24

Minister Milton rose from the chair in unnecessary distress, he was being behind dramatic for a thief. Honestly tiring if you ask the empress, the minister, either was an amateur thief or he was just plain stupid and didn't know how to control his emotions."Minister Milton, your reaction makes me quite suspicious of you. Why are you so startled that I said there's going to be an investigation going on. I haven't even said which ministry is getting investigated but you already jumped sky high in the air like some goose in hot coal. Is it possible there's corruption in the ministry of finance and financial stability?" Aria smiled at the man who was still stood. He knew there was an investigation needed to uproot the corruption in the country.He didn't specify on purpose, because he wanted to see what reaction would be displayed by this thug of an amateur thief. And the stupid amateur thief itself made its presence known. Minister Gion was just quiet at the side staring at the fool who dared to steal from the most powerful man in the country, but it was the minister's loss for being a fool and thinking Aria was a bum monarch."Eunice, tell the emperor his presence is required here. I need to scold him face to face for being a foolish sovereign, I need to be resting since I'm pregnant, but no that beast can't let me have some peace." Aria said to Eunice who was stood in the corner of the study like a shadow, hidden behind the curtain that hung from the high railing. Her face making appearance devoid of emotion scared Minister Milton who was already shaking from Aria's now imposing aura. Minister Gion on the other hand, wasn't that much affected by Aria's aura, the man has felt worse in his life, but he has to applaud the head maid for her stillness and determination to stay hidden until needed."Yes, your highness." Eunice said before she stepped outside the study room to call the emperor."And You, I ought to skin your alive for thinking you can steal from my husband and his people. These people work hard for this money only for you to steal it, I see Minister has nothing to say, you've awfully quiet since you got here." Aria said as he scribbled something on the note pad that was in-front of him."Well, what does his highness, expect me to say? Unlike certain ministers, I do not steal from the throne or government and I'm just admiring your beauty." The man said as he uncuffed his wrists from the shackles of his cufflinks, an action that was so elegant it made Aria swallow hard. Minister Milton was now confused, was Gion not afraid of the empress, moreover the empress seemed to be blushing and he was sat there confused and scared while these two were flirting. Amidst his confusion as to what was happening in the study room, Eunice came back with a phone in hand. "The emperor wishes to speak with you, your highness." Eunice said as she handed the empress the phone, Aria frowned as she took the device and held it to his ear, clearly annoyed, this husband of his was irritating."Hold on a second." he said into the phone, pressing the HOLD option before facing the men in front of him, Tyler on the other side was furious for being put on hold. "Arise and stand outside." he told to the Ministers, who nodded, stood, bowed in respect and walked out, Minister Milton was a weak ass bitch. Before he came to the empress he had acted all high and mighty."Hello." Aria said into the phone after un-HOLDING the phone and the other parties had exited the room except for Eunice."You have some nerve putting me on hold, empress, you have a death wish or something?" Tyler asked through gritted teeth."As if you could even kill me." Aria chuckled as he smiled, a gesture Eunice found both confusing and disturbing. "Why is your head maid telling me you need me there? What is that you need me for and don't you know it's disrespectful for you to call out an emperor, I can get you beheaded for that." Tyler said on the other side clearly annoyed by the empress trying to order him around, what he didn't know was Aria was becoming a very loose cannon."Listen here bitch, you do not scare me, not even a little bit. I could wage war on you with only twenty of my men and still come out victorious. From now on I'm in charge, I call you and tell you to fetch, you fetch, I say jump, you don't question the height, you just jump. I say stop breathing, you do not breath because I will make sure you have a hellish life until you die if you ever think I'm the old bitch you could trample on like you did in the past. I may have been soft on you because I loved you, but that is no more. Now I expect you to be in front of my mansion tomorrow morning with a bouquet of chocolate cosmos and the rarest of diamond sets for the children or else I'll have Rose and the crown princess destroyed. You should be here and not me you bastard bitch." Aria said and hung before the emperor could retort. "Too much?" Aria asked Eunice who looked like she had seen a ghost, a very rare emotion displayed on her face, fear. Fear for her master who just cussed out an emperor on the phone, not only had he threatened the emperor, Aria threatened both the throne and the emperor's most treasured concubine."Yes! what were you thinking?!" Eunice yelled unexpectedly shocking both herself and Aria, she covered her mouth, but it was too late. Aria glared at her, a glare she knew because it was this same glared that earned her a long scar on her upper arm. She had once challenged the empress' authority when she was told to keep from seeing her husband and children when the empress was the target of an assassination plot. Eunice had almost lost her family had the empress not slashed her arm and made the woman realize the dangers she was putting to her family by trying to get to them even when the assassins/kidnappers had clearly stated that no one should try anything funny, clearly they had tried to kill the wrong monarch.That day the empress had taken Eunice and her family to a restaurant for dinner without guards, an act that was frowned upon my Eunuch Ress. The car that they were in was hijacked and them stolen too with the car too. In the end the eunuch had received a distress signal from the empress' smart watch, and he had orchestrated the rescue of everyone. Eunice got punished for disobeying a direct order from the empress by getting whipped on the back naked. In total the noblewoman had received a slash to the arm and whip to the back, a slash for disobeying her general, Aria and whopping was from the empress, Aria again. The empress had punished the head maid using both the titles he had over her, simply put she was punished by both an empress and general.Honestly, Aria had no reason to scar the woman for trying to get to her family, whom were clearly being tortured right in front of her and she couldn't take their painful screams. The kidnappers, now dead by Eunice's hand because of the empress had decreed them treasonous, had actually been men who worked for an under ground rebellion that was in motion to try and dethrone Aria and Tyler, for reason still unknown. "Forgive me your highness, I meant not to yell." She apologized as she started shaking at the memory of her getting whipped, but Aria had no intention of hurting the woman now."I should be apologizing for what I did five years ago, I realize I was irrational back then for scarring you and punishing you for simply protecting your family, now I understand. Will you forgive me?" Aria apologized, he now has a family, and he knows he'd do anything to keep them safe. "It's ok, your highness, I've long forgiven you." Eunice said a pure lie she let slide through her teeth and Aria knew she was lying, so he called her out."Liar, I know you haven't forgiven me and most likely never will, but I trust we will both find peace with it and the pain I've caused." They both smiled."But your highness, knows the implications and consequences of your words, right? Th royal court isn't going to be fond of your words." Eunice stated after regaining her composure."I don't care about those old people, like I just told Tyler, I can and will wage war upon them if they try to play with me. Respect is either earned or demanded and if need be, I shall take upon both demanding it and earning it, I've been silent for far too long and they think they can run me and my office over, I'll show them what a foot to your throat means." Aria said a smile on his face as his brain started scheming.