a knight. She will lose all of her personal properties as well as her status to the royal family. In addition, she won¡¯t be able to be armed at all times like she can right now.¡± An orphan foreign woman, who was unmarried, was allowed to carry her weapon and roam the castle freely. But what about the empress? As an empress, Poliana would never be allowed to have this kind of freedom again. Just for having a baby, she will be, in effect, imprisoned and no longer allowed to serve as a knight. What Sir Mahogal said made sense, but the knights of the First Division still seemed confused. ¡°It¡¯s not like Sir Pol was a talented knight anyway.¡± ¡°But she made more effort than any of us.¡± ¡°Who cares? Hard work without a talent means nothing.¡± These knights were selected purely based on their physical skills, which meant that talents were what they valued the most in a fighter. The rude men continued to chat, ¡°His highness had three wives and he only got a princess out of it. Sir Pol, however, was able to provide a son from just one drunken night? She must be a natural! Maybe she will be able to give births to many princes!¡± ¡°Dammit! Do you really want to serve the royal princes that look like Sir Pol?¡± ¡°But the newborn prince resembled the emperor¡­¡± ¡°This time, but what about the next time? What if all of the children Sir Pol has afterward resembled her?! Gross!¡± Smack! Sir Beke, unable to tolerate anyone insulting Pol, hit the knight again. This time, the rude knight fought back by kicking Sir Beke. A fight finally broke. Sir Mahogal was out of patience at this point. He was about to punish them all when Sir Ainno entered the room. Sir Ainno, who recently got married immediately after the royal death period ended, was unhappy that he wasn¡¯t home right now. He should¡¯ve been Yapa with his new bride and enjoying their honeymoon, but instead, he was dragged out of the capital to tour the kingdom with the emperor. ¡°I heard everything,¡± he announced. Sir Mahogal was good at controlling the men, but Sir Ainno was much more feared by the knights. They straightened up nervously, expecting to be punished severely. To everyone¡¯s surprise, there was no violence. It seemed that he was about to say something, but he decided against it. Instead, he warned the men, ¡°That is our future empress you are talking about. How dare you be disrespectful?¡± ¡°We apologize. It won¡¯t happen again!¡± Only The knights immediately became docile, making Sir Mahogal sigh. Sir Ainno red at him in annoyance. Sir Mahogal asked, ¡°So you think they will get married?¡± ¡°Of course, they have a kid now.¡± Sir Ainno answered nonchntly. Even themoners usually had to get married if a child was born out of wedlock. Things became moreplicated when it happened to the nobles, but normally, marriage was the ultimate result. This was especially the case since Lucius the First did not have an heir yet. A son was finally born, so the logical step was to legitimize him. Perhaps a mean uncaring man may have insisted that it was not his child, but Lucius the First was not like that. Besides, this was a golden chance for the emperor to marry the woman he loved. Only an idiot would miss this opportunity. ¡®I told both of them to be careful with drinking together.¡¯ Sir Ainno exhaled deeply at the irony of this situation. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 As soon as he heard that the meeting between Lucius the First and Poliana was over, Sir Ainno visited the emperor. When he entered the room and saw Lucius the First, the emperor, unfortunately, didn¡¯t look very happy. The room was dark and Lucius the First was clearly upset. Sir Ainno couldn¡¯t understand why. ¡®They had a child together, so why does he look like that? Could it be¡­ Did she actually refuse his proposal, seriously?¡¯ All the emperor had to do was forgive Poliana for hiding the baby and propose to her. What could have gone wrong in this home run scenario? What the heck happened? Lucius the First wasn¡¯t crying. He didn¡¯t look angry and he wasn¡¯t smiling either. The emperor just looked¡­ guilty. He looked like he was regretful, making Sir Ainno frown in frustration and anger. No one could argue that Sir Ainno was loyal to the emperor, and as someone who loved Lucius the First, Sir Ainno was furious that his emperor was making such an expression. An emperor should never be apologetic, even if it was for the woman he loved. The emperor should never forget that he was the master of his kingdom. Sir Ainno, clearly furious, turned around. His job was to make sure his emperor never had to make such an expression, and he was ready to take care of the situation. He would go and make Poliana make the right decision. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Lucius the First stopped him before he could leave the door. ¡°Your highness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°Your highness did not do anything wrong. You are the emperor. You are the ruler of this kingdom and therefore by definition, you can do no wrong. It is Marquess Winter¡¯s fault for upsetting you and she must be punished.¡± ¡°No, Inno. It¡¯s my fault. I betrayed a loyal knight for a woman I love.¡± Lucius the First wanted Poliana¡¯s happiness. He wanted what was best for her, but when the emperor found out about the baby, he couldn¡¯t control his own excitement at the fact that they now had no choice but to get married. Lucius the First was so happy that he forgot about Poliana¡¯s own happiness. The emperor knew he made a mistake. Confessing his love for her was the absolute wrong thing to do. If he told her that because of their child, they now had to get married for the good of the kingdom, Poliana would¡¯ve epted his proposal. She would¡¯ve seen it as her responsibility and felt ok about it. Lucius the First should¡¯ve been more patient. He was too excited, and he forgot the reality. He was dreaming of his happy future when he wasn¡¯t thinking about how Poliana would feel. It was all his fault. Whether they had a child together or not, he should¡¯ve always considered Poliana¡¯s happiness first. His resolve shouldn¡¯t have changed like this. Just having a child didn¡¯t change Poliana in any way. Bing a mother didn¡¯t change Poliana into a different person, the emperor¡¯s long wait and patience now were for nothing. When Lucius the First looked devastated, Sir Ainno said firmly, ¡°She dared to run away when she was carrying your highness¡¯s child. She tried to hide the existence of a royal member. She also tried to forge the papers to fool you, and most of all, even though your highness forgave her for everything, she still hurt you badly by refusing your proposal. All these crimes shemitted¡­ They are unforgivable.¡± ¡°Inno, you know better. You know that when you are hunting, the easiest prey is the mothers with young, but it is also them that you should never hunt. I knew Poliana was vulnerable and I used this situation against her.¡± Lucius the First began to tear up as he continued, ¡°She became pregnant with no family of her own to help and protect her. Can you imagine how shocked she must¡¯ve been? It is no wonder that she ran away. The Poliana you and I know is a soldier. All she knows is how to kill, not how to bear and raise a child, and I, the child¡¯s father, was insensitive enough to confess my love for her and tried to trap her into my arms¡­ I can understand why she has difficulty trusting me.¡± ¡°This is exactly what I have been warning both of you about. I told her not to drink with a man alone. If she listened to my advice, none of this would¡¯ve happened. Her inappropriate action has created this problem.¡± What Sir Ainno was angry about wasn¡¯t the fact that the two of them got drunk. He was furious about how the emperor¡¯s knight, who was supposed to exist to protect Lucius the First, got so drunk that she could not even remember what happened that night. In Sir Ainno¡¯s mind, Poliana did not do her most important duty as the knight of Acreia. ¡°But Inno, you used to drink with Pol all the time too. It is me who made a mistake; it is I who betrayed her.¡± The emperor was being pitiful again. Sir Ainno, clearly annoyed, asked with a sigh, ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Whatever I do, I know you will support me, Inno.¡± Sir Ainno quickly kneeled in front of the emperor and replied, ¡°I will always be your Inno, your highness.¡± ¡°I can see that you are happy. Although I feel jealous, I am also happy for you.¡± Inno quickly stood up and thought, ¡®He is changing the subject again.¡¯ Only Lucius the First looked at him with a lonely smile, which made him look even more beautiful. Not too long ago, Sir Ainno was able to win Cekel¡¯s heart and marry her immediately after the royal death period ended. From Cekel Ingreter, Cekel became Cekel Seki. Duke Seki, Sir Ainno¡¯s father, wanted his oldest son to inherit the title now that he was married, but Sir Ainno refused. He gave an excuse of him being still inexperienced, but in truth, he just didn¡¯t want the responsibility just yet. Oddly enough, Sir Ainno felt a little guilty about how things were going. His own love life was a sess while it seemed that the emperor¡¯s quest for love was going very wrong. ¡®Could it be because I took away Sir Pol¡¯s love luck? It can¡¯t be¡­ Can it?¡¯ If this was really the case, Sir Ainno believed that things will work out for the emperor and the marquess slowly. If he remembered correctly, Poliana gave him the two years of her love luck. That 2 years was almost over now. Sir Ainno, who had a notoriously hot temper, wanted to go and beat some sense into the marquess, but he stopped himself. He decided that all he had to do was wait; time would fix everything. Just as Poliana trusted Lucius the First, Sir Ainno trusted the emperor as well. He truly believed that Lucius the First will do something, anything to make this situation right. After all, this involved the woman who should be his wife and the empress of this kingdom, as well as their firstborn son. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 The next day, Lucius the First and Poliana sat down at the table and ate breakfast together. The conversation they had yesterday was painful, leaving both of them upset, but they did not avoid each other. During the war, they had to go through much tenser time. There were times when they argued with each other more intensely. What happened yesterday¡­ It wasn¡¯t going to be enough to make them change how much they trusted each other. Poliana trusted Lucius the First, and Lucius the First trusted Poliana as well. They spent 10 years together in a war. What they went through together¡­ Their love and respect for one another weren¡¯t going to change very easily. Yesterday, Lucius the First¡¯s sudden love confession upset Poliana greatly. When Poliana dered that she didn¡¯t love the emperor and she never wanted his baby, this hurt the emperor greatly. They were both very wounded and there was no point in figuring out who was hurt the most. Poliana nced at the emperor nervously. When she heard Lucius the First¡¯s confession yesterday, she reacted very emotionally, which was unusual for her. Was it because she hasn¡¯t been able to sleep well from taking care of the newborn? Poliana knew that what she said to the emperor yesterday was extremely rude and unreasonable. Perhaps she was overly tired. At leastst night, the wet nurse took care of Dog Stew while Poliana got a full night¡¯s sleep. Now, she felt much better and calmer. Poliana offered her apology first, ¡°Your highness, I believe that how I acted towards you yesterday was horrendous. What I did yesterday was much worse than running away from you.¡± Lucius the First shook his head and replied, ¡°I heard that after childbirth, a woman can be very emotional and sensitive, so I understand. You look much more rxed today, Sir Pol, so I think you were just very tired yesterday.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. I should¡¯ve med myself for the crimes Imitted, yet all I thought yesterday was how to rely on you, your highness. Please punish me for my wrongdoings, your highness.¡± ¡°No, Pol, it was I who did not think of you and how you must feel. I was so happy at the prospect of marrying you that I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly. I told you how I felt about you, and by doing so, I have hurt you with my impatience, I¡¯m sorry. All I ever want is to make you happy, but it seems that I keep doing the wrong things and end up apologizing to you.¡± For the next half an hour, the two continued to apologize and confess their mistakes. After about 30 minutes, Poliana finally asked the question that has been bothering her all night. ¡°Your highness, are you sure your eyesight is ok? Could it be that it has been deteriorating since the end of the war?¡± Lucius the First replied solemnly, ¡°My vision is perfectly fine, Pol.¡± Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it seemed that this morning¡¯s breakfast was made up of all the foods that were known to be good for eye health. Lucius the First knew his eyesight was fine. He added firmly, ¡°Sir Pol, you are very cute.¡± ¡°Your highness, how many fingers am I holding right now?¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°I read in one of the medical books that there is an illness where although a person can see, he cannot recognize facial features. Could it be that you have this sickness¡­¡± ¡°People do not fall in love purely based on one¡¯s look. If this is the case, you, Sir Pol, should¡¯ve fallen madly in love with me, right?¡± His heartfelt love was rejected yesterday. Lucius the First looked at her with a lonely smile, which made him look even more gorgeous than usual. Poliana became speechless at both his logic and his beauty. She knew he was right. There were many things they needed to discuss together. What should they do next? Should they really get married? They needed to figure out both public and personal aspects of this situation, yet none of them brought up this subject. After breakfast, Poliana stood up to feed her baby and Lucius the First followed her. Looking at his son who resembled him so much¡­ The emperor couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Pol, may I try holding him?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Watching the most beautiful man in the kingdom holding such a beautiful angelic baby¡­ It was quite a sight. Poliana was used to seeing one of them at a time, but watching them together felt very different. She was truly impressed. She said to him, ¡°I guess in this case, it would¡¯ve been impossible for me to hide who the father is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think he resembles only me too much? I wish he would¡¯ve looked like you a bit too.¡± Dog Stew looked just like when Lucius the First was younger. The emperor held him gently and expertly. He had some experience taking care of Princess Luminae, which made him morefortable around newborns. Unlike his daughter, his son was very healthy. Lucius the First smiled happily. ¡°Did you name him yet?¡± ¡°How would I dare? For now, we have been calling him little master.¡± Poliana could never tell him that she nicknamed the baby Dog Stew! When she kept quiet, Lucius the First signed and asked, ¡°This isn¡¯t just my son. It is your child as well, Pol. Are you sure you didn¡¯t even have a nickname for him?¡± ¡°¡­dog¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°¡­stew¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. Can you say that again?¡± ¡°When I was pregnant, the only food I could tolerate was the dog stew, so I nicknamed him Dog Stew.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A long silence fell. Feeling guilty and embarrassed, Poliana kept her head down. The emperor felt upset that she had to go through such a bad morning sickness, but he also wondered why of all names, she would name him Dog Stew. In the end, Lucius the First felt that it was necessary to object. Only ¡°He is our firstborn son, so I really don¡¯t think Dog Stew is an appropriate name for him.¡± ¡°I sincerely apologize, your highness. By the time he was born, the name just stuck. You¡¯re here now, so please name him.¡± Lucius the First examined his son, who looked just like him. Such a healthy baby¡­ The emperor smiled again and replied, ¡°Haha, he is still so young, yet he is very sturdy. I heard his cries roaring as well. Look at his eyes! Such intelligence! He will make an excellent general!¡± With another smile, the emperor added, ¡°Gerald. Let¡¯s call him Gerald.¡± ¡°That is an excellent choice, your highness.¡± Any name would¡¯ve been better than Dog Stew. Now that he was named, Gerald was being recognized by Lucius the First as his own. It was obvious that the emperor enjoyed having a son. He already had a daughter, Princess Luminae, but having a son was a different matter. He was especially overjoyed because the mother, the woman he loved, survived the childbirth. It was wonderful to see the father and son together. Those working for Poliana in Sitrin, who have been petrified that they were going to be punished, were greatly relieved. Seeing the emperor so happy meant that they were now safe. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Nobledies did not raise their own children, however, this didn¡¯t mean they could bepletely absent. Even with the wetnurse present, children often asked for their mothers. This was why Poliana was not free to leave as she pleased. She needed to remain physically close to Gerald at all times. Feeding the baby every hour was a tiring business, but a baby required to eat this much to survive. Poliana understood it and took it as her duty, but other than feeding, she didn¡¯t spend any effort or time on her baby. Lucius the First quickly noticed how nonchnt and uncaring Poliana acted around Gerald. Those working for her thought this was normal since Poliana was a very important nobledy, but the emperor was sad to see this. He watched Poliana feed Gerald carefully. She made sure the baby wasfortable, but clearly, there was no deep love from her towards Gerald. ¡°Sir Pol, you aren¡¯t happy about the birth of Gerald, are you?¡± This shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise. After all, Gerald was an ident. In addition, this newborn was about to force Poliana to lose everything she aplished in her life. Lucius the First asked, ¡°But you like children, Pol.¡± ¡°I do, I like watching them and I like holding them too.¡± Poliana was often seen holding and hugging Princess Luminae happily. She also sent carriages after carriages of presents to Vaxi and Vanessa¡¯s babies. Poliana was known to be very generous and kind to everyone¡¯s children. However, it seemed that she didn¡¯t have any love for her own son. If Poliana considered Gerald the emperor¡¯s son rather than her own, she should¡¯ve treated him affectionately, just like she did with Princess Luminae. The fact that Poliana seemed awkward and unhappy about Gerald meant that she must acknowledge him as her own. This was what confused Lucius the First. ¡°Don¡¯t you think he is adorable?¡± ¡°Yes, he is very pretty. At first, I was unhappy that he looked too much like you, your highness, but now, it¡¯s nice to see what a cute baby he is.¡± ¡°Then why do you look so indifferent? You are such a cutedy and it is not nice to see that you look offended by our son.¡± Poliana coughed and sputtered, ¡°Your highness¡­ You really need to get your eyes checked by the doctor, you aren¡¯t seeing things clearly.¡± ¡°Why do you keep saying that? I¡¯m telling you that you are very cute. I¡¯m being honest and that is why I don¡¯t tell you that you are pretty, right? You may not be conventionally pretty, but you are adorable, so stop arguing with me.¡± When Gerald was finished eating, Poliana put him against her and began to pat his back gently to make him burp. If she was sessful in making him burp, she would be free for the next hour. If she wasn¡¯t, then he would need to feed some more. He was the child she carried for the past 10 months. For the first few months of her pregnancy, Poliana was resentful that the baby survived. During thest few months, she was fearful that she might not survive childbirth. Holding the warm baby in her arms, Poliana thought quietly about her situation. This little creature was so light in her arms, but when he was inside of her, it felt like she was carrying a giant rock. Every time her stomach got bigger¡­ Every time the baby kicked inside of her¡­ Poliana felt fearful rather than excited. She knew people wouldn¡¯t understand how she felt, so she never voiced them. But now, in front of the emperor, Poliana gave him her honesty. ¡°My own mother died after giving birth to me. Lady Reba also died from her pregnancy. I was afraid before giving birth to him because I thought I might die. After his birth, I knew I could not escape this situation, and this made me feel desperate. So far, nothing good came out of him, and that is why I feel this way. I apologize for being such an ungrateful woman.¡± Once the baby was born, he made Poliana a prisoner. This was how Poliana felt. She did feel guilty for thinking this way about Gerald, but she still felt justified since she was a nobleman. A child grew up fine without love. For example, Poliana grew up without an ounce of love from her parents, but she ended up bing this kingdom¡¯s greatest marques. ¡°Your highness, a child can grow up fine without love or affection.¡± Lucius the First couldn¡¯t hide his bitterness at Poliana¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t that her logic was inurate. In fact, most aristocrats felt this way. There were actually some who, thinking too much love can poison and spoil children, sent their children away to be raised separately. Poliana continued, ¡°So, your highness¡­ I have been thinking.¡± She admitted that they had no choice but to get married since they now had a son together. However, what if they got married, make Gerald a legitimate son of the emperor, then get divorced! Lucius the First grabbed his forehead and replied, ¡°Marquess Winter, it sounds like you haven¡¯t heard a word I said. Did you not hear it when I confessed my love for you?¡± ¡°To be honest, your highness, I cannot believe what you told me about yesterday. I thought that maybe you were just lying to make me feel better.¡± It would look and sound better for the emperor and Poliana to get married because they were ¡°in love¡± rather than solely because of their son. If and when Poliana marries the emperor, people were going to talk no matter what. If she married him just because she had the emperor¡¯s son, people were going to say that she was a loose woman. If she married him ¡°for love,¡± then people were going to see her as a woman who couldn¡¯t control her emotions. To the public, thetter woman would be treated kindly. In fact, some might see it as the greatest love story of the century. A woman of unfortunate and harsh past bing the only knightess in the kingdom and falling in love with the emperor¡­ She might even be an empress beloved by the kingdom. Only ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Poliana wanted to cry again. Bing a beloved empress was not what she wanted. She did not want to give up her current position. Poliana didn¡¯t care if people didn¡¯t understand. Some believed she was not ambitious enough, but the truth was, she loved power. She didn¡¯t want to give up everything she aplished so far. Poliana knew her suggestion wasn¡¯t going to work, but she still asked again, ¡°Couldn¡¯t I just send Gerald to you, your highness?¡± The woman he loved the most in this world¡­ This woman didn¡¯t want to marry him. Poliana may have dly died for him, but she desperately did not want to marry Lucius the First. He couldn¡¯t me her, however, since although he would gain great happiness and lose nothing from this marriage, Poliana would end up losing everything. ¡°Pol, listen to me. The position of an empress wouldn¡¯t be a demotion to your current status as the marquess. We can just ignore what people say. Besides, not everyone will badmouth you. You may not like it, but we can¡¯t change what already happened, so we need to think positively. I swear to you, I will make sure you don¡¯t have to give up everything.¡± It was easy for him to say they should think positively. If the emperor truly loved Poliana, that Lucius the first was going to gain everything from this marriage. The woman he loved and an heir. Poliana, who was going to lose so much, could not be optimistic about the future. But Lucius the First was her emperor and her savior. He was her life and her everything. Poliana nodded reluctantly in the end. Lucius the First, who knew she still did not want the marriage, could only give her a bitter smile. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Lucius the First would¡¯ve loved to take Poliana and Gerald and return to Yapa immediately. Unfortunately, the emperor was in the middle of touring the kingdom and Gerald was too young to travel. They decided to keep the situation a secret until Poliana recovered both mentally and physically. For her reputation, it would¡¯ve been better for them to get married immediately, but Poliana still was very reluctant. She was still very emotional. Her thoughts about the matter changed constantly every day. Lucius the First didn¡¯t know what to do about it, but her staff seemed nonchnt. They assumed that she was having difficulty controlling her emotions because of her hormones, which meant that once she stopped breastfeeding, Poliana should feel better. As soon as Sir Ainno saw Poliana, he red at her. How dare she reject the emperor¡¯s love? Poliana ignored his anger. She just gave birth to a baby, so what could he do to her? He would nevery a hand on her, at least until she recovered. But Poliana still had to apologize to Sir Ainno about something entirely different. She said to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get to attend your wedding. I also apologize for not getting you a wedding gift.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Everyone agrees that the gifts you gave to Cekel from your own wedding n were more than enough.¡± ¡°Is Lady Seki doing well?¡± ¡°She became the head of the royal maids.¡± Poliana was surprised at the unexpected news. Knowing Sir Ainno and his stubbornness, she expected him to make Cekel retire from her job. Sir Ainno believed that a true highborndy should not have to work at all, even as a royal maid. Oftentimes, influentialdies volunteered as the maids to the royal members to gain even greater reputation, but Sir Ainno insisted that a truly powerful nobledy did not need to take this job to be recognized. Although his statement was true, people still hated his arrogance. So how was it that this infamous Sir Ainno¡¯s wife became the head of the royal maids? Sir Ainno, looking annoyed, exined that he had no choice. After many of the Acreian nobles were imprisoned and removed from their positions, many of the maids who belonged to these families also left the Yapa castle. They were short on maids, and so finally, Lucius the First ended up offering the position of the head maid to Cekel, who was married and now one of the highest-rankingdies of the kingdom. Cekel epted the position without consulting her husband. Sir Ainno became furious, but Cekel refused to change her mind. She said to him, ¡°It¡¯s not like you asked for my permission when you proposed to me.¡± Sir Ainno had no answer to this. He initially considered nagging the emperor to take away her job, but this was when Lucius the First decided to go on the tour of the kingdom. Sir Ainno was going to have to leave Yapa for almost a year, which would leave Cekel all alone. He felt that it would be better for her to have a job during this time. After a short chat, Poliana finally said to him, ¡°Congrattions on your marriage.¡± ¡°Congrattions on your marriage too, Marquess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Poliana didn¡¯t look very happy but Sir Ainno ignored it. Suddenly, she realized why Sir Ainnoughed whenever he saw her and why he insisted on bing the best man to her groom at her wedding. ¡®He knew how the emperor felt about me.¡¯ It shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise since Sir Ainno and Lucius the First were best friends. When she thought she was going to marry Frau, Sir Ainno tried his best to get out of this duty, but now, Poliana knew he would insist on acting as the emperor¡¯s best man. Sir Ainno red at Poliana. She made a huge mistake by drunkenly sleeping with the emperor, and now, she rejected Lucius the First¡¯s love. Sir Ainno hated her for it, but this did not change the fact that he still owed her. He said to her grudgingly, ¡°I will repay my debt.¡± ¡°What debt?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know the details. Bye.¡± After he left, Poliana wondered, ¡®Did I lend him money in the past or something?¡¯ She felt confused and no matter how hard she tried, Poliana could not remember anything. And the way he said he was going to repay her¡­ It didn¡¯t sound good. Did she perhaps do something bad to him, and now he nned on ¡°paying back¡± for whatever she did to her? One of the knights from the First Division looked at her usingly. Many of the knights continued to chat among themselves about the shocking situation. They thought that Poliana should not have any more children with the emperor in case they resembled Poliana. They wanted to keep the royal bloodline ¡°beautiful.¡± These rude knights were, of course, quickly punished by Sir Mahogal and Sir Beke. Sir Mahogal didn¡¯t say much to Poliana when he saw her. He simply told her that if she needed anything, he would be there for her. Poliana teared up at his warm and kind words. Sir Beke said a simr thing, but knowing what he was like, Poliana just nodded and thanked him. If Sir Aeke offered the same words, she would¡¯ve believed him more. Lucius the First wished to remain in Sitrin with Poliana and Gerald, but he was obligated toplete the tour. There was a publicly released schedule, and if he didn¡¯t follow it, people were going to be curious as to why. At this point, he couldn¡¯t let people know about Poliana and Gerald. The day he left Sitrin, Poliana waited at the country house entrance to say her goodbye to the emperor. She looked up at him with determination. Many things, some of them very unfortunate and unexpected, might have happened but no matter what, Lucius the First was always going to be her emperor. Even though she may soon no longer be his knightess¡­ Poliana clenched her fists just thinking about this future. The emperor, who betrayed his knightess, said to her, ¡°I like people who make great efforts and hard workers. You know why, don¡¯t you?¡± Only ¡°Because you yourself work hard, your highness.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Lucius the First nodded and continued, ¡°What I did was wrong, Pol. I ended up betraying you. Instead of understanding how you feel, I thought only of my love for you. Since we must get married, I thought you would have no choice but to ept my feelings for you. I didn¡¯t respect your wishes to not get married. I forgot all about why I have been so patient all these years. I just thought of my own dreams for us. I know what I did was wrong and what must happen is unfair to you, but Sir Pol, you realize the truth, right? We cannot leave Gerald a bastard, and we can¡¯t have him adopted by another woman when his birth mother is alive and well.¡± Poliana clenched her teeth and nodded, ¡°Yes, your highness. I understand.¡± Her mistake was to act emotionally and reveal her worries and fears to the emperor. This was what was going to happen anyway, so what was the point? ¡°Pol, I want to make it up to you. I will. I will do everything I can do to make you happy. I will work my hardest for you; I will work harder than I ever did.¡± ¡°Your highness¡­ Unfortunately, there are things that can¡¯t be aplished no matter how much effort you make.¡± Chapter 305: Story 21. Tardy Brother - 305 Story 21. Tardy Brother Chapter 305 Poliana tried her best to ept her inevitable future as the empress and the wife of the emperor. Of course, this did not mean she suddenly developed love for him. Although she still enjoyed Lucius the First¡¯s beauty, the fact was, Poliana still could not see him as a man. The emperor said to her before leaving, ¡°I know, Pol. But I will still make my best effort. I have never ignored or denied the fact that you are a woman. In fact, it is because I know how much you suffered unfairly for being a woman, I know you are the strongest person there is.¡± ¡°Your highness¡­¡± ¡°So Pol, that is why I want you to reach the highest status a woman can dream to reach. I want you to be happy as a woman and as a person. I want you to enjoy all of these things and still remain strong.¡± He offered his hand and when Poliana took the back of his hand to her lips to kiss, the emperor shook his head. Instead, Lucius the First took Poliana¡¯s hand and kissed the back of it. He acted with utmost respect and love that Poliana was too shocked to pull away. Lucius the First¡¯s beautiful smile made her freeze. ¡®Just how could a man be this beautiful?¡¯ ¡°Sir Pol, you are the strongest person I know.¡± Something happened to Poliana¡¯s heart just then. She felt like something burst inside of her. Her cheeks flushed and her entire body felt hot for some reason. ¡®What is happening to me?¡¯ Her heart began to beat fast and excitedly and Poliana could not tell why. *** The emperor told her to wait until he returned to get her. Was it an order, or a request? It didn¡¯t really matter because Poliana wasn¡¯t nning on going anywhere. Gerald was too young to travel far, which meant that she had to stay by his side in Sitrin. In truth, Poliana was certain her son would be fine without her. Gerald was extremely healthy and if she remembered correctly, he was developing at a much faster rate than Princess Luminae. Poliana was still recovering from childbirth, but Gerald was doing very well. Studying her son, who looked just like his father, Poliana thought secretly, ¡®Please don¡¯t resemble me in any way.¡¯ Before he was born, Poliana prayed that her child would look just like her and not like the emperor. Her prayer was clearly not answered; Gerald was an exact copy of Lucius the First. Now that it was toote to hide his existence, Poliana wanted the best for him. Poliana¡¯s physical traits were not ideal. She was too small, and shecked true talents. She practiced harder than anyone, but the result was never satisfactory. On the other hand, Lucius the First was an amazing knight. His skill as a fighter was not well known because it was overshadowed by Sir Ainno who never left the emperor¡¯s side, however, Lucius the First was a very skilled knight. If he was just a simple nobleman, it was most likely that he would¡¯ve been drafted to the First Division. Poliana hoped that Gerald will have his father¡¯s physical talents. A few days after the emperor left, another guest arrived at Sitrin. This time, it was someone Poliana expected. Someone who she actually invited and arrived toote. Poliana didn¡¯t go out to greet him, and the guest probably knew why. Her adopted brother, who was many days toote, visited Poliana in the country house. Even considering the fact that Donau lived a long distance from her, his arrival was extremelyte. The emperor now knew everything, and Poliana couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed. Her adopted brother arrived toote while the emperor dropped by without any notice. At this very moment, Poliana was frustrated with both of them. The thing she resented the most, however, was her own life. Why was this happening to her? Although she wasn¡¯t too happy with Donau, she still greeted him with a smile. After all, he was her brother and she would never be unkind to him for something like this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I arrivedte, Sir Pol. Vanessa was sick so I couldn¡¯t leave right away.¡± ¡°If your wife is sick, why would you leave her at all? Why did youe here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine now.¡± It was Poliana who asked him for help, but now that he was here, she was asking him why he came. Donau felt like he was being treated unfairly. Poliana then nodded and replied, ¡°Well, sounds like you had a good excuse for beingte, so you¡¯re fine. I forgive you.¡± Since he was married, Donau should always think of his family first. Even though Poliana asked for help, he made the right decision to take care of his sick wife first. If he left his wife and came here, Poliana would¡¯ve been very angry at him. Poliana tapped his shoulders proudly. ¡°You¡¯re all grown up now. It seems like only yesterday when you were acting like a spoiled boy.¡± ¡°So what happened? If there is anything I can help, I will, of course, do my best.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all over now.¡± Sir Donau was toote to help Poliana. If he arrived before the emperor, perhaps he could¡¯ve done something for her. It seemed that Donau¡¯s timing was always a bit off. Donau, looking guilty, apologized sincerely, ¡°I guess I¡¯m toote. I¡¯m sorry, Big Sis.¡± ¡°If Vanessa was sick, you were right to stay home to take care of her. Was she seriously ill?¡± ¡°She had a fever and there was a chance it might have been some kind of an epidemic, so I couldn¡¯t get here right away. Sis, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Only Poliana took a few steps back from him. She understood that Donau wouldn¡¯t havee if he was infectious, but she was the mother of a newborn. She needed to be extra careful. When Donau took a step towards her, Poliana took three steps back. When she waved at him to stay away, Sir Donau grumbled, ¡°I came because we found out that it¡¯s not an epidemic.¡± ¡°But even then, I want to be careful. Go wash up first, we¡¯ll talk after you clean up.¡± Sir Donau sighed and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s ironic how you, who used to keep her hair short because you were toozy to wash your hair, are telling me to wash up.¡± This was true. There were times in the past when Donau was immature and spoiled while Poliana rarely washed her hair. More specifically, she used to find it annoying to have to dry her hair, which was why she kept it short. At the time, Sir Ainno used to find her disgusting, which wasn¡¯t fair. She washed more often than most. Washing her hair once a week should¡¯ve been more than enough during the war, right? Of course, as the head of the Second Division, Poliana now understood the importance of personal hygiene. If any of her guards washed only once a week, she would¡¯ve punished him severely. Cleanliness was especially important for anyone who served the emperor closely. Poliana, still keeping her distance from Donau, insisted, ¡°We will talk after you wash up.¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Sir Donau leisurely enjoyed the wonderful hot spring of Sitrin. Based on Poliana¡¯s attitude, it seemed that whatever pressing matter his sister asked about was resolved now. He had been traveling at a grueling pace to get here, so Donau has been feeling tired. Being in the steaming water helped greatly. He was used to washing with cold water since the south was always so hot, so it was nice to enjoy a warm bath. After the bath, he was treated to a feast. Sir Donau was thankful for such luxurious treatment, but he could not stop thinking, ¡®What was it that she needed help with? It doesn¡¯t look like anything big happened recently¡­¡¯ Poliana wasn¡¯t the type that would exaggerate or overreact. If she sent a message asking for help, she most likely really needed help. The letter sounded like an emergency and Donau was supposed to leave his home immediately. But just before he was about to leave, Vanessa fell ill with a fever. It was possible that there may be an epidemic going around, which forced Sir Donau to stay home. Thankfully, Vanessa got better, and the doctor announced that it wasn¡¯t an epidemic. Just like when he rode to Yapa to rescue Poliana from the gold digger, Sir Donau rode as hard as he could without making a stop, but when he arrived at Sitrin, the ce seemed quiet and calm. Everyone working in the castle and the country house looked rxed. Even Poliana herself, who asked for help, looked fine. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Sir Donau ate alone in the dining room. He expected Poliana to be dining with him, or at least be in the room if she already ate, but there was no sign of her. He thought she might drink with him afterward, but Poliana never showed up even when his meal was over. Sir Donau became confused. ¡®Just what is going on?¡¯ Did she send that message from the shock of what happened with Frau? But that happened months ago¡­ After the Frau incident, and when Poliana arrived at Sitrin, she stoppedmunicating with anyone. She stopped sending any messages after thest one, in which she stated that she wanted to rest quietly. No one thought this was odd since Poliana deserved to take a vacation. Everyone assumed that she needed time to recover from the shock and humiliation of what happened with Frau Sneke. Sir Donau¡¯s curiosity was satisfied when he was escorted to a room by a maid. The room he entered felt familiar; his own wife and child had a simr one. In the south, the baby rooms were designed to have plenty of windows to keep it cool. In Sitrin, where it was much cooler, the windows were shut tight to keep the cold wind from entering. The sweet scent of a newborn baby¡­ No one could forget it after experiencing it once. It was such aforting and wonderful scent¡­ ¡®This is a¡­. baby room?¡¯ Poliana was sitting on a chair and reading by a crib. When Sir Donau entered the room, Poliana looked up. ¡°There you are.¡± ¡°Sis, what is this¡­?¡± Hesitantly, Sir Donau walked up to the crib. He was shocked and confused, and so many thoughts crossed his mind. The mistress of Sitrin was Poliana. So if a baby room was created in her personal home, the baby had to belong to thedy of thend, which was Poliana. It was still unknown who the father might be, but Poliana had to be the mother. ¡®C-could it be that she had that gold digger¡¯s baby? No, that can¡¯t be! My sis isn¡¯t like that¡­¡¯ Donau shivered in fear as he walked up to check on the baby. When he looked inside the crib, the baby¡¯s face wasn¡¯t what he expected at all. Donau was anticipating seeing a small baby that resembled either Poliana, Frau, or an unknown person, but instead, the baby¡¯s face looked just like someone else he knew very well. Not Poliana and not Frau. It was¡­ ¡°His highness?¡± Inside the crib, a miniature version of Lucius the First was sleeping soundly. Sir Donau couldn¡¯t have been more shocked. There was no doubt that the baby belonged to the emperor. This was clearly a royal prince, so why was such an important baby here and not in Yapa? And if the emperor had a son, this would¡¯ve been the biggest news of the kingdom, so why haven¡¯t Donau heard about it earlier? ¡°Sis, w-what is going on here?¡± The first scenario Donau thought of was the fantasy story the knights talked about sometimes. The emperor goes on a pic and ends up sleeping with a beautiful and mysterious woman. The emperor forgets about the incident, but the knight who apanied the emperor remembers. The woman bes pregnant and the knight takes care of thedy. The older knights sometimes dreamt of bing such a loyal and gentle hero. The Poliana Donau knew would be willing to do such a thing. Was this what happened? Was this why Poliana asked for his help? Sir Donau looked at Poliana questioningly. They have known each other for a very long time. They were close enough to each other that when Poliana looked at Donau with a subtle shake, Donau stammered. ¡°T-that can¡¯t be¡­¡± Donau tried to deny it. ¡°Sis, tell me it isn¡¯t so! What happened!¡± ¡°This is your nephew, say hello to Gerald.¡± ¡°Gyaa!¡± Sir Donau began to pull his hair out. Thankfully, he still had enough sense in him to keep his scream quiet since there was a sleeping baby in the room. What Poliana was telling him¡­ It was such a scary thought that Donau didn¡¯t know how to digest the news. He desperately wanted Poliana to tell him she was just kidding. Donau looked at her with despair, but Poliana just shook her head mercilessly. No one else was in the room, yet Donau whispered the question, ¡°What happened?!¡± Poliana remembered the fateful night with the emperor with a sigh and regret. ¡°I got drunk and made a mistake.¡± ¡°With his highness?¡± When Poliana nodded, Sir Donau suddenly pped her back hard. p! It hurt so much that her eyes widened. She knew she deserved it, but it still hurt too much. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°You need to be punished, this can¡¯t be happening.¡± Sir Donau continued to p her back loudly. Poliana let him do what he wished for a while before getting angry. Again, she knew she deserved it, but getting punished by her younger brother was too humiliating. Donau wasn¡¯t putting all of his strength into the ps, but he was still a muscr man and her back was on fire now. ¡°Stop hitting me!¡± ¡°You know you deserve this, right?!¡± Only ¡°That¡¯s why I let you p me a few times. That¡¯s enough now, so stop!¡± Sir Donau began to breathe heavily, trying to calm himself down. After a few seconds, he asked the very important question, ¡°Does his highness know about this?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡± She said it in the past tense. Sir Donau quickly realized what histe arrival must¡¯ve caused. Poliana obviously asked for his help with hiding her baby and Sir Donau was toote to do anything. The emperor already knew everything now. ¡°So, I was really toote. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. Vanessa was sick, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. Besides, it¡¯s all over now.¡± Poliana acted like her life was over. Sir Donau looked at her in frustration and pity. ¡°So when¡¯s the wedding?¡± Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Poliana asked, ¡°So you think I need to get married too, huh?¡± ¡°Of course. Is there another choice? There is certainly nothing I can do to change this. You obviously can''t leave the prince as a bastard, especially when he looks just like the emperor.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess. I guess there''s no other way,¡± Poliana murmured bitterly. The prince''s life was much more important than her own, so it made sense that she needs to sacrifice herself. If it was a daughter, however, would she have had another choice? Poliana decided not to think of the what-ifs. She should''ve felt grateful for bearing a healthy son. Isn''t that what every woman dreamt of? Lady Reba ended up losing her life to give birth, yet people still felt disappointed in her for giving birth to ¡°only¡± a daughter. Meanwhile, Poliana was alive and well with a healthy son. She was even promised the position of the empress along with the love confession from the emperor. ¡®I know I should be thankful. What a lucky woman I am.'' She knew being sarcastic about the royal family was inappropriate, so she did not voice her thoughts out loud. Others would think she was acting spoiled, but Poliana couldn''t help feeling this way. It was time for Dog Stew, no Gerald, to be fed. Poliana quickly did her duty before talking with her adopted brother. Poliana was the one who mostly talked while Donau listened. The first thing she exined was the reason why that unexpected night with the emperor happened. That very day, she cut off the Frau''s penis and got drunk with the emperor in the inn. They drankte into the night and Poliana ended up taking advantage of the emperor. Sir Donau flinched when he heard this part. ncing ufortably at her, he asked, ¡°Umm¡­ It can''t be that you took advantage of him, Sis¡­ It doesn''t make sense¡­¡± ¡°Shut up. I told you I was the one who did it, so who are you to tell me otherwise?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma''am.¡± ¡°I will do the talking, so you just shut up and listen.¡± Sir Donau waste to arrive and help Poliana, so he lost his right to give his opinion. Or perhaps even if he came on time, Poliana would''ve forced him to listen and nothing more. Both before and after the emperor found out about their baby, what Poliana truly needed was someone who could listen to her, not someone who can give her a solution to her problem. Poliana wasn''t asking for him to agree with her wholeheartedly. She knew very well what she did wrong. What Poliana wanted was for Donau to tell her that although she made a mistake, he still felt sympathetic towards her and that there was nothing she could do about her situation. Poliana just wanted him to console her. Poliana told Donau that when the emperor and herself woke up the next morning, neither of them could remember what happened. They spent a long time arguing about who was at fault, and in the end, they agreed that they would forget about the whole thing. Unfortunately, within a few weeks, Poliana learned that she was pregnant. After contemting for days, she decided to run away to her castle in Sitrin. Sir Donau pped her back again when he heard the part about her running away. What happened with the emperor that night could be partly med for her drunkenness, but running away was a decision she made when she was fully conscious. What she did was very wrong. Poliana argued, ¡°How dare you hit the marquess?!¡± ¡°I don''t care if you are the marquess or the future empress. I am punishing you as my big sister. I told you not to drink so heavily like that before! I warned you many times before!¡± ¡°I didn''t drink because I wanted to! I drank because I wanted to forget!¡± ¡°You forgot, alright! You forgot the most important part!¡± During the war, Sir Donau had to be the one cleaning up after Poliana just because she was his adopted sister. Donau also didn''t like to drink himself, so he often nagged her to stop overdrinking so much. Something shocking finally did happen from Poliana''s drinking, and Donau could not help pping her back. p! p! There were so many feelings Donau felt. He was relieved that it wasn''t Poliana who was raped by some random man while drinking. He was also d that of all men, it was the emperor she ended up spending the night with. Of course, he was also angry that of all people, she had to sleep with the emperor. It made things so much moreplicated. Poliana exined what happened before Donau arrived. While he was dyed with his ill wife, the emperor paid a special visit, and Poliana ended up telling him the truth. And now¡­ It was all over. Poliana shook her head in regret. She wished she could drink an entire bottle of hard liquor, but all she had in her hand was a cup of water. When she drank it like she would drink wine, Sir Donau realized that Poliana must''ve stopped drinking. He agreed with her decision, because after what happened from her drinking, why would she ever want to taste alcohol again? Sir Donau did not enjoy drinking. Some, who did not like to drink, still choose to drink if they needed to be consoled. Donau, however, was not one of these people. Alcohol made him feel nauseous and it gave him an awful headache. Poliana continued to drink water while Sir Donau drank watered-down juice. They weren''t drinking alcohol, but they talked honestly as if they were. ¡°So his highness must''ve asked you to marry him.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Poliana was the most loyal and aplished knight of Acreia. She was also one of the closest acquaintances of the emperor. She now had Lucius the First''s son, so if the emperor refused to marry her, it would be the greatest embarrassment on her part. Sir Donau thought of the consequence of this event. The emperor finally got a male heir and the marquess was going to be the empress. Lucius the First and Poliana had an excellent and affectionate rtionship. Poliana was undoubtedly one of the most loyal women in the kingdom. The likelihood of their son, Gerald, bing the next emperor was very high. But what if the emperor married more women? And what if his other wives had sons too? There would be a rivalry between the emperor''s sons for the throne. Of course, if Gerald continued to grow up to resemble the emperor so much, and if he had half the intelligence and charm of Lucius the First, he was going to be the most likely one to take the throne. Just as Duke Luzo agreed, the marriage between the emperor and Poliana was a smart idea. As a foreigner who achieved so much and became powerful on her own¡­ Poliana would strengthen the emperor''s own power in the government. Donau thought with a shiver, ¡®So¡­ She could really be the next empress¡­ This is really happening!'' Poliana was not the daughter, sister, or granddaughter of a loyal nobleman. She WAS the loyal noble herself. She was powerful and influential on her own, which meant the emperor himself could not disrespect her easily. Sir Donau suddenly shivered again. When he thought about the fact that his adopted sister might really be the empress, he felt shocked and impressed at the same time. Donau murmured, ¡°So you are really bing the next empress.¡± ¡°Well, I have been thinking, and¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Chapter end Chapter 308 Chapter 308 ¡°Here¡¯s my n, Donau. His highness and I get married to make Gerald his legitimate son, then we get divorced, and I return to Sitrin alone. Gerald can be raised in the Yapa castle.¡± Poliana thought it was a good idea, but Donau looked unconvinced. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. Lady Stra had a good reason to ask for a divorce, but your case is different. If you and his highness get divorced, people are going to gossip about it to no end. They will say you only married each other because of the child.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true! The only reason we have to get married is because of our son!¡± ¡°Sis¡­¡± ¡°Arghh!¡± Poliana grabbed her face and screamed. There was one more thing she didn¡¯t get to tell her adopted brother. The fact that Lucius the First confessed his love for her. At the time, when he told her he loved her, Poliana felt betrayed by the emperor. She was angry, disappointed, and despaired; her emperor was understanding, nheless. After the emperor left Sitrin, Poliana has been thinking a lot about this. ¡®There is no way his highness loves me. Maybe he just said it to console me and make me feel better.¡¯ This was her best guess at this point. She was only making an excuse, but Poliana didn¡¯t even realize what she was doing. She, in fact, began to be suspicious of what the emperor said to her. Lucius the First was the perfect man except for his odd sense of humor, so how could someone like him be in love with her? The more she thought about it, the more she became convinced that this whole thing was just an act. Lucius the First was a kind and gentle emperor. He most likely pitied Poliana, who was conned by a gold digger into a terrible marriage. She then ended up giving birth to his child. Her thoughtful emperor, who felt sorry for her and worried about her reputation and pride, most likely lied to her that he loved her to spare her feelings. Knowing the emperor, Poliana knew this was a very likely possibility. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Poliana suddenly felt relieved. Sheughed out loud, making Donau flinch in surprise. His eyebrows went up, wondering if his adopted sister was finally losing her mind after such traumatic events. ¡°Sis¡­¡± Donau reached out to her to console her, but Poliana didn¡¯t give him her hand. Instead, she pped the table and continued tough, ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s so funny! It¡¯s too much!¡± ¡°Sis, are you alright? Sis? Sir Pol? Did you mix alcohol in your water or something?¡± ¡°Oh gosh¡­ Donau, maybe I really did lose my mind. Maybe I am going crazy.¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± ¡°I am so embarrassed. I actually really believed him! I mean, look at me! How could I have been so stupid?¡± Poliana kept giggling hriously, which made Donau scared. ¡®Did she start doing drugs instead of drinking?¡¯ Donau¡¯s worry was justified. It wasn¡¯t umon for a retired knight to findfort in drugs for their physical and emotional pains. As Poliana continued tough like a madwoman, Donau¡¯s concern worsened. He grabbed Poliana¡¯s ss and smelled it. He could find anything odd with it. He even tasted it a little, but it was just water. ¡®Maybe you need to drink a lot of it to feel different¡­¡¯ ¡°Sis, what happened? Tell me.¡± ¡°Hahaha. I am such a fool.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Donau asked her as he gulped down some water. Poliana replied, ¡°His highness confessed his love for me, and I actually believed it for a second. Hahaha, how ridiculous.¡± Sir Donau coughed from the water going down the wrong pipe. He then spewed out some water onto Poliana¡¯s face. Calmly, Poliana wiped away her face and asked, ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°Sis, what did you just say?¡± ¡°His highness told me he loved me.¡± Cough! Cough! Sir Donau began to cough again uncontrobly. Poliana walked up to him and pped his back. It was partly to help him, but also partly as revenge for his earlier ps. ¡°I know, right? It¡¯s so stupid and funny. I can¡¯t believe I fell for it!¡± Poliana pushed the stray hair up and away from her eyes. She hasn¡¯t been trimming her hair during the pregnancy, so now, her hair was rather long. One thing Poliana learned from it was that the longer the hair, the easier it was to tie it behind her back and keep it away from her face. Sir Donau seemed even more shocked by what she told him than when he first saw Gerald. He kept asking her again and again if she was sure about what she heard. Poliana answered him yes and returned to her seat. Sighing heavily, Poliana exined, ¡°I was so shocked at the time, and his highness was such a good actor that I actually believed him; I must be getting stupid or something.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Sis, can you tell me the details? I¡­ My brain isn¡¯t working well so I am still having a hard time understanding¡­¡± Poliana told him about what happened. Lucius the First confessed his deep love for her and proposed to her. Since they had a child, it was obvious that they now had to get married, but what Sir Donau focused on was the ¡°love¡± part, not the ¡°proposal¡± part. When he insisted on hearing more about how the emperor revealed his feelings for her, Poliana replied, ¡°There wasn¡¯t much to it. After he found out about Gerald, his highness told me that he has been in love with me for a long time. That¡¯s all, and I believed it and acted so foolishly¡­¡± Poliana covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. She remembered how she cried in front of him, thinking that he really meant what he said. What was she going to do now? It seemed that Poliana decided for herself that Lucius the First didn¡¯t mean what he said. Sir Donau, however, argued, ¡°Why would you think he lied?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Poliana was surprised by Donau¡¯s reaction. She expected that her adopted brother tough with her and tease her. Instead, Sir Donau frowned and said to her in a low voice, ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Why? What do you mean? Isn¡¯t it obvious? Why would his highness be in love with me?¡± Only ¡°Why can¡¯t he fall in love with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t. He is the emperor, so he can do anything he wants. I¡¯m just saying why would he? Why would his highness like someone like me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why would you say ¡®someone like you?''¡± It wasn¡¯t that Poliana had low self-esteem. In fact, she believed she was quite a catch since she was powerful and rich, however, this wasn¡¯t about politics. It was a matter of the heart. Poliana replied, ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯mcking. I¡¯m saying that it just doesn¡¯t make sense. Why are you arguing with me about this? You¡¯re the one who isn¡¯t making any sense.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s you who is talking nonsense. Sis, what you are doing right now isn¡¯t right. You¡¯re ignoring and dismissing his highness¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡®My brother is a na?ve idiot.¡¯ Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Poliana became frustrated with Sir Donau¡¯s argument. She had a good reason for believing the emperor¡¯s words to be a white lie because she has been thinking about this constantly ever since Lucius the First left Sitrin. ¡°Listen, Donau. Our emperor is very kind.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°And now, he and I are going to be forced into an unwanted marriage. All because of my mistake, right? So, imagine how I would feel if he sighed and looked obviously frustrated. I would be upset, right? And knowing how thoughtful his highness is, don¡¯t you agree that he would rather lie to me to make me feel better? He told me he loved me to spare my feelings and pride.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just your guess, Sis, and nothing more. The emperor I know is indeed very kind, but he is not the kind of man who would lie and make a false love confession just to make someone feel better, even if it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Gosh, Donau. You¡¯re being too stubborn. I am not just one of his many knights; I am closer to him than most!¡± ¡°That is exactly why he wouldn¡¯t lie about something like this.¡± ¡°Normally, he wouldn¡¯t, but this is a special case.¡± Poliana felt certain about her reasoning. She took a sip of water to wet her mouth. She bit her lips, feeling embarrassed to be talking about such a subject with her adopted brother. Sir Donau remained quiet and waited for Poliana to continue patiently. This was an extremely serious and sensitive topic, and he wanted to get to the bottom of this even if it took all night. Lucius the First was indeed a kind and gentle man. He was so caring that it sometimes annoyed Sir Ainno greatly. Most of the time in the past, Poliana thought Sir Ainno was being rude, but recently, she couldn¡¯t help but agree with him. It was true that sometimes, the emperor¡¯s kindness was too much. The way he handled the gold digger situation¡­ And now how he confessed his ¡°love¡± for her¡­ A con-man named Frau Sneke almost seeded in marrying Poliana. Unfortunately for her, Poliana really liked this man. He was ugly, fat, weak, and poor, but she still genuinely liked him. Even before she decided to marry him, she thought Frau Sneke was a good guy. When she decided to have him as her husband, she grew to like him even more just because he was going to be her family. Poliana remembered giggling in happiness just thinking about him. When she learned what kind of man Frau really was and what he nned on doing, Poliana punished him while still showing him mercy. She chose to be kind and let him live because he had a son. Poliana was hurt very badly. She wasn¡¯t sure if she would ever recover from betrayal like this. This was why she drank that night, which unfortunately resulted in an even bigger problem. Lucius the First was with her the entire time. When she was in such pain, the emperor witnessed it and tried to console her. He was there to see her suffer, so didn¡¯t it make sense that he was trying to be kind when he told her he loved her? This was Poliana¡¯s guess and she thought it sounded logical. And¡­ She hoped she was right. Poliana said to Donau, ¡°He was just trying to be nice because he knew about what happened to me with the gold digger. He felt sorry for me so he was being kind.¡± ¡°Sis, I know how traumatized and hurtful you must¡¯ve felt about the whole Frau incident. Everyone who¡¯s close to you knew about it. But Sis, think about it. You and the emperor have to get married no matter what, right? You two will be seeing each other every day for the rest of your lives, which means that if he lied about his feelings for you, he will be found out soon enough. You will know after a while, right? So why would he lie when he knows he will be caught? Why would the emperor do something so stupid?¡± The two looked at each other intensely. Suddenly, Poliana burst intoughter and pped the table. ¡°You are kidding, right? Hahaha.¡± ¡°So, you still think his highness lied?¡± ¡°Of course! There is no way his highness likes me that way.¡± ¡°Sis¡­¡± ¡°Think about it.¡± Poliana looked down at the table and continued, ¡°I am ugly, old, and not at alldy-like. I am the opposite of his highness¡¯s type, which is a properdy who is fragile and beautiful. There is no one in this world who would ever look at me as a woman.¡± Poliana thought secretly to herself, ¡®This is why I got fooled by that jerk.¡¯ Frau Sneke was the only person who seemed to see her as a woman, and this was exactly why she fell for him. Even though he was an ugly unattractive man, Poliana felt like a woman when she was around him. Every other man treated her either like one of them or a genderless being. When Poliana took her top off, the other knights covered their eyes, not for her or for propriety, but to protect their eyes from her ugliness. The other knights epted her as a knight, but they, to this day, could not ept her as a woman. Poliana was fine with this because this was the only reason why she could remain a knight herself. She needed to remain a woman who did not feel embarrassed when taking her shirt off. She needed to be ¡°one of them.¡± ¡°What man in this world would ever like me as a woman?¡± ¡°You are very mistaken about that, Sis. There are men who see you as a woman.¡± ¡°Where?!¡± ¡°You just have to trust me that there were, and there will be in the future too!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong!¡± Donau felt frustrated. Poliana was a very logical and objective person, but when she feels strongly about something, she could be incredibly stubborn. No one could change her mind, except perhaps the emperor. Sir Donau, however, did not think this was bad quality in her; in fact, it was her stubbornness that allowed her to be so sessful. Only ¡°Sis, I am serious. You may not know about it, but there had to be someone who was in love with you and just couldn¡¯t confess his feelings for you.¡± ¡°No way.¡± It was clear that Poliana couldn¡¯t be convinced. She felt so strongly about it that her entire body was tensed up, making her look even uglier. Donau was annoyed and had to stop himself from pping her back again. Sir Donau used to have a crush on Poliana. He even proposed to her before realizing this truth. Poliana refused him, but if he had known how he felt about her before proposing¡­ Perhaps they would¡¯ve been married by now. If Sir Donau was smarter and braver enough to admit that he saw Poliana as a woman¡­ Things could¡¯ve been very different. In the end, however, Sir Donau married Vanessa and was gifted with a beautiful daughter. Thankfully, Donau was very happy with his life. As soon as he learned that he was to marry Vanessa, he gave up on his love for Poliana. Now, Sir Donau loved his wife and his daughter with all of his heart. Vanessa knew this very well, which was why she was understanding whenever Donau went out of his way to help Poliana. Donau, frustrated, asked her, ¡°Sis, if what you are saying is true, are you telling me that you are someone who could never be loved by anyone? And you are still insisting that the emperor lied?¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Poliana nodded. ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Sir Donau suddenly stood up and left the room without a word. Poliana slumped on the table, waiting for her brother. ¡®Did he go out to bring me a drink? But I don¡¯t drink anymore¡­¡¯ Poliana assumed that Sir Donau went out to get something, and she was right. It was a pair of gloves he brought, and he threw them at Poliana¡¯s back. He threw it so hard that they made a loud pping sound. ¡°Arghh! What was that?!¡± Poliana stood up with a scream. When she turned around, she found Donau looking coldly at her and announced, ¡°You have insulted those who are dear to me, Sir Pol. As the second son of Duke Ribo, I ask you, Marquess Poliana Winter, to a duel.¡± ¡°Dear to you?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You have insulted my sister and my emperor. I will fight you for their honor.¡± Poliana gaped at him in confusion. Those dear to Donau¡­ His emperor and his sister were Lucius the First and Poliana herself. She could understand that calling the emperor a liar could be construed as an insult to Lucius the First, but what about her? Was it because she said there was and could be no man who likes her as a woman? But that wasn¡¯t fair! How could she be punished for insulting herself? When Poliana tried to pick up the gloves, which fell to the floor, Sir Donau moved quicker and grabbed them first. Donau never forgot that Poliana just went through childbirth. She was a patient, which meant she shouldn¡¯t be moving too vigorously. But of course, Poliana never listened to the doctors. She epted the request willingly. ¡°Fine! Who will be our witness?¡± Fortunately, there was someone in Sitrin who came from the greatest bloodline in the kingdom. Gerald, the soon-to-be legitimate son of Lucius the First, the emperor of Acreia! When Donau named the baby, Poliana¡¯s eyes narrowed. Gerald could barely open his eyes, so how could he stand as a witness to their duel? Sir Donau shook his head and exined, ¡°What I meant was that we are both honest knights, which means we should not need a witness. We will know who the winner is and we both know we won¡¯t lie about it.¡± If they swore to Gerald¡¯s life to fight a clean duel, they, Gerald¡¯s own mother and adopted uncle, certainly were going to keep their promise. *** The next day in the country house back garden, Sir Donau and Poliana¡¯s duel took ce. A wet nurse was to be an honored guest while Gerald was to be the official witness. The newborn and the wet nurse, however, decided to remain inside and watch through the window to protect Gerald from stray rocks and sand. There was no doubt that Sir Donau was the winner. In the beginning, Poliana did very well for winning a few sets, but soon enough, Sir Donau won most of them. The adopted brother and sister knew each other¡¯s fighting habits very well. Their favorite attack and defense move, and special tricks¡­ In the past, they used to be each other¡¯s sparring partner, which was even beforehand, it was obvious who was going to be the winner. But still, Sir Donau did not assume he was going to win. Poliana also did not assume she was going to lose. This was a smart thing since Sir Donau was actually shocked by Poliana¡¯s ferocity at the beginning sets. ¡®When did my sister be such a vicious swordsman?¡¯ High, high, low, low, right, left, right, left¡­ Poliana moved without a break or hesitation. Her attack became stronger and less predictable than thest time they fought. It was all thanks to her training with the First Division. She was able to quickly improve her stamina and skills as well as her brutality. Sir Donau could feel that she has be much more ruthless. He was impressed at how much Poliana has improved during thest few years they have been apart. He thought he knew all of her very well, but obviously, Poliana was someone who never stopped improving herself. Poliana was feeling the same way about her little brother. Sir Donau, who moved to the south, has been mostly on desk duty. Despite it, it was clear that he hasn¡¯t beenzy about his training. There was an obvious improvement in his strength. It was much harder for Poliana to defend herself against his attacks. Sir Donau was also much faster now, and before Poliana could blink, his elbow struck her nose hard. Poliana took a step back to brace herself, but in the end, she ended up kneeling on the ground from the shock of it. ¡°Sis, I won, right?¡± ¡°Dammit! My nose¡­¡± Poliana grabbed her nose. She could not even lift her head up because of the intense pain. A doctor, who was standing nearby just in case, ran towards her. When the wet nurse saw Poliana¡¯s nosebleed, she almost fainted. Gerald, not understanding what was going on, just watched them with his round eyes. Poliana asked, ¡°My nose isn¡¯t broken, right?¡± In the past, Sir Ainno broke her nose once. Poliana knew she was lucky that her nose didn¡¯t heal the wrong way at the time, in which case a doctor would¡¯ve had to break it again to reset it. All the knights knew how painful it was to reset one¡¯s bone. The doctor shook his head, ¡°No, it¡¯s not broken, Marquess.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Her nose ached terribly, and her ears were ringing, but Poliana was just happy to hear that her nose wasn¡¯t broken. Sir Donau, who was watching worriedly, looked relieved. He didn¡¯t mean to hurt her, but during a duel, one needed to focus only on winning. Poliana was doing and thinking the same thing, so she did not me Donau for almost breaking her nose. A knight needed to do his or her best whenever they were in a fight, even if it was an unofficial duel. Although he didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Sir Donau, however, could not help feeling guilty. Poliana was a woman after all, and he didn¡¯t want to permanently scar her face. Even Sir Ainno felt apologetic after breaking her nose and making her lose her mr. Only ¡°I am so d I didn¡¯t break your nose, Sis.¡± ¡°Totally. It broke once, so it would be awful to have it broken again.¡± The bleeding stopped quickly and Poliana epted her defeat easily. She apologized to Sir Donau properly, but he still didn¡¯t think it was enough. ¡°Sis, I hear you apologizing, but I know you still aren¡¯t epting the truth.¡± ¡°If you were me, would you be able to do that?¡± Sir Donau looked at Poliana with serious eyes and called her by her rank, ¡°Sir Poliana.¡± Although they weren¡¯t rted by blood, to him, Poliana was family. She also used to be his superior, his mentor, his colleague, and his friend. She taught him many precious life lessons he will never forget. She made him into a proper man. Sir Donau always felt thankful to her, and he wished her happiness. He hoped Poliana would lead a happy life. She didn¡¯t have to be the happiest person in the kingdom; Sir Donau just wished she would be as happy as the other people in this world. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 It was okay if everyone thought she looked unhappy as long as Poliana herself felt happy. Sir Donau wanted to see her smile with joy. ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to ignore someone¡¯s love for you. It is understandable that you want to pretend that he doesn¡¯t love you, but Sir Poliana, please do not deny the fact that someone loves you. The truth is that there was a man who loved you and there is someone right now who loves you. Please do not deny their existence.¡± Although it took him a long time to realize it, Sir Donau used to be in love with Poliana. Of course, he proposed to her before realizing his true feelings, and his proposal was rejected; his first love ended rather sadly and abruptly. After marrying Vanessa and learning to love her, Sir Donauter realized that what he felt towards Poliana was really love. This was why he felt sorry for Lucius the First. There was a time when Sir Donau believed his love for Poliana would be a burden for her. Perhaps this was why it took him such a long time to realize his feelings. Sir Donau believed in the emperor. There was no way that Lucius the First would make up such a lie to a loyal knightess; the emperor that Donau knew would never lie about something like this. For a long time, Donau didn¡¯t even know that he was in love with Poliana. Lucius the First was different, however. The emperor was a better man and he had the courage to confess his feelings to her. Donau was on the emperor¡¯s side. He wished Lucius the First best with his love life. Donau was willing to do whatever was necessary to help the emperor. Of course, at this point, how Poliana felt was the most important thing. Sir Donau would never pressure her into anything, but he wanted her to recognize and admit, at least, that the emperor¡¯s love was real. ¡°It wasn¡¯t I who was insulted, so what would be the point of you apologizing to me?¡± ¡°Gosh! What do you want from me, Donau?¡± Sir Donau might have won the duel, but this still didn¡¯t mean it was enough to change Poliana¡¯s mind. Sir Donau insisted that there were men, and was one that currently loved her. Poliana kept insisting that he was mistaken by saying the same thing. Her self-defense mechanism kicked in, and to protect herself from another disaster like with Frau Sneke, Poliana didn¡¯t want to even admit the possibility of love in her life. Sir Donau didn¡¯t even witness how Lucius the First confessed his love for her, but he was certain that the emperor meant what he said. Sir Donau talked like he had seen the emperor¡¯s heart and knew for a fact that Lucius the First was in love with Poliana. Finally, after arguing for a few more minutes, Sir Donau said to her, ¡°Well, it looks like you will never apologize to yourself for depriving yourself of love, so the least you can do is to apologize to the emperor. I heard that his highness decided to cut his tour short and return to Yapa, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that is what I heard.¡± Now that he had a son, there were a lot of things Lucius the First needed to take care of. He shortened his tour immediately and was on his way back to the capital city. The emperor had always been a workaholic, so no one thought that it was strange for him to want to return as soon as possible. ¡°Then, we should go to Yapa too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Poliana flinched, clearly not wanting to return home. She ran away from that ce not 10 months ago, so why would she want to return? Sir Donau insisted, ¡°I am a little worried about leaving Gerald here, but it¡¯s not like you take care of him much, right? I assume you let the wet nurse do most of the work, which means your presence here isn¡¯t necessary. So why don¡¯t we go to Yapa and find out for sure how the emperor really feels about you.¡± Sir Donau was telling her to return to Yapa with no n or a good reason. She became angry. ¡°Hey, this is none of your business¡­ You aren¡¯t part of this problem¡­¡± ¡°Am I a nobody to you? Am I not part of your life?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sis, I am not just a random person. I am your family, which is why I am here and I am insisting that we do something about this situation. His highness didn¡¯t just propose to you. He told you he loved you and you are pretending that he lied about it. You are assuming that what he feels for you is actually responsibility and pity. You can¡¯t do that, Sis. That¡¯s not fair for you or the emperor. I am telling you this because I want you to be happy.¡± Poliana became speechless and Sir Donau looked at her with sadness. It was obvious that his adopted sister did not believe in true love, at least not for herself. He thought angrily, ¡®That damn gold digger. He ruined everything.¡¯ If Frau Sneke didn¡¯t hurt Poliana, perhaps she would¡¯ve been more receptive to the emperor¡¯s love. Perhaps she would¡¯ve believed in true love. Donau continued, ¡°I know that marrying his highness will not bring you happiness. In fact, you will end up losing a lot. You would be better off marrying someone else. But it doesn¡¯t help you to keep denying his highness¡¯s love for you. This marriage needs to happen no matter what, so won¡¯t it be better to confirm that his highness really is in love with you?¡± Sir Donau put his hand on Poliana¡¯s shoulder and shook her gently. Poliana was looking confused and nk as he added, ¡°Do you understand the significance of this?! His highness, the most beautiful and powerful man in the kingdom, confessed his love for you! Doesn¡¯t that make you feel good?¡± ¡°What is the point of me feeling good as a woman when my pride as the knight has been crushed?!¡± ¡°How does the emperor¡¯s love crush your knightly pride?¡± ¡°If what he told me is true, that means his highness saw me as a woman and not as a knight! If I was a man like you or like all the other knights, he¡­¡± Only ¡°Sis!¡± Sir Donau interrupted her harshly. Poliana was making a huge mistake and he needed to stop her before she went too far. ¡°Sis, you are a knight! Even if someone loves you as a woman, this doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are a knight.¡± ¡°But if I marry his highness, I will have to give up being the head of the Second Division. They will also confiscate my title andnd¡­¡± ¡°That is all his highness¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°What?! How dare you!¡± Poliana red at him angrily, but Sir Donau didn¡¯t look away. He continued, ¡°The fact that you have to lose your status¡­ It can¡¯t be helped since he is the emperor, which means it is all his fault. Think about it. If anyone else fell in love with you and married you, you wouldn¡¯t have to give up anything. For example, if Duke Luzo loved you and married you, you wouldn¡¯t have to give up being a knight. So the fact that you have to give up so much is all his highness¡¯s fault.¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Sir Donau¡¯s words shocked Poliana. She had never thought about her situation this way. She felt a little guilty about using Duke Luzo as an example since he was a happily married man, but she decided to imagine what it would¡¯ve been like. Let¡¯s say Duke Luzo was still unmarried and fell in love with Poliana. Because he was an obedient man, it was very likely that he would¡¯ve listened to whatever Poliana had to say and follow her wishes. She would¡¯ve insisted on staying in Yapa and continue working as the head of the Second Division, and she was certain that someone like Duke Luzo would¡¯ve chosen to stay in the capital city with her. He would¡¯ve worked for Lucius the First in the Yapa castle. Things would¡¯ve been simr to other men too. She hated to even imagine such a thing, but if for some reason she married Sir Ainno, she wouldn¡¯t have had to lose so much of what she achieved. Marrying any man other than Lucius the First would¡¯ve given her the chance to keep what was hers. So why of all men, did it have to be her emperor? Ironically, it was the emperor who gave her everything she desperately wanted to protect. Now, it was that same man who was about to take everything away from her. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Until now, there hasn¡¯t been anyone Poliana could talk to about her situation. She has been feeling alone and frustrated, but now, she felt a little more rxed. When Polianaughed quietly, Sir Donau smiled as well. He loved her smile. It made him feel happy to see her happy. When Sir Donau smiled widely, his missing canine looked very noticeable. The emperor gave him a fake ivory tooth to wear as a gift, but Sir Donau never used it once after unwrapping the present. He imed that he would keep it in perfect condition as a family heirloom. Although he would never admit it, the truth was that Donau did not want to look ridiculous with a fake tooth. Sir Donau said to Poliana, ¡°To be honest, what happened that night is your fault in big part, Sis. I mean, getting drunk with the emperor like that¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t talking about a woman drinking alone with a man. He was referring to a knight drinking so much that she is unable to protect her emperor. Indeed, this could actually be considered a crime. Polianaughed in embarrassment while Donau looked at her like a school teacher reprimanding his student. ¡°I am his highness¡¯s knight as well as your brother, Sis. Technically, I¡¯m unable to take anyone¡¯s side. If I¡¯m forced to choose, the right thing for me to do is to side with his highness, but this time¡­ I am going to be on your side, Sis.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Whatever decision you make, I will stand by you. I will support you no matter what, so let¡¯s first get to Yapa. What you find out there isn¡¯t enough to convince you¡­ If you still don¡¯t want to be the empress, then don¡¯t. You should do whatever you think is right. Get married and divorced if necessary. But don¡¯t deny what he is feeling for you. Please don¡¯t run away this time.¡± Running away without a n was a stupid thing to do. Poliana has already done it once and she learned her lesson now. Poliana nodded firmly. Now that she had an ally, she felt stronger. Even though she knew there was nothing Donau could do to help her situation, she was still d that he was here with her. *** That night, Poliana remembered the time when she held a sword for the first time. It happened so long ago, yet she could remember it like it was yesterday. She was beaten badly because she didn¡¯t hold the sword right. She had to move like her life depended on it. She practiced so much that her hands bled. To survive, she learned to kill. She learned to be vicious and merciless. Poliana learned what the boys her age learned rather than the things the girls were supposed to learn. On the day she killed a man for the first time, Poliana did not cry. Sometimes, Poliana saw old knights who were afraid of the dark. The knights who killed so many people¡­ The darkness reminded them of death, and they shivered in silent fear. Many knights believed that the souls of those murdered by them would eventually find them. These knights waited for the ghosts of their victims to knock on their windows. Poliana betrayed her homnd, Aehas. She might have killed fewer men than many of the knights her age, but she was one of the most hated figures during the war. She was certain the Aehasian royals probably cursed her, but Poliana wasn¡¯t afraid of the ghosts or the curses. There was only one thing she was afraid of in this world. Poliana remembered the first day she held the sword. Not the day she held it for the first time, but the day she held it as a knight who was recognized for the first time. The day she met the emperor¡­ It was a freezing day, yet she couldn¡¯t feel the cold at all. At the time, she screamed for a sword to swear her loyalty to the emperor, but no one offered it to her. Finally, it was Lucius the First who gave her his own sword. The emperor¡¯s sword¡­ And now, his highness was about to take away her sword. However¡­ He was still her emperor. Remembering the day at the cliff brought back a wonderful feeling to Poliana. Her heartbeat became faster just thinking about it. Swearing her loyalty naked to the emperor was an honor. All the days she spent with the emperor was an honor. Each of them was precious to her. The wonderful memories were enough to make her eyes tear up. The emperor and the knightess. Everyone, including themselves, believed that their rtionship would never change. Poliana was certain of it because she believed that Lucius the First would never see her as a woman. The only situation that would force him to treat her as a woman would be if they were the only two people left in this world and they were burdened with repopting the kingdom. Poliana had never forgotten how he said that he would rather sleep with an ugly prostitute than with her. Lucius the First already apologized for thisment, but Poliana always foundfort in it. She, in fact, was thankful for herck of beauty. If she was a beauty, the emperor would¡¯ve slept with her on the day they first met and killed her, perhaps. Even if she didn¡¯t die, Poliana believed her life would¡¯ve been worse if she was beautiful. Lucius the First¡¯s love confession made her feel betrayed rather than happy. Even now, after a few days, she still wasn¡¯t happy about it. However, she wished she reacted better. She was so emotional at the time, and Poliana regretted how she acted in front of the emperor. Poliana was imperfect and she was a woman, but no matter what, she was a knight. She was Lucius the First¡¯s knight; she betrayed her own country and chose him. Only Suddenly, Poliana realized that she didn¡¯t need the emperor¡¯s permission to remain a knight. Even if he refused, she decided that she will remain his knight forever. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Now that she knew what to do, Poliana could see things more clearly. As soon as the sun rose the next day, she went to Sir Donau. ¡°I am going to Yapa right now. You can stay here and rest before going back home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with you!¡± Sir Donau quickly wrote a letter to his wife, parents, and his inws about his dy in returning home. He knew that when he was going to be in trouble with his family, but he could not send Poliana alone to the capital. The brother and his sister finally set out to Yapa. They, of course, had no idea what awaited them there. Chapter 313: Story 22. Happiness- Story 22. Happiness Chapter 313 When Poliana announced her travel n to Yapa, the head of the Sitrin guards tried to gather some of his best men to escort her. Poliana, however, refused, ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own.¡± ¡°Mistress, it could be dangerous.¡± The head of the Sitrin guards was insistent and Poliana understood. If she was in his position, she would¡¯ve done the same. Even the best of young knights could face danger when traveling alone. All the powerful and important figures needed to be protected at all times. For example, Lucius the First was always shadowed by Sir Ainno. When Sir Ainno wasn¡¯t avable, the emperor was guarded by many of his loyal knights. Except for very special and rare asions, Lucius the First never forgot his importance, which was something Poliana needed to learn. She needed to take care of herself better. The emperor did this very well because he knew that if he got hurt, those around him will suffer even more. The head of the Sitrin guard informed Poliana that he would gather a few of his very best knights. Poliana contemted, not liking the fact that she would be taking the best fighters away from Sitrin for her personal use. ¡®I will just take a few knights but leave most of the guards behind.¡¯ With the change in the Acreian militaryw, all the knights and the guards of different cities now belonged to the kingdom. Lucius the First made it this way to strengthen his hold, but Poliana realized a disadvantage of this change. In the past, the nobles could use their families¡¯ knights as their personal escorts. However, now that all of the knights belonged to the emperor, using them for personal protection seemed inappropriate. It felt like abusing the emperor¡¯s own personal army, but it would look even stranger if she hired more guards for herself with her own money. Sitrin was not very far from Yapa. The road to the capital was also well paved and safe. Poliana said to the head of the guards again, ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own. I can go by myself.¡± Sir Donau offered firmly, ¡°No, you can¡¯t go alone, Sis. I will travel with you as an escort.¡± The head of the guards seemed relieved, ¡°If Sir Donau is apanying you, then I am happy with that. Thank you, Sir Donau.¡± Sir Donau traveled alone from the south to Sitrin, which was a much more dangerous and long journey. Poliana understood why the head of the guards seemed relieved, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling bitter towards their double standard. No one became concerned when Sir Donau decided to travel alone, but when Poliana decided to go by herself, everyone seemed adamantly against it. Poliana decided that it was all because of herck of skills. If she was the genius knight of the century like Sir Ainno, people would¡¯ve feltfortable letting her travel all over the kingdom by herself. Poliana chose not to think that it was because she was a woman. It had to be because of herck of skills. Gerald¡¯s wet nanny was upset with Poliana¡¯s travel n. The nanny was head over heels over the newborn, who was the most beautiful baby she has ever seen in her life. She was clearly a ve to Gerald¡¯s beauty and charm. The nanny understood that all nobledies did not raise their babies themselves, but she still believed that a mother should not be absent from the newborn¡¯s side for at least a few months. When she showed her concern, Poliana replied simply, ¡°This boy survived the hardest training in this kingdom. He also was a baby who made me crave the worst tasting food in this kingdom. Gerald is perfectly healthy so he will be fine without me for a while.¡± Poliana believed that her son would be able to survive even if he wasn¡¯t fed for three days. The most worried among those in Sitrin was the head of the vassals. His mistress has already brought something, more specifically someone, incredible to Sitrin. He became anxious about what she might do next when she returned to Yapa. Poliana tapped the vassal¡¯s back kindly and said to him, ¡°I will make sure Sitrin doesn¡¯t get involved in whatever happens next.¡± ¡°Mistress! Just return home safely!¡± Poliana looked at him oddly and thought, ¡®He is talking like I am going to Yapa to die or something.¡¯ And just like that, the brother and the sister left the Sitrin castle. Sir Donau made sure their pace was slow since it was only a few months ago that Poliana gave birth. At first, Sir Donau insisted on Poliana riding the carriage to travel morefortably. He was nning on driving the carriage while Poliana rested inside. Of course, Poliana refused to be treated this way. She insisted on riding her own horse, and Sir Donau knew he couldn¡¯t convince her otherwise. He shrugged and let her do what she wished. While they traveled, Donau begged Poliana to tell him whatever she was going to do before she does anything. He knew he couldn¡¯t stop her from making mistakes, but Donau at least wanted to be aware of what wasing. Poliana revealed what her n was to him. ¡°I want to remain a knight till the day I die, Donau.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After talking to you yesterday, I thought about it all nightst night. I am his highness¡¯s knight. If he orders me, I would be only happy to jump into a ring of fire. I am willing to do anything for him, even if it means I will lose my reputation or even my life. For his highness, I can even give up being a knight. However, this only applies when his highness and I remain the emperor and his knightess. But if what he told me is true¡­ That he loves me¡­ Then this is different. Our rtionship will no longer be strictly the emperor and the knightess.¡± Only ¡°Sis¡­¡± ¡°You are right, Donau. His highness¡¯s love confession might be real. I admit that it is possible that he might be in love with me, but that still doesn¡¯t mean I want to be the empress.¡± ¡°I can understand that.¡± People said that a woman¡¯s happinesses from marrying a good man and forming a nice family, but this did not apply to Poliana. Poliana was the happiest when she was allowed to hold her sword. Even if she became part of the warmest family, if she was forced to give up her sword, Poliana knew she wouldn¡¯t be happy. Poliana then murmured, ¡°But I realize that I can¡¯t leave Gerald as a bastard.¡± She knew she needed to make her son legitimate. This determination wasn¡¯t from her motherly love but from her loyalty to the royal family. If Lucius the First had several sons already, Poliana wouldn¡¯t have felt so strongly about this. However, the emperor only had one daughter. There was a good chance that he will sire more children in the future, but there was no guarantee. For now, Gerald needed to officially be the emperor¡¯s son to preserve the royal bloodline. In addition, Gerald was her son, which meant that she should take responsibility. ¡°Exactly, so what do you n to do?¡± Donau asked. Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Poliana¡¯s face crumpled into an ugly frown. She has never been a reader of a romantic novel, which meant she had no idea how to deal with her current situation. ¡®I better start reading some of thosedy¡¯s novels from now on.¡¯ ¡°First, I will marry the emperor.¡± Sir Donau, knowing Poliana very well, finished her sentence for her, ¡°And then you are going to divorce him. Fine, fine. I got it. It¡¯s so funny how na?ve you are, Sis. From now on, your nickname should be the ¡®Witch of Naivety.''¡± ¡°Stop making fun of me.¡± ¡°Just stop thinking only from your perspective and start seeing this situation from his highness¡¯s point of view. He is in love with you but because of many reasons, he wasn¡¯t able to tell you about it for a long time. But miraculously, he ended up spending the night with you and you ended up having his baby. And now, he gets to marry you! Do you really think his highness will ever sign the divorce paper?¡± ¡°What if I tell him I will hate him if he doesn¡¯t divorce me?¡± Sir Donau coughed and asked, ¡°What? Are you like three years old or something? Besides, do you really think you can hate the emperor?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. How could I ever hate him?¡± She could hate her own parents, but she could never hate Lucius the First. This was one thing Poliana felt certain of in her life. The emperor did upset her by confessing his love to her, but this didn¡¯t mean that her trust of him was lost. This was especially true because the emperor did not force his love on her or asked her to love him back in return. Lucius the First was the first emperor ever to unite the entire continent. He was able to aplish this in only 10 years. He ruled this world; he was the most powerful man in this world. Yet this great man did not force her to ept his love. In fact, he kept his feelings hidden for her own happiness. Poliana was still uncertain if the emperor meant what he said, but¡­ She remembered him hugging her tightly and consoling her when she cried. Sir Donau said to her, ¡°Good luck, Sis. I am always on your side.¡± ¡°You give me pretty words, Donau, but I prefer action over words.¡± ¡°Well, for now, you will have to be satisfied with my words.¡± Even though Donau would¡¯ve been happy to help her, he didn¡¯t feel right getting involved. This was a matter of love and he wasn¡¯t a part of it. In addition, this was also a political situation between the emperor and the powerful marquess. When he thought about it, this case could be considered the most scandalous event of the century. A foreign knightess, Marquess Winter, bearing the emperor¡¯s heir¡­ It was a shocking story. ¡®An unknown knightess from a small kingdom bing the marquess of Acreia and eventually the empress¡­ What a story. What a life for a woman.¡¯ If the writers ever heard about this, there would be thousands of romantic novels written based on Poliana¡¯s story. Those who didn¡¯t know her closely would think her life was perfect. She might have had some difficulties at the beginning of her life, but she hit the jackpot when she gave birth to the emperor¡¯s son. ¡®But what¡¯s the point of this? This is not what I wanted.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the luck Poliana was hoping for. Donau knew this very well too. He knew that his sister would refuse such luck if it wasn¡¯t something she wanted. But no matter how you looked at it, this was such a sweet love story. The beautiful emperor falling madly in love with his knightess¡­ Anydies would die for such a life. Sir Donau suspected that the people of Acreia would be fascinated by Poliana¡¯s story. *** Poliana and Sir Donau arrived at Yapa in the middle of the day. The city gate was wide open and because it was daytime, those entering did not have to provide their identification. Poliana, however, made a point of going to see the gate guards because she heard in the previous vige that Lucius the First finished his tour much earlier than expected and was already in Yapa. For some reason, the guard couldn¡¯t meet Poliana¡¯s eyes. He covered his mouth with his hand and kept looking down on the ground. Poliana thought to herself, ¡®Well¡­ Some guards are like that, I guess.¡¯ Most guards were very proud of their positions, but in front of a real nobleman such as Marquess Winter, they knew they could notpare in terms of power or authority. Poliana did not me the guard for looking weak and shy. She asked, ¡°When did the emperor return?¡± ¡°About a month ago.¡± Sir Donau was impressed, ¡°He must¡¯ve pushed hard to make it here so fast.¡± Poliana was impressed as well. To travel that fast¡­ Another guard reported Poliana¡¯s arrival to his superior. Poliana expected to be seen right away, but no one said anything to her. Poliana didn¡¯t think too much about it. ¡®I guess everyone is busy.¡¯ The guards at the gate could not meet her eyes until she left. Poliana was a little disappointed at how weak the men were; they were supposed to protect the city, yet they couldn¡¯t even look at her in the eyes. Yapa, as the capital city of Acreia, was a very busy and well-developed city. The streets seemed to be even more crowded than Poliana remembered. She decided to go to the royal castle immediately. She wanted to see the emperor right away, which was why she even bathed in the previous vige. Only Suddenly, Poliana saw arge crowd in the city center. It seemed that there was an outdoor theater going on. An actress holding a sword caught Poliana¡¯s eyes. Was it a story about a knightess? Poliana knew a few of them and feeling curious, Poliana stopped her horse. As she watched, Poliana gaped. She grabbed Sir Donau and stammered, ¡°Donau¡­ That looks like¡­ Could it be¡­¡± ¡°I think you are right, Sis.¡± Any story that gets re-enacted in the city center has to be something that is wildly popr. Most likely, every poet in the kingdom was singing about this story. It had to be the biggest tale that everyone in the city wants to watch in a theater. Poliana and Sir Donau found a few Yapa bards and asked about it, and quickly, they learned that their suspicion was correct. Everyone in Yapa was talking about the love story between the emperor and his knightess. The story went like this. The emperor and the knightess meet as enemies but the knightess swears her loyalty to the emperor because she sees him as the true ruler of the world. During the war, the emperor falls in love with the knightess. Their rtionship continues to be tonic, but the emperor begins to see his knightess as a woman. The emperor suffers from heartache and in the end, he confesses his love to the knightess, who epts his proposal. The bards and the poets imed that this story was fictional, but anyone who heard it could easily figure out the truth. It was obvious that the story was about Lucius the First and Poliana Winter. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 The original story of Lucius the First and Poliana was already fascinating, but the bards and the poets apparently added even more interesting and false details to the tale. The people of Yapa were captivated by it. Poliana gritted her teeth. ¡°F*ck! What is going on here?!¡± She could now understand why the guard at the gate acted so shyly around her. He was covering his mouth the entire time, and she thought that either he was honored to meet the powerful marquess or he was hiding his bad breath, but it seemed that she was wrong; he was obviously trying to hide his smile. ¡®Is that why none of the knights came to greet me even when they must''ve heard the report of my arrival?'' She has been absent for a long time. She expected either Sir Wook or Sir Jainno toe down and see her in person, but no one showed up. At the time, she assumed that they were all very busy. Obviously, she was wrong. Sir Donau asked, ¡°Sis, what will you do? I think you have been ambushed.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I underestimated the emperor.¡± Whoever made the first move, especially if it was a surprise one, often had the greatest chance of winning the battle. It seemed that the emperor took advantage of this tactic. Sir Donau and Poliana, who came storming into Yapa, were both impressed by the emperor and disappointed at themselves. Poliana''s original n was to enter Yapa confidently and request to meet the emperor without giving him any notice or warning. She was going to surprise him, but her n was now useless. The emperor clearly made his first move and now, Poliana needed time toe up with a new strategy. For now, she decided to head towards her own home in Yapa. Poliana had always hated to go into a battle without as much information about it as possible. This unfamiliar and unexpected scenario was quickly making her angry and violent. Before she lost her calm, Poliana needed to gather as much information as possible. ¡®Dammit¡­ His highness probably already knows that I am here.'' The butler greeted his mistress happily when she arrived. He acted much more formally than usual as if he was greeting the empress of this kingdom. ¡°Mistress, you should''ve sent a message to let us know of your arrival so we could¡­¡± ¡°I saw a theater in the city center on my way here.¡± The butler abruptly turned towards Donau. ¡°Sir Donau! You are here as well! How nice! I will get your room ready immediately.¡± Poliana yelled, ¡°Don''t change the subject!¡± She knew she was in trouble by watching how her butler acted. ¡®Dammit! This is bad.'' She was also angry at him. There was no way the butler did not know about the story that was going around in Yapa. He should''ve sent her a message to let her know what was happening! Poliana was about to me him, but she stopped herself. The butler was introduced to her by the emperor; therefore, he was indebted to Lucius the First for this honorable position in the marquess''s household. It was no wonder that the butler''s first loyalty went to the emperor. In addition, Poliana hid the existence of Gerald from her butler. She didn''t trust her own butler to tell him the truth, so how could she me him? Besides, the butler probably thought this situation was a great thing for her. In fact, everyone in Yapa was probably envious of her. Poliana could feel that she was in the enemy''s territory because she wasn''tfortable even in her own home. ¡°Dammit!¡± She pped her forehead loudly in frustration before urging her butler to tell her everything. What did happen since the emperor''s return to Yapa? The first thing people thought of whenever they discussed their emperor was his beauty. Lucius the First of Acreia was considered the greatest beauty of the century. The next thing about the emperor was his luck with the talented people around him. If Lucius the First was considered the greatest beauty, his closest friend Sir Ainno was called the greatest genius of the kingdom. Some even believed that Sir Ainno was the main reason why the emperor was able to unite the kingdom so quickly and efficiently. In addition to Sir Ainno, the emperor had many other gifted loyal men around him. They flocked to him like moths to a me. The third most well-known fact about the emperor was his incredible ability to gather information. During the conquest, although the Acreian army was considered politically and culturally unsophisticated, no one could deny its ability to collect and use information. With it, Lucius the First was able toe up with extraordinary battle strategies. Spreading false rumors based on what he knew was the emperor''s specialty. In fact, this tactic helped greatly when conquering the mid-continent region. Because he knew very well the power of information, Lucius the First was very interested in the rumors among the locals. Poliana knew the emperor''s methods very well because she was by his side for 10 years and witnessed them all. And it seemed that Lucius the First used his old tactic to make his move. He was clearly the one who began spreading the ¡°fictional¡± story about an emperor and a knightess. It was a smart move because it seeded in surprising her. It seemed that the story was widespread even before the emperor arrived at Yapa. A few popr bards sang about it not long after the emperor left Sitrin. There were already many romantic stories involving a knightess, but this particr one became a sensation. It was because the characters in the story clearly reminded people of the real people. The most beautiful emperor and his loyal knightess. It was clearly about Lucius the First and Marquess Poliana Winter, and this fact made people crazy about the story. Whether the stories and songs the bards sang were true or not didn''t really matter to people. What mattered to them was the fact that their emperor was now single, and the ¡°unknown¡± knightess was also very single. People''s imagination went wild with excitement. The story was a typical one. A knightess, who led a harsh life, ovees her difficult situation and ends up in a romantic rtionship with the gorgeous emperor. It was a simple but perfect story. And what did the people want? Happy ending! H! A! P! P! Y! E! N! D! I! N! G! What do we want? Happy ending! Romantic stories with sad endings were not the trend nowadays. It hasn''t been very long since the war ended, and the kingdom was finally finding its peace. It was time for stability and celebration, and the people demanded a happy ending for this popr story. Luckily, the bards were only too happy to oblige. So the emperor and the knightess fell in love with each other and lived happily ever after! Love forever! Although the beginning and the ending of the story was the same, there were many slightly different versions of it in the capital city. One of them involved the knightess running away after finding out that she was pregnant with the emperor''s child. When Poliana heard this version, she flinched. Her arms became covered in goosebumps. She asked the butler, ¡°Could it be that someone has been spying on me? Or did the emperor spread this version on purpose¡­?¡± Chapter end Chapter 316 Chapter 317 The noblemen of Yapa were concerned; they were more worried about the emperor¡¯s marriage than their own children¡¯s lives. They did not believe him when Lucius the First imed that he would take care of his marriage n. It was understandable that the emperor was hesitant about remarrying. He lost all of his three wives tragically; one died while giving birth to his daughter, the other was divorced, and the third left him and their marriage was annulled. Lucius the First was indeed extremely unlucky when it came to marriage. It was no wonder he didn¡¯t want to get married again. So why, all of a sudden, was there a rumor about a romantic rtionship between his highness and Marquess Winter? The nobles believed that it was a political agenda. They thought that the emperor was trying to strengthen his authority by uniting with the powerful Marquess Poliana Winter. To them, that had to be it! Those who did not see the emperor¡¯s sad expression believed this logic, however, those who heard him talk about Poliana believed the rumor. They had no choice because they saw the true feelings on the emperor¡¯s face. Of course, when these men imed that the emperor had to be truly in love with Marquess Winter, peopleughed at them. Things got even more interesting when Duke Luzo and Marquess Zeese sided with the truth. These two noblemen stated that the rumor was indeed true, but their ims began to be seen as a political move. Many noblemen began to believe even more that the union between the emperor and Poliana had to be a political move. Things have been calm after the incredible removal of the Acreian nobles and elders and Sir Ainno and Cekel¡¯s wedding, but now with the new rumor about the emperor¡¯s love life, Yapa was again buzzing with excitement. Everyone had their own interpretation and guesses, and people were dying to know the truth. Was it really a political move? Or if it was really true love, then how the heck did Poliana capture the emperor¡¯s heart? And then¡­ Poliana returned to Yapa. As soon as she entered the castle, Poliana sighed. She could feel everyone, both the servants, the knights, and the high-ranking noblemen staring at her. People greeted her as if everything was normal, but none of them could hide their intense curiosity. Poliana preferred those who believed that the emperor was making a political decision. People who believed there was something more personal going on between the emperor and Poliana smiled at her knowingly, which annoyed her. These people tried to hide their smiles by looking down or covering their mouths, but Poliana could still tell what they were thinking. She wanted to punch all of them in the faces. ¡°Sir Pol!¡± The knights of the Second Division came out as soon as they heard she was in the castle. Most of them had knowing smiles on their faces; Poliana¡¯s men believed in the rumor. Poliana showed them the cutthroat gesture. It wasn¡¯t one of the official signnguages used among the guards, but it was enough to let the men know that they better keep their mouths shut. The knights of the Second Division flinched. They looked at each other quietly before leaving Poliana alone. Poliana was giving off a vicious aura and the men knew not to annoy her when she was like this. She was here to visit the emperor, which was why she was dressed neatly. If she was holding her sword in her hand, the knights knew there could¡¯ve been a bloodbath. Poliana pouted angrily, but Sir Donau said to her, ¡°You need to think positively. I mean, everyone¡¯s reaction is actually better than I expected.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Sis, nothing you worried about hase up yet.¡± ¡°So far anyway. You never know.¡± ¡°Sis, you need to feel more confident about yourself. This means that people are epting you.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Poliana nodded grudgingly. It was strange how people were not reacting the way she expected. Poliana thought her old nicknames woulde up. ¡°The witch who seduced the emperor¡± and ¡°The ugly wh*re.¡± She expected people to say that this was all because she was a woman. She thought people would say that this was why a woman should not be allowed to be a knight. These ugly words¡­ Poliana used to ignore them because they weren¡¯t true, but now¡­ She expected what happened to confirm what people were thinking, but it seemed that she was wrong. There now appeared to be two groups of people in Yapa. Some who thought the rumor was true and some who thought the emperor had a political agenda. One good thing at least was that no one called her a seductress anymore. She was too powerful all on her own now that she no longer had to seduce anyone for power. It was nice to realize that she had be so influential, but it was still annoying that people seemed to have so much fun with the gossip at her expense. Poliana said to Donau, ¡°It¡¯s still too early to tell how people are going to react.¡± She had only met a few noblemen in the castle so far. The rtively positive reaction from the public was due to two reasons. One was because Poliana was now a powerful figure, but more importantly, because the emperor made sure the rumor focused on his one-sided love for her. Many didn¡¯t believe this based on Poliana¡¯s looks and personality, but surprisingly, there were some who thought this was possible. The woman who spent the most and the longest time with Lucius the First was Poliana Winter. They traveled the entire continent during the war and some people believed that the deepradery could have developed into something more. Only Most noblemen married for political or financial reasons. It was very rare for a noble couple to begin with love. In most cases, the husband and wife learned to respect each other over time and develop affection towards one another. This was how most noble marriages worked. So this rumor of the emperor and Poliana was considered scandalous. Poliana used to love gossip like this, but now that it involved her, it wasn¡¯t fun at all. Her confidence in getting what she wanted out of this situation dropped significantly, and when she saw the emperor¡¯s servants outside his room, she lost all of her assuredness. Master Chail and all the other servants bowed to her respectfully when they spotted Poliana. They were all very polite people to begin with, but their behavior towards her was especially formal. The way they bowed to her was usually reserved only for royal members, for example, the empress. Master Chail said to her ceremoniously, ¡°I do apologize to you, Marquess Poliana, but unfortunately, I must humbly ask you to wait just a moment outside. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°Humbly? Forgive you?¡± ¡°It is only right to behave respectfully in front of a very importantdy, of course.¡± It seemed that Master Chail was ready to begin calling her ¡°Your highness.¡± Poliana wanted to reply sarcastically, but she stopped herself. It was obvious that Master Chail knew about the existence of Gerald. Chapter 317 ¡°It¡¯s actually a verymon scenario, Mistress.¡± When the butler exined, Poliana sighed in relief, ¡°Is that right?¡± The truth was, Lucius the First also had the same reaction as Poliana when he first heard this version of the story. So far, the stories they talked about were the versions that were popr among themoners. What really mattered, however, was the version that was going around among the nobles. Poliana asked the butler, ¡°I won¡¯t get angry at you so just tell me the truth. What are the details of the story his highness spread?¡± Poliana was the main character of the rumor as well as the victim. She had all the right to know everything about it. When she looked at him persistently, the butler looked away and replied, ¡°It was nothing that would hurt your reputation, Mistress¡­¡± ¡°Just tell me right now!¡± Poliana promised not to get angry, but she ended up screaming at him. She hated how she lost this battle. She should¡¯ve expected the emperor to make such a move. In addition, Poliana was also displeased at how themoners seemed to cheer for the romance between the emperor and herself. Did the knightess really have to be the empress for the story to be considered a happy ending? Was that really the only way? ¡°There haven¡¯t been any rumors about his highness the prince. I have only heard about how the emperor is in love with you¡­¡± Argh! Poliana covered her face with both of her hands. She was about to p herself in frustration, but instead, she changed her mind and punched the wall. Sir Donau tried to stop her from assaulting the building. ¡°Sis, you need to stop. You are going to hurt your hand.¡± ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°You need to do what the doctor told you!¡± Before leaving Sitrin, her doctor begged her to be careful with her body. It could take years before her body healedpletely from the recent childbirth, so she needed to minimize any vigorous movement. It wasn¡¯t a difficult order for mostdies to follow, but it seemed that it was an impossible task for Poliana. She knew she should take care of herself better, but Poliana couldn¡¯t help punching the walls. Her butler told her that the general public didn¡¯t hear anything about the baby, but it was clear that the butler himself knew about the existence of Gerald, which meant that Lucius the First told the truth to those who were close to him. This secret was bound to be known to everyone in the near future, but Poliana was disappointed. The emperor should¡¯ve given her time to prepare herself. If she knew that he was going to do this, she wouldn¡¯t havee to Yapa. She screamed his name with respect and resentment, ¡°Argh! Your highness!¡± ¡°Sis, just calm down.¡± ¡°How can I calm down?¡± ¡°But Sis, you must realize that if his highness didn¡¯t care about you at all, he could¡¯ve just ordered you to marry him. He wouldn¡¯t have done something so subtle and unnecessary if he didn¡¯t care.¡± It was true that if Lucius the First was a callous man, there would¡¯ve been no reason for him to spread such rumors. He would¡¯ve just ordered her. When Poliana began to look more rxed, the butler added, ¡°Overexcitement isn¡¯t good for you, Mistress.¡± Sir Donau pulled her towards a chair while the butler offered her a cup of warm water. Poliana drank it slowly on purpose and by the time she emptied the cup, she felt a little better. She asked, ¡°So who knows?¡± Since Sir Ainno and a few knights of the First Division were present in Sitrin when the whole thing happened, their names did not have to be mentioned. Poliana could imagine a few people that would¡¯ve been told about it. This wasn¡¯t just a matter of marriage but also about the next heir. Most likely Duke Luzo, Sir Bentier¡­ ¡®Oh wait. It¡¯s not Sir Bentier anymore. He is now Marquess Zeese.¡¯ After the removal of Marquess Seeze, the Seeze family no longer existed. Sir Bentier was ¡°forgiven¡± thanks to the hard work he did for the emperor, and in return, he was given a new name and a title. The same letters from the old name were used to create the new name of Zeese. He wasn¡¯t given the dukedom right away to keep up the pretense of him not being involved in the removal of old marquess Seeze, but it was only a matter of time before he became Duke Zeese. Poliana could guess a few names. She insisted on her butler to answer the question, and he finally replied, ¡°All I know is what the emperor told me. I do not know anything else about this situation.¡± ¡°You look like you know more¡­¡± ¡°I am telling you the truth, Mistress. I know you are disappointed in me for not informing you of the situation in Yapa sooner, but I hope you know that everything I do is for you. Everything we do in this household is to make you happy. Your happiness is our own happiness, Marquess Winter.¡± Poliana knew this. She knew that her butler kept silent about the rumors because he knew that they would not harm her. The butler, and everyone else in Yapa, probably was happy for her. She was hurt by a gold digger recently, and now it turned out that the emperor was in love with her. This had to be wonderful news for her, right? Everyone wanted a happy ending. People around her truly hoped for Poliana¡¯s happiness. She felt grateful for their loyalty, but¡­ Even though she should¡¯ve been happy, Poliana could not smile. *** Lucius the First injected a single rumor to the Yapa society. The emperor¡¯s desperate one-sided love for Marquess Winter. At first, no one believed this story. The members of the Intelligence Unit, who were ordered to spread this rumor, had a difficult time convincing people of this tale. The situation, however, changed after the emperor returned to Yapa. Everyone knew how Lucius the First enjoyed romance gossip, so one of the noblemen said to the emperor as a joke, ¡°Your highness, there¡¯s a rumor that you¡¯re in love with Marquess Winter. Isn¡¯t that hrious?¡± There were two reactions people expected from Lucius the First. 1) ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such a thing! Such a rumor would upset Marquess Winter. She is a singledy while I am divorced and a widower! It wouldn¡¯t be fair for her to be treated this way!¡± 2) ¡°Haha, it is true that Marquess Winter is very dear to me!¡± Instead, Lucius the First decided to help legitimize this rumor. With clear sadness and loneliness on his beautiful face, the emperor replied, ¡°How did you know?¡± Readtest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only The noblemen gasped in shock. So it was true?! This ridiculous rumor was actually true?! They didn¡¯t want to believe it. Every nobleman wanted to deny it and they began to analyze everything that happened recently. It has been over a year since Lady Reba¡¯s death. The royal mourning period was finally over, and immediately after the year ended, Sir Ainno and Cekel got married. The noblemen of various regions sent their bestdies to Yapa as the candidate to be the emperor¡¯s next wives. Some of these women were those who did not make it during the first round. They have remained unmarried all these years in hopes of trying again. But when the emperor was asked to choose his next wives, Lucius the First refused, ¡°I will be the one who makes the decision about my marriage.¡± Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Poliana asked Master Chail, ¡°His highness must be very busy with work, then?¡± ¡°He will be with you very shortly, Marquess Winter.¡± One of the special privileges Poliana had was to walk into the emperor¡¯s room without his permission. However, she did not misuse her power unless necessary because she didn¡¯t want to interrupt the emperor when he was busy running the kingdom; she understood how annoying it was when one¡¯s focus gets disrupted. Sir Donau asked while they waited, ¡°Sis, are you going to go in alone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I think it would be better if I go in with you.¡± ¡°But this is a personal matter.¡± ¡°But Sis¡­¡± Sir Donau looked down and Poliana and continued, ¡°To be honest, you have no chance against the emperor¡¯s charm. He is a master of words and you clearly aren¡¯t. I am afraid you¡¯ll just get convinced by him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Because you aren¡¯t very good with words¡­¡± Poliana flinched and replied with a red face, ¡°But I still always make sure I get my message across!¡± It was true that she wasn¡¯t the best speaker in the world, but she never had any problems telling people whatever was necessary. In the past, when she was a nobody, she had to keep her mouth shut in front of her superiors, but this was no longer necessary. In fact, it was now those around her who had to keep their mouth shut. A few minutes passed by after she was denied to enter, so Poliana turned to Master Chail, saying, ¡°How much longer?¡± ¡°Just a little while¡­¡± Chail begged her and Poliana nodded. She decided that it was a good idea toe to the castle with Donau. If she was waiting alone, it would¡¯ve been too boring. Poliana asked him, ¡°So Marin is doing well, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Marin and Martin are both very healthy.¡± Martin was Sir Howe and Vaxi¡¯s son while Marin was Sir Donau and Vanessa¡¯s daughter. They were cousins born within a few days apart. The two children got along very well, perhaps because their mothers were twins. Sir Donau added, ¡°Both kids are so very strong¡­¡± He looked pleased and proud. Poliana nodded and replied, ¡°So I guess they resemble their mothers.¡± Those who didn¡¯t know the family well would¡¯ve assumed that the children resemble their maternal grandfather Sir Rabi. However, Poliana knew the truth; she knew what monstrous power the twins, Vaxi and Vanessa possessed! Poliana witnessed these strong untraineddies carrying around a deer without any difficulty. Poliana couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous because she herself did not possess such power. Sir Donau continued, ¡°We already carved both of their names on the training wooden swords you sent.¡± ¡®Both?¡¯ So not just the boy Marin but the girl Marin as well? Poliana did not ask Donau if he really meant to allow his daughter to hold a sword. Marin was Sir Donau¡¯s daughter, but a girl¡¯s training was a responsibility and the right of her mother. If Vanessa wished to teach her daughter how to fight, the only person who could disagree with her was Marin¡¯s father and Vanessa¡¯s husband, Sir Donau. Based on how Sir Donau looked so excited and proud, it was most likely that he agreed to teach Marin how to use a sword. It wasn¡¯t umon for a knight¡¯s daughter to be taught the basic skill of how to protect herself. Just the fact that a girl was given a sword didn¡¯t mean she was going to be a knight. Poliana replied, ¡°I see.¡± Sir Donau grinned. It was just a small smile, but it was obvious he was truly happy. Poliana smiled back. As they chatted about children, Master Chail hesitantly approached them. He has been faithfully serving Lucius the First all his life, and there was one question he desperately wanted to ask. ¡°Marquess Winter, is it true that the prince resembles his highness¡­¡± Before Poliana could answer, Sir Donau replied instead, ¡°There is no denying that he is his highness¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Oh my, I cannot wait to meet him!¡± Chail clenched his fists excitedly. He seemed happier now than when his own child was born. Master Chail continued to grin happily as he added, ¡°Haa¡­ A baby prince who resembles the emperor¡­ I feel ecstatic. I am so d I had my son early. He will be just slightly older than the prince, which means he will get the honor of serving the next emperor. What an honor for our family.¡± It was considered the greatest honor to serve the royal family for generations. The servants, as well as the knights, felt this way, which was why Poliana understood how Master Chail must be feeling right now. If it wasn¡¯t her own son they were talking about, she would¡¯ve been feeling happy for Chail too. She might even have been jealous since she didn¡¯t have her own child who could serve the next generation of the royal family. After a fairly long wait, the emperor finally gave his permission for an audience. Poliana walked into the room looking determined. As soon as she was inside, she bowed and greeted him, ¡°Marquess Poliana Winter is here to greet you, your highness¡ª¡± When she looked up, her eyes widened. She could not finish her sentence because her mouth was gaping. She used both of her hands to cover her wide-open mouth. She thought about running away, but the door behind her closed firmly. There was going to be no escape today. She tried to look away, but her body would not listen to her. Lucius the First, the most beautiful emperor in history, was standing in front of her. Today, his beauty was vastly enhanced, making him look like a perfect statue. His golden hair shined like that of a fairy under the light. His already-gorgeous green eyes looked especially lovely today. Wearing his favorite color, red, Lucius the First was the god of beauty himself. The jewels he wore sparkled along with his golden hair and his face, a perfectly clearplexion, strangely made him look masculine rather than feminine. Lucius the First looked so perfect that he almost looked like a doll. Only The new lighting, the best outfit, and the best essories¡­ The emperor was dolled up, and knowing how beautiful he looked, he smiled proudly and triumphantly. ¡°Oh, you are here, Pol.¡± ¡°Y¡­you are so beautiful, your highness!¡± How could anyone look this lovely? Poliana forgot all about her battle n and just stammered with her fists clenched, ¡°You look so lovely today, your highness!¡± Yes, indeed her emperor was the most beautiful man in the world! Poliana silently thanked the former emperor and the empress for creating such a perfection. Her eyes felt cleansed from witnessing such beauty. Lucius the First¡¯s beauty was considered a legend when he was in his 20¡¯s, but now in his 30¡¯s, the emperor was bing even more gorgeous. How could this be possible? It seemed that there was no limit to his exquisiteness. Could it be that he was growing more beautiful every day? Poliana eximed, ¡°Your highness! You look perfect today! Your beauty must be the work of the gods! Everyone in the kingdom must see you so they can enjoy it! You must let everyone witness your gorgeousness! Yes!¡± Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Poliana couldn¡¯t think at all. It was obvious that Lucius the First¡¯s beauty could be used as a weapon to distract his enemy. The truth was, the emperor has been preparing for this day since he returned to Yapa. He ordered his room to be redecoratedpletely. The carpet, the wallpaper, and even the furniture were all reced so their colors could enhance his look. Poliana continued, ¡°How could you look even more beautiful than the priceless jewels you are wearing, your highness? The red cape you are wearing looks especially perfect on you today. I am sure it costs a fortune, but if I was allowed, I want to give up my entire wealth to buy more of them for you¡­!¡± Her training, when she was working as the emperor¡¯s personal guard, was at work now. Sir Mahogal taught her how to give properpliments to the emperor, and Poliana couldn¡¯t stop herself from babbling. She thought even the flooring was making the emperor look more beautiful when suddenly, she realized what was happening. This was the emperor¡¯s tactic! ¡®This is why he made me wait outside!¡¯ It was toote for her to realize this. By the time Poliana could think, Lucius the First was already holding her hands. When she saw him up-close, Poliana blushed. The emperor even smelled beautiful. She said to him, ¡°Your highness! This isn¡¯t fair! You aren¡¯t fighting f-fairly. Your highness! You can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Lucius the First didn¡¯t make an excuse. He just quietly escorted Poliana to a chair that was ced next to his own. Poliana kept repeating how he was being unfair, and when she was seated next to him, she became confused. ¡®Why is he sitting next to me? Why isn¡¯t he sitting in front of me?!¡¯ Poliana tried to keep her distance from him by sitting as far away, and the emperor did not try to get closer. Poliana asked, ¡°So, you spread the rumor about us?! How could you! That¡¯s not fair!¡± ¡°There is no such thing as a fair y in a war.¡± ¡°But this isn¡¯t a war!¡± ¡°Of course, it is. This is the cruelest war there is. The war for love; a battle to gain a woman¡¯s heart.¡± If this was indeed a war, Poliana was at a disadvantage. Lucius the First already made a first surprise move, and now, she was bombarded with his unearthly beauty. But the emperor disagreed with her assessment, it was he who was always going to be on the losing side because he was the one in love. It was always going to be Poliana who had the key to ending this battle. Even the emperor of this entire kingdom was weak when he was standing in front of the woman he loved. Lucius the First never forgot his weaker position. He was reminded of it every day, and instead ofining about it, he was ready to use it to his advantage. To win, one must do anything and everything necessary. The emperor was ready to do whatever it took to win Poliana¡¯s heart. Poliana said to him, ¡°I¡­¡± She was finally beginning to get used to the emperor¡¯s beauty. It was a very difficult task, but thankfully, she spent a long time with him in the past, so she had at least some tolerance for him. Poliana remembered the words she nned to say to him beforeing to Yapa. She was going to tell him about her n. ¡®Let¡¯s do this!¡¯ ¡°Your highness, you and I¡­¡± ¡°After leaving Sitrin, I thought about our situation deeply.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Poliana became quiet as the emperor continued, ¡°I thought about how the Pol I know would react. What would she say? Would she want to marry me just because we had a child together now? Before I left, I told you that I hoped you would be happy. You shouldn¡¯t deny the fact that you are a woman.¡± Lucius the First looked down a little before adding, ¡°Later, I asked myself why I said such a thing to you. I know you aren¡¯t an idiot. You would never deny yourself happiness, right? Then suddenly, I realized that your definition of happiness was different than mine. This wasn¡¯t what you wanted. I assume you came here today to tell me this, right?¡± The emperor smiled and said what Poliana was going to say, ¡°You were probably going to tell me now that you are willing to marry me for Gerald. But you can¡¯t give up being a knight, so you want a divorce right after our wedding. You want me to say yes to this n, right?¡± This was exactly what Poliana was going to say to the emperor. When Lucius the First looked at her and held her hands. Poliana could not pull away as he asked, ¡°Did I get it right?¡± ¡°Your highness is incredibly intelligent, wise, and¡­ knows me very well. If you already knew what I was going to say, why did you do this?¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know what?¡± ¡°Happiness.¡± Poliana frowned. She certainly knew what happiness was. It was the day she met the emperor and he epted her as his knight; the day that he told her that if all of his knights were like her, he would¡¯ve been able to conquer the continent twice as fast. It was the day when she was able to help his highness. The day she gained a new brother Sir Donau¡­ and the day she saw the emperor¡¯s smile on that cliff. Only All these days¡­ They were Poliana¡¯s happiness. ¡°Your highness, I do know what happiness is like.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You don¡¯t know and that is why you are refusing this. You may know a part of it, but not all of it. You don¡¯t know all the different kinds of happiness you can enjoy in your life. Only those who have experienced it can know, and since you haven¡¯t, how would you know? I realize that your definition of happiness is different than others, but Pol, you haven¡¯t experienced the joy others have. So how can you know if you don¡¯t want it? You have never experienced the kind of happiness the other women felt in their lives, so how can you say that you don¡¯t want it? You are frustrated that other people don¡¯t understand your definition of happiness, but you are doing the same thing. You are not willing to try the things that make other women happy.¡± This was the truth. Poliana became speechless and Lucius the First took his chance. He squeezed his hands around hers, taking her silence as her eptance. Even if it wasn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t matter. He was going to do whatever it took to make his dreame true. He said to her, ¡°So please, give me a chance to show you.¡± Poliana felt shocked. She could see herself in the emperor¡¯s eyes. She could see that in this very moment, she was the only thing in his eyes. Lucius the First continued, ¡°I will show you what happiness feels like. I will show you the true joy of a woman being loved. I will teach you what it is like to be loved by the emperor. I promise that my love for you will never change.¡± Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Poliana asked, ¡°Your highness, do you really¡­ Do you really mean what you said?¡± ¡°The moment we stood on that cliff, my feelings for you have never changed; my love for you will be eternal.¡± Ever since he has fallen for her, Lucius the First has been Poliana¡¯s prisoner. Poliana¡¯s hands, still held by the emperor, warmed up. Slowly, she tried squeezing back, and by doing so, she was able to feel her own heartbeat at the tips of her fingers. Until now, she has been trying to deny it all, but now, Poliana couldn¡¯t believe how she could¡¯ve missed it. This man¡¯s feelings for her were obviously pure and how could anyone in this world be able to ignore such a beautiful man¡¯s sincerity? Poliana¡¯s cheeks blushed. It wasn¡¯t that she had fallen in love with him, but now that she knew the truth, she had a new responsibility. She could no longer deny it. She couldn¡¯t ignore it either. And¡­ She needed to give him a chance. Lucius the First liked those who worked hard and made efforts because he was the same way. Poliana was just like him. There were times when she worked so hard without even a purpose in life. If someone was making an effort for a clear goal, she needed to be decent enough to give that person a chance. Even if she didn¡¯t want him to seed¡­ Poliana didn¡¯t want to be the kind of person like her Acreian superiors used to be. She answered, ¡°Alright, your highness.¡± ¡°Thank you, Pol.¡± Lucius the First bowed lightly and his golden hair blinded her eyes. They say the emperor¡¯s crown is too heavy for him to bow, but in front of the woman he loved, it was too easy. Poliana said to him, ¡°I¡¯m only giving you a chance.¡± They had to get married no matter what because of Gerald. This didn¡¯t mean Poliana was in love with the emperor. Her blushing was just a natural physical reaction because Lucius the First was too beautiful. He was clearly a man, yet it seemed logical to call him beautiful. The emperor replied, ¡°I know. I have spent 10 years uniting the continent. I would be happy to spend as much time, or more if necessary, to win the heart of the woman I love.¡± Lucius the First finally let her hands go. Poliana was expecting him to at least kiss her hands, but when he didn¡¯t do anything, she felt embarrassed. The emperor escorted her to the door holding her arm like a gentleman. ¡°You must be tired from the long trip. Don¡¯t drop by anywhere. Just go home and rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, your highness.¡± ¡°But I am not fine with it. Sir Pol, getting stabbed and giving birth are two very different things. Please do not treat your health so lightly and listen to those who care about you. You need to especially listen to me, the man who loves you.¡± Poliana felt shy and embarrassed, but Lucius the First seemed happy. He thought of his current situation. Love. Now that he knew Poliana was aware of his feelings for him, he wanted to keep saying it over and over again. He wasn¡¯t shy about telling her how he felt. In fact, he felt proud. Lucius the First was ecstatic. Finally, he didn¡¯t have to hide how he felt. He could tell her he loved her as much and often as he wanted. Poliana was giving him the chance to pursue her. For the first time, Poliana saw him not only as an emperor but as a man. He could feel the difference because although she was giving him the samepliments, that he was beautiful, she was saying it differently. It was definitely worth getting dolled up for her today. The emperor turned the knob and opened the door for her. What an honor to have the emperor of this kingdom personally open the door! When Sir Donau saw the emperor, he yelled helplessly, ¡°You look so beautiful, your highness!¡± *** Sir Donau shook his head. Just as he expected, Poliana had no chance against the emperor. It wasn¡¯t just the matter of the emperor¡¯s convincing words; it was Lucius the First¡¯s unbelievable beauty, only a blind person could resist him. Today, the emperor was more beautiful than usual if that was possible. Even Sir Donau, a man, felt his eyes water from the honor of it. So, it was no wonder that Poliana, who was alone with the emperor in the room, had no chance of winning this battle. It was obvious that Lucius the First nned this meeting; this was his chance to seduce her and he was sessful. The surprise rumor attack and now this¡­ This battle was over. Sir Donau had no doubt who was going to be the winner in the end. Lucius the First ordered Poliana to rest, and she followed it faithfully. On her way home, she received several attractive offers, but she refused all of them. Her colleagues asked her to go out drinking, her men begged her to drop by the breakroom for some snacks, and the maids wanted to have fun with her, but Poliana said no to all of them; she even skipped visiting Princess Luminae. Poliana and Sir Donau went straight back to her home. At the dinner table, Sir Donau said to Poliana, ¡°I will be returning home tomorrow.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too tiring for you?¡± ¡°Well, my presence here isn¡¯t going to be helpful at all, so¡­¡± Sir Donau was clearly insinuating that Lucius the First was going to win. Poliana replied in annoyance, ¡°You told me you were going to be on my side!¡± ¡°Of course, I will always be on your side, but you lost, Sis. You got seduced.¡± Poliana eximed, ¡°What could I have done? I can¡¯t help the fact that his highness is so beautiful!¡± ¡°In the past, you would¡¯ve just simply admired his beauty and nothing more.¡± This fact was the reason why Sir Donau was convinced of the emperor¡¯s victory. It was true that Lucius the First¡¯s beauty would¡¯ve never worked like this on Poliana before. She saw the emperor only as her ruler and not as a man at the time. But now¡­ Poliana¡¯s eyes and heart wavered like a fragile tree branch against a wind. Was it because they slept together that night? One could not me her for being human. In fact, it was odd that she never saw the emperor as a man before. Poliana replied, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Whenever I see his highness, I keep thinking about that night.¡± Only ¡°I thought that it was unlikely you would be happy marrying the emperor, but perhaps I was wrong. Who knows? Maybe it would be really good.¡± Really good? Suddenly, Poliana remembered that night. The emperor¡¯s hot breath on her neck¡­ It was nothing like how she felt with all the other men in her life. Even though the emperor¡¯s breath smelled of alcohol, it felt sweet and warm on her skin. Instead of feeling unpleasant, which would¡¯ve been her usual reaction, Poliana remembered feeling passionate. ¡®F*ck.¡¯ Poliana blushed again as her thoughts turned to that night. Why couldn¡¯t she stop thinking about it? Sir Donau sighed as he watched her. He had no idea what his sister was thinking. He said to her, ¡°I will support whatever decision you make. You can get divorced after the marriage or choose to be the empress. You can even refuse to marry him if you wish, but there is one thing I don¡¯t want you to do.¡± ¡°Running away?¡± Sir Donau shook his head and answered, ¡°No. It¡¯s unhappiness. I don¡¯t want you to miss out on happiness on purpose.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. Why would I choose unhappiness on purpose?¡± Sir Donauughed quietly, ¡°I want you to be happy. You don¡¯t have to be the happiest woman in the kingdom, but I really hope you will find your own happiness, even if it is a small one.¡± Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Poliana stretched her body in her bedroom. After dinner, she exercised lightly, and she felt good. She would probably get a good sleep tonight. Poliana looked around, noticing how different her room looked. While she was gone, it was normal for the butler to maintain the house by keeping it clean and organized, but it seemed that her butlerpletely changed the ce during her absence. The walls, which were covered with damaged and patched up wallpapers from Poliana¡¯s frequent assault, were now redone. New clean wallpapers covered them. The flooring and the furniture were also reced to match the new walls, making her room look like that of a properdy. To be honest, Poliana felt out of ce in her own room. Polianaid down on the bed and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, the image of the shockingly beautiful emperor popped up in her head. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± ¡®I need to think about something else.¡¯ Poliana tried to keep her mind busy. She needed toe up with somethingplicated to think about, and suddenly, she remembered the two conversations she had earlier that day. What was happiness? Everyone¡¯s happiness was different. What made Poliana happy was very different from what would make Sir Donau happy. What would make Poliana happy would also be different than that of Lucius the First. But how about Poliana¡¯s happinesspared to the other women¡¯s? Poliana Winter was a woman, but would the things that make other women happy also give Poliana happiness? Then, Poliana thought of another question. What made women happy? Poliana remembered the women in her life. The first one she thought of was Lady Reba, but she was no longer living. Poliana didn¡¯t feel right thinking about what would¡¯ve made her friend happy, so she went to the nextdy in her life. Lady Tory. Lucius the First informed Poliana that Lady Tory now had a job. Poliana had been so busy that she didn¡¯t send even a single letter to Tory, exining what was happening in her life. Poliana decided that she should visit Tory tomorrow. What about the twins? Poliana guessed that if the Bika sisters¡¯ happiness was proportional to their husbands, the twins were probably leading happy lives now. Vaxi and Vanessa were living the lives their parents wanted for them. As long as nothing unexpected happens, the girls would lead stable and content lives. ¡®Oh, there is Liana too. I almost forgot.¡¯ Poliana remembered her stepsister. She hadn¡¯t thought of Liana in a very long time. Liana married a decent man and was leading a modest life. Poliana remembered seeing two healthy-looking children running around. Perhaps Liana had more babies by now. Either way, Poliana thought that it was a decent life for Liana. Many other women crossed her mind. The wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters of her colleagues¡­ And then, there was Stra. The biggest incident Poliana remembered was the phantom pregnancy. When it happened, Lady Stra was extremely unhappy and Poliana did not try to sympathize with her or understand her. Marrying a good man, having babies, and forming a happy family. This was the definition of a woman¡¯s happiness ording to most people. Lady Bika believed that Poliana was extremely unhappy because she didn¡¯t have these things, but at least, she did not force this idea on Poliana. But Poliana wasn¡¯t unhappy. She didn¡¯t lie to herself about what made her happy. Working hard for a goal, her emperor, has always been Poliana¡¯s definition of her happiness. Of course, at the moment, her ¡°goal¡± was holding her back a little. She had to admit that she was a tiny bit unhappy at the moment. Poliana always thought she would be happy to follow Lucius the First wherever he went. She wanted to be always a step, or perhaps half a step, behind the emperor. She would¡¯ve been content with such life, but now, it seemed that Lucius the First wanted her to get closer to him. ¡®Oh, Dog Stew!¡¯ Bang! Poliana punched her pillow hard. She thought of her son who was left back in Sitrin. If she didn¡¯t have Dog Stew, no, Gerald, would the emperor have confessed his love for her? He told her he hid his feelings for her happiness, so Poliana assumed that the answer was no. She wanted to me Frau for everything, but she knew this wasn¡¯t true. ¡®Why did I have to drink?! Why? Why? Why!¡¯ Poliana was now certain that alcohol was a huge hindrance to one¡¯s happiness. *** The next day, Sir Donau got ready early to leave the capital city. Poliana wanted him to stay a while longer, but she didn¡¯t say anything. He apanied her all the way to Yapa, which meant he has been away from his family for too long. Poliana filled Sir Donau¡¯s bags with gifts. Donau protested, ¡°Why are you keep putting things in my bag? I can¡¯t take them all. There are too many.¡± ¡°They¡¯re bribes.¡± Poliana held her hands together politely and said to him, ¡°Please make sure you put in good words for me to them. Make this situation as wholesome as possible.¡± She was worried about her two old superiors. If they became angry at her¡­ She knew Sir Bika wouldn¡¯te all the way to Yapa since he was busy working as the viceroy, but Sir Baufallo certainly would be free toe after her. Poliana could imagine Sir Baufallo traveling all the way to the capital city just to punish her. She didn¡¯t think she would be able to endure the disappointment of the two older men she respected so much. Sir Donau said to her, ¡°Please stay out of trouble.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t run away again. You know there isn¡¯t any point, right? This continent is just one big kingdom now, and it¡¯s not that big anyway. You should know since your hobby is studying maps.¡± ¡°I said I got it.¡± ¡°Please be happy.¡± Poliana, feeling awkward, rubbed her fingers. She was well into her thirties now. She was the head of the Winter family. She was a fully grown woman and she had it all, yet people around her kept telling her to find happiness. It was a very confusing situation. Only They were pressuring her to be happy! ¡®Do I look that unhappy and unstable to everyone?¡¯ Sir Donau looked at her with hopeful eyes. He knew his sister was a capable woman, but she had a long road ahead of her. To a married person, Poliana, a single girl, looked na?ve and young. Just because he was married now, Sir Donau felt more mature. Poliana watched her brother leave and when he was no longer visible, she returned to her room to get ready. She was going to visit the royal castle, but because she was still on vacation, she couldn¡¯t wear her blue uniform. Thankfully, Poliana had plenty of outfits that were appropriate for going into the castle. When the butler saw her getting ready, he said hesitantly, ¡°Mistress, you have plenty of robes, so is it necessary for you to wear those pants¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t dressed any differently than usual, but the butler was still worried about what the other nobles might say. Poliana hasn¡¯t changed, but the way the others saw her certainly did. The butler was certain that people will judge Poliana more harshly for her clothing. Poliana replied coolly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m more powerful than most of them.¡± Chapter 322 Chapter 322 There was no one in Yapa who could make a fuss about her outfit to her face. Well, perhaps Duke Luzo had the right to do so, but Poliana knew he was too fragile to do such a thing. The rest of the high-ranking noblemen, who were older and possibly just as powerful as her, would never say anything negative to her face because they knew how much the emperor favored her. Ever since all the elders were imprisoned and removed from their stations, the other nobles have been staying quiet and docile. The emperor¡¯s authority has been strengthened tremendously after that event. When the youngdies and maids of the castle saw Poliana, they surrounded her excitedly. ¡°Have you returned to work then?¡± ¡°No, I am still on vacation.¡± The maid obviously all wanted to know if the rumors were true, but none of them had the courage to ask outright. They just followed Poliana, who was on her way to thedy¡¯s quarters. Her n for today was as follows; visit Princess Luminae, then Tory, and then Stra. If she had some time left at the end, Poliana also wanted to visit Reba. As the group got closer to thedy¡¯s quarters, the maids became hesitant. They were bing too far away from their workstations, and soon, they would have to return to their work. If they didn¡¯t ask the question now, they might not get another chance! While the maids contemted, the head of the maids suddenly appeared. The women, when they spotted their boss, all walked away quickly. Poliana greeted the head of the maids, ¡°Long time no see, Cekel¡­ Lady Seki.¡± ¡°Just Cekel would be nice, Marquess.¡± ¡°Congrattions on your marriage, mydy.¡± ¡°Please, you don¡¯t need to be so formal with me. I¡¯m not a duchess yet.¡± Cekel Seki, now the wife of Sir Ainno, replied calmly. Poliana studied her because she has been worried about Cekel for a while. Cekel was forced to marry Sir Ainno, who was a well-known jerk. Was Cekel unhappy? But thankfully, Cekel looked perfectly content and Poliana was relieved. ¡°¡­¡± Cekel remained quiet. She has always been a woman of few words, but Poliana could tell that there was something Cekel wanted to say. Poliana waited patiently and after a few minutes, Cekel finally sighed and said to her, ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°¡­thank you.¡± Cekel knew what it felt like to be enthusiastically pursued by a man. Although most women saw Poliana with envy, Cekel was well aware of how it was not always a good thing to be loved, especially by a powerful man such as the emperor. It has been a little over a year since Polianast saw Princess Luminae. Poliana was surprised at how big the princess has grown. Princess Luminae was beautiful in a different way than her father. While everything about Lucius the First reminded people of the sun, his golden hair, his pale skin, and his light eyes, the princess possessed a beautifulbination of light and dark. Her hair was jet ck against her baster skin. Her eyes were dark maroon and all of her features resembled those of her father. Princess Luminae was no doubt the most adorable child in the kingdom. The little girl¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Poliana. Poliana saw the princess often when she was here, but it is likely that the baby could not remember those times. Poliana wasn¡¯t bothered by the girl¡¯s stare, but she still felt awkward because of the wet nurses and the nannies. The women were clearly curious about the rumors as well and Poliana couldn¡¯t tell how they felt. Were they upset with her, or were they okay with the situation? The most obvious answer was that they were unhappy. After all, Poliana slept with her dead best friend¡¯s husband. ¡°Princess Luminae, I am Poliana Winter. It has been a long time since west met.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡®No? She doesn¡¯t like me?!¡¯ Poliana staggered a little at the princess¡¯s reaction. One of the maids helped Poliana stand up while the nannies exined, ¡°M¡­marquess¡­ The princess has been obsessed with the word ¡®no¡¯tely¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Marquess! The princess didn¡¯t mean anything by it. We didn¡¯t tell her anything about you¡­¡± ¡°Yes! We only told her that she will be getting a new mother soon, so it is a good thing¡­¡± Poliana replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I am more bothered by how hard you are trying to exin her reaction¡­¡± Poliana didn¡¯t say a word, yet the nannies seemed unreasonably anxious. And they were telling the princess that she was getting a new mother? That Poliana was going to be her new mother? This was not the right way to do this. For now, without the empress and the emperor being single, Princess Luminae was the highest-ranking woman in the kingdom. It was clear that the women who were serving the princess needed to be trained better. ¡®Should I point this out to them or not?¡¯ If there weren¡¯t any rumors about the emperor and herself, Poliana would¡¯ve reprimanded them immediately, but at this moment, she was in an awkward position. ¡®Do they think I will be marrying the emperor?¡¯ The princess¡¯s maids were looking at Poliana oddly and she couldn¡¯t tell what they meant by it. However, the truth was that those serving the princess were not unhappy about Poliana marrying the emperor. Having Poliana as a mother would be better for the princess than some strangedy. On top of that, Poliana was a good friend of Lady Reba and the nannies have seen how affectionate Poliana was with the princess in the past. Unfortunately, Poliana had no idea the women felt this way. She felt ufortable. Princess Lumina suddenly grabbed Poliana¡¯s sleeve again and yelled, ¡°No!¡± The little girl pointed at one of the nannies and repeated herself, ¡°No!¡± It seemed that the nannies were telling the truth. Apparently, the princess even said ¡°no¡± to her father before, too. Poliana held the princess in her arms and listened to the maids about how Princess Luminae has been. After a few minutes, Poliana said to the baby, ¡°Your highness, I will be leaving now.¡± Princess Luminae screamed, ¡°No!¡± One of the nannies exined, ¡°I think the princess doesn¡¯t want you to leave. Her highness hates it when people leave her.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Poliana looked at the princess¡¯s bed. It was arge bed for such a little girl, but there was only a small room left on it due to the fact that it was filled with so many toys, handkerchiefs, and pillows. Only Poliana was certain of one thing. ¡®Her Highness doesn¡¯t like to let go of things.¡¯ Her greed must¡¯ve been from both her mother and her father the emperor. Poliana gently pulled the princess¡¯s hands away from her. Princess Luminae began to tear up, realizing Poliana was about to leave. ¡°Nooo. Poliii¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. My name is indeed Poliana. I am not on duty at this point so I cannot stay long, but once I return, I will be here to protect you.¡± Poliana gingerly unraveled the princess¡¯s hands from her sleeve. Suddenly, she realized that she was treating the princess with more kindness than her own son, Gerald. Poliana has been feeling disappointed that she was missing out on watching the princess grow up, and now, it seemed that she was making the same mistake with Gerald. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 On her way to Yapa, Poliana never once worried about Gerald, but she did feel a little guilty. ¡®When I return to Sitrin, I will be nicer to him.¡¯ Both Gerald and Princess Luminae were raised in luxury. The only difference, perhaps, was that Lucius the First loved his daughter while Poliana only felt dutiful towards Gerald as a parent. She even considered bringing Gerald to Yapa and leaving him here. She knew she was being cruel. ¡®But I can¡¯t help liking the princess more. She never negatively affected my life while my own son does.¡¯ If she never got pregnant, none of this would¡¯ve happened! Poliana took a deep breath, trying to calm down her sudden burst of anger. She put on a kind smile and consoled Princess Luminae, who pouted and finally let her go. The nannies said to Poliana, ¡°The princess likes you so much, Marquess Winter. Once you be her mother, she will like you even more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Her highness loves you. She will be the happiest princess once she gets a new mother.¡± ¡®Why are they acting so enthusiastic about this?¡¯ The nannies and the maids were especially nice to her, making Poliana think. After a short while, Poliana finally figured it out. She was more likely to be kind and affectionate to the princess than a randomdy chosen by the emperor. This was why the women serving the princess obviously liked this situation. This, however, made Poliana feel even more pressured. As she left the princess¡¯s room, Poliana murmured to herself, ¡°Hmm¡­ Happiness¡­¡± Lucius the First ordered to let Princess Luminae have anything she wanted. This was why her bed and her room were filled with so many things. Poliana remembered Lady Reba telling her she didn¡¯t want a daughter because a princess¡¯s life was not as good as that of a prince. Princess Luminae was going to grow into a beautiful woman. She was young, yet her beauty was already blinding. Everyone around her loved her. She had a doting father and although she lost her mother at a very young age, this wasn¡¯t an unusual thing. She was beloved and cared for. Everyone was kind to her; the princess¡¯s life was going to be that of luxury andfort. So what was a woman¡¯s happiness? Most women would dream of a life of a wealthydy. A happydy would begin her day by sleeping in as much as she wanted without worries. Her days would consist of eating the delicious food made for her and watching her children run around the beautiful garden while chatting with herdy friends. Her home will always be kept warm by the maids and at the end of the day, she would talk about her day in her husband¡¯s arms. Or did most women believe true happiness came from jewels and silks? Or was it better to be beautiful with important blood coursing through your veins? Perhaps it was all of these things together that could make a woman truly happy. And the one person Poliana knew that had them all was Princess Luminae, but did this guarantee that she would lead a happy life? Poliana asked herself again. What was a woman¡¯s happiness? And why did she keep wondering about a ¡°woman¡¯s¡± happiness? Poliana was deep in her thoughts when suddenly, someone greeted her, ¡°Long time no see, Marquess Winter.¡± It was the person Poliana has been nning to visit. Poliana felt lucky that she ran into her, although this was expected since thedy worked here. Poliana wondered how she should proceed. After some brief contemtion, Poliana greeted back, ¡°Indeed, Baroness Leef¡­ It feels strange calling you by this name.¡± ¡°Haha, I know. It feels odd to be called by that name, especially by you, Marquess.¡± Lady Tory received the position of Baroness from Lucius the First a few months ago. Now called Baroness Leef, Tory bowed to Poliana elegantly. This could be a very awkward situation since their stations have changed. Although Tory wasn¡¯t Poliana¡¯s direct superior, she still was higher ranked than Poliana. The unspoken rule among the nobles was to treat your past superiors with the same respect as you showed them before. Although this could be a very ufortable moment, Poliana refused to forget all the time she spent with Tory. They were friends and this fact will never change. Tory said to Poliana, ¡°There is no need for you to treat me so formally.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± When Poliana grinned, Tory smiled as well. Poliana was one of Tory¡¯s favorite people in the world. They walked together to Tory¡¯s ce. Tory¡¯s room was the same as the ones used by the castle maids. Though she may no longer be thedy of the castle, Tory still used to be the emperor¡¯s wife until recently. Poliana wondered why Tory chose to live in the castle when she could¡¯ve lived in her own house outside the castle. She didn¡¯t have to ask, however, because Tory offered to exin anyway. ¡°His highness gave me a house, but it would¡¯ve been too dangerous for a woman to live alone outside.¡± The Third Division was responsible for keeping the city of Yapa safe. The capital city was a rather safe ce, but Tory wasn¡¯t referring to themon thugs and thieves on the street. The unfortunate truth was that Tory was the most hateddy in the noble society. Many noblemen resented the emperor and the chancellor as well, but these two men were impossible to get to. A single woman with no family, however, was an easy target. Tory was a whistleblower. Lucius the First, who gained the most from Tory¡¯s public outburst, was only happy to offer Tory bodyguards. Tory, however, refused. She also was offered to stay with Sir Bentier, but Tory didn¡¯t want this either. Tory wanted to live alone for as long as possible. Only Tory didn¡¯t go into details of her life and Poliana didn¡¯t ask. Poliana wanted to be respectful of Tory¡¯s wishes no matter what. It was most likely that Tory was more curious about what was happening in Poliana¡¯s life, but Tory was a properdy. She didn¡¯t ask about thetest rumors. Poliana asked, ¡°How¡¯s work?¡± ¡°I am proud to be serving the royal family every day; it¡¯s an honor.¡± For someone who said she was happy with her job, Tory looked very tired. Poliana thought, ¡®It can¡¯t be helped I guess.¡± Tory was given the position of the ¡°Inner Pce Management Officer,¡± which was a brand-new job that never existed before. It was created by the emperor to help the mistress of the castle run the pce. Before, when the emperor was unmarried, thedy¡¯s quarters were managed by the head of the maids and the head of the servants, but now, Tory, as the Inner Pce Management Officer, was to run the ce. Based on the job description alone, Tory was above the heads of the maids and the servants. Tory was, however, only a baroness at this point while the heads of the maids and the servants belonged to many powerful families. For example, Cekel, the current head of the maids, was going to be the future Duchess Seki. So, who would obey a young woman such as Tory, a notorious snitch who betrayed her own family and so many other Acreian noblemen? Chapter 324 Chapter 324 In a way, Tory was probably having a tougher time than Polianately. Poliana climbed up from the bottom to get where she was. The other knights respected the time she spent on the battlefields, especially because they witnessed her talent. Tory, however, was a different story. She was given her current position by the emperor and she hasn¡¯t proven herself yet. People respected the emperor and therefore followed Tory¡¯s orders to an extent, but Tory had a long way to go before she gained their respect and eptance as well. Poliana thought sympathetically, ¡®She¡¯s probably having a really hard time right now.¡¯ If it was Reba, she would¡¯ve screamed, ¡°This is too hard! I hate this! I hope everyone dies!¡± If it was Stra, she would¡¯ve just cried.¡¯ But this was Tory, and Tory chose to endure it quietly. She refused to share her hardships with anyone. Poliana murmured, ¡°It must be tough¡­¡± She was giving Tory a chance to rant, but Tory shook her head and replied, ¡°Stra is helping me out a lot, so it¡¯s okay. You heard Stra became the second head of the maids, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard about it when I got here.¡± Originally, Lucius the First offered the same position to Stra as he gave to Tory. Stra, however, refused, feeling ufortable with the position that never existed before. She said she would rather take a well-known position, and in the end, she became the head of the maids. ¡®Oh my god.¡¯ Poliana was surprised to hear the details. Her butler only told her that Stra became the head of the maids, but he didn¡¯t tell her how she came to this position. Poliana couldn¡¯t believe how generous her emperor was in hiring his ex-wives. There was even a rumor that the emperor was in love with them. In a way, Poliana was also impressed with bothdies, who agreed to work in the castle. ¡®I guess they are stronger than I thought.¡¯ Poliana asked, ¡°Then Stra is here as well¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, she works mostly in thedy¡¯s quarters. She said she is too busy today to join us, but she would really appreciate it if you drop by to see her.¡± Tory suddenly smiled and added, ¡°Speaking of Stra¡­ She told me that she knew about this for a long time.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ about what?¡± ¡°How his highness is in love with you, Marquess.¡± So finally, Tory brought up the topic of the year. This was especially strange since it was the ex-wife of the emperor who was talking about this subject. Poliana became rigid, shocked, and uncertain. She would¡¯ve preferred if Tory threw a cup of cold water at her or even pped her. Poliana tensed, but Tory just sighed. It wasn¡¯t that Tory was angry at Poliana. Tory exined, ¡°Haa¡­ I can¡¯t believe how slow I have been. It was happening right in front of my eyes, so how could I not have noticed it? I¡¯m ashamed of myself. Stra said she had known from the very beginning. She said that every time his highness looked at you, his eyes would shine brightly¡­¡± ¡°Not me. I wasn¡¯t like that.¡± When Poliana replied edgily, Toryughed and continued, ¡°If you were the one in love, we would¡¯ve all known about it immediately. I think it would¡¯ve been very obvious.¡± Tory thought it was a good thing that it wasn¡¯t Poliana who fell in love with the emperor first. In fact, this was a very good thing. If this knightess fell in love with the emperor first, this story would¡¯ve ended tragically. Tory was certain of it because she knew that Poliana the knightess, who was honest and obedient to the emperor, wouldn¡¯t have been able to ept her own feelings. Tory said to her, ¡°I realize that we, Stra and I, have no right to bring up such a subject, even if it is the most popr rumor nowadays.¡± Well¡­ Actually, the ex-wives of the emperor probably had more rights than most to bring up this very subject, but Tory smiled and continued, ¡°But we still wanted to talk to you about it as your friend. Stra loves this situation, by the way. She said she has been secretly hoping for something like this to happen for a long time.¡± Poliana blinked slowly. So in addition to the princess¡¯s maids, the emperor¡¯s ex-wives were all for Poliana marrying the emperor. Why were people okay with this situation? Why was everyone happy for her? Poliana couldn¡¯t believe it. She desperately wished someone woulde up to her now and scream at her about how wrong this was. When Poliana didn¡¯t say anything, Tory added, ¡°I¡¯m going to remain neutral until you make your decision. Whatever you do, I will support youpletely, Marquess¡± Tory was now the second ally, next to Sir Donau, but Tory¡¯s reason for her support was different from that of Donau. ¡°Marquess Winter, Stra thinks that the happiness of you and his highness would be the best oue, but I feel a little differently. Even if you choose the path that might lead you to unhappiness, I want you to be the one making this decision. Even if you choose the path that will no doubt bring you sadness, as long as you have a logical reason behind it, I am sure it will be the right decision.¡± Tory gave up afortable life on purpose. If anyone else gave this opinion to Poliana, it would¡¯ve been inappropriate, but Tory was the one person who could say such a thing without sounding fake. ¡°And Marquess, I also heard about the birth of the prince. What an honor.¡± Only ¡°Umm¡­ Does Stra know about that too?¡± ¡°No, this fact will remain a secret to most people for a while longer. I was told only because my position requires me to know these things. Once you marry the emperor, I will be there to take care of many things for you. Oh, now that I think about it, perhaps his highness created my position in order to help you, Marquess, in case things happen the way he wants. He might have done it subconsciously or intentionally.¡± ¡°Well, at that time, I was actually preparing my wedding with Frau Sneke, so I don¡¯t think his highness would¡¯ve been thinking about me¡­¡± This was definitely not something Poliana thought of before. If Tory was right¡­ It wouldn¡¯t matter if it was intentional or not. Poliana couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty. Tory was very proud of her position. If she wasn¡¯t the ex-wife of the emperor, things wouldn¡¯t feel soplicated to Poliana. Fortunately for her, Tory didn¡¯t care about these things at all, and she had one more thing to tell Poliana, ¡°Of course. His highness is a very thoughtful man, however. I think that perhaps since he wanted to marry you, but he thought he couldn¡¯t, he probably considered marrying someone like you. And if he did, then he would need someone like me to help the future empress. But there is something else I want to tell you. Please don¡¯t forget that the choice is yours. It is your right.¡± ¡°The choice?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re not the one being chosen; you are the one choosing.¡± Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Manydies in the past told Poliana that she should find a man who could satisfy everyone¡¯s expectations. ¡°Marquess Winter, you are one of the very few women, perhaps the only one, who has the right to choose her own husband. So we hope you marry someone amazing.¡± But what Tory was telling her right now wasn¡¯t the same thing. The definition of a ¡°good husband material¡± in mostdies¡¯ minds was the same as that of a ¡°good wife material¡± except for the gender. A good husband material was someone young, good looking, from a good family, kind, and talented. Thedies thought that since Poliana was a sessful and powerful woman, she had the right to get a ¡°perfect¡± husband. If this was the case, there could be no one better than Lucius the First. He was certainly gorgeous, talented, and from the best family, there was. In fact, Poliana should¡¯ve been honored. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t Poliana who ¡°chose¡± this. She was ¡°chosen.¡± Normally, a woman would¡¯ve bowed with great appreciation. But Tory advised Poliana, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you have a prince with the emperor. Your right to choose does not change.¡± ¡°Your way of thinking is a little bit too progressive. The fact is, I cannot have Gerald remain a bastard.¡± ¡°Then what were your ns when you ran away to Sitrin?¡± Poliana replied quickly, ¡°I was going to forge the papers.¡± ¡°Then, you can still do that.¡± The head of the Second Division and the ex-wife of the emperor casually chatted about illegally forging government papers. Poliana replied, ¡°But I was caught. It¡¯s toote now.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. If you act strong, his highness won¡¯t be able to do anything about it. You have all the power, Marquess. This is your choice and no one else¡¯s.¡± Tory bowed and apologized quietly before continuing, ¡°What I am about to say may sound cruel, so forgive me. But here are the facts. The death rate of children in this world is very high. There could be an unexpected ident or a gue, which doesn¡¯t discriminate betweenmoners and nobles. Lady Reba¡¯s sister, who was a princess of her own kingdom, drowned. One of my rtives had five children but only two of them survived to be adults. Just because you had a baby, and just because your son is the child of the emperor, doesn¡¯t mean you should give up your right to choose. I really hope you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Poliana never realized that Tory was even more radical than Reba. At the same time, Tory was also very cold. Oftentimes, people equated being cold to being rational. Tory was the most rational and emotional person Poliana knew. Tory was realistic, but it was her passionate nature that made her choose the unknown life over herfortable one. Tory¡¯s difficulty in life did not end just with the loss of her station. The conflict at work was also not the hardest thing Tory had to go through. What Tory found most challenging in her current situation was her rtionship with other people. Tory betrayed her own people in front of everyone. The proof of her im was the conversations she remembered from the past. After this incident, Tory¡¯s intelligence made people nervous, and her ability to remember made them feel suspicious of her. Tory made everyone change how women were seen in the kingdom. A woman was no longer just an animal that could walk on two feet. A woman was no longer just a silent property like a house or a carriage. Men saw, for the first time, that a woman had a mouth; a mouth not only just to eat but to speak. The problem was, half the poption was women, which meant it was impossible for the men to be wary of every woman. It would be too time-consuming. It would also mean that they would have to give up everything they believed in. So the men of Acreia decided to believe the easiest exnation they coulde up with. Tory was an exception. Sadly, the other women did the same. They did not wish to be untrusted by the men. It was going to make their lives tooplicated, so in the end, the women decided to ignore Tory as well. Everyone chose to see Tory as an exception and nothing more. A special case. Thankfully, Stra did not listen to the suggestions of those around her. Everyone thought she should move away, but instead, she returned to Yapa. She was going to keep her promise to take care of Princess Luminae, and to help Tory, she chose to be the head of the maids. Cekel, who also became the head of the maids, was happy to interact with Tory, but everyone else¡­ They chose to ignore Tory. Tory became the one person who people decided they could never share their secrets. Her reputation was ruined beyond repair. People didn¡¯t even bother to insult her or show contempt. Instead, they did the worst thing that could be done to a person. People ignored Tory. The maids and the servants followed Tory¡¯s orders, but they did not respond in any way. Even when Tory ordered the wrong thing, they did not correct her. Tory was the most distrusted figure in the kingdom, yet it was she who Lucius the First trusted enough to reveal the existence of his son, Gerald. She should¡¯ve been appreciative and supported the emperor without question, but Tory chose to do something else. She decided to support Poliana to make her own decision because Tory remembered that it was actually Poliana who trusted her first. Even if Poliana chose the wrong path¡­ Tory was going to be there for her. ¡°To be honest, it would be a good thing for me for you to be the next empress, Marquess Winter, because I know you will give me the power to handle everything in thedy¡¯s quarters. This will make my ce here more solid and meaningful. Even if you chose to take control, you would still need my help because I know much more about running this ce than you do, but do not think too much about how other people, including myself, feel about this situation. The most important thing is what you want, Marquess. You are not a bird trapped in a cage. You are free to choose whatever you wish.¡± Even before Tory broke out of her own birdcage, Poliana has always been a free person. If Poliana chose to go into the cage because of the egg sheid inside, that was going to be her choice and Tory would support it. however, it would be such a sad thing if Poliana felt like she had no choice other than this just because she felt responsible for her child. Even if Poliana chose to be free, there were going to be plenty of people who are only happy to raise Gerald. Everyone probably told Poliana she was needed to raise Gerald and make things right, but this wasn¡¯t true. Everyone knew this but refused to tell Poliana. A bird inside a cage. A flower inside the greenhouse. A fish inside a bowl. A woman trapped inside the walls¡­ Only Poliana wondered, ¡°Am I actually about to walk into the inside of the walls¡­¡± The ce Reba was so desperate to escape¡­ Was Poliana about to make the biggest mistake of her life? She couldn¡¯t tell. Just because she had a baby¡­ The fact that she believed marriage was a necessity meant she was trapping herself? If Gerald didn¡¯t resemble Lucius the First so much, it would¡¯ve been an easy matter to fix. Just a few forged papers would¡¯ve been enough. Tory shook her head and replied, ¡°You can choose to marry the emperor if you wish, Marquess. What I am telling you isn¡¯t that you should not. I am telling you that you can do anything you want; you are free to choose.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that if I choose to get married, I might feel guilty even though I am not doing anything wrong¡­ I might feel like I lost.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t think that way. This is your choice and if anyone says otherwise, you let me know and I will punch them in the face.¡± When Tory clenched her fists bravely, Polianaughed. Chapter 326 Chapter 327 The emperor refused to take his eyes off of the mirror. Inside, a man of perfect beauty was smiling back at him. People sighed in ecstasy as they admired him, but to Lucius the First, what he saw in the mirror was not enough. Firstly, his skin did not shine as much as it used to. After he got married, he worked constantly, wanting to forget Poliana. During this time, his skin aged terribly, and the emperor regretted his bad decision. He should¡¯ve known better. A new chapter in his life was beginning and he needed to make himself more beautiful in order to seduce Poliana. Lucius the First believed that his beauty was the greatest weapon he had to make Poliana fall in love with him. Everyone knew that Poliana was the knight who was most proud of the emperor¡¯s looks. Lucius the First was ready to use whatever was necessary. Sir Ainno shook his head and argued, ¡°I hate to disagree with you, your highness, but I really don¡¯t think the marquess is going to fall for it.¡± No! That can¡¯t be! Lucius the First wanted to deny it, but Sir Ainno shook his head again. If Poliana was going to fall in love with the emperor just for his beauty, she would¡¯ve done it a long time ago. She would¡¯ve, in fact, be seduced by him the very first moment she saw him. The emperor replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay even if she isn¡¯t madly in love with me. What is most important is to make her feel good whenever she sees me.¡± Lucius the First¡¯s n was simple. He was going to show her the things she never experienced before. He was going to make her feel the kind of happiness she never felt. This was his strategy. His hope was that slowly when she learned how great is to be loved, she would be more epting of him. She might evene to love him. Poliana was a noblewoman who had never felt the love of a family before. This was probably why she did not know how to give love as a family. Just look at how she treated Gerald. Poliana showed much more affection towards Princess Luminae than her own son! Poliana loved power and wealth. To make her want to marry him, the emperor should¡¯ve enlightened her about the kind of power she would wield as the empress rather than confess his love to her. He was going to let Poliana know the kind of power she never had before. The power of a high-ranking nobledy. Currently, women did not hold much power in Acreia. Normally, an empress would be respected as the most importantdy of thend, but she still did not have any authority. This was, however, going to change. If necessary, Lucius the First was willing to actively make it happen. When Tory ordered the guards, no one obeyed. But the emperor was going to make sure that Poliana, as the empress, would have the same power over the guards as he did. She would be the very first empress to hold such power. The emperor was certain Poliana would be an amazing ruler. Sir Ainno said to him, ¡°Good luck.¡± He still did not think the emperor could pull this off. In history, women have always belonged to men, first to their fathers and then their husbands. Poliana was a rare exception. She achieved her own power as an independent woman, and she loved being who she was. She would certainly gain a little more power when she became the empress, but would this be enough? Normally, Sir Ainno always tried to think positively when it came to the emperor¡¯s suggestions, but in this matter, he couldn¡¯t agree. Sir Ainno believed his friend was making a mistake. Instead of trying to win her over, Sir Ainno thought that the emperor should try to trap Poliana. A man must do what he must for love, right? The emperor said to his friend, ¡°And the thing is, my Pol has no immunity against men. Except for that jerk Frau, she hasn¡¯t had much experience and I am going to use this to my advantage. She has begun to see me as a man and she will be mine.¡± Lucius the First remembered very well how Poliana used to blush when the handsome royal guards treated her like ady. It took everything he had to hide his jealousy and envy. Now, he finally had a chance to be with her. He knew better than any man how to treat ady right and he was going to make her blush. While the emperor imagined all the things he was going to do, Sir Ainno watched him curiously. It was a rare sight to see Lucius the First acting like a lovesick schoolboy. The emperor was acting abnormally, and Sir Ainno finally looked away. Why did the emperor love Poliana so much? Sir Ainno, in the past, wouldn¡¯t have understood the emperor at all, but now, he had to admit that he could sympathize with Lucius the First, even if just a little. Love was such a scary illness. Even though a man knew he was acting stupid, a man in love was helpless in stopping himself. ¡®Pool Lucius¡­¡¯ Sir Ainno looked at his friend and thought secretly, ¡®I hope he gets dumped.¡¯ Even if he does, Poliana would have no choice but to marry the emperor. Because she gave birth to a prince, marriage was necessary to make him legitimate. The first-born son of the emperor could not remain a bastard. If Poliana wanted to get a divorceter, that was her choice. Suddenly, a bell rang, indicating someone was here to visit the emperor. With Lucius the First¡¯s permission, Master Chail entered and informed the emperor who was here. ¡°It¡¯s the first Lady Seki.¡± ¡°Let her in.¡± There were two Lady Sekis living in Yapa. One was Sir Ainno¡¯s wife while the other was Sir Jainno¡¯s; Duke Seki the Senior¡¯s wife, Sir Ainno, and Sir Jainno¡¯s mother, lived in Nanaba now. To avoid confusion, people called Sir Ainno¡¯s wife the first Lady Seki while Sir Jainno¡¯s wife was the second Lady Seki. Only Cekel entered and bowed respectfully. Sir Ainno, whose face has been like a cold statue, lighted up immediately. He walked up to his wife and asked politely, ¡°Dear wife, please give me the honor of allowing me to kiss your beautiful hand.¡± ¡°Please stop doing this in front of his highness.¡± ¡°Who cares, wife? He is a friend.¡± Cekel couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward and embarrassed. ¡®But he¡¯s your friend, not mine!¡¯ Sir Ainno didn¡¯t care. He enthusiastically and lovingly kissed the back of Cekel¡¯s hand and looked up. Before Cekel could stop him, he also kissed his wife¡¯s two cheeks and her forehead before tucking her hair behind her ear. ¡°You look so lovely as usual, my wife.¡± Sir Ainno was clearly in love. This honeymoon phase was suiting him very well and Lucius the First watched in jealousy. Was his friend acting this way on purpose in front of him? The emperor chewed his lower lips and thought, ¡®I am dying of envy! I am going to do the same thing with Pol! Soon! Very soon! You¡¯ll see!¡¯ Chapter 327 Even after leaving Tory¡¯s room, Poliana couldn¡¯t stop thinking about their conversation. She was impressed when Tory said she would support her even if Poliana chose the path that would lead to an unhappy life. Poliana also liked the fact that Tory understood how an unhappy life could stille from the right decision. Tory said that as long as one could find pride in one¡¯s life, it had to be worth living. ¡®I think of all people, Tory must know what pride is.¡¯ Poliana had plenty of pride in herself too. She was proud to be a knight who served the emperor. She was one of the fighters who followed Lucius the First to the end of this continent. Unfortunately, her pride only extended to herself as a knight and not as a person. Was it because she wasn¡¯t worthy? Poliana felt especially down at the moment after the emperor confessed his love to her. Poliana kept walking until she arrived at her destination. This was the ce she nned to visit if she had any time left today. Reba¡¯s grave. Only those with royal blood could be buried inside the castle. The Bikpa royal family members were buried at the far end of the castle so a new burial site was created for the Acreian royals. It was said that the very first one to be buried here was a young wife of the emperor. It would¡¯ve been worse if it was a child, but still, this did not make the situation any better. Poliana put down the flowers and a bottle of wine in front of the grave. If Reba was still alive, how would she react? ¡°Pfft.¡± Polianaughed. She could help it. The emperor Poliana knew was strangely innocent and pure. If he was still married to any of his wives, Poliana knew he would¡¯ve never confessed his love to her. If Tory and Stra left him and Reba was the only remaining wife, the emperor would¡¯ve made her his empress. Lucius the First was willing to remove Tory as his wife for a political reason, but he wasn¡¯t the kind of man who would abandon his wife because he loved another. He was a kind man and although some thought it was a weakness, Poliana liked this side of him. ¡®But I am a little bothered by the fact that he was so nice to thedies when he was supposedly in love with me. Hmm¡­ He¡¯s kind of a yboy.¡¯ He was the emperor, and the best one there was, which meant that he had all the right in the world to enjoy the beautiful women. Poliana understood this but still felt strange about it. She contemted long and hard and she finally came up with an answer to why she didn¡¯t feel right about it. It was the fact that Lucius the First left the woman he loved alone and married the otherdies instead. Normally, didn¡¯t men be impatient when it came to love? Didn¡¯t men go right into action for the women they loved? Was it normal for a man to be so patient and wait this long? Only when the woman in question was married or too young. ¡®So why did his highness¡­¡¯ Poliana sighed and looked at Reba¡¯s grave. She bowed in apology, realizing that she should be focusing on Reba rather than her own problems. ¡°If you were still alive¡­¡± What would¡¯ve happened if Reba was still living? Would Princess Luminae¡¯s bed have been a little neater perhaps? Lady Reba would¡¯ve taught her daughter that although it was good to be greedy, she should learn to hide it from others. ¡®And Reba would¡¯ve been so happy about Tory bing Baroness Leef.¡¯ Tory was the second woman to hold her own title that was not earned by marriage. It was not a high-ranking position and it only came with the job, but still, it was a memorable asion. Poliana was no longer the only woman with her own title. She was no longer the one and only exception. Tory¡¯s title meant that it was possible for more women to gain their own ranks. But then¡­ If Reba was still alive, would things have happened this way? Probably not. Lucius the First wouldn¡¯t have offered Tory this position. He only did this because he no longer had any wife to take care of the inner pce. If Reba was still alive, she would¡¯ve be the mistress of the royal pce and there would¡¯ve been no need for this new position. As expected, the dead did not speak. Reba did not answer Poliana¡¯s questions. The knightess looked lonely as she stood in front of her friend¡¯s grave. She lost the friend she needed to spill her secrets. This unexpected loneliness was not a weing event. Poliana has never been perfect. Every year, she believed she hoped she would be wiser, but it never seemed to be enough. When she was young, she thought bing an adult would mean she knew the world, but Poliana learned that this wasn¡¯t the case. She was all grown up now, but she still felt like a little girl inside. In public, she acted confident and capable, but when she was alone, she couldn¡¯t help thinking about her decisions over and over again. The doubts and regrets were constant unpleasantness in her life. Did everyone feel this way or was it just her? Was she somehow morecking than the most? What is a choice? What is happiness? What did the emperor mean when he said he was going to make sure she learned what true happiness was? *** While Poliana contemted deeply, the emperor, the cause of all her problems, wasn¡¯t thinking at all. ¡°Hahaha! I am so happy that I was born beautiful!¡± A woman¡¯s happiness¡­ A woman¡¯s choice¡­ The emperor had no time to even consider these deep meaningful questions. His thoughts were simple. All he wanted to do was date Poliana. He wanted to love her and show her his affection. He wanted to give everything to Poliana. Lucius the First¡¯s focus was on seducing Poliana, which meant that making himself even more beautiful was his priority. He studied himself in the mirror and announced, ¡°A smart person always uses his strength to his advantage. Hahaha.¡± The emperor looked satisfied while Sir Ainno looked sour. The knight admitted that his friend was indeed handsome, but it was still very hard to watch the emperor acting this way. Sir Ainno said to him, ¡°If she was the type that cared about looks, she would¡¯ve fallen in love with you a long time ago.¡± ¡°Inno, you don¡¯t know anything.¡± Readtest Chapters at WuxiaWorld.Site Only Lucius the First smirked and continued, ¡°There is a huge difference between a beauty just standing around and that same beauty smiling at you directly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sir Ainno smirked back. The emperor thought he was much wiser when it came to love, but the undeniable truth was that Sir Ainno, although inexperienced with women, was able to marry the woman he loved. He was able to capture her into marriage, which was a legally binding contract. There was, of course, the pesky possibility of a divorce, but Sir Ainno was doing his best to make sure his beloved wife never leaves him. Meanwhile, all the emperor was doing was just admiring himself in the mirror. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Lucius the First writhed in envy at Sir Ainno. He continued to chew on his lower lip until the emperor realized a bloody lip wouldn''t help his beauty. He stopped immediately. Meanwhile, Cekel pped her husband''s hand as he continued to kiss her. She then approached the emperor and made her report. Currently, Cekel was serving two positions. In addition to being the head of the maids, unofficially, Cekel also was a member of the Intelligence Unit. Lucius the First decided that Cekel would do a better job than her brother, Sir Deke, who could be absent-minded sometimes. The emperor already gave jobs to Stra and Tory, so he thought it would be perfectly alright to hire Cekel secretly. So far, Lucius the First was pleased with Cekel''s work. She was a logical and sensible woman who did not believe in silliness. She did not waste her time gossiping with Master Chail or enjoy sending cryptic messages like some members of the Intelligence Unit did. So far, Sir Deke was the one who mainly collected the information and Cekel mostly worked as the middle person who reported to the emperor. Cekel was a very efficient messenger and never wasted the emperor''s time. Cekel said to him, ¡°Your highness, Marquess Winter is headed towards Lady Reba''s grave.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡± A bitter smile appeared on the emperor''s face. In the royal grave site located in the old capital city of Nanaba, there were many graves of his ancestors. In Yapa, however, there was only one. It saddened him greatly that it was that of his young wife. Lucius the First couldn''t help feeling guilty. His wife died giving birth to his daughter¡­ And now, he was courting her best friend. At least, he had one excuse. His love for Poliana began long before Reba and Poliana became friends. ¡°Lady Cekel, how are the nobles reacting to the rumor?¡± ¡°Most of them are showing positive reactions. Those who genuinely wish for the good of the kingdom are worried about Marquess Winter''s bareness, but they are not against the marriage itself. Those who are more suspicious believe this whole thing is a scheme to strengthen your power, your highness, but even these people are not against the marriage.¡± The one who had the most power in the suspicious group was Duke Luzo, but once he heard about Gerald, he kept quiet. As soon as he learned that Poliana gave birth to the emperor''s heir, he was all for the marriage. When Sir Bentier heard about Gerald, he sighed and asked about the wedding n. Lucius the First wanted his and Poliana''s wedding to be the biggest and the most extravagant event ever. Now that the elders were gone, there was no one who would disagree with the emperor, which was a pleasant surprise to Lucius the First. But this was how things were supposed to work. He was the emperor of the entire continent, which meant he should be treated with the utmost respect. Lucius the First, however, could not help but feel suspicious of the noblemen''s reaction. They were talking about the emperor''s new wife, which was a huge deal, yet no one had an opinion about it? If this trend continued, it meant that whatever the emperor decides to do in the future will not be met with opposition. Lucius the First decided that this did not mean he should rx. It just meant that he should put more thoughts into his decisions. He needed to be more careful and alert. ¡°I never forced any of the nobles from keeping quiet¡­¡± ¡°Your highness, everyone believes that you have a thoughtful logic behind this decision.¡± Sir Ainno chuckled and muttered, ¡°Thoughtful logic? That''s funny.¡± What a rude knight! To be rude to the emperor like this, especially in front of his wife! Lucius the First threw a paperweight at Sir Ainno. The royal paperweight was very heavy with a pointy end. It could be very dangerous to throw such a thing at someone, but Lucius the First wasn''t trying to hurt his friend. It was their habit of throwing this paperweight around. Sir Ainno always caught it and threw it back at the emperor as a joke. Smack! The pointy end of the paperweight hit the middle of Sir Ainno''s forehead! The knight groaned loudly, ¡°Argh!¡± Lucius the First yelled in shock, ¡°Inno!¡± Cekel ran towards her husband in shock, ¡°Husband! Oh my god! Are you alright?¡± Sir Ainno slowly but purposely leaned towards his wife, so he was in Cekel''s embrace. Sir Ainno''s movement was so natural that the emperor almost fell for it. ¡®Wait a minute! There is no way that Inno would stagger like that just from the paperweight!'' The emperor saw right through his friend, but Cekel had no idea. She caressed her husband as she said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, I understand that my husband''sment was rude, but I don''t believe throwing the paperweight at him was the right punishment.¡± The y of throwing the paperweight back and forth only happened when the emperor and Sir Ainno were alone. Lucius the First found this situation so unfair that he couldn''t evene up with an excuse. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Cekel continued, ¡°You could''ve suspended him, or if you found him unforgivable, you could even order him whipped. But throwing the paperweight like that¡­ That was uncalled for, your highness.¡± ¡°But he¡­¡± Sir Ainno was Cekel''s husband now, so she naturally took his side. In addition, if one only saw what happened just now, everyone would agree that Lucius the First was wrong in this situation. Even if he was the emperor, throwing things in anger was not a good habit. Sir Ainno, still happily in Cekel''s arms, put his hand on his forehead as if in pain. The emperor could tell his friend was only acting, but he couldn''t say anything. Sir Ainno was clearly doing everything possible to gain Cekel''s sympathy and affection. Everyone knew that Sir Ainno was the toughest man out there. He often said that a man should never show that he was in pain, yet here he was, groaning and moaning. Sir Ainno said to his wife weakly, ¡°My dear, it''s okay. It is all my fault.¡± ¡°I can''t believe it hit you right in the forehead¡­ Are you ok?¡± ¡°I think I''m feeling a little dizzy.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Sir Ainno gave a knowing look to the emperor. They were friends long enough for Lucius the First to know what Sir Ainno wanted from him. The emperor gritted his teeth. He used to joke about how Sir Ainno was the type who would betray his friend for love, and it seemed that this was really happening. The emperor shivered in loneliness, envy, and frustration. Lucius the First murmured finally, ¡°You should both go home early today. If you don''t feel better by tomorrow, you may stay home, Sir Ainno. You too, Lady Cekel. You are his wife so you should be by his side to take care of him.¡± Indeed, the honeymooners should stay in bed all day tomorrow perhaps. The emperor scratched at his desk in loneliness. He needed Poliana, not just because he was lonely, but he also wanted to gossip about Sir Ainno with her. If Poliana was here, she would''ve told Cekel what was happening. Poliana would''ve told her exactly how Sir Ainno was lying to his wife''s face. Cekel trusted Poliana, so she would''ve believed the knightess. The emperor needed his most loyal knight. His knightess Poliana Winter. He needed to get to work immediately. There was no time for him to mope around. Look at his friend! Sir Ainno was doing whatever it took to make his wife like him. He even betrayed his emperor and friend! Lucius the First wanted to hit Sir Ainno, but he also knew there was much he needed to learn from his friend. ¡®Poliana!'' There was no time to be patient now. Chapter end Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Lucius the First went in search of Poliana. It wasn''t a very difficult quest since Poliana Winter was the most famous figure inside the Yapa castle at the moment. Everyone who spotted Poliana remembered her and talked about her. Lucius the First followed her trail easily. When he asked people where theyst saw her, they answered and gossiped about it afterward. Meanwhile, Poliana was chatting with her guards. They asked her, ¡°Boss, what is your secret to sess?¡± ¡°Boss, tell us everything that happened!¡± ¡°When would you like us to give you your retirement party?¡± Poliana has been feeling guilty for abandoning and neglecting her Second Division due to a personal reason. When she visited the Second Division breakroom, she was swarmed by her men. They weed her and closed the door quickly. They had so many questions for their boss, and because Poliana felt guilty, she let them trap her in the room until their curiosity was appeased. Let the questioning period begin! Poliana was shocked to find out that her men were true believers of the rumor. The guards of the Second Division were in love with the story of how Lucius the First fell for their boss. When they prodded her for details, Poliana was bbergasted as she replied, ¡°You really believed that rumor that his highness is infatuated with me? You men are the royal guards of Acreia, so how could you be swayed by such a silly story?¡± ¡°But boss, we are indeed the royal guards; we are the knights who provided personal protection for the emperor! We have heard and seen the truth, so how could we not believe it?¡± When the guards of the Second Division heard the rumor, they actually were suspicious of it. It wasn''t because Poliana was their boss but because they knew her well. Her guards knew Poliana much better than most of the high-ranking noblemen. While the nobles knew Poliana as the marquess, her men knew her as their boss as the head of the Second Division. In reality, Poliana was more a knight than a marquess. So when the men first heard the rumor, they assumed that it was spread for a political purpose. They were sad to see Poliana retire, but if it was what the emperor wished, it couldn''t be helped. But then¡­ These knights learned the truth soon after. The First Division was returned to their old posts and the Second Division knights were called to provide the emperor and the princess their protection. When the knights worked close to the emperor, they quickly learned that Lucius the First was indeed in love; he didn''t make an effort to hide his feelings. The emperor was really in love with their boss! Of course, there were still a few in the Second Division who were suspicious of the emperor''s true intention. Unless his highness had a strange taste, how could he fall in love with such an ugly woman as Poliana? This didn''t make sense at all! But the face the emperor made whenever Poliana''s name was mentioned clearly indicated that his feelings for her were deep. So how was it that no one realized this until now? ¡®We had no idea!'' The knights didn''t know. Poliana herself was ignorant of it. Even though Poliana spent so much time with the emperor, she never suspected a thing. ording to Lucius the First''s confession, his love for Poliana began at the cliff after he conquered the world. No one knew about this until the emperor exined the details. No one except for Stra. Although some of the guards were still doubtful, no one in the Second Division was against this marriage. To be honest, Poliana felt a little betrayed when the men asked her, ¡°So when will be the wedding?¡± ¡®I thought they didn''t want me to retire!'' Since the empress of the kingdom could not also be the head of a military division, her marriage meant she had to retire. In the past, whenever she joked that she was going to retire, her men used to protest, ¡°But Boss! You need to stay here for another 30 years! You need to be here for a long time so you can teach my son when he bes a knight himself!¡± She missed these times. Her second inmand grinned, asking if he was going to be the next head of the Second Division. She understood his excitement since she herself used to be in his shoes. It was a good thing to give young men a chance to climb thedder. But Poliana couldn''t help feeling upset. She asked, ¡°I thought you guys didn''t want me to retire.¡± The men, dense as usual, said with smiles, ¡°Boss, it''s time you be happy.¡± This again! Happiness¡­ Stupid happiness¡­ F*cking happiness¡­ The knights told her it was time she became happy. She needed to be happy. So did this mean she has been unhappy this whole time? Poliana asked, ¡°So marrying his highness will make me happy?¡± ¡°Well, why wouldn''t you be? The young and beautiful emperor is in love with you!¡± Poliana wanted to ask them if a young and beautifuldy''s love will make them happy, but she didn''t bother. She knew the answer. She knew all of the men would nod and say such a thing will certainly make them ecstatic. ¡°Boss! Think about your age! This is going to be yourst chance that a man falls in love with you!¡± ¡°Come on! Be serious! This is probably her FIRST and thest chance!¡± ¡°But what about that doctor?¡± ¡°He was after her money! His highness is genuinely in love with her!¡± ¡°I just can''t believe why! The emperor has such a strange taste! Why did he fall in love with the boss?¡± ¡°When a man and a woman spend a lot of time for a long while, sometimes love can develop.¡± ¡°But we never fell in love with the boss even though we spent a lot of time with her!¡± ¡°Love does not require logic or reason. You love someone just because you do. Period. His highness loves our boss so much that he doesn''t even notice her face; it must be true love.¡± ¡®Bastards.'' They knew she was no longer going to be their boss, which must''ve been why they were talking so rudely. Poliana thought in annoyance, ¡®I was going to be nice to them because I have been absent for so long, but this won''t do. They need to be taught a lesson.'' She was about to order them to straighten up when suddenly, there was someone at the door. Knock knock. The door opened with permission but none of the knights could be angry at the intruder because the one who entered the room was the most beautiful being in the kingdom. The golden figure resembling a fairy appeared and asked, ¡°Is Sir Pol here?¡± All the knights kneeled immediately and yelled, ¡°Greetings to your highness!¡± The men thought in shock, ¡®Oh my god! Did his highnesse all the way here to see our boss?!'' The men were excited about this unexpected event. They were also excited to tell their wives about it when they returned home tonight. While the guards couldn''t stop grinning, Poliana couldn''t look directly at the emperor. She thought she was now used to his beauty, especially after witnessing him yesterday when he was dolled up, but she realized that she was mistaken. Lucius the First was even more beautiful today. Chapter end Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Lucius the First¡¯s beauty had always been Poliana¡¯s pride and joy¡­ until he began to seduce her. Lucius the First asked her, ¡°You came into the castle, yet were you not going to visit me, Sir Pol?¡± ¡°I did, your highness.¡± ¡°Good, then I would like you to spare me some of your time.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lucius the First raised his hand. The way he moved was so elegant that it took a long time for Poliana to realize what he meant by it. The knights around them murmured in shock as they also realized that the emperor was offering to escort Poliana. Poliana took a step back in shock and the emperor asked, ¡°Are you to leave me hanging like this?¡± ¡°I can walk just fine on my own, your highness!¡± All Poliana said was she would spend some time with him. She never agreed to have physical contacts! Poliana ran out of the break room past the emperor in embarrassment. Lucius the Firstughed and said to the guards, ¡°Isn¡¯t she adorable? Don¡¯t you guys think so too?¡± The emperor was so proud of her. He found Poliana delightful in every way, but no one in the room agreed and kept their silence. Lucius the First, feeling awkward, coughed. Howe no one else could see how cute Poliana was? Well, it didn¡¯t matter. Only he knew the truth, which meant he was going to be the only one who got to enjoy Poliana. After the emperor left, as soon as the door closed behind him, the knights began to talk all at once. ¡°Oh my god! I can¡¯t believe that just happened!¡± ¡°This is not just a regr love.¡± ¡°I agree. This has to be true love! The truest love!¡± What else could it be? Lucius the First was clearly in love that he was blinded. Some of the knights, who were still suspicious of the rumor, knelt on the floor and announced, ¡°We have been wrong! Your highness! We were wrong!¡± After this day, every member of the Second Division now firmly believed in the rumor. Meanwhile, Poliana was waiting outside the breakroom. When Lucius the First came out and offered his hand again, Poliana refused. ¡°I can walk behind you, your highness!¡± ¡°Alright. I like your firmness.¡± Poliana sighed in relief when Lucius the First did not insist. All she did was walk behind the emperor, but everyone stared with interest. Lucius the First took Poliana to a small dining room inside the castle where only those closest to the emperor were allowed to enter. As they walked together, the emperor said to her, ¡°I heard that you haven¡¯t eaten yet, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct, your highness.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so tense, all I want is to dine with you.¡± ¡°Who says I was tense?¡± ¡°I can see it right now.¡± Poliana frowned and Lucius the Firstughed quietly like an old man. He replied, ¡°I don¡¯t mind you being tense around me. It just means that you are conscious of me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Because it was true that she did feel nervous, Poliana didn¡¯t know what to say. She straightened up, trying to look confident. She has lived as a soldier all her life, which meant that Poliana had an excellent posture. The servants standing in front of the dining room opened the door for them. When they walked in, Poliana was surprised to find the room filled with a feast. Roasted meat, boiled meat, fried meat, and tartare¡­ Deer meat, which was Poliana¡¯s favorite, was cooked in various different ways for her. In addition, there were other rare dishes as well, including the special fruits only found in faraway regions. They were brought here especially for her, but all Poliana seemed to be interested in was the meat. Poliana murmured, ¡°I think this is a little too much.¡± Normally, Lucius the First ate simple food. He was in his mid 30¡¯s and was very careful not to gain any extra weight. If he was younger or had more time to exercise, the emperor would remain slim even if he ate all he wanted. Unfortunately, Lucius the First spent a lot of his time at his desk to work, which meant that he needed to stick to a strict diet to keep himself in shape. This meant that all the food that was prepared in the dining room¡­ It was all for Poliana. Poliana felt happy and a little nervous at the same time. Lucius the First replied, ¡°It¡¯s not too much at all.¡± She may be the woman he loved, but he still had to reprimand her when necessary. He said to Poliana, ¡°You were carrying the emperor¡¯s son, yet all you were eating was the dog stew?!¡± ¡°But that is what I craved, your highness! I couldn¡¯t help it!¡± It was believed that when a woman became pregnant and craving a certain food, it was always something she had eaten before. Something she was used to eating often¡­ Lucius the First felt hurt and apologetic that the woman he loved craved the kind of food even the dogs refused to eat. His pride was hurt and Poliana didn¡¯t have an excuse. She herself felt embarrassed about her pregnancy craving. ¡®Why did I have to want that stupid stew?¡¯ Poliana was also apologetic that she nicknamed Gerald ¡°Dog Stew.¡± She knew she should¡¯vee up with something better. Inside the dining room, there were only two of them. Poliana didn¡¯t see any servants or guards. Lucius the First pulled out a chair for her and smiled kindly. ¡°Have a seat.¡± ¡°Your highness! You shouldn¡¯t have to do such a thing! I should be the one serving you!¡± The emperor replied firmly, ¡°No, I want to do this. Sir Pol, you just enjoy your time here.¡± When Poliana hesitated, Lucius the First asked her, ¡°Are you nning to leave me hanging here again?¡± ¡°Your highness, you should take a seat as well!¡± Poliana ran to pull out a chair for the emperor quickly before taking the seat Lucius the First pulled out for her. She had to run all the way around the table to get the chair on the opposite side and the emperor watched with a smile. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ They sat across from each other and she was used to this. They also ate together often before, so Poliana felt a little relieved because this was a familiar scene for her. Of course, how the emperor treated her now was vastly different than before, but still¡­ No matter what, eating alone with the emperor was always considered a great honor. Only ¡°Thank you for the food, your highness.¡± ¡°I hope you like them. I ordered all your favorite dishes to be prepared. Enjoy.¡± The food was indeed amazing. Although Poliana was still nervous, this didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t enjoy such a wonderful meal. The emperor watched her chew on the roast with a pleased smile on his face. ¡°Your highness, aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°Just watching you enjoy the meal makes me feel happy.¡± ¡°That is something a parent would say to a child, your highness.¡± ¡°Who cares? I¡¯m just happy to be here with you. By the way, what¡¯s happening with Gerald?¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Lucius the First brought up the subject of their firstborn. A child this young grew so much every day and the emperor was worried about Poliana, who had to leave Gerald behind. Lucius the First was, however, mistaken. Poliana wasn¡¯t worried at all, ¡°I left him with the nanny. He¡¯s perfectly healthy.¡± ¡°Even if he is, don¡¯t you think he is still too young to be left without a mother¡­? I¡¯m worried.¡± Poliana replied with absolute certainty, ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s nothing to be worried about. They say that when you¡¯re at an early stage of pregnancy, you¡¯re at a high risk of miscarriage, yet Gerald survived the First Division¡¯s training. Until now, he hasn¡¯t suffered from any illness. Not even diarrhea or a cold, which ismon with newborns. He¡¯s a rather big baby, and he¡¯s perfectly healthy.¡± ¡°Well, it makes sense since both you and I are in excellent health.¡± Lucius the First remembered Gerald¡¯s chubby body with thick bones. The emperor hasn¡¯t seen many newborns in his life. Just Duke Luzo¡¯s son, who was almost two years old by now, Princess Luminae who was born prematurely, and histest child Gerald. However, it didn¡¯t take an experienced midwife to see how healthy Gerald was. Lucius the First and Poliana chatted about different things as they ate. This wasn¡¯t something new to them as they have often eaten and conversed together before. They talked easily and Poliana feltfortable. When Poliana mentioned how Princess Luminae has yelled ¡°No¡± at her, the emperor stated that he had experienced it before as well. Lucius the First admitted that he felt hurt by it and Poliana agreed. The next topic that came up was Tory and Stra. The emperor said to her, ¡°I was so shocked when Stra told me she knew about how I felt.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I am going to face her, your highness. I¡¯m ashamed.¡± Stra ended up divorcing the emperor, but if she hadn¡¯t, Poliana would¡¯ve been the one guarding her as the head of the Second Division. Poliana didn¡¯t know how she should¡¯ve been able to do such a duty when she knew Stra was aware of everything. Even now, Poliana didn¡¯t know how to face her. Lucius the First shook his head and replied, ¡°This is all on me, Pol. It was my burden to carry so you shouldn¡¯t worry about it.¡± Everything was the emperor¡¯s fault. It was his mistake not to confess his love for Poliana earlier. It was his fault for marrying other women and was selfish enough to keep Poliana close to him. All of this happened because of Lucius the First. Poliana was innocent, and if anyone tried to me the knightess, the emperor was going to punish them without mercy. ¡°Pol, I promise you that you will be my only wife.¡± ¡°Your highness¡­. Please don¡¯t say such a thing.¡± ¡°I really mean it. Even if you divorce me after we get married, I will not remarry. You will be my only wife until the day I die.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± The meal was delicious, but now, Poliana felt like she was going to get sick. She sighed deeply, wondering if the emperor was threatening her in a way. ¡°Your highness¡­ Why me? Why does it have to be me?¡± There were plenty of women out there in the world, so why her? Why did he choose her? Poliana couldn¡¯t understand no matter how hard she tried. The emperor replied, ¡°Is there any reason why one loves another? One day, I saw you and I suddenly became your captive. I cannot exin it, so I¡¯m afraid I cannot give you an answer.¡± The emperor remained calm, but it was Poliana who blushed. She gulped down some cold water to cool down. The beautiful emperor and his words made Poliana¡¯s heart beat faster. It was a silly question, but Lucius the First did his best to answer, ¡°But since thedy I love asked me a question, I should try harder toe up with an exnation. I believe that even from early on, we were already in love with each other. I was infatuated with you and you with me, Pol, because don¡¯t you agree that we loved each other the most in this world? In the beginning, it was the love and trust between the emperor and his knight, and for me, this deep feeling progressed into love as a man for a woman. It didn¡¯t take long before you became so precious for me.¡± Lucius the First reminisced the days when he first realized how he felt about Poliana. He also remembered the day he ended up betraying his knightess. ¡°That day when I hurt you after I proposed¡­ You asked me that if I turned around at the cliff and found another knight, would I have fallen in love just the same. I said the wrong thing at the time. I shouldn¡¯t have said what I said to you. The thing is, even if I didn¡¯t fall in love with you that day at the cliff, I would¡¯ve fallen for you eventually; I¡¯m certain of it. When I epted you as my knightess, I knew without a doubt that you will be someone very important to me. And wasn¡¯t I right? I am sure you have felt this way before. Haven¡¯t you ever felt that even though you met someone for the first time, that person will be very precious to you?¡± Lucius the First was right. Poliana has felt something simr to it before. It was when she first met the emperor. She knew, just as the emperor did, that Lucius the First was going to be the center of her universe. Only She was right; he became everything to her. Meeting him was the greatest luck Poliana experienced in her life. It changed her destiny. Lucius the First often said that Poliana was the greatest treasure he gained from his conquest. When Poliana heard this, she couldn¡¯t hide her happiness, realizing that they felt the same way. The emperor continued, ¡°To be honest, there were times when I tried my best not to love you, Pol. I made the biggest effort in my life to change how I felt, but I failed. No matter how hard I tried, it was hopeless. So all I could do was hide my love. Now that I don¡¯t have to suppress my feelings, you have no idea how happy I feel.¡± The emperor of the greatest kingdomughed shyly. It was such a beautiful smile that Poliana felt her heart pounding. ¡°Sir Pol, I will not pressure you into making any decisions at this point. I am happy to do what I can do to make you want me. I am happy just for the fact that I don¡¯t have to hide my love for you anymore. All you need to do is enjoy it. You just have to watch what I do as the man who loves you and decide for yourself what you want to do with me.¡± Poliana¡¯s face and neck turned bright red. She looked down because she could not face him. It was Lucius the First who was saying all these embarrassing things, yet it was Poliana who felt shy and embarrassed. All she did was eat her meal, so why did she feel this way? ¡®This feels different¡­ Why?¡¯ Chapter 332 Chapter 332 What Poliana experienced seemed strange. The word ¡°embarrassment¡± didn¡¯t quite exin it. She was most likely feeling self-conscious and shy, but Poliana couldn¡¯t understand why. As she became more and more ufortable, Poliana began to eat faster. She ate like she fought and attacked the food viciously. Although it was an amazing feast, unfortunately, Poliana could barely taste anything anymore and she didn¡¯t care. She knew that the only way for her to escape this situation was to finish the meal and leave! Poliana ate and ate until she could no more. There was still plenty of food left on the table and her stomach was beyond full. Lucius the First filled her cup with water and said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t overeat. You¡¯ll make yourself sick. I¡¯ll have an even better feast ready for you next time.¡± ¡°Thank you for the meal, your highness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. You are probably still tired from your trip, so you should return home and rest.¡± ¡°Your order is mymand, your highness.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t an order. It is a suggestion. From now on, everything I say to you will be a request, not an order. Please understand this.¡± ¡°Your highness¡­ Why me, why did you choose me? There are so many better women out there?¡± ¡°Pol¡­¡± Lucius the First looked at her disappointedly, but Poliana continued, ¡°I am ugly, your Highness. Do you remember telling me how you would rather sleep with a dirty wh*re?¡± Lucius the First replied in a clearly upset voice, ¡°Please forget I said that! Please, I beg you!¡± He hated himself for saying such a thing to her in the past. Poliana hated seeing him so sad, so she decided she will never bring up this again. It was one of the things the emperor said to her that she could never forget, but if Lucius the First wanted her to forget it, she will try her best. ¡°Alright, your highness. Anyway, I am old and ugly. You are the man every woman wants, but I am the woman no man wants. So I just don¡¯t understand why you are pursuing me like this. I realize there is no logic or reason for love, but still¡­ This still doesn¡¯t make sense. There have been plenty of beautiful and wonderfuldies in your life, so why do you want me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being so cruel, Sir Pol. If what you say is right that I am the man every woman wants, then shouldn¡¯t you feel proud to have me fall in love with you? You have always been a confident and proud woman, so why can¡¯t you be happy about my feelings for you?¡± ¡°Those are two very different things, your highness. My pride and confidence have nothing to do with anything here.¡± ¡°You are wrong. And even if you aren¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter. Also, you are not ugly. I find you adorable.¡± When Lucius the First told her she was cute, Poliana became quiet. She blushed again and to hide it, Poliana covered her cheeks. They felt warm on her hands and Poliana decided it was time for her to go. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, your highness.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll walk you out.¡± Lucius the First stood up quickly. Worried that he might try to pull out the chair for her again, Poliana stood up immediately, but to her shock, the emperor was at the door and opened it for her. ¡®Dammit!¡¯ This was now the second time she walked through the door that was opened by the emperor. Such an honor was difficult to endure for her; her eyes reddened and she felt like she wanted to disappear. The servant waiting outside quickly ran to the barn to get her horse. Poliana and the emperor walked leisurely outside. She made sure to walk slightly behind Lucius the First. The emperor must¡¯ve ordered the horse to be brought to the back door. When they walked out, there was no one around, not even a single guard. The servant who ran out to get the horse was gone, thus, Poliana waited for her ride. Poliana bowed and said to the emperor awkwardly, ¡°Well then¡­ Have a good night, your highness.¡± What Lucius the First did next made her feel even more ufortable. He bowed politely and asked Poliana, ¡°Please, mydy, allow me the honor of kissing the back of your beautiful hand.¡± The emperor has been dying to ask Poliana this ever since he saw Sir Ainno do it to his wife. It was such a respectful request, but Poliana froze as if he stabbed her. She looked like she was about to burst in shock. ¡°Your highness, you know my hands aren¡¯t beautiful! They are ugly!¡± Her hands were discolored and rough with callouses. Her fingernails were broken and misshaped. Until now, Poliana has been proud of her hands, but at this very moment, Poliana felt embarrassed. Lucius the First said to her in frustration, ¡°Smooth and soft hands aren¡¯t the only hands that are beautiful. Do you think a mother¡¯s hands are ugly if they are worn from sewing so much? Nobledies work hard to keep their skin soft and beautiful while themon women work hard to feed their families. I believe the hands of alldies are beautiful, just as I think your hands as the knightess are beautiful.¡± Lucius the First gently held her hands. A man¡¯s hands on her skin¡­ Since they were both experienced swordsmen, Lucius the First had the callouses in the same areas as hers. Poliana¡¯s hands were, of course, rougher. The emperor rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, but he did not kiss it. He was going to wait until she gave him her permission. ¡°Please let my hands go, your highness.¡± Only ¡°If you are going to refuse me, you must say it outright. Tell me not to kiss your hand and I won¡¯t, but if you don¡¯t say it, I am going to stand here and wait.¡± The emperor was ready to wait forever for her even if she ran away. He would wait day and night. He would wait for her for a decade. Perhaps longer. Poliana knew she was allowed to refuse him, but it was difficult to say no. It was because Poliana has kissed the back of the emperor¡¯s hand so many times before. Love and respect were two different things, but¡­ Poliana remembered the first time she was allowed to kiss the emperor¡¯s hand. The happiness and excitement she felt¡­ She would never be able to forget that moment. And here was the man who was clearly in love with her. He was looking at her beggingly and Poliana didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse him. It didn¡¯t feel right for her to say no when she was given the honor of kissing his hand so many times before. Poliana finally said to him, ¡°Do whatever you wish, your highness.¡± Lucius the First slowly kissed the back of her hand. Her hand was rough while the emperor¡¯s lips were soft. Even though it was the back of her hand he kissed, strangely, Poliana felt her palm feeling ticklish. In fact, her neck, back, breasts, feet, ears, and even her teeth felt sensitive. It was just a simple kiss on her hand, but Poliana became filled with strange emotions. The unfamiliar feelings refused to disappear even when she went to sleep that night. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Just as she promised, Poliana visited Princes Luminae again, but as soon as she walked in, the little girl pointed at her and screamed, ¡°No!¡± But when Poliana got closer, even though the princess said no again, she raised both of her arms, wanting Poliana to hold her. Clearly, Princess Luminae didn¡¯t know what the word meant. All she wanted was for Poliana to give her a hug. The princess waited impatiently as she red at the knightess. Poliana quickly lifted the demanding princess up into her arms. Because Poliana was much thinner than the nanny or the wet nurse, the princess didn¡¯t seem to like Poliana¡¯s embrace. The little girl was used to being held by soft women. Although the knightess was on the voluptuous side, especially considering how slim she was, Poliana¡¯s body was far from being soft. Her breasts got bigger during and immediately after her pregnancy, but they were now back to their normal size. It was most likely because she stopped breastfeeding and she was also taking the medication that ¡°dried up¡± her milk. Poliana was slowly regaining her slim and hard body. Prince Luminae seemed to contemte before wanting to return to her nanny. However, she refused to let go of Poliana¡¯s finger. For a little baby, Princess Luminae was surprisingly strong as she continued to grab onto Poliana¡¯s finger stybbornly. Suddenly, Poliana thought of her own son Gerald. It was the strangest thing because when she was with him in Sitrin, she often didn¡¯t even pay attention to him even when he was in her arms. She thought of her son more now than when she wasn¡¯t with him. Why was that? Why did this situation remind her of her son? Princess Luminae, quickly realizing that Poliana wasn¡¯t paying attention to her, pulled at Poliana¡¯s gloved finger. Poliana turned towards the baby and gave her a smile. One of the maids asked, ¡°Marquess, I see that you¡¯re wearing gloves today.¡± ¡°I just felt like it.¡± Just from the kiss on her hand from the emperor yesterday, Poliana has been feeling strange all night. At least, her body mostly calmed down by now, but her hand still felt very warm as if the kiss happened just a moment ago. Didn¡¯t people say that the fourth finger of the left hand had a vein that ran directly to the heart? That was why the wedding ring was worn on this finger. Lucius the First must¡¯ve kissed her fourth finger yesterday because her heart still felt strange even now. Poliana visited Tory yesterday, and now, it was time to see Stra. When Stra saw Poliana, her eyes teared up as she congratted her, ¡°Congrattions on your wedding, Marquess Winter!¡± Stra hasn¡¯t changed at all. Poliana was going to marry her ex-husband, yet Lady Stra was congratting Poliana with genuine happiness. Poliana was nning on apologizing as soon as she saw Stra, but she became speechless at Stra¡¯s greeting. Poliana stammered, ¡°I¡­ it hasn¡¯t been firmly decided yet.¡± ¡°But you are going to marry him, right? My maids and I are all cheering for you!¡± Stra was still as kind as ever. It seemed that everyone was rooting for Poliana, but this didn¡¯t make her happy. She asked Stra, ¡°Aren¡¯t you upset about it?¡± ¡°Upset? Why would I be upset? It¡¯s not like you seduced his highness, Marquess. And you do not need to act so formally around me anymore. I am no longer his highness¡¯s wife. I am just Stra, one of the heads of the maids.¡± ¡°You may have divorced him, but his highness still used to be your husband¡­¡± ¡°If I was the kind of woman who would be jealous and upset about this situation, I would¡¯ve never agreed to work in the castle. I have no ill feelings towards you, Marquess. It¡¯s actually his highness that I am a little¡­¡± Soon after he and Stra were divorced, Lucius the First said something rude to her. Ever since, Stra has been a little unhappy with the emperor. The marriage between the Acreian emperor and a princess from one of the colonies¡­ It was a typical example of a strategic political marriage. At the beginning of their marriage, Stra fell in love with Lucius the First, but before their first wedding anniversary, her feelings disappeared. Ever since, Stra has been watching how things progress between Lucius the First and Poliana. She enjoyed the love story developing right in front of her eyes. Stra decided to work in the castle mostly because of Princess Luminae. The little girl was motherless now and there was no way of knowing who will be the emperor¡¯s next wife and therefore the princess¡¯s new mother. Tory, even after the scandalous incident, decided to stay and work in Yapa. Although Stra wasn¡¯t as brave as Tory, she never forgot the promise she made. It was the promise to raise Princess Luminae into a greatdy. Because Stra was no longer the princess¡¯s mother since she divorced the emperor, she could no longer raise princess Luminae herself, but she still could remain in the castle and help. But when Stra returned to Yapa for this job, she was disappointed to find Poliana gone from the capital city. She was certain Lucius the First was going to confess his love for her, but it seemed that the emperor didn¡¯t do a thing. Stra became very upset and disappointed in the emperor. However, things were finally happening the way they should and Stra was ecstatic! When she first heard the rumor about the emperor and Poliana, she screamed with excitement. Stra smiled shyly and said to Poliana, ¡°Anyway, there is no need for you to feel ufortable here, Marquess. I hope you know that I have been cheering for you and the emperor for a very long time.¡± Blushing, Stra added, ¡°Of all the romantic stories I have heard in my life, yours is the best.¡± Only Here was another person who wanted a happy ending to this situation. Poliana was still struggling to find what true happiness was, but it seemed that everyone around her was certain of what would bring happiness to her. The marriage between herself and the emperor. This is what everyone wanted for her. They say that a man bes happy when he marries the woman he loves, and a woman bes happy when she marries the man who loves her. Based on what everyone has told her and what she read in the romance books, this was the conclusion Poliana came up with. In a lot of the stories with a knightess, if the main character died, it was considered a sad story. If she lived, it was thought to be a happy story. Poliana survived everything she had to go through in her life, and she was going to be satisfied with this fact. But it seemed that people around her wanted more for her. They wanted a ¡°happy ending.¡± A happy ending based on their beliefs. Poliana felt more and more confused. Of course, it also didn¡¯t help that her hand, the very hand the emperor kissed yesterday, still felt ticklish as if a puppy licked it just a moment ago. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Yesterday, the emperor went to sleep early. As soon as he woke up this morning, he did not go immediately to work. Instead, he put great effort into his skin and hair. While Lucius the First was busy taking care of his beauty regimen, his cousin, Duke Luzo, and Marquis Zeese were burdened with the work of running the kingdom. Duke Luzo with his receding hairline from all the work¡­. Marquis Zeese who found the castle morefortable than his own home because he did not trust his own wife¡­ These two men shuddered as they saw the work piling up on their desks. ¡°Is his highness taking another day off today?¡± ¡°Yes, that is what I was told.¡± ¡°¡­Chancellor¡­ I have a son, who resembles an adorable little piglet, and a wife, who resembles a pretty squirrel, waiting for me at home.¡± ¡°My lord, I have a foxy wife and a dovely son waiting at home myself.¡± Marquis Zeese¡¯s wife was able to avoid being punished during the recent political turmoil thanks to her husband. However, Lady Zeese was shocked to find how her husband was secretly on the emperor¡¯s side. She couldn¡¯t believe she was never told of his n, and ever since, they have been living as strangers. Marquis Zeese and his wife, although were married by an arranged marriage for a political purpose, shared a close bond. They weren¡¯t in love with each other, but they were affectionate. But ever since the time when all the elders and many nobles were removed for being traitors, things changed between the husband and the wife. They only talked when necessary, and just like that, the couple Poliana envied was over. Sir Bentier regretted his decision, but it was toote to change what he did. He should¡¯ve trusted his wife. He should¡¯ve trusted women in general. Sir Bentier did not me anyone because he knew it was all on him. It was his fault. Unfortunately, his rtionship with his son also became strained. Feeling ufortable in his own home, the chancellor became an even bigger workaholic than the emperor. But what about Duke Luzo? The chancellor has always been a workaholic, to begin with, but Duke Luzo never was! He was being used just because he was the emperor¡¯s cousin. The Acreian government was still short on officials. The emperor was being very thorough in hiring people because he wanted to pick the best of the best. This was a great idea, and it was going to pay off in a few decades, but it also meant that the government was going to be short-staffed for a very long time. The only reason the current officials were able to survive being overworked was because their own emperor worked very hard alongside them. Then recently, the emperor announced all of a sudden that he was going to take a vacation for himself in order to focus on seducing Poliana. The emperor¡¯s marriage was an incredibly important deal for the entire kingdom, which meant that no one could fault the emperor for taking some time off. Sir Bentier and Duke Luzo would¡¯ve loved to just tell the emperor to marry someone else, but when they heard Lucius the First and Poliana already had a son together, the two men could not oppose this marriage. Duke Luzoined, ¡°When will I get to rest?! When will I get to enjoy my life?¡± Unfortunately, Duke Luzo still had a long way to go. The emperor, meanwhile, was hard at work to make Poliana fall in love with him. He was waiting at the outer door of thedy¡¯s quarters and when Poliana came out after visiting the princess, he snatched her away. He asked her to lunch with him again and Poliana could not refuse. After the meal, he suggested they should take a walk in the garden as he imed that he hadn¡¯t had the time to exercise at all due to his work. Lucius the First has always been a workaholic emperor and Poliana didn¡¯t doubt his words. In the past, she has been worried for him for working too hard. ¡®He should take a vacation.¡¯ She felt obligated to walk with him in order to give him at least a small break from his work. Today, the emperor looked as gorgeous as ever. He dolled himself up again and he was glowing, perhaps because he was in love. Poliana thought he reminded her of the beautiful mist of an early morning on a crisp autumn day. The two walked quietly in the garden. Because this particr castle garden boasted of beautiful blooming flowers, it was often crowded. However today, it waspletely empty. Lucius the First walked ahead while Poliana followed him from behind awkwardly. Whenever he turned to look at her or stepped back to get closer to her, Poliana became nervous. She begged him, ¡°Your highness, you¡¯re going to fall. Please be careful.¡± ¡°If I do fall, I am sure you will catch me, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Please just keep walking. You will hurt yourself if you fall onto the paving stone; it¡¯s very dangerous.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t help it. When I see the flowers, I think of you. When I see the birds, I think of you. When I see the sky, it reminds me of you.¡± When Poliana saw Lucius the First, he reminded her of flowers. Whenever she saw beautiful birds, they reminded of the emperor. Whenever she saw amazing statues, she thought of Lucius the First. Every time she saw something beautiful in this world, she thought of the emperor, and now that she was the recipient of this admiration, Poliana felt shy and embarrassed. She said to the emperor, ¡°Then, I will walk ahead of you, your highness.¡± Poliana walked faster to pass the emperor, who replied, ¡°But this way, I only get to see the back of you, Sir Pol.¡± Only Just as the emperor did, Poliana looked back from time to time to see him. The two, trained to be brisk during the war, were fast walkers. Poliana walked as fast as she could, but she could feel Lucius the First closing the gap easily. It almost felt like she was being chased and the tension intensified. Poliana realized her mistake. This was supposed to be a simple walk, but it felt different. Poliana also began to see the things she never noticed when she was walking behind the emperor. His beautiful summer forest green eyes greeted her. Even though they were walking the best garden in the castle, it seemed that Lucius the First could not take his eyes off of her. He smiled at her, happy that he could look at her all he wanted. Suddenly, Poliana felt ticklish again. Her heart especially did a somersault, and the feeling was much more intense than yesterday. Poliana looked down and continued to walk. Lucius the First asked her, ¡°It has been so long since Ist saw you wield your sword. Perhaps you will honor me with a spar sometime soon.¡± ¡°Of course, your highness. Whenever you like.¡± Did the emperor know how he made her feel? He brought up the subject he knew made Poliana feelfortable. During her stay in Sitrin, she kept herself sedentary. She tried her best to train whenever possible, but the midwife and the doctor kept a close eye on her. It was a miracle that she was able to give a decent fight when Sir Donau asked for a duel. Poliana felt excited at the prospect of a spar with the emperor. When she looked happy, Lucius the First grinned. ¡°You are finally walking alongside me.¡± ¡°What do you mean, your highness? Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Lucius the First said to Poliana, ¡°I said, you¡¯re finally walking at the same pace as me.¡± ¡°What do you mean, your highness?¡± ¡°You were walking like you were running away from me, but now, you aren¡¯t.¡± When they first began their walk in the garden, every time Lucius the First took a step, Poliana took two. But now, just as the emperor said, they were walking at the same pace. Every time Lucius the First took a step, Poliana took a step along with him. The emperor smiled and asked, ¡°I am not chasing you, so why were you running away?¡± Poliana pouted and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t run away, your highness.¡± When she slowed down a little, Lucius the First suddenly closed the distance and said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t run away. You¡¯re only making me want to catch you.¡± Although the emperor said this, he didn¡¯t mean to catch her. All he did was to close the distance between them. His sudden move surprised her and made her trip. Thankfully, Poliana, a soldier, had excellent reflexes. She quickly regained her bnce, but lost it again when the emperor yelled, ¡°Sir Pol! That¡¯s dangerous!¡± Poliana ended up stumbling backward. Most people fall forward and hurt their noses, and although most would think this was unlucky, Poliana would¡¯ve preferred to stumble forward than backward. Because as she did, Lucius the First caught her from behind. Luckily, she didn¡¯t fall into his embrace. Well, lucky for Poliana, not so much for Lucius the First. He said to her, ¡°You walking ahead of me is dangerous. Let¡¯s not do that anymore.¡± Lucius the First squeezed Poliana¡¯s hand, but she didn¡¯t even have the time to be shocked by the feeling of his skin. It was because when she almost fell, she saw the windows of the building around them. They were being watched by a huge audience! Poliana had no idea they were putting on a show for everyone in the castle! ¡°Your highness, look up over there!¡± Poliana pointed at them in shock, but none of the people watching walked away from the windows. They were busy watching the emperor and the knightess. Some leaned out of the window and looked dangerously close to falling out. Poliana didn¡¯t notice people were watching because she had been so focused on the emperor. Lucius the First replied, ¡°Yes, I can see that we have arge audience.¡± ¡°We need to make them stop!¡± ¡°Just leave them.¡± ¡°But your highness!¡± ¡°What does it matter? Both you and I live in public lives.¡± This man was the emperor of this kingdom while the woman was the marquess. They were well-known figures, and they will always be watched by others closely. Normally, Poliana didn¡¯t care about being the center of attention, but this situation was too embarrassing. To be courted by the emperor¡­ The emperor asked, ¡°Is your ankle ok?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine, your highness.¡± Lucius the First smiled and replied, ¡°Good, good. I¡¯m d.¡± He let go of her hand and made her walk alongside him. ¡°But your highness!¡± ¡°You walking ahead is dangerous, so I forbid you to do it. Walking side by side is nice, but I can¡¯t see your face this way, so let me at least hold your hand.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°It saddens me not to see your adorable face. Would it be better if we hold both hands and walk sideways so I can see your face?¡± All she had to say was no, but Poliana¡¯s brain froze. She could think logically. Holding one hand and walking normally or holding both hands and walking like crabs¡­ There was no reason why Poliana had to choose one over the other, but for some reason, she contemted. ¡°¡­¡± The emperor interpreted her silence as a yes to the first option. He took one of her hand and they began to walk together. As if to make her feelfortable, Lucius the First looked ahead. It was actually Poliana who was staring at him. She couldn¡¯t stop looking at the side of his face. Her hand felt ticklish just because he was holding it. This was all because of the kiss on her hand. It was because the emperor kissed the spot where the vein was connected directly to her heart. This was the excuse Poliana tried to stick to, but she secretly knew the truth. The hand he was holding right now wasn¡¯t the same hand the emperor kissed yesterday. She was also wearing her gloves, yet she still felt like she could feel him. This sweet feeling slowly climbed up to her wrist, arm, and to her heart. Poliana felt angry. It was Lucius the First who confessed his love for her. Poliana was supposed to only love the emperor as her sovereign while Lucius the First dered that he loved her as a woman. This meant that it was the emperor who should be feeling nervous. Only So why was it that Poliana¡¯s heart was pounding so fast? It felt like her blood, once cold, was now flowing into a warm ce. Her body tingled strangely. Poliana looked down at their hands together. She didn¡¯t like that fact he was the one holding her hand and she was following him. Although she knew this was considered rude, Poliana squeezed back. She held his hand harder than the emperor and looked down at their hands again. It felt right. It felt right for her to be the one leading. The strangely ticklish feeling disappeared. Pride filled her. Poliana finally felt calmer. She was rxed enough that she could converse with the emperor. When she looked up at Lucius the First¡¯s face, she saw that the emperor was blushing subtly. He was a man in his mid 30¡¯s and he was blushing like a schoolgirl, yet it didn¡¯t look odd. In fact, the rosy blush suited the emperor. ¡®How could a man look so beautiful?¡¯ This was the question of the century. How could Lucius the First be so gorgeous? He was like a pretty blooming flower. Meanwhile, Lucius the First looked down at Poliana and wondered, ¡®How could a woman be so adorable like this?¡¯ The emperor couldn¡¯t believe how cutely Poliana was acting just now. She was squeezing his hand and looking proud of herself. Lucius the First was having a hard time keeping his cool. The two were thinking the same thing about one another. It was obvious that they were very close. They clearly trusted each other and now, they were smitten with each other. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Poliana agreed to have lunch with Lucius the First again. She thought about refusing the request, but she couldn¡¯t. Poliana didn¡¯t know that the emperor was on vacation. Even though the emperor worked constantly, there seemed to be no end to the amount of work required to run a kingdom. Poliana, still believing that Lucius the First was working hard, felt obligated to have lunch with him when he was sparing his precious time for her. The loyal knightess could not refuse her emperor. After they parted in the garden, Poliana began to assault a tree. She was wearing her gloves, so she was able to punch harder than usual. Bam! Bam! The audience at the window chatted excitedly, wondering what was going on between the emperor and the knightess. They began to make up stories as they watched Poliana punching the tree. Some thought that perhaps it was the witch¡¯s love magic that became activated when punching a tree. Or maybe the marquess saw a bug on the tree and was killing it. Others thought that the trees grew better with physical simtions and Marquess Winter was only helping to grow the garden. The audience soon tired of watching Poliana bashing a tree, so they dispersed. Then suddenly, someone new appeared in the garden. It was a small slim man and when Poliana saw him, she lowered her face in surprise. Those still watching wondered, ¡°Who is that man and how is he able to make Marquess Winter bow like that?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, that man¡­¡± ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s the auditor, Momo.¡± ¡°Oh, him. He and Marquess Winter are acquainted, right?¡± ¡°Yes. So why is the marquess acting so politely like that?¡± Momo was a low ranking noble with a decent government career at best, so how was this man able to make the powerful Marquess Winter act so meek? Ignoring the audience, Momo yelled in frustration, ¡°How could you do this to me?!¡± ¡°Hahaha, Momo, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t help butugh. Momo was a timid man who found it difficult to express his anger. He was not good at confrontation, which meant he normally kept his frustration deep inside. But this time¡­ He couldn¡¯t believe how Poliana lied to him and made him look like a fool. Momo argued, ¡°You abused my trust in you! His highness is now going to believe that I¡¯m a liar!¡± Auditor Momo found this situation to be too unfair; he lied to the emperor to keep Poliana¡¯s pride and honor intact, but it turned out that the father of Poliana¡¯s child was the emperor himself! Lucius the First did not tell Momo about the existence of Gerald, but Momo was able to figure it out himself. After all, Momo was considered one of the most detailed and intelligent men in the government. Of course, even if Poliana told him that the father was the emperor, Momo would¡¯ve still lied to Lucius the First. After all, Momo considered Poliana his good friend. Poliana apologized again before running away. ¡°Haha! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± The knightess ran, but the auditor followed her. Unfortunately, Poliana was a much better runner with excellent stamina. Momo, with his desk job, could not keep up and ended up losing her. Their broken friendship, which was repaired when Poliana gave him an interest-free loan to purchase a home, was destroyed again. Later on, they would be good friends again after Poliana helped him to be the highest-ranking scribe, but this wasn¡¯t to happen for many more years. *** ¡®I made a mistake. I have done him wrong.¡¯ After making sure Momo couldn¡¯t catch up to her, Poliana sighed. She has been so busy that she forgot about him. It wasn¡¯t that she valued him; Momo was unfortunately just a very forgettable person. She had no excuse. As an ex-scribe and a current auditor, truth and honesty were very important to Momo. If the emperor decided to mistrust him because of this, it was going to be Poliana¡¯s fault. ¡®I better tell his highness what really happened.¡¯ She finally found a safe subject to discuss with the emperor tomorrow at lunch. Poliana felt a little relieved. There was no war going on anymore, so why did Poliana feel so tense? Seeing Lucius the First was a source of great joy for her, but Poliana also couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous and uneasy. ¡®Dammit! His highness is just too handsome.¡¯ Poliana thought she was used to his beauty by now since she worked a long time as his guard, but she was obviously wrong. When Lucius the First was just an emperor, Poliana did not feel this way. But now that he was treating her as a man would a woman, Poliana¡¯s heart did funny things. Lucius the First has truly bewitched her. But there was an even bigger problem. ¡®Maybe I really did lose my mind.¡¯ The biggest problem here was that Poliana liked this situation. The way she felt¡­ Perhaps the word ¡°like¡± wasn¡¯t the right term, but Poliana definitely knew that she didn¡¯t dislike it. The ticklish sweet feeling on her hand that traveled to her heart¡­ Something was definitely happening here. This something¡­ It was simr to the feeling she felt when Frau approached her. It was also simr to the feeling she felt when the other handsome knights treated her like ady. But what she felt right now¡­ It was stronger. It felt¡­ more pleasant. Although she denied it so far, Poliana had to admit that it was nice to be pursued, especially by a beautiful man she greatly respected. He confessed his love for her! It would be aplete lie if she imed that she hated this situation. If only Lucius the First wasn¡¯t her emperor! If the man who was pursuing her wasn¡¯t Lucius the First, she would¡¯ve epted his love by now. Only The next day at lunch, another feast was prepared for Poliana as expected. She was, however, still surprised because the table was filled with dishes that werepletely different from the lunch the day before. Poliana felt a deep respect and guilt towards the royal cooks, who must be ving away even though there wasn¡¯t even a castle banquet. Their hard work was going to fatten up Poliana. ¡®I better increase my training.¡¯ Poliana decided to spend more time exercising to keep herself in shape. It looked like the emperor was going to keep inviting her to lunches like this. Although she enjoyed eating these wonderful foods, she knew she wasn¡¯t going to like the result of it. Poliana still hasn¡¯t lost all of the pregnancy weight yet. She also did not regain the muscles she lost. She lost some weight from breastfeeding, but she most likely also lost a lot of nutrients from her body to feed Gerald. This was one of the reasons why Poliana decided to stop breastfeeding as soon as possible. The custom-made full armor the emperor gifted her was Poliana¡¯s pride and joy. She never wanted to be forced to adjust it like so many older knights who had to rece the stomach portion to amodate their changing bodies. Poliana said to the emperor, ¡°Your highness, I would like to ask you for a favor.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± The emperor looked like he was ready to give her anything she wanted. Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Lucius the First has always been a generous emperor, especially to those close to him. He has always been obliging to Poliana and Sir Ainno, and now that he was openly in love with her, Poliana could ask him for anything and he was only willing to give it to her. Lucius the First was ready to give Poliana the world. He looked at her with tremendous affection. As usual, Poliana ate quickly and the emperor watched her happily. He couldn¡¯t stop smiling as if he found her to be the loveliest thing in the world. Lucius the First smiled and smiled, and he couldn¡¯t hide his pride. Poliana couldn¡¯t understand why. Was he proud of her big appetite? Was he proud of the fact that she ate very well? ¡®Well, it is true that watching someone you like to eat well is very satisfying.¡¯ Poliana said to the emperor, ¡°I want to talk to you about Momo. I would like you to reinstate him as your scribe.¡± ¡°Why are you bringing him up all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I made a mistake and ended up owing to him. I promised him I would make him a scribe again.¡± Thankfully, Lucius the First was not angry about Momo¡¯s lie. He believed that if Momo knew the situation directly involved the emperor, Momo would¡¯ve told him the truth. Lucius the First suddenly became serious as he replied, ¡°But he is such an excellent auditor. As you know, Momo is quick, a great listener, and has an amazing memory. Besides, he has a better chance at promotion in the audit department anyway.¡± ¡°But he wants to be a scribe. To be honest, I think he wants to be a scribe because it is an easier and simpler job.¡± ¡°Right? You think so too? I was thinking the exact same thing.¡± Everyone in the government was working so hard, so how dare he try to take an easy path? How dare he?! Lucius the First grumbled for a while, but in the end, he gave his permission for Momo to change his department. With this favor, Poliana was able to keep her friendship with Momo safe. Just like yesterday, Lucius the First suggested they take a walk after the meal. Although Poliana agreed, she felt ufortable having an audience watching them again. If the emperor asked her to walk the garden, she was going to suggest a different location. ¡°Will we be taking a walk in the garden again?¡± ¡°No, I noticed how we were being watched by so many people yesterday when we were in an open area. Why don¡¯t we go visit the greenhouse and enjoy the flowers?¡± ¡°Of course, your highness.¡± Lucius the First nonchntly offered her his arm and Poliana almost took it without thinking. ¡®His highness is very good at this!¡¯ Indeed, Lucius the First was a master of making people do what he wanted. Poliana thought in determination, ¡®I better keep my mind sharp.¡¯ Poliana looked down at the emperor¡¯s arm quietly. She couldn¡¯t imagine holding his arm like ady. She also felt awkward holding his hand, but it would look odd if she refused to do so when she did it only yesterday. Gulp! After swallowing audibly, Poliana decided what to do. She put her hand on top of his and then squeezed before swinging their hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s go, your highness!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lucius the First was overjoyed that Poliana took his hand without a word. Watching him looking proud, Poliana became confused. Why was he looking so proud? Was he proud of her hand strength? It was true that Poliana had great hand strength. ¡°Your highness, where is Sir Ainno? I haven¡¯t seen him all day.¡± ¡°He¡¯s on sick leave.¡± Poliana was shocked to hear this news. ¡®That jerk is actually sick?¡¯ Sir Ainno¡¯s mission in life was to protect the emperor. He was a true knight who refused to ever admit he was in pain even when he was. Sir Ainno believed in being manly and he would never leave the emperor¡¯s side just because he was sick. ¡®Unless¡­ Is he sick like the way he was sick after Cekel kicked his crotch?¡¯ At the time, Sir Ainno took a sick leave more so from his damaged pride than actual pain. When Poliana couldn¡¯t hide her shock, Lucius the First realized that this was his chance to tell her about what Sir Ainno did to him. ¡®Wait. No, I shouldn¡¯t waste this opportunity. I can use this better.¡¯ The sneaky emperor suddenly thought of another n. Lucius the First didn¡¯t say a word because he came up with a much better idea. Sir Ainno used the emperor for his gain, so why couldn¡¯t Lucius the First do the same? The emperor decided that his payback to Sir Ainno would have toeter. When Lucius the First remained quiet, Poliana asked, ¡°Is Sir Ainno being beaten by his wife, Lady Cekel?¡± Poliana knew that Sir Ainno was smitten with Cekel. She also witnessed how strong and firm Cekel was with Sir Ainno before their marriage. When Poliana looked up at him hopefully, Lucius the Firstughed and replied, ¡°No, he hurt his head, so I told him to take a day off. I also told hisdy wife to take time off so she could take care of him. By the way, Sir Pol, I think most people would think of an illness when someone takes a sick leave, not an unhappy marriage.¡± Only Lucius the First found Poliana¡¯s thinking amusing. When people thought of an unhappy and violent marriage, they thought of a husband beating his wife, but Poliana was the opposite. The emperor would¡¯ve actually loved to see Lady Cekel beating up Sir Ainno, but he knew something like this would never happen. Poliana murmured, ¡°Well, something simr happened in the past, so I was just thinking out loud.¡± She secretly would¡¯ve loved it if it was true, but Poliana would never admit this out loud. Never! The emperor replied, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. I remember Inno taking some time off after Lady Cekel kicked him.¡± While they chatted, the emperor and the knightess finally arrived at the greenhouse. This ce was familiar to Poliana because the emperor¡¯s wives often used to visit it. But the greenhouse looked very different now. It looked unfamiliar and Poliana wondered, ¡®Is it because I haven¡¯t been here for a long time? Wait¡­ I think there are many more flowers here.¡¯ Gardens and greenhouses changed depending on the gardener¡¯s effort. Until now, because the emperor has never been interested in such a thing, Master Chail has been the one who controlled the maintenance of the gardens and the greenhouse. Because Master Chail¡¯s taste was elegant, the gardens used to boast of subtle beauty. It was the same for the greenhouse, but now¡­ The greenhouse looked very colorful and extravagant. Poliana suddenly realized, ¡®Wait a minute. This is his highness¡¯s style.¡¯ She had no doubt that the emperor had something to do with the choices of the flowers in this greenhouse. She used to be the emperor¡¯s personal guard, so she knew his taste very well. The greenhouse walls were rebuilt with expensive materials. The inside was being heated very well to keep the colorful and rare flowers blooming. Red, yellow, and blue flowers¡­ Poliana only knew the names of half of the flowers. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 The reason why Poliana knew many flower names was because she had a keen interest in geography and geology. She knew very well how different nts grew in different climates and soils. In the past, Poliana found it very helpful ining up with battle strategies if she knew the geology of the area well. It became her habit to study different nts. ¡®But I have beenzy about keeping up with my hobby.¡¯ Poliana had a dream of writing a book about battle strategies and relevant geology. She nned on doing this after her retirement, which was why she has been diligent about studying these topics. Of course, after she found out about her pregnancy, she stopped. In retrospect, Poliana regretted not focusing on study during her pregnancy rather than trying to knit baby socks. The greenhouse was beautiful. She could see how hard the gardeners must¡¯ve worked to have the flowers from different climates to bloom at the same time. Lucius the First smiled as he watched Poliana check the roots of the flowers rather than the blooms. He has been nning for this for a long time. He ordered the gardeners to make sure there are exotic flowers blooming at all times so he could propose at any time. As his n for the marriage proposal became dyed, the greenhouse became filled with more and more flowers. The emperor knew he would never have to worry about proposal flowers now. Lucius the First thought in determination, ¡®I will not fail my second marriage proposal.¡¯ Since they had Gerald together now, Poliana epted the idea of marriage. There was no denying that the birth of their son was what made this possible. What Lucius the First now needed to focus on was to make sure Poliana continued to think positively about their marriage. He needed to do everything he possibly could to make sure Poliana does not ask for a divorce. The emperor said to her, ¡°Lean towards me a little.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Lucius the First picked a blue lily blooming nearby and tucked it behind Poliana¡¯s ear. Poliana flinched when she saw the giant flowering at her. It was way too big to be put behind one¡¯s ear, but somehow, Lucius the First bnced it on her ear and smiled in satisfaction. Since the emperor looked so happy, Poliana wanted to be happy about it as well, but¡­ Only crazy women put flowers in their hair and besides, this particr flower was just too big. If anyone saw her, a rumor would begin immediately that Marquess Winter has finally lost her mind. Lucius the First eximed, ¡°It suits your hair color, Sir Pol.¡± No matter who looked at it, Poliana¡¯s hair was a dull brown. At best, it could be considered a light brown, but it certainly was not golden like that of the emperor¡¯s. The flower would have suited Lucius the First much better with his blond hair. Polianaughed awkwardly. The subtle vibration from herugh caused the flower to fall to the ground. Unfortunately, Poliana¡¯s thin hair was not able to support the giant bloom. Poliana lowered her body to pick it up. ¡°I apologize, your highness.¡± She was about to pick it up when the emperor¡¯s hand touched hers. Poliana frowned and said to him, ¡°Your highness, I should be doing things like this for you.¡± ¡°Look at me, Pol; this definitely is something I want to do.¡± Lucius the First gently took the flower from Poliana¡¯s hand. He straightened up quickly and said to her, ¡°Things like this¡­ These are part of my job now. Giving you flowers and picking up the things on the ground for you¡­ I want to do these things for you. Please don¡¯t take this away from me.¡± ¡°How could this be your job, your highness?¡± ¡°Because I am in love with you.¡± Lucius the First gently shook the lily to get the dirt off. He murmured to her, ¡°With the blue flower in your hair, it looked so beautiful like a blue bird sitting on a cornfield.¡± Apparently, the flower represented the blue flower and Poliana the cornfield. The emperor added, ¡°The blue bird looks the best when it is sitting on a cornfield, after all.¡± Lucius the First put the flower behind his ear and said to her, ¡°See? This doesn¡¯t suit me.¡± Before she met the emperor, Poliana believed that flowers and men didn¡¯t go together. But now, she knew that Lucius the First looked amazing with flowers and jewels. She suspected he would even look lovely withces. While Poliana ogled him with her eyes, Lucius the First picked a few more flowers. His action was casual, but he was very gentle with the flowers. ¡°Your highness, you will hurt your hand.¡± ¡°This is part of my duty now.¡± The emperor picked various flowers to make a small bouquet. He pulled out the ribbon that was holding his hair together and wrapped it around the bouquet of flowers. ¡°Every flower in my hand¡­ They are all yours, Sir Pol.¡± ¡®Oh my¡­ Dammit¡­ I¡¯m getting goosebumps.¡¯ Poliana¡¯s entire body became covered with goosebumps. She shuddered but still epted the bouquet. The strange thing was, this situation was so corny that even Poliana wanted to scream and run away, but she could not take even a step away from the emperor. Lucius the First thought happily, ¡®Perfect! It¡¯s working!¡¯ He smiled in satisfaction. Just as he suspected, his knightess had no experience in romance. The emperor was courting her with everything he had, and it was working! No wonder this na?ve woman fell for that gold digger, Frau Sneke! ¡®No! Focus, Lucius!¡¯ Only He was standing in front of the woman he loved, which meant he should only be thinking about her. Lucius the First waited patiently until Poliana looked up at him. When he finally saw her shy and confused brown eyes, he smiled again. This was more than he expected. The smell of the greenery was much stronger than that of what had bloomed. The sticky fluid ran down her fingers from the stems. Poliana thought, ¡®I can¡¯t breathe.¡¯ Poliana felt like she was suffocating. It wasn¡¯t because of the strong scent of the flowers; it was because Lucius the Frist¡¯s smile was too blinding. She was fine yesterday when she was with him, so what was different today? Suddenly, Poliana realized that the difference was the location. In the garden yesterday, they were an open space with an audience, but today, they were alone in a closed space. No matter where she looked, she was surrounded by colorful flowers and a man who was even more beautiful than any flower. ¡®Calm down, Poliana.¡¯ She took a deep breath to stop herself from hyperventting. Touching the flowers in her hands gently, Poliana said to the emperor, ¡°To be honest, I have to admit that the way you treat me¡­ I don¡¯t dislike it, your highness. In fact, I will admit that I actually like it a little. After all, I am still human, so how could I not feel ttered when someone so beautiful like you is courting me? How could I not feel attracted to you just a little?¡± Chapter 339 Chapter 339 What Poliana didn¡¯t know was the fact that Lucius the First asked the gardener previously to learn the meaning behind all of the flowers in the greenhouse. Poliana also didn¡¯t realize that although it looked like the emperor was picking the flowers randomly, he was actually selecting the flowers that represented what he wanted to say to her. But it was okay that Poliana didn¡¯t know these things because most flowers in this world carried the meaning of love. All the emperor wanted to tell her was that he loved her. Lucius the First desperately wanted Poliana to know the true extent of his feelings for her. And now, it seemed that Poliana was giving Lucius the First her truth. Poliana said to him, ¡°As you know, your highness, you used to be just my emperor. I never saw you as a man. I think you used to feel the same way about me. I did not see you as an opposite sex until that¡­ unfortunate ident.¡± Poliana gritted her teeth. If it wasn¡¯t for the huge mistake she made that night¡­ This ridiculous situation would¡¯ve never happened. If she didn¡¯t get so drunk that night¡­ Poliana continued, ¡°Because of that unfortunate incident¡­ I began to see you, your highness, as a man. Yes, I will admit it. I feel¡­ differently about you now. I am more aware of you as a man and I apologize, your highness. I know this is wrong, but I can¡¯t help it.¡± The reason why Poliana avoided Lucius the First in the past wasn¡¯t just because she felt guilty. It was mostly because every time she saw him, it reminded her of that night. It was even more frustrating because she actually didn¡¯t remember what happened that night. She remembered only small pieces of it, and just these memories were enough to make her run away. Poliana almost felt suicidal during this time. If she didn¡¯t get pregnant, it was very possible that she eventually fell in love with the emperor on her own. Some wouldn¡¯t understand how someone can fall in love just from spending one night together. How could a person be so simple? But then, Poliana was a very simple woman. In fact, Poliana began to like Frau just because she decided to marry him. She began to fall for him just because he was going to be her husband. Poliana didn¡¯t know what love was. She never felt a genuine affection of a man for a woman. Poliana was loved as a student, a colleague, subordinate, superior, and friend, but never as a woman. And now¡­ She was experiencing the love between a man and a woman for the first time in her life. She still didn¡¯t know about the love between a mother and her child yet because she never experienced it with her own mother. This was perhaps why Poliana still did not like Gerald much. She was going to marry Lucius the First only because of Gerald. She may have given birth to him, but to Poliana, Gerald was the son of her beloved emperor rather than her own flesh and blood. To Lucius the First, Gerald was the luckiest thing that happened to him while to Poliana, it was the opposite. Until now, perhaps even now, Poliana did not believe in true love. This was no wonder since all she felt in her life were the friendship between the colleagues and the affection from her emperor. She still did not trust what she was feeling right now, especially because it began after that unfortunate night. Poliana felt that feeling this way about the emperor was inappropriate and rude. She continued, ¡°To be honest, I do like how you are treating me, your highness. I do like it¡­ and I am attracted to you, but it is because I like this situation. A handsome man falling in love with me¡­ Who wouldn¡¯t like that? But I am not sure this is because it is you, your highness, or it is because I am a loose woman. I mean, after all, I said some mean things to you in Sitrin, so for me to suddenly be attracted to you like this¡­¡± ¡°You are not a loose woman, Sir Pol. Not at all.¡± Lucius the First begged her to stop ming herself for anything. He continued, ¡°You should do whatever you want. You should enjoy this situation if you want. That is exactly what I would like. If you experience what I can offer you, and if you like it, then you should keep enjoying it. That would make me very happy. This is how I really feel. And besides¡­¡± Lucius the First adjusted the flower tucked behind his ear and added, ¡°You deserve it, Sir Pol. You worked so hard all your life that you deserve a man like me.¡± In most stories, the knights were richly rewarded after their adventures. Unless it was a tragic story, they all ended in a simr fashion. The hero would find a treasure, be awarded with a castle by the emperor, be kissed by a beautifuldy, or be greatly respected by the other knights. Some heroes got everything including an honorable reputation, wealth, and a beautiful wife. Lucius the First emphasized the fact that Poliana deserved all the happiness in the world. Poliana agreed because she felt the same way. She believed that she had the right to enjoy all of the good things in life. The emperor said to her, ¡°It would be my honor for you to want me and lust after me, Sir Pol.¡± Lucius the First suddenly closed the distance between them. He slowly lowered his face to kiss the bouquet Poliana was holding. Poliana was mesmerized as she watched the most beautiful man kissing the beautiful vibrant flowers. Yes, she was definitely bewitched by this man. Only Even the most exotic flowers could not outshine the beautiful green eyes of the emperor. It felt like a dream to see the emperor surrounded by the flowers. Poliana couldn¡¯t help the overwhelming affection she felt for this man. The vague memories of that drunken night filled her head, making her feel dizzy. The intensity of her feelings¡­ They were always there deep inside of her, and now, they were beginning to surface. What a lovely man her emperor was. Could it be that what she did that night wasn¡¯t a random act due to being drunk? Could it be that she always had feelings for Lucius the First and she just never knew about it? At this point, however, it didn¡¯t matter. What was important now was that something was happening between them. Something was happening to Poliana. Suddenly, Poliana asked the emperor impulsively, ¡°Your highness, may I kiss you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± One of the many special rights Poliana had was the honor of kissing the emperor¡¯s hand and his rings. Being a very polite woman, she always asked for his permission before kissing his hand. Lucius the First offered his hand without hesitation, but to his shock, Poliana grabbed it and pulled him towards her. The emperor was greeted by Poliana¡¯s embrace and then¡­ Their lips locked. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 As soon as her lips touched his, Lucius the First¡¯s eyes widened. Poliana¡¯s eyes, however, were closed so she did not notice the emperor¡¯s surprise. Their lips rubbed against each other. Before the emperor could open his mouth, Poliana stepped back. Lucius the First, although disappointed, did not pull her back towards him. He let her go. The emperor wasn¡¯t going to force her. He wasn¡¯t going to pressure her; this was his way of showing her how considerate he is. Perhaps it was a stupid thing to do. Many would think so, saying that such patience and consideration were silly. Even Lucius the First thought this; his patience was what caused that snake Frau to use Poliana in the past. But even knowing this, the emperor could not help being gentlemanly. This was because he knew very well what could happen once he started to do what he wanted. He was the most powerful man in the kingdom. He had the power to take Poliana in any way he wanted. If he began to use his power for his personal gain, Lucius the First knew that it would be the beginning of him turning into a tyrant. What he gained from then on would be meaningless. What he wanted was for Poliana to choose him, not be forced to be with him. Perhaps it was his powerfulness that made his love so much harder. His heart was pounding wildly, but the emperor said to Poliana nonchntly, ¡°I thought you were going to kiss the back of my hand.¡± Lucius the First was worried his heart might burst out of his chest. He was even more concerned that Poliana might hear his heartbeat, so he took a step back and acted calmly. Poliana said to him, ¡°I thought I might realize something by doing this.¡± ¡°What were you hoping to learn?¡± ¡°Your highness, I love you. I can tell you without a doubt that this is the truth.¡± Lucius the First was not surprised by this statement because he knew this already. Everyone could tell that Poliana loved and respected the emperor. The knightess and the emperor were smitten with each other. Their love for each other was greater than anything. Unfortunately, however, the kinds of love they felt for each other were very different. Poliana continued, ¡°My love for you has been from a knight to her emperor, but now, I am beginning to see you as a man. This change has brought me a lot of confusion. Your highness, you told me that your love for me suddenly changed. It is possible that the same thing happened to my feelings for you too since just now, I wanted to kiss you. So I thought that if I did what I wanted, which was to kiss you, I thought I might learn something from it¡­ But that wasn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°If you ever want to test out things like that again in the future, please feel free to do it. I wee it wholeheartedly.¡± He would not only wee it, but he would greatly appreciate it. Poliana shook her head and replied, ¡°There is no need because I will admit that I am physically attracted to you. In the past, whenever I saw you, I didn¡¯t feel anything like this, but now¡­¡± Poliana didn¡¯t finish her sentence because she was afraid that saying what she thought out loud would be considered sexual harassment. Lucius the First was desperate to hear how she saw him, but he didn¡¯t prod. Poliana couldn¡¯t hide her confusion. She was filled with wants and needs, but she couldn¡¯t tell if they simply came from her lust for the emperor, or from love. She wanted to kiss him. There was no denying that she did. She thought that if he kissed him, her confusion would magically disappear and she would know the truth, but unfortunately, the kiss only confused her even more. Love and lust often came together, but not always. There were times when they urred separately. If one could only sleep with a person he or she loved, the human race would¡¯ve ended a long time ago. Most people Poliana knew married without love, but even so, they all had plenty of children and lived content lives. Poliana said to him, ¡°I just don¡¯t get it. I don¡¯t understand what I am feeling. Not at all! But your highness, if what you feel for me is simr to how I feel, then¡­¡± Poliana, uncertain about her own feelings, asked the emperor if it was possible that he confused his lust for love. Could it be that he was also having difficulties distinguishing the two simr but very different emotions? It was an extremely rude question. It was worse than when people whispered that the emperor had a fetish for older women because he lost his mother at a very young age. Lucius the First¡¯s eyes sharpened with anger, but he quickly controlled his fury. The woman he loved, standing in front of him, was the infamous Poliana Winter. She never had any marriage prospects until she was well into her thirties. She spent all her life surrounded by men on various battlefields. She became an adult without a first love. The very first man she fell for was a gold digger and a conman, and her first pregnancy was from a drunken night with her emperor. Her life has been very different than that of Lucius the First, whocked nothing. Although he lost his parents very young, he grew up being loved by many. Lucius the First said to her, ¡°I will forgive you since you only asked this question out of confusion. But remember this; I will never forgive such a question the second time.¡± ¡°I apologize, your highness.¡± Only Lucius the First knew he needed to exin further. He continued, ¡°Oftentimes, lovees with lust, obsession, and possessiveness. So please know this; I am a man who is lusting after you. I am desperate to make you mine, Pol. I hope you know that I can achieve this at any time. I have the power to do this, but I am being patient. I am sure you know why.¡± If all Lucius the First felt for Poliana was lust, it would¡¯ve been easy for him to satisfy his needs. All he had to do was order her to his bed. If what he wanted was just simply to marry Poliana, it also would¡¯ve been easy for him to achieve this. All he would have to do is to order her. Even if he betrayed her and lost her trust, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was Poliana¡¯s emperor and therefore her master. Poliana could never leave the emperor. She would always have to follow his order. But Lucius the First refused to force her in any way and Poliana trusted him to be fair and honorable. The emperor said to the knightess, ¡°I want to tell you this, Sir Pol. It is true that I love you and lust after you, but I am the kind of a man who would always respect you rather than force you. I hope you realize what it feels like to have someone who genuinely loves and cares for you. I think you already are beginning to learn what it feels like, right? You told me that you don¡¯t dislike it. You said you actually like being treated this way. This is only the beginning. There is much more toe. I am a little hurt that you would even consider my feeling for you to be just lust. You are very cruel, Sir Pol.¡± It indeed hurt the emperor greatly. When Poliana saw how the emperor felt, she gritted her teeth. She realized that she was being a coward. She ended up insulting the emperor. ¡°¡­.I have done you a great wrong, your highness.¡± ¡°You are so cruel, my beloveddy. Let¡¯s end our walk for today.¡± This was all Poliana¡¯s fault. She promised not to doubt the emperor¡¯s love, but she ended up insulting him. Poliana tried to kneel and apologize, but Lucius the First refused to give his permission. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 That day, when Poliana returned home, she found a gift that was sent from the royal castle. It was arge wagon filled with hundreds of flowers. It looked like all of the flowers from the greenhouse were plucked and put inside this wagon. The butler and the servants carried the flowers into the house proudly. This gift was proof that their mistress, Marquess Winter, must be the emperor¡¯s most favored person. The first floor of Poliana¡¯s mansion soon became filled with flowers. These were no ordinary flowers. The seeds came from all over the kingdom and the castle gardeners have been working tirelessly for years to grow them. There were spring, summer, and autumn flowers. The main hall was filled with the heavy scent of the flowers, but it wasn¡¯t overwhelming. Poliana, however, felt a little dizzy as she stared at the emperor¡¯s gift. ¡°Mistress, what should we do with all these flowers?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Since they are from his highness, we need to treat them with respect.¡± ¡°Then I will take care of them, Mistress. I will pick out the most fragrant once for your bath and perfume. The flowers with the most vibrant colors will be dried and made into potpourri. The rest will be divided and ced in multiple vases and I will make sure theyst as long as possible.¡± Poliana was thankful that she had such a capable butler. When the butler saw the bouquet Poliana was holding, he asked, ¡°And what is it you are holding, Mistress?¡± ¡°This is also from his highness.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. It looks like they were plucked by hands because their stems aren¡¯t cleanly cut. I can make them neat for you.¡± The flowers that were cut professionally by the gardeners indeed had clean ends. The bouquet of flowers in Poliana¡¯s hand, however, had rough and torn stems. If these flowers aren¡¯t trimmed properly, they weren¡¯t going tost a very long time. But Poliana replied, ¡°No, I¡­ I will take care of these myself.¡± Lucius the First gifted Poliana with flowers many times before including the champion¡¯s gand in the past. Receiving a flower from the emperor was one of the greatest honors, especially when they were given with love. Regrettably, Poliana had no idea what happened to these flowers the emperor gave to her. They were all lost to her. This bouquet¡­ These flowers were the first ones the emperor gave to her after he confessed his love. They carried a deep meaning and Poliana felt a little burdened by them. Poliana felt determined to keep this bouquet forever. She will not let it be lost this time. She was going to dry it herself and put it near her bed and to do this, she first needed to trim the ends properly. Before removing the ribbon, Poliana first put her nose on the flowers and inhaled deeply. The green scent of the nts was much stronger than that of the flowers, and it reminded her of the clear green eyes that looked at her so adoringly. ¡®I¡¯m parched.¡¯ Poliana suddenly felt so thirsty. She took a sip of water, but even after drinking the whole cup, her thirst didn¡¯t disappear. The thirst that can¡¯t be quenched even with water¡­ This was no ordinary thirst. Poliana, who decided to quit drinking, considered getting a bottle of wine but decided against it. She knew that no alcohol could take care of this problem. Polianaid down on her bed and decided to admit the truth. She missed Lucius the First. She wanted to see him. Poliana was still uncertain if what she felt was love or lust. The strange ticklish feeling on the back of her hand and her heart evolved into ravenous thirst. Being loved by someone who felt so unfamiliar and odd¡­ Poliana felt shy and embarrassed, but also proud and arrogant. To be pursued by the greatest man in the kingdom¡­ Poliana felt special. Perhaps her self-confidence needed a boost after all. Lucius the First called her cruel, but Poliana felt the same way about the emperor. To her, the emperor was the most generous yet the cruelest man. In the past, he never bowed to anyone, but now, the way he acted around her made Poliana feel bewildered and uncertain. He restored her confidence in herself, but his love also made her baffled. ¡°¡­¡± Poliana sighed, unable to fall asleep. *** That same night, the emperor was also unable to fall asleep. Lucius the First and Master Chail chatted secretly. ¡°Chail, I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯s developing tolerance to my beauty.¡± ¡°Your highness, it was expected. It¡¯s natural to get tired of the same thing, even if it¡¯s your beauty.¡± Master Chail was the person who spent the most time with the emperor. Lucius the First staggered a little at Chail¡¯s statement. The emperor was certain that no one could ever be tired of his beauty. ¡°Chail¡­ Are you serious? Is that how you feel about me too?¡± ¡°Of course not, your highness. I would never be tired of your gorgeous face. All I am saying is that it¡¯s possible Marquess Winter may feel this way.¡± Lucius the First wasn¡¯tpletely convinced, but he decided not to question Chail further. Master Chail was one of the very few people in this world who the emperor could discuss such an important yet private subject. Lucius the First did not want to lose Chail by being too demanding. Most of the time, Chail just listened quietly to the emperor, but this was enough for Lucius the First. Only The emperor said to him, ¡°I realized something while watching Inno. I learned that gaining ady¡¯s sympathy can be a very helpful tactic. Ady often falls in love when she sees a man looking weak and helpless. It starts as sympathy and pity, and these feelings develop into love.¡± The Poliana Chail knew definitely wasn¡¯t one of these typicaldies. Master Chail has seen Poliana push her guards against a wall if she found them weak. Poliana also treated her colleagues this way if she thought they were acting unmanly. When Chail pointed this out, Lucius the First disagreed, ¡°This is different! I will keep showing her my strength, but I will also show her my more sensitive side. She will find me fascinating and charming!¡± Chail thought secretly, ¡®If you know so well, why haven¡¯t you been able to seduce her yet, your highness?¡¯ But Master Chail also knew that Poliana was a difficult woman to seduce. In fact, Chail believed that Poliana Winter may be the most difficultdy to love. But then¡­ Lucius the First was the emperor of Acreia. Of all the men in this kingdom, he had to be the only one who might have a chance. The emperor could easily have any other woman he wanted, but knowing him well, Master Chail wasn¡¯t surprised Lucius the First picked the harder road for himself. Love was a funny thing. Many say love was a young man¡¯s game, but although he was in his mid-thirties, it seemed that the emperor¡¯s game of love wasn¡¯t quite over yet. Not even close. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Poliana frowned. The deep wrinkles on her forehead made her look mature and regal. Last night, she didn¡¯t get to sleep until early in the morning. Since it was her habit to wake up early, Poliana ended up waking up without much sleep at all. Whatever sleep she got was not enough. Poliana felt horrible. ¡®I¡¯m so tired.¡¯ She felt both physically and emotionally fatigued. Poliana could feel herself aging. Getting old was not a fun experience. After an aggressive breakfast, Poliana sat nkly. Her brain wasn¡¯t working properly. The butler asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the castle today, Mistress?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Since you received the flowers as a gift, you need to repay him with a present yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, the flowers¡­¡± Yes, the beautiful flowers that now decorated the marquess¡¯s mansion¡­ Poliana nodded in understanding. Lucius the First publicly gave her an incredible gift. If it was just a single flower or even a bouquet, Poliana could¡¯ve just thanked him, but she received a wagon full of flowers that were seen by everyone in town; a simple thank you was not going to be enough. ¡°A gift for the emperor¡­ I don¡¯t know what a proper choice would be as a thank you for the flowers. What should I give him?¡± ¡°A handkerchief is the safest and mostmon choice.¡± Poliana groaned and crossed her arms. She did embroider several handkerchiefs during her pregnancy because the midwife and the doctor insisted it was good for the baby. Unfortunately, Poliana left these handkerchiefs in Sitrin. She never thought to bring them with her to Yapa because why would she? Who would¡¯ve thought she would need them? Should she embroider another one right now? Never! ¡°I can¡¯t go back to sewing at this point. Besides, I gave his highness a pair of leather gloves in the past, and I have never seen him wear them.¡± Poliana didn¡¯t exin further, making the butler believe that it was her poor sewing that displeased the emperor. This, however, was not the truth; Lucius the First refused to wear these gloves because they were made of alligator hide. Poliana insisted that she shouldn¡¯t go to the castle until she picked out a gift, but the butler said to her firmly, ¡°You must go today. The first thing you need to do is thank his highness; you cane up with a giftter.¡± It was clear that the butler was on the emperor¡¯s side rather than Poliana¡¯s, but Poliana had to admit that her butler was right. The emperor gave her an incredible gift that would make anydy swoon with pleasure. It was only right that she visited him in person and thanked him. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better if I pick out a gift first and thank him with it?¡± ¡°For his highness, your visit would be the greatest gift he can hope for, Mistress.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Poliana had no idea her butler was such a corny romantic. Hisment made her feel embarrassed, so she quickly returned to her room. The butler, who was an elderly man, kept a straight face. He couldn¡¯t understand why Poliana found hisment so distressing. *** Poliana faced Lucius the First rigidly. Before she thanked him for the gift, Poliana had something more important to say first. ¡°Your highness¡­ I misspoke yesterday and I would like to apologize.¡± In the greenhouse yesterday, she doubted his love once again. She thought that perhaps what he felt for her was lust, not love. Poliana immediately regretted saying such a thing as soon as she asked the question. She knew what she did to the emperor was unforgivable, yet instead of getting angry and punishing her, Lucius the First gave her a wagon full of flowers. He gave her all the flowers in his greenhouse. Poliana knew he sent them to show his love and forgiveness. Poliana was kneeling on the floor and looking down, waiting for the emperor to punish her. ¡°I was not going to say this, but¡­¡± Lucius the First looked at the top of her head and sighed. He continued, ¡°You¡¯re just like Inno when ites to kneeling. You kneel all the time like him.¡± ¡°Never! That is not true, your highness!¡± ¡°Yes, you do. You¡¯re so loose with your kneeling; you kneel too easily.¡± ¡°I am not easy!¡± She was not an easy woman! Poliana protested angrily. The only one she kneels for was the emperor, so how could he call her an easy kneeler? Poliana stood up quickly, making Lucius the First smile. The best way to boost Poliana¡¯s mood was to bring up her nemesis. ¡°Sir Pol, now that I think about it, I really do think you and Inno resemble each other.¡± ¡°How?! Why would you think I resemble that jerk?!¡± ¡°Think about it. You both used to fight for my affection in the past, but now you both have abandoned me¡­ It looks like neither of you needs me or wants me anymore¡­ You¡¯re treating me like an old unwanted shoe¡­¡± Now that he said it out loud, Lucius the First really felt sad. He gave Poliana a lonely smile before turning away. He remembered the time when Poliana couldn¡¯t seem to spend enough time with him. Oh, what happy times. ¡°In the past, you and Inno used to fight for my attention and affection¡­ But now, Inno is married and he barely notices me. And you, Sir Pol¡­ You think what I feel for you isn¡¯t genuine¡­¡± The more he thought about it, the sadder he became. Lucius the First¡¯s eyes watered a little, and Poliana gasped in shock. She kneeled again and eximed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, your highness! I deserve to be punished!¡± ¡°I was just kidding.¡± ¡°¡­that wasn¡¯t funny at all, your highness.¡± ¡°It was funny to me. It was fun to joke with you like the old times.¡± It seemed that no matter how old the emperor became, his sense of humor never improved. Lucius the First put his hand on Poliana¡¯s shoulder and helped her stand up. ¡°Rise, Sir Pol. I have done you wrong many times before and this is your first time making a mistake, so there is no need to apologize.¡± Only ¡°Your highness, you are my master, and I am your servant. No matter what happens, even if you are courting me, this fact will never change.¡± ¡°You are too rigid, Sir Pol. Well, alright. I would like you to give me a gift in return for my flowers and as an apology.¡± Lucius the First has always been the giver of this rtionship while Poliana was the one who always received. He was the emperor after all with all the wealth and power in the world. Lucius the First gave her so much so far, and all Poliana gave him in return had been a simple thank you. So today, she expected the emperor to say that all he needed was her thanks. Poliana realized that she was very wrong about this. She felt confused, ¡®Should I hire someone to go grab my handkerchiefs from Sitrin?¡¯ Poliana asked the emperor what he wanted, and Lucius the First replied, ¡°Give me your whole day.¡± Poliana nodded emphatically, ¡°I am ready to give you my entire life, your highness.¡± Lucius the First shook his head, telling her that is not what he meant. ¡°Spend a night with me.¡± All Poliana could do was nod¡­ Chapter 343 Chapter 343 ¡°Marquess, please breathe normally.¡± Even though Lady Siming told Poliana she could standfortably, Poliana refused to rx her stomach. She continued to hold her breath as long as she could, making Lady Siming sigh. ¡°Marquess Winter, you¡¯re very slim even without you holding your stomach in.¡± ¡°But I have gained weight recently. I have a potbelly.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t. In fact, Marquess, you¡¯re still too thin; It would be nice if you gain a little more weight.¡± ¡°No way!¡± There was a reason why Poliana refused to let her body change in shape. The armor the emperor gifted her after conquering the continent¡­ This golden armor was her pride and joy. There was no bigger honor for a knight than receiving a custom-made armor from the emperor. Normally, a piece of armor was made to amodate a fewyers of clothes underneath, which meant that there was room to gain a bit of weight. Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many armor makers who specialized in making female armors. Poliana¡¯s armor was, in addition, made especially tight to make it look slim, elegant, and beautiful. It was indeed an amazing looking armor, but it also meant that Poliana could not gain even an ounce of weight. She could, of course, change different parts of the armor to amodate any weight gain, but Poliana didn¡¯t want to do this. There were three things that were necessary to make a masterpiece armor. Money, power, and the right person to wear it. These three things were satisfied to make Poliana¡¯s armor. This female armor was shaped to enhance Poliana¡¯s body through its feminine lines. It was borate and elegant, making it look like something that a fictional knightess from a romantic story might wear. If Poliana wore this and did not take off her helmet, the armor had the power to make people imagine that there was a beautiful knightess inside it. The armor maker who created this retired afterward, making Poliana¡¯s piece hisst one. His students carried on, but if Poliana wanted to make adjustments to her armor, a different metal will have to be added by a different armor maker. There was no way her armor would look the same, and Poliana did not want this. There were mountains of fabrics surrounding Poliana and Lady Siming. The maids seemed excited to bring more and more pieces of fabric to the room. All the women looked enthusiastic as they worked tirelessly. ¡°Lady Siming! I brought some green fabrics as you asked!¡± ¡°I got the blue ones!¡± ¡°I also ordered the servants to bring all the furs they could find!¡± Poliana watched awkwardly as the tables continued to be piled up with different fabrics. All these materials were brought here to make her dress. When the emperor mysteriously asked her to give him her night, Poliana ended up nodding nervously. As soon as she agreed to his request, Lucius the First called for Lady Siming. After the emperor asked Poliana to spare him her whole day, he disappeared, leaving her alone with Lady Siming. Poliana tried to escape, but she was quickly captured by thedy, who looked thoroughly determined. To Poliana¡¯s surprise, Lady Siming had brought a dress, which fit her perfectly. Poliana had unusually overdeveloped shoulders, arms, and chest, yet she had no problem fitting into this dress. It was an outfit Poliana has never seen before, so she asked, ¡°Lady Siming, why do you have an outfit that was custom-made for me?¡± ¡°Do you remember how I made a dress for you in the past?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°This is a dress Ipleted at the time.¡± ¡°But then why do you still have it?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to take it apart because I put a lot of work into it. I also didn¡¯t feel right giving it to you since you broke up your engagement. So I just kept it until now.¡± Although Lady Siming was the royal seamstress and designer, she had made some outfits for Poliana in the past per the emperor¡¯s request. Lady Siming was asked to make Poliana¡¯s wedding dress as well as other party outfits for her wedding, but after the Frau incident, all the work had to be stopped. One thing that wascking severely in the Acreian castle was the number of royal family members. At the moment, there were only two people: Lucius the First and his daughter Princess Luminae. Because of this, Lady Siming and the other royal seamstresses didn¡¯t have much to do. Thankfully, the emperor was a very fashionable man, which meant that there was some work to do, but it just wasn¡¯t enough to keep the royal fashion department busy. Princess Luminae was too young, which meant that there was a limit to the use of jewels and silks in making her outfits. Lucius the First, who enjoyed wearingvish outfits and essories, was still a man and therefore could not satisfy Lady Siming¡¯s desire to create beautiful dresses for ady. Lady Siming has been secretly working out various dresses for Poliana to keep herself busy. Although Poliana wasn¡¯t in Yapa, Lady Siming still had all of her measurements. Only The robe Lady Siming made for Poliana was shredded to pieces the day Poliana first wore it. Lady Siming put a lot of thought and effort into this robe, so she couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment when it was destroyed. So immediately afterward, Lady Siming began to work on a new robe. She designed andpleted a pretty blue robe for Poliana. Lady Siming remembered Poliana insisting her favorite color was blue, so she chose the fabric carefully. Lady Siming has been waiting for Poliana¡¯s return to the capital city. She nned on giving it to Poliana and lie to her that she made it a long time ago along with the green dress that was made for the banquet. Then suddenly, Lady Siming heard a lovely rumor about the romance between the marquess and the emperor! She could not believe her luck and joy. Lady Siming studied the blue dress she made for Poliana and wondered. Was this meant to be? Was this dress she created on a whim to be used as a wedding dress? But then¡­ This blue robe was not fit to be used as the empress¡¯s wedding dress. Even though she wasn¡¯t ordered, Lady Siming began to work on a wedding dress for Poliana. Today, she made further measurements on Poliana¡¯s body so she couldplete the wedding dresster in secret. The emperor did not order anyone regarding his and Poliana¡¯s wedding n, but there was no need. Everyone, as soon as they heard what was happening, began preparing for the uing event on their own. Chancellor Marquis Zeese began to gather the items necessary for the wedding ceremony. Duke Luzo, who was superstitious just as much as his cousin the emperor, began to look through the calendar to pick the most auspicious day for the wedding. Sir Mahogal, knowing the Knight¡¯s Order will need to attend the ceremony, began to teach his men the basic royal etiquettes. Sir Wook and Sir Jainno suspected that the royal wedding party mayst for many days, so they began to organize their schedules and ns to keep the city streets safely guarded. Sir Ainno, on the other hand, didn¡¯t do anything. This was fine since the emperor would¡¯ve been happy as long as his friend didn¡¯t cause any trouble. Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Lady Siming asked Poliana, ¡°See, Marquess? This is your favorite color, right? The essories are very simple but elegant, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s very pretty but when did I ever say I like blue?¡± Lady Siming¡¯s eyes widened in confusion and fear. Didn¡¯t Poliana insist only on blue dresses before? ¡°D-do you hate it?¡± ¡°No, I just don¡¯t have a favorite color, that¡¯s all¡± It was obvious that Poliana only insisted on blue, not because it was her favorite color, but because it was the color she was most used to. Lady Siming and her maids sighed in relief. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door and one of the maids went out to open the door. Poliana was only wearing her underwear because Lady Siming was trying on different fabrics on her. Poliana quickly moved behind the privacy screen. She could hear peopleing and going outside the thick fabric screen. It seemed thatrge heavy boxes were brought into the room. Lady Siming, who was inside the screen with Poliana, finally went out to see what was going on. Poliana could hear Lady Siming shaking her head and ordering the men, ¡°This isn¡¯t enough. We will go to the storage ourselves to have a look. Please open it for us.¡± ¡°To go inside the storage¡­ How dare you suggest such a thing¡­¡± Poliana¡¯s ears picked up the man¡¯s voice. The man who was arguing with Lady Siming was someone she knew because she recognized his voice. Poliana tried to remember who it was and after a few minutes, finally realized that it was the man who worked as the keeper of the royal treasures and valuables stored in the Yapa castle. The man argued, ¡°Only a royal member can enter the storage.¡± Lady Siming replied, ¡°But she will be one soon.¡± ¡°Even so¡­¡± ¡°His highness will allow it. Where do you think I got all these silks and furs from?¡± One of the servants, who was watching nervously, quickly went out to get the emperor¡¯s permission. It was clear that everyone wanted things to go smoothly. The entire castle was helping Lucius the First to make this marriage happen. As soon as the emperor¡¯s permission was granted, Lady Siming dressed Poliana in her original clothes and they walked towards the treasure storage. The butler and the other maids followed excitedly. As she stood inside the royal treasure storage, Poliana gaped in shock. ¡°¡­¡± She could understand why the treasure keeper acted so nervously when Lady Siming suggested they go into the storage. Inside was filled with the most precious and priceless gems and jewels of the entire continent. The number of treasures Lucius the First collected was enormous. It was a good thing that there was already a well-organized catalog of the treasures or else, it would¡¯ve taken a lifetime to figure out what was inside this room. Even Tory, Stra, and Reba, who were the emperor¡¯s wives, were never allowed into this storage. Whenever they needed to wear royal jewels, only certain maids who were given special permission could visit the treasure keeper. It was only after the treasure keeper gave his permission when the maid could enter the storage under the keeper¡¯s watchful eyes to grab what she needed. The selection process was also carried out by the keeper. Only very few and specific jewels were allowed to be worn by the emperor¡¯s wives. In the history of Acreia, there has never been an incident where the person who was going to wear the jewels was allowed to enter the storage to pick them out herself. The keeper took out arge key chain. The keys were necessary to open the many boxes inside the storage. He opened each of them one by one and it took two guards to lift the heavy doors open. One of the guards met Poliana¡¯s eyes and grinned. He was silently cheering for her. ¡®Boss, you lucked out! I am rooting for you.¡¯ ¡®Shut up, you bastard.¡¯ Poliana and the guard were arguing silently while Lady Siming and the maids looked around the room. The room was surprisingly not shiny; in fact, it was rather dark. It was because the jewels and the gems were mostly stored inside the boxes. The ce was organized ording to different types of jewels. Lady Siming and the treasure keeper began to discuss their n. ¡°Since she¡¯s a blonde, we should go with the primary colors¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the extravagant style will suit her so we should choose elegant items¡­¡± Poliana¡¯s opinion was also important, so the keeper asked her, ¡°Are there any specific gems you prefer, Marquess Winter?¡± ¡°I would like to get a gold dagger.¡± ¡°That is something you should have made with your own money, Marquess.¡± Poliana flushed angrily. Did he think she was a beggar? She replied, ¡°I was going to. I just wanted to have a look at one from here so I get an idea of what design I should get.¡± The maids brought out different styles of daggers andid them out in front of Poliana. She stared in happiness as she enjoyed the beautifully bejeweled weapons. Lady Siming said to her, ¡°I can see you like the gems, Marquess; that¡¯s very feminine of you.¡± The keeper argued, ¡°It¡¯s not just thedies that love the gems. We¡¯re driven by instinct to collect shiny things.¡± This was true. If it was only the women who liked the gems, then why would there be so many jeweled weapons? Men also loved gems. It was partly because it represented power and wealth, but still, it was a fact that men loved shiny things just as the women did. After the jewels were selected, the real work began. After putting on Lady Siming¡¯s blue robe, the essories were put on Poliana. Before leaving the treasure storage, Poliana was given one of the lovely daggers. Poliana wasn¡¯t nning on keeping it, but the keeper told her it was ok. He murmured that everything in the storage was going to be hers anyway very soon. Poliana couldn¡¯t understand why everyone was so agreeable. Only ¡®Why isn¡¯t anyone against the marriage?¡¯ It seemed that Poliana was the only one who opposed the rtionship between herself and the emperor. She felt a little lonely, feeling like she was all alone in this. After the preparation was done, Lady Siming and the maids brought out a full-length mirror. Poliana stared at herself now looking like a highborndy. Normally, most women would greatly improve in appearance after so much work and care, but in her case¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the problem is¡­¡± Poliana genuinely was curious about why something still didn¡¯t seem right. She still didn¡¯t look feminine. One of the maids finally murmured, ¡°Well¡­ The nose is supposed to be the center of one¡¯s face, but in your case¡­ I mean¡­¡± The maid was very urate in her assessment. Poliana¡¯s bent nose indeed made her look mean and vicious. In addition, Poliana worked as a soldier all her life. She killed countless men and her harsh face showed it. There was always a frown on her face and with the uneven nose, Poliana looked very strong and unique. There was no way she could ever be a fragiledy. No one could deny the power and authority that exude from her body. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Lady Siming tried to make Poliana feel better, ¡°Marquess Winter, you may be unmarried yet, but you aren¡¯t a young girl anymore, so we need to emphasize your elegance and maturity¡­¡± But the truth was, the otherdies in their thirties still did their best to look fragile and feminine. Even some married women with three kids still wore veils to emphasize their girlishness, while here was Poliana, who was a single woman but needed to ¡°show off¡± her maturity. Poliana couldn¡¯t help feeling a little sad about it, but she also couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Lady Siming and the maids were correct in their assessment. Poliana was the type that improved in appearance as she became older. Unlike some women who bloomed beautifully in their teens and twenties, Poliana maintained a constant solidity as her charm. She was unchanging and steadfast, which was what the maids focused on when they dressed her. It was always a good thing for the emperor and the empress to be beautiful. However, Lucius the First had more than enough beauty for both of them, which meant Poliana didn¡¯t have to worry about her own appearance. The final result of Lady Siming¡¯s work was ady who looked formidable and unwavering. Poliana¡¯s posture was straight and her manners faultless from serving the emperor for such a long time. The woman who stood in front of the mirror was not conventionally beautiful, but everyone in the room could see that Poliana was going to make a majestic empress. *** The day was getting dark and Poliana was finally escorted to the emperor. When he saw her, Lucius the First became speechless. After a few seconds of silence, he finally said to her, ¡°There were times when I thought you might not look suitable to stand next to the emperor, but I was very wrong.¡± Indeed, although she didn¡¯t look beautiful, Poliana looked magnificent. The emperor, however, seemed a little disappointed, ¡°The only thing is that I wish they emphasized your cuteness a bit more.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Poliana covered her mouth to stop herself fromughing. She felt embarrassed as she replied, ¡°Your highness¡­¡± ¡°My eyes are perfectly fine, Sir Pol. See? I can see that I¡¯m holding two fingers.¡± Lucius the First quickly replied as he waved two fingers in front of his eyes. Lucius the First asked Poliana for a whole day to spend with him, but it took her half a day to get ready. Now, what was going to happen? Poliana waited patiently for the emperor¡¯s order. It was dinner time already, so they ate together. Poliana, still worried about gaining weight, so ate less than she usually did. The emperor looked at her with concern as he said to her, ¡°We will be working out all night, so you should eat up.¡± Oh my god. Poliana blushed uncontrobly. ¡®He must be talking about¡­¡¯ It could be only one thing. Poliana regretted agreeing to do this. This man was asking the woman he loved to get dolled up, eat dinner with him, and ¡°exercise¡± all night¡­ What else could it be? It had to be¡­ ¡®Why did I say yes? So are we really going to sleep together? Just like that? Really? Will it be possible when we aren¡¯t drunk?¡¯ Poliana could no longer eat. *** After the dinner, Lucius the First held her hand and escorted her out of the dining room. Poliana felt confused and nervous, not knowing what she should do. ¡®Will we go right to bed? Or will we go for a walk first? Are we really going to do this? Are we going to drink first? We aren¡¯t even married, so is this ok? Well, we already have Gerald together¡­ And we are going to get married anyway¡­ So I guess it doesn¡¯t matter? So is it really ok for me to sleep with his highness like this? I mean, I always thought the emperor could have everything for me, but this feels different¡­ I don¡¯t know what I want¡­¡¯ The truth was, Poliana¡¯s body wanted Lucius the First. There was denying that her body craved him, but her heart seemed uncertain. When Lucius the First took her outside the building, Poliana became tense. ¡®Outside?!¡¯ This was only their second time sleeping together and it seemed that the emperor wanted to do it outside! How daring! Poliana began to sweat profusely. Her entire body was bing wet. The makeup and her styled hair were all being ruined, but there was nothing she could do about it. Poliana tried to think positively, ¡®We already slept together once. We even have a baby together, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem, right? Yes! That¡¯s right! We should sleep together and that way, I will know for sure how I feel!¡¯ Only a short while ago, Poliana argued that she should not be treated as a loose woman, yet now, it seemed that she was ready to jump into the emperor¡¯s bed. Poliana and the emperor finally arrived at a beautiful stone gazebo. Poliana clenched her fists. So they were really going to do it outside! She pictured what they might be able to do here. If Lucius the First knew what she was thinking¡­ He was going to die of a heart attack. He said to her mysteriously, ¡°I won¡¯t let you sleep at all tonight.¡± He let go of her hand and walked up to the gazebo. Poliana rubbed her hands nervously like a fly waiting for its meal. Her hands were sweating as well as she yelled, ¡°Should I take off my clothes now?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lucius the First, who was about to ask Poliana to dance with him, froze. ¡®Oh my god.¡¯ It was clear that the emperor was acting like a perfect gentleman asking ady to dance. Suddenly, Poliana realized that she made a mistake. It was only her whose mind was in the gutter. She waspletely wrong about her assumption for tonight and the emperor¡¯s intention. Lucius the First, who never imagined the woman he loved would ever ask such a thing to him, seemed confused. ¡°Just what did you think we were going to do tonight?¡± Only ¡°I thought you were talking about the type of ¡®exercise¡¯ that is done naked¡­¡± ¡°What! How could you?! I mean, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but we aren¡¯t even married yet!¡± The emperor acted like a blushing virgin bride on her wedding night. Normally, he enjoyed imagining spending erotic nights with her. However, recently, he has been trying to control his dirty thoughts since he was in the middle of courting Poliana. So, for her to bring up this subject all of a sudden¡­ Lucius the First felt a little angry that Poliana misunderstood his gentlemanly intention. Did she still think he was only lusting after her rather than truly love her? Poliana argued, ¡°But it was you who said strange and suggestive things, your highness!¡± When she was embarrassed or surprised, Poliana tends to be angry and aggressive. She yelled at the emperor, strongly believing that this situation wasrgely Lucius the First¡¯s fault. ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°You asked me to spend my whole day and night with you. You told me you won¡¯t let me sleep tonight. You said it will be a vigorous night.¡± ¡°I was nning on dancing with you all night!¡± Chapter 346 Chapter 346 ¡°Then you should¡¯ve exined it better. Let¡¯s be honest here. If a man offers to feed and clothe a woman and tell her that he won¡¯t let her sleep that night, everyone will think the same thing as I did. Right guys?¡± Poliana looked around and asked the musicians who were hiding around the gazebo. They have been waiting for a long time on standby. These musicians were supposed to start ying when the emperor began to dance with Poliana, but it seemed that things weren¡¯t going ording to his n. The musicians all replied with a nod. ¡°See? Your highness, the things you did and said tonight were very misleading. It is no wonder I misunderstood you.¡± ¡°But I am innocent! Did you really think I would force myself on you like that? Outside?!¡± Lucius the First staggered a little in shock. He ordered all the musicians to leave and leaned against a stone chair. Poliana, who argued heatedly because she felt too embarrassed, now regretted her words. ¡®I think he is upset at me now¡­¡¯ Because she worked as the emperor¡¯s personal guard for many years, she knew that if she didn¡¯t console him now, Lucius the First was most likely going to pout for days. The best way to make him feel better was topliment him. ¡°Y-your highness. I can¡¯t believe you prepared the musicians. How romantic. I am very impressed and ttered.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, these musicians ended up being dismissed without ying a single song. Poliana began to sweat nervously. She looked around and continued hurriedly, ¡°And this ce! What a beautiful and romantic location. The calm sound of the bugs and this gorgeous gazebo¡­ This is a perfect ce to dance indeed, your highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the moon and the stars are so bright tonight. So how about it, your highness? Would you allow me this dance?¡± Poliana bowed politely while holding her dress up like ady. Lucius the First finally turned towards her. After a sigh, he took her hand and they walked to the center of the gazebo. There weren¡¯t any musicians, which meant there was no music. However, Lucius the First and Poliana didn¡¯t feel awkward. The emperor gently wrapped her waist with one hand and guided her into a smooth dance. Their legs moved like they were meant to dance together. The sun was almostpletely set now, leaving only a slight bit of redness in the sky. The bugs continued to cry because it was a mating season. After a long silence, the emperor finally said to her, ¡°I realize that you and I are both adults and we even slept with each other once already¡­ But¡­¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°But I am currently courting you right now. Unless you give me permission, I would never make unwanted physical contact. Even if you allow me, if I feel that it is not appropriate, I wouldn¡¯t do it.¡± This was very true. Ever since Poliana returned to Yapa, Lucius the First never made any unnecessary physical contact with her. All he did was look at her adoringly and ask her politely if he could kiss the back of her hand. He also waited patiently until she was ready to hold his hand. The emperor continued, ¡°They say men should be greedy while women should be patient. I am, however, proving my love for you by being patient so that you would be greedy for me, Sir Pol.¡± While they chatted, their first dance ended, but Lucius the First could not let Poliana¡¯s hand go. Just as he said, once he began to dance with her, he could not stop. This time, it was the emperor who bowed to her and asked her to dance. Poliana bowed back and took his hand. Lucius the First chose an excellent location to dance. The moon, now high up in the sky shone directly on the gazebo. Poliana¡¯s dance moves were textbook and rigid but Lucius the First led her smoothly and elegantly. While they danced together, their breathing and heartbeat matched perfectly. Poliana could not stop looking at the emperor. It was the same for Lucius the First. The emperor made sure not to touch Poliana more than was necessary, which oddly disappointed her. Just how many dances were they going to dance? It was Poliana who first fell onto fatigue. She didn¡¯t get a good sleepst night and she didn¡¯t eat much at dinner earlier. Lucius the First encouraged her, ¡°Sir Pol! We can dance more! You can do this.¡± ¡°I am feeling too nauseous, your highness. I can¡¯t.¡± She was beginning to feel dizzy as well. Poliana surrendered and Lucius the First quickly got her a warm nket he prepared as she sat down on a chair. ¡°I¡¯m okay, your highness. I don¡¯t need the nket.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty chilly at night nowadays. You just gave birth recently, so it is important to keep yourself warm at all times.¡± Lucius the First looked up at the sky longingly and continued, ¡°My mother died when I was very young because she didn¡¯t take good care of herself after giving birth to me. She got a very bad cold and didn¡¯t make it. So please, Sir Pol, I am begging you. Please take care of yourself.¡± The emperor did not bring up his dead mother spontaneously. This was a topic he prepared in advance. He also looked up at the sky at an angle that allowed the moonlight to shine on his face and hair. Lucius the First wanted Poliana to realize what a sensitive man he was. He may have been the emperor of the kingdom, but deep inside, there was a great sadness of losing his mother very young. He might have been a perfect man, but he was also someone who needed a woman¡¯s warmth and sympathy. This was what Lucius the First learned from his friend Sir Ainno. He didn¡¯t care if Poliana pitied him. What the emperor wanted was any kind of strong emotion from her. Lucius the First wanted Poliana to show interest in him. He wanted her to love him. He wondered secretly, ¡®Do I look handsome now? Does Pol think I look good? Or does she think I look pitiful?¡¯ ¡°Your highness¡­¡± The emperor looked so lonely and suddenly, Poliana felt a strong urge to lessen his sadness. She wanted to be the one who healed the emperor¡¯s pain. She wanted him to know that he wasn¡¯t alone. Only Poliana wanted Lucius the First to know that she could provide him the warmth he craved so much. Her heart began to beat very fast as she looked at the emperor. Could this be love? It had to be, right? Then should she say it out loud? Should she tell him? Poliana knew he would be thrilled to hear it. But was it really okay to tell him? Poliana stood up from the chair to stand next to the emperor. But as she stood up, she identally stepped on the nket. Luckily, Poliana had excellent reflexes, which meant she would¡¯ve staggered a little before straightening up. However, Lucius the First¡¯s overreaction made things worse. The emperor was busy wondering what Poliana was thinking when he spotted her stumble. Lucius the First grabbed Poliana¡¯s wrist and pulled her towards him. Unfortunately, this made her lose her bnce even more. The emperor turned his body to embrace her and they ended up bumping into the nearby column. By the time Poliana opened her eyes, she found herself trapped between the emperor and the column. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lucius the First whispered. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 If the emperor left her alone, Poliana¡¯s reflexes would¡¯ve kicked in and she would¡¯ve been fine, but Lucius the First tried to help and this surprised her even more than anything. Poliana thought about pointing this out, but she kept her mouth shut. The night sky was full of stars and underneath it, Lucius the First¡¯s face moved closer to her. He was still holding her wrist while his other hand was supporting her neck. ¡®I¡¯m trapped,¡¯ Poliana thought suddenly. Just as she thought he was going to kiss her, Lucius the First let her go. She was free now, but her heart continued to pound fast. Badum, badum. The emperor said to her, ¡°That was close. You need to be more careful.¡± He also apologized to her for touching her without her permission. He was being a perfect gentleman yet when Poliana didn¡¯t reply; he became ufortable. ¡®Is she mad?¡¯ Lucius the First nced at her nervously, trying to figure out what she was thinking. It was a very difficult task because she was neither smiling nor crying. She also didn¡¯t look angry. Poliana seemed surprised, but the emperor could not tell if she was shocked because he suddenly embraced her or because she almost fell. ¡°Sir Pol, now that I think about it, something like this happened to me before. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I thought I was going to die. You were trying to protect me from an assassin, but it was you who almost killed me.¡± The emperor brought up one of his favorite memories from the past. It was the time when she mmed him against a wall for his protection. Just thinking about that moment still made Lucius the First heart skip a beat. What the emperor didn¡¯t realize was that Poliana was feeling the same sharp emotions he experienced at that time. He had no idea how Poliana¡¯s heart was pounding because, at this very moment, she found him incredibly attractive. Lucius the First has always been attractive. The problem for Poliana was the fact that he was going to be more and more handsome. What she felt right now was more intense than how the emperor felt before. In the past, Lucius the First suffered from difficulty in breathing and chest pain. Poliana, however, felt even worse now. Her hands felt heavy as if they were chained. Her heart felt trapped in a cage. The moonlight that shone on the gazebo seemed to have captured her like a helpless animal. Her soul was forever changed. Poliana knew she would never forget this moment until her death. She was going to think about this moment over and over again in theing days. ¡°Your highness¡­¡± Poliana was afraid but also happy and excited. Poliana wanted to run away but also hold on to him. She wished this moment wouldst forever yet she also wanted this night to be just a summer night¡¯s dream. ¡°Your highness¡­ My emperor¡­¡± Poliana¡¯s lips trembled a little as she whispered. Her voice was barely audible, but because Lucius the First was so focused on her that he could hear her perfectly. Moonlight was supposed to make a woman look more radiant and beautiful, but unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t the case for Poliana. Lucius the First had perfect eyesight so he could see her clearly. Most of her makeup was gone by now from dancing so vigorously. Sun-burnt skin, noticeable scars, and twisted nose. When she smiled wide, the missing mr was very noticeable. Even he couldn¡¯t say Poliana was beautiful, but to him, she was the loveliest woman in his kingdom. ¡®I have enough beauty for the both of us, so it¡¯s okay.¡¯ His love for her grew day by day. Ever since the moment he realized how felt about her, Lucius the First never stopped loving her. They say age worsens people¡¯s appearances. They say that as time passes, one bes tired of the same face every day, but strangely, Lucius the First never felt this way. Every day he saw her, he fell in love with Poliana over and over again. Some say love usually onlysts three years, but to the emperor, his love for her was eternal. Every week, every day, and every moment¡­ Lucius the First fell in love with her again and again. In a way, it was a battle he was never going to win. He was the loser in this war of love, but then at the same time, he was going to be the winner who earns the woman he loves. Because he fell in love with someone like Poliana, his fight was a difficult one, but in some ways, it was also destined to be an easy battle. It was because Poliana was desperate for love. It was impossible for her to refuse someone who was ready to shower her with love and affection. So¡­ ¡°Your highness¡­ Are you sure it is okay for me to love you?¡± ¡°If that happens, it would be the greatest honor of my life.¡± ¡°But are you really sure it¡¯s okay for me to love you?¡± ¡°You do not need to ask for my permission to love me, Sir Pol.¡± In truth, Poliana wasn¡¯t asking this question to the emperor. She actually was asking herself and society. Was she really allowed to love the emperor? For an unknown reason, Poliana felt guilty about it. Was it because it felt like she was coveting the emperor she was supposed to respect and admire? Was it because she was desiring the husband of her dead friend? Or was it because she felt guilty towards Princess Luminae? No, it was none of these reasons. In this kingdom, Marquess Winter was the only woman who possessed all the freedoms of a man. She was forced to be a soldier, but she ended up paving a powerful life out of her situation. While all the other women were forced to live inside the invisible wall the society created, Poliana was the only one who escaped it. But if she loved Lucius the First, she could no longer live outside this wall. She had to voluntarily return to ¡°where women belonged.¡± Although she would be living inside the most luxurious castle, this castle was going to be inside this invisible wall. Was this really okay? Why did she feel so guilty? Why did she have to feel like she was doing something wrong? Was it the right decision to give up everything she aplished for love? Only Tory said to her that Poliana¡¯s life was her own and therefore she should do whatever she wanted. Stra told her that Lucius the First and Poliana would make a great couple. Sir Donau told her that she should do whatever she desired. Not a single person was against their union, and for some reason, this scared Poliana even more. But she could no longer control her desire. She lunged at Lucius the First and embraced him. The emperor, without hesitation, embraced her back. She felt his warm arms on her body. Poliana closed her eyes and focused on the beautiful man. Perhaps she would regret it once this night was over, but for now¡­ She wanted this man. She wanted to make him hers. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 The next day, Lucius the First woke up before Poliana this time. The emperor didn¡¯t get much sleepst night. Just the fact that Poliana was sleeping next to him¡­ He was so happy that he didn¡¯t want to miss a moment. Lucius the First quietly drew down the bed canopy so Poliana could not be bothered by the sunlight. He tried his best not to make any noise, but Poliana, who was a very light sleeper, opened her eyes. Lucius the First tried to give her a morning kiss, but he was stopped by Poliana¡¯s loud groan. She stretched her arms and pounded her back hard. Her hangover dulled her muscle pain the first time they slept together, but now, Poliana could feel every inch of her body clearly. They looked at each other. Poliana stared at him nkly while Lucius the First blushed and looked away shyly. He asked her, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes. How about you, your highness?¡± ¡°I am excellent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then, there was silence. They were close enough that they usually feltfortable in silence, but after spending the night together¡­ They couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward. It was the emperor who couldn¡¯t stand the silence anymore. He coughed and put the kettle on the fire. Walking towards the table, Lucius the First pretended to be busy picking out the tea. Poliana busied herself wiping her body with a wet towel. She realized that they have finally done it this time. There was no going back now. They weren¡¯t drunk when they chose to be with each other. There was no excuse. On top of that, all of the emperor¡¯s maids and servants knew about their night together now. So how did she feel? ¡®It was good.¡¯ It was pretty good. Of course, in this context, ¡°pretty¡± meant incredible. Last night was¡­ amazing. She slept with a man she liked. At first, they were a bit hesitant, but their bodies were burning with desire. There was no effort to be made. They both let their bodies do the work. It was beyond PG 15. In fact, it was more like PG 28. This was perfectly alright since they were both over 30 years old. Lucius the First poured some cold water into a teacup and handed it to Poliana. He looked excited and happy like a groom after his wedding night. Poliana thanked him quietly. Lucius the First was not a good tea maker. He put the tea leaves when the water was too hot. Poliana, however, didn¡¯tin. It was rare for her toin about the taste of food because she could usually eat anything and everything. Lucius the First sat next to her at the table. He took a sip of his tea and frowned at the taste before telling her, ¡°If we get another child fromst night¡­¡± ¡°That would be shocking.¡± ¡°I would love a daughter, Mdy.¡± Gerald was a miracle, but another baby? Poliana began to cough in shock but not because of what he said. It was the way the emperor said to her. His speech was much more respectful, and he seemed very proud of it. ¡°Your highness, why are you talking to me like that?¡± ¡°Well, you are going to be my wife very soon, which means I cannot talk to you disrespectfully, Pol.¡± ¡®Oh.¡¯ Suddenly, Poliana realized what was happening here. Lucius the First addressed those close to him by their nicknames. Towards the end of the conquest, he began to call her ¡°Pol,¡± but when he realized that he fell in love with her, he changed back to calling her ¡°Sir Pol.¡± After she broke up with Frau, he again began to call her Pol until Poliana sobbed after Lucius the First confessed his love to her. She was addressed as ¡°Sir Pol¡± by the emperor since then even after she returned to Yapa. He was making a point of calling her by her knight¡¯s title because he knew how important her position was to her. Poliana replied, ¡°But your highness, we aren¡¯t married yet.¡± She began to count slowly as she continued, ¡°Spending one night doesn¡¯t mean we must get married. If that was the case, you would have so many wives by now¡­ Let me see¡­ One, two, three¡­¡± Lucius the First¡¯s eyes widened. He knew he had no excuse regarding this matter, so stood up quickly and tried to change the subject, ¡°Breakfast! We need to get some breakfast! You didn¡¯t eat muchst night so you must be very hungry!¡± Poliana stopped counting and replied, ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, your highness.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Lucius the First patted his chest and staggered a little. ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Pol. I almost had a heart attack because it was so funny. Anyway, if you insist, I won¡¯t change how I talk to you.¡± ¡°Your highness, I may have fallen in love with you, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean I will marry you.¡± ¡°Because it would mean you would have to give up being a knight?¡± Lucius the First tapped the table quietly as he added, ¡°I understand this isn¡¯t fair for you. If it was anyone else other than me, the emperor, you wouldn¡¯t have to give up so much. I understand why it would be hard for you to ept me.¡± ¡°You are correct, your highness.¡± ¡°If it was anyone else¡­ Even my cousin Luzo, who is working like a ve for me¡­ You wouldn¡¯t have to give up your sword. The two of you would¡¯ve ved away for me for the rest of your lives.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± ¡°But can¡¯t you see it from my point of view as well? See how unfair it is for me too?¡± Only Lucius the First kneeled in front of her. Poliana, feeling shocked, tried to get up and kneel as well, but the emperor stopped her. He put his hands on top of hers and continued, ¡°Just because I was born to a royal family and united the continent, I am having a difficult time marrying the woman I love. How unfair is that? But Pol, what bothers you certainly bothers me too. Your problem is my problem as well.¡± The emperor began to tell her what he has been thinking for a long time. ¡°You can continue to carry your sword if you wish. You can continue to wear pants as well. You can also continue to boss around everyone. If there isn¡¯t aw to stop you from doing these¡­ And if someone argues against it¡­¡± Lucius the First was about to say he would take care of these opposers, but he knew better. He said instead, ¡°You will beat them up, I¡¯m sure, and I will always back you up no matter what.¡± Poliana quietly listened to the emperor. Born as the only son to the emperor and therefore forced to rule the kingdom¡­ It was true that Lucius the First never had any choice in this. She could understand how he would feel that the world was unfair. Although it looked like he had everything, she knew that things weren¡¯t always perfect for him. The emperor begged her, ¡°When things be too unbearable, please just remember me. The fact that you have me hopefully helps.¡± ¡°But your highness¡­¡± Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Poliana couldn¡¯t ept this situation. It was too unfair. It was true that the emperor also faced some difficulties, but what he had to endure if they got married could notpare to how much she would have to suffer. Pouting, Poliana said to him, ¡°Your highness, you don¡¯t actually lose anything from this rtionship.¡± Everyone in the world thought it made sense for Poliana to be the one who gave up in order to make this marriage work. Even worse, Poliana herself thought the same way. Lucius the First didn¡¯t have to give up anything for this union. He had everything. He was going to get everything he ever wanted, yet for Poliana, she was going to be forced to give up everything she achieved for love. Career and love¡­ Love and job¡­ Title and love¡­ Love and title¡­ Properties and love¡­ Love and properties¡­ While the emperor could have both, Poliana had to give up one to get the other. What made her the angriest was the fact that her surrender was going to solve all the problems and bring the textbook happiness everyone in the kingdom believed in. It seemed that everyone was going to be happy and satisfied when she gives up and marries the emperor. Everyone except for her. So why did she have to give up her own happiness for everyone else? ¡°Your highness, you¡¯re a coward. You¡¯re being selfish. You¡¯re being too greedy.¡± ¡°So you hate me for it?¡± Poliana shook her head emphatically and replied, ¡°No.¡± She felt her eyes tearing up, so she bit her lips to stop herself from crying. Just like that night of the ident, it was again Poliana who seduced the emperor. She needed to take responsibility for her actions. Looking straight at him, Poliana confessed her feelings to the one she considered the most precious treasure in her life. ¡°I love you, your highness.¡± ¡°Could you call me by my name?¡± ¡°¡­Luci.¡± ¡°Luci¡± was the nickname only Sir Ainno used when he and the emperor were alone. Poliana knew this and was jealous of Sir Ainno for being allowed to call the emperor by his nickname. When Lucius the First heard this, his eyes widened before smiling. He looked so happy like a man who had everything he ever wanted in this world. Indeed, he had the entire continent and now he also had the love of his life. ¡°Pol.¡± This was an inevitable conclusion. Lucius the First was Poliana¡¯s whole world. He was her everything, so how could she ever push him away? How could she ever deny him? Lucius the First was the man whopleted Poliana Winter as a person. It was him who gave her an identity, so now, she must ept the fact that he was going to take it away and give her a new one. ¡®Poliana ir. It doesn¡¯t suit me at all.¡¯ Both Lucius the First¡¯s nickname andst name sounded very feminine. It was a mystery how the emperor of such a male-oriented kingdom ended up with the family name of ¡°ir.¡± ¡®Gerald ir¡­ That doesn¡¯t sound right either¡­ But Luminae ir sounds very pretty.¡¯ Poliana was notpletely happy with how everything was going, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. She smiled brightly at the man she loved. Lucius the First¡¯s happiness was her own happiness after all. *** Poliana continued to stay in the Yapa castle. Officially, she was the emperor¡¯s guest, but everyone treated her like she was already the empress. As soon as he heard about Poliana¡¯s stay, Duke Luzo visited the emperor and asked which day should be set as the wedding day. Marquis Zeese went to both the emperor and Poliana to ask if they had any special requests for the wedding ceremony. Because it was a royal wedding, it was considered a national event. This meant that Poliana¡¯s personal taste could not be applied too much, but Marquis Zeese was willing to satisfy Poliana as much as possible. All Poliana said to him was that she wanted an ordinary wedding. Marquis Zeese asked, ¡°And what is an ordinary royal wedding?¡± The way Marquis Zeese spoke to Poliana was different now. He treated her with much more respect and formality. Poliana replied, ¡°How should I know?¡± ¡°I am afraid you are no help¡­ You will need to be more specific¡­ Is there anything you want¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I want my wedding ring to be big enough to fit on top of a gauntlet.¡± Marquis Zeese refused immediately, ¡°Denied.¡± He murmured that he was very busy and left. Everyone thought the wedding should take ce sooner rather thanter since the bride and groom were both in their 30¡¯s. Those who knew about the existence of Gerald seemed even more anxious for the wedding. They wanted the heir to be legitimate as soon as possible. Poliana began her skincare regimen again. Whenever she practiced sword fight with the emperor, the maids watched nervously, worried Poliana might end up with a scar on her face. One thing that displeased Poliana was the fact that Sir Ainno also began his own skincare routine. He was confident he was going to be the best man, so apparently, he wanted to shine during the wedding. ¡®Why is he so sure that he is going to be at the wedding party? I don¡¯t want him to be the best man, but then, I know his highness would want him¡­¡¯ Only Whenever Sir Ainno talked to her respectfully, Poliana couldn¡¯t help the goosebumps covering her entire body. ¡®That bastard is faking it! How dare he show respect to me?! So annoying.¡¯ What shocked Poliana most recently was the fact that Sir Ainno and his wife, Lady Seki, actually got along much better than she expected. Poliana had to admit that Sir Ainno must truly love Cekel. It was decided that Cekel will be Poliana¡¯s maid of honor. Vaxi and Vanessa lived too far away, and it was going to be difficult for them to travel with such young children. Poliana was close to Tory and Stra, but they were both the emperor¡¯s ex-wives, so it seemed inappropriate to make them her bridesmaids. The only other nobledy Poliana could think of was Cekel, so by coincidence, both the husband and wife of the Seki family became the official member of the wedding party. Cekel seemed surprised at Poliana¡¯s request, but she epted it graciously. As the bride-to-be, there was so much Poliana needed to do, yet her acquaintances would not leave her alone. Now that she was going to be the emperor¡¯s wife, her title and wealth would have to be inherited by someone else. Sir Jainno already asked her if she would ept his second son as the next in line to her title. The other nobles also wanted their own sons to inherit her wealth and status. Poliana tried to choose carefully, which meant there was much research she needed to do on each candidate. Poliana was busier than she has ever been in her life. She could¡¯ve just denied all of the requests, but if she did, her title and wealth were going to be confiscated by the royal family. The name ¡°Winter¡± was going to disappear forever and Poliana did not want this. This name was given to her by the emperor and she wanted it to thrive. Lucius the First gave her permission to give away her title to a person of her choice. This was considered to be her right and her obligation. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Everyone weed Poliana¡¯s and the emperor¡¯s union. There were some who believed it was truly a love match while others believed it was a political marriage. The main thing was that no one was against the idea. Everyone was ready to ept Empress Poliana ir. Poliana became a little bitter and lonely. People said to her that her effort was finally paying off. They told her that she was finally going to be acknowledged for her hard work. But¡­ This wasn¡¯t what she worked for. This was not what she wanted. ¡®But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore at this point.¡¯ The witch who seduced the emperor¡­ She used to be called so many ugly names during the war, but now, no one said one bad thing about her. All the criticism whenever she aplished something stopped. When she became a knight and marquess, which were titles she knew she truly deserved, so many noblemen were against the idea. But it seemed that these same men were perfectly fine epting her as their empress. Strangely, Poliana missed their criticism now. It felt so strange that she was being epted so wholeheartedly. Poliana remembered what her adopted brother Donau said to her once. He asked her what she was going to do if she became so used to the criticisms and insults. It seemed that Sir Donau knew a long time ago that something like this might happen. Poliana was doing something these noblemen would¡¯ve and should¡¯ve disagreed in the past. So why were they not saying a word? Why were they keeping so quiet? She felt strange. The whole world was being kind to her. The entire kingdom was cheering for her and the emperor¡¯s love. Despite it all, however, she kept herself busy preparing for her wedding. Poliana couldn¡¯t help feeling excited just like when she was nning her wedding with Frau in the past. Poliana giggled more nowadays. Although she felt a simr excitement as before, her current emotions were stabler. It was because she knew Lucius the First truly loved her and confessed his feelings for her. The emperor was much richer and more powerful than Poliana, which meant that he wasn¡¯t marrying her for her money. There was no way she was going to be conned by the emperor. On top of it, they already had a child together, which meant that she didn¡¯t have to feel pressured to produce a royal heir. Have there ever been days like these when Poliana felt so happy and safe? Happiness and excitement filled her every day. She felt like she was dreaming until the letter arrived from the south. ¡°Hmm.¡± Poliana put the letters on the table. Looking at the dates these letters were sent, it was most likely that they were written before the news of her wedding reached the south. So the people who wrote these letters probably only knew about how Poliana made a huge mistake of getting pregnant, running away, and having her child in secret. They obviously didn¡¯t hear about how Poliana was now going to marry the emperor. When Poliana groaned, a maid nearby asked curiously, ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Normally, Poliana loved opening the letter from the south. So it was no wonder that the maid found it strange that Poliana was just staring at the messages without even opening the envelopes. Poliana groaned again before finally opening the first letter. Being a grown woman didn¡¯t mean she enjoyed being reprimanded. She wished silently, ¡®I just hope Donau exined the situation in the best light possible.¡¯ Her adopted brother was the only one she could rely on right now. ¡®Please! Please Donau!¡¯ There were several letters from the south and Poliana decided to open the ones she knew were going to be kindest. As expected, the twins were on her side. Just like when she was about to marry Frau, Vaxi and Vanessa wrote that they would support whatever decision Poliana makes. They also wrote that they cried when they heard Poliana gave birth to her baby all by herself. Sir Howe didn¡¯t write Poliana a letter but his wife Vaxi wrote that he was ready to ride to Yapa if Poliana needed him. Poliana smirked. Why would she need him? Now there were three letters left. ¡®Three?¡¯ Confused, Poliana checked the names. There was one from the Viceroy Bika and another one from Sir Baufallo. Thest one, however, was not actually a personal letter but an official document that was sent from the local government from the south to Marquess Winter. ¡°What is this?¡± When she opened the envelope, Poliana was shocked to see another letter inside. This letter had her name written on the outside in a writing that was dear to Poliana. The handwriting of a person Poliana missed desperately. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, this letter was from Lady Reba. This had to be herst message to Poliana. *** ¡°I got one too.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± The three women gathered together. Poliana was a bride-to-be and therefore very busy. Stra and Tory were also busy because of their jobs. So why did these three very busy women get together? There could be only one reason. It was because they used to be a group of four women a few years ago. Just like Poliana, Stra and Tory also received letters from Reba. Everyone believed that Lady Reba left only one will, which was ast letter to the emperor, so this was a shocking turn of events for the three women. The reason why these letters weren¡¯t given to the correct receivers was all because of Duchess Nani. Reba kept these letters safe in her safe just in case, and it seemed that her mother the duchess took the safe with her when she left Yapa. There was a small note from the southern government that exined this situation. Tory trembled angrily, ¡°Duchess Nani would¡¯ve known about these letters a few days after Reba¡¯s funeral! How could she not have sent them to us sooner?¡± Stra, remembering Reba, began to cry quietly. The twodies already read their letters, which meant there was only Poliana¡¯s left to be opened. Only Poliana asked if she could find out what Reba said to Tory and Stra. The messages for the two women were simr. Reba told them she was happy to have known them and that she hopes they would take care of her child. She also hoped that Tory and Stra would find happiness in their lives. Stra, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, murmured, ¡°Reba, we will protect Princess Luminae so please rest in peace.¡± Tory guessed, ¡°There could be only one reason why the southern region sent these letters to us. Now that you and the emperor are getting married, they are probably telling you, Marquess, to not to forget about them.¡± Poliana shook her head, ¡°No, that can¡¯t be. The south doesn¡¯t know about the wedding yet. They probably forgot about these letters until now. Just a random coincidence that they arrived before my wedding. Besides, Duchess Nani did lose her daughter¡­¡± Poliana tried to think positively. Although Duchess Nani and Reba didn¡¯t seem close, the letters were in excellent condition, considering they were many years old. The south was humid and warm, which meant that the papers often became worn and destroyed easily. The fact that these letters looked new meant that they must¡¯ve been kept in a cool and dark ce safely. It was very possible that Duchess Nani did not open Reba¡¯s safe until recently. After all, it couldn¡¯t have been easy to go through the things of her daughter who died giving birth in a foreignnd. Carefully, Poliana opened the letter Reba sent her. Chapter 351 The letter Reba sent to Poliana contained slightly different messages than those sent to Tory and Stra. ¡°I want to ask you to take care of my child, but I won¡¯t. You should not try to take responsibility for anyone else except yourself. Be greedier and happier. That is all I ask of you.¡± Poliana never expected even her dead friend to force happiness on her. She looked at the letter quietly. It felt as if Reba was whispering the words in her ear. Poliana¡¯s eyes teared up so she quickly wiped them with her sleeves. Tory handed her a handkerchief without a word. Reading Reba¡¯s letter before her own wedding to Lucius the First¡­ Poliana felt strange. She looked up and finally asked the question that has been bothering her. ¡°Is it really okay for me to marry his highness?¡± Stra wiped away her own tears and replied, ¡°Of course! If Reba was alive, she would¡¯ve been happy for you!¡± Again, hearing these words from the ex-wife of her future husband¡­ This was truly a strange situation for Poliana. Tory added firmly, ¡°Marquess Winter, just as Reba¡¯s letter says, you should not be so concerned for others. All you need to think about is yourself. There isn¡¯t even a need for you to promise to be a good mother to Princess Luminae.¡± Looking straight into Poliana¡¯s eyes, Tory continued clearly, ¡°No one will me you for anything. No one will criticize you. No one has the right to judge you.¡± With a smile, Tory added, ¡°So please don¡¯t feel bad for us or Reba just because you are marrying the emperor.¡± How could she not! Poliana sighed deeply and replied, ¡°Thank you.¡±
Poliana was alone and back at her desk. It was time for her to open the letters from her previous superiors. She sat up straight and opened the envelopes. The first one was from the Viceroy Sir Rabi. His letter contained calm words. He stated that he would support her and even congratte her if she chooses to marry the emperor. He emphasized that marrying the emperor would be the right choice. As she read the letter, Poliana felt like she was finallying home. It was hard to exin, but it just felt¡­ weing. As a skilled strategist, Sir Rabi also advised never to tell the public how the prince was conceived as an ident. He suggested telling everyone that her marriage to the emperor was a political one. ¡°Hmm.¡± Poliana put Viceroy Bika¡¯s letter back into the envelope. Now, it was time to read the letter from Sir Baufallo. ¡°¡­¡± Poliana groaned after reading the first sentence, which stated how Sir Baufallo could not believe what she did. He reprimanded her for the next little while but ended with the following. ¡°But since you now have a child, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Congrattions.¡± Poliana tried to figure out what must¡¯ve happened in the south. She guessed that Sir Donau did not tell her old superiors that Lucius the First was in love with Poliana. Even so, the two men congratted her, which told her they cared about her deeply. Poliana felt touched. ¡®Even if they hear the rumor that the emperor is in love with me, they probably won¡¯t believe it for a long time.¡¯ Finally, Poliana finished reading the dreaded letters and stretched her body to relieve her tensed muscles. Reba¡¯s message from the grave and the reprimanding letters from her old bosses¡­ Within a very short amount of time, Poliana felt immense stress. At a time like this, she knew the best thing was to move her body. Poliana searched for Lucius the First. She was going to ask for a sword match. The emperor, who seeded in capturing Poliana¡¯s heart, now had no excuse but to return to work. All the government workers protested angrily that his vacation was over. So during the day time, Lucius the First worked like a dog, and during the evening and the night, he enjoyed his time with Poliana. Whenever he got a chance, he sparred with Poliana, which now was one of his favorite pastimes. The other knights avoided sparring Poliana at all cost, knowing that she was going to be the next empress. Besides, if they caused even the smallest cut on her body, the knights knew they would be hounded by the maids who were responsible for Poliana¡¯s skincare. The only knight who didn¡¯t care and was willing to practice with Poliana was Sir Ainno, but Poliana herself refused. This man was merciless even when sparring with the emperor. Sir Ainno, from his own extravagant skin regimen, now boasted of the smoothest skin in preparation for the uing wedding. Yet, when Poliana sparred with him once, he was vicious as if he was trying his best to hurt her. ¡®What a jerk.¡¯ Sir Ainno was such an annoying man. Poliana used her tongue to touch the area where one of her mrs was missing. A tooth specialist was currently hard at work to make a fake ivory tooth for Poliana. It would look unseemly for a bride to be missing a tooth on her wedding day. Poliana remembered how Sir Donau never once used the denture the emperor gifted him. She suspected that after her wedding day, she would be doing the same thing. ¡®People mightin that the empress of this kingdom is running around with a missing tooth, but it can¡¯t be helped. Especially since it is the future duke who caused me to lose this tooth.¡¯ This future duke was also the one who broke her nose in the past. Who knew the woman he was beating up was going to be the future empress of the entire continent? No one did. The knightess from the foreign kingdom bing the empress of Acreia¡­ When Poliana thought of that cold winter day, her body shook. She was given the name ¡°Winter¡± so that she would never forget that day. ¡°¡­¡± Only She used her tongue again to rub the gum where the mr should be.
Lucius the First greeted Poliana happily. He was always so pleased to see her. His whole face lit up as soon as she walked in. Some of the scribes covered their lips to hide their smiles. Unfortunately, there was no time to spar at the moment, but the groom-to-be wanted to have a chat with his bride-to-be. ¡°¡­and therefore, I am nning on adjusting my mother¡¯s ring so it could be your wedding ring. We will have to make it bigger.¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± ¡°This ring isn¡¯t very extravagant. Is that okay?¡± If they wanted to make Poliana a new ring, it would take a very long time to make it properly. The first thing they would have to do is to find an appropriate stone. Lucius the First wanted the best, biggest, and the shiniest stone this continent could offer, but this was going to be a time-consuming task. Many believed that instead of using the stone from one of the colonies, it would be more meaningful to use the ring used by the previous Acreian royal family. Thankfully, Lucius the First had just the thing. It was the ring his mother used. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 The former empress¡¯s wedding was pretty, but it was too small for Poliana¡¯s finger. This was why the ring maker was brought in to erge it. Because Acreia used to be only a small northern kingdom, this ring was now considered too simple and small and therefore unfitting to be worn by the empress of the entire continent. However, Poliana said she was happy to wear it. She didn¡¯t care about how big or small the ring was. She thought it was perfect that she gets to wear such a meaningful ring. Poliana lost her mother at a very young age, which meant she did not remember her at all. Lucius the First, however, remembered his mother very fondly. It meant a lot for him that Poliana would wear his mother¡¯s old ring. The emperor and Poliana also discussed other bridal jewelry for a few more hours before talking about their day. Lucius the First told her what kind of government work hepleted earlier while Poliana talked about her extravagant skin regimen involving many different nts. She also brought up the subject of Reba¡¯s letter. ¡°¡­it has been so long since she passed away, so how could the letter be here now?¡± ¡°Tory said the same thing.¡± ¡°I can understand how angry she would be. I am actually surprised now that I received Reba¡¯s letter on time.¡± ¡°I think Lady Reba wrote these letters at different times. The letters she sent to me, Stra, and Tory were handwritten. I assume the one you received was written by her maid, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± So his dead wife wrote the letters to the other wives by hand yet the one sent to her husband was written by someone else¡­ Lucius the First felt such mixed emotions. He thought that perhaps he would¡¯ve felt morefortable if his ex-wives and Poliana didn¡¯t have amicable rtionships, but this wasn¡¯t the case. Poliana, Stra, Tory, and Reba were great friends. When Poliana told him what the letter said, Lucius the Firstughed. ¡°Reba is right. You need to be more selfish, Sir Pol.¡± ¡°Do you remember what your letter said, your highness?¡± ¡°It was very business-like. He told me what to do with the maids she brought from her homnd and the new people she hired while she was here. She also told me to choose the baby if it came to that, and¡­¡± Talking about Reba was a painful task for the emperor. Poliana felt guilty about bringing up this subject, so she gave him a look that told him he could stop if he wished. Lucius the First, however, continued, ¡°She said that even if the baby is a girl, she won¡¯t apologize for it. She asked me to change the world so that the women do not ever have to apologize for bearing a daughter.¡± Thisst bit was the only personal message Reba included in herst letter to the emperor. Unlike many other men, Lucius the First would¡¯ve been happy as long as the mother and the baby were both healthy. He wouldn¡¯t have cared if the child were a girl or a boy. When he read Reba¡¯s letter, he couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter and sad. Reba was a greedy woman. Unfortunately, at this point, it was impossible for the emperor to change his kingdom the way Reba would¡¯ve wanted him to. But now, he wondered how Reba would feel about the things that happened after her death. Tory received a title that belonged to her. Cekel was working as a secret agent in the Intelligence Unit. And¡­ Poliana was about to lose her title. Was Acreia moving forward and improving or was it taking a step back? At this point, it didn¡¯t matter. Nothing changed the fact that Reba was dead. Lucius the First would never truly find out if he did the right things for his kingdom because the effect of them will be seen after his death. The changes that were made in the kingdom were going to be judged by the next generation. But he was certain of at least one thing that if he did his best and worked hard, it would pay off. The emperor lived a life that never betrayed his hard work and effort. He believed anything was possible. On the other hand, Poliana believed that some things cannot be achieved no matter how hard one worked for it. In this aspect, their beliefs were very different. The emperor worked to unite the continent. He often sighed in frustration about how young people nowadays did not put any effort into things. After all, didn¡¯t his effort even get him his true love? Lucius the First and Poliana walked the garden together holding each other¡¯s arms. They looked up at the sky and chatted about the stars. They kissed often as if their lives depended on it. Just as the emperor promised, Poliana finally experienced the kind of happiness the other women must feel. She has never felt this way before. She felt content. Poliana finally realized what it felt to be loved. Lucius the First whispered to her, ¡°Your eyes are filled with stars. They are so beautiful like the prettyke on a clear day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so embarrassed.¡± ¡°You may be used to this kind ofpliment, but I am not, your highness.¡± Poliana pped his back in embarrassment and the emperor justughed. When the night deepened, they finally parted. Instead of going to bed, Poliana sat down at a desk. She was happy, but she also felt nervous. When Poliana told Stra about it, Stra reassured her that it was a normal feeling for a bride-to-be. Stra exined that everyone felt nervous before their wedding day. Once Poliana was married, she would be fine. ¡®But what if I keep feeling anxious? What if I get more things to worry about?¡¯ On her way to the bedroom, one of the guards passing by greeted Poliana. He told her that she looked happytely. This made her think hard about her life. If even a random guard thought she looked happy, it must be true. She had to be happy. Only Be happy. Be selfish. Remember that she is the one in control. She can make a choice. These were the things many people told her. The people who cared about her¡­ And just as they wished, Poliana became happy. The very first Marquess and knightess Poliana Winter was going to be the very first empress of the new united Acreia. She was going to be the wife of the greatest emperor and it was very possible that her son Gerald was going to be the next emperor. She was going to be given the greatest happiness and honor a woman could ever hope for. She was going to have everything. Poliana ir was going to have everything. Poliana ir. ¡°Oh.¡± Suddenly, Poliana realized what she had forgotten. When she was young, Poliana didn¡¯t have much, but as she became older, she was lucky enough to possess and enjoy many things. Of all these, there were some Poliana could let go while there were others she could never give up. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 For example, Poliana could not give up Lucius the First. She also could not give up power nor her sword. Poliana thought carefully. The thing that she could not give up even if it meant she would end up at the deepest part of hell¡­ For this, she was willing to let go of her knight¡¯s honor or even her pride as a human. Perhaps this was even more important to her than the emperor¡¯s smile. ¡°I have the right to choose¡­ This will be my choice to make¡­¡± Tory told Poliana not to feel honor-bound to do anything just because she now had Gerald. Even if the boy remained illegitimate, his look will no doubt prove his royal birth. A mother who was a powerful marquess and a father who was the emperor of the kingdom¡­ Gerald could still easily be the next emperor and take over his birthright even if Poliana did not marry Lucius the First. If not, Gerald would still be the next Marquis Winter, which was no small rank. ¡°Love¡­¡± There was no doubt that Poliana loved Lucius the First. But¡­ Her love for him was not great enough to give what was most precious to her. To be fair, this was the same for Lucius the first. He would always choose his kingdom over Poliana. Just as the emperor could never give up his empire, there was something Poliana could not give up even for Lucius the First. Tory told her that even if Poliana chose the hard road for herself if Poliana felt that this was the right path for her, she would be able to walk it with pride. For example, Poliana was ready to give up being a knight to see her emperor smile with happiness. Because she had been watching her weight, Poliana was slimmer than before, but as she slowly stood up, she felt steadier now. She walked out of the castle and saw that it was very early in the morning. She didn¡¯t care if she became criticized for being selfish. She didn¡¯t care if people thought she was an idiot who didn¡¯t know what was really important in life. She now had her decision. She may regret her choice, but she wasn¡¯t going to change her mind. She was a knightess. She needed to be more ambitious. Therefore, her greed for what was important to her was justified.
¡°¡­¡± One of the gatekeepers gaped while another one groaned. In front of the main entrance to the castle, there stood a knight in aplete set of glorious armor as if ready to enter a battle. The knight was wearing a helmet as well so without the family coat of arms, there should¡¯ve been no way of knowing who this soldier was, but the knight¡¯s identity was clear to everyone. There was no mistake that this was the one and only knightess in the kingdom. There could be only one woman who would show up at the royal castle in full armor. The guards saluted her firmly. Just yesterday, they greeted her as the future empress, but today, they could not. ¡°Boss, good morning!¡± ¡°Work hard.¡± As Poliana walked into the castle, everyone who saw her gasped in shock. Only the royal guards usually wore full armor inside the castle. Those who were allowed to be armed in the emperor¡¯s presence only carried small and basic weapons. Therefore, to wear full armor and walk around the castle so brazenly¡­ It had to mean that this knight was trying to rebel against the emperor. Just her presence in the castle like this could be considered treason. And the scary thing was that this knightess was searching for the emperor. In any other situation, the guards would¡¯ve stopped such a person immediately and disarmed him, but¡­ no one stopped her. No one even tried. This wasn¡¯t because Poliana was the head of the Second Division. It was because she was trusted. Although she did not exin the reason for her visit in such a fashion, the guards felt like they could guess. After an initial shock, all the royal guards seemed to understand what was happening. Perhaps, subconsciously, they were all expecting this to happen. Clunk clunk. The sound of the metal armor rang inside the castle as the knightess walked to the emperor. People moved away to create a clear path for her. Her armor, which should¡¯ve taken seven years to make but the emperor insisted on getting it done within a year, was inspiring. The armor maker imed that it was his best work. He put his life and soul into it. Even though its line was slim and feminine, there was no mistake that whoever wore this was a fighter. When Master Chail spotted her, his eyes widened in shock. Before he could announce her arrival, the door to the emperor¡¯s office opened. It wasn¡¯t Chail who opened it but Poliana herself. Everyone who was inside stood up in shock. Luckily, or unluckily, all the important figures of the kingdom were gathered around the emperor. ¡°W¡­what is the meaning of this?!¡± ¡°Is there a rebellion? What are the guards doing¡­ Oh, it¡¯s just Marquess Winter. Hello.¡± When the men realized it was Poliana, they all rxed. There was no way that Poliana Winter, the head of the Second Division, would ever revolt against Lucius the First. It was even more unlikely that Sir Ainno turning into a kind and caring gentleman. Knightess Poliana Winter took her helmet off and kneeled in front of the emperor. Lucius the First looked at her calmly. His face was nk as if he was hiding what he was thinking. Marquis Zeese grabbed his forehead as if he was getting a headache. Duke Luzo sighed in frustration. Sir Ainno red at Poliana for a while before looking away. Perhaps everyone in the room also knew, just like the guards, that something like this was going to happen. The Marquess they knew was definitely capable of this. She was the kind of woman who would choose this metal armor over the crown of the empress. She was a knightess. ¡°Greetings to the one and only emperor of this continent from Poliana Winter.¡± ¡°Rise, Marquess.¡± ¡°I came here today to ask your highness something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you love me, your highness?¡± ¡°I do. I love you.¡± ¡°Then can you give up the kingdom?¡± Lucius the First smiled. She was asking the impossible. ¡°No, I cannot.¡± Only ¡°I feel the same way, your highness. I love you. I really do. And just like you, your highness, there is something I cannot give up.¡± ¡°And what would that be?¡± Everyone knew the answer. Poliana replied, ¡°Your highness, do you remember that winter day when I swore my loyalty to you?¡± ¡°How could I forget? It was the day when you became my knight.¡± ¡°That day¡­ That winter¡­ I screamed for a sword so I could swear to be your knight. No one offered one to me but before the cruel reality hit me, your highness gave me your own sword.¡± Lucius the First had the kingdom while Poliana had that winter. Her winter. The winter her emperor gave to her. The winter they shared together. Their winter. And Poliana decided to choose her ¡°Winter.¡± Chapter 354 Chapter 354 The harsh winter was going to follow Poliana forever. There will be plenty of snow and hail in the future for her. There will be times she would have to endure freezing temperatures and walk the icy road. The blizzard may blind her eyes, but she epted this as part of her life. Poliana said to Lucius the First, ¡°Your highness was absolutely right. You did show me what happiness and love are. You taught me, an ignorant woman, the greatest happiness I never could imagine.¡± ¡°And I am not done yet. I haven¡¯t shown you everything.¡± ¡°I know without a doubt that I am giving up a wonderful sense of happiness. I also know that what I am doing, as a woman and as your knight, will make you sad. But your highness¡­ I cannot ever forget that winter day. It was the happiest moment of my life. Just as you cannot give up Acreia, I cannot give up my winter.¡± Poliana bowed deeply. Her forehead almost touched the floor as she continued, ¡°I would be willing to do anything you order, your highness. I would happily drink poison, jump into the fire, and fight a bear with my bare hands. But your highness¡­ This is one thing I cannot abandon even for you. I cannot give up my name.¡± The men in the room shook their heads. They expected her to refuse the emperor for perhaps her title or her knighthood, but for her name? This was very unexpected. ¡°You can take away my title. You can confiscate all of mynds. But your highness! There is one thing you cannot take away from me. The name you gave me¡­ You cannot take it back.¡± Lucius the First never once looked away from her. His expression also never changed, which scared Duke Luzo, who said to Poliana, ¡°Marquess Winter! How can you do this now?! And what about Gerald?¡± ¡°If your highness will allow me, I will raise him myself.¡± ¡°But he is the first-born son of the emperor!¡± ¡°If you insist, then I will send him to Yapa.¡± ¡°You will abandon your own son?¡± ¡°I am abandoning him. I am sending him to be raised by his father.¡± Why would Duke Luzo think she would be abandoning her son? She would be sending Gerald to Lucius the First. Just what did these people want? They didn¡¯t want her to raise him herself, yet they didn¡¯t want Gerald to be raised by his father either? Poliana red at Duke Luzo. Today, she looked like a force of nature. The fragile Duke Luzo could not even meet her gaze. The only reason why he didn¡¯t run out of the room in fear was that this involved his nephew. Duke Luzo tried to say more, but Lucius the First stopped him. ¡°Marquess Winter, you may do what you wish. You can have whatever you want. And I would never take away your title. How could I?¡± ¡°Your highness¡­¡± ¡°Poliana Winter, you are the most loyal knight of this kingdom. You are my own knightess who walked to the end of the continent by my side. I awarded you a great title and manynds because you deserve them. So Poliana Winter, do you wish to remain my knight?¡± Poliana bowed and replied, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t allow me, I will always be your knight, your highness.¡± ¡°Good. You will be my knight for eternity. No one can ever change this fact.¡± ¡°Even if you give me permission, I have abused my power today bying here this way. I would like to resign as the head of the Second Division.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ept your resignation.¡± Lucius the First denied her for the first time. Poliana raised her head and protested, ¡°Your highness!¡± ¡°Sir Pol, you just promised to remain my knight forever, yet you are acting like you will never see me again. Snap out of it! Poliana Winter, I will give you a year to be on your own. After a year, you will return to this castle and protect the kingdom. Do not give me an excuse that you can¡¯t do this because of your personal feelings. I believe in you, Poliana.¡± He said the words so coldly, which actually made Poliana believe that this could really work. She stood up using her sword as a cane. Lucius the First stood in front of her and said to Poliana, ¡°I believe in you, Sir Pol. I always will believe in you. Therefore, please believe in me too. Since you showed me your determination, I will give you my answer. I will continue to love you. I will always love you and I hope you do the same for me.¡± ¡°I will love you until the day I die, your highness. I will love you forever.¡± Only The loyal knightess bowed deeply before leaving. After the door closed, Lucius the First turned towards the men and announced, ¡°Starting today, I n to be a tyrant. If anyone has a problem with it¡­ If anyone ns on running away¡­ And if anyone ns on mutiny¡­ Let me know right now.¡± No one said a word. Poliana brought in a storm into the castle, and now, it seemed like it was the emperor¡¯s turn. Everyone shut their mouth. Lucius the First looked around and continued, ¡°Are you sure? No one? I am not joking. I will be a true tyrant. I can tell you that you will be dissatisfied with my decisions. There is a possibility that the royal line might actually end with me if I do what I n to do. Perhaps I will beter remembered as a tyrant who lost his mind because of love. Perhaps people will say Marquess Winter is the evil seductress who destroyed the kingdom.¡± Again, no one said a word. Marquis Zeese tried to figure out what the emperor¡¯s n was while Duke Luzo began to hup nervously. Duke Luzo could almost feel the rest of his hair falling away from his head. Lucius the First looked at all the men until he turned around and faced Sir Ainno, who was standing behind him. The emperor asked him, ¡°So what do you say, Sir Ainno? You are the only one who can end me. The one who can remove me. I am not joking when I say I n on bing a tyrant. I am going to do mad things. I am going to be creating so much disorder in this kingdom we tried so hard to stabilize. The future generations will call me the mad emperor. So, Sir Ainno, what will you do? You have always told me that if I ever became a tyrant, you would kill me.¡± Lucius the First tried to look calm but he was sweating secretly. Sir Ainno looked at the emperor as if he was a wolf eyeing its prey. The knight¡¯s right hand was already on the hilt of his sword. Sir Ainno, as usual, looked nonchnt. He kept touching his sword, uncertain what he should do. Acreia was finally bing stable yet here was the emperor trying to do something unnecessary and drastic. It wasn¡¯t a joke when Sir Ainno said he would kill Lucius the First if he ever became too dangerous. The emperor knew this and it was partly why he trusted Sir Ainno so much. Sir Ainno eyed the emperor¡¯s face carefully. Chapter 355: Story 23: The emperor and the knightess Story 23: The emperor and the knightess Chapter 355 Sir Ainno could see in Lucius the First the same boy king who imed he would conquer the world. The young emperor who was so sure that he was going to unite the entire continent¡­ Sir Ainno, after contemting for a long while, finally sighed and replied, ¡°I have a debt to repay to Marquess Winter. I think this should make us even.¡± Sir Ainno removed his hand from his sword and Lucius the First sighed secretly. He risked his own life just now for love, and it seemed that he won this dangerous bet. Unaware of how the emperor was sweating profusely, Sir Ainno kneeled in front of him. ¡°Your highness, I, your Inno, will follow you even to hell if necessary!¡± Sir Ainno was on Lucius the First¡¯s side even if the emperor became a tyrant. The emperor felt relieved, realizing that he wasn¡¯t going to be stabbed to death in this very room. Lucius the First said to the other men again, ¡°Anyone who wants to run away, you better do it now. Perhaps if all of you side together against me, you might be able to achieve a sessful rebellion. You can at least try if you wish.¡± The men shivered as the emperor casually mentioned an uprising. It was clear that Lucius the First was serious about his n. Duke Luzo, who couldn¡¯t take the tension anymore, finally surrendered. He knew he was going to lose the rest of his hair before it was all over. Duke Luzo said to the emperor, ¡°I mean it, your highness! You will let me go when this is over! You have to keep your promise. After all the work is one, you will release me!¡± Marquis Zeese sighed after long deliberation, ¡°Your highness, people are going to protest. There is going to be a huge bacsh. The entire kingdom may be unestablished.¡± ¡°That is why I am telling you that you may leave if you wish. You can even protest if you want, but it won¡¯t change the fact that I will be a tyrant.¡± ¡°Just for a woman.¡± When Marquis Zeese sighed again, Lucius the First shook his head and replied, ¡°Not just for her. I am doing this for half the poption of our kingdom.¡± Of course, the emperor wasn¡¯t telling the whole truth. He was indeed doing this all for just one woman, but the rest of the kingdom didn¡¯t have to know this. The men murmured among themselves nervously. Those who knew the emperor well realized that Lucius the First was dead serious about what he was about to do. Those who weren¡¯t very close to the emperor seemed fearful and confused at the same time. Lucius the First waited while the rest of the men contemted. He waited and waited without leaving the room and finally after 12 hours of discussion, all of the highest-ranking noblemen bowed as one. Lucius the First nodded in satisfaction and announced, ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to get to work. Let¡¯s see what kind of damages we can do to our kingdom.¡± It was going to be a long hard road for everyone.
Poliana said her goodbyes to her friends in Yapa. Tory, Stra, and Cekel couldn¡¯t hide their concern for Poliana. The other knights couldn¡¯t stop admiring Poliana, iming that even after her death, she will be the knightess who protects the kingdom. The guards shook their heads, unable to understand why their boss would do this. They joked that she probably would remain the head of the Second Division for another 30 years. Poliana didn¡¯t feel that it was necessary to waste any more time in the capital city. She immediately headed for Sitrin. The person who seemed most disappointed was her butler. To her surprise, no one seemed to be against her leaving like this. Even though the wedding was canceled, no one seemed to be angry at her. No one criticized her. The nobles seemed uninterested while surprisingly, it was themoners who seemed to react more strongly. Many were hoping for a fairy tale, a happy ending. These people were very disappointed, but most epted the situation without a fight. Even Poliana herself felt calm. ¡®Perhaps this is for the best.¡¯ It seemed that everyone felt this way. In any case, Poliana became the first and only woman who refused the emperor. Her already incredible fame increased 100-fold from the recent event. On her way to Sitrin, there were many moments when Poliana regretted her decision. Did she make a mistake? She couldn¡¯t believe that she gave up having the emperor for herself. But then, she remembered what she gained from all of this. The happiness as Poliana Winter rather than as Poliana ir. Even if she became unhappy, she would always be Poliana Winter. Born as Poliana Cranbell, she was reborn as Poliana Winter and almost became Poliana ir. And now¡­ She will forever be Poliana Winter. She knew it was a selfish decision. Poliana felt apologetic towards Gerald especially. He could¡¯ve be the next emperor, but now, he would have to be happy with bing the next Marquis Winter. Poliana tried to rationalize her decision, ¡®I am sorry, Dog Ste¡­ I mean, Gerald. But this might be a better life for you. You will be able to experience the joy of bing promoted to a higher rank. Imagine how happy you will feel when you be a duke from a marquis.¡¯ Poliana thought about Gerald often, must more so than when she was pregnant with him. Now that she chose to remain a ¡°Winter,¡± the burden and the pressure she felt towards Gerald disappeared. Poliana finally realized that she has been too hard on her son. Even if she didn¡¯t feel love towards him, she should¡¯ve given it to him. She knew she didn¡¯t treat him right. Poliana felt horrible that she became the kind of parent she used to hate as a little girl. When she arrived at Sitrin, it was, of course, Gerald who greeted her most vigorously. It has been a few months since Poliana left, yet Gerald seemed to recognize her. He raised both of his arms towards her and screamed, ¡°Mama!¡± The angelic boy smiled brightly. Poliana took Gerald from the wetnurse and replied, ¡°Yes, Gerald Winter. I am your mommy.¡± Gerald was so much bigger than she remembered. He was now big enough to stand if he held onto something. When he crawled around, he was faster than any baby Poliana knew. She felt a little bitter that she missed spending so much time with her son. The heavy weight of the baby in her arms felt meaningful. Gerald, with his unusual strength, grabbed and twisted Poliana¡¯s nose and lips as he sniffed her. Poliana patted his back affectionately. ¡°Yes, Gerald.¡± ¡°Mama!¡± Only ¡°Yes, yes. I am your mom. I haven¡¯t been with you for a while and I am so sor¡­¡± Suddenly, Poliana narrowed her eyes. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ There is nothing I should feel sorry about, right?¡± She has seen so many mothers apologizing this way that she almost did the same thing, but Poliana realized that there was nothing to be sorry about. Most nobledies did not raise their children themselves. Poliana left Gerald because she had to take care of some very important things. If she left for no reason, she should¡¯ve apologized to Gerald, but this wasn¡¯t the case. Poliana raised him high. He was a heavy baby, which meant that most nobledies would¡¯ve found it hard to lift him, but Poliana was no ordinarydy. ¡°Gerald, I left you because I had to take care of something.¡± Of course, the baby didn¡¯t understand her at all. Gerald justughed as if she told him a funny joke. He looked so beautiful that Poliana smiled and said to him, ¡°My son, you¡¯re so strong. You will make a great knight!¡± Poliana had an ambitious dream. Someday, the next Marquis Winter will also be the head of the Second Division. Gerald Winter, who didn¡¯t know anything, justughed happily. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 After she returned to Sitrin, Poliana remained in the vi because the existence of Gerald was still not official. Lucius the First gave her a year. In one year, when she returned to Yapa, she was going to take Gerald with her. By that time, he should be old enough to travel the long distance. One of the first things Poliana did was to write letters to the south. When the story of how Poliana refused to marry the emperor reaches the southern region¡­ Poliana shivered in fear. Her old superiors were upset that she gave birth out of wedlock, so how angry were they going to be when they heard about the most recent event? After sending her letters, Poliana waited nervously for the replies. Then one day, several guests arrived from the south. It was Sir Howe, Sir Donau, and their wives. Poliana hugged the twins tightly. It has been a few years since theyst saw each other. Theyughed and hugged for a long time. Poliana was pleasantly surprised that the couples brought their children as well. They were here to meet their aunt. ¡°It must¡¯ve been a very hard journey¡­¡± ¡°Not at all. They are so strong and sturdy¡­¡± ¡°Gerald is really healthy too.¡± ¡°Well, I guess it makes sense that they are all children of the knights. Since they are so healthy, I guess we will never have to worry about them getting sick.¡± Sir Donau and Vanessa¡¯s daughter, Marin, picked up Gerald easily. Gerald¡¯s nanny watched worriedly since Marin herself was a very young child. To the nanny¡¯s shock, Marin showed off her monstrous strength. Sir Howe and Vaxi¡¯s son, Martin, stood nearby and practiced with his tory sword. Gerald nanny again watched nervously, worried that Martin might identally hurt the baby, but Martin stated that only an inexperienced swordsman would make such a stupid mistake. Martin yelled bravely, ¡°I am going to be the head!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± They were still very young children and what they were saying didn¡¯t make much sense. When Poliana looked at their parents, the twin sistersughed and exined, ¡°Both of them want to be the head of the guards in the future.¡± ¡°They used to fight about this every day.¡± ¡°So we told them that there were three divisions in the capital city, which stopped their fighting.¡± ¡°If not, they would still be fighting.¡± It was a cute story, but Poliana couldn¡¯t smile. Sure, perhaps Martin could be one, but Marin too? When she looked displeased, Sir Donau quickly exined, ¡°Sis, we are not saying we will force Marin into bing a knight. If she wants to be one when she grows up, then we won¡¯t stop her¡­¡± ¡°This is a huge problem.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°I was going to have Gerald be the head of the guards. So to have Marin and Martin as his rival¡­ It is going to be a very difficult road for my son.¡± Poliana sighed deeply. Marin and Martin inherited their mothers¡¯ incredible strength. They were still so young, but the way they yed with the toy swords was truly impressive. Poliana then turned towards her son. Gerald was too young to show any talents yet. He definitely resembled his father, but would he also have his father¡¯s talent for swordy? What if Gerald resembled Poliana instead¡­ It would be a very sad thing, indeed. She hoped Gerald would be a strong and talented fighter. The kids yed hard before falling asleep. Taking this opportunity, Vaxi and Vanessa went to enjoy the hot spring. Poliana sat down with Sir Howe and Sir Donau, knowing she would hear about how her old bosses reacted to her letters. Sir Howe scratched his cheek and said to her, ¡°My father-inw¡­ Well, he sighed a lot.¡± Poliana asked nervously, ¡°And?¡± ¡°My mother-inw said that she thinks she might understand a little about what kind of happiness you must want, Sir Pol.¡± This was unexpected. ¡°Lady Bika did?¡± ¡°Yes. There are asions when men change theirst name because they have to leave their families or receive a new one from the emperor, but she said that only women can understand what it feels like to lose her family name just because she gets married¡­¡± ¡°In Aehas, it isn¡¯t umon for a man to marry into a more powerful family and change hisst name.¡± ¡°Exactly. Lady Bika said that because of this, you might find it even harder to give up your name.¡± ¡®Hmm? I wonder if she is right. Is that why I felt so strongly about my name?¡¯ She was an Acreian now, but she grew up in Aehas. Poliana nodded in understanding. In the Cranbell family, there were only two daughters and Poliana was the oldest one. If she remained Poliana Cranbell, it was very likely that her husband, whoever it may have been, would¡¯ve had to change his name into Cranbell. Her name and her family¡­ These were all hers. Just as the kingdom Acreia was Lucius the First¡¯s life, the name ¡°Winter¡± was the most precious thing to Poliana. Now, it was Sir Donau¡¯s turn. ¡°Well, our father¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t continue for some reason, so Sir Howe exined, ¡°Our father cried.¡± ¡°What? Why?!¡± ¡°He cried because of you, Pol. You need to really go visit our father and apologize.¡± Poliana couldn¡¯t hide her nervousness. Sir Baufallo cried? Because of her? Sir Donau said to her, ¡°Sis, please calm down. Our father felt sad because he thought you might have made your decision because of what he said in the past.¡± ¡°In the past? When?¡± ¡°The day we ate the ducks.¡± Poliana remembered it immediately. It was the day when there were five people but only four duck legs! ¡°That day? What did he say to me that day¡­ Oh, I remember. He told me that if I want to die a knight, I better not fall in love with anyone¡­ But things are different now!¡± Only Sir Howe replied, ¡°Yes, yes. We all know, but he is an old man, and he doesn¡¯t feel that way. Ever since he became a grandfather, he became much more emotional. You know how big his eyes are right? Like a cow? His eyes filled up with tears. It was quite a sight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She would¡¯ve much preferred Sir Baufalloe to Sitrin and p her back. Making her old superior cry¡­ Poliana felt awful. Sir Howe, seeing how upset Poliana was, tried to console her, ¡°Don¡¯t feel so bad. It isn¡¯t that bad. He just cares about you a lot.¡± Sir Donau added, ¡°We know you didn¡¯t make your decision because of what he said a long time ago. Sis, please look so sad.¡± ¡°Did I really make a mistake? Do you think¡­ Was¡­ Was my decision a wrong one?¡± Sir Donau replied, ¡°Sis, do you remember what I said to you before? I told you that as long as you are happy, that is enough.¡± Sir Howe added, ¡°If I were you, I would¡¯ve grabbed the chance to be the empress without hesitation. But you are not me. You should do whatever feels right, Pol.¡± The brothers were very encouraging, making Poliana feel much better. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 After the two couples and their children left, Poliana felt a little lonely. The vi seemed so quiet without them, especially because Gerald was a quiet child who rarely cried. Then a letter arrived from Yapa. It was Sir Deke who delivered it and on the outside of the envelope was the emperor¡¯s seal. Poliana opened it nervously, but the content of the letter was surprisingly simple. Lucius the First wrote how he was doing so far. He asked about Gerald and Poliana. He asked Poliana to write back or else he would be disappointed. It was a very calm and nonchnt letter especially considering it was written by a jilted groom to his runaway bride. Poliana asked Sir Deke, ¡°How are things in Yapa?¡± ¡°People are talking a little, but overall, it¡¯s very peaceful.¡± ¡°And his highness is faring well?¡± ¡°A few scribes called him a tyrant¡­¡± Poliana raised her fist and eximed, ¡°And he just let them live?!¡± She seemed ready to return to Yapa immediately so she could beat them up. Sir Deke shook his head and replied, ¡°His highness already beat them up himself.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Good.¡± Poliana sat down again. How could the scribes call him a tyrant? Suddenly, she became confused. ¡°Did they actually think he is really a tyrant or were they just protesting because the emperor is overworking them too much?¡± ¡°Thetter.¡± ¡°Just what is it that his highness is trying to do?¡± Poliana red at Sir Deke. Since he was part of the Intelligence Unit, there was a good chance he knew quite a bit about what was going on. Poliana was silently threatening him to tell her everything he knew. Sir Deke shook his head again. He had the duty to keep silent even if it was the head of the military division or a marquess who was threatening him. Sir Deke thought desperately, ¡®If I disappoint the emperor one more time, I am really going to lose my job.¡¯ Sir Deke did not want to get fired. He was desperate. No matter how hard Poliana tried, Sir Deke only told her the things that the general public already knew. Currently, the emperor was overworking again. He was back to his workaholic self. People believed that he was burying himself in his work from the shock of being abandoned by Marquess Winter. The way he focused on his work¡­ It was no wonder the scribes called him a tyrant. It would¡¯ve been fine if he was the only one who overworked, but Lucius the First forced everyone else around him to work just as hard as him. He ordered many of the noblemen and schrs from all over the kingdom to work on his project. He collected as many books as possible too. If someone, too tired and overworked, asked to resign, the emperor refused to let them. Based on Sir Deke¡¯s description, it seemed that the inside of the Yapa castle was now a scary ce. It seemed that Lucius the First was making even some of the book-smart knights to work on paperwork. Poliana¡¯s arms became covered with goosebumps. ¡°Just what is his highness trying to do?¡± ¡°No matter how hard I think, I believe this whole thing is because the emperor was too shocked when you left him.¡± ¡°Haha, no way. That can¡¯t be.¡± Poliana began to feel more and more nervous. What would Yapa look like in a year when she returned? Would she be greatly hated by all? But Poliana believed in Lucius the First¡¯s fairness and kindness. Now that she thought about it, she remembered how hard she had to work during the conquest. All the other knights were also overworked when necessary. Sir Deke left Sitrin with Poliana¡¯s reply to the emperor. Poliana sighed as she watched Gerald, who smiled at her. He looked just like his father Lucius the First. Just much smaller. ¡®I still can¡¯t believe how much he resembles his father.¡¯ Since then, Poliana and Lucius the First regrly exchanged letters. Because the emperor¡¯s letters were calm and matter-of-fact, Poliana also wrote letters that were more like reports. She wrote how she and Gerald were doing. She also always wrote Lucius the First not to work too hard. On the nights when the moon shined brightly, Poliana went out to look up at the stars. She counted them one by one, remembering the nights she spent with Lucius the First. Poliana wondered. After a year has passed and she returned to Yapa, will things be the same between them? She had no idea. Since Poliana dered she would raise her son as Gerald Winter, this meant that the emperor had to find another heir. However, for some reason, Lucius the First didn¡¯t look for another wife. Could it be that she wasn¡¯t getting all the information from Yapa? Perhaps because of her rtionship with the emperor, she wasn¡¯t being told the truth on purpose. So Poliana used her own sources to get any news from the capital city, but she still didn¡¯t hear anything. Her worry grew day by day just as her son grew up quickly. Four seasons passed by, but her feelings towards Lucius the First remained the same. And soon, it was going to be a year since she left the emperor. One day, an unexpected guest arrived at Sitrin. Because the existence of Gerald was still a secret, there were only a handful of people that were allowed into Sitrin. So it had to be someone Poliana knew well. It turned out it was her adopted brother Sir Donau. Poliana greeted him, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I am here to escort you to Yapa.¡± ¡°You should be home protecting Vanessa and Marin.¡± ¡°I know, I know. This will be myst time.¡± Sir Donau gave her a silly smile and Poliana grinned. It was still a while till she was going to leave for Yapa, so while they waited, Sir Donau suggested they go out riding. He said they should ride out to the outer boundary of Sitrin for fun. Poliana has been feeling boredtely since she was stuck in the Vi, so she agreed. Poliana decided to hide her identity and Donau stood nearby as she disguised herself. Sir Donau protested,ining about her outfit, and Poliana argued, ¡°Hey, just shut up! You should never argue with ady about her outfit.¡± ¡°Sis, please! Don¡¯t wear that handkerchief like that on your head! You look like a middle-aged woman working in the field!¡± ¡°Who are you calling middle-aged?!¡± ¡°You have a kid, and you are nearing yourte 30¡¯s, so obviously you are middle-aged!¡± Only ¡°What? Well, you have a kid too, so you must be middle-aged too! You jerk!¡± In the end, Sir Donau was no match for Poliana. They were adopted siblings, but they certainly acted like real siblings. Poliana wore the exact outfit she thought was the best, and as they rode to the outer boundary of Sitrin, Sir Donau continued to grumble, ¡°Don¡¯t you have better clothes? And stop riding so fast! Your hair is turning into a huge mess!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°You¡¯re rich, and you must have beautiful clothes! So why do you have to wear things like that? Why must you look like a field help?!¡± ¡°You better stop nagging me or else I am going to hang you upside down on that tree.¡± Afterward, they rode in silence until suddenly, Sir Donau pointed at a small hill and said to Poliana, ¡°Sis, look over there. The scenery is amazing.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The small hill was covered in beautiful wildflowers. Sir Donau suggested that they should eat their pic lunch on the hill. Poliana shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s not part of mynd.¡± Chapter 358 Chapter 358 The hill Sir Donau pointed at was on the outside of the Sitrin¡¯s boundary. Sir Donau said to Poliana, ¡°Oh, who cares? It¡¯s not like we aremitting a crime there.¡± ¡°But what if the owner of thatnd suddenly shows up? It would be so embarrassing for me to be eating on hisnd when I have a perfectly good piece ofnd.¡± ¡°Sis, the way you look now¡­ No one could ever guess that you are Marquess Winter.¡± ¡°Hmm, you think so?¡± Poliana was convinced. They were out on a pic, so wouldn¡¯t it be nice to eat surrounded by a beautiful view? All they had to do was cross the small stream to get to the neighboringnd. Before crossing the water, Poliana unarmed herself and hid her weapons. She thought that if they were seen by someone, it would be odd for a woman to be armed so heavily. ¡®Donau has his sword, so we should be ok.¡¯ Poliana easily crossed the stream. She felt a little guilty for entering someone else¡¯snd, but it passed quickly. They climbed the hill and unpacked their lunches. Sir Donau imed that his water bottle was empty so he would go back to the stream to fill it. Sitting alone, Poliana wondered, ¡®If you drink the wrong water, you can get parasites¡­¡¯ She tried to figure out how clean the stream water might be. She pictured the map of hernd in her mind. She was so focused that she didn¡¯t hear someone calling her the first time. The man called out to her again from behind, ¡°Heydy, do you have some time for me?¡± ¡®No, you loser.¡¯ Poliana didn¡¯t even bother to answer him. She ignored him, wondering what kind of an idiot would try to seduce a woman who was dressed like her. But the man insisted, ¡°Hey, woman. Look at me.¡± ¡®I better teach this jerk a lesson¡­!¡¯ Although she didn¡¯t have her sword and Sir Donau wasn¡¯t here, Poliana still clenched her fist to get ready. She still had her fists and her feet! How dare a man try to assault a woman in the middle of the day?! Poliana was ready to beat up this man. But when she turned around, she realized that it was¡­ Lucius the First. Poliana was so shocked that she forgot to drop her fist. ¡°Your highness?¡± ¡°Were you about to punch your emperor?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­¡± Poliana slowly unclenched her fist. Lucius the First mockingly frowned and said to her, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were about to hit me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! I¡­ Your Highness, why are you here?¡± Thest time she heard from Yapa, it seemed that the emperor was still working nonstop. So how could such a busy man be standing here in front of her? Now that she looked around, Poliana realized that they were surrounded by many other men. They were very familiar to her. Sirs Ainno, Jainno, Wook, Mahogal, Donau, Howe, and etc. She recognized most of the men. They were the highest-ranking knights of this kingdom. Poliana silently red at them, asking, ¡®If you are all here, who is keeping the capital city safe?¡¯ They all looked back smugly, ¡®Our subordinates, of course.¡¯ ¡®Damn thesezy men!¡¯ Poliana continued to re at them, but she knew that these men were all in positions where they had enough men to take care of things back home. The bigger question was, why were the emperor and these knights here? Lucius the First walked up to her. It has been a year since shest saw him, and the emperor was just as beautiful as ever. Poliana¡¯s heart began to pound just like the day she left him. ¡°Poliana Winter, I ask you, will you fight with me?¡± ¡°Is there a rebellion happening somewhere? If that is the case, of course, I will, your highness.¡± Thud. Lucius the First dropped a giant book in front of her. It was the thickest book Poliana has ever seen. The emperor said to her, ¡°This is the foundation of this kingdom. This is the Acreianw.¡± After a quick pause, Lucius the First added, ¡°Well, it¡¯s the first draft anyway.¡± It was the final product of all the hard work by the emperor and everyone back in Yapa. It was the book that caused Lucius the First to be nicknamed the tyrant. The emperor exined, ¡°In Acreia, there is now that a woman cannot be a knight. That is why you were able to remain a knightess, Sir Pol. In Acreia, there is no specificw that a woman cannot receive her own title andnds. That is why you were awarded manynds and the title of marquess. But in Acreia, there is aw that states a woman cannot inherit the family title and wealth. A woman must take the husband¡¯s name when she gets married. Only a man can be the head of the family.¡± Everyone knew this, so Poliana guessed that there was a reason why Lucius the First brought up this topic. ¡°Sir Pol, you asked me if I could give up my kingdom. I told you it would be impossible. You then said that you felt the same way about your name. You showed me your determination and will. You gave me your answer so now, it is my time to give you mine.¡± Only Lucius the First gave her a heart-stopping smile and continued, ¡°This is my answer.¡± The emperor changed the entire legal system just to marry Poliana. It wasn¡¯t a simple adjustment of thew, but aplete makeover of the legal foundation. At first, Lucius the First was going to change just the inheritancew, but he realized that it wasn¡¯t going to be enough. He learned that to change one major aspect of thew, he needed to change the entire system. This was why the giant book was only the first draft of the new legal structure. To make it into a stable andpleted system, it was going to take at least another 10 years. Afterward, it would take his lifetime, if not longer, to implement it to the kingdom. Lucius the First always dreamt of retiring at an early age and live the rest of his life peacefully, but now, he knew it wasn¡¯t going to be possible. To get the woman he loved, this was the least he could do. It was the price he was willing to pay. He could not give up his kingdom for her, but he could do this for Poliana. Poliana became pale as she listened to him. Her brain became nk suddenly. The emperor was very clear about what his intention was, but she found it very difficult toprehend. ¡°T¡­this doesn¡¯t make sense. It won¡¯t work. It never will. The noblemen won¡¯t allow it and to have it epted by themoners too¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I know that. It will be a tough road. We will have to fight for it constantly. We might work on it for the rest of our lives and still not see it happen in real life. We might not seed. But Poliana Winter, I have a dream.¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Poliana became confused. She felt surreal. Everyone, including the emperor, was smiling at her happily, but she alone was shocked. Lucius the First said to her, ¡°I have two dreams now. First, I will take you, Sir Poliana Winter, as my wife. And with that, I would like to finish this change in the legal system. I have worked as hard as I could for these dreams, and I will continue on working for them. To be honest, I know that it will not be an easy road for us. Perhaps it will be even more difficult than conquering the entire continent. Perhaps this will be the end of this kingdom, but Poliana, I cannot control my greed for you. I hope you will be my wife.¡± The Acreian emperor smiled. His smile was kind and handsome. It was the smile of the emperor who was great enough to rule the entire continent with dignity and generosity. Just as he said, his dream to change the legal system so drastically was a foolish one. It was too ambitious. It was ridiculous that he was even going to make an attempt. But still, the emperor once again asked Poliana, ¡°Won¡¯t you dream with me?¡± One of the knights standing nearby whistled. Another knight quickly pped his back to stop him. The men around them murmured but Poliana couldn¡¯t hear any of these noises surrounding her. Inside of her was a huge storm brewing. Suddenly, Poliana realized the truth. Just when she was about to give up and ept the reality, her emperor created a brand new world for her. A brand new dream they could dream together. ¡°How¡­¡± Her body became covered with goosebumps. Just how great was this man? This greatest emperor was standing in front of her and asking her to fight with him once again. She gave up on their marriage a year ago without a fight, but it seemed that Lucius the First wasn¡¯t disappointed in her. He trusted her and believed in her. He recognized and epted her dilemma and returned to her a yearter. Lucius the First was the beginning of Poliana¡¯s world. Hepleted her in every way. She knew that it would be her dreame true to fight for him. No, fight with him. Fight alongside him. Poliana moved her hand to reach her sword but realized that she wasn¡¯t carrying one. She left it behind before crossing the stream. She could go back and retrieve it, but Poliana didn¡¯t have the patience. ¡°Get¡­¡± Her voice became louder and stronger as she continued, ¡°Get me a sword!¡± She didn¡¯t care whose sword it was. She didn¡¯t care what kind of sword it was. All she needed was a sword, any sword. All the knights surrounding her unsheathed their swords. The sounds of sharp metals rang throughout the hill. Surprised, Poliana looked around to realize that every single man had their swords drawn and ready for her. To show her respect, they held the sword backward to offer her the handle. This was the greatest deference a knight can show to another soldier. Poliana gritted her teeth. If this were a dream, she hoped that she would never wake up from it. ¡°Sir Pol! I sharpened my sword this morning!¡± ¡°Sir Pol! This is my family¡¯s sword! I brought it for you especially!¡± ¡°Sis! Please pick your brother¡¯s sword!¡± ¡°Pol! You know I have the best sword here, right?¡± ¡°Boss! Don¡¯t forget about us!¡± ¡°Boss! You must pick the sword of the Second Division guard! Don¡¯t pick the one from the First Division! We made a bet with them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair! That¡¯s cheating!¡± ¡°Bastards!¡± Every man had their sword ready for her. Every man here was fighting for her to pick his sword. Every man wanted to help her just because she asked for it. As Poliana listened to them argue, she couldn¡¯t believe her own ears. She couldn¡¯t understand what was happening here. It was no wonder because, in the past, everyone refused to give her their sword. This change was too shocking. There were too many swords to choose from. The best knights of the kingdom were holding their swords and surrounding her, but Poliana didn¡¯t feel any fear. They were all here for her. Then suddenly, Poliana saw that it wasn¡¯t just the knights that were here. She saw Vaxi, Vanessa, Cekel, Tory, Stra, and some scribes who were her close friends. If she refused the emperor today, it was going to make a legendary story. Of course, Poliana had no intention of doing such a thing. ¡°¡­¡± While every knight was trying to get Poliana¡¯s attention, Sir Ainno was the only one who remained quiet. He, however, also had his sword unsheathed and ready to be taken by her. When their eyes met, Sir Ainno smirked at her. He said to her, ¡°Family sword and legendary sword¡­ They are all meaningless. The best sword is the one that is held by the best knight.¡± ¡®Oh, you jerk.¡¯ Sir Ainno was acting like he was confident she was going to choose his sword. Just where did such confidencee from? Turning away from him, Poliana finally picked her adopted brother Sir Donau¡¯s sword. She was annoyed that he fooled her and led her to this situation, but now wasn¡¯t the time to punish him. She was going to do thatter. Sir Donau, happy to be chosen, bowed deeply and helped her hold his sword. Poliana stabbed the ground with the sword so it stood on its own. She then kneeled alongside and dered, ¡°I will never betray you. I will never fail and always protect my honor. I will spend the rest of my life serving you. I will enter the gates of hell and fire for my emperor. I will fight for you. I, Sir Poliana Winter, swear my loyalty to your highness.¡± ¡°I, Lucius the First, as the emperor of Acreia, am the man who is going to create a world where a woman does not need to apologize for giving birth to a daughter.¡± Poliana looked up at the emperor. Her eyes were filled with determination as she replied, ¡°I will never leave your side, your highness! I will forever stay with you and fight with you. As long as you allow me, I will remain your knight until I die!¡± ¡°That is not true, Winter. Even if I don¡¯t allow you, you will always be my knight¡± Lucius the First waved and smiled at her a little awkwardly. It was obvious that he was nervous. He said to her, ¡°So rise, Pol. It is now my turn to kneel.¡± Poliana stood up and this time, Lucius the First kneeled on the ground. Because the grass was wet, his pants became wet, but he didn¡¯t care. He asked for her hand. ¡°I told you once before. Sir Pol, you are enough just as you are. In fact, you are perfect the way you are now. That means you shouldn¡¯t have to change your name. Pol, you are the perfect partner for me. Your existence makes me breathe andugh.¡± This was the happiest moment in Poliana¡¯s life. The man kneeling before her looked up at her like she was the most precious thing in this world. ¡°Again, I ask you. Poliana Winter, will you marry me?¡± Lucius the First kissed the back of her hand and offered her a small box. Inside was a ring that was unusually big. ¡°It was my father¡¯s ring. You can wear it over your gauntlet.¡± Only There could be no gift more perfect than this. Poliana gritted her teeth so she wouldn¡¯t cry. This was the happiest day, so she didn¡¯t want to show any tears. Poliana nodded and put her hand on top of his as she replied, ¡°Your highness. My beloved, will you marry me?¡± ¡°You will make me the happiest man.¡± Lucius the First put the ring on Poliana¡¯s finger. It was obviously too big but Poliana knew it would fit perfectly over her gauntlet. The people around her threw flower petals at them. Sir Donau and Sir Howe kissed their wives happily. The other knights, watching the happy couples, wished they brought their own wives. Sir Ainno tried to kiss Cekel but she kicked his knee. When he looked upset, Cekel sighed and closed her eyes, and nodded. Sir Ainno smiled happily. The emperor¡¯s personal scribe Momo couldn¡¯t help his tears, but his hands continued to move quickly. He was writing down everything that was happening today. This would make the greatest love story of the century. Stra smiled brightly while Tory dabbed her eyes daintily. The emperor kissed the knightess. They became a good couple. They were husband and wife, but this didn¡¯t change the fact that they were still the emperor and the knightess. Chapter 360: Epilogue – Epilogue Chapter 360 In the capital city Yapa¡¯s royal castle, the innermost area was where the emperor¡¯s public office is located. This was where he held official meetings with the noblemen. Inside this ce, there are manyrge paintings that fill the walls. They were mostly the painting of various events in history. The one on the main wall is the painting of the emperor¡¯s wedding. This painting was unusually big and detailed. It was so meticulously done that one could see each face of all the spectators. The number of paints, effort, time, and the number of painters it took to create this masterpiece was considered to be the greatest in the history of Acreia. As one would expect, the emperor¡¯s wedding was extravagant and luxurious. Lucius the First was beautiful as usual, but everyone was shocked once again to see his radiance on this day. His wless skin, his golden hair, his bright eyes, and his perfect body¡­ It seemed that no one could ever get used to his incredible beauty and elegance. The bride, who was supposed to be the flower of the wedding, appeared wearing her armor. When someone mentioned how a bride should be wearing a dress, Poliana replied, ¡°But the tradition dictates that the bride wears the most expensive outfit she owns right? I am only following this rule.¡± Indeed, the bride was right. It was true that the bride was supposed to wear the most expensive outfit in her closet and it was also true that the metal armor, which was gifted to her by the emperor himself, was the most expensive outfit she owned. It was further adorned by being painted with white gold and jeweled with various precious stones. It was possibly the most expensive armor that was ever made. Because it was the bride that was wearing it, everyone seemed to be in awe and difort. If the emperor wore it, people would¡¯ve openly admired it. Just as he promised, Lucius the First put the wedding ring over his bride¡¯s gauntlet. No expense was spared for this event. It was a luxurious and extravagant wedding, but rather than being known for how beautiful it was, this wedding was forever going to be remembered as the strangest event in Acreian history. The painting, whenpleted, was the talk of the town. ¡°Those royal painters should be ashamed of what they did. This painting is supposed to be an urate representation of the true event.¡± ¡°This is¡­ wrong. This isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Actually, I think I can understand why they did this¡­ I mean, she is the very first empress of this continent, so it would be too sad if the painters painted the truth¡­ You know what she looks like¡­ The painters obviously had no choice.¡± ¡°Then they should¡¯ve just drawn a helmet over her face rather than lie about it!¡± ¡°But that didn¡¯t happen, so the painting would be inurate. She didn¡¯t wear a helmet so how would they be able to draw it in?¡± ¡°¡­look at the empress¡¯s face on that painting. Do you think that is urate?¡± Poliana Winter. The enemy knightess who was caught by the emperor. The knightess who betrayed her own kingdom to serve Lucius the First. Even as the foreigner and a female, the knightess who became the marquess and eventually the first empress of Acreia. There was no doubt that Poliana Winter was going to be the most remembered female figure in Acreian history. This meant that the royal painters had the obligation to paint as urately as possible, but¡­ They just could not make themselves paint Poliana urately. This was especially the case because standing next to her was the beautiful Lucius the First, So they changed her features a little. Just a little bit. They straightened her twisted nose a little. They made her eyes look a littlerger and slimmed down her manly chiseled cheekbones. They rounded her harsh face a little and painted her cheeks pink. They also made her skin look brighter and clearer. When Lucius the First saw the finished product, he was furious. ¡°It looks like I married another woman!¡± But Poliana understood how tormented the painters must¡¯ve been. To appease the emperor and make the painters feel less guilty, they decided to paint a portrait of Poliana. Normally, when an important figure such as a royal member of a nobleman, the portrait tended to be painted subjectively based on the painter¡¯s discretion. The more powerful the figure was, the more beautiful the portrait turned out to be. It would¡¯ve been normal, even expected, for the portrait of the empress to be beautified, but Poliana ordered, ¡°You need to paint me truthfully.¡± Because a personal portrait was usually enhanced dramatically, the wedding painting would¡¯ve been expected to provide a more urate face of the empress than her portrait. So what will the future generation think when they see how Poliana looked much uglier on her personal portrait than the wedding painting? Either they were going to say that the painter who painted the portrait must¡¯ve hated the empress or that Empress Poliana Winter was truly an unattractive woman. Only Poliana, however, thought that byparing her portrait to that of the emperor, the future generation would realize what a beautiful man Lucius the First was. *** Poliana groaned as she stretched her arms. She ended up resigning as the head of the Second Division. The Second Division was responsible for the protection of the royal family, and now that she became part of this family, it didn¡¯t make sense to protect herself. So instead, she was reassigned to the head of the Third Division, which was responsible for protecting the Yapa castle and the surrounding area. It was a big job as it involved providing security for the entire capital city. Because they were so short-handed, Sir Jainno and Sir Wook, who were the heads of the Second Division, weed Poliana with open arms. To rece Poliana, Sir Mahogal became the head of the Second Division. Sir Mahogal, happy to have left Sir Ainno¡¯s grasp in the First Division, apparently cried for three days straight. The position of the second-inmand of the First Division was given to Sir Beke. Although he wasn¡¯t the best fighter, the guards of the First Division were notoriously unruly so it was decided that Sir Beke, who was considered a logical and sensible man, would be perfect for the job. It also helped that Sir Beke was Sir Ainno¡¯s brother-inw. There was no way any knight would ever dare to disobey Sir Beke knowing how Sir Ainno coulde after them. Sir Ainno, after bing a father of a daughter, finally received his title and became Duke Seki. The story of what Sir Ainno¡¯s face looked like when he saw his daughter for the first time was a popr one. Unfortunately, Poliana didn¡¯t get to witness this in person, but she heard that Sir Ainno cried. Sir Jainno wasughing so hard when he told Poliana the story. Apparently, Sir Ainno¡¯s usually grumpy face was gone, and his lips trembled for the longest time. Polianaughed hard when she heard the story too. It was a story she knew she would never forget. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 After a productive workday, Poliana returned home and was greeted by two children. ¡°Poli~!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Poliana picked up Princess Luminae with one hand and Gerald with the other. Because they were getting big, Poliana could only pick them up for a few seconds, but the childrenughed excitedly. Princess Luminae was heavier than Gerald because she carried a sack that was filled with various items she picked up from everywhere. Gerald was wearing an alligator hide. Poliana said to her son, ¡°Gerald Winter, you know how that hide will shock your father! Take it off right now.¡± ¡°Mother, I am going to be her highness¡¯s alligator dog when I grow up! Woof woof!¡± Gerald barked a few times like a dog and ran in circles. Poliana and the maids asked him to stop, but he refused. Princess Luminae, the heir to the throne, held her forehead as if dizzy and said to Poliana, ¡°He has been doing that all day today. Hey, Gerry, you need to stop.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness! Woof woof!¡± ¡°See?¡± Princess Luminae said to Poliana as she shook her head in resignation. Poliana, knowing how her husband hated reptiles, decided to get rid of this alligator hide as soon as possible before the emperor got home. Princess Luminae sighed, ¡°Duke Seki came by today and watched Gerry practicing his sword. Since then, Gerry has been acting like that.¡± ¡°Duke Seki came by?¡± ¡°Yes. Sir Mahogal asked him toe by.¡± ¡°Woof woof! Woof woof woof!¡± ¡°Gosh, you are so noisy! Gerry, fetch!¡± Princess Luminae, annoyed how Gerald was interrupting their conversation, took out a ball from her sack and threw it. Gerald, excited, ran after it immediately. Princess Luminae looked genuinely concerned and asked Poliana, ¡°He won¡¯t really bring the ball back in his mouth, will he?¡± ¡°I am sure he will bring it back in his hand. Your brother isn¡¯t that stupid.¡± So Duke Seki visited today? Poliana wanted to talk to Sir Mahogal. After excusing herself, Poliana left Princess Luminae to talk to the knight. Sir Mahogal exined to Poliana, ¡°Prince Gerald has a true talent.¡± ¡°Gerald? Even though he is my son?¡± ¡°Yes, even though he is your highness¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± When Poliana seemed unconvinced, Sir Mahogal continued, ¡°Duke Seki said so.¡± Duke Seki. He was the man who imed he was the strongest and best man in the world. He was the man who dered that everyone else in the world was weakpared to him. In a word, he was a jerk. So if Duke Seki said that her son had a talent for swordsmanship, then¡­ Poliana gasped in surprise. It seemed that although she wasn¡¯t gifted with this talent, her son was going to be spared. ¡°F*ck¡­ I mean, good.¡± Poliana, the empress of Acreia, coughed to hide her reaction and asked Sir Mahogal, ¡°So the reason why Gerald is insisting on bing the alligator dog is¡­¡± ¡°Duke Seki apparently told the prince that he should be the head of the First Division when he grows up, and you know the symbol of the Knight¡¯s Order is the alligator dog.¡± ¡°I assume Duke Seki gave him the alligator hide then.¡± Sir Mahogal nodded silently. It was obvious what happened. Duke Seki most likely brought the hide to scare the emperor. When he saw Gerald¡¯s talent, he probably gave the hide to the boy. Lucius the First and Duke Seki were both fathers, but it seemed that they would never tire of teasing each other. After her conversation with Sir Mahogal, Poliana returned to her quarters and saw the brother and sister pouring over something. She walked to them and realized that they were looking at the map of the continent Poliana gave to Princess Luminae on her seventh¡¯s birthday. This map was created by all the information Poliana gathered from trusted sources. It was the first sample of what was going to be aprehensive military map of Acreia. Although it was only a first draft, it was urately made with all the roads, waterways, and cities marked in detail. It wasn¡¯t the kind of thing that should be shown to everyone, but it seemed that Princess Luminae has been carrying it around in her sack. ¡®I am going to ask her not to do that.¡¯ If she told Princess Luminae not to do this right now in front of her younger brother, it was going to weaken the future heir to the throne¡¯s authority in front of Gerald. Poliana decided to talk to the princesster in private. Meanwhile, the two children continued to chat seriously. ¡°So thend up to this ocean and the ocean itself is all mine.¡± ¡°Your highness, what about the inds over here?¡± ¡°Those are someone else¡¯snds.¡± ¡°Your highness, your loyal subject Gerald Winter will conquer those inds for you!¡± Poliana covered her mouth to hide herugh. Because the children lived in the castle, the way they talked was too mature and formal for their ages sometimes. Princess Luminae replied, ¡°There is no need, Gerry. When I be the next ruler, you will be busy taking care of those who oppose me just because I am a woman.¡± There was no need for Gerald to go all the way south. In about 20 years, their powerful cousins, Marin and Martin, were going to take care of everything anyway. Gerald insisted, ¡°But that would be Park¡¯s job.¡± Park was Duke Luzo¡¯s son. For the first time during their conversation, Princess Luminae became angry, ¡°Why do you call Park by his name, but you call me your highness?! Why won¡¯t you call me by my name?¡± ¡°You are your highness and my sister, but it would be too hard for you to be both. So just be your highness!¡± ¡°No! I am going to be both! So you be both as well! You be my brother and my loyal subordinate!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too hard!¡± Gerald insisted that since Princess Luminae was going to be the next ruler, he was going to serve her as such beginning now. Luminae, on the other hand, was always annoyed that Gerald refused to call her his sister. This was an ongoing fight between the brother and the sister. Only But they were only children for now. Just as they began to fight, they quickly began tough and y together again. Poliana ushered them to their rooms for bedtime. When Gerald was in his bed, Poliana said to him, ¡°Gerald, if it¡¯s too hard for you to be both all the time, you can alternate. Since you were her loyal subordinate today, you can be her brother Gerry tomorrow.¡± ¡°What if I be her subordinate again tomorrow?¡± ¡°Then you can be her brother for two days after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Gerald finally nodded and fell asleep. Poliana caressed his forehead gently. Thanks to the changes to the legal system, a woman could now inherit family title and wealth. Only the first-born son used to be able to inherit everything, but now, the firstborn, no matter whether it was a male or female, was to inherit everything. People often asked Poliana if she felt disappointed that her own blood son wasn¡¯t going to be the next emperor. The child of another woman was going to take over the throne, so did Poliana feel unhappy about it? Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Poliana¡¯s answer was always the same. Not at all. This was just her opinion and not Gerald¡¯s, and Poliana did feel apologetic about it. But thankfully, Gerald seemed to have no desire to be the next emperor. Of course, he might change his mind as he became older, but for now, his goal in life was bing Princess Luminae¡¯s alligator dog. When he grows up and he bes upset about not bing the next emperor, Poliana would tell him to me her. It was just a bit of unfortunate luck on his end that he was born to a marquess. Next, Poliana went to Princess Luminae¡¯s bedroom. The little girl was already in bed and ready to go to sleep. She said to Poliana, ¡°Good night, Poli.¡± ¡°Lumi, you can¡¯t show that map I gave you to just anyone.¡± The map was just too important to be given to a child. All Poliana wanted to do was to show Luminae thend she was going to rule one day, but now, Poliana regretted her decision. Princess Luminae contemted for a moment before nodding, ¡°I agree that I made a mistake. But I won¡¯t apologize for it since I will be the next emperor.¡± ¡°I agree; the emperor must never apologize.¡± Princess Luminae looked up at Poliana and asked, ¡°Poli, why do you think Gerry doesn¡¯t call me Sister?¡± ¡°Because when you are a young boy, you think being different is cool. Most families have sisters and brothers, but they certainly don¡¯t have a future emperor and her subordinate.¡± ¡°But I would prefer him to call me Sister¡­ Besides, we are already different than the other families since we have differentst names.¡± ¡°I am sure he will start calling you Sister more and more from now on.¡± Poliana kissed Luminae¡¯s forehead and left the room. Luminae ir and Gerald Winter. After thew passed that allowed the women to inherit the family title, it also became possible for children to receive their mother¡¯s maiden name. A child could either take both parent¡¯sst names or choose one when older. Inheritancew was aplicated matter. Although a basic change was made, the paperwork was far from being over. It was still an ongoing process. It was going to take a lot of work from the poor schrs toplete this process. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Poliana sighed quietly, making sure no one heard her. She felt guilty that she took the throne away from Gerald. She also felt guilty that she was forcing the throne on Luminae. Thankfully, Princess Luminae was a greedy girl. It made sense since both of her parents were greedy people. One good thing was that since she was born with so much, she didn¡¯t have any desire to take other people¡¯s things away from them. However, she also refused to give up anything that was hers unless there was a good reason for it. This meant that Luminae was never going to give up the throne because as the first-born child of Lucius the First, it was her right to be the next emperor. Since she was going to be the first female ruler of this kingdom, Lucius the First insisted on making sure Luminae received the best education possible. He did not want her to be criticized in any way by the other noblemen. This meant that Princess Luminae¡¯s lessons were very strict. Some believed this was too cruel for a child, but Lucius the First was firm on his decision. Fortunately, Princess Luminae loved to learn. Her greed for knowledge was unmatched. Poliana shook her head, trying not to worry too much about the children and their futures. She just returned from work for the day, but her work was not over yet. In addition to being the head of the Third Division, she was also the empress, which involved much work. Baroness Leef managed the castle affairs instead of the empress herself, but Poliana still needed to hear the daily report. After telling Poliana a few things, Tory smiled, ¡°You look very tired.¡± ¡°There is too much work.¡± Poliana grumbled. Tory¡¯s situation was the same; there was no end to her work either. Tory stopped herself from slumping and replied, ¡°It¡¯s the same for me too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Baroness. I will get you more staff as soon as possible.¡± Technically, Tory was taking care of the things Poliana, as the empress, was supposed to do. Poliana stretched her arms again and thought of her past, which became her end-of-the-day habit. Poliana¡¯s life has been an average one. Of course, others may disagree, but to her, it felt like an ordinary one. One thing Poliana could say with confidence was that she worked hard, and she lived for herself. She believed she lived her life greedily, making everyone around her, including herself, work hard, and she was d to say that she felt happy. In romantic novels, a knightess was always forced to choose one life over the other. She could never have anything. In reality, this knightess also at first believed that her ambition was out of her reach. She thought she should not be so greedy. She thought she had to choose one thing over another. But then, her husband appeared and gave her the whole world. He told her she deserved everything in life. He was going to help her get everything she ever wanted. So Poliana decided to fight with him. They fought, are still fighting, and will continue to fight till the end. After the wedding, they haven¡¯t had a day of rest. Poliana sighed and asked Tory, ¡°I guess it will be another 10 years before I can take a break, right?¡± ¡°I think you might have to work like this forever.¡± ¡°We are probably the only emperor and the empress who work this hard in the world.¡± Well, there were only one emperor and one empress on this continent, but that wasn¡¯t the point. After Tory¡¯s report, Poliana finally went to her bedroom. Unlike her, who at least got to go outside to work, her husband was trapped inside the castle all day. ¡°Wee back, Wife.¡± ¡°Hello there, your highness.¡± He may have had dark circles that reached his lips, but Lucius the First still was the most beautiful man in the kingdom. When he saw his wife, the emperor brightened immediately. He saw Poliana every day, yet he always smiled whenever he saw her as if he hasn¡¯t seen her in a long time. Lucius the First was still falling in love with Poliana every day. The emperor was already in bed looking tired. Poliana began to massage his face for him and Lucius the First groaned like a tired middle-aged man. ¡®Well, I guess he is actually really a middle-aged man. He¡¯s so handsome that I keep forgetting that.¡¯ ¡°Does that feel good, your highness?¡± ¡°It does, mydy.¡± Lucius the First was overworked as usual, but it waspletely his fault. The emperor, however, did not regret his decision since it was for the woman he loved. Lucius the First wanted more than just a face massage from his wife. He wanted to get physical with her, but his body was so tired. The emperor has been feeling his agetely. He tried his best to keep in shape, but the amount of work he needed to do every day was too much for him. In the end, the emperor chose to do what he thought he never would do. He secretly asked Viceroy Bika to send him the white-tailed lizard to increase his stamina. Until then, all he could do was work out as much as possible. To be able to make love to Poliana, Lucius the First was willing to do, or eat, anything except for giving up his kingdom of course. If necessary, he was ready to eat an alligator alive. Lucius the First grabbed Poliana¡¯s hand and kissed it again and again. Poliana giggled and when her broken fingernail caused his lips to bleed, Poliana kissed his lips clean. Lucius the First, unable to control himself, whispered to her, ¡°Wife, I am a dangerous beast at the moment.¡± Only ¡°Me too, your highness, hehe.¡± The husband and wife undressed quickly. Didn¡¯t they say they were both tired? Yet they moved like they had all the energy in the world. Lucius the First whispered, ¡°If we get a third child¡­¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s healthy, it won¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°That was my exact thought, Pol.¡± They kissed passionately and Poliana¡¯s giggle filled the room. -The End. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!