Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires-Chapter 219: You Don’t Know?

"I am honored to be invited," David spoke as he bowed respectfully to the emperor.

"I am glad that you came, David," the emperor said with a friendly tone.

"As the finals approach, it's inevitable that you will win, and as a reward, you will ask to marry my daughter. Therefore, it might be a good idea to spend some time with her and get to know her, don't you think?" the emperor said, pointing to where his daughter was waiting beside him.

David noticed the emperor's tone, it was as if he was certain of David's victory, almost as if losing were out of the question.

"Well, considering that the survival of your sister depends on this man, you don't have much of a choice," the Spectral Warden mocked, as always.

David tried not to show his emotions on his face as he took a step forward toward the woman he was supposed to marry in the future.

She had golden hair and striking golden eyes, and she wore a breathtaking golden dress. Elegant earrings adorned her ears, and her lips were painted with a crimson lipstick.

"Amara, I hope you will enjoy my company," David said as he extended his hand toward her. He knew why he was here, of course, so he had already dressed himself in a suit.

She looked at him for a second as she grasped his hand. "It will be my pleasure."

*****

They sat in one of the dining rooms of the emperor's castle. Aside from the man playing the piano and the waiter patiently awaiting their order, they were alone.

The atmosphere, the elegant music, and the beautiful woman sitting in front of him—all of this spoke with class.

And David didn't know how to feel about that. He still had problems accepting the fact that he was going to join the emperor's family soon.

After they placed their orders, they didn't have much to do except speak with one another.

"Lady Amara, is it okay to ask a question?" David asked. This was the first time he was with her, and he wasn't sure how to address her.

"Yes, and please, just Amara is okay," she replied.

David nodded before asking, "I still don't understand what made your father—the emperor—so interested in having us marry. After all, you are a princess, and I am nobody. I don't come from a powerful political family, so I can't grasp the reason."

Amara studied him for a second or two.

She sighed as she began to speak.

"Well, you'll soon be joining the family, so it might be helpful to explain how my father thinks."

She paused for a moment as the waiter placed their orders. Both had chosen steak, accompanied by a glass of wine.

Amara took the glass in her hand and took a sip, then gazed at David as she parted her lips.

"You see, my father wants everything to be perfect."

David narrowed his eyes for a second but didn't interrupt.

"Now, you might be wondering what I mean when I say perfect."

Her gaze drifted to the side for a second, as if remembering old memories.

"The emperor has many wives, all considered queens, yet they don't hold the same value. Do you know what determines their worth?"

David cleared his throat awkwardly. "No, I don't."

"It is simple," she began, cutting her steak with one of the knives.

"First, she must be beautiful. Second, she must understand how the political world works. And third, she must bear a useful child."

David raised an eyebrow. "A useful child?" he asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"Yes, I assume you're aware that there are multiple princesses, right? There are two extremes: I, who am considered his masterpiece, and Sofia, who is seen as his failure."

"What determines which is which? It's simple: you behave the way he wants you to. If he tells you to kill someone, you kill them. If he tells you to go against your beliefs, you do it."

For a second, she stopped herself.

"Apologies, I misspoke. What I meant to say is that you don't have beliefs to begin with. You simply behave as expected."

David couldn't help but asked,

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"Isn't that life kind of lonely?"

Hearing his question, Amara couldn't help but smile.

"It is especially true for me. I, who have mastered the art of meeting his expectations, behave in ways most people find strange or irrational. That often leads to theories being made."

She chuckled for a second.

"All kinds of stories are being spread. You know my favorite one? Apparently, I'm some kind of clone created to behave exactly how he wants me to."

Her eyes darkened for a moment. "Oh, how I wish that were the case. Then maybe I wouldn't have to act so emotionally detached all the time."

David didn't know how to respond. Why was she telling him this in the first place? It seemed like she had started to answer his question but then redirected the conversation to a different topic.

Amara paused for a moment, realizing she hadn't actually answered his question, and blushed slightly.

"Well, in short, he goes to great lengths to achieve his version of perfection. After careful consideration, he has deemed you worthy. You may not have been raised by him, but you are as close to perfect as anyone can get."

David was taken aback. He was close to perfect? Should he feel flattered or confused?

He struggled to ignore the menacing laughter that came from the Spectral Warden. It seemed that hearing David being called perfect was too funny to keep a straight face.

After a few seconds of thinking, David's eyes shined for a moment.

"Wait… when you say perfect… do you mean power?" This was the only thing David could think of.

This was his only good quality, as the others were mediocre at best.

"That is right," Amara praised with a smile.

'So, he simply believes that I am the best fit because I am powerful? But what if—'

"There is one more thing, of course," Amara interrupted his train of thought.

"Sure, power is important, but if we are not compatible, it would be meaningless. After all, a perfect man and woman don't always make the perfect couple if they don't have any similarities."

David raised an eyebrow. What could he have in common with a princess?

"And what do we have in common exactly?" he asked with a skeptical tone in his voice.

Amara looked at him, all the amusement on her face gone, replaced by shock.

"Wait, you don't know?" she asked in disbelief.

In turn, he raised an eyebrow. "No, how could I know?" he asked, clearly confused.

"No, forgive me. I'm just baffled that it hasn't told you… or maybe it doesn't know either?" she muttered the last part.

Before David could react, she stopped cutting the steak and pointed at him with the knife.

"I mean, it is about our powers. Your blessing doesn't come from the gods but from the Abyss, isn't that right?"

At her question, the Spectral Warden finally ceased its manic laughter and gazed at her with its three hollow eyes.

This was not expected in the slightest.