Chapter 70 - The Right to Choose

“Ugh. You didn’t tell me she was this cute, Your Majesty.” Achillios’ chest hurt at how adorable Amelia was. “His Majesty is so mean! I can’t believe he kept her all to himself!” For the first time in a decade, Achillios felt resentful toward Miltiades, “I’ve served him whole-heartedly! This is nothing short of a betrayal!” 

Achillios loved kids, and he loved cute things. So to see a cute kid was enough to drive him wild. He lowered his head as Amelia was talking to her maid. He thought his breath would stop. ‘She’s so cute!’ She was absolutely lovable! Everything about her was lovely: her plump cheeks, her dimples when she smiled, and her bright red eyes. 

He felt a sudden pang of regret. ‘I should’ve gone!’ He should have left Rahel to its own devices and followed Miltiades to the Vios Empire. Achillios directed all his regret and resentment at Callian. ‘Callian, I’ll never forget this.’ The only cause of his resentment was that Callian knew about Amelia first. 

‘I think I made eye contact with that maid a few times.’ He had been scurrying around and making sure that they didn’t see him, but she knew exactly where he was. ‘Is her name Luciana? I think I’ve seen her before…’ 

Straightening his back, Achillios had just decided to look into her when he saw someone going after Amelia, “That’s…?”

* * *

I crossed my arms in frustration. Despite my repeated questions, Luciana refused to tell me what was going on. ‘Why won’t she tell me?’ I was suspicious; it felt like she was hiding something from me. 

“Luci, I think I dropped my bracelet while playing!” 

“I’ll look for it later.” 

“No, I want it now! Please!!” 

“…” Luciana glared at me, but I only blinked in response. Finally, she left with a sigh, leaving me alone with Margaret. 

“Margaret.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” 

“You know what’s going on, right?” I clasped my hands and looked at her. Under the attack of my cute gaze, she took a deep breath. 

“I want to know the truth. What’s going on?”

“Well…that…” Her voice was shaking and her eyes darted around. She couldn’t meet my gaze directly. I went up to her and grabbed her arm. 

“I want to know.”

“…” 

“Tell me!” 

“…”

“You can’t?” I started tearing up. Margaret inhaled again while gripping her bosom. 

“…Don’t tell Luciana that I told you.” 

“Okay!” 

“To be honest…” Margaret told me everything. Once I heard that Daddy had given me the right to choose his empress, I only had one thought: ‘Daddy dropped the bomb on me!’ I felt the sting of betrayal for a second. But since he gave me the right to choose, I decided to forgive him. I’d forgive anything he did. ‘…I have to, because he’s my favorite.’ 

“…So that’s why all the ladies are flocking to you.”

“Okay, I get it,” I replied. It would be easier to deal with them if that was the case.

“Margaret, send Luci over.” 

“Won’t she return once she finds the bracelet?” 

“Well…” I showed Margaret the bracelet that I had secretly stashed away, “It’s right here!” I laughed a little while Margaret looked from me to the bracelet and back again. With a look of reluctance, she let out a heavy sigh and glanced around the area, “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Okay.” 

“Or should I send you back and then fetch Luciana?”

“No, bring her back now. I feel bad for playing this little trick on her, you know?” But I had no choice. It seemed like Luciana would never tell me!

Margaret noticed the guards standing nearby, in front of the palace. She warned me again before leaving. ‘She’s acting like I’m a six-year-old.’ I was one, but still. 

“Hm…the right to choose…” I muttered to myself. The Miltiades I knew would never issue such an order, so it was obviously one of the servants. ‘Now that I think about it, something happened in the novel around this time…’ But I had arrived at the palace before the novel.

“…!” It suddenly struck me: the sudden swarm of strangers was a sign that something was about to happen! How could I forget? At that moment, I remembered the next event that caused Priscilla to start gaining recognition. ‘…The attempted assassination of the emperor!!’ 

Suddenly, a shadow appeared before me.