101 Ways To Tame The Emperor

Chapter 4: Bull's Eye

I HAVE been too absorbed by my thoughts, I failed to realize sooner that I’ve been sitting here for a while now and yet, the carriage was not moving an inch. I turned around to look for the guards. My forehead wrinkled when I saw them still standing outside while looking at me with their mouths open and their eyes wide like they saw a ghost.

“Is there something wrong?”

Was it me or did the two men really just… blushed?

“Forgive us for staring, Lady Catherine. We were just… surprised. It’s our first time seeing your face. Y-you look very beautiful today, my lady.” One of them answered while the other guard nodded with his cheeks still flushed.

“Oh. Thank you very much.” I forced myself to smile sweetly. They looked even more stunned. They just stared at me for a couple of seconds without talking.

Since Catherine grew up feeling inadequate in so many ways, she used to walk with her head down and kept her hair long to cover her face. That’s why the first thing I did when my body recovered was to cut my hair. Even Baldy seemed surprised when he saw my new look earlier. I used the hair clip Matilde gave me so that there would not be any strands left on my face.

Catherine’s hair was too long that it reached her waist. I can’t manage a hair that long. Now, it was just shoulder-length. Matilde said that I look like I am in my early-twenties now. If I hear those words from others, I might think they were just flattering me. But since it was Matilde, maybe there was half-truth in it.

Catherine’s hair was naturally shiny. Not to brag but Catherine and I are beautiful without make-up. It’s probably in our genes.

As much as I loathe Baldy, I have to admit that he was a really good-looking man. I was told that many women surrounded him when he was still a bachelor. I assumed that Daria, Catherine’s mother used to be a very lovely maiden, too. Matilde said that the Countess used to be jealous of Daria in the past because she would often catch her husband stealing glances towards Daria’s direction but she could not get rid of the maid since Baldy’s mother doted on Daria a lot more than the Countess.

 Daria was sold by her father to the House of Peiris when she was seven years old when her little brother got ill and her father had no means of having his son treated at the hospital. He resorted to selling his own daughter to save the life of his youngest child. He thought that Daria would live better in the manor since Baldy’s parents were known to be good people. And he was right because Baldy’s mother really adored Daria and treated her like a daughter since she did not have one. If they were still alive when Daria got pregnant, Catherine would not have led a pitiful life. But both of them had a horse accident that killed them a few months before Catherine was born.

I don’t get it. Baldy had such kind-hearted parents. Just who in the world did he take after? Was it possible that he was adopted? But that was absurd since Matilde said that Baldy looked like a carbon copy of his father so it was impossible that his parents just picked him up from somewhere.

Because of Daria’s beauty, many male aristocrats tried buying her freedom but she was loyal to the House of Peiris. Aside from that, she was secretly in love with Baldy that’s why she never entertained suitors. I don’t know how the heck she fell in love with a man like him, seriously. Anyone who loves Baldy can’t be normal and that includes the Countess. But that was their problem.

Matilde said that Catherine looked exactly like Daria. But her tall height and fair complexion were from Baldy although her hair color was from Daria. That’s why Catherine was the only black-haired lady in the family. The rest had blonde hairs, including Baldy and the Countess.

Black-haired people were very uncommon in the Empire since the people’s hair was either blonde or dark brown. Catherine’s hair and face were never appreciated because she used to wear cloaks and always walked with her head held down.

That must have explained the guards’ reaction today. Now, they look more like puppies in front of me rather than the wild impertinent dogs that they used to be when they were still with Catherine.

How shallow. To think that they were the same men who did not even consider carrying the large grocery bags back when they guarded the fragile Catherine in buying food supplies.        

“Can we leave now?” I said in a sweet voice after a while. I tried my hardest to maintain my smile. “I really look forward to this. I’ve wanted to explore the Capital for a long time now.”

“N-no problem, my lady. W-we will leave right away. We are sorry for the delay.” At long last, they moved and went straight in front of the carriage.

“Why did she hide that face for a long time? I can’t believe we did not notice it all these years. Lady Catherine is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life.” I heard the other guard whispered but it still reached my ears. They must have forgotten that I was just right behind them.

“I agree. I think that was the reason why the other princesses hate her. Because she is far more beautiful compared to all her sisters combined. Many nobles would have lined up to win her heart. Unfortunately, she’s about to marry the Emperor.”

“Right. Let’s just wish that she doesn’t die on her way to the Imperial Castle. It would be a pity for the entire Morven to lose such a beauty.”

“Whatever you do, don’t die, Captain. It would be a pity for the country to lose such a beauty.” Funny, my superior used to say the same thing, too. The only difference was that my superior had always been genuine to me unlike these exaggerated morons near me. Many people were surprised when I joined the army. Even when I did, I still received countless invitations from talent scouts back in my world to follow my mother’s footsteps who won first place in the Miss Universe pageant.

But I had no regrets. I was happy at my job.

When we reached the Capital, I put the hood back on and jumped from the carriage right before the guards could find a place to park and ran. Since the place was swarmed with people, it was pretty loud that’s why the guards did not notice what I did.

When I was far enough, I stopped running and went on my merry way to explore.

THERE were so many stores and food stalls around. Looking at them is making me hungry again but I need to be frugal since I have no idea if Baldy will be gracious enough to give me more coins before I leave his manor. I went inside the first bakeshop I saw and bought mango pudding, blackberry tart, and caramel macaroons and began eating them while walking and looking around.

I had to close my eyes for a while to savor more of the food. The tarts were moist yet they were so crispy. I think they will be my favorites from now on. They were the best I have ever had. Aside from the weather, I think the food here is the next best thing. They were the only two things I don’t despise in this world.

I was munching on my last tart when I finally found Runako’s. It was bigger than I expected. Its size was a combination of three average stores. It even had a second floor. I was about to head in when I saw Baldy’s Knight coming out of it. It was the same Knight who escorted him earlier when he visited me. I quickly turned around.

Damn. I almost got caught.

But my misfortune did not end there. I saw one of my bodyguards heading towards me. I ran as fast as I could and headed straight in the first tavern that I saw. It was the least suspicious place since they would not think of someone as gentle and as pure as Catherine entering such a place. Maybe I will need to hide here for an hour before I go back to Runako’s.

I searched around and noticed that the tavern was filled with aristocrats based on their elegant attires like they were going to a party or something. I actually look so out of place but the security guard immediately let me in when I gave him two silver coins. The sun was still out and yet, everyone seemed to be having a good time drinking already.

I was about to find a table when I suddenly heard a woman scream. It came from a waitress who was currently being harassed by a customer. He was actually a good-looking fellow but he was obviously a p*****t, a high-ranking p*****t, because out of the nobles there, no one dared to meddle.

His hands were still groping the woman’s ass while grinning as if he was having the time of his life watching the woman’s discomfort. She was trying to break-free but the p*****t won’t let her. When the waitress turned to look at the other customers, they quickly looked the other way.

Darn. Is there no other sane customer in this tavern except me? What about the management? They should be handling this situation but the manager seemed nowhere in sight.

What the hell?

“P-please let me go, young master. I only sell liquor here and not my body,” the woman begged in a broken voice. “I already have a husband and a child. Please spare me.”

I could feel my blood pressure rising again when the p*****t just laughed; along with the other men who was sharing his table. And Matilde bragged that the crime rate here was low. What a lie.

“You have a nice body and I want you, beggar. You don’t look like a married at all. Just looking at your ass is giving me a hard-on. And you know me. I get whoever and whatever I want. But fine, since I am in a good mood today, I will be considerate enough. I will give you two choices. A, dance on my lap or B, lick my shoes. I will only let you go once you comply. You have a minute to do it, beggar. I hate waiting.”

The woman’s tears fell as the bunch of cocky bastards gathered around that table cheered for her. Once again, I feel like I was in a life and death situation where I had to choose whether to stay still or make a damn move. If I meddle, the House of Peiris will certainly hear of this. I might end up being punished and I would gain more enemies.

But if I don’t do something, I don’t think I will be able to sleep not just tonight but for the rest of the nights in my life. The waitress’ pleading face would certainly haunt me. When the waitress did not move within a minute, the p*****t grabbed her dress and ripped it which exposed her undergarments.

That was the final blow. To hell with Baldy’s punishment. To hell with the consequences. I took out my dagger and when the p*****t was about to touch the woman’s exposed body parts; I threw the dagger and aimed for his hand.

Bull’s eye.

The next scream came out from the p*****t. It echoed in the four corners of the tavern. And I swear, it was music in my ears knowing how much the p*****t deserved it. It was a good thing I was done eating or I would have indigestion while looking at these nut jobs.

“Who the f**k did this to me?” He yelled as his hand continued to bleed. The waitress dropped on the marbled floor when he pushed her away.

I walked towards the nearest table that I saw. “Pardon me, my lord. But may I borrow your knife?” I asked the pale-looking man who was about to eat his steak.

The man opened his mouth but no words came from it. In the end, he just nodded. I sweetly smiled at him. “Thank you, my lord. I might not be able to return this so just ask for another one, okay?”

I did not bother waiting for his reply. I stepped closer to the waitress while still holding the knife. I removed my cloak and tossed it to the waitress to cover her body. She was trembling when she accepted it and wore it.

“T-thank you, my lady.”

“Leave this place while you still have the chance.” I said instead and gave her a gold coin. That would be enough to sustain her family until she finds a new job. I did not have to say it twice. After thanking me again and bowing to me, the woman ran away as fast as she could.

“Was it you who dared to harm me? Do you not know who I am?” The shameless guy asked, his voice was a little calmer now as his eyes were busy running up and down my body. Never in my whole life did I want to hurt someone so badly than today.