Struggling to maintain his composure, he looked up at Emperor Alex, but to his dismay, the Emperor appeared entirely unconcerned about him!
"Damn! This time, I'm truly in dire straits!" He cursed inwardly.
In no time, several soldiers swiftly approached Julius' seat and forcefully arrested him.
"No! Your Majesty! I'm sorry!" Julius desperately tried to break free from the soldiers' grasp.
Unfortunately, being elementals, the soldiers easily held him back.
Feeling that he might meet his end if taken out of the throne room, he pleaded continuously with Emperor Alex.
"Your Majesty! I truly apologize!" He shouted in desperation.
Nevertheless, the soldiers were already carrying him forcibly towards the other side of the throne room.
"No! Don't!" Julius thrashed tragically, his gaze filled with desperation as he looked at Diargan.
Regrettably, Diargan paid no heed to his desperate cries, turning a blind eye to the heartbreaking scene.
"Ahhhh!" In the end, she was dragged out of the throne room, and her fate was likely to be worse than death.
The nobles present felt their hearts shudder with fear.
However, considering Minister Julius' reckless and blatant actions against the Emperor, they understood the consequences, and their fear slowly subsided.
On the other hand, Arthur observed the scene, merely shaking his head lightly, knowing that this outcome was inevitable.
"What a foolish loss for you," he whispered as he gazed at Diargan, who maintained a calm expression, closing his eyes as if meditating.
Sensing Arthur's gaze upon him, Diargan opened his eyes, looking slightly surprised, and then greeted him with a smile.
Arthur nodded in return and redirected his attention forward.
Meanwhile, Diargan also averted his gaze, and confusion washed over him in an instant.
"This young master of the Asvold family is truly peculiar," Diargan thought to himself.
"For some reason, his gaze seems to carry a hint of mockery." He muttered, quite perplexed.
Shaking his head, he dismissed such nonsensical thoughts.
Perhaps it was the lingering effect of Julius' earlier actions that clouded his clarity of thought, making him even overanalyze the gaze of a mere teenager.
Suddenly, he recalled the extraordinary abilities and genius of the crown prince of the Asvold family, which he had heard from the circulating news in the empire.
This piqued his interest slightly.
As an idea suddenly struck him, Diargan glanced at Arthur with a smile forming in his heart.
"Perhaps I can bring him into my plan and manipulate him from behind the scenes to challenge Emperor Alex," he thought, his once gentle gaze, resembling that of a kind scholar, now turning into a cruel and calculating one.
"After all, the Asvold family's power is formidable and comparable to that of the Imperial family. If I can control it, they will become a great asset in dealing with Emperor Balka." His lips curled into a small grin, cleverly concealed by the fan in his hand.
Meanwhile, Emperor Alex appeared indifferent to the incident, as though it had no relevance to him at all.
"Alright, that little episode is over, and now let's return to the main topic of discussion," he said, taking a slight breath. His sharp gaze scanned the nobles present.
"As I mentioned earlier, we will soon be facing a war with the Savaran Empire. Consequently, I urge all of you to enter preparation mode, minimizing the negative impact of the war on your lives," he said in a composed manner.
"Furthermore, I will not tolerate any fraudulent activities, such as hoarding goods or engaging in crimes that harm the empire." He paused for a moment, then opened his eyes.
"If I receive reports of such actions, not only will I not forgive the perpetrators, but I will also impose severe punishment on their entire family and any other Luvic noble families they are associated with." His gaze sharpened, instilling a sense of overwhelming terror in everyone present.
"Of course, Your Majesty! Our loyalty to the Empire is unwavering, and we would never commit such heinous acts," one of the mid-level Luvic family leaders asserted without hesitation.
"You have our word, Your Highness! My family will never engage in such dishonest deeds!"
"Committing such crimes would be an outright betrayal of the Empire! We pledge to stand against any such individuals!" Several others echoed their agreement.
The other Luvic family leaders continued to shout and express their opinions excitedly, portraying themselves as virtuous noble families.
Arthur, who keenly observed the scene, couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
He realized that these nobles must be acting with such vigor out of fear and intimidation.
"Emperor Alex is truly shrewd and understands the depths of the human heart," Arthur whispered to himself, his wariness towards Emperor Alex growing substantially.
Just as Emperor Alex had predicted, the nobles who were aware of the impending war were indeed engaging in hoarding goods, including food and other essential items.
The ordinary people, oblivious to the nobles' hoarding activities, would bear the brunt of the soaring prices of goods as the first and most affected victims.
With the sudden surge in demand caused by the nobles' actions, the scarcity of goods would become a significant concern.
Such a situation posed a grave danger to the country or empire, particularly when it required the collective efforts of its people to stabilize the economy and maintain a strong military during wartime.
Emperor Alex's decisive actions were, without a doubt, well-timed and fitting.
By cutting off the path for the nobles to engage in deceitful practices, he was safeguarding the well-being of the populace and the stability of the nation in the face of war.
Despite the nobles' responses, Emperor Alex merely offered a slight smile and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Well, I trust all of you," Emperor Alex said nonchalantly before his gaze shifted unexpectedly towards Arthur, who had been casually observing the scene.
Sensing the Emperor's penetrating gaze, Arthur instinctively glanced back and noticed a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Damn! There's something unsettling about that smile!" Arthur felt a shiver down his spine and became intensely alert.
His instincts warned him that Emperor Alex's smile held nothing good in store!
As expected, after briefly looking at Arthur, Emperor Alex redirected his attention back to the assembled nobles and abruptly stood up from his throne.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there is an extremely important matter I wish to discuss with you all," he announced with a small smile, folding his hands at his waist.
"As you are aware, the presence of the crown prince of the Asvold family, Arthur Asvold, holds a momentous significance today," Emperor Alex stated, fixing a meaningful gaze upon Arthur.
"And that purpose is none other than the announcement of the engagement between my beloved daughter, Lucia Balka, and the crown prince of the Asvold family, Arthur Asvold!" His resounding voice filled the throne room, leaving all those present frozen in shock.
The unexpected revelation left them struggling to believe what they had just heard, wondering if they might have misunderstood the proclamation.
Given the clear and unequivocal statement from Emperor Alex himself, there was no room for doubt; it was undoubtedly the truth.
"Wow! Congratulations to His Highness Arthur Asvold!" A Luvic noble patriarch exclaimed, clasping his hands together in congratulations.
"Congratulations to young master Arthur on his engagement!"
"It is indeed surprising news, but I am thrilled that the beloved princess of the Balka empire will be engaged to His Highness Arthur Asvold!"
All the Luvic nobles snapped out of their shock and joined in excitedly congratulating each other!
Upon hearing this news, Vion felt like a bolt of lightning had struck her, and her soul appeared to be torn apart.
"My idol is getting engaged..." Vion murmured, her head bowed in a daze, and the earlier excitement she felt now seemed hollow and lost.
Her heart felt as though it were being pricked by needles, causing her breath to shorten and become erratic.
Despite the sudden wave of emotions, her love for Arthur ran deep, and she regarded him as her idol.
Beside her, Celine shared a similar feeling of unease, as if something was missing, and a sense of being torn from her heart, even though she couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"Why is this happening?" She clutched her left chest, feeling a pain she couldn't comprehend.
Meanwhile, Arthur, aware that this moment would come sooner or later, grew irritated and glanced at Vivian sitting beside him, her face also filled with gloom.
He sensed that his mother was likely seething with anger, like a volcano about to erupt.
As if on cue, Vivian suddenly stood up from her chair and exclaimed, "I do not agree with this!"
Her loud voice suddenly shocked everyone who heard it, leaving them surprised and in disbelief.
Even Emperor Alex didn't expect his younger sister to speak up like this all of a sudden.
This unexpected outburst piqued his curiosity, and he asked with indifference, "Why do you disagree with this, my sister?" Emperor Alex gazed at Vivian with a cold stare.
Upon hearing this, Vivian didn't falter and took a deep breath, preparing to explain.
Unfortunately, before she could speak further, the throne room door swung open, and the guards stepped forward, respectfully announcing, "The Crown Princess of the Balka Empire, Princess Lucia, has entered the throne room!"
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