It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 61

The heavy sensation on my wrist made me panic for a moment—was it handcuffs? I looked down and saw a familiar blue glow.

It was the bracelet I had given him.

“W-why is this…?”

My question faded as I looked at Erich’s wrist. He wore the same bracelet.

“The bracelet on your wrist was made by me. With this, the symbol of our love is complete.”

Erich blushed slightly, seemingly embarrassed. But his deep smile couldn’t be hidden.

I was too busy wondering about the meaning behind that smile to notice the growing murmurs around us.

“But Your Majesty, aren’t you supposed to wear the bracelet offered by the temple?”

“You gave me this bracelet yourself. There’s no need for me to wear the temple’s. I haven’t taken it off once since you gave it to me.”

“You’re not seriously going to wear that bracelet during the autumn hunt, are you?”

Erich nodded as if it were obvious.

“Of course. I won’t be taking it off from now on.”

His words, not exactly quiet, were heard clearly by the surrounding nobles. They gasped and exchanged glances—not the kind of look you give when you’ve found gossip to tease someone with for a few days.

Especially the nobles aligned with the high aristocracy looked grim. They quickly rushed off to spread what they’d seen throughout the banquet hall.

In an instant, all eyes turned to Erich and me. The gazes were sharp, filled with wariness—not the primal fear and contempt I was used to, which always dragged my mood into the mud. These gazes built a high wall around me. In a narrow space I couldn’t escape, I was being stabbed from all sides.

Their reaction was beyond what I expected. Sure, the emperor had broken tradition and was openly showing favor toward me, but such things had happened before. Today was different.

That mystery reached its peak when the head of the high aristocracy, Marquis Parmati, approached.

“Your Majesty, may this old man have a moment of your time?”

Marquis Parmati stood before Erich, supported by his son. His wrinkled lips were slightly stiff.

“I’m spending time with Arne right now. It might be difficult.”

“I deeply apologize for interrupting your precious time with the Third Concubine…”

Marquis Parmati’s dark brown eyes quietly met mine, as if I were the root of all this trouble.

“I have a simple question, and I beg your pardon for the intrusion.”

“What is it?”

Erich replied with a slightly annoyed expression. The marquis stared at the bracelet on Erich’s wrist.

“That blue bracelet suits you well. Doesn’t seem like the temple’s craftsmanship.”

“Good eye. Arne made it herself.”

“As I thought. Then, did the temple not offer a bracelet?”

“No, they did. Just yesterday.”

The marquis let out a sigh that was almost a groan.

“As Your Majesty knows, past emperors have always worn the bracelet offered by the temple. To wear one made by a mere concubine—and even share matching ones—is unprecedented.”

His cane struck the marble floor with a thud. Raising his voice before the emperor, the marquis drew sharp glances from nobles aligned with the emperor’s faction.

But Erich simply smiled faintly, looking at the marquis with pity.

“You’ve grown old, Marquis. Your memory seems to be fading.”

It was a deeply insulting remark to someone who had served the palace since the reign of the emperor’s grandfather. The marquis’s wrinkles deepened.

“What do you mean?”

“Forty years ago, the emperor before last wore a bracelet made by the empress during the autumn hunt. Seventy years ago, Emperor Renoua wore bracelets made by his concubines in rotation. And 120 years ago, Emperor Karane broke the temple’s bracelet in two on the spot.”

“T-that was…”

“There are probably more examples if you look. So ‘unprecedented’ doesn’t quite fit.”

“Those were special circumstances. During Emperor Karane’s time, the temple demanded excessive tributes. Emperor Renoua’s actions were a political maneuver. But now…”

“Yes, you know your history.”

Erich cut him off and leaned in to whisper.

“Emperor Renoua is one of the figures I respect most. Naturally, I try to emulate those I admire. Next year… well, I’ll decide after seeing the concubines’ bracelets.”

The marquis’s brow furrowed deeply. His cane trembled in his hand.

“And if your cane is that uncomfortable, perhaps it’s time to rest at your estate. With your memory fading, how can I trust you? It might be best to pass your title to the young marquis.”

Erich gently placed his hand over the marquis’s wrinkled one, which gripped the cane.

No one would feel good hearing they should retire due to age. But the marquis was seasoned. He quickly masked his expression, bowed to the emperor, and left.

“I wonder how they’ll respond…”

Erich murmured. Just as he turned to face me, Count Melton hurried over and whispered something in his ear. I couldn’t hear what it was, but Erich scoffed and turned away.

“Arne, I’m sorry, but I must leave for a moment.”

I was relieved to hear it. I nodded eagerly.

“Yes, you should go.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

As I watched Erich’s figure grow distant, I stepped back, planning to head to the empty balcony.

I needed to sort out my thoughts—why had Marquis Parmati gotten involved? But before I could reach the balcony, someone stopped me.

It was Xenia von Leten. She smirked and blocked my path.

“Where are you rushing off to?”

“Just going to get some fresh air…”

“Hmm, really just for fresh air? I can’t trust anything you say anymore. I thought something was off lately, and now I see you’ve been planning this. Did you coordinate with Marquis Edelheit during your visit to your family?”

Xenia looked visibly upset. Of course, no high noble was in a good mood tonight. She seemed to be channeling their collective frustration toward me. I could faintly smell alcohol on her.

“I always wondered why you went back to the family you despised. But to drag in the esteemed Marquis Edelheit? No matter how noble he is, even he couldn’t resist the lure of power, huh? Joining hands with the sister he supposedly hates.”

Her sarcasm continued. Clearly, the bracelet issue wasn’t just about imperial favor—it was about family alliances and power struggles.

Wait a minute. She said “hated sister”? Earlier, she mentioned something similar—that Giscal and I didn’t get along?

“What do you mean? What’s the relationship between me and Giscal?”

“Hah, since when did you start calling Marquis Edelheit so casually?”

Louis had told me Giscal and I were close—close enough to use first names and speak informally. But Xenia’s words contradicted that.

“Trying to cling to your brilliant brother now? I’d never do that out of pride. But you’ve always been different.”

“I… I don’t understand…”

“Playing dumb again? Honestly, I preferred your old rude self. Now I can’t tell what you’re thinking, and it’s even more annoying. But one thing’s clear—you’ve always looked down on our family.”

I’d sensed Xenia disliked me—Arne—for a long time. But she’d never been this blunt. She poured out her feelings naturally, her words sharp and cutting.

“Yeah! You’ve always looked down on me, on our family. Riding your brother’s coattails to success overnight. Sure, your brother’s amazing—undefeated in war, won the imperial sword tournament at a young age. Did you know?”

Xenia twisted her lips.

“His opponent in the finals was my brother. Your brilliant brother ended it in one move. My brother only won last year. You must’ve thought he was pathetic, right?”

“When did I ever—?”

I’d never heard that Giscal had defeated German in the imperial sword tournament. How could I have mocked him?

“You didn’t even clap out of courtesy. Isn’t that mockery?”

“I-I was just…”

I’d stopped clapping while searching for Giscal, and she misunderstood.

“No need to make excuses. You don’t matter. The problem is you joined hands with Marquis Edelheit. If you were enemies, you should’ve stayed that way. Or were you just throwing a tantrum? The noble marquis never even acknowledged you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hah, you know better than anyone. That noble marquis would never consider a foolish, arrogant girl like you his sister. Rumor had it he kept going to war just to avoid seeing your face.”

I couldn’t understand her words. Giscal hated Arne? He went to war to avoid her?

I was too stunned to respond, and Xenia kept going, caught up in her own excitement.

“But after this last war, things got weird. Marquis Edelheit started looking after you. Just like you seduced His Majesty, did you seduce your brother too? Riding your family’s power to aim for the empress’s seat?”

Her voice grew louder. The music had stopped. Everyone in the hall was now watching our confrontation.

But I couldn’t care less about their stares. I was too confused—Arne and Giscal’s relationship wasn’t what I thought. How was I supposed to process Xenia’s words?

I staggered slightly, clutching my head.

“That’s enough.”

Someone supported me and silenced Xenia. A black cloak filled my vision. Beneath it, I saw a familiar black uniform. It was cold from

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