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

78. Uproar

When dawn settled in, casting the entirety of the world in a mesh of bright yellow glow; the streets began mirroring its resplendence and gaiety by erupting into cheerful singing and music. It was a new beginning for them after the remarriage of the Imperial General. He was a nobleman who had acquired the goodwill of the commonality and his former marriage failure

had resulted in the disconcert of the civilians. The ins and outs of his love life were of little concern to the commoners because they didn't care who married him in the end because, according to Blazing Sun, marriage was the greatest blessing a human could acquire in his lifetime.

Unfortunately for General Haoran, he could hardly agree with the statement. Marriage for him was the least to yield happiness in whatever form.

That morning, he was once again bathed in sandalwood water and dressed in the same red garment he had worn during his former marriage to Fu Lin. And then when he was about to ask the lady-in-waiting for some water, her half-deaf self heard 'water' as 'portrait' and said,

"It's inauspicious to look at the face of the bride before the marriage." "I didn't want to see her anyway," he grumbled.

The lady smiled. "Of course, you can't wait to see her. But patience."

General Haoran had the maddening urge to throw the wedding robes on the floor and take off some place where none of this marriage nonsense could get to him. He could hardly remember what happened after as he boarded the sedan and went on his way to accompany his 'bride' to the red pavilion.

As he stood with Jing Hui dolled up in everything red and gold, the ceremony started and the crowd burst into a happy marriage chant. General Haoran went through the motions of exchanging tea cups and paying respects with an almost perfunctory expertise that comes with getting married twice while his head could conjure one and one name only: Fu Lin.

He knew he no longer had any right nor authority to look into his business under the jurisdiction of the Emperor.... And yet he couldn't help but want to know how his banishment was to take place. Nothing about his marriage annoyed him more than the fact that it was set on the very date of his exile. Because he really wished he could take on a furtive mission to make sure he crossed the border safely as in-country enemies were scattered everywhere.

"Hey..."

Jing Hui's low voice brought him out of the trance he was in and he glanced down at her.

"I know we're both doing this out of an obligation," she smiled through gritted teeth, "But could you not look like somebody who was asked to prepare for their own funeral? At least pretend to smile."

Haoran gave her the most mechanical smile he could muster and held her hand. "Happy?"

"... It was my bad for asking you to smile."

The ceremony continued with paying homage after homage and uncountable bows, and all General Haoran registered was the vague blur of colours and crescendo of harps. The vortex of screeching sounds as they finished the last of their ceremonies recoiled right through his blood as he realised that it was almost time for that.

"As the ceremony has been successfully completed, it is now time for the legalisation of the union: The Burning Ceremony!"

As the man approached with the tong, the General's hands tensed. He tried standing still as the tong with the name of the woman beside him approached his chest where a once wounded name now stood miserably dulled.

This... was nothing. This was absolutely nothing, it was just a burnt mark on his skin... nothing more. And yet he had barred the man from approaching his chest,

"General?"

General Haoran closed his eyes. "My apologies. The heat of the tong just hurts... please go on."

As the tong neared the waxen smooth skin of his chest, the entire crowd went silent. A rumbling silence ensued; one of the trepidation of a browned and curling leaf falling over from its tree and caressing to the dance of the wind. The kind of silence where it was unmistakable to not hear when the words rang out, "There's an enemy among us!"

What followed was an uproar.

Abruptly, screams and wails wallowed the entirety of the procession and people spilled forth and broke into chasms as they tried to run in all directions. Haoran lost track of the Jing Hui as she disappeared in the throes of the people who rushed about maddeningly fast. A coil of dust emerged forth from the dunes due to the sudden outburst and Haoran felt eyes prickling in its coarseness. When he opened his eyes, he felt thunderstruck.

There, before him, was Fu Lin. And he was holding a knife against Jing Hui's throat.

Three shadows lurched onto his front from the grooves as they held their positions before Haoran; it was the lieutenants. They stood on alert, wielding their swords vertically in the direction of Fu Lin.

General Haoran frowned at him, baffled, "What are you doing, Seventh Prince?"

"Nothing much," Fu Lin spoke evenly as he let go of Jing Hui, "Just buying some time for that to happen."

Haoran was a step too late to engage in action as he looked at the place Fu Lin gestured, before a figure in prison clothes lunged at the Emperor with admissible force and held him in place. It was the assassin.

"Well, hello there Imperial General. We meet again," he waved at Haoran, keeping his hold on the Emperor all the while.

"What in the world," General Haoran growled, "Are you doing Fu Lin?"

Fu Lin closed his eyes and huffed. Then fell on his knees as he said, "I had no ill-intentions. I am here only to stall the Emperor from interrupting what I have to tell you."

"What..." he asked, "do you have to tell me?"

"That I have erred you in many more ways than one," Fu Lin dared not look up, "And that I have no pardonable crimes in my disposition for what I did to you. I apologise and beg your pardon."

"And?" Haoran looked away exasperated, "My forgiveness was yours long ago. You shall take your leave."

"That is not all," Fu Lin met his eyes, "I am also here to tell you that your crime has yet to be pardoned. Your crime of plundering my heart and soul is your crime of making me fall for the likes of you..."

"...I love you Haoran. I always have."

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