Emil

  Emil winced. Liesel’s outrageous question echoed loudly across the banquet hall. Conversations around them stopped. The people in their vicinity suddenly froze. Their eyes were like snakes gleaming with curiosity, waiting for his response. Even the orchestra in the background seemed to quiet. Suddenly, it felt like they had the attention of the entire venue.

  She did this on purpose.

  His suspicions were confirmed as the corners of Liesel’s mouth curled into a conniving smile. That loud, haughty laughter of hers from earlier was part of an act, designed to attract attention and push them into the spotlight. All of it was to set her up to ask this loaded question.

  Join the Belle family? Emil pondered the possibility.

  It was a tempting offer. To be under one of the most powerful noble houses in Ardair by the invitation of the current Prodigy? It was hard to refuse. In fact, if he was a normal student who would had become an Exalted through a regular Awakening, then Emil would have likely accepted it without hesitation.

  His circumstances, however, were much different.

  Steiger had him on a tight leash. His body, after being pried apart with the forbidden knowledge of the Bestowed Project, required periodic blood injections from his friends’ killer to keep his insides stable. After implanting him with the Desperado’s body parts, Steiger had extracted the man’s blood and kept it preserved under sub-zero temperatures. There was apparently enough of it to last him for years to come, but regardless, Emil’s continued survival predicated on these injections.

  Even if he wasn’t shackled by his body, there was also Mia and Raz to consider. The two were effectively hostages—kept alive only to keep him subservient. Knowing the witch, she would not hesitate to hunt them down if he ever dared to turn traitorous.

  “I’m quite flattered,” he somehow managed to say without stumbling on his words. His speech naturally became more formal while under the scrutinizing gazes of Ardair’s elites. “I’ll keep the Ice Maiden’s offer in mind.”

  “…Are you turning me down?” Liesel asked, one eye raised with amusement. Her voice was incessantly loud—it was obvious that she wanted this conversation to be overheard.

  “No, but as a general rule, I try not to be too hasty with my decisions. I want to take the time to consider all my options. If it’s alright with you, I’m happy to discuss this with you further, Liesel,” he said, lowering his head with as much grace and composure as possible.

  I didn’t think I’ll end up using the witch’s teachings here.

  Part of his training prior to his enrolment at the Academy was learning how to conduct himself in the presence of nobility. At the time, Emil thought it had been a waste of time. He was supposed to be investigating the Hidden Laboratories, not canvassing favors with the elites.

  In hindsight, she probably intended for something like this to happen all along. Either way, I can’t make an explicit decision without her input.

  “Hmph, very well then.”

  The nasty smile on Liesel’s face disappeared as she walked by, staring past him. As she got close, however, she leaned in and whispered in his ears.

  “Not bad. To think you’re also proficient in diplomacy. How intriguing. But things won’t go as you planned if you’re thinking about running away from me.”

  The sound of her heels clanked against the hardwood as she approached the front of the banquet hall beside the orchestra. Without warning, she clapped her hands. The loud, cacophonous noise resounded across the venue—the sound was likely created by her palms that were reinforced by mana. Liesel then waved her hand, beckoning for the orchestra to stop.

  Whoever didn’t already have their eyes on her, now certainly did. With a single action, she seized the attention of the entire banquet hall.

  “Please excuse me for my impudence, but I, Liesel von Belle, have an announcement to make,” she said with authority, “As you know, His Highness, the Second Prince, Rory von Astrea, committed a grave sin of striking his opponent after the match was already over. His opponent, Emil Milligan, later faced me in the finals despite sustaining an unfair injury. With all of these facts in mind, I, not as the daughter of the Belle family but as Liesel, the Ice Maiden, declare my engagement to Rory von Astrea annulled!”

  This damn girl.

  Emil couldn’t help but smile uneasily at her announcement. Of course, he was already privy to this development. For the rest of the audience, however, this news was a tremendous shock. Gasps of excitement and surprise rippled across the hall. A few pieces of glassware fell and shattered on the floor at the sudden news.

  What a shrewd and heartless move. She really used the accident with Rory to justify her annulment.

  “I repeat, this was a decision made solely by me. My actions do not reflect the will of the Belle family. For the longest time, I yearned for the freedom and the ability to control my own fate. My experience at the Clash of Dawn made me realize this. And so, I seized this rare opportunity. From now on, I will choose my future!”

  Her declaration echoed against the majestic walls of the Academy banquet hall. For a moment, the venue seemed to freeze in disbelief at this sudden development. But the silence was short-lived.

  Within a few seconds, the first nobleman rushed up to Liesel.

  “T-Then, if you would consider my—”

  It was an invitation to meet with the nobleman’s son. His brazen attempt to curry favor immediately spur the others into action. Suddenly, a line of elites was formed, just for the chance to speak with Ardair’s hottest new bachelorette.

  “She sure knows how to put on the spotlight onto herself. What an obnoxious girl, is being the Prodigy not enough?”

  Emil turned to the source of the familiar voice. It was Anna. As she entered his view, his mind blanked. All of the chaotic thoughts in his head suddenly vanished.

  “…What?” she asked, her doe-like eyes wide accompanied by her usual arrogant smile, “Am I so beautiful that the sight of me left you speechless?”

  Her mischievous tone snapped him out of his daze. I need to get a hold of myself. He feigned composure and uttered the first thing that came to mind.

  “Not at all. But you do look wonderful, Anna.”

  Her scarlet hair was tied up nicely in a bun with two bangs dangling by the side of her face. A simple style compared to the other ladies in attendance, but he thought it suited her perfectly. She wore a dark red dress that exposed her shoulders but adhered comfortably to rest of her body. Her makeup attenuated her lips, while highlighting her large and striking eyes.

  Her smile turned gentle upon hearing his compliment. “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself. A purple coat atop of dark brown leather. And an obnoxious beret for accompaniment. This was Kai’s handiwork, wasn’t it?”

  “He insisted. I wanted to go for something much simpler.”

  “Well, he’s not wrong,” she said, scanning the length of his body, “You’re the finalist of the Clash of Dawn. And as much as the Academy likes to pretend this event is just for us to socialize, it’s really to present us to the elites. We’re the products that they’re trying to sell.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Anna extended her hands, resting it against his chest as she gently fixed his collar and adjusted his bowtie.

  “That being said, none of it matters now. Liesel stole the spotlight the moment she announced that she is a free bachelorette. Demand for the Belle family just exploded. And since she did that little stunt of asking you to join her family beforehand, no one will be inquiring about you anymore. Not unless they want to lose their chance to court the Ice Maiden.”

  “I should thank her. Now I don’t have to think of clever ways to politely reject these elites.”

  “I suppose so.”

  Silence lingered between the two of them as their conversation drew to a natural lull. Emil suddenly felt self-conscious. Barely an inch separated their bodies as Anna remained in her spot after fixing his outfit. She was looking up at him—her eyes strangely tender. This gap between her typical delinquent ferocity was astonishingly charming.

  Should I ask her for a dance later?

  He pondered for just a second before making up his mind. It felt like the natural thing to do.

  Emil grabbed Anna’s hand, still resting atop of his chest. Her eyes flickered for the briefest of seconds as if expectant for what’s to come.

  “Anna, would you—”

  Before he could pose the question, however, a figure suddenly encroached on their moment. Emil turned, narrowing his eyes at the stranger. It was an older gentleman with gray hair wearing the black outfit of a butler. His unassuming appearance didn’t ring any bells in Emil’s mind.

  “I apologize for intruding, Sir Emil Milligan and Lady Anna Seibert. My name is Horace,” the old butler said, lowering his head with natural formality, “I’ve been sent to fetch Emil on behalf of Her Highness.”

  I see. This is the princess’ butler.

  Emil recalled catching a glimpse of the man earlier in the day when he exchanged a brief conversation with Aoife before the final’s match.

  I guess I should have known this was coming. But couldn’t you have waited just a few more minutes?

  He sighed, voicing his grievances inside of his head while trying to remain cordial with the butler who just ruined a moment. As much as he wanted to make the butler wait, he couldn’t refuse a summon from the princess. Even if it was a secret, he served Steiger, who in turn, directly served the interests of the royal family.

  “Sorry, Anna,” he said with an apologetic smile.

  She was visibly miffed, her face slightly puffed up and her mouth pouted with displeasure.

  “Going to see another girl, huh?” she hissed.

  “Wait, this—”

  “I’m kidding,” Anna immediately said before letting out a disappointed sigh, “I guess I should have known there was at least one person who’s not afraid of getting on the Belle family’s bad side anymore.”

  She glanced up at him with a pensive smile.

  “Go. It’s a summon from the princess after all.”

  ***

  Ugh. Why do I feel so terrible?

  Emil grimaced with a guilty heart as he was led to the second floor of the venue.

  There were a series of soundproof rooms along hallways built specifically for more private conversations. Many negotiations and discussions took place here in the backrooms. Most of them were conversations between students and interested parties who wanted to scout them into their retinues, but the elites also used these rooms to broker deals and politick amongst themselves.

  It was a natural development. Anytime and any place where there was an abundance of elites in an area, there was bound to be schemes and deals being crafted in the background. Ardair was an eccentric place where the normal boundaries of social hierarchies were blurry. Nobles competed with wealthy entrepreneurs who competed with powerful institutions.

  Rather than bloodlines or merit, it was the strength and number of Exalted under one’s command that determined their social standing. Naturally, this meant that those with wealth had an advantage of being able to offer better salaries. But Exalted were people too, and not all people were solely moved by money. Devotion to a mission, fulfillment, loyalty, power, amongst countless other reasons had to be considered, further complicating the matter if a faction wanted to grow their authority.

  This was compounded by the fact that the royal family strictly controlled the flow of Azurite. Make a decision to go against the royal family’s interests and authority, and a powerful group might suddenly find themselves stripped of their access to the mythical mineral that granted Exalted their Gifts.

  This dynamic was why Liesel’s decision to break off her annulment with Rory was so shocking.

  The Belle family is trying to play this off as the whims of their eccentric daughter. But he had to have known that the annulment with the Second Prince was a possibility. Does that mean the Belle family no longer fears retaliation from the royal family?

  Theoretically speaking, the Belle family had nothing to fear if they had stockpiled enough Azurite to last without the royal family’s supply. Or perhaps, they had illegally acquired a secret vein of Azurite without the royal family’s knowledge.

  Both possibilities were troubling.

  Emil had no idea what the Belle family was thinking. Liesel seemed to be operating solely on her own desires. But depending on how they chose to move next, he might find himself in a subjugation mission against the powerful noble house. After all, one of Steiger’s core tenets was to maintain the status quo.

  …This is way too above my pay grade to speculate.

  “Please, Her Highness is waiting inside.” Horace beckoned towards the room by the end of the corridor.

  Taking a deep breath, Emil pushed open the door.

  It’s fine. It’ll be like catching up with an old acquaintance.

  He closed the door behind him first before glancing inside of the soundproof room. The décor was surprisingly simple. There were two couches with a wooden table in the middle. A few shelves and paintings decorated the walls. A cup filled with fragrant tea had already been set for him.

  Princess Aoife was seated. Their eyes met. She was in a simple dress as if she was not expecting to make an appearance at the banquet hall. A small amulet rested around her neck.

  With a smile, she invited him to sit across her. Emil obliged. As courtesy, he first took a sip of the fragrant tea. The temperature was perfect—warm, yet not scorching hot to cause discomfort.

  “How is the tea?”

  “Delicious. Please give my thanks to your butler for making it so well.”

  “Horace? Why? You should be thanking me. I’m the one who brewed it.” Emil’s eyes went wide. “Just because I’m a princess doesn’t mean I’m incapable of brewing my own tea and making my own food,” Aoife said, grinning with mischief, “Didn’t I also make you something after the night we met, Miles?”

  Well, I guess that confirms it. Emil thought, sipping on his tea to hide his slipping composure. The absurdity of the situation suddenly settled in. Here he was, sitting across from the princess of the kingdom, casually having a conversation while indulging in the tea brewed by her hands.

  It didn’t feel real.

  “…You did. Thank you, I was very grateful for that. I still think about that meal sometimes.”

  “You’re welcome. So, what should I call you from now on? Miles? Emil Milligan? Or do you prefer another secret identity?”

  Nosy as usual. “Just Emil. It’s my actual name,” he replied, setting down the teacup, “How about yourself? Is it Lisha? Princess Aoife? Or Your Highness?”

  “Your Highness in public. Aoife in private.” As if noticing his wariness, she suddenly added, “And don’t worry. I haven’t spoken a word about our acquaintance to anyone. As far as Horace and the others are concerned, this is our first meeting and I’m just here for diplomacy.”

  Emil’s shoulders relaxed.

  “What do you mean by diplomacy?”

  Aoife’s eyes dimmed. The mischievous glint vanished as she suddenly put on the mask of the royal princess.

  “I, Aoife von Astrea, apologize for the misdeeds committed by my brother, Rory von Astrea, against you,” she said, placing a hand over her chest, “As compensation for affecting your performance in the Clash of Dawn, the royal family is prepared to grant you an unconditional stipend during your enrolment at Exalted Academy. And I, representing the will of the Crown Prince Aidan von Astrea, also present you an offer to join the royal knights, contingent on your successful graduation.”

  Emil stared at her in disbelief.

  “Seriously?” he muttered. Now the Crown Prince wants me too?

  “Yes. This was perhaps the natural outcome once you defeated Rory. While my brother might have paled in comparison to his former fiancée, he was no slouch amongst his peers.”

  Emil leaned back against the couch, suddenly overwhelmed by this surprising turn of events. His head spun, trying to make sense of all the implications.

  This probably means that the royal family isn’t aware of my affiliation with Steiger. My cover is still safe.

  “…Is this an order?” he asked.

  “No,” Aoife replied, tilting her head as if perplexed by the question, “The Crown Prince merely extended an offer with no strings attached. But I don’t think I need to explain the prestige and benefits that come with being a royal knight, do I?”

  No, she didn’t. In fact, Emil would be a fool to turn it down without consideration. While Steiger’s shackles would have prevented him from entertaining an offer from other groups, an offer from the royal family was different. Steiger was an organization under the royal family’s direct mandate. In other words, even the despicable witch had to consider the Crown Prince’s will.

  If the Crown Prince knew of my situation, would he be able to convince the witch to let me go?

  Suddenly, escaping Steiger’s grasps didn’t seem like an impossibility. The average enrolment at the Academy was three years. Assuming he was allowed to graduate, in three years, he’ll have an opportunity to change his fate.

  “…Please give me some time to think about it.”

  His head was a mess right now. He had to be strategic about this. The witch likely had no knowledge of this offer. But was being a royal knight better than serving Steiger? Prestige aside, he had no idea what being a royal knight actually entailed. Would it be actually freedom? Or would he just be switching to a different master with the same set of shackles?

  “Of course, you don’t have to decide right away,” Aoife said, dropping her noble mask once again, “If you have any questions about the offer, please feel free to ask—”

  The walls of the room suddenly shook. It was followed by a loud, death-curdling scream from just outside the corridor.