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.”

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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 accusations had to be true. And they all had to admit that some of the crimes the elders and the noblemen committed 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 claimed that she was going to prove to everyone how lady-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 suffer later. Go right now.”

“But it is just a flesh wound; I didn’t hurt my bone.”

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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.

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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 her lady. 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 accusing 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.”

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“…”

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 talk later.”

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 emperor laughed 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 replaced 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.”

“And what is my wish?”

“Honestly, I’ll bet it will be easier than how it was with Marquess Winter. You must admit it.”

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The emperor knew that Sir Ainno was right. There could be nothing more difficult than a woman becoming 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.’

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His love for Poliana, a new bride-to-be, grew bigger day by day.

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***

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 accusation. 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.