101 Ways To Tame The Emperor

Chapter 17: When Two Pretenders Meet

“GOOD evening, General.”

“And what is good in the evening?”

I pitied the servant who was just being polite to the General by greeting him. I accidentally heard their conversation while approaching the dining hall. I was thankful that there was a head maid who waited outside of my chamber for me. Otherwise, I would get lost.

The Castle was so huge. We passed by the receiving area which look like it could accommodate about a hundred people. The walls were made of pebbles of different colors. And the pathway towards the dining hall was so long. It made me want to just go back to my chambers and have my food delivered there. ‘Good thing I was wearing sneakers. The train of my gown was too long that no one noticed. The Castle provided for it which was really surprising. It was like the gown was made for me because it fitted me so well.

What I was wearing right now could pass as a bridal gown in my world except that it was sky-blue. It was a pleated ball gown with floral beading and embroidery. I wondered how many gold coins this gown would cost. In case the wedding fails to push through, I might take a gown or two with me and sell them in the Capital and use the money to find Daria.

I didn’t know that eating in this Castle could be this extravagant. But I can’t whine even if I was tired and even if this whole thing makes my head want to burst out.

My grandfather was included in the top ten wealthiest people in our country so I grew up in luxury. But this Castle still blew me away. Everything I see is shining, shimmering, and splendid. It makes me want to sing Alladin’s ‘A Whole New World’. Every single piece of furniture was designed in an intricate manner from the chairs, tables, cabinets, and other wooden stuff. They must have cost a fortune especially the large rock crystal chandeliers that I see almost everywhere.

The dining table was good for twelve people. And right now, only one person was sitting there. I was standing like a statue on the entrance of the dining hall that’s why I could only see the General’s back. He seemed to be in a pretty bad mood. After hearing what he said to the butler, I hesitated approaching him.

Mrs. Emma Rembrant, the head maid, had been motioning me to come over for several minutes now. God, I can’t believe I was actually having cold feet.

Now I know why Matilde and Jeanne, the maid who came with us from the manor, tried to stop me from spouting nonsense earlier. By chance, did the General found out what I said that’s why he was acting like this?

I’m regretting it now, Matilde. I’m sorry. I should have listened to you. I should have just kept my opinion to myself.

I was startled when the General suddenly slammed the table. I was glad it was made of fine wood and not of glass. Otherwise, it would have been shattered by now.

“Why isn’t Lady Catherine here yet? Is she underestimating me because I am only a War General and not the Emperor?”

The maids serving the food became as edgy as I was when he yelled. One of the maids even broke the plate when it fell down on the floor. I looked at the food, dumbfounded. My heart went out to the poor chicken.

I could save people’s lives. But I could not save the chicken from falling on the floor. I think I’ve just failed my duty as a food lover.

This has to stop now. I can’t allow the maids to break another plate and waste another food once the General acted out again. My heart breaks for the chicken already. I can’t tolerate another heart break. I took a deep breath and decided to show up for the food’s sake.

I cleared my throat to make the General aware of my presence.

“Greetings, General Montebello. I am Catherine, the third daughter of Count Quentin from the House of Peiris. I apologize for arriving late. I did not mean to offend you or anything. Next dinner, if ever you still want to eat with me, I will make sure to come on time.” I glanced at the maids and could not help worrying when I saw their hands shaking while putting the food on the table. “Please be careful about those plates. It will be a complete waste if the food would all end up on the floor since they all look so delicious.”

“I made a mistake. I apologize, General Montebello and Lady Catherine.” The maid who dropped the plate said in a shaky voice.

“No. You should not apologize to us. We should apologize to the chicken instead. It lived a life just to be killed, fried, and then it eventually went to the floor without being eaten. Its sacrifices were in vain.” My attention quickly went back to the General’s direction when I heard him laugh. He stood up and turned to face me.

Strange. My heart began beating erratically the second our eyes met. It turned out that Jeanne was not exaggerating when she said that the General was the hottest man she had ever laid her eyes on. Even I would admit that I had never seen a face like his before. He was wearing his white army uniform which made him look more imposing. It also matched the color of his hair. He had a platinum hair which he tied in a bun.

The more he looked at me, the more I feel like his blue-green eyes were penetrating into my very soul. He could take breaths away with just those eyes, mine included. He had thick brows, pointed nose, and lips that were rosier than mine. The General was not handsome. He was beautiful. In fact, he was so much more beautiful than a woman. And he was tall. Catherine’s height was about 5’8 but I think the General was more than six feet tall. His broad shoulders and masculine figure was a contradiction to his very feminine face, though.

Looking at the General’s face would certainly make the women swoon over him. But his body would make them want to be protected by him.

Wait. Protected? Now, where did that come from? All my life, I have never thought of wanting to be protected by anyone before. And it was not like I would want to be protected by this man, too.

Snap out of it, Sabina. That man is a freaking playboy.

I shook my head. Maybe I was still affected by the chicken that’s why my heart was being like this. Right. I must have been too surprised because of what the poor chicken went through. I was a food lover. And chicken was among my favorites. Of course, I would be this sympathetic. This can’t be because of the General.

Not to mention his mood swings were unbearable. He was just grilling the butler a while ago. And now he was laughing.

He tilted his head. “Do you like what you are seeing?”

What a cheeky bastard. But well, that was embarrassing. I must have stared at him for too long. I could feel my cheeks burning. I have no idea what got into me for me to match his arrogance. “I do. I never thought I would get to meet someone as beautiful as me. This is surprising.”

The General’s lips curved into a sexy smile, revealing his perfectly white teeth. He could be a toothpaste endorser, a model, or an actor. His presence was so distracting that it was clouding the logical side of me. And my heart beat was not helping me relax. What a mess.

“That’s it? You are not going to say anything anymore? Where is your conscience, my lady? You left me a week ago after kissing me like there was no tomorrow and after knocking out the doctor that I sent to check on you. This is our first formal encounter after what took place at the tavern and yet, you seemed more concerned about the chicken that you even feel sorry for it. What about me? Don’t you feel sorry for me, too?”

I took a sharp breath. I was sure my cheeks were redder now, all thanks to him. I have always known that we will meet either way. And that I would have to explain myself when that happens. But of course, I must set priorities first.

“Please don’t look down on the chickens, General. They are important, too.” His mouth parted like he could not believe that once again, I gave attention to the chickens first before him. Seriously, what’s up with him and the chickens? And what’s up with my heart beat? By chance, does Catherine’s body have a secret illness or something and the symptoms were appearing only now?

“Forgive me, General. It was not my intention to hurt Doctor Luis. It was not my intention to leave without saying goodbye to you either. I appreciate what you did for me and I will always be thankful for that. But I only escaped from my Escorts that day.” I added straightaway before he could say something more. “It was late and I needed to go back to my Escorts or else Count Quentin might punish them. I had no choice but to put Doctor Luis to sleep when I figured that he would not let me out of the carriage since he was carrying your orders.

“I also did not have the confidence to meet you and His Majesty that day after what I went through. I thought that it would not be ideal meeting His Majesty that way. Please forgive me for what I did while I was under the influence of the drug. I don’t exactly remember what happened but it must have been so terrible for you-”

“If you don’t remember, then shall I make you remember all the things that you and I did back there?”

No wonder the General was tagged as the king of seduction. His face alone speaks for him. But the second he opens his mouth, that could pose as a big problem. This man didn’t seem to know how to filter his words. I can’t believe my heart was being swayed like this.

When he began walking towards me, all of a sudden, the dining hall became too small for the two of us. He stopped walking when he was just a step away from me.

He leaned closer, touched my cheek, and whispered in my ear.

“It was not a terrible experience. As a matter of fact, it was the opposite. It’s just too bad that you’ve forgotten about it. But it’s okay. We can just kiss again… can’t we? We can do that here and more, my lady.”

My cheeks tingled and my eyes widened. I had to pinch myself in order to stop myself from being hypnotized by those beautiful eyes. When I finally managed to break free from his stare, I glanced at the maids’ direction and was taken aback when I noticed that they were still there.

What in the world was this man doing in someone else’s territory? How could he flirt with the Emperor’s guest? He lifted his hand but before he could hold me again, I dodged and rushed to sit on my designated chair. I would have sat on the farthest seat from him if only the table wares were not set on the seat beside him. But I could still feel his hand on my cheek.

How could just one touch from him destroy my concentration like this?

I swallowed hard before talking. “The food is getting cold, General. I think that it’s best if we eat them now.”

It was cold in the Castle. But I feel hot inside.

“You do not have to worry about the servants, my lady. Compared to the Emperor, they are more loyal to me.” The General said after occupying his seat.

This… this was the kind of man Matthew wanted me to get close to? Hearing that brought me back to my senses. I can’t believe that my heart was pounding so much right now for someone like him. I’ve heard about General Malik’s contribution to the Empire. The wars he led always won. That must have been the reason why the Emperor trusted him so much. But that did not give the General the right to act this cocky.

Well, maybe this was for the better. This way, I would not have to mind my manners around him. I did not know that the maids would be on a stand-by while we eat and talk. As much as I didn’t want them to hear any of this, I have no choice but to blurt this out to draw the line. It was shocking to know that no servant had attempted to report the General to His Majesty yet. Did he bribe them, frighten them, or something?

“What happened to us at the tavern was a mistake, General Montebello. And I have no plans of repeating that mistake. I do respect the Emperor. Whether I end up getting married to him or not, I still would not dream of putting a stain on his name by seeing another man while staying in his Castle. In the future, I hope that you will be careful of the things you say. I will appreciate it if you would not mention this thing again.”

Damn. I want to start eating now to calm my nerves. But the General was not eating yet. If only I was not afraid of getting poisoned, I would have started right away. Instead, he put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hand while shamelessly looking at me, making things all the more awkward for me.

Why… why does his every movement have to look so bewitching? Did this man have masters in seduction, too? He was just sitting there lazily like that and yet he looked as if he was having a pictorial or something. I have to avoid him in the future. He was not good for my heart and for my plans. I keep losing focus in front of him.

“Are you saying that you are okay marrying a disfigured man like His Majesty? I’ve seen his face many times. His burnt scars look pretty awful that’s why he wears a mask to conceal it. But then, who can underestimate the allure of money and power, right?” He shrugged. “I can’t blame you. If you really want, I can pull some strings for you. The Emperor listens to me. If you obey me and choose to become my woman, I will help you climb the social ladder for you to become Morven’s Empress.”

That’s it. I think I just lost my appetite. I’ve heard almost the same thing from Lancelot just a week ago. Why were the men in this Empire so darn possessive? Why do they need to have ownership over the women they just meet?

“Does His Majesty know that you look down on him, General? He wears a mask? So what? I do, too. Everyone actually wears a mask every day for various reasons. It’s not just him. Me, I do it in order to survive. I believe you are wearing one, too, General. I’m sure you have a different expression when facing him. As long as he is not as rude as you and he would not backstab me like what you are doing right now, I would not mind getting married to His Majesty. Most people are disfigured, anyway. You, for example. I think your head is disfigured.”

I know that saying those things was as good as making a countdown for my death. But I could not just sit and listen to all that crap. Who in their right minds would want to be disfigured? The fire that took place in the Castle many years ago might not be a simple accident. It could be a plan to assassinate the imperial family. It must have been very traumatizing for the Emperor who was so young then. So how could this General look down on the Emperor’s pain? What does he know?

I thought the General would be furious by now. Unexpectedly, he was calmed enough. He gracefully drank his wine and smirked. “Do you like to be the Empress that much that you are willing to put up with the Emperor? Is that really what you came here for?”

“And who wants to be the Empress? Who wants to be constantly targeted by His Majesty’s nemesis? My team had encountered the first batch of his enemies on our way here.”

“Then why are you still here?”

As if the Emperor gave the officials a choice when he sent his written edict. “You know the reason why, General Montebello. But apart from that, I have my own reason, too, so you have no right to judge me for being here. And if there is anyone who needs to hear that reason the most, it’s His Majesty. I will only confess to him.”

I stood up. I could not hide the disgust on my face any longer. It seemed that the only beautiful thing about this General was his face. In the end, he was just another Lancelot.

“Please excuse me. This hall is a little suffocating for me. I think I would rather eat in my chambers. Thank you for your time, General Montebello. Have a pleasant night.”

I marched down the hall way with my head held high and my chest about to burst open only to stop when I reached the receiving area. I forgot… which path I should take to reach my chamber. I groaned before I dragged my feet back to the dining hall. The General was still there.

Was it disappointment that I saw in his eyes when he saw me come back? But before I could analyze it further, his expression changed. He smiled seductively.

“You are back, my lady. Does this mean that you are reconsidering my offer? All right. I will forgive you just this once-“

In your dreams. “I didn’t mean to shatter your illusion but I did not come back here to ask for your forgiveness, General. I am not here to look for you. I am here for Mrs. Rembrant.” I pointed the head maid. “Please show me the way back to my chamber. I…” I scratched my forehead out of embarrassment. “I forgot which direction to take.”