"Empress Seycea is benevolent and pure to give a war general concubines when the lord has already proclaimed his love for his wife. One believes that her majesty worries about husband lord greatly and thanks her for even managing this household." Those were such impudent words that nanny Lemen stepped back watching the woman with wide eyes...how dare she..yet it seemed that two of the beauties that came in to be gifted had no idea thus they only stood as a block while the other two were somewhat furious.

Only to a fool, they would sound like praise since they it meant-'your empress is foolish and has not seen the world, interfering into affairs of another man, is she even loyal to your king?" Artimisia was rushed in as soon as the servants of the imperial army came yet she listen to the entire conversation from nearby feeling anger, why did the General leave her sister alone to deal with these people?

"Only an emperor can bestow an imperial edict and the empress, mother of the nation does not gets involved in those...asking the nanny to take this back, one is unable to receive the command." Watching how this woman was so arrogant even infront of the empress the beauties that came to become the concubines felt agitated.

"Impudent! Servants punish this general lady for saying such treacherous words against her majesty-the empress!" Nanny Lemen did not see the exquisite smile that bloomed on the face of the demoness that looked calm and placid yet her honey eyes captured the old woman's face.

Truly despicable

Before the female servants that looked rough and coarse can come forward an ink night cloak fluttered and stood before the petite empress making Lilith pout, what was this? She couldn't even see anyone's face.

"G-GENERAL AZARIOS!" The male did not look at the astonished women and instead had a serene smile gracing his godly features

"My wife is virtuous and gentle, as a matriarch its general-lady's duty to teach mannerisms to her subordinates. Since Empress Seycea has been virtuous enough to gift to my wife, she was only playing around yet it looks to this one that maids of the imperial palace are truly bold these days. After giving a plaything it belongs to one's wife thus one wonders why is such chaos happening in my mansion?" The beast of Ambrose said it with a smile yet the more he appeared magnanimous, the darker the atmosphere got.

When one stays in the imperial palace for too long, its only natural to develop instincts that helped in survival against thousand of conspiracies and hundreds of deaths, the maidens were young yet no foolish then three of them decided that even if they battled against this woman for life, tried to snatch favor against the general and in thousandth life after dying at her hands they would still fall short of beauty and brains. The General was now saying that his wife was playing yet in reality he meant that he would let his wife do whatever she wishes for and if you die it's your fault.

"We have been too presumptuous. One did not have proper teaching and tried to bring shame to the Lotus mansion and general lady, one thinks that General and General-lady are pairs of swans residing in Northwestern mountains and can never be separated." A beauty bowed not daring to have another conversation and just wished to get out. She had only one life and did not wish to die. And just like that two others too withdrew.

With their father's connections, it would not be impossible to marry into a good household thus it was futile to enter a lion's cage.

"W-What is this- the empress has ordered you all!" The fourth maiden had no intentions of marrying at all thus nanny Lemen knew it was the time to retreat thus she dared not force General Azarios to accept the empress's decree...

It was just that an empress's decree could be ignored yet how can the General deflect the monarch's words?

Empire of Ambrose that was relying heavily on General Azarios's power upon watching the embarrassment Empress Seycea had to face now had intentions to curb his influence thus the seventh lunar day of the Era of Snake a proclamation infront of the entire imperial court was passed-

General Azarios shall take in a concubine selected by the emperor.

Yet this time the word and actions of the general changed, he accepted the imperial decree with a calm demeanor.

A/N: I would advise you all to just wait, I will release another chapter, the final one of 'Concubine' trope today.