Raise Joan of Arc to be an empress, then discard her.

"You're being too sensitive, you're overthinking things. Perhaps it's because of the war, but I... do indeed have some different feelings for Aurelia. After all, she truly saved me, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she completely changed my life. In that respect, I feel the same way as you."

“But I never thought about having any relationship with her… otherwise… I would have… you know, and at that time, Aurelia had been injured for a long time. Rather than having those feelings, I was thinking about how to save her.”

This was probably the most difficult explanation Aaron had ever given in his life. Even after he finished speaking, he himself was unsure of his answer. By the Seven Gods, this was far more difficult than any battle.

The Empress gazed at him silently for a long time, her reaction to his words unreadable. It was unclear whether Aaron was still dancing in the minefield or whether Joan of Arc had accepted the answer.

A long silence followed, until Aaron was about to speak again, wanting to give a straight answer on whether to kill or torture her, when he saw Joan of Arc's lips curl slightly upwards.

"Um... is it possible to reconcile?" Aaron couldn't help but ask.

Although it was unbelievable, Joan of Arc did smile in Aaron's view, but Aaron couldn't understand the meaning of that smile and felt he could film it and study it for ten years.

While Aaron was in a daze, Joan of Arc suddenly went to the wardrobe and took out a piece of clothing.

Just as Aaron was pondering what he was going to do, he suddenly froze, because the clothes Joan of Arc had taken out were completely different from what he had expected.

It was a long, jet-black robe with faint black and gold patterns. Without a doubt, it was the uniform of the Obsidian Knights, and the uniform of the Obsidian Knights' commander. Most importantly, the clothes were clearly not prepared for Aaron, because they were obviously women's clothes.

In other words, were those the clothes Aurelia usually wore?

Joan of Arc held the clothes up to Aaron and held them up against herself. The clothes were clearly custom-made, still in brand new condition, and fit Joan of Arc's figure perfectly, as if they were tailor-made for her.

Joan of Arc's next words further confirmed his conjecture.

"Do you like this dress?" Joan of Arc smiled gently.

"What do you mean by 'like'?" Aaron asked a stupid question.

"Is that so? I thought this dress would excite you even more," Joan of Arc said thoughtfully.

Aaron "…………"

"Or do you prefer my coronation robe? That garment is quite valuable, practically an artifact of Lucerne, and rather difficult to clean, so..."

"Wait...you don't mean to..."

"So you should save it for important occasions or special days. Otherwise, it's fine to just wear this kind of clothing."

Are you really thinking about something like that?

"Furthermore, I think the environment is also quite important. I have many ideas about this. For example, what about the Obsidian Knights' office? Generally speaking, the Obsidian Knights always need someone to guard the office, so it's difficult to get them to leave. It's also not easy for us to get in. That's why I made you the leader of the Obsidian Knights. If you're inside, it will be much easier and more legitimate. You can completely prevent them from disturbing us, and you won't even need me to show up."

"Wait... what are you saying..."

"Of course, I think the most ideal place is still Alice Palace, where all the civil and military officials hold court. Although it is a prestigious place, very few people are there except for important occasions. Moreover, it is a very spacious place with strict security. It is also my home ground, so I think it is very suitable."

"Also, teacher, do you know of a kind of barbarian game?"

What is the "Barbarian Game"?

"In ancient times, a country was invaded by barbarians from the frontier. They fought their way from the border to the capital and eventually destroyed the country. Finally, the barbarian chieftain, the most powerful warrior, entered the palace alone. Inside the palace was a princess who refused to surrender. The chieftain closed the door and prepared to commit acts of bestiality against the princess. This is what is known as the barbarian game."

"So there was cosplay involved?!" Aaron was truly shocked this time.

"Cosplay? What is that? I mean, what does the teacher think of this game? I've always wanted to play this game, and the props, costumes, and scenes are all very suitable. I believe that I can unleash acting skills beyond the teacher's imagination and definitely make the teacher feel fully immersed."

"What on earth are you thinking? Have all these years as emperor ruined your brain?" Aaron wondered.

"Or rather..."

A cold glint flashed in Joan of Arc's eyes as she stared into Aaron's pupils: "Or perhaps, does Teacher want to be the prince of that conquered empire, and have me become the leader of the barbarians who invaded the country? To be honest, I think playing this game is more suitable for us right now than the former."

Aaron: "???"

“Or we can make it simpler, it doesn’t have to be so complicated.” Joan looked at Aaron with icy eyes. “Or we can play a game of burglary right now.”

"The home invasion robbery game you mentioned, it's not the one I'm thinking of, is it?" Aaron was already feeling somewhat powerless.

"Simply put, teacher, you will play the role of a pure and virtuous young girl. Kind, innocent, and beautiful." She said this after Joan of Arc's slender, pale fingers brushed against his cheek.

"And I will play the role of a ruthless burglar who has harmed countless young girls. It's not enough for me to rob them of their property; I also need to sexually assault them to be satisfied. How about that?"

"Moreover, I have completely dismissed the Ninth Bureau agents in this area. No matter how the teacher calls them, they will not respond. Simply put, this place is temporarily a lawless zone. But it doesn't matter to me. After all, I am the emperor of this country for the time being. Even if they know, they can't say anything."

"So teacher, which one do you want to play? I'll give you the choice, though."

This time, Aaron fell silent, a long silence, with waves of emotion surging within him, until Joan of Arc's voice rang out again, finally awakening him.

“Not choose? If you don’t make a choice, then someone else will make the choice for you. That’s what my teacher taught me. Do I need to teach it to my teacher again now?” Joan of Arc said calmly.

There's no doubt that Joan of Arc is angry and upset. While Aaron may not fully understand other things, this is beyond question.

Aaron sighed deeply.

“Joan of Arc, I think this matter needs to be resolved reasonably, rather than acting impulsively like we are now. This will only bring temporary pleasure, but it will not lead to a good ending.”

“Why not seek momentary pleasure? Just like you said, teacher, we can get momentary pleasure and then solve the problem, isn’t that the same thing? Anyway, you can’t escape from here, teacher, so you’re just saying this because you want to reject momentary pleasure, right?” Joan of Arc said.

Joan of Arc's slender, pale fingers gently brushed across Aaron's chest again. This posture was extremely ambiguous. To the uninformed, they would have thought they were a loving couple. However, her expression was completely different from her posture. Her cold, golden eyes stared into his eyes, which flickered with a cold and complex emotion, a complex expression like that of an emperor.

"Is it because of Aurelia? Even after more than ten years, you still can't forget her. If you wear her clothes here and do things you've never been able to do, it will make you feel guilty, is that right?"

"Is it still because of Claire? It's not what I thought. Do you actually like those angels who look pure, have wings, and are one of a kind in the world? Does that kind of woman give you a desire to conquer, or a feeling of defiling your purity? Or is it that your heart has been completely stolen by her in just a short period of time?"

Joan of Arc's voice turned noticeably colder when she mentioned Aurelia, and carried a hint of anger when she mentioned Claire, making her look more like the empress in the poster. However, while this appearance looked beautiful on the poster, it gave a completely different impression in front of Aaron, only inspiring fear and immense pressure.

Chapter 241 Unspeakable

Joan of Arc's beautiful face drew even closer, her golden eyes revealing a suppressed rage and icy aura. If a minister were to see His Majesty the Emperor with such a look in his eyes, he would probably be making arrangements for his own funeral in his mind.

"And your fiancée Freya, when you got engaged at Shelton Palace and received the King's blessing, did you feel sweet and happy, teacher?"

"Although everyone says that the people of Dok are very traditional and conservative, it's obvious that the little girl likes you a lot. You two must have done everything, right? How was it? The feeling of young flesh? For a teacher, a young girl is probably better, right? After all, I remember that teacher used to have that kind of preference."

Even though Joan of Arc, now Empress, had long since developed the ability to conceal her emotions, and possessed an imposing presence when enraged, when she spoke of Freya, her lowered voice still seemed to overflow with jealousy and anger. Among the ministers of the Lucerne Empire, they had probably never seen the Empress so out of control.

Even during the most difficult years of the war, Queen Lusette probably never lost control like this, nor expressed her anger and emotions so openly.

It seems that Freya's engagement to Aaron has truly struck a nerve with her. Although she tries to remain calm in front of Aaron, she's completely like a cat with its fur standing on end, which Aaron can't help but find somewhat adorable...

Of course, while it's adorable, the consequences are also extremely serious.

However, the feeling of cuteness in one's heart seems to show on one's face, so Aaron seemed to naturally show a faint smile on his face, as if he was helpless or had no choice, and he even shook his head.

“Joan of Arc, I feel that although you investigated my affairs, you did not investigate them thoroughly.”

"What do you mean?"

“I don’t actually like her.” Aaron sighed deeply.

“If someone were pointing a sword at me, my teacher would indeed say such things. After all, he is a man who can bend and stretch, especially back in the Kingdom of Dok. If I hadn’t brought him back, I might be able to attend your wedding this time next year,” Joan of Arc said calmly, clearly not accepting the suggestion.

"Attending my wedding is too much..."

"Is not it?"

"But to be honest, I don't like her, and I've been rejecting her all these years."

Although Joan of Arc seemed somewhat enraged, her rationality ultimately prevailed after years as a ruler, and she was at least willing to listen to Aaron's explanation.

"First of all, she is still a virgin, which is the most important thing. You have to understand, I am just a small civil servant in the Kingdom of Dok. How could I dare to have premarital relations with the daughter of the Iron Earl? And as you said, we are already engaged. In their words, I don't need to rush when I have the meat in the pot. But the most important thing is that I don't like her."

Seeing that Joan's expression had finally calmed down and she was willing to listen to him, Aaron slowly told her about the things that had happened in Doc over the years, especially those related to Freya and the Iron Count. He especially talked about how the Iron Count had communicated with her amicably back then, telling her everything in detail. He also told her that his engagement to her back then was out of necessity, and that circumstances were beyond his control.

"Then there was the matter of attending the celebration. As you know, after the incident at the government building, I became a hero in the Kingdom of Dok. Everyone in the Kingdom of Dok knew me. I even received an invitation from the princess. Looking back now, the princess and the prince were both scheming when they invited me. However, at that time, I was just a nobody, but suddenly I gained tremendous political power. At that time, I could only become a pawn manipulated by all parties."

"However, I still couldn't beat that Earl of Iron. At the celebration, he used his power to make the wedding an undeniable fact. At that time, I was already quite famous in the Kingdom of Dok. Many people knew that Freya and I were engaged. I was the Earl of Iron's son-in-law and a hero in Birmingham. These two identities were equally famous, and these two labels constituted who I am."

“The Iron Earl took advantage of this to force me to admit to it, making it a fait accompli. Although I didn’t resist at the time, I thought that when I had the power in the future, I could deal with this matter clearly and thoroughly. But that would have to be when I was not afraid of anyone. That’s why we got engaged. I really didn’t do anything with her. But what you said about Freya really liking me seems to be true. She seems to think that she can’t live without me.”

"As for Claire's matter, the reason I actively joined the Judges was because of the government building incident."

At this moment, Aaron showed a helpless expression, as if to say that it was all because of that incident at the government building.

“I received intelligence that MI7 was investigating that matter, and I was already suspected by MI7. I only had two choices: flee the country or find a new power to protect me. I ultimately chose the Inquisitors. It just so happened that Claire had done me a favor. As for what you're thinking, it doesn't exist at all. At most, I just think Claire is a good person. I have no other feelings for her.”

After finishing his story, Aaron took a sip of water and waited for Joan of Arc's reaction. After a long while, he said, "I'll believe you for now."

"But teacher, this time I won't let you escape from under my nose again. Also, I have another question."

"What's the problem?"

"You mean, you and Freya have been boyfriend and girlfriend for so long, but you haven't done anything together, at most you've held hands, but you haven't even kissed?" Although Joan's expression was cold, Aaron still saw the suspicion in her eyes.

“Joan of Arc, you must know that the Docs and Lucernes are different.”

As Aaron spoke, he suddenly noticed that Joan of Arc's expression was a little off. Could it be that Joan of Arc didn't like this way of speaking? Indeed, it was understandable that Joan of Arc hated the Docks. In fact, she had hated the Docks since she was a child. Running away to the Dock Kingdom for refuge must have been unbearable for Joan of Arc, so it was normal for her to have this reaction.

"Teacher, you've really changed a lot." After a long while, he heard an unexpected remark.

“If it were the old you, you would never have agreed to such a request. When you were talking about those things just now, I really wondered if you would agree to them? Can that Earl of Iron really threaten you? After all, back then, you never backed down, whether facing the King or the King of Knights. I don’t think it’s bad for people to back down occasionally. After all, you taught me that diplomacy is the art of compromise. But if I hadn’t investigated and confirmed that this was you, I, Jeanne, would hardly believe it.”

Aaron was also stunned. After a long while, he smiled and gently stroked Joan's head: "Because people change. Although there are many kinds of powerful forces in the world, such as supernatural powers, divine powers, and the power of blessing, the most powerful force in the world is still time. The magic of time can change everything, and I am no exception."

"But I don't like that the teacher has changed. I hope you can still be the same as before."

Aaron shook his head: "Whether it was the previous one, how should I put it... the impetuous young person, that was me; and the person who now hesitates, that's also me. The reason I agreed to the Earl of Iron's request was probably because I felt I should cherish life back then."

"So, if I hadn't intervened, would the teacher really have married her and lived an ordinary life?" Joan asked. Unlike last time when she suppressed her anger, this time, Aaron sensed Joan's sadness and sense of loss, even fear. It seemed that the thought of this future, the thought that she would never find her teacher again and never see her again, made her tremble with fear, as if she had witnessed the most terrifying thing in the world.

Even Aaron was stunned to see Joan of Arc like this. Joan had never been one to elicit sympathy; she had always been strong, no matter who she was with, especially after she became empress—this quality had become an integral part of her being. Yet now she trembled with fear, as if she were in the coldest of winters.

Aaron embraced Joan of Arc, gently stroking her head: "No, I'm back now. Don't be afraid."

“Why don’t you come back? Why don’t you come back to me? Teacher… there should be many opportunities…” Joan said in a slightly trembling voice. Aaron could not see her expression, but he could feel the sincerity in her words.

"because……"

Aaron finally spoke the words he had kept hidden in his heart for so long: "Because I'm afraid."

"Afraid? Why? The teacher is afraid of me? Afraid that I will do something bad to the teacher? You know, even if I do something bad to myself, I would never do it to the teacher."

"Because my lovely student, the student I thought I should protect, woke up one day to find herself the empress of the most powerful country in the world, and in a way I could never have imagined in my life—through a coup. Moreover, I was completely unaware of her plan at the time, and I didn't even know she had such abilities. And the things she did after becoming empress were like those of a completely different person. She became a cold, ruthless empress, like an emperor. Anyone would be afraid of that."

"I even thought for a time that the person wasn't you, but someone else with the same name, or that you had been possessed. But later I had to admit that it was my student. And that student not only did things I couldn't recognize, but also hid and erased everything about me. Moreover, that person is, in other people's words, a god who possesses the Book of Omniscience. I think anyone would be afraid."

"No... that's not how the teacher is..."

Just moments ago, Joan of Arc was trembling all over, but now her face had turned pale, and her lips were deathly white. She shook her head and looked at Aaron, as if she wanted to explain.

“No explanation is needed, Joan of Arc. After you learned that I was in the Kingdom of Dok, you investigated information about me. And when I first woke up, I also investigated information about you over the years. Perhaps it’s not quite right to call it an investigation; it should be called research. After all, countries all over the world are studying your affairs. It’s even a discipline in itself, and I’m just one of them. But because it’s me, I might have some advantages. I can obtain some information that those professors and doctors would never know.”

“I attended one of the best universities in the Kingdom of Dok, majoring in history, specializing in Lucerne history. You should know the level of my expertise. There’s no need to hide anything about what has happened to you over the years.”

"What I want to say is that although we were very close before, we still didn't understand each other or what the other was really thinking. Now that we've reunited after a long separation, we may actually understand each other better than before."