The Emperor and the Knightess

Chapter 213

Cekel always wondered why people called Sir Ainno as the only person who could prank the emperor, but now, she knew why. She felt frustrated at this stubborn man, so she asked coldly, “If you are such a great man as you claim, why do you bother asking me to fall for you? If you are certain I will end up marrying you in 11 months, why do you care?”

“Because, Cekel Ingreter, I am in love with you.”

He said with such a force that Cekel’s cheeks flushed. She was so shocked that she almost nodded. This was all because all women were taught from an early age to be obedient, especially to men. Cekel clenched her teeth and replied, “It would’ve been nice if you told me this before you kissed me by force. I will never fall in love with you, Sir Ainno. Waiting for me for 11 months would be a waste of time.”

“I will wait. Because even now, I am being patient.”

“Pardon?”

“I am desperate to hug you, kiss you, and touch you even now, but I am restraining myself. For the next 11 months, I will not touch you without your permission, I promise.”

If Lucius the First saw his friend right now, he would’ve been very proud.

“How can I trust you? Even after I slapped you, you touched my b-breasts and hugged me. Don’t you remember?”

There was a good reason why Cekel kicked Sir Ainno’s crotch in the past. The way he acted around her had been unacceptable. When Cekel refused to believe his words, Sir Ainno offered, “I swear on his highness’s name.”

It was good to have the emperor as his friend. It made his life so much easier sometimes. When Sir Ainno saw that Cekel looked a little less angry, he continued, “So, what do you like? Do you like jewelry? Silk? New dresses? How about new instruments? I hope you can wait till our wedding day for the animal hide. I tried to hunt a good one when I went to Nanaba, but I didn’t get a chance. But don’t worry, I will get a white bear hide for you, and I will give you the best gifts anyone has ever seen in Acreia.”

But Cekel didn’t want these things. Jewelry, silk, instruments, and animal hides… Cekel wasn’t interested at all because, in 11 months, she was going to be forced to marry this man even if she didn’t want to. She wondered how Sir Ainno would react if she told him she didn’t want to see his face for the next 11 months. Cekel was about to declare it when she remembered the things that have been bothering her before she met Sir Ainno just now.

She asked, “Will you give me anything I want?”

“Yes, of course, as long as it’s not something unreasonable.”

“T-then! You are Sir Deke’s superior, right? The Intelligence Unit belongs to the First Division, so you must be!”

Sir Ainno’s eyebrows crumpled. She might have been his sister, but Sir Deke had no right to tell Cekel about this secret unit and his role in it. It was true that technically, the Intelligence Unit belonged to the First Division. However, the Intelligence Unit was the emperor’s creation. Lucius the First was the one who controlled it, which meant that Sir Ainno didn’t know much about it.

Sir Ainno did not ask Cekel how she knew about this secret unit. He also didn’t tell her that he wasn’t actively involved in it. He was an excellent hunter, and he knew it when he was about to catch what he wanted. It seemed that Cekel took the bait, so slowly, Sir Ainno said to her, “Is there something you want to find out? If so, I will look into it.”

“Well, lately… There has been an odd tension in the lady’s quarters…”

Cekel told him everything she has been feeling and witnessing recently. She was wringing her hands, worried that someone might pass by and hear them, and Sir Ainno thought she looked so adorable. He was listening to her without paying too much attention when suddenly, her words caught his attention.

“Wait! What did you just say?”

“I said that Marquess Winter is planning to marry Frau Sneke. No matter how hard I think about it, something doesn’t feel right. I asked my brother to find out about him, and thankfully, there wasn’t much. I am worried that Deke’s investigation wasn’t thorough enough, so I was going to ask him to do a bit more, but Deke isn’t around right now. I thought I had to give up on this, but… You are Deke’s superior, right? Would you be able to find out more about it?”

Sir Ainno, who had a stupid smile on his face, now looked concerned. Cekel, realizing he was bothered by her request, added carefully, “I know that this Intelligence Unit is for the emperor and the good of this kingdom. It should not be used for a personal reason, but when you think about it, Marquess Winter is a close acquaintance of the emperor, and her marriage concerns this kingdom greatly. So… Sir Ainno?”

“Are you sure about this? Marquess Winter is really marrying this guy?”

“Yes, I heard it from Lady Tory herself today.”

This was indeed huge news. Sir Ainno had no doubt that Lucius the First would find it the greatest priority.

***

Snakes can be sneaky, and this was why hunting this animal was a very difficult task. It was common for snakes to hide in random caves and remain ready to pounce and bite with their sharp teeth. Snakes were masters at hiding themselves.

To find a snake cave, one needed to find the snake first. After spotting it, it was necessary to follow it to its home without killing it.

Lucius the First had no desire to catch the old snake. He had seen these old snakes since he was a child. Not all of them were smart and sneaky; some of them were rather stupid. Some snakes were even naïve.

Only

Those snakes who were greedy always said nice things to Lucius the First. They always showed interest and joy to whatever he said or did, especially when he was a young boy. Because the emperor remembered these good days, he gave up on hunting these snakes. All he had to do was wait a little while longer until these old snakes died. These elders thought they would live forever, but their time was coming.

‘We are such different people, but I guess it can’t be helped since we grew up in different times.’

Lucius the First was having a private meeting with Sir Bentier, who said to him, “I think my grandfather is beginning to be suspicious of me, your highness.”

“It was only a matter of time.”

Sir Bentier smiled bitterly. He lost his grandfather’s trust, and the only reason why he wasn’t removed as the family heir was because Marquis Seeze was too old to find and groom another heir.

Sir Bentier said to the emperor, “He told me that I needed to do the right thing.”

“Hmm… The right thing…”