The Villain Who Fell In Love

"Even if it's just been months I've worked with him. I disagree with his work style. It's destructive to his own body," Duke Louis said. "He worked at a young age, and I know how much he pushes himself for his parents' sake."

Emelia didn't expect her father to say so many things about Elliot and couldn't help but agree with him. Not getting proper sleep nor eating proper meals. And he's the one telling Emelia to eat well when he's not.

"Do what you think is right," Duke Louis said, bringing out something from his pocket, which was a locket. She opens the locket, and in it, she sees a picture of a beautiful woman and a man who looked like Elliot. "I cannot fulfill their wishes because I don't know how to. But if it's you. You might do it."

A wish? Emelia asked herself. As much as she knew about her father's relations with the late emperor, they had no connections at all. Unless it was made intentional that they didn't know each other.

"That's all for I can say now. I'm sure you're busy," said Duke Louis eyeing at the papers on Emelia's desk, who sighed and nods her head. "I just came here to deliver that locket. I'm sure it's something His Imperial Meaty wants to see."

Emelia instead escorting her father to the entrance, but he kept rejecting her offer. His persistency convinced her to let him be after seeing new papers being held on Zed's hand, who was to deliver them to her.

"Here is the results of what you had asked me to search on, just like what you had thought. This has been happening since the reign of latest Head Priest," Duke Zed gives Emelia the paper who read it.

"The month…I'm not thinking wrong, am I?" Emelia asked Zed who shook his head.

"It's what you are thinking."

"When Elliot's parents died, a new Head Priest was named in the Temple of Azraelle," said Emelia. Though it was too early to conclude that when there isn't enough proof to confirm it. Is it a coincidence or not?

"Also, as I dug deeper about the wet nurse. Her name is Naia Evelyn beheaded at the age of twenty-two after murdering the late emperor, the late empress, and his younger twin brother."

A younger twin brother? This isn't written in the official family tree of the royal family. Why hasn't this been mentioned? Not even Elliot told her. 

Just she felt there are so many things Elliot was hiding away from her. He feels so close but so far at the same time.

"Yes, His name is His Highness, Edward Renaud. After the disaster, they couldn't find his body anywhere. Until now, His Imperial Majesty thinks his younger brother is alive. But he is no longer here," said Zed as the last few words said in a lower tone.

"And he is hiding about this?" Emelia asked herself as the feather pen she held snapped into two parts.

"To add, Naia Evelyn is the first victim. Manipulated by the current head priest. Though there is not enough proof for this to be valid."

So this has been going on for fifteen years, and nothing was being done because of the lack of proof. Everything the temple did never left a trace that could be used into goodput. All their records are clean, and not even a single complaint file from them.

"Good work," said Emelia as she placed her arms on the desk. "I want you to gather the members of the temples. Each one of them," Emelia ordered Zed, who bows his head before leaving the office.

Just thinking about the Temple of Azraelle made Emelia laugh out loud. Who do they think they are? Emelia asked herself, leaning back on her seat and closes her eyes. If Henry is called evil, then the temple of Azraelle are pure evils.

The enemies this time are formidable. This makes it harder to prove their evil doings to the empire. Emelia sighs out loud. Just when things were about to calm down, another big problem strikes.

Emelia opens her eyes and stood up. She didn't want to have an argument or have an uneasy atmosphere around Elliot. To do this, it's time to say things state things clearer. She walks out of her office and enters the other office without knocking again.

This time Elliot just looks at her didn't greet her with a word but with a smile. While her lips curved into a frown. She sat down on the couch and looked at him.

"Sit in front of me. We have to talk," Emelia said in an angry tone.

Elliot sees the seriousness in her eyes and lowers the paperback on his desk. He stood up and sat across the table to her and asked, "What is there to talk about?"

"Don't smile at me. You already know," straightforwardly said, Emelia.

"Emelia, it's not that I don't want you to mind my business, but it's something I have to deal with. It's not your job. It's mine," said Elliot, and he hears Emelia click her tongue for the first time.

"This is what you call selfishness. Yes, you are a leader, the Emperor of the Stella Empire. But doing the job by yourself is not right. What is the point of your servants who are much willing to do it for you?" asked Emelia.

"They simply help with the task. I never said that I'll do everything by myself," said Elliot taking a pause before saying, "And just like what you said. I am the emperor. It means I have the choice to choose who I wish to work with, and you are not the one."

Emelia looks at him, not angered nor annoyed. But how can he say those words to her? She knew this was his way to "protect" her. But this isn't the right method. The corners of her mouth rose, smiling. 

"Elliot, are you an idiot?"