Arestia Empire'S World Domination
Chapter 52: Mystery of the Imperial Palace

...—Capital of Excelia, Arestia— Empire...

...—19 January 1239—...

The night sky stretched, the atmosphere of silence encompassed the imperial palace after two days of interlocking, high-level conferences involving many Arestian officials had been conducted.

The talks are significant for the policy and strategic steps Arestia will take in the next three years. Although concerns about the problem of scarcity of goods and crop difficulties due to men being conscripted haunt, but Ares has wanted a solution where the problem is no longer a burden on the national scale.

Restrictions on conscription and food self-sufficiency within half a year may be achievable. In the last two years, although Ares launched an invasion of the Kingdom of Forbrenne, he did not forget about domestic problems.

With the help of Warren, Claire, as well as several other ministers, vigorous efforts for food independence as well as strict tax supervision have been encouraged, both in the form of silver gold to the form of wheat and other produce that became a taxpayer commodity that was inherited since the time of the Rowling Kingdom.

That reason made Ares actually ready for invasion when autumn arrived, relying on the production of excess weapons both from traders and weapons made independently by the army.

Even so, Ares stepped carefully. He did not know how the Saint— who would visit his country when spring arrived— would move, making him undo the intention to make a firm decision.

Of course, Ares did not attend the audience with the messenger of the holy knight representing the church and was replaced by Warren acting as the prime minister of the state. Although it looks unethical, but the reason for the sadness that Ares is feeling— due to the attack of the Capital of Excelia— causes the holy knight, along with the Pope in particular, must understand it.

"Dear." From inside the arms, Excel calls gently. She understands her husband—including herself— is very exhausted with the agenda in recent days.

"Hm." With cheeks touching Excel's crown and chest intertwined with his wife's back, Ares half-consciously replied, fatigue and severe drowsiness had been some time to wander his consciousness.

The couple is still wearing pajamas. Although tonight the two had planned to make a third child, but they stopped doing so because they felt very tired.

"When will the daughter of the late Queen of Florentia arrive?" asked Excel, his feelings were a little upset because he remembered if he had ever refused the engagement of the princess with his son, Raze.

"Hmm.. it should be. four.. or five days.." replied Ares with great sleepiness.

"That's it..." Hearing the news that Florentia was the victim of a coup, Excel understood that his daughter was also the same fate as him, becoming someone whose mother was killed because of political ambitions.

Previously, Ares and Excel had jointly desired to grant asylum to Leticia, the daughter of Florentia, as well as some Gardom officials who gave allegiance to the Princess Gardom. However, given that the Princess of— who has the same age as her son— will live in the imperial palace, Excel understands if it is possible that Leticia will try to bring the two closer to being a close friend or even a friend.

Excel is not blind to political influence. He understood very well that marrying Raze to the Princess could lead to a union between two countries, but Excel did not want to force his son to live under pressure. He really wanted Raze and Orcian to live what they wanted, even in love and dress, which Excel never felt before.

"You know..." Ares broke the silence, his tone heavy like someone who was about to fall asleep.

"What?" ask Excel.

"Yesterday night... Ody... and Leon. are walking down the aisle..." Ares did not continue his words, which soon turned into a light snoring due to his exhaustion.

"Eh?" Excel surprised. Never heard of or even experienced a mystical event of a lifetime, Excel is confused, not understanding how to behave.

The horror he never experienced. Despite numerous murders and massacres on the battlefield, Excel has never felt the strangeness of it, even during his childhood in the palace of the capital—which of course has been a silent witness to the thousands of murders that took place in it.

"A—a—did they say something to you, darling?" Excel was nervous, she turned to directly look at her husband's face.

Only the sound of snoring became the answer. Excel is a little scared. As a result of his life away from the teachings of religion—be it Afarant, Mihiral, and local beliefs—Excel is very foreign to mystical things. Most of the nobles who came from the western continent rejected religion, even though they did not reject the existence of god.

"Darling! Sweetheart! Awake up!" Excel tried to shake her husband's body.

"Hm." Ares made a soft sound, immediately turning his back to Excel after taking off his embrace.

"Darling!" Excel forcibly awakens Ares, though in the end the effort ends in sheer futility.

Some time had passed, the night sky was increasingly revealing its darkness. With the dark clouds once again covering the moonlight, light rain drenched the roof and walls of the buildings within the walls of the capital, not least with the palace that was right in the middle.

Staring at the ceiling, drowsiness has left both eyes Excel. For some reason, despite trying hard to keep a sharp eye, his eyes did not want to rest. Her husband's mysterious words filled her mind.

JGLAR!

Lightning struck, heavy rain accompanied by wind felt behind the window glass. Excel can only blink both eyes with fear.

Excel certainly knew that there should be some servants outside the door to prepare all the needs of the Emperor and his consort, even at night. But not so with what was in his mind.

There is a feeling that Milly—selfelir Ares is also the biological mother of Wilma who has now become her adopted daughter—waiting behind the door.

Why should it be now?!

The seconds it comes, the bladder being held back by the sting back Excel feels. Never did he think, in his moments of fear, the urge to pee attacked him.

Si—who's there?!

Unintentionally, Excel rolled one of his eyes at the curtain that sipped the open window. Many water spots due to heavy rain, Excel felt there was a figure that had just been hiding from him.

"Darling! Honey!" With a loud bang, Excel tries to wake her husband up.

"What?" Ares woke up annoyed, he turned to look at his wife's face with a slight restraining emotion. One of his eyes was closed, while the other was slightly opened with eyebrows that showed his irritation.

"Ak—aku's..." Excel shamelessly continued his words, "Take me to the restroom."

"Huh?! Don't you usually go alone?! There are also a lot of servants outside! What's wrong with you?!" Ares replied in annoyance, although he still used a soft tone so as not to hear the servants and knights guarding outside the room.

Staring at his wife's teary face as she puffed up her cheeks, Ares heaved a sigh as she rose from her sleep, "Huh... Come on, I'll drive you."

"Te—thank you very much, darling!" Quickly, Excel leaped from the bed, moving to the corner of the room where his sword was sheathed.

"What...do you want to do?" ares asked, one of his eyelids twitching in wonder at his wife's behavior.

"Me—bringing sword?" answer Excel.

"For what?" ask Ares back.

"For. um..." For a moment, Excel stopped. Her two eyes ran around thinking of how to answer her husband's question, "Just in case no one attacks me! Right!"

"Huh? What the hell is inside your head? Put it." Ares replied. However, until a while, he only sees Excel remaining still not moving, "Put it down or I'll tidu—"

"All right! Don't be mad!" Excel threw his sword and approached Ares to pull his arm.

With a little coercion, Ares let one of his arms be pulled tightly close to the door. There was a sight as usual, with several knights and servants standing guard outside the room.

However, not only the knights, the servants broke out in cold sweat. They wondered why the emperor and empress came out of her room without giving any sign?

"A—what has happened, Your Majesty?! Me—why don't you ring the bell as usual?!" A female servant with the highest rank approached in panic.

Excel still forcefully pulled Ares' arm, running away from the servants and knights indifferently because of his burden that had been at the end of the line.

"Look, you can ask them for help, right?" Ares said regretfully, "Unlike usual you asked me to accompany you to the bathroom."

Ares's mind unconsciously ran towards something indecent, although he still had no interest in doing so because of the condition of his body that was very tired.

"It's okay, isn't it?!" excel timpal.

Until a while through the dim hallway, they arrived at a hallway that has lantern lighting that is far apart. In addition to being a source of oil and fire that is difficult to obtain, the darkness of the night inside the palace is deliberately made to trick thieves or intruders to make them at least confused with the palace floor plan.

The atmosphere was now deserted, even some of the knights on patrol were no longer visible. Just two passageways intersections as well as a few steps, both of them would arrive at the location of the imperial palace baths. However, the black figure that was not far from the flaming dim lantern stopped his second move.

"A—what is it, dear?" With his right index, Excel points. Light trembling can also be seen on his hands.

Ares was involuntarily surprised as well. Intending to be sure, he rubbed both of his eyelids and immediately squinted to see more clearly.

"Eh?" The mysterious figure had disappeared from the field of view. Ares is conscious and convinced when he sees a mysterious figure before. His right hand is also now tightly grasping the left palm of his wife.

For both of them, who do not want to get ridiculed, it would be reasonable that courage on the battlefield as well as facing mystical beings are two different things.

Ares pulled his wife's arm, passing through the lantern that had previously contained a mysterious shadow slowly. Unlike his conjecture, upon approaching, only an antique armor was disguised by the dimness of the passageway. Ares has regained his composure, very different from Excel who still looks scared.

Arriving in the dimly lit bath hallway, where there was no one inside, Excel looked at her husband with an uncomfortable-looking face, "To—please accompany me, dear."

"Huh? Why are you so scared?" Ares opened the bathhouse, in which a large bathtub with jugs that could destroy the water and two large lanterns were enough to illuminate the entire bathhouse, "Look, nothing, nothing, ain't he?"

"Ugh..." By force, Excel enters the bathroom alone with a feeling of fear.

Until a moment later, a thin smile appeared on the face, for some reason Ares had the intention to judge his wife.

Geck.

Geck.

Geck.

"Hiii! Sweetheart! You're still there, aren't you?!" Excel involuntarily jumped up, approaching the door where Ares was behind.

With just a slight index tap to the wooden door of the bathhouse, Ares did not expect Excel to be so frightened, causing a faint smile to once again appear, "Yes, I'm still here!"

"Don't knock!" Excel reveals his frustration.

"Eh? I've never heard a knock." Right after those words were thrown out, the door of the bathhouse immediately opened very loudly.

Excel jumped up, pulling her husband's collar with a veiled expression, "Don't try lying to me!"

"Really! I'm not lying!" timpal Ares is a little panicked.

"If so, let's go in!" Pulling Ares' arm inside, Excel immediately closed the bath door trembling.

"Have you pissed?" ares asked, turning to the door to avoid seeing his wife.

"Don't look!" reply Excel shame.

Geck.

Geck.

Geck.

Eh?

Until a moment, the sound of knocking was once again heard. This time, the knock was not caused by Ares, making him extremely shocked.

"Ja—don't try to tease me!" Excel yells in annoyance, feeling Ares knocking by hiding his fingers.

"No! This time it's not me! I'm not lying!" timpal Ares is a little panicked.

Excel realizes that her husband lied at the first moment. However, with a little panic now seen in her husband, Excel felt that her husband was not lying.

Geck.

Geck.

Geck.

"C—try to open it, baby!" timpal Excel hard.

"Huh?! Why should I?!" Ares turned around, looked at his wife and ventured to open the door because Excel was about to cry, "Alright! So don't cry!"

Click.

Slowly, the bath door opened. Ares first peeked out from the crack of the door to confirm the presence of someone.

However, contrary to his expectations, a small figure dressed all in black with a bloody mask stood right behind the door. Not only Ares, even Excel who also peeked behind him saw clearly the scary figure.

"Boo."

BRACKET!

"Gyaaah!" Both of them shouted, Ares and Excel immediately hugged after the bathroom door closed back loudly.

At that time, they decided to stay in the bath until the servants who were in charge of cleaning the bath came at dawn.

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