Night.
Alexia woke up on Simon’s bed.
She looked at the empty space beside her, a trace of loneliness rising in her heart.
But she could understand.
The responsibilities Simon shouldered were no lighter than hers.
If she ignored everything now, Simon would have to temporarily bear her duties.
After all, such a vast Empire could not come to a halt just because of her brief absence.
If every matter required her personal attention, then what was the point of those Officials below?
After getting up, Alexia walked to the wardrobe and skillfully picked out an evening dress.
Sometimes Simon stayed overnight in the Palace, and occasionally Alexia would also spend the night in Simon’s place, so naturally, they each kept some of the other’s clothes.
After dressing, she immediately opened the door, intending to look for Simon.
However, as soon as she stepped out, she caught sight of a sneaky figure slipping between the first and second floors.
Alexia’s lips curled slightly as she walked over and found Belinda crouched, trying to hide herself.
She was holding a lunchbox in her hand.
Belinda, discovered by Alexia, merely looked at her in silence.
She didn’t know how to handle this situation.
Now, without Simon to smooth things over, she had to face Alexia alone.
“What are you holding in your hand?”
Alexia asked knowingly.
“…Food. Food!”
Belinda clutched the lunchbox tightly to her chest, as if protecting her meal.
Alexia walked toward her along the stair railing.
“Your eyes are clear, and your emotions are obvious. Don’t pretend here.”
“Belinda, you’re not stupid, are you? Or have you already come out from the shadow of your mother’s death?”
After a whole day of rest, Alexia was full of energy, and with her mind freed from imperial affairs, her insight was greatly enhanced.
Exposed by Alexia, Belinda fell silent again.
Nervousness, unease, and anxiety flickered across Belinda’s face, further confirming Alexia’s suspicions.
Compared to the experienced Alexia, Belinda was still a child unversed in the ways of the world, like a flower in a greenhouse.
They were not on the same level at all, and Belinda’s disguise was seen through in just a few words.
Alexia stepped in front of Belinda, gently lifted her chin, and spoke softly.
“How did you fool Simon with such terrible acting? I’m very curious.”
“Don’t tell me Simon fell for you because you looked pitiful. If that’s the case, I’ll laugh at him for the rest of my life.”
Belinda remained silent, believing that silence was the best answer at this moment.
Seeing this, Alexia nodded in satisfaction.
“If this is the result of Simon training you, I acknowledge it, but if you’re naturally this clever, then I’m even happier.”
With that, she tightly gripped Belinda’s hand.
With an air of undeniable authority, she led her toward the study.
During this process, Belinda tried to break free, but Alexia’s strength was beyond her imagination.
She could only let herself be dragged into the study.
“Just eat your food. I’ll just look around.”
As soon as Alexia entered the study, she spotted the mountain of stacked books on the desk.
Every book cover felt strangely familiar.
She walked up and her gaze landed on the prominent (Ten Illnesses of the Empress’s Decrees) on top.
A sly smile curled on her lips as she picked up the book and lightly tapped the cover, asking Belinda.
“Did Simon ask you to read this?”
“I wanted to read it myself…”
Belinda replied.
“It was just sitting on the shelf. Simon wouldn’t let me go out, so I was bored and grabbed it at random.”
Alexia chuckled lightly, exposing her without hesitation.
“Lie.”
“If you want to lie to me, you’ll have to practice more. If it’s not something you wanted to read, then Simon made you read it.”
Alexia slowly approached Belinda, somewhat puzzled.
“This is strange. Simon told me he didn’t notice anything, yet it seems he was planning a surprise for me.”
She then opened the book in her hand to the table of contents.
“This is a good book, an excellent one. Even I recommend you take a look.”
Belinda froze at those words.
If she remembered correctly, the content of this book had always criticized Alexia, pointing out her mistakes.
Without a doubt, the existence of this book was itself a challenge to Alexia’s authority.
“…You approve of this book?”
Belinda questioned Alexia in confusion.
“Then why didn’t you follow its advice to correct yourself? Instead, you banned it widely and even persecuted the author?”
“The reason is simple.”
Alexia flipped to a specific page in the table of contents and folded the corner of the page.
“Because the Emperor cannot be wrong.”
“No matter how absurd or ridiculous the decisions I make, they are absolutely correct. There is no such thing as a mistake.”
“The Emperor is the Empire, the will of heaven, the ultimate authority.”
Everyone could say she was wrong, that she shouldn’t act this way, but she could not admit to error.
As a sovereign, she had long lost the chance to bow her head and admit fault.
She must remain proud forever.
Just as she could not show weakness before anyone other than Simon.
“What do the idle words of others have to do with the Emperor? They are mere groundless rumors.”
After folding the last page, Alexia carelessly tossed it to Belinda’s feet.
“If you think the Emperor is wrong and everything done is unreasonable, then try to prove your correctness to me.”
“Don’t just stand there like a fool clutching a lunchbox and staring at the Emperor.”
Sidestepping Belinda, Alexia efficiently pulled a few books from the bookshelf.
Soon, a hidden compartment in the wall opened.
She walked over, took out the Archives Folder inside, and handed it to Belinda.
“Compared to most books here, I believe you should read these first.”
Belinda opened the Archives Folder in confusion, discovering that the Handwritten Manuscripts inside were all in her father Pandas’ handwriting.
“These are…my father’s?!”
She looked up, and Alexia nodded in confirmation.
“That’s right. These are all your father’s Handwritten Manuscripts.”
“In the entire Empire, aside from Simon, your father probably understood the Emperor best. Unfortunately, he and I differed in ideals and could not walk the same path.”
Those who understand you most are often not your friends, but your enemies.
Alexia lightly patted Belinda’s shoulder and waved her hand.
“The Emperor still has an Appointment with Simon, so I won’t stay to play with you.”
As she was leaving, she added one more thing.
“Next month, the Emperor will hold a Birthday Banquet, and will give Simon special instructions to bring you along.”