Chapter 29
The bright sunlight spilled into the room, finally chasing away the long hours she’d spent keeping vigil beside the sleeping emperor. His eyes snapped open, and he abruptly sat up.
“Your, Your Majesty… I, I…”
Her words were cut short as a hand clamped down on her shoulder, yanking her backward. The world tilted as her back hit the sheets. Jia found herself staring directly into the emperor’s startlingly blue eyes, wide with shock.
“How did you do that?”
“…What? What do…?”
“How did you put me to sleep?”
She had simply obeyed his command to infuse him with her vital energy, and he had fallen asleep. Jia winced, her shoulder throbbing under his grip.
“Y-Your Majesty commanded me… to use my vital energy…”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, yes. It hurts, Your Majesty…”
Despite her plea, his grip didn’t loosen. Instead, he forced her hand above her head, the pressure agonizing.
“Oh, it hurts…”
“Do it again.”
Driven by the pain, she channeled her energy. The emperor’s face contorted. A choked laugh escaped his lips, and finally, he released her.
“Haa…”
Free at last, Jia cradled her aching wrist, then curled up on the bed like a shrimp. The sudden shift from peaceful rest to agonizing pain felt like being struck by lightning.
The emperor’s eyes narrowed, as if sifting through a lifetime of memories. He cupped her face in his hands.
“From now on, put me to sleep every night, even without my command.”
His blue eyes gleamed with a mixture of anticipation and intrigue. Jia’s lips parted, then formed words.
“Yes, Your Majesty…”
This, too, was a command. Like a well-trained animal, she yielded.
Before leaving for his official duties, the emperor addressed her.
“You are free to roam the Imperial Palace. However, you are forbidden to leave its grounds.”
“…Yes, I understand, Your Majesty.”
Kneeling, Jia watched him depart.
“And prepare for the upcoming hunting festival.”
“…What?”
“I will inform Tristan.”
A hunting festival? What hunting festival? Jia stared at the closed door, bewildered. Why would she be involved in such preparations? The question echoed in her mind.
A knock sounded, and Tristan entered, flanked by Ethan and Julia.
“As His Majesty commanded, we will assist you in preparing for the hunting festival.”
“Wait, why am I…?”
Tristan’s brow furrowed at her question. Realizing her misstep, Jia quickly clamped her mouth shut. Tristan served the emperor, not her. Questioning an order was a blatant challenge to authority. She hastily corrected herself.
“I-It’s not that I object… I’m just afraid that I, a mere slave, might somehow tarnish His Majesty’s reputation…”
Tristan’s expression softened. A faint smile touched his lips.
“Such a thought is understandable. However, no one in the Ustanville Empire would dare question His Majesty’s honor or authority. The mere attempt is unthinkable.”
“Of course. He has brought glory to the Ustanville Empire for over 300 years. Who could possibly question him?”
Julia chimed in, followed by Ethan’s quiet murmur of agreement.
Jia sighed softly.
“Well, then… will you help me prepare, so that I may be of some use to His Majesty?”
“Certainly.”
“Yes.”
Tristan, Julia, and Ethan answered in unison. Jia finally swung her legs off the bed.
The only time she had held a sword was when the emperor had forced Rwandal into her hands. Even cooking had been her parents’ domain; she couldn’t so much as peel an apple.
She jabbed at the straw dummy, her posture and strength woefully inadequate. Even she could see it, so it must be painfully obvious to everyone else. Shame washed over her.
“…Perhaps you should try archery.”
Tristan, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. Julia agreed.
Jia was surprised by the unexpected weight of the bow as it was handed to her. How was she supposed to hold this heavy thing and draw back the taut string?
“It will be difficult to adjust to the weight at first, but you will get used to it.”
Tristan was objectively a good teacher. The problem was the student. Jia had always been clumsy, even back on Earth. Her lack of flexibility had led her to quit ballet lessons after only a couple of sessions, despite attending with her more graceful sister.
She managed to draw the string and loose the arrow, but it plummeted straight down, far short of the target.
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