The Eunuch announced, "The esteemed General Sam arrives, favored by the mandate of Heaven, his presence as formidable as a mountain. Command the attendants to hasten and receive him!"
Everyone stood up to give respect.
General Sam appeared smiling and walking with an aura of sophisticated military power. He sat down at the exact opposite to Aaron.
The Eunuch shortly announced again, "His Majesty the king, Her Majesty the queen, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have arrived. We respectfully welcome the Holy Presence. Long live the king, long live the queen, long live the Crown Prince—ten thousand years of prosperity!"
King Grip Stan Logan and Queen Virino Logan appear healthy and enthusiastic. The king is robust and the queen beautiful. Aaron glances at them once before bowing like others.
He thought the novel did not lie about the elegance of the queen, the aura of the king, the handsomeness of the crown prince, and the general's beauty being peerless. He always thought these words were exaggerated but now seeing these contradictions all he can only say is that he never truly saw people's appearance before.
A very strong voice resonated, "On this most auspicious day, we celebrate the glorious return of two great Generals, whose valor and unwavering protection have safeguarded our realm for countless years. Rejoice, all of you, for this moment is one of unparalleled honor. May the year ahead be filled with prosperity and triumph. Now, sit at ease—let no formality weigh upon you. Make yourselves comfortable and let the grandeur of this occasion fill your hearts with joy."
General Sam and Aaron bowed again to show their agreement with the king. The smiling king and queen sat on the throne and Stephan also followed. In the meantime, all the officials talked about the official matter with each other in a low voice. The hall remained peaceful, the music and dancers dancing in the hall attracted many eyes. They drank wine to enjoy the moment.
A slight commotion rose at the ladies' side. It seems the beauty wanted to scheme with other beauties saying she has prepared a performance for the king and queen. And that person has no experience in anything, so they fought.
Aaron smiled internally thinking he could watch the legendary fight between two ancient ladies. But his outer expression didn't reveal a single thought. He just elegantly sipped his wine.
Aaron enjoyed the peaceful hall, but soon he heard his name. And the peace he was happy about disappeared in a flash.
The woman stood up from her seat and walked to the middle of the hall. She bowed to the king and queen. Then she turned to Aaron. A petite woman with great beauty bowed to him and said, "With the permission of the great Emperor and Empress, this small lady presents my Greeting to the General."
She very elegantly looked at him and continued her words, "Forgive the interruption. I heard the General is mighty as God and merciless. My sister always admired you, so she has prepared something for General Daniel. Please accept this cordial gift."
Stephan who had all his attention on his friend's matter got distracted hearing this. Hearing the lady's words, he got this sudden urge to strangle her. That guy is his, okay. He wants to say this but why? He waved his hand to stop the man in opposition from blabbering and started to watch the drama. His mood can be described as just so-so.
Even the king and queen paid attention to Aaron and the girl. They also never saw the General with any lady before. Now thinking about this they came to know he doesn't even have a single woman except Jenny his guard in his side. Some ideas emerged in their mind, but they didn't say anything but look ahead to the show.
Seeing Aaron not reacting in anyway, an official also rose from his seat and said, "This small official would also like to witness the beauty of the gift presented by the lady, to the "protector of the weak"."
His words clearly mocking him. Indicating that General protects the ones who aren't his responsibility. The tales of him caring for the orphans at the border sides are so known to everyone. The women and men smiling contemptuously.
Aaron stayed expressionless. He can understand why these ladies and officials are targeting him. It seems he stayed at the border side for way too long. Due to his rare appearance, they took him for granted.
These noble ladies have eyes full of envy maybe, he doesn't know and is not sure of what it is actually. In those eyes, there were mocking glints. He doesn't know if he should laugh or cry for them.
The official who stood remained standing since Aaron didn't reply. And the lady at the middle also. They are all waiting for him to get angry and through tantrum. So cunning.
Aaron looked calm and collected without even a hint of smile he blinked twice and looked peerless, but the lady was smiling and was very elegant but dimmer than him. People who saw this felt that Daniel really was incomparable. Even she, the most beautiful lady of the capital cannot be compared to him.
Some people thought these two matches together, but it didn't take long before this thought collapsed.
Aaron stood up slowly, his height getting taller and taller as he looked down at her. His height was considerably bigger than her and nodded towards the woman and the official, too lazy to even speak. This made the lady feel slightly embarrassed and the official more resentful. Nonetheless, she greeted her thanks. She looked behind and looked at the little girl. She brought her in the middle of the hall and left.
A cute little girl came in front of him clutching a handmade hankie. She has worn shady clothes and has a face filled with pimples.
Aaron with his tall height cannot see her well and lowered himself to look at her. His action shocked people. He lowered himself to look at a lady like this. Isn't this disgraceful? Some started to whisper among them, but he is like who cares what others think of him?
Then his eyes were scrutinized as he saw the ugly pimples on her face. He saw fear in her eyes. Is this admiration? Aaron shrieked inside his heart, What the hell is this?! He doesn't like to see people using other people as entertainment. Really people cannot stay still without getting some thorough berating.
The girl before him is the center target of everyone. She is terrified maybe because her legs are trembling. He felt horrible seeing her like this. Ah! Pitiful. He cannot stand this. If he could, he just wants to take her under him and care for her.
To have more clear thoughts here the fact that Aaron always had a soft side for these types of people who are too weak to protect themselves.
Aaron however got stuck here, 'Wait, but who is she?' This isn't a place where poor people would come. According to ancient times, the poor and dirty people are not allowed inside the palace, so is this someone who is unfavored by their family? He can't help but guess. The previous lady said that she is her sister, but why are they like two ends of the social structure. Aaron never read any novel seriously. He just heard about it from others and would sometimes casually hear them from others.
Aaron didn't disclose his thoughts, but he was frankly confused and looked at his twin guard to throw some light on this situation. Stephan laughed in his heart seeing Aaron dumbly demanding an explanation from his guard. He was worried about nothing after all. If Daniel had said something ambiguous, he would have run to him and grabbed him. Then take him to the corner to have a thorough talk. His feelings for this person rose from zero to a hundred in just a day. He felt something was wrong with him. He sighs.
Jerry coughed embarrass at his general's oblivion look, he cupped his hand and informed the confused Aaron "General you haven't stayed in the capital for long, so you don't know. She is the young lady of the Minister of Finance Jema Sen. And the one before is the eldest lady of Jema Sen."
"Oh, please go ahead," said Aaron and nodded while staring at the woman, indicating her to say. He suddenly knew who she was and felt like needing to help her.
Suddenly his frown eased a lot. He doesn't look impatient like before. His whole person is very relaxed seeing the hall quieter than before. Everyone thought him to get angry at their act. No official would feel good seeing others taking them lightly and even more cracking a joke on them.
The petite lady trembled and stammered "I Ge... General, I want, want to..." She took half a day to utter these words. She helplessly stared at her sister who pushed her. Too much fear that she can't help but start to sob. The whole hall fell I to utter silent and only the sobbing of the lady could be heard. But no one stepped to comfort her.
Aaron looked at the person the little girl was staring at. It is the lady from before that he didn't see clearly. Yet this time he actually seized her without concern to hide his gaze. She is wearing a pink robe and looks beautiful. If Aaron were an ordinary man, he would have fallen for her, but he is not. He has a strong mindset and never took beauty as an asset. He raised his brows staring straight at the lady who had arrogance in her bones. Surrounding seems to be in an endless silence. Aaron does not have time to tangle this.
His voice is cold, but his words were normal "Give that stuff to me." The girl hurriedly wiped her tears and nodded obediently passing the cloth to him feeling relieved that he didn't seem angry at her.
Although her face seemed to be bad, her embroidery was not bad. He opened it in front of everyone and saw a very beautiful flower on it. The size is also big not like any small hankie. The flower has its vine cover everywhere and in the middle of it is the red rose. This stunned everyone. Stephan was eating vinegar when he saw the red rose.
She gave a brilliant smile, but her face looked even ugly than before. Everyone cannot help but feel disgusted. But her voice if not terrified seemed clear like water, "Yes brother."
Aaron patted the little girl's head gently making the noble feel stunned, and the little lady beamed stupidly. Aaron felt pain seeing an innocent child smile so genuinely with just one pat from him. His heart felt squeezed by thorns for some reason, and he could not help but frown at her bad luck.
He lowered his head in a respectful bow to the King and Queen, his voice sincere, "Your Majesties, this humble official is deeply honored to receive such a magnificent gift. The artistry of the Su and Xiang embroideries might pale in comparison to this work, and such a gift is a rare treasure. I am truly moved by your graciousness."
Even though it was given by the little sister, Aaron as a target of the banquet has to use this chance to praise the king, so the king notices the ladies talent and his reverence for him.
A murmur of conversation rippled through the hall. The King, his gaze gleaming with a subtle amusement, spoke with a slight smile, "General is too generous with his praise. Might I request, if it pleases you, that you allow us to have a closer look at this fine embroidery? The Queen takes great interest in it."
Aaron, bowing once more in acknowledgment, stood aside as the Eunuch approached to present the embroidery before the Queen.
The Queen, her smile growing radiant as she admired the piece, spoke in a voice like soft silk, "As the General so rightly says, this embroidery is so exquisite that even the Su and Xiang might feel humbled in its presence."
Aaron, though composed in demeanor, felt a warm satisfaction within, and with a humble yet respectful tone, replied, "Your Majesty's understanding of such fine arts surpasses all. To have your praise is truly the highest honor. I am even more deeply grateful for the kindness of this Little Sister in bestowing such a treasure upon me."
The lady, who had stood earlier, rose once again, though her expression was no longer as composed as before. Her voice quivered with suppressed indignation, "That embroidery is mine. My sister lacks the skill to create such a work."
Upon hearing her words, Aaron's expression darkened, his brow furrowing deeply. He did not look at her but instead turned his gaze to the young maiden, gently taking her hand into his own. He observed the calluses on her delicate fingers, and the tiny puncture marks from the needles. With a serious tone, he asked, "Did you craft this embroidery yourself?"
The young maiden, her lips trembling slightly, spoke in a voice so soft it was nearly a whisper, "I... I made it yesterday. Truly, I did."
Aaron, seeing her sincerity, did not indulge in further words. Instead, he raised his gaze to the king. The eldest lady, feeling a shift in the air, experienced an uneasy premonition. Aaron's voice rang clear and commanding, "Your Imperial Majesty, this matter is fraught with contradictions, and it seems that a competition would be the most fitting way to resolve it. As this embroidery is of unparalleled quality, it would serve as an opportunity for new talent to emerge in our capital."
The king, ever perceptive, understood the underlying implication. The embroidery was too refined to be of local origin and had likely been brought from foreign lands. If any of these ladies possessed the skill to match such work, it would be a boon to their kingdom—perhaps even creating new paths for trade and prosperity. With a thoughtful smile, he nodded and spoke, "General speaks with great wisdom. Let us, indeed, hold this competition. Let it reveal the true talents among us."
The eldest lady never thought things would develop to this level. They only wanted to have some fun. Now she is in a dire state. She can do embroidery, but it isn't good like her younger sister. If these words were heard by Aaron, he would laugh at her naïve thought. To have fun one must also be ready to get caught in it.
Soon the two get their respective instruments for their competition. The little girl started right after and started her design, and the other didn't move the needle for a long time. This was very bad. People look over it very carefully and yet the suggester Daniel never even lifted his head to look. He was just sipping his wine and listening to his officials. Stephan who saw this was also very amused by his actions. His mood is slightly better. In the end, this general was just helping that little girl to have a status for herself.
The embroidery was finished after two hours and people were shocked to see the outcome. The little girl has made a dragon with a beautiful combination of threads. She also has made other flowers. The other lady has only finished half of hers, but the embroidery has no definite shape. The emperor smiled in satisfaction and the empress came down from her phoenix seat to look over the embroidery. She gaped in surprise, "Really impeccable. Have you made this design by yourself?"
She is the queen of the nation. She selects the best of the best clothes and colors in which embroidery is naturally included. So, she never saw this one and cannot help but ask her questions. In return, the lady looked at Aaron instead of replying to her. This action reminds them again that she is an idiot.
Aaron nodded at her, and she replied, "I thought of it." But right after she finished her words the other lady attacked her with the needle. Her action was perceived by Aaron, and he threw his sword's hilt making the lady fall but didn't harm her. People were stunned to see her actions. She screamed and the beautiful face turned vicious, "You daughter of a prostitute. You are disgusting. Die."
Aaron directed his gaze towards her. He didn't hide his displeasure. He knew why this woman was like this. It is because the mother of this little lady killed her mother in the past to win the favor of Minister Jema. Jerry informed him a while ago.
His plain words fell into the halls ashaming her, "Lady you don't have respect for human emotion, do you?"
Although the hatred seemed reasonable, she is not her mother, and you are also not your mother. You are targeting the wrong person. Don't you think so? Aaron can't help but want to rebuke but restrain before the king.
"Your action just now could have put the queen's life in danger." The lady has her face drained of color.
The King and Stephan had their faces changed in color. Looking at everything alright they sighed of relief. The King and the crown prince came down to the queen and gave a thorough check on her.
Hearing his words, the beautiful lady's face changed, and she felt like poured a cold bucket of water. Her pale face didn't waver Aaron from saying, "Her face is already like this" so you must already get your revenge.
In this era, the face of a lady is very important to them. Without their looks, none of the women are respected in their lives. People would spit at them treating them as disgrace.
He added, while the king was busy checking the queen, his voice was low, but others heard him, "People who use others as the source of entertainment or use others as the means to relieve their anger are certainly inhuman."
Aaron was doing all these in sane mind. The king has no point to rebuke him. He saved the queen that was enough to cover King's thought about him for now.
His words made people feel the coldness of their thoughts. General Sam almost laughed seeing these officials' faces crumbling. He couldn't wait to see more. He even wants to clap. But he restrained his excitement fearing to ruin the atmosphere. The general didn't give any face to the eldest daughters' scheme just because of the finance minister's backing. He really is fearless. Truly amazing.