The Frost Flower Knight

Chapter 6

Nothing changed the fact that this future emperor had plunged his sword into Yulia’s heart. With his entrancing lips, he had told her he loved her, that she was beautiful. And each time she heard those words, she determinedly swore to devote everything to this man. She could not have imagined in her wildest dreams that he would betray her like that. It was beyond hurtful and left a scar in her heart.

Yulia tightly hugged her father, Duke Rosenthal.

“Thank you for being patient with me and waiting for me, Father.”

“My dear Yulia…”

The duke stroked her head gently. She was all grown up, but she was still his precious baby.

***

Time flew by quickly, and Yulia’s eighteenth birthday arrived. It was also the day she was to enter the imperial palace.

She wore a neat suit as white as snow. Her silver hair was tied neatly with a blue ribbon. Her attire was somewhat minimalistic, but according to Judy, she was pretty no matter what she wore.

Yulia felt awkward whenever she looked in the mirror. Before her transformation, she would often feel despair at the monstrous face looking back at her. Now, all she felt was amazement.

“Have a safe trip, my lady,” Judy said as Yulia stepped out of the main gate.

“Thanks. I’ll be back soon,” she replied.

A carriage marked with the Rosenthal crest was waiting for her up ahead with her father already inside, motioning for her to get on. Gilbert held the door for her, and she got in and sat across from her father.

The duke also felt a bit strange whenever he looked at Yulia. It had been a month already, but his daughter’s appearance was completely different, so he still wasn’t used to it. He knew this was what she was supposed to look like in the first place, but it was still very awkward.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“I’m all right,” Yulia answered.

“Are you nervous at all?”

“Just a little.”

The duke saw his daughter’s shoulders tense up and smiled warmly. It was normal for her to be nervous because it had been a very long time since she’d been to an official event. She also had to meet with the emperor himself and his family, so it was understandable. It was something that the duke had also been through, so he understood how nervous she probably felt.

However, the real reason for Yulia’s anxiety was the crown prince.

How am I going to feel when I see him? Will I fall for him like I did the first time? Or will I be consumed with anger?

The duke softly held her hands as if he could feel her troubled thoughts.

“Don’t you worry. I am right here for you,” he comforted her.

“Yes, Father.”

Yulia smiled brightly. Seeing her smile after so long made him follow suit.

They arrived at the imperial palace after traveling for roughly an hour. Yulia got out of the carriage with the duke and headed toward the main hall of the palace, with the chamberlain leading the way. She took several deep breaths as she stood before the colossal gate of the main hall. She couldn’t calm herself, knowing the prince was waiting on the other side of this door.

The duke looked at her, his gaze gentle, and said, “Shall we go in?”

“Yes, Father.”

The door swung open. Holding hands, the two walked in side by side, and all eyes fell on them. The emperor and his family also stared at them, particularly at Yulia. They knew the Rosenthals were famous for being ugly thanks to the curse. Just looking at the duke himself was proof.

However, the lady who accompanied him was different. She beamed brilliantly. A little taller than the average woman, she had a well-balanced figure with skin as white as snow. With her delicate facial features, it was like a goddess had descended upon them. Her hair, tied into a simple ponytail, rippled with her every step, shining radiantly. Duke Rosenthal was supposed to come here with his daughter for her knighting ceremony, so it was curious to see a beautiful woman in her place with his daughter nowhere in sight.

Once the duke reached the steps below where the emperor was seated, he knelt and paid his respects.

“Pascal von Rosenthal at your service, Your Majesty, the great sun of the empire.”

Yulia also bowed and repeated his words.

“Yulia von Rosenthal at your service, Your Majesty, the great sun of the empire.”

When she said that, the emperor gaped.

“Y-Yulia? So she is your…?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This child is my daughter, Yulia.”

The emperor’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Is she really your daughter, who is to receive knighthood today?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty. She is indeed my daughter, Yulia.”

Then the emperor’s eyes moved to her—and not only his. Empress Roanna, Crown Prince Leonard, Imperial Concubine Regina, and Prince Jeremy were all in awe of the mesmerizing beauty in front of them.

After a pause, the emperor finally spoke.

“She’s different from the rumors.”

He had heard from the rumors that Lady Yulia of the House of Rosenthal was an ugly, orc-like woman who looked similar to Duke Rosenthal, her father. But instead of such a woman, there stood an extraordinary beauty.

“Mother, she’s completely different from what we heard,” Prince Jeremy whispered to his mother, Regina.

“So it seems,” Regina whispered back, not turning her eyes away from Yulia.

Since the emperor and the rest of them couldn’t take their eyes off her, the chancellor, Duke Aysen, cleared his throat to remind his superiors that they must proceed.

“Your Majesty, we must begin the ceremony.”

The emperor cleared his throat and answered, “Ahem, that’s right.”

Duke Aysen handed a sword to the emperor, who stood up. Then Duke Rosenthal also rose from his kneeling position and went to stand next to him. Yulia got down on one knee and put her right hand on her left chest. The emperor approached her with a solemn expression and placed the sword on her shoulder.

“Yulia von Rosenthal, do you swear to pledge your allegiance to the empire?”

“I solemnly swear it,” Yulia said.

The emperor lifted the sword and placed it on her other shoulder.

“Then in the name of the Crowne Empire, I hereby appoint you, Dame Yulia von Rosenthal.”

“I am most humbled by this honor, Your Majesty.”

The emperor withdrew the sword and held out the sword of oath to Yulia, who accepted it with both hands. Then the emperor beckoned to the crown prince, who nodded and looked at Yulia. She was truly a thing of beauty, very different from all the rumors. Her beauty was such that it far outshone those of the ladies of noble houses. It was unthinkable that she had been labeled as a monster before.

As the prince approached, Yulia grew more nervous. When she had walked into the main hall, she hadn’t looked at the crown prince—or rather, she couldn’t. And now, the man she wanted to avoid at all costs had come to stand right in front of her. She tensed up as the emperor spoke again.

“Dame Yulia von Rosenthal, do you swear you will serve only Crown Prince Leonard and pledge your loyalty to him?”

The dreaded moment was finally here. Yulia swallowed what was left of her dry saliva and looked up at Leonard. His smile as he looked at her was just as she remembered it—handsome and glowing. His eyes were full of anticipation. As soon as she met his gaze, the restlessness in her heart cooled off instantly.

I will no longer be swayed by your deceitful gaze or your tempting words.

Her heart no longer fluttered when she saw him. The only feeling left was disbelief from his betrayal. He was as dashing as ever with his sleek blond hair and the hollow blue eyes that shone like a pair of sapphires. She had fallen deeply for this man and sacrificed everything for him.

Slowly, she opened her mouth, remembering the pain in her heart that she could still feel as if it were yesterday. She was curious to see how his face would change after hearing what she was about to say. After some hesitation, she spoke, and everyone present was left stunned.

“My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty. I cannot pledge my loyalty to the crown prince.”

A short silence fell in the hall. The fake smile on Leonard’s face disappeared without a trace, as did everyone else’s. Nobody could have imagined that Yulia would outright refuse to pledge her loyalty to the crown prince—right to his face at that.

With bitterness and confusion in his eyes, the emperor said, “I must have misheard. I will ask again. Dame Yulia von Rosenthal, will you pledge your loyalty to the crown prince?”

“I will not,” she annunciated clearly as his face froze.

The duke also gaped at his daughter in shock. He had no clue she would refuse to pledge her loyalty.

“You will not?” the emperor asked in disbelief.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And what is the reason?”

Yulia lowered her head and answered, “I wish to wield my sword only for the Crowne Empire, Your Majesty.”

“You want to pledge allegiance to the empire?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty. Please, kindly allow it.”

The emperor looked at Duke Rosenthal with a face that demanded to know just what was going on. The duke let out a deep sigh and stepped forward, staring at his daughter with intense eyes. But Yulia was not going to change her mind.

He squeezed her shoulders and said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to speak.”

“Go ahead,” the emperor replied.

“My daughter is only the fifth master in the whole empire,” the duke said with a determined look at Yulia.

“Yulia, show us your ability.”

She nodded, then drew her sword, Yverre, and activated Aura Blade. A deep blue aura shrouded her blade as the emperor gasped in awe.

“So it is true…”

Aura Blade was an ability unique to swordmasters. What Yulia demonstrated was without a doubt an Aura Blade. It was the birth of the fifth swordmaster of the empire and the first woman to ever become one. It was undoubtedly a big deal, but he was still disappointed that she refused to be loyal directly to his son. He thought she would be very reassuring to have next to the crown prince, but he couldn’t ignore her opinion, as she wasn’t just any other knight—she was a legitimate swordmaster with an Aura Blade. These swordmasters were important figures in the empire.

After a resigned sigh, the emperor spoke.

“Yulia von Rosenthal.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“If that is your wish, I will permit it. But on one condition: You will lead the Winter Guard as their captain.”

Shock showed on the face of everyone in the hall, as this was a highly surprising decision by the emperor. The Winter Guard was one of the four most powerful orders of knights in the Crowne Empire. The captain’s position was currently vacant, and he was saying that he would give Yulia the position.

Slightly bewildered, she looked at the emperor.

“Your Majesty, I must apologize, but I am unworthy of that position. Please reconsider this decision.”

“I will not accept another refusal. If you do not wish to take this position, you must pledge your loyalty to Crown Prince Leonard. Is that your choice?”

The emperor was firm in his stance. Yulia looked at her father, Duke Rosenthal, who met her eyes with a serious but trusting face. He was telling her that he would follow her decision.

She bowed to the emperor and said, “I shall accept your proposal, Your Majesty. I am sincerely grateful.”

The emperor wanted her to be loyal to the crown prince, but since he couldn’t change her mind, he had to make a quick decision to keep her close to the imperial family to maintain some influence over her.