The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

At the throne, Consort Gabriel was alarmed by the sudden appearance of Admiral Valaerion. Seeing him almost made her heart leap through her throat.

It was true that she had sent an invitation to the Association and the Federation’s two factions. But the Silver Fangs and the Golden Wings factions under the Federation replied that they could not come to the ceremony. While the Association simply didn’t send a reply, completely ignoring her.

So, she assumed that no one would be sent to attend. Who would have known that they would actually send someone? And that had to be Admiral Valearion, who was Gaia’s only SS-ranked Sentinel!

”Have you known long ago that Admiral Valaerion would come today?”

Consort Gabriel stabbed her index finger with the nail of her thumb as she heard the emperor.

In an instant, she knew something had gone wrong. She stood up and lowered her head, not daring to look at the expression on the emperor’s face. Even if someone could see her right now, she couldn’t even care.

She quickly confessed. ”I have indeed sent an invitation to the Association, Your Majesty. But it was only for formality and nothing else. I swear I had no idea he would come, and I didn’t receive a response to my letter. You can ask the Head Maid at my palace. I’m sure she will testify for me.”

Consorts in the Imperial Palace aren’t as free and don’t live in absolute opulent life. Outside, they can extend their power through the emperor’s grace. But within the walls of the palace, they were as trapped as a bird in a gilded cage. And the ones who are taking care of and overseeing them are the Head Maids, who were installed by the emperor as both the caretakers and spies for him.

Consort Gabriel knew what the emperor was thinking. With the arrival of the Association’s Admiral, it wouldn’t be strange if he would grow more wary of her and her son.

And that didn’t bode well for her at all.

Now that this had happened, she had to give up the thought of getting the support of the Association if she wanted to keep the emperor from becoming more suspicious of her and Soren!

Emperor Nikulaus looked at her carefully. When he saw that the anxiety she had just shown wasn’t fake, only then did he affectionately reach for her and gesture her back to her seat.

”You’re still too easy to startle. No need to be nervous, I was just asking...” he chuckled as he gently wrapped his hand on her wrist. ”If you really don’t know, then I guess the Association sent him here for another reason.”

He looked back at the entrance of the imperial hall where the young Admiral was.

Consort Gabriel sighed in relief. The back of her dress was already soaked in sweat. Fortunately, everyone was more interested in the presence of the Admiral that no one noticed what happened to her. Hearing the emperor, she also showed a bit of interest in why the Admiral had come.

Once she sat down, she faced front again. The earlier nervousness and fright she had just gotten from the emperor was gone, replaced by the benevolence and elegance of an imperial consort.

Her eyes instantly landed on Aisha and Admiral Valaerion. Both somehow made her lose face today.

One extorted money from her son. And the other almost had the emperor put a stop to her son’s future!

For some reason, now looking at them side by side made her stomach twist in hate.

***

Aisha was still trying to digest the new information she had just found. SS-rank Sentinel... There was actually a rank above the S-rank? Was it even possible to reach that high in power, and how much difference could there be?

She tried to look into this body’s memories, yet came up with nothing. Again, she was still unable to pull the memories that hadn’t come back.

As she was thinking, she saw a large palm being offered to her as she heard him say, ”May I?”

Aisha knew what he meant by offering his hand to her. He wanted to escort her down the aisle before the emperor.

But before she took his hand, she asked him, ”Aren’t you afraid people would whisper behind your back? And your image of the Association’s Ice Prince breaking apart because of this?”

Although she was only teasing him with the title that the public had given him, something she’d known from her memories, Aisha also knew that he had no reason to do this at all.

Wincing at the odd and corny title, Zeke kept his expression calm and collected.

He said, ”We’re both on our way inside, anyway. It would be wrong for me to head in and leave a lady alone. I should escort you inside.”

Aisha was impressed he didn’t change expression when he uttered the word ’escort’ after he did that the first time they met.

Letting a smile appear on her lips, Aisha finally took his hand.

As their hands touched, collective gasps were heard, and Aisha spoke before she could stop herself, ”See? Someone’s already too shocked they’re hyperventilating.”

Zeke felt like she was testing his patience by speaking to him with this nonsense. Deciding not to engage in this conversation, he steered the topic elsewhere. ”Why were you alone?”

Even for someone as reclusive and unsociable as he is knew that leaving Aisha to walk down the aisle wasn’t right.

”Where’s your family?”

Aisha glanced directly at where the Novalis family was. She sarcastically remarked, ”They were too excited to meet the emperor that they forgot and left me behind.”

Zeke frowned when he heard that. He could tell she was lying.

He looked at her for a moment and heard her ask him, ”Do you pity me, Admiral?”

Hearing her question, Zeke didn’t remove his gaze from her face before replying, ”No...”

Aisha appeared surprised by his response, but the smile on her lips reached her eyes. ”So do I.”