Imperial Affairs (Levi X Reader) AU

53. Falling Down

Reader's POV

"Announcing His Majesty, The Emperor!"

I said my goodbyes to Kenny as he walked over to Father and greeted him. Father greeted a few more important people including the hosts and the princess and her fiance before he was led to the special box prepared for him where he could sit and watch the party as he pleased.

Once he entered the box and the door closed with Floch standing guard outside, I made my move. I headed toward the entry of the box and the dancing in the party resumed.

"Floch."

"Your Highness."

"I wish to have an audience with His Majesty."

Floch nodded before he softly knocked on the door of the box and a gruff voice answered and told him to come in. Floch went in the box, shut the door behind him and came back a moment later.

"Audience granted," He told me as he held the door open for me. I entered the box and immediately bowed as Floch entered behind me and closed the door before walking towards the glass which revealed the rest of the party and closed the curtains.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," I didn't dare call him 'Father' before I had apologised.

"Rise," He said as he bore his green serpent-like eyes into mine. Mikasa does say that my eyes match his, "What are you here for?"

"I-," I hesitated before destroying my pride, "I wished to apologise for my insolence, Your Majesty. I created a scene on that day that... on the day that the late princess was executed. I wished to apologise for my actions and words and thank Your Majesty for your patience with me."

"Hmm. Though I wished to have you apologise in public for your insolence, it seems that you have a rather important meeting planned with Chairman Ackerman. And you purposefully only came to see me when I had already arrived in the box to prevent yourself from having to repent for your actions in front of other aristocrats."

How the hell does he know everything?

"But I'm not letting you off the hook that easily," Father hummed, "I'll give you two options to choose from as a consequence for your actions."

Ah, shit.

This won't end well.

"Give me the North for a year or," Father subtly nodded at the choice he wanted me to pick before he presented the next one and extended his legs ahead and titled his right foot so that its heel was on the ground and the sole of the shoe was facing toward me, "Floch will open the curtains and you shall kneel before me and under my foot."

What?

But I- I- this can't be happening.

If his shoe touches my head then I will be the laughing stock of the entire aristocracy for months if not years.

Father ushered Floch to open the curtains and he obliged. Father was trying to intimidate me by showing me the nobles outside this box. This box wasn't very high up and anyone standing a little farther could see exactly what was happening in the box and the ones nearer could get a basic idea.

There were no nobles on the platform that was raised that was the entry gate for guests to enter and descend the stairs I had descended not too long ago. I knew how these aristocrats were. They would climb the staircase which's platform was slightly higher than this box to see what was happening if I bowed down.

Father was trying to scare me into giving up the North because then, he could harvest the materials himself and it would save him a lot of money and even though Father was not a corrupt Emperor and would use that money for the Empire, it would still be money out of my pocket.