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

54. Annulment

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Fu Lin's gaze wavered as he looked at the General.

Even within the crowd of hundreds of people amassed around them, whose sharp tongues elicited hostile whispers and whose faces spurned in despicable expressions, all Fu Lin held in the tunnel of his vision was General Haoran. Under the luminescent fire torches of the royal hall, his silhouette looked impenetrably erect, his back turned to Fu Lin.

How did it come to this?

Fu Lin recalled waking up to the sounds of the servitor tending to the kitchen, the clinking glasses and plates startling him awake. He had assumed it'd be another day, another day in his life of strolling about the Zhou Manor and lazing about in its corners. But what he had not assumed was for his attendant to frantically engage him in an emergency message of the General in requesting his presence at the royal hall.

His heart had shrivelled and sunk. His instinctual concern was to inspect the notes he had secured in his room–he had planned on burning them when he got the chance. But unfortunately for him, when he arrived in his room, he understood he had already been caught.

He knew what would come next.

Hence, he had undergone a meltdown bordering lunacy and thrashed about the manor akin to a madman declaring his protest to the sudden summons, owing to the fact that General Haoran might come and see him. All he needed was one confidential meeting with the General... and he would compel the General by some desperate means into doing his bidding. However, it seems he was not the only one who knew the other well because he had sent two massive military subordinates to 'escort' him to the royal hall if Fu Lin were to refuse. And so here he was.

Fu Lin's lips arched in a cruel smile, as he still kept his eyes leashed onto the General's immovable back. As he stood unfazed, his expression indecipherable like a monument carven to the whims of another, his gaze had burned imminently to the sight before him: the empty throne.

An almost tangible silence washed over the court as the noise of heavy boots battering against the tiled floor erupted within the confines of the black limestone walls. When the grandiose figure of the Emperor in black and gold robes appeared, the entire court fell to its knees before his tempered "Rise" rang out through the hole.

After a beat of profound silence, the Emperor addressed the court. "This court summons has been instigated and spurred by the formal request of the Imperial General. It seems a matter of national urgency. Pray tell, Imperial General, what could it be?"

General Haoran fell to his knees. "Your Majesty, while this humble subject acknowledges that anything bestowed by the Imperial decree is a privilege bestowed by the heavens themselves, I, your meagre subject, have once again disappointed myself before you. It is not the fault of the imperial reading, but my own weakness that has resulted in me ardently begging your royal self for a formal divorce."

A noiseless clamour rose in the court. The Emperor, too, raised his brows. "And why is that?" "It is but a weakness of my own heart," he replied, "for I have fallen in love with someone."

The noiseless clamour turned into an ear-piercing one this time around. Emperor Guang ordained silence over the court and began, "But Haoran, this marriage isn't one of your personal interests alone–it is an undeniably national affair and cannot be arbitrarily decided."

"I beg of you, Your Majesty." He bowed deeper. "I really... cannot anymore."

Emperor Guang fell into a mental pandemonium. "What does the Seventh Prince want out of this alteration?"

"I refuse your Majesty!"

Fu Lin too fell to his knees, his nails burying into his skin. "I never agreed to this decision, it was the General deciding by himself," he continued, choosing his words carefully. "I am acutely aware of my position and stance as the prince of my country and that is the primary reason why I agreed to this sanction. It is beyond what hearts command us sire, hence I pleadingly ask the General to consider what matters greater–his newfound lover or the lives of those civilians who've entrusted their safety to him. We've all had something to lose." His gaze stifled upon the General briefly. "But I sure as hell know what matters to me more."

General Haoran said, "There is no going back for me, Your Majesty. I cannot forget my beloved."

Fu Lin felt an ugly sense of betrayal in the General's use of his subject of love—that is himself—as the scapegoat for this divorce he was going for without his own consent. Even as he knew he had no right to feel betrayed, he was still blinded by fury. He wished the General had used some other excuse, anything but this. His lips trembled, and voice shook as he proclaimed like a man who had lost half his senses,

"I refuse. I shall never acknowledge this divorce."

Emperor Guang didn't press further as he said, "While it has to be acknowledged that it takes two hands to clap, I cannot capriciously shove the concerns of my Imperial General aside.

Taking into account that marriage is the union of two and happiness had to be mutually attained, I concur that a loveless marriage like this wouldn't yield happiness to either party. Hence the divorce shall be approved."

The Civil Affairs Minister got up. "Since the Burning Ceremony of the Marriage is the authentic legitimisation of the union, and the erasure of the burned names on their skin can officially adjourn the marriage. The paperwork will be handled by civil affairs afterwards as it is only formality."

A man with a knife at hand approached the hall, his priest robes placating the black tile. After reciting some auspicious mantras, he dipped his hands in a bowl of water and walked over first to the General.

The General showed no emotion, not when his robe was loosened at the chest. And not when the knife pierced the skin on his hand to check whether it was sharp enough. But when the silver glint of the knife neared the name "Fu Lin" burned and scorched on the surface of his skin, he involuntarily slightly pushed the priest's hands away.

"Your Grace?" the Priest asked, startled. "Sorry," he rasped, "go on."

It was over in the blink of an eye as blood streamed down Haoran's chest and poured onto the black robes gathered around his waist. When the priest tried approaching Fu Lin, he immediately fell on his knees again, shaking as he spoke.

"This mark is all I have to prove to my country that this divorce wasn't my doing. So, I pleadingly beg of you, Your Majesty. Let the name of the General remain at my chest. For it is the only emblem of my loyalty to my country."

"Fine," Emperor Guang replied curtly, "but you need not worry. You'd not be implicated in the incident. We shall write a detailed letter to the Silver Mountains speaking of your innocence."

"Your Majesty," he repeated, his gaze darkening, "I still do not wish to erase this name from my chest."

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⸜( *ˊᵕˋ* )⸝ No meme cuz I'm a bit tired today. Enjoy the chapter and vote and comment <3!!