You Can Keep The Male Lead

鈥淭his鈥?this is Madam鈥檚 necklace that I found.鈥?br>
Chloe held up the sparkling necklace with both hands and offered it to the Emperor.

鈥淭his鈥︹€?The Emperor lifted the necklace and looked at it closely, his expression strange.聽

At that moment, the commander, who was looking at the distance, exclaimed, 鈥淵our Majesty! His Highness, the Crown Prince, is coming.鈥?br>
鈥淚s that right?鈥?br>
Everyone鈥檚 eyes, including the Emperor, fell on Enoch and Erin. Nervous, Erin unknowingly grabbed Enoch鈥檚 hand.

The closer they got, the more people screamed.聽

鈥溾€?D-didn鈥檛 they say she鈥檚 dead?鈥?br>
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I heard, too.鈥?br>
While some looked on as if they鈥檇 seen a ghost, others had a different expression.聽

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Among them, Damon stepped out of the crowd, his mouth agape as he stared at Erin, then turned to Enoch. He narrowed his eyes at the Crown Prince in resentment.

When he met Enoch鈥檚 eyes, the prince waved his hands, looking apologetic. Damon stepped back, but he wouldn鈥檛 let it go.

Rupert, who was kneeling on the podium, jumped up when he saw Erin.聽

鈥淗ow鈥︹€?br>
Erin raised her head and looked him straight in the eye.聽

Rupert鈥檚 eyes shook as he continued to stare at her. Betrayal, anger, relief, love, and hate came rushing in, but no words appeared.

Erin raised the corners of her lips as she took Enoch鈥檚 hand and slowly made her way up the podium.

Enoch bowed before the Emperor, and Erin went down on her knees to show her respect.聽

鈥淕reetings to His Majesty, the Emperor. My name is Erin Spilet.鈥?br>
The Emperor looked at her carefully, then nodded once before he turned to Enoch and said, 鈥淓noch, tell me in detail what happened.鈥?br>
To anyone who heard the Emperor, they would think he was furious, but his expression was full of nothing but anticipation.聽

Enoch said, 鈥淵es, Your Majesty. First of all, Count Spilet did not die. I saved her when she was at the magic stone cave, and I鈥檝e been protecting her since then.鈥?br>
The Emperor glanced at Erin sitting next to Enoch and showed her the necklace. 鈥淭hen, is this yours?鈥澛?br>
鈥淵es, that鈥檚 right.鈥?br>
The Emperor smiled at Enoch when he heard Erin鈥檚 answer, then asked Chloe, 鈥淵ou said you found this in the magic stone cave.鈥?br>
鈥淵es, I did, but鈥︹€?br>
鈥淓noch, where did you find Count Spilet?鈥?br>
鈥淚nside the magic stone cave. I rescued the Count who was being threatened by monsters.鈥?br>
鈥淣o鈥?鈥?br>
Then Chloe suddenly stood in front of Enoch. Of course, it was tremendous disrespect to stand in front of the Crown Prince the way she did, but she didn鈥檛 seem to have thought of that.

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Enoch looked blankly at her while the Emperor frowned at her impertinence. Rupert, who still had the sense of mind, grabbed Chloe鈥檚 arm and pulled her back.

鈥淐alm down.鈥?br>
鈥淏ut, I-I discovered the cave first鈥? I saw the dead monster.鈥?br>
鈥淏ut for you to pick up the necklace, doesn鈥檛 it mean that the owner entered first?鈥?br>
鈥淭hat鈥?鈥?br>
While Chloe sputtered, Enoch called his aide to bring a small bottle filled with something dark and thick. At first glance, it looked like a part of a mollusk.

The Crown Prince鈥檚 aide carefully handed the bottle to the Emperor鈥檚 aide. The Emperor looked at it and grinned at Enoch.聽

鈥淵ou brought a part of the monster. He must have just died when you got this.鈥?br>
鈥淭hat鈥檚 right. I took some of it when it died.鈥?br>
鈥淪o, you used your brain. Good.鈥?br>
Chloe trembled where she stood. She seemed furious that things didn鈥檛 go her way, but she also looked frightened.

鈥溾€hen the first person to discover the magic stone cave is Count Spilet,鈥?The Emperor said as he turned to Erin.

Instead of answering, Erin merely lowered her gaze and curtsied.聽

Rupert didn鈥檛 seem to have any interest in the magic stone cave at all. Instead, he continued to stare at Erin, his eyes swimming with mixed emotions.

Chloe watched Rupert like that, so she pulled on his sleeve. 鈥淩upert鈥︹€?br>
But Rupert was frozen like a statue as if he couldn鈥檛 hear Chloe鈥檚 voice.

鈥淵our Majesty, defeating the monsters would not have been possible without Count Spilet鈥檚 help.鈥?br>
The scribe who tallied the scores came out and whispered something to the Emperor鈥檚 aide, who then spoke to the Emperor, 鈥淵our Majesty, monsters are also included in the score. It didn鈥檛 reflect in the bracelet, but if you add up His Highness Enoch鈥檚 current score and the corresponding points for defeating monsters, his total is now 6,000 points.鈥?br>
Woooow鈥?

When the aide announced Enoch鈥檚 new score, the crowd went wild. Rupert, who stood frozen, trembled.聽

With a small sigh, he grabbed Chloe鈥檚 wrist and led her down.聽

鈥淟et鈥檚 go.鈥?br>
鈥淏ut, Rupert鈥? I wanted to give you鈥︹€?br>
鈥淣ot anymore. Go down.鈥?br>
With those words, Rupert bowed to the Emperor and trudged down, leaving Chloe behind.聽

As the Emperor looked at Chloe, who was still standing there, he said, 鈥淭here must have been some misunderstanding. But you worked hard finding it. You should go down now.鈥?br>
When the Emperor said that, Chloe had no choice but to curtsy and walk off the podium. She went to Rupert鈥檚 side, biting her lip when she felt Breiman鈥檚 gaze on her.

Now, only the Emperor and his aides, the Crown Prince and Erin remained on the podium.

The Emperor raised the trophy and showed it to the crowd.聽

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鈥淓noch, tell me. Is there anyone you want to give your points to?鈥?br>
At the Emperor鈥檚 question, Enoch smiled confidently, took a step back from Erin, and pointed at her.

鈥淚鈥檒l transfer my score to Count Spilet, who helped find the magic stone cave and catch the monster.鈥?br>
Erin had a hunch this would happen, but she still couldn鈥檛 hide her surprise when it did.聽

At Enoch鈥檚 gesture, Erin took a step forward. The Emperor looked at Erin with curious eyes and handed over the trophy.

鈥淚n the name of the Emperor, I acknowledge my right as the first discoverer of the Magic Stone Cave and the first place in the hunting competition.鈥澛?br>
鈥淲ow, congratulations!鈥?The crowd cheered.聽

鈥淚t is your luck to have found the magic stone cave, but it is also a huge benefit for the Empire, so I am pleased. Is there anything else you want?鈥?br>
Erin thought for a moment. Of course, he would think she was humble if she stepped back and said nothing, but there was no benefit in that.聽

Erin knelt lower, the trophy still in her hands. 鈥淵es, Your Majesty. I have a request.鈥?br>
鈥淭ell me.鈥?br>
鈥淭he mining rights and operating rights will, of course, belong to the Imperial family. However, I would like you to appoint the person in charge as His Highness the Crown Prince and allow me to participate in the work.鈥?br>
鈥溾€hat鈥檚 what country officials do. Is there a need to do that? You can take more than half of the profits from the mines even if you do nothing.鈥?br>
鈥淚 ask you to consider my preference in the process, Your Majesty.鈥?br>
鈥淥f course, it鈥檚 your gain, so you鈥檒l do it thoroughly. I鈥檒l consider it.鈥?br>
鈥淚 am grateful, Your Majesty.鈥?br>
As Erin was about to stand, Enoch held her hand and lifted her up. The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Enoch and said, 鈥淲ill you give this necklace back to Count Spilet? Enoch.鈥?br>
Erin had no idea why the Emperor had asked Enoch that question, so she turned to Enoch. Then his ears turned red, and he coughed, 鈥淵es, Your Majesty.鈥?br>
鈥淟ike Father, like son. Slow,鈥?the Emperor clicked his tongue and handed Enoch the necklace. 鈥淵ou will fill it in yourself later.鈥?br>
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With the necklace in Enoch鈥檚 hand, the Emperor descended from the podium.聽

The crowd knelt as he made his way to the carriage. Then, without delay, he went back to the capital. After all, he was a man with a lot of work to do.聽

I kept looking at Enoch, wondering what that exchange meant. Instead, Enoch roughly put the necklace in his uniform pocket and reached out to me.

鈥淔irst, let鈥檚 go down. I鈥檒l explain it to you later.鈥?br>
When I grabbed his hand, I was conscious of the gaze that was focused on me. Most were surprised, but others were not.

鈥淏rother, you鈥檝e done a great job. How could you hide the Count like that?鈥?br>
鈥淭he Count wasn鈥檛 feeling well, so I let her rest.鈥?br>
As soon as I came down from the podium, I let go of his hand and approached Rupert, who had continued to stare at me.

Before I could even speak, Rupert asked, 鈥淚s it fun to play with people?鈥?br>
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit extreme for a first greeting to someone who had gone through something difficult,鈥?I muttered bitterly.

Rupert faltered, took a deep breath, then spoke in a softer voice, 鈥淲hy didn鈥檛 tell me you were alive? You don鈥檛 know how much, how much鈥?I鈥檝e been looking for you鈥︹€?br>
He grabbed my shoulders with both hands and exposed his anguish. But when I looked at him, my heart froze more than ever. In the first place, he chose Chloe over me when my life was at stake.

I grabbed his wrists and shook off his grip on my shoulders.

鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, but I want to rest.鈥?br>
鈥溾€rin.鈥?br>
I walked past Rupert, who called me with a hoarse voice.