Chapter 73 - Grand Celebration I

"You're here. You sure took your time," Said Henry. His eyes were fixed on the mirror, fixing his tie. Then turned his back only to be stunned by her appearance. His mouth slightly opened, blinking a few times, and said, "I take my word back. The wait is worth it."

Henry walked towards Emelia and felt something was missing from her. Her dress looked breathtaking, but her neck was missing a necklace. He asked, "Where is the necklace I bought you? Why aren't you wearing it?"

"I didn't like it, so I threw it away," Answered Emelia, turning her back as she took a few steps away from Henry.

"Threw it? Don't you know how much that necklace costs?" He glared at her. Knowing Henry is a money lover. Emelia didn't care about wasting his money on something she didn't ask for. 

"Then what necklace do you want? I can buy it for you," Said Henry, calling his assistant to note it down.

"It's costly. Are you sure you can afford it?" Taunted Emelia while the corners of her lips slightly rose. She crosses her arms, looking at her fingernail, "I doubt you can find it."

Costly? Now that he has an empire in his hands, he can do anything. Change the law, buy expensive jewelry and manors. Basically, everything in this empire belonged to him. He walked towards Emelia and pulled her hair from behind.

"I dare you to say that again," Taunted Henry as he pulled her hair harder. Emelia didn't resist and looked at him in the eyes despite being in an uncomfortable position. She laughed out loud, scaring Henry and a few other servants.

"Can you afford it?" Asked Emelia for the nth time, triggering Henry. He pushed Emelia towards the wall, which she collided with, and fell onto the ground. The servants went to help Emelia, but Henry pushed them away.

"If any dares to help her again, consider yourself dead," Henry looks at the servant who ran out of the room for his life. Emelia stood up, touching her cheek, glaring at Henry, who felt intimated by her glare.

Those pair of emerald eyes looked as if they were glowing. Not fearing anything that would come her way, even if it was her death. Even if Henry continues to abuse her, Emelia knew he wouldn't have the guts to kill her because he liked her...no loved her.

"S-someone do something about her face. She can't go in the ballroom looking like that," Stuttered Henry, pulling his tie-down and pulling it back up.

The small maid from earlier walked towards Emelia, wiping her face with a piece of cloth. She looked angered but at the same time didn't say anything because it would risk her own life. Emelia saw the expression on her face, and without thinking, she cupped her hand to the maid's cheek.

"Don't worry. This isn't enough to hurt me," Whispered Emelia, gently smiling at the maid who nodded her head.

For some reason, Emelia felt she had met this maid, but her memory doesn't remember. Unless the maid is someone she had met before losing her memories.

After a few minutes of preparations, it was time for them to enter the ballroom. Emelia felt someone slipping a note in her hand, and when she looked who it was to see the maid from earlier. The expression from the maid's face drastically changed from soft to deadly.

Emelia stood in front of the door and looked side to side before opening the note. It said, "We'll be protecting you from afar. We will meet soon but not just yet." When Emelia turned her head, finding the maid from earlier, she was no longer to be found in the room.

"Are you ready?" Asked Henry while Emelia crumped the piece of paper and didn't answer him. Henry clicked his tongue, asking, "Are you deaf? I asked if you are ready? Such a simple question can't be answered?"

Henry pulled Emelia's arm, wrapping it around his arms. He looked at her for the last time and whispered, "Don't you dare do something stupid."

"Don't worry. I'm not that stupid…maybe," Smiled Emelia as the doors to the ballroom open. Henry didn't have time to say anything else to Emelia and walked to his chair.

The moment they entered the ballroom, the noblemen and women gasped, surprised to see Emelia walking alongside Henry. She didn't smile or wave her hands. All she did was ignore their gazes as she sat on the chair where everyone could see them. The walk to her seat felt long, but it was just a short walk. 

"Isn't that Princess Emelia? Wasn't she dead?"

"What's with this nonsense? Did the Emperor lie to us? I don't understand."

"Greetings to everyone. I want to thank each one of you for coming to his grand celebration. The celebration of our freedom," Henry raised his goblet that was handed earlier. He looked at Emelia, telling her to stand up and raise her cup. She didn't have any choice but to follow. "The woman standing beside me is the future Empress of the Redodel Empire, my wife. And yes, she is Princess Emelia."

"She disappeared and came back to get the throne? How despicable. If His Majesty didn't find the original crown, things would have ended for us," Muttered a noblewoman to another.

"Wasn't she dead? That's what I heard from my father."

The noblemen and women continued to mutter while Henry continued, "For safety purposes. We decided not to reveal that Princess Emelia was still alive. That's because she had just recently awoken from a coma."

Emelia rolled her eyes while looking down the ground. Until now, Emelia still hasn't believed she was asleep for a year and a half. Who would when no one would tell her the exact date. There wasn't anyone in the palace which she could ask. They were all scared of Henry.

When Henry cleared his throat, Emelia looked at him, eyeing her to say a few words to the nobles. Emelia looked in front of her and said, "I hope to see you noblemen and women treat my future wife with care. It looks like my Empress is tired. Please enjoy the night," Henry drank from his goblet and sat on his throne.

"I'm going to take a rest," Emelia told Henry which he stopped her. His arms extended, gripping her wrist. Emelia looks at his hand then back at him, "My head does actually hurt," Lied Emelia, shrugging his hand off her wrist. 

"I want to be alone," Said Emelia, leaving the ballroom without any escorts around her.

Emelia didn't think twice and made her way somewhere far from the ballroom, or anywhere the people were. Her two feet dragged herself to the gardens, the place she wished to go during the day than night.

But it didn't matter anymore. Emelia closes her eyes, feeling the cold wind touching her skin. Her heart ached as she opened her eyes, landing on the stars. A flash appeared in the sky, dashing and not to be seen in a second. 

It was her first time seeing a shooting star and what they said was to make a wish. But is there a point in making a wish? Emelia felt there is no need to believe in wishes that won't come true. 

"Did you make a wish?" Emelia turned her back after hearing a man's voice. When she turned her back, she sees a dark brown-haired man, standing behind her. The smile on her lips vanished as she asked, "Who are you?"

The man scratched the back of his head, muttering something Emelia couldn't hear. "I didn't mean to be rude. My name is Enoch Curdan, a diplomat from the Vivan Empire."

The name sounded familiar, and so his appearance, but where has she seen him? But this person is from the Vivan Empire. Have the two empires decided to sign a peace treaty? But from what she remembers, the Redodel Empire fell in the hands of their tyrant emperor.

Like a light bulb that sparked in her head, Emelia asked, "How long has it been since Henry took the throne?"

Enoch smirked, answering, "Two months, Your Highness." Emelia placed her hand under her chin in a thinking position.

This clears things up. Two months then that means she was asleep for a month. This is why she couldn't trust what Henry was saying. One year in coma is impossible for a light injury at the back of her head. 

Emelia knew that the palace was burned up, for example, the garden seemed smaller, and there were some parts of the palace that looked burned. Still, it's impressive that Henry managed to replicate the old palace.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Asked Enoch while Emelia shook her head.

"It's nothing. Thank you for telling me," Emelia sighed out loud. This was her chance to make herself look pitiful. That's if Enoch would take it.

"If you heard from Emperor Henry, we'd be signing a peace treaty," Said Enoch, removing his coat and placed it around her shoulder. "If he finds out you're here wearing something light in this weather, he'll kill me for not keeping you warm," Enoch chuckled.

"He? You mean Henry?" Emelia furrowed her brows. If Henry was the one who ordered this man to keep an eye on her, then she would be walking out right now.

"No, someone else. Someone who wishes to meet you but not just yet."