Chapter 2

Chapter 2

In recent years, the emperor had increasingly relied on the guards. Many officials in the court were secretly monitored by the guards, and many officials lost their positions, and even their entire families faced severe repercussions.

Naturally, those who performed their duties well earned the master's favor. Miss Collins, the leader of the guards, was a highly influential and feared figure of the time, with a status unmatched by anyone.

And that Miss Collins was me.

At this moment, I had been standing at the entrance of the Imperial Study for an entire hour. The sunlight was still pleasant, enveloping me in its glow. The official attire was always heavy, and within a short quarter of an hour, I was drenched in sweat. When the wind picked up, I couldn't help but shiver.

But the chill in my heart was even more severe.

I had served Jeremy faithfully for ten years. Watching him climb from an unfavored prince to the emperor, I couldn't fail to understand the meaning behind his actions. The power held by the guards had grown so immense that their influence surpassed even that of the emperor. It was said that it was safer to anger the emperor than to cross the guards, which spoke volumes.

Jeremy, always a suspicious man by nature, now that he sat on the emperor's throne, his distrust had only intensified.

"Summon Miss Collins to the Imperial Study-"

The eunuch's voice was sharp and high-pitched, snapping me back to reality. I immediately stepped forward. Having stood for so long, my vision momentarily darkened. When I pushed open the door and entered, Jeremy was in the middle of a conversation with someone beside him. Upon seeing me, he immediately put on a gentle smile, his expression somewhat regretful.

"Look at me, engrossed in conversation with Mr. Davies, leaving Miss Collins waiting outside."

He brushed it off lightly, but what people outside said was another matter entirely.

I knelt down, "I wouldn't dare."

"Leah, you are already twenty years old, aren't you?" He smiled as he leaned forward to help me up, speaking as if casually, "If I remember correctly, Elaine is about the same age as you."

I had heard this line countless times. Every arranged marriage in the court began with these words. But now, it was directed at me.

My pupils contracted, and I looked at him in disbelief.

"Your Majesty..."

He met my astonished gaze, his expression becoming somewhat complex.

"It was merely a joke, no need to be so tense."

His tone was light and casual, as if he had merely made an offhand remark, "I'm tired. You all may leave."

I dared not say more, and after a proper bow, I retreated.

The sunlight outside was no longer as warm, but standing there, I felt the warmth slowly returning to my body. I was acutely aware that Jeremy was wary of me, and I knew that what he had just said was not a joke. It was precisely because I knew that hearing those words felt like falling into an ice cellar.

My fingers were still trembling, brushing against the warm jade at my waist. The jade bore the name he had personally engraved. What had he said when he gave it to me?

He had said, "I will always trust you."

Yes, it was my own folly, indulging in his past words and forgetting. Trust from the royal family was the most fleeting and unreliable.