11 CHAPTER X

The servants who were waiting on the Emperor, after hearing his words, was gaping in shock. The color on their faces instantaneously drained as they watched the unfolding scene before their eyes. The Emperor inside the Imperial Palace was one that is known to forbid others to even breathe after saying his forbidden name, and yet, here he was, gladly offering the lowly woman, one who was also a stranger, to call him by his name.

The one that they have been serving was far from the Emperor in front of their eyes, this one was too kind for their own good. Swallowing, they quickly tried to hide their shock, acting indifferent towards the confused and troubled gaze that the woman was throwing at them.

Celestine too, was in shock, her face, confused, evident in her gaping mouth and wide eyes. She was too afraid to talk, for she did not know what to actually call the Emperor now. Despite him asking her to call him by his name, even she knew that it was not her right, and she accepted that.

Thankfully for her, both of them were interrupted by three figures of tall, well-built men with unpleasant expressions.

The youngest one, out of the three was donned in robes of fine, black silk with a long sword which was also colored black, strapped towards his waist, perfectly complimenting his white as snow skin, stood upright just before the Emperor's back. To his left stood another man, who seems to be dressed as a strategic advisor, wearing a finely threaded gray robe, which was minimally designed, and to his right, to Celestine's surprise, was a man that she has known before.

"Brother, you're really making me mad, aren't you?" The youngest one said, his hands crossed over his chest as he huffed in irritation.

"I told you earlier right? Don't storm in without us, who knows what could have happened to you? You're not being careful!" He said, reprimanding the Emperor who was sitting, smiling slightly towards the man.

To her surprise, the man looked towards her, shooting her with sharp gazes—no, from that, it turned into shock, like he had seen a ghost.

"What is she—" He was interrupted by the man on his left who pulled the sleeve of his robe.

Immediately, he nodded and cleared his throat. As he left his gaze from her, hurriedly, with a wrinkled forehead, he grabbed the Emperor's wrist making him stand up from his previous sitting position in the bed.

"That woman, she's mad, right? Who knows what might have happened, seeing that she had the audacity to threaten that damned old man, not that I care though, she might have been struck with some unknown tendencies and suddenly stab you in the back, please be careful!" He said, looking at her suspiciously while once again, reprimanding the Emperor.

Celestine was more than shocked, his suspicions, far from her concern. What made her gape was the man's way of talking. He was actually reprimanding the Emperor!

But then, remembering how he addressed His Majesty, Celestine, as if understanding, slightly nodded her head.

That man was the Emperor's brother, meaning, he was also a part of the Royal Family.

She looked at them with wide eyes, seeing the uncanny resemblance within the three of them...they were, perhaps, triplets?

Finally understanding the current situation, Celestine bowed her head, deciding to give courtesy towards the men who have recently arrived in the room.

"Calm down, Desmond. Do not worry. As you can see, I'm perfectly fine, alright?" The Emperor said, smiling, patting his brother at his shoulder.

But Desmond only shook his head, not satisfied with his brother's behavior.

"For heaven's sake, Desidevious. You're the Emperor!" He shouted, stating the obvious. Seeing that his brother was about to talk back, he raised one of his eyebrows.

"Don't use that trump card against me, brother. I don't care whether you're older than me, it was only for five damn minutes! I'm just caring about you, that's all." He said, switching from his loud voice to his concerned one, which was also evident on his softened features.

The Emperor nodded his head in understanding, "Yes, I know, thank you, Desmond." He said sincerely.

Clearing his throat, one of the three men, who was seemingly dressed as an advisor interrupted.

"Desmond's right, Desidevious. You shouldn't have barged right inside here, who knows what type of casualties you may have faced? You even left your guards! Thankfully, Conrad was able to follow you earlier." The man said, his face full of concern yet his tone was reprimanding.

"Don't worry about me, brothers. I'm perfectly fine." The Emperor said, once again trying to reassure his brothers.

Seeing the scene in front of her, Celestine's shock turned into awe. These brothers, despite carrying the blood of the Royal Family, actually seem pretty normal. Just like normal people, they care about their family members, reprimanding if they went about on their own because they are afraid, and care about their safety.

And far from what she has heard from stories, these brothers don't look like those who are willing to shed their own flesh and blood just for the sake of the throne. They all look in favor of the current Emperor after all.

Hearing the bickering brothers in front of her made Celestine smile sadly. She remembered her good times with her sister. Despite them not being real sisters, not sharing even one drop of blood in similar, they cared for each other like a real family.

She could faintly remember from her memories from she was young, along with the sisters that were near her age, they would always play and train together. The old ones handing over their clothes yet at the same time, treating them with newly bought clothing, ones that fit their own desires.

Oh, how she missed the old times. That's why now, being in the presence of these brothers only made Celestine remember and deeply regret her last encounter with her family.

She can still remember as if it was bright as day, the sad faces that her mother and sisters made. Though the others who share the same opinion as Nesryn looked like they were okay and did not care about her going, she understood their feelings. After all, they worked hard in keeping the house in order.

But what made her heart ache in pain was remembering the hurt expression of her mother and sisters. Of course, they would indeed be hurt. It was because of her uncouth behavior. She lashed out towards her mother and pushed away her sisters who only wanted to give her comfort.

Her reminiscing was interrupted by a loud voice that was screaming her name, looking up, she realized that it was her friend, Meira.

"Celestine, heavens, are you okay?!" She shouted in concern as she ran towards her, seeing that her neck was covered with a handkerchief, all bloody.

Celestine, as if remembering that she actually had a wound, hissed as the pain finally resurfaced.

She actually forgot that she was wounded, most probably due to the mixed emotions that she has felt throughout.

"Yes, Meira. I'm fine, don't worry about me, but more importantly..." Her whispering voice trailed off as her eyes slowly went towards the wonderful visage of the man who was wearing a red and gold-colored robe in front of them.

Meira, who immediately recognized the intricate dragon design on the man's robe quivered in fear.

"Your Majesty, your humble subject deserves to die." She said, quickly kneeling and bowing her head deeply as she did not dare to face the Emperor.

The Emperor's brother was the one to talk, "Such a lowly woman. Couldn't even recognize that she was at the presence of the highest figure in the country." He spat, his words full of venom as he folded his arms in his chest, looking down at Meira.

Meira did not dare to move from her position. She has made a grave mistake. It was possible that she may not be able to see the light of another day.

The Emperor, however, only waved his hand towards his brother. "Don't be so harsh, Desmond. As you have seen earlier, she was probably only occupied by her deep concern towards her friend." He said, making his brother's knot their foreheads in confusion.

Even they were quite confused, seeing as to why their brother was being so lenient today. Raising their brows, they gave each other a look.

"Rise." The Emperor said, facing Meira who was kneeling.

Meira, with her shaky knees, slowly stood up from her position, still not daring to lift her sight towards the Emperor's face.

"Do not worry. Please see to it that you tend towards her." He said, before fixing sight towards Celestine who could only look down in return.

Chuckling, he removed his gaze from her and turned towards his brother. "Very well. I know that we have matters to discuss." He began, once again returning to his serious aura.

In understanding, Desmond and Demetrius also stood upright, mimicking the change in their brother's behavior.

The two women could only gape in awe. In such a short moment, the three men had immediately been able to change their aura. Indeed, they were suited to be royalty.

"Jean." The Emperor said, calling out the man's name.

The two of them gave each other a meaningful look, seemingly understanding each other just through their eyes.

"Your Majesty." Jean said, nodding in return.

As the both of them exchanged glances with their own hidden messages, with one final look towards Celestine, the Emperor waved his hand towards his subjects.

"Let's go." He announced briefly yet his voice was one that was full of authority.

His voice, though not loud, rang over each of the people's ears.

Celestine looked towards the leaving figure of the Emperor, only to change her look of sight once he was gone.

As the Emperor left, a physician immediately rushed towards Celestine.

Meira also helped the physician in tending her wounds.

"Does it hurt?" She asked. Despite not her being the one who is wounded, she looked like she was the one who was in pain, with her tears building up from her eyes as she looked at her friend.

Celestine smiled at her in return. "Don't worry, Meira. I'm fine" She said reassuringly, holding her friend by the hand to calm her down.

"I told you... Why did you even try to do that? You almost lost your life." Meira said, sobbing. She remembered what happened earlier in the morning. She was so worried, and yet, she couldn't do anything for she was locked inside Celestine's room, only to be freed by another servant who heard her shout.

She was so shocked when she saw her friend bleeding to the point that she never realized that they were in the presence of the Emperor. Thankfully, the Emperor was kind enough to understand. She was blessed to be able to live despite showing such rudeness towards the highest figure in the country.

"Luckily, her wound wasn't so deep. I believe that nothing vital has been damaged in her throat, but just to be sure, I advise you to try not to move constantly, as not to irritate the wound, and for it to heal fast." The physician said, after bandaging her neck.

The news made both Celestine and Meira sigh in relief.

"I will be giving you some medicine to avoid infection and natural pain killers as to not hinder you too much due to pain." The physician continued.

Celestine smiled, "Thank you." She said.

Both Celestine and Meira bowed their head in gratefulness towards the Physician, who bowed to them in return before leaving.

Turning her head towards her friend, Meira asked, "What will happen now?" She asked, with pure concern on her face.

Celestine who was about to reply was interrupted by a man clearing his throat.

The both of them looked towards the source. It was Jean.

"Jean! What are you doing here?" Celestine asked, recognizing her first guest.

Smiling at her, Jean greeted Celestine before answering, "I'm one of the Emperor's...brother, Celestine." He said, informing her of his real status.

Celestine's eyes widened in shock. Somehow, seeing Jean near the Emperor and his brothers, she knew that he must have had some kind of position in the Royal Family, and she was right, however, she was still shocked to hear it come directly from his mouth.

"You're a prince?" She asked with gaping eyes. However, the man only looked at her as he smiled sadly, "It's...it's complicated." He said.

Both of them went quiet. Celestine looked at him understandably. Just as she was about to raise her hand to pat him in comfort, he talked.

"I...I want to apologize to you, Celestine." Jean suddenly said, earning a confused gaze from her.

"Why? You have done nothing wrong." Celestine said, remembering their first encounter. Indeed, she could not remember anything that was worth apologizing for.

"May we speak in private?" Jean asked Celestine while throwing an apologetic glance towards Meira.

Hearing his request, Meira nodded her head in understanding.

"I will leave the both of you to talk." She said, bowing her head towards Jean and giving Celestine a concerned look before leaving the room.

It was now just the two of them.

The cold wind once again circulated throughout the room.

"About all of these matters, we may have involuntarily caused you all of these." Jean started, further deepening Celestine's confusion.

She did not talk and only looked at Jean encouragingly.

Heaving a deep sigh, Jean started his story.

"I was your first guest, right?" He asked, in which Celestine nodded.

"I was not supposed to be your first, Celestine." He confessed. "It was originally supposed to be Roux." He continued.

Celestine knotted her forehead. "Roux?" She voiced out.

"Yes." Jean said, nodding. "But I manipulated through his reservation, therefore resulting in me being the first one to receive your services." He revealed.

Celestine thought deeply of what Jean said to her, and then, she remembered what Roux said during their encounter.

"That wretched man. I was supposed to be your first! I waited. I did everything that I could, and yet, you got snatched away from me!"

And then, she remembered her sister's, Corvina's words.

"You see, that man has been vising our establishment for a while now, it started for a few months before your appointment. It seems like he has taken a liking towards you."

One by one, Celestine finally understood what has been happening to her.

Trying to keep herself calm, she faced Jean. "Was all of this planned?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes.

"No! No, Celestine. It may have looked like that, but you are wrong." Jean answered truthfully.

"Then explain." Celestine said, fully emphasizing her words. She wanted to know the truth.

"You see, His Majesty has ordered me to lead his plan against Ronald, the Governor of Maylea. We have found out that he was a big-time corrupt official who has been using the money that was intended for the expansion of the trading port of Maylea for his own wealth, thus, resulting in this current situation." Jean began, carefully observing each of the changes in Celestine's expression.

"If that's the case, why did I need to be involved?" Celestine asked, seeing that she had no connection or whatsoever towards Ronald's wrongdoing.

"Well, we have also suspected his son, Roux to be part of the corruption, given that he was the one who was managing the finances of the city. After we figured out that he had taken a liking towards you, we have decided that it would be best to be able to cause a disruption in his work, thus, resulting in me, manipulating his reservation to be your first guest." Jean further explained, but after seeing the still confused face of Celestine, he continued.

"The initial plan was just to make him lose his cool, however, we failed to predict that he will be doing all the things that he has done to you. That is why, I am here to sincerely apologize." He said, bowing, "I'm sorry, Celestine." He continued.

Celestine looked at Jean who was bowing his head. She could not talk, as she was still digesting the information that was thrown at her. Of course, she wanted to get angry, but then, remembering the events earlier, she knew that anger will bring her nowhere.

She was grateful towards the Emperor, who made her remember that she was wrong, despite having the right will.

Sighing, she urged Jean to stand up. Looking at his eyes, she smiled.

"I accept your apology, Jean." She said sincerely. Thinking about it, it wasn't entirely his fault, nor his plan's fault. It was still the fault of both the father and son duo.

"Besides, they were the ones who did the things that they did. It was not in your control. And you having a plan against them doesn't change the fact that they have done something wrong, in their own accord." Celestine said, keeping her head clear.

As she told those words to Jean, even she was lightened up. Indeed, she was used as a pawn against Ronald and Roux but then again, it's not like Jean had control over their actions.

"But then, how did the Emperor know that Ronald was doing such acts?" Celestine asked, curious.

Smiling, Jean answered her, "His Majesty is indeed gifted. Even before the reports have reached him, he had already set his eyes towards Ronald. The reports only serving as the trigger point to push through according to his plans." He said, truly delighted that he chose to vow his loyalty towards his cousin.

He remembered the time when the Emperor has faced a defeat in battle. Instead of pushing through a crushing defeat, he chose to retreat and be patient. Until now, he was still waiting for the right time to once again indulge in a battle, making sure that he wins.

Jean's beaming face also made Celestine smile. If he was elated to be serving the Emperor, then he must have truly possessed great qualities of a leader.

Once again, Celestine remembered their encounter earlier.

"You can call me Desidevious."

Remembering the deep, charismatic yet oozing with authority voice of His Majesty, Celestine's face unknowingly blushed.

She has acted rude towards him, yet, he was kind enough to set her back into her place, not just by their social standing but by also making her remember what she truly believes in, and what was right.

Remembering the kindness that the Emperor has shown her, Celestine cannot help but wish, deep in her heart, for their paths to cross once more.