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Meanwhile, in the lavish entrance hall of the House Vandran…

"What did you just say?"

Aries\'s mouth fell open as soon as the royal messenger read the royal decree out loud. She turned to Dexter, who was kneeling beside her as they received the royal decree. By the way his eyes dilated and how his jaw dropped, she instantly knew Dexter knew nothing about it.

Dexter raised his head in disbelief. "What did you say?" he repeated the same question to the royal messenger Abel sent.

"It\'s a royal order sealed by the emperor." The messenger showed them the document, holding it on the top. "Lady Daniella was a candidate to become the emperor\'s empress. And thus, she must hasten and move to the Imperial Palace in two weeks\' time."

The royal messenger then closed the document in his hand. He stood straight, eyes on Aries and Dexter, who were kneeling on the floor as they received the royal decree; a custom they must abide by in the presence of a royal decree signed by the emperor.

"Acknowledge the emperor\'s benevolence!"

Dexter frowned, his jaw tightening. "Long live the Emperor. We acknowledge His Majesty\'s generosity. My sister shall leave in two weeks to the imperial palace."

"It is our house\'s honor to receive His Majesty\'s generosity," Aries continued humbly, making the royal messenger nod in satisfaction.

The royal messenger glanced at Gustav, the head butler of the House Vandran. He then handed the document, which Gustav received with a bow.

"A royal carriage will fetch the lady two weeks from now. That will be all." He tilted his head, turned on his heel, and walked away with the small unit of royal knights traveling with him.

Aries raised her head, staring at the group of royal knights escorting the royal messenger to leave the manor. A shallow breath slipped past her lips, turning her attention to Dexter. The marquess remained in his position.

"Brother," she called softly, snapping Dexter back from his trance. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am." Dexter cleared his throat, assisting himself up. He then offered his hand for Aries to clasp, pulling her up to her feet. The servants of the House Vandran were still bowing, standing, and forming a beeline on either side of the carpet where the marquess and his sister stood.

"It\'s a little surprising, but I had seen it coming. Although not this soon," he explained, forcing a smile on his face while staring at her squarely. Dexter then planted a hand on top of her head, patting it gently.

"Were you glad to hear the news?"

"Not really," Aries murmured. "Because that means I\'ll see you less."

His eyes softened, retracting his hand from her. "This will be good for our house. You might meet more candidates who were chosen by the royal court, but do not forget you have the aristocratic faction as your solid supporter. I got your back."

\'You and I know ‌the candidates were solely for formality,\' Aries answered inwardly, pursing her lips into a thin line.

"It\'s good news. Cheer up." Dexter pinched her cheek mildly and then looked around at the servants. His lips stretched ear to ear. "We\'ll prepare a simple celebration. My sister might become the next empress of this empire."

He paused, sensing the raising silent energy from the servants. Compared to him, the servants were thrilled about the news. It was obvious from the twinkle in their eyes.

"Our house will be busy for the following days. Stay on your toes."

"Yes, my lord!" the servants answered in unison; their voices echoing across the entire manor. Their lips stretched from ear to ear, hoping Aries would be the next empress, as she was the perfect candidate for the position.

With that being said, everyone dispersed to execute the orders. None of them wanted to waste a second. Some escorted Aries back to her room. Others, on the other hand, went to prepare for the dinner banquet tonight.

As they all went away, Dexter stayed in his spot. After a minute, Gustav approached him from the side. The head butler handed the royal decree politely, which Dexter picked up and read himself.

Dexter only needed to skim through the document. The royal messenger wasn\'t lying. Aries was chosen as a candidate to become the next empress.

"So this is how they found a way to keep her close, huh?" he mumbled, thinking Abel and Conan probably had a long discussion about this.

After all, if Aries simply lived in the imperial palace, she would be nothing but a mistress in the eyes of the public. Even if they didn\'t care much about the public opinion with Abel\'s already tarnished reputation, the game was different if Aries was involved.

These men, Abel, Conan, and Dexter didn\'t have that long of patience to ignore any slander regarding Aries. By going this route, the public wouldn\'t have anything to say much, since this would be akin to a game for ladies.

Who would capture the emperor\'s heart? And who would be the next empress?

There was already a winner even before they thought about this idea. Even so, Dexter felt conflicted about it.

"Are you alright, my lord?" asked Gustav after a minute of nothing but silence, staring at Dexter who was reading the document silently.

Dexter folded the document and faced Gustav. "Of course," he smiled, which didn\'t reach his eyes. "Why wouldn\'t I? I willingly sent her to the Maganti. This is nothing"

Gustav kept his mouth shut, lowering his head when Dexter waved. The latter walked away, saying nothing anymore, while Gustav raised his head. The heat butler stared at Dexter\'s back with worry in his eyes.

\'You send her to that land, but willingly followed her,\' was what Gustav wanted to tell Dexter, but kept it to himself.

Little did Dexter know it wasn\'t just Gustav who was staring at his retreating figure. Leaning against the pillar on the corner of the entrance hall, Marsella scoffed with her arms crossed.

"What an interesting relationship we have here."