WHEN EMPIRES MEET KINGDOMS (BL)

14: A Visit From Princess Khepri

"What is this hideous creature? A phoenix is a graceful and noble creature, this mess looks like a crossbreed of a toad and a chicken". Brows pulled in a tight frown she remarked glaring at  the painting with disapproval and disgust.

"But it's the best I can do Lady Kang, the painting is not so bad if you look closely". Han Liang defended, he could feel a pang in his conscience as he said that, the entire painting was truly an unsightly mess, but his fingers were already hurting, painting wasn't his thing.

Lady Kang certainly thought so too by the almost impossible furrow of her brow, she seemed on the verge of saying something in her anger, but she took a deep breath, quickly dipping into her fast-depleting reserve she summoned back the calmness of a saint.

"Not that bad? Take a look at this" she pointed at her painting of a gorgeous phoenix. "And then this". She pointed back at Han Liang's painting. "And tell me how this is not that bad". Han Liang bit back a wince, alright the difference was clear.

"How about I take a small break". Han Liang pleaded any other person would have been charmed by his looks but not Lady Kang, she was impossibly harsh, and Han Liang doubted if Royal noble consort Jiang hadn't made her his teacher to punish him, but his father had accepted so now he was stuck with her.

"Impossible, have they taught you nothing in the Yun manor other than sword fighting and cutting your hair". She stared at Han Liang's shoulder-length hair with pursed lips. "You aren't leaving here until you can paint a phoenix", her eyes darted to his previous work. "At least one that's not an eyesore". She thundered with finality, walking over to the drawers to get a fresh paper.

The whistling near the window would easily be mistaken for a bird chirping, but Han Liang knew better, his Yu ge had learned it just for him, lips curving In a mischievous smirk, he stared at the figure of Lady Kang still searching in the drawers, he slipped out a small jade case from his sleeves, opening it to reveal a spider.

Once she returned and started fixing the new paper on the drawing board, he leaned back slightly and placed the spider on her sleeve watching in amusement as it crawled onto her shoulders.

"Lady Kang there's a spider on your shoulder". She stiffened at his words, face now a white sheet and looking on the verge of vomiting, she turned stiffly to look at her shoulder where the spider remained.

"Three. Two. One". Han Liang covered his ears with his hands.

The scream could wake up even the dead, as she tumbled to the floor in an ungraceful heap of intertwined pink robes.

"Ugh get it off, someone get it off. It's on my face".

Hurrying out the windows before the guards most certainly aware of Lady Kang's scream arrived, he climbed up one of the branches of the tree close to the window, the lush green leaves provided a perfect hiding spot, he watched as one of the guards helped a passed out lady Kang up, while the others hurried to find him, they were not surprised at the situation for it wasn't the first time Han Liang pulled such a trick.

"You can come out now they are gone". Han Yu informed that as he came out of his hiding spot, Han Liang scurried down the tree with the agility of a monkey, a glittering smile plastered on his lips, same trick, but it worked every time.

"You know you will get in trouble for this right". Han Yu picked out a leave that Han Liang had missed from his hair. "It's alright, father will go soft once I apologize and although the royal mother will nag and huff, there's nothing she can do about it, now let's go raid the kitchen". Han Liang grabbed Han Yu's hand and broke into a small run, though Han Yu couldn't understand why they should loot from the kitchen when any food they needed would be delivered once ordered, he went along with the plan and let Han Liang have his fun.