Illuminate (Jinshi x OC)

Chapter Eight: A Man's Devotion

Hello! Welcome back to Illuminate. I'm thrilled to finally have another chapter out for you guys! 

I thought I'd mix it up a bit, so the first part of this chapter is told in Lakan's perspective. Enjoy!

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Lakan was a man of many faces. Some called upon him according to his station, the Grand Commandant of Li's army, while others simply referred to him as the strategist, or, if they were feeling particularly bold, the fox. Lakan, as indifferent as he was, was aware of the rumors that often spread about him; in fact, he even expected them. People, he thought, were going to gossip about what they couldn't understand, and he was simply on a different level than the rest: he was gifted, intuitive, and people couldn't accept that.

Lakan was a man of many faces, but above all else, he was a father. Indeed, as boyish of a man as he might have seemed, Lakan was still a father—solely responsible for the lives of his children...his beloved children. He'd wage war in their names—burn the country to the ground, even—if it meant protecting his precious son and two daughters.

That being said, when it came to being the ideal parent, Lakan missed the mark by a mile. Yes, he had failed his only biological child, leaving her and her mother behind to fend off the against darkness he had left in his wake. He loved Fengxian, truly, but the choice to leave her behind was not his to make. Why couldn't anyone understand that? He had no choice in the matter! It wasn't as if he wanted his lover to be driven mad by his disappearance, nor did he ask to receive that fateful gift in the mail when he had returned. He'd never wished for that, for Fengxian to do the unthinkable, for Maomao to spend her early years in a brothel. No! That wasn't what Lakan had hoped for his family at all.

Nonetheless, when Lakan had returned, it was too late, and Maomao had found comfort in a new father: Luomen. Deep down, Lakan knew Maomao was better off in the care of his honored uncle, but he couldn't help but want to be with her, to mend his past aggressions against her and Fengxian, and above all else, to love her. Lakan, despite appearances, was a man with much love to give, which is why he adopted his nephew, Lahan, and his late cousin's only heir, Luomiere. He'd hoped that, in this new life he had created, he could be a father Maomao would be proud of, but had he succeeded?

No. In fact, he hadn't, for Maomao still looked at him with contempt in her eyes; Lakan, however, remained optimistic about the situation. Maomao was still young—only 16-years of age—and there was still time for him to bond with her. Yes, there was still plenty of time. He just needed to put in more effort, give her more gifts, visit her more often. Yes, with the proper preparations, Maomao would surely—

"Master Lakan, a letter for you."

Lakan grumbled as his thoughts were interrupted by the voice of his attendant, who was standing in front of him with a peculiar parchment in hand. The man's name was Rikuson, and he had been an aid to Lakan for many years now. He wore his usual teal attire, but other than that, Lakan was unable to decipher any meaningful features. To him, he was just another Go stone waiting to be put into motion on the board.

"A letter, you say?" Lakan spoke, deciding to forgive the intrusion. "From whom?"

"Master Jinshi of the rear palace, sir," the pawn said.

There was a moment of hesitation in Rikuson's breath when he spoke, but Lakan quickly discarded it from his memory upon hearing the name of his latest adversary.

"Jinshi," Lakan murmured in wonder, looking at the parchment with wide eyes.

Just like that, Rikuson's presence was forgotten entirely, and the strategist snatched the parchment from his waiting hands. As he scrambled to open it, his mind raced with thoughts of Luomiere and the emperor's request. He remembered that she was to be taken from him, and how it infuriated him to no end. When his son suggested that she become a mere lady-in-waiting, Lakan was so enraged that he had nearly mobilized the army, yet somehow, using his cherished equations and numbers, Lahan had convinced his father that it was what was best for her. Looking back, Lakan wondered how in all of Li he had agreed to such a thing, and then his mind went to the man they had assigned her to—the very man who had sent him the letter: Jinshi.