What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?



Arthur saw Emperor Alex standing with Lucia and the old servant behind him.

It had been a long time since they last met, and Emperor Alex greeted him with a slight smile, saying, "Long time no see, Arthur Asvold."

Without wasting a moment, Emperor Alex's gaze shifted to David, who was standing beside Arthur, and he burst into laughter, exclaiming, "And of course, my dear friend David, hahaha!"

Arthur's mouth twitched as he observed the scene.

He knew that there were only two people in the entire Balka Empire who dared to mock his father so openly.

Everyone present understood that Emperor Alex deliberately ignored David's presence and chose to greet Arthur instead.

It was a clear and blatant mockery, but nobody dared to voice their objections.

The atmosphere in the mansion hall grew tense as a sudden surge of overwhelming pressure enveloped the surroundings, causing panic among the attendees.

Arthur sensed the pressure emanating from behind him, realizing it was David.

"Damn, I knew it!" Arthur cursed inwardly, swiftly moving aside towards the butler.

Emperor Alex, refusing to be outdone, unleashed an equally formidable pressure from his own body.

The two locked eyes, with David narrowing his gaze while Emperor Alex maintained a playful smile without altering his expression.

After a moment, a mutual understanding seemed to pass between them, and they both retracted their imposing auras.

Observing the situation, Arthur let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward to greet Emperor Alex, offering a salute. "Greetings, Emperor," he respectfully addressed him.

Witnessing Arthur's gesture, the rest of the attendees regained their composure and followed suit, bowing respectfully and uttering, "Greetings, Emperor."

Emperor Alex smiled and spoke casually, "You look truly handsome in that robe, Arthur."

"I must say, I greatly admire you," he chuckled, offering his praise.

Just as Arthur was about to respond, David sneered without hesitation, "So, Alex, is that all you have to offer? Just compliments?"

He continued tauntingly, "Where's your gift?"

Upon hearing David's provocation, a wave of unease swept through the crowd, their anxiety evident as they anxiously gazed at Emperor Alex.

"Are they truly going to engage in a confrontation?" The same question lingered in the minds of all present, their attention fixed on Emperor Alex, who maintained his smile.

Emperor Alex replied calmly, "Of course, I have brought them."

He shook his head, refusing to let David's antagonistic remark agitate him.

It was a stark contrast to what everyone had anticipated.

Witnessing this unexpected response, a collective sigh of relief escaped from the onlookers.

Arthur's heart raced, fearing that his father and Emperor Alex would truly clash at that very moment.

Recalling the events from the , Arthur was reminded of David's rebellion, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent people.

Just the recollection of those events sent shivers down Arthur's spine, leaving him feeling quite frightened, especially since the situation in this world differed from that in the .

"It seems that David's rebellion is going to be expedited," Arthur thought to himself.

"This cannot be allowed."

He desired to observe Emperor Alex closely, hoping to catch any subtle expressions that might go unnoticed by others.

Unfortunately, he was unable to discern any change in the emperor's emotions.

This realization instilled a sense of fear within Arthur, making him wary of Emperor Alex's capabilities.

"He truly is an exceptional adversary," Arthur pondered when suddenly he sensed a piercing gaze from someone situated behind Emperor Alex.

He noticed Lucia standing behind Emperor Alex, her face displaying a mix of confusion, shock, and various other emotions.

Yet the most prominent expression Arthur detected on her face was one of pure hatred.

Witnessing this, Arthur couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with that intense gaze, as if he had experienced it in his previous world.

"Well, I certainly don't want to meet the same fate of being stabbed again," he murmured, shaking his head, determined to find a solution later.

Soon, Emperor Alex reached into the pocket of his robe and retrieved a stunning white box.

The box's surface was adorned with white crystals, giving it an air of extraordinary significance.

At first sight, anyone would assume that something extraordinary lay within that box.

Arthur himself was taken aback and sensed a faint sense of familiarity with it.

He had a feeling that he had come across that box in a book during his time reading in the library.

"This is a gift from me, Arthur." Emperor Alex chuckled, extending the white box toward him.

Filled with curiosity, Arthur accepted the box and eagerly attempted to open it.

"Wait!" Emperor Alex intervened just as Arthur was about to open it, halting his actions.

Arthur gazed at Emperor Alex with a quizzical expression, suddenly remembering something.

"Damn, I forgot that gifts shouldn't be opened at the time of receiving," Arthur cursed inwardly, feeling a slight twinge of embarrassment.

He had overlooked this crucial etiquette because the box somehow stirred a faint sense of familiarity within him, though he couldn't quite recall why.

"Could this be the secret box that Lucia presented to Abel on the day she confessed her love to him in the ?" He speculated, noting the striking resemblance between the white box he now held and the one described in the story.

"If that's the case, then this gift..." Arthur's eyes widened in disbelief as he cast a peculiar glance toward Emperor Alex.

However, he swiftly regained his composure and discreetly tucked the white box into his robe pocket.

"Thank you very much, Emperor Alex." Arthur bowed respectfully, his tone filled with gratitude.

"Of course, I've been preparing this gift for two days," Emperor Alex chuckled, speaking of it as if it were an ordinary gift.

Observing this, Arthur couldn't help but curse inwardly, "This infuriating man!"

Naturally, he only dared to harbor such thoughts internally and refrained from voicing them aloud.

"Oh, by the way, I've brought my daughter along," Emperor Alex mentioned, recalling something, and promptly pulled Lucia to stand beside him.

"This is my beloved daughter, who happens to be the same age as you, Arthur," he stated, his tone nonchalant.

"As we agreed two days ago, you will be friends with her, won't you?" Emperor Alex spoke casually, seemingly unaware of the two's previous encounter in Rozen.

Arthur couldn't help but feel that Emperor Alex was deliberately playing a trick on him.

However, he had no choice but to feign ignorance of his connection with Lucia and follow Emperor Alex's lead.

"Hello, my name is Arthur," he introduced himself.

"Greetings." Arthur smiled and extended his hand for a handshake.

His face displayed no signs of anxiety.

However, what puzzled Arthur was that Lucia did not respond to his greeting and continued to gaze at him with the same expression.

"Hello, Princess Lucia?" Arthur greeted her again, and this time Lucia's expression shifted, transforming into a gentle smile.

"Hello, Arthur Asvold," Lucia greeted him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she added, gently adjusting her dress—an act befitting royal etiquette.

Arthur pulled his hand back slightly, feeling a bit awkward at that moment.

Noticing this, Arthur discerned the underlying anger on Lucia's face, although she managed to conceal it well.

Then, out of the blue, Emperor Alex, who stood beside Lucia, unleashed a bombshell-like statement.

"By the way, my servant informed me that my daughter is searching for a young man with the same name as you at this gathering."

"Do you happen to know where he is, Arthur?"