Chapter 121: Negotiations with the Emperor

The Emperor, who had maintained a benevolent expression until now, let out a bitter smile.  

His arms, which had been leisurely resting on the armrests of the throne, tensed as he gripped their ends firmly.  

“Saintess Yuria, you are quite bold to speak so candidly before me.”  

Indeed, the aura of one who ruled from an absolute position was different.  

The overwhelming pressure emanating from the Emperor instinctively made me take a step back.  

At that moment, I felt Xavier’s presence drawing closer behind me.  

The reassurance radiating from his proximity gave me the courage to step forward again and face the Emperor. Without hesitation, my words flowed out.  

“Your Majesty, I created this cure for everyone. I do not wish for it to be monopolized by any one group.”  

The Emperor’s golden eyes lingered on me before he finally spoke.  

“You are truly admirable. You are a saintess, indeed.”  

“You flatter me, Your Majesty. I am merely doing what I can as a saintess.”  

I didn’t care about lofty ideals or justifications.  

I simply wanted to conclude this negotiation quickly and save as many people as possible.  

At the very least, the Emperor likely shared this sentiment. Reports of the deceased would be piling up on his desk by the hour. If left unchecked, the corpses of dying citizens might soon accumulate at the gates of the Imperial Palace.  

“Very well. I will agree to your terms, but only for the preservation elixir, not for the holy power itself.”  

“Yes, that is acceptable.”  

‘At least the Emperor values human lives. That’s a relief.’  

The contract was finalized swiftly. Once the negotiations were concluded, the Emperor’s stern expression softened, and he smiled warmly once more.  

“I am grateful for your efforts to save the citizens of the Empire, Saintess.”  

“Thank you for making a swift decision despite the difficult conditions I proposed.”  

“When will the supply begin?”  

“The storage devices will arrive at the Imperial Palace and temples across the Empire this afternoon. They will also be delivered to the guards stationed in crowded plazas. Please ensure they are distributed properly to each region.”  

“That, I can promise. I appreciate your efficiency.”  

As soon as the Emperor left the grand reception hall, the tension drained from my body, and my legs nearly gave out. At that moment, I felt warm hands supporting me, and I looked up.  

Xavier’s broad shoulders were there to steady me.  

“You did well.”  

He gazed at me warmly as he embraced me. His large hands, holding my shoulders, were firm and reassuring.  

“Thank you, Xavier. It’s all thanks to you.”  

“You were incredible.”  

However, as Xavier and I exited the grand reception hall together, we were unexpectedly greeted by an unwelcome sight.  

“Duke Auguste.”  

It was the nobles who had earlier joined in criticizing Xavier and me during the emergency meeting, swayed by the Crown Prince’s provocations. They called out to us, but avoided meeting our eyes, shifting their gazes awkwardly.  

Xavier furrowed his brow, his expression openly disdainful as he glared at the two nobles.  

“What is it, Duke Duncan, Count Steel?”  

“T-that is… about what I said during the meeting… I must apologize.”  

Duke Duncan, leaning on his jewel-encrusted cane, cleared his throat as he glanced nervously between Xavier and me.  

“I-I also erred. Please forgive my grave disrespect toward Your Eminence and the Duke.”  

Count Steel, standing beside him, scratched his cheek awkwardly as he spoke.  

Their intentions were so transparent that I almost laughed.  

‘It’s because of the preservation elixir, isn’t it? How shameless.’  

I looked up at Xavier, incredulous.  

Meeting my gaze, Xavier winked at me before turning to the two nobles with an arrogant smirk.  

“Fine. If you’re apologizing, I suppose I should accept it.”  

The tense expressions on the two men’s faces brightened.  

“Ah, as expected of Duke Auguste, your generosity knows no bounds.”  

“Indeed, truly admirable.”  

Count Steel chimed in, echoing Duke Duncan’s sentiment. However, Xavier’s disdainful expression remained unchanged.  

“But you’re mistaken.”  

“Duke Auguste?”  

Ignoring their confusion, Xavier continued in a commanding tone.  

“You should apologize not to me, but to the Saintess. A proper apology would require you to bow deeply.”  

“!”  

“Isn’t that only natural? If my wife accepts your apology, then so will I.”  

The faces of Duke Duncan and Count Steel turned pale with shock. Unable to meet my gaze, they clenched their jaws and turned their heads away, their faces reddening with humiliation.  

‘Thank you.’  

‘Don’t mention it.’  

Ah, my husband, the original cold-hearted noble.  

Since he’d set the stage so perfectly, I decided to play my part.  

“You heard him, didn’t you? If you apologize here and now, I will ensure that your families receive the preservation elixir as well.”  

At my words, the nobles’ flushed faces twitched awkwardly.  

“I-I deeply apologize, Your Eminence.”  

Count Steel was the first to bow, lowering his head so deeply that the crown of his head was visible.  

“Please, I beg you. My people are dying.”  

“Very well. But you’ll have to pay a hefty price.”  

“Yes, of course, Your Eminence. Thank you.”  

Turning to Duke Duncan, I looked at him expectantly. Feeling pressured, the Duke tucked his cane under his arm.  

“I-I apologize, Your Eminence.”  

The Duke’s bow grew deeper and deeper.  

‘This man was the loudest during the meeting, wasn’t he? If lives weren’t at stake, I would never have accepted his apology.’  

Well, there were other ways to handle this.  

“For you, Your Grace, the price will be double.”  

“D-double?”  

“Yes. Surely, as a Duke, that won’t be too burdensome for you, will it?”  

“N-no, of course not.”  

The Duke stammered, his face slightly pale.  

“Well then, farewell. Since we won’t be delivering it, make sure to send your servants—or better yet, come to the Auguste Ducal Residence yourself to retrieve it.”  

“Personally?”  

The Duke and Count looked at me with expressions of shock.  

“Yes, personally. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”  

Xavier waved his hand dismissively, shooing them away like one would chase off sparrows.  

“I should’ve charged them triple.”  

“Regretting it already?”  

“Yes. With more funds, I could’ve produced even more storage devices.”  

Now, only Xavier and I remained in the corridor. I examined the small notebook-like magitech device the Emperor had given me, marveling at it.  

It was precisely what I had wanted—a portable portal device.  

“The Emperor is truly remarkable, standardizing the portal coordinates to the offices of each regional lord.”  

“That’s his brilliance—and his cunning. When lords are granted their lands, they sign agreements allowing this. It’s a warning: if rebellion arises, the portal can be opened to immediately suppress them. Of course, it doesn’t concern someone like me, a Swordmaster.”  

“Rebellion is unacceptable.”  

“Me? Rebel? Never.”  

Xavier’s incredulous expression at the mere suggestion of rebellion made me smile.  

I held out my hand, and he handed me a bag I had entrusted to him earlier. It contained additional storage devices I had brought from the ducal residence.  

“I’m heading out.”  

“Right now? But it’ll take a toll on your body.”  

“There’s no time to waste.”  

“Are you sure you’ll be okay using the portal repeatedly in one day?”  

“I’ll be fine. Why hold back when I finally have access to it? I’ll be back soon.”  

Though reluctant, Xavier relented to my stubbornness.  

“‘Hold back,’ you say. The Emperor would faint if he heard you.”  

The portable portal device was linked to the main portal in the Imperial Palace, sharing its power source—expensive magic stones.  

“I asked for it with the intention of using it a lot. Once it’s given, it’s mine to use.”  

“The Emperor was too naive. It’s like handing a fish market to a cat.”  

Scoffing at Xavier, I reviewed the list of coordinates stored in the portable portal device.  

“Would the coordinates for Priest Melvin’s office be included?”  

Xavier placed his hand on his hip and tilted his head.  

“Unlikely. Temples are considered inviolable, even by the Imperial family. Let me help.”  

Referring to the manual provided by the chamberlain, Xavier adjusted the portal device, setting the coordinates for the temple.  

“Melvin’s going to faint when he sees you.”  

I pressed the activation button on the portal device. A blue ripple appeared in the air, distorting space and forming a deep, trench-like hole.  

Turning to Xavier, I said, 

“I’ll come straight home after I’m done.”  

“Alright.”  

Waving at Xavier, I stepped boldly into the dark portal.  

＊  

“Unbelievable, utterly unbelievable!”  

Arthur stormed back to his palace, unable to contain his fury.  

The corridor leading to the Crown Prince’s quarters was renowned for its elegant arched columns.  

He usually walked through this space with graceful steps, offering kind smiles to the servants and maids. His image as the perfect Crown Prince had always been unshakable.  

But now, the Arthur de Fabian known for his innate beauty and gentle demeanor had vanished.  

“Out of my way!”  

The servants and maids, intimidated by his unfamiliar expression, pressed themselves against the walls, bowing their heads.  

“Yuria, how dare you mock me?”  

Amid his seething rage, the image of her sky-blue eyes floated in his mind like a haunting vision.  

The angrier he became, the more he longed for the Saintess.  

The thrill of those eyes finally meeting his, no longer avoiding him, was intoxicating.  

He had thought she would finally listen to his desires.  

But instead, she had toyed with him.  

And that wasn’t all.  

She had created and distributed the preservation elixir to the Beast Kingdom without his approval, even though he oversaw diplomacy with them.  

“She ignored me.”  

Breathing heavily, Arthur entered his palace. At that moment, Rosetta was waiting at the entrance.  

“Arthur!”  

Rosetta, dressed more elegantly than usual, sparkled like a star.  

She had come to reconcile with Arthur, deliberately dressing up to impress him. But all Arthur felt toward her was anger. There was no chance of kind words leaving his lips. Instead, his tone was sharp and commanding.  

“What are you doing here?”  

“Of course, I came to see you, Arthur. We didn’t get to talk properly last time.”  

Suppressing her pride, Rosetta had come of her own accord to see the man she adored. She wanted to return to being cherished by Arthur and live a fulfilling life as Crown Princess.  

Though she was exhausted from waiting two hours for the meeting to end, she smiled brightly, enduring Arthur’s irritation.  

“Talk?”  

“I’ve been thinking. You only met Lady Doris for political reasons, right? Isn’t that so?”  

“……”  

Arthur stared at her intently without answering. Rosetta continued speaking.  

“But you let me live in the palace as the Crown Princess and revealed who I truly am. Arthur, you’re my benefactor. You loved me, didn’t you?”  

“Love?”  

“Yes. You kissed me and told me you loved me, didn’t you?”  

The dark eyes that met hers demanded confirmation. Arthur gritted his teeth and responded by calling her name.  

“Rosetta.”  

Rosetta pressed on without hesitation.  

“And you said I was the original saintess, didn’t you? So, please, find a way to reverse it by meeting with the Pope…”  

“Kill her.”  

“Pardon?”  

“The only way to reverse it is to kill the Saintess.”  

“……”  

“What’s wrong? Killing should be as easy for you as stepping on an ant, isn’t that right, Rosetta?”