𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 || 敵の旦那様 (𝐁𝐋) ✔ [COMPLETE]

36. Shouldn't be loved

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That was the last of General Haoran Fu Lin saw for over a fortnight. He was nowhere within the Manor to be seen. Essentially locked up within his office chamber and refusing even servants to see him. The maximum interaction he'd have with anybody within the Manor was to flick his hand outside to either retrieve a bowl of meagre porridge or leave it out after finishing. At the beginning, Fu Lin wrote it off as the General simply undertaking his 'work-mode' where he would hyper-focus on official duties over everything else.

However, it was not long before Fu Lin realised he was severely wrong.

The General was actively avoiding interacting with everyone within the Manor. The General's chambers situated within the Manor were lavishly made but were defective in two aspects; the lack of washroom and latrine. Before, when Fu Lin was hell bent on not even accidentally bumping into the General, he would always run into the devil incarnate because that's the kind of man he was. Even amidst a whirlpool of formal paper work his labour-tempered, military body required for him to take continuous physical strolls. But now not only was he not seen idly strolling about the Manor- he even went out of his way to use the washroom situated outside the Office Chamber late into the night- when everyone was dead asleep.

Fu Lin felt the whole ordeal to be a complete perplexity. Did he perhaps do something that day while he was asleep that could have unintentionally offended him?

But no matter how much he examined within himself, he had no recollection of doing anything remotely embarrassing up until he fell asleep.

It was not just the General who had high tailed out of sight and obtained a charade of abnormality. The whole Manor was acting completely out of line. Though it was an unsurprising fact that the servants of the Zhou manor were no better than mute and deaf mice, this time around they had taken a step further in the masterful art of silence. And that is that. Now these folks even breathed silently. Every breath intentionally held and exhaled- it's tempo not evoking the slightest noise from around. Besides, the never changing tapestries and official curtains of the Manor were replaced with cotton white silk tapestries. The Zhou family flag, too, was taken down.

Fu Lin had absolutely no idea as to what was going on. From within the General's room, there wasn't the slightest motion or fraction of a shadow that paces about the room. All he could hear the entire day was the sound of ink brushing the rough canvas of paper from within.

So that was it?

A slight pang of pain rose inside of him. If this was before when he shook and howled at the very sight of the General whom he thought was a vanity-induced man with no regard for a weakling, he would have thanked the heavens for not having to meet the elephant man and live his life in idle joy. But now... after getting to know what kind of man he was within and how much he treasured Fu Lin as a companion he couldn't assume his former indifference.

He wanted to ask what the problem was and the reason behind the sudden change of affairs. Several times he stood before the General's door with the maddening impulse to tap on it or maybe walk right into the room without awaiting permission. But every time he tried, the deadly stares he got from the servants held him back.

Soon enough, he got his answer.

Two weeks after the General's invisible existence manifested, a couple dressed in formal family robes arrived at the Zhou Manor bearing white gifts and a complete chest of incense; all different colours and kind. There were also vermillion powder, flower garlands, and tea bowls infused with Jasmine.

Customs in the Empire of Blazing Sun and Silver Mountain differed wildly in certain aspects but were practically identical in certain other facets; such as this tea bowl infused with Jasmine.

"This..." Fu Lin stared at the tea bowl wide eyed.

"Apologies, seventh prince." The woman's haughty voice echoed, her intent at not addressing him the 'Imperial General's Spouse' extremely evident. "The Pei family did not intend to offend the Zhou family by our late arrival- please do beg our pardon before the General. We had legitimate reasons to delay our trip- my pet parrot gave birth today."

Fu Lin held back the urge to scrunch his face and asked, "The Zhou family is hardly offended by such a significant excuse. May this Prince be impudent enough to ask why you would grace us with your presence?"

"Oh Suns!" the woman shrieked. "You're the General's beloved spouse and you don't even know what month this is? This is the month of the Black Chariot- an official month of mourning for the country."

"And who are you mourning?"

"The Late General Zhou- the General's father who died of illness a few years back."

The General gazed into the saintly night, imbued by the colours of a withering sun and the intermittent streak of rising darkness. He continues gazing into the roiling ashen clouds for a few seconds, both noiselessly and soullessly.

Until he couldn't hold on and sighed. He couldn't love Fu Lin.

That much he knew. The moment he realised the dangerous predicament of how ensnared he was in the other's hands, he was beyond shaken. Within his heart though he was consciously aware of the fact that Fu Lin was a Silver mountaineer, over time his mind hazed by the personification of Fu Lin as a fellow human being- as an enthralling person in and out began to separate Fu Lin from his origins.

However, the fact remains. Fu Lin was and is a man of the Silver Mountains. Someone, no matter how lovable, couldn't be loved by one of the Blazing Sun.

Or rather, shouldn't be loved.

His mind was completely against the notion however. Ever since the awareness of his inclination towards Fu Lin became apparent on this very rooftop two weeks ago, the very sight of him evoked such strong feelings inside him that he was always caught in crossfire. A crossfire between ardent desire and filial loyalty.

He was engrossed in Fu Lin so much that he had almost forgotten his father's mourning month and he felt extremely ashamed on account of his father's respectable bearing. This was a sign... a fatal sign of how close Fu Lin was to override his sense of loyalty towards his father and he couldn't tolerate it anymore.

He didn't want Fu Lin to intrude in his heart anymore.

And therefore, avoidance was all he could think of to crush any remnant feelings and get his nerves of unyielding loyalty back. He couldn't make for a fervent and honourable leader of Blazing Sun while harbouring such feverish feelings towards one of Silver Mountains.

He... had begun letting go of Fu Lin in his heart.

"What's the great General doing here, looking into the sky and earth all alone like an old man? Looking for his lost wife perhaps?"

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(*'∀'*) Lost husband you mean, right??? 

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Mini theatre time! (✯◡✯)

*Haoran being forced into enjoying a scenery to look isolated and lonely*

Haoran: Hello? ┬┴┬┴┤( ͡° ͜ʖ├┬┴┬┴ Is the chapter over? Can I come out now?

Author: (' ∀ ' *) *walking away as if he doesn't exist*

Haoran: HELLO? You old hag! (ಥ﹏ಥ) LET ME OUTT!!!

Author: You'll have to confront Fu Lin in the next chapter if I do that, are you okay with it?

Haoran:(ﾉಥ益ಥ)ﾉ This honourable one will stay here!!!