The Billionaire CEO Becomes the Youngest Emperor-Chapter 5 - : My arm!

"Glory to the Sun of the Empire!"

"Glory to His Majesty the Emperor!"

Two men dressed in lavish garments, their elegance betraying their noble status, bowed deeply before a majestic throne seated at the heart of a vast audience chamber.

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On this throne sat Gaius Niketas, the emperor of the Tenth Empire. He was a man at the height of his power, his piercing black gaze reflecting the color of his dark hair. Clad in the official imperial robes, he observed the two men prostrated before him with an undeniable aura of dominance.

A simple gesture of his hand signaled the guards present to leave the room. They obeyed without a word, closing the doors behind them.

"Speak."

One of the nobles, visibly nervous, cleared his throat before speaking:

"Your Majesty, as you wished, the negotiations with the Eleventh Empire have reached their climax, however..."

"However?" The emperor's voice grew sharper.

A bead of sweat slowly trickled down the noble's cheek.

"They demand a 60% share of the profits..."

The emperor's eyes blazed with barely contained fury.

"What?! Has he gone mad?!"

A heavy silence fell before the second man, older, with white hair and a wise demeanor, spoke up.

"If I may, Your Majesty, I suggest we reconsider our strategy."

This man, Boris Zand, was the emperor's advisor, known for his cunning and foresight.

"Speak freely, Zand."

A sly smile spread across the advisor's lips.

"I believe that if we ally with the Eleventh Empire to swallow up the Twelfth and Thirteenth, we will lose more than we gain. We have already invested enormous resources into this campaign. They, on the other hand, simply want to ride the path we've paved while demanding 10% more than what was initially agreed."

The emperor narrowed his eyes.

"What are you getting at?"

Boris's smile widened.

"Though the empire led by the Voldrek is the weakest in terms of power, it remains a gold mine ready to be exploited... if you catch my meaning."

A conspiratorial silence fell over the room, followed by shared smiles among the three men, as if they were recalling distant memories.

The emperor straightened slightly, his gaze burning with interest.

"Very well, Boris. What plan have you concocted this time?"

"To devour them entirely."

_______

My arm...

Arrrrgh... that crazy woman... My damn arm!

She cut it off without a second thought!

Honestly, I thought she'd at least have a shred of humanity, that she'd listen to the kid's pleas...

DAMN IT!

I looked down at my left arm... well, at the spot where it used to be just a few minutes ago. It now lay on the white bed, staining it with bright red.

Is this one of those damn swordsmen's abilities? How is this even possible?

I wasn't bleeding, as if my blood had stopped flowing in that spot. But the pain... it didn't ease up. No, it intensified, burning, unbearable.

And of course, this child's body only made things worse...

I wanted to scream, swear, call her crazy, a psychopath... But I was a businessman. A man who had sniffed out countless opportunities. And this one... was one of them.

Even in pain, I couldn't let this slip by.

A twisted smile formed on her lips as she watched me squirm, trying to stifle my groans.

"You really thought your little speech would get to me? Sorry to tell you, I lost those human emotions a long time ago."

Go ahead, brag, you goddess.

I gritted my teeth, but business first.

"Why... why didn't you finish it? Why leave me alive?"

She stayed silent for a moment before answering:

"The next time I come back, it won't be your arm that flies off... I'll give you another chance to raise the empire as you claim to be able to do it "

She turned around and walked... toward the wall?

Then stopped, a mocking smile on her lips.

"Consider this... your birthday gift."

You crazy woman, psychopath...

But this was the moment to plant the seed. If there was still a trace of humanity in her...

"Sister!"

She froze.

I barely managed to lift my thumb before lowering it again, a weak but determined smile on my lips.

"I won't leave you alone."

She didn't reply. Without another word, she walked through the wall as if it didn't exist.

I gave up trying to understand.

Judging by her reaction... the seed was planted. Now I just had to water it, until it grew into a tree... and made me a lot of money.

"I'm taking a day off... before I've even started... damn..."

Lucian fainted.

---

"How long have I been asleep?"

I glanced at the clock above my room's entrance. It showed 4:00 AM, which meant it was Tuesday.

I scanned my surroundings.

I was lying on my bed, though I was almost sure I had fainted on the floor. I slowly sat up and examined the bed. There was no sign of my severed arm, and the sheet that was once stained with blood had regained its pristine color.

A clean bandage wrapped the cut part of my arm. Even stranger, the excruciating pain that tore through me just hours earlier had completely disappeared.

Someone must have been here while I was asleep.

Tsk! No time to dwell on that now.

I made my way to my desk. A circular object sat in the center, with something resembling a button in the middle.

It was a magical communication device used in this world. A kind of videophone, except you could only contact one pre-recorded person, and the prices were so exorbitant that only the high-ranking could afford them.

I clenched my fists. "This is a disgrace for the CEO of X.Phone... My honor is taking a hit. I need to fix this."

I pressed the button.

The circle lit up with blue energy, gently vibrating.

Wow... magic...

A small light rose, forming a holographic projection. A few seconds later, the person on the other end immediately picked up.

"Good day, Your Majesty, the Emperor."

It was Chris, my butler. During this week of confinement, he was in charge of taking care of me and handling the empire's affairs in the meantime.

"Good day, Chris. There were no issues yesterday?"

I could see the dark circles under his eyes. Poor guy...

"A few small incidents, but nothing serious, Your Majesty. Everything has been sorted. Don't worry."

I wanted to ask him who had entered my room, but it was better to focus on the essentials.

"Very well. Bring me something to eat and also bring a large map of the empire."

"At your command, Your Majesty."

I cut the communication.

Three minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in, Chris."

_____

He entered gracefully, carrying a lavish meal tray in one hand and a scroll in the other, without the slightest hint of struggle. Truly, a talented butler.

But as he approached, his gaze froze. His eyes trembled, and he nearly stumbled.

"Y... Your Majesty... your arm..."

Panicked, he set the tray on my desk before rushing toward me.

"My sister came by... Left a little 'gift'."

"Lady Selene...?"

"Doesn't matter. It's not an issue. After taking care of things here, I'll go see the Saint."

"But..."

"Enough. Don't worry about me." I flashed him a confident smile.

"Just focus on doing your job well, and everything will be fine, alright?"

"Y... Yes, Your Majesty."

As he headed for the door, I noticed a tear fall.

At least someone loves you sincerely, Lucian...

I took the map and studied it for a moment.

"Those bastards from the Tenth Empire... They won't know what hit them... HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I've always wanted to do an evil laugh. Well, this is awkward all of a sudden... Good thing there are no guards. I'd ordered no one to come near my room.

Elsewhere, a young woman with fiery red hair, dressed in lavish, custom-tailored garments clearly indicating her noble rank, walked with measured steps. A majestic falcon perched on her shoulder.

What was most striking was this gaze, both piercing and gentle.

"I heard Lucian asked Selene to come... Was it her who did this?"

Strangely, the bird responded in a deep, raspy male voice.

"I'm sure of it, Mistress. He wasn't even bleeding, despite his arm being cut off. Who else could possess that level of mastery on this continent?"

"Probably her."

The falcon hesitated before asking the fateful question.

"But why help him when you despise him...?"

A silence.

The young woman didn't respond.

Something had changed in Lucian, she was certain of it. That smile... that thumbs-up gesture... He wasn't the same boy anymore.

She smiled in return.

"This year's family meeting will be quite interesting."

"Mistress...?"

It was Iris Voldrek.