“Just a moment. Hey!”
“How dare you lay hands on His Majesty’s property! We ought to chop that wrist off at once.”
When Lev twisted this way and that to pull his arm free, the attendant only grew angrier, huffing with rage.
While Lev and the attendant wrestled, loud footsteps echoed toward them.
Presently a group came rushing in: two soldiers in uniform, along with the attendant’s companion who had gone to fetch them.
“This one! He’s the thief who stole His Majesty’s possession!”
At the attendant’s shout the two soldiers sprinted over and surrounded Lev.
Releasing Lev’s wrist, the attendant stepped back half a pace; in the same instant the soldiers grabbed Lev’s arms firmly from either side.
“Look, I’m telling you this isn’t stolen!”
Struggling in the soldiers’ grip, Lev protested, but the hold only tightened.
“Hmph! Who’d believe a word from the likes of you?” the attendant sneered, eyes glinting triumphantly.
He stepped close and snatched the gold button from Lev’s hand while both arms were pinned.
Lev was dragged to the corridor outside the Emperor’s office. There stood the chamberlain, who had sent out servants to search after hearing Lev was missing.
“What has happened?”
The chamberlain looked once at Lev in custody, then questioned the attendant who stepped forward.
“Look, Chamberlain! This man tried to steal His Majesty’s property and run!”
The attendant held out his hand. In it lay the gold button he’d taken from Lev.
“And this is?”
“A button that decorates His Majesty’s jacket, sir. I caught him trying to make off with it.”
The chamberlain turned his gaze to Lev, trapped between the soldiers, wearing an expression of sheer absurdity.
“Release him.”
“Chamberlain!”
The attendant objected at once, but the chamberlain signaled again to the soldiers, insisting. They let Lev go.
Only then did the chamberlain speak.
“Lord Lev, did you steal this?”
Lev rubbed his wrists, stinging from the grip, and shook his head, about to say no… but the attendant cut in first.
“Have you ever seen a thief tell the truth? Chamberlain, I saw it in his hand!”
Lev heaved a long inward sigh. The attendant had disliked him from the very beginning and clearly had no wish to clear the misunderstanding. Rather, he seemed eager to brand Lev a thief.
“It was not me,” Lev said briefly, glancing at the attendant then back at the chamberlain.
“See? Pretending innocence! Chamberlain, am I right?”
All Lev had said was “not me,” yet the attendant acted as though he’d heard some outrageous excuse.
The chamberlain pinched his brow in annoyance and asked again.
“Then where did this come from?”
“No need to ask such—” the attendant began, but the chamberlain silenced him with a stern “Ahem!”
Chastened, the attendant shut his mouth, though his eyes brimmed with resentment. He cared little whether Lev had stolen or merely found the button. He simply hoped to use it to drive the rustic stranger from the palace.
“Lord Lev, where did you get the button?”
“It was lying on the corridor floor.”
“The corridor?”
Lev nodded calmly.
“I saw a boy pacing there and asked. He said he’d lost something.”
“A boy?”
“Yes. A page. Looked about fourteen or so.”
“Then why did you come alone?”
“Well…”
Lev opened his mouth to explain why the boy had vanished when—
“What is going on here?”
A frigid voice cut through them. On the staircase connecting two floors stood the Emperor.
“Your Majesty,”
The chamberlain bowed first. The attendant and soldiers hastened into deep bows. Lev alone looked at the Emperor, awkward and unsettled.
Guien descended the stairs slowly, an impassive face radiating an aura that forbade careless speech or movement.
Reaching the bottom, the Emperor’s heels clicked as he walked toward the group.
“Chamberlain.”
He stopped two steps from Lev and looked to the chamberlain, who understood at once and spoke.
“I had servants searching after being told Lord Lev was missing, Your Majesty.”
“I see. And what is that?”
The Emperor’s interest fixed on the button in the attendant’s hand.
The attendant hesitated. He still lacked the full story and needed to choose his words. His report could trouble Lev.
Yet before he could speak, the attendant, who was eager to seize advantage, blurted out:
“Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty! That man tried to steal it in secret!”
The chamberlain frowned at the attendant’s rashness, but the damage was done.
Guien’s gaze moved from the attendant, to the button, to Lev.
“In that case he must be punished.”
The Emperor’s cold words made Lev’s eyes widen. His mouth fell open.
What… Am I going to die right here? The protagonist hadn’t even appeared yet. He’d done nothing villainous.
Facing sudden peril, Lev froze. The Emperor’s mouth twisted.
“Chamberlain, how is theft punished?”
The chamberlain, eyeing Lev, answered somewhat awkwardly.
“Usually with flogging, sire. But for grave theft, the wrist may be severed.”
The thought was nearly as dreadful as death; Lev spoke up, aghast.
“I merely stepped out for water.”
“Water?”
“Yes, I woke up parched.”
“Then you could have summoned a servant.”
“I know, but no one was around. While wandering I found the button.”
“So it was not stolen?”
Guien tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. His eyes chilled further.
“How will you prove it?”
That was not difficult, but Lev hesitated. The boy had been desperately searching for it. If word spread, the page could be punished for losing the Emperor’s property.
Proving innocence is harder than proving guilt. After a pause, Lev answered.
“I only picked it up from the floor.”
Hardly proof.
“See, Chamberlain! He’s lying just to escape trouble!”
The attendant pounced. The chamberlain grimaced, but Guien seemed uninterested in the attendant.
“Did anyone see you pick it up?”
“No, sire. But I truly did not steal it. I couldn’t have.”
“Couldn’t have?”
“Yes. As Your Majesty knows, I was plagued by motion sickness the entire journey.”
Lev paused, then nodded toward the attendant.
“Upon arrival he showed me to my room, and I fell asleep at once.”
“The attendant did report you were sleeping,” the chamberlain offered. Guien’s gaze shifted from Lev to the attendant.
Flustered, the attendant hurried to speak.
“Even so, he might have found the jacket later. There’s a dressing room nearby, sire!”
A stretch, and they all knew it. Ignoring that, the chamberlain asked Lev:
“Lord Lev, I recall you said you tried to help a page who had lost something. Who is that page?”
Lev sighed softly.
“Well…”
“If you are falsely accused, it helps the page as well to reveal his name. He’ll be sorry later if this remains undisclosed,” the chamberlain coaxed gently.
True enough. The boy would hear of this incident anyway. No point hiding him.
“He said his name was Marco. Family name Dupont.”
The chamberlain signaled another servant to fetch Marco.
Soon Marco arrived, escorted by a fellow page, face rigid with fear and tension. He was clearly informed of the matter.
“I lost a precious item, Your Majesty. I have committed a grave offense!”
No long explanation was needed. Marco’s trembling confession proved Lev’s innocence.
Watching the small back quivering in fear, Lev felt bitter. His attempt to help had only worsened things.
Worried for the boy, he glanced at the Emperor.
Guien demanded no further blame, voiced no rebuke. He simply let his gaze pass from Marco to Lev.
“Cause no more commotion; stay quiet.”
He tossed the cold order and brushed past before Lev could reply. Attendants and guards bowed hurriedly.
After the Emperor disappeared upstairs, the chamberlain turned to Lev.
“You have been through a lot, Lord Lev. I will handle matters here. Please go and rest.”
The accusation disproved, Lev could have withdrawn, yet he still worried about Marco and stayed.
“Chamberlain, since the lost item was found, could we overlook the mistake? I promised to return it quietly. Things escalated and the boy is in a difficult spot.”
The chamberlain, surprised for a moment, smiled and asked:
“Then how would you have us proceed? You suffered inconvenience when the page lost a royal object. I entrust the disposition to you.”
Marco lifted his head in astonishment. Lev, equally surprised, spoke.
“Then… could he help me a little?”
“You mean as your personal page?”
“Uh, yes… Well, not necessarily formally, but I’d like his help when needed.”
Since they were here anyway, perhaps mutual benefit was best. Having someone to assist during his six-month stay would be handy.
“Would that suffice?”
“Certainly.”
The chamberlain nodded, smiling.
“Marco, your mistake caused Lord Lev great hardship. Yet he treats you generously. Serve him henceforth and atone.”
“Y-yes, sir. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused, and thank you, Lord Lev!”
Marco bowed so low his head nearly touched the floor. Lev helped him up.
“It’s fine. I’m counting on you.”
Marco looked up, seemingly seeing a halo behind Lev.
The chamberlain then turned to the attendant, still wearing a face full of resentment.
“You must apologize as well. Take care no such incident occurs again.”
The attendant could not hide his shock but could not refuse.
“I apologize…”
Even so, his apology to Lev was insincere. Before the chamberlain could chide him, Lev nodded that it was enough.
“It’s all right. The situation easily led to misunderstanding.”
Things settled, Lev wanted to end it.
“Well then, Chamberlain, I’ll retire.”
He signaled his wish to leave first. The chamberlain, after a glance at the attendant, bowed.
“Yes, Lord Lev. Rest well.”
T/N: Please note, the first 6 chapters (as listed here and NU) are incorrect. They’re all part of one chapter. Moving forward, chapter 2.1, 2.2, … will be used to show the correct order. Apologies for the confusion.
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