Chapter 30: Curiosity

Their conversation didn't last long since Lucius chased them away,Ria was eating the cookie that was brought by the maids while Lucius drank another wine,the room was silent and sir El was now feeling anxious as the two didn't spoke "was their suggestion intriguing" he ask "what do you mean your majesty" Ria "going outside that is" the way he spoke felt like he was trying to confine her and was obsessive,ria twitch her eyebrows

'that sentence could lead to misunderstanding' she thought and sigh "well i do like the capital and would like to tour it again however if you do not wish me to go out then I won't" she said and lucius stared at her "you can but not today,you seem to be fine on dealing with the assassins on your own, why don't you let your knight do their job" he changed the subject "so you knew" "there's nothing that i won't know when it's in my domain" he replied "then may i ask how they get inside my barrier and yours" "they brought a talisman that can deflect any magic so they are free to roam around the palace though the talisman cannot last long when the magic of a person is strong so they can only enter the barrier for a few minutes and will be lost again" he said

"Ah i didn't know there was such things" "there are a lot of things that you don't know especially the works of the magic tower"Lucius "was the grand duke older than you" she suddenly ask and Lucius smirk knowing her thoughts "he's the child of the empress and older than me" "but didn't you killed your brothers" "hah that's so silly, i only killed the older one and the rest fled and are alive, why are you curious being curious about my family" he ask and ria looked away from his smiling face

"Well the imperial family is twisted and mysterious"ria "isn't it normal even the nobles are even fighting for power, families that held power and authority aren't normal princess" he said "hmm"Ria didn't say a word and just agreed "i enjoyed the dessert but i'll be taking my leave your majesty" she stood and bowed, Lucius just nods but ask her before she went out "you seem to have no complains nor problem marrying me,im glad your not putting a fight" he said ria just smiled

"I sold myself to you your majesty so i have no rights to complain whatever you plan to do with me I'll accept it as long as i can be useful to the empire's sun" she said and took her leave,sir el opened the door and ria walks away from the palace, though she said it confidently she was still in pain n accepting her reality,Sir Gerald and sir Paul followed her way back to the palace and as she walk by at the palace hall she encountered a woman with white colored hair and dawn like colored eyes, she was beautiful but looking cold,ria stops when the lady glared and came near her

"Who are you" she ask suddenly with her a mad tone 'how rude' ria thought "lady stella your being rude to the princess"sir Gerald coldly said so she stared with such emotionless eyes and bowed "I didn't know that you were a princess forgive me your highness" she said but her face was like someone whose eyeing on a prey "but may i ask where you came from the sol palace is the place of the emperor and nobody shall enter it without the emperor's permission" she said so ria sigh

"Astria Faith Felice, princess of the felice kingdom and as you said Lady stella no one can enter the sol palace without the emperor's permission so i should guess that you already know who allowed me to enter the sol palace" ria said in a cold tone as well,the lady stiffen as she heard the name Astria,it was the name of the princess who was being the hot topic of the empire,as she was being nominated as the empress and would wed the emperor though the exact date of the wedding was unknown it was very clear that the emperor will marry the princess and sooner she'll be introduced to the society

Lady stella was unable to say another word so ria decided to leave "I'll be going then"she walk pass through her "who was she sir Gerald" ria ask when they were a bit far "lady stella Aser the youngest daughter of count aser also she's one of the woman that his majesty had associated since she's very clever in doing business,she fell in love with His majesty but he rejected her, they were lines that his majesty putted so she should know her place that's why she must be in agony hearing his marriage" he explained "it's best if you avoid her your highness" he added

"Hmm" "btw how old was his majesty when he sat on the throne" she suddenly ask "why do you ask princess"Sir Paul spoke "well isn't he young so how old was he when he took over the throne" she said "well he is young so im curious as well"sir paul replied and they stared at sir Gerald "uh well I'm not really sure about his exact age but he was around 19 years old when he killed the former emperor and it took him 2 years to safely sat on the throne after he won the war um so he's about 4 years right he's been the emperor for only 4 years" he happily said as he solved his age

"He's too young" sir Paul "yes he is but why aren't you feeling remorseful towards him sir paul he killed his father which you served for many years" ria ask as they walk "i don't feel remorseful or resented him,i did serve the emperor but it was only a job we don't have any special relationship nor any closeness and it was his fault princess,he shouldn't have fall inlove and do some immoral and crazy things to his family and the queen was a very wise and kind person she showed too much kindness that i would even join her son in killing the emperor, he became a fool and trash that needee to be disposed" he said

"The emperor had done a great job disposing the trash and i like the 3rd prince if it wasn't for his lust in conquering the world and waging war at our kingdom I wouldn't have dislike him but he did so i don't like him" he said the old man was really talkative and ria was now more eager to learn about the emperor. It was said that the former emperor had loved a commoner and he was a fool to let her lover killed the queen, because of this the prince avenge the queen and killed the emperor however the concubine and her children escape,the prince was determined to kill them but from what i heard Lucius was being busy because many kingdom tried to take over the empire,he was young so they thought they could win against him

Though that was the story that i heard from the maids I started to understand him a bit but i was more curious if the former emperor was really in love or was he being controlled, since he was praised for being a good ruler how could he changed for a woman