The Saintess Returned to the Emperor's Arms

Herhan’s Choice 

 

Dinner time with the emperor.

 

Riella followed the butler of the main palace with an awkward posture.

 

On the first floor of the main palace, after a long walk down a long corridor, they entered the lobby of the inner room, which was wider and grander than the plazas she had seen in the Imperial City.

 

two-story fountain and gleaming golden columns sat in the center of the lobby. The majesty of the knights, standing like statues on each pillar, their eyes shining, made her shoulders tense.

 

‘I’m already nervous, but why am I wearing such uncomfortable clothes.’

 

Being called to the emperor’s dinner table, traces of the ladies of the palace making a fuss were hanging all over Riella’s body.

 

The dress that fit her body was cut deep enough to show her breastbone, but the material was very thin, so it was difficult to move around.

 

And necklaces and earrings that are so dangling that her neck hurts.

 

Riella wanted to take off at least her accessories, but she was afraid the maids of the West Palace would come running to her

 

“Get in here. His Majesty is inside.”

 

When they finally arrived at the Emperor’s banquet hall, Riella took a breath.

 

‘It’s not the first time I’ve had a meal with the emperor.’

 

While Riella was opening and closing her fists to relieve tension, attendants opened the door on both sides.

 

The first thing she saw through the open door was not the colorfully plentiful food, nor the dazzlingly colorful and bright candlesticks, but Emperor Herhan.

 

Unlike the uniform he had been wearing all day, Herhan was wearing a neat shirt.

 

Even so, he was resting his chin on the table with an expressionless face without any special decorations, and in Riella’s eyes, he looked more splendid and radiant than anything else.

 

Suddenly, it reminded her of how overdressed she was, so she was embarrassed.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

The Emperor nodded at Riella.

 

On the way, the butler said that it was permission to sit at the table.

 

When Riella sat down, the attendants came and went busily around. Even though there was already enough food on the table, the attendants continued to bring out food.

 

Riella sat still and looked at Herhan.

 

When Herhan ate food, she ate the same, when Herhan drank water, she took a sip of water, and when Herhan wiped his mouth with a napkin, she followed him and wiped her clean lips once.

 

While continuing to eat in such tension, Riella suddenly realized.

 

The fact that Herhan didn’t say anything.

 

‘I didn’t think he would be friendly. But I can’t believe I’m so suffocated.’

 

‘Are you still mad about what happened at the laundry earlier?’

 

Nevertheless, Riella thought it might be an attempt of reconciliation and consideration of the emperor to ask her to have a meal together.

 

So Riella started talking to lighten up the atmosphere first.

 

“My outfit is a little weird, isn’t it? Still, I chose the best among the handmaidens’ offerings.”

 

The emperor only glanced at Riella, but there was no answer.

 

It was fine though. Hiding her nervousness and smiling hard was one of the things Riella could do well.

 

“Lou must be a little unfamiliar and difficult here at the palace, she’s still just a child, and she went to the laundry by herself earlier without telling me.”

 

“…..”

 

“Oh! That doesn’t mean I’m making an excuse for what happened earlier. I was really wrong earlier. I didn’t think of the effect of my actions on His Majesty’s prestige.”

 

“….”

 

“I sincerely….I am reflecting.”

 

Now, Riella also feels like crying at the sight of Herhan, who still sits like a wooden stone and is silent even after confessing like that.

 

A low sigh sounded in front of her as she bowed her head, blaming herself for what she had done.

 

It was the sound of the emperor, who kept his mouth shut and didn’t even look at Riella, finally opening his mouth

 

“It’s not a mortal sin to blame yourself that much.”

 

Riella raised her head.

 

Herhan’s eyes were still cold, but now he could at least make eye contact.

 

“But it’s a crime to the point of being scolded for being stupid. If you sold my name, you would be able to do as much as you could to scold the maids of the West Palace. Why are you so stuck on the maids?”

 

“That’s….”

 

She doesn’t know how she can do such a thing, she’s scared, or she doesn’t want to fight.

 

Herhan expected that kind of answer to come out of Riella’s mouth.

 

However, Riella’s answer was a little different.

 

“They’re all His Majesty’s people.”

 

“My people?”

 

“Yes. Even if they weren’t directly hired by your Majesty, they came to be your Majesty’s people. They are not people who came because they liked me. All of them are women from famous families, and we don’t know when or how they will be helpful to Your Majesty in the future, so I can’t do anything about it.”

 

Herhan was silent again.

 

And he spit out a bitter smile that made his efforts to not show his emotions all along futile.

 

‘It occurred to me that maybe Riella was really a ‘spy’ sent by someone.’

 

‘Otherwise, how could a woman who had lived her entire life as a wandering mercenary speak of the doctrine of royal studies so naturally?’

 

At that point, Herhan pushed the chair and stood up.

 

Riella, who followed him throughout the meal, got up reflexively this time as well. After all, Herhan was standing up to approach Riella.

 

“Sit down. I have something to give you.”

 

“yes? What is it….”

 

Just as Riella was in a hurry and clumsy when she got up, she was awkward when she sat down again.

 

After taking the ‘thing’, Herhan went behind her back and stood.

 

* * *

 

“What will come out if you search here?”

 

“You don’t want something to come out?”

 

West Palace, Riella’s bedroom.

 

Searching the room, Asion clenched his fists at Jess’s condescending questioning.

 

However, Jess easily escaped from Asion. Fistfights have a long and storied history between the two, so even though Jess couldn’t fight back, he was adept at dodging Asion.

 

In the meantime, the maids of the West palace were busy watching the two of them, giggling amongst themselves outside the door.

 

Asion, the captain of the royal guard, and Jess, the emperor’s Doctor and aide.

 

It was not a matter for the court ladies to spend all day discussing their tastes over them because they must be single together with the emperor, and they are also outstanding in appearance.

 

The attention was burdensome, but it also worked well for Jess and Asion. 

 

Thanks to that, with just a few words, they were able to avoid the maids’ suspicions and search Riella’s bedroom.

 

“Look in every nook and cranny while you’re swinging your fists at me.”

 

“Ah. Well, there’s nothing here, I told you, so let’s go.”

 

The problem was that Asion’s will was weak.

 

‘Do you believe that Riella is not a spy, or are you doing that because you are afraid that Riella is a spy?’

 

Jess knew this would happen Because Asion is a guy with a lot of unnecessary affection.

 

But villains are necessary. And in each case like this, it was always Jess who played the villain.

 

“You didn’t even open the closet there.”

 

“Hey. No matter what, how could you carelessly open a lady’s closet…?”

 

“Get out of my way, I’ll take a look.”

 

“No, Jess!”

 

Jess pushed Asion away and stood in front of Riella’s closet.

 

Although he acted more viciously because of Asion, Jess also thought that this was enough. So he thought he would just check the closet one last time and leave.

 

“Asion.”

 

“What…uh?”

 

Asion’s face, which had been pouting all the time, turned white when Jess put his hand into the box in the closet and carefully took it out.

 

“Let’s go to His Majesty immediately.”

 

Jess stiffened as well.

 

There was no longer any mischief to be found in the eyes that passed between the two.

 

They couldn’t believe it, but it seemed that things were only going in an unpleasant direction.

 

* * * 

 

Riella’s neck was stiff. Herhan took out something he had been fiddling with in his pocket and put it around her slender neck, which clearly showed how nervous she was as he approached.

 

“What is this…!”

 

Riella froze as soon as she touched what the emperor had hung around her neck.

 

Even if she didn’t have to look down, she could find out its identity just by feeling at her fingertips.

 

A heavily rusted surface. a rough appearance. Once held like a treasure, but once wanted to throw it away because its weight was so heavy that it strangled her neck.

 

It was an old pendant engraved with the mark of the Hank Mercenary Corps.

 

“Last year. I found it when I rescued you from Le Der.”

 

Riella, of course, thought she had lost it when she fell into the river. But she didn’t expect the emperor to have it all this time.

 

‘Wait. That means…!’ 

 

Riella’s eyes widened as she finally realized what the Emperor meant by handing her the pendant.

 

“That night I found out who you were.”

 

“Your Majesty….”

 

“Asion told me not to bother. Still, I knew at least that one mercenary was following me. The mark of the mercenary. It was a coincidence that I saved you from Le Der, but I knew at the inn that you were a member of that group and that you were probably approaching me on purpose.”

 

Knowing that she wasn’t the kind of person who would dare to answer something, Riella jumped up from her seat and turned to face the emperor.

 

“Your Majesty, I am not! I swear I didn’t know you, and I didn’t even know what we were doing back then…”

 

“I didn’t sleep that day. I kept watching you without sleeping.”

 

“…!”

 

Riella doubted what she heard.

 

All the shocking words continued, but Herhan’s voice was so cold and calm that Riella couldn’t even breathe.

 

“And I thought about it all night. Whether to kill you there or not.”

 

Goosebumps broke out all over her body and she shivered.

 

When she met Herhan again at the palace, he was the ‘Emperor’, but he was also the ‘Executioner’ of Riella.

 

It was no surprise, then, that he had contemplated her death, but Riella’s heart throbbed.

 

In addition, for some reason, she couldn’t get rid of the feeling that the emperor was working hard to become a villain in front of her. 

 

Riella didn’t like that. So she vehemently denied him.

 

“But you didn’t kill me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

‘Why? Why did I do that? Why did I even pretend to sleep and watch you cry and let you run away again.’

 

Instead of falling into an unanswered dilemma, Herhan chose to continue talking again.

 

“It was the same in the Kingdom of Liotta. Even at ceremony receptions. Even when you’re in the ward. There was no reason to keep you alive. I mean, I had dozens of chances to cut kill you.”

 

dozens of times. Or maybe hundreds of times.

 

Herhan and Riella thought the same thing at the same time.

 

“But I kept you by my side every time and that’s how it became today. There was nothing that wasn’t my choice until I had you sit here at this table.”

 

‘What the hell is the emperor trying to say? What was he trying to say, reflecting on their short and long time together like this, just like someone who decides the end of something.’

 

Riella was afraid.

 

Not yet knowing what he meant, she desperately hoped that he wouldn’t cut herself off.

 

“There is a spy in the imperial palace.”

 

The words that Herhan spat out with such difficulty were something Riella couldn’t have imagined at all.

 

“What? A spy?”

 

“Yes. Someone I don’t know, very close to me. Threatening my life.”

 

The moment she heard those words, Riella forgot all the previous words, such as the mercenary’s pendant and the emperor’s choice.

 

Her heart sank. She was just worried about the Emperor, and her heart started pounding.

 

“My aides suspect it is you. Me too.”

 

The Emperor’s next words stunned her again, and she said nothing.

 

“But….”

 

‘But.’ Riella followed the emperor’s words and recited with heavy breathing.

 

“I’m going to choose to keep you by my side this time too.”

 

As soon as those words were over, Riella let go of the fear that had been weighing down her heart and bit her lips.

 

‘What kind of situation is this, what will the emperor do, and what should I do from now on.’

 

She didn’t know anything yet, but she suddenly started crying.

 

“I have made my choice, and now I want you to answer. Riella Blinite. What are you to me?”

 

The Emperor’s blue eyes bore into hers. They were still intense, but they were no longer cold, but rather hot eyes.

 

Riella stared at him with her small fists clenched.

 

She felt like she might burst into tears if she opened her mouth, but she held back and pursed her red lips to answer his question.

 

“Your majesty! Sorry for coming in without permission!”

 

It was then, without any warning, that the banquet hall door opened.

 

It was Asion who stepped inside while exhaling a heavy breath. And it was Jess who followed closely behind him.

 

Contrary to the aggressive approach, Asion stopped with a sad look when he found Riella in front of his Lord.

 

But soon after he closed his eyes and opened them, he spoke again with a determined face.

 

“Your majesty. Please give Miss Riella this way. We found evidence in Miss Riella’s bedroom.”

 

* * *