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

81. Coal and Heat

He stood still, simply holding Fu Lin.

Then he got up, his posture as erect as a monument, the weight of Fu Lin burdening his hands and turned towards the throne and walked in its direction not bothering to look up at anything else but the lightly breathing and fluttering Fu Lin's visage in his arms.

When he finally came to stand before the Emperor did, he averted his eyes and met the stormy gaze of the Emperor. He immediately retracted his eyes to stare passively at the assassin as he said, "Take your hands off of my Liege!"

"Eek!" The assassin shrieked, "Scary... fine, fine I'll take my leave. I only came here to make sure the mosquito friend here survived anyway."

As he turned to bounce away, he heard the Emperor's voice call out, "Where do you think you're going after threatening to kill my divine self? Arrest this lowly being and take him into the personal interrogation room of the palace!"

The trio of lieutenants were by his side rapidly, pressing their knives against him. "Hey now..." The assassin raised his arms accusingly, "I helped out your friend, you know?! Why am I getting this treatment?"

None of the three said anything for a beat. Then Jiang opened his mouth and whispered tritely, "That mosquito is no friend of ours." He paused and added, "But... thank you."

After the assassin was securely bound in place, General Haoran fell to his knees with Fu Lin in his arms before the glittering throne and professed,

"Your Imperial Royal Majesty, I'm here to ask of you two requests."

The Emperor's tempered eyes found Haoran's from above as he looked down on him from his throne. "Speak."

"Your Majesty," He went on, "The first request is in lieu of Fu Lin's earlier crimes of treachery when he still identified himself a Silver Mountaineer. They were felonies committed when his loyalties were elsewhere... when he was rightfully a member of the Silver Mountain. But as he had proceeded to erase his identity as one Silver Mountain and claimed himself as one of us, I repeal to your Majesty to consider and absolve his earlier crimes of not yielding to the country. As for his crimes of interrupting a marriage of national significance and holding your Majesty hostage- I shall pay penance to them by abolishing the Household name of the Zhou Family. Hence I plead that you forgive his crimes."

"Justifiable," Emperor Guang tapped his finger on the throne, "And the other request?"

General Haoran's gaze sharpened. "I wish for a remarriage with Fu Lin."

The air surrounding the place suddenly seemed to freeze as the crowd looked onward, awaiting the change of tides by the words uttered. Clearly, anybody who was present the day of Fu Lin's execution would remember that the agreement by the General to marry whoever the emperor pointed to was his insignia of loyalty to the liege and Empire. And now he was asking for a... change of edict.

"Is that to say..." Emperor Guang's voice grew cold. "That you're defying me?"

"Not per say, Your Majesty." General Haoran continued, "I would reckon it defiance by default if Fu Lin was yet a Silver Mountaineer. I would commit treason by indulging in a marriage with a capital enemy in that case. But now things are different. Now that he belongs to the Blazing Sun, I am on my right to marry him is what I believe."

"And if I refuse?" the Emperor asked slowly.

Haoran's hands on the sleeping figure of Fu Lin cocooned harder, pressing Fu Lin's hair against his neck as he said, "I have no desire over the throne, Your Majesty. But I shall not hesitate to sever anybody's head who wish to get between him and me..."

"...He is all I ever want."

The Emperor gazed at him placidly for a moment. He then shrank back to his seat unbothered by the sudden change of demeanour in Haoran, "If you'd go so far, why even bother to ask me?"

"Because..." Haoran now seemed rather ashamed, "You're still My Liege. If I can have your blessing, I'd rather have it."

"I know...and I know that's why you asked the assassin to get his slimy hands off of me." The Emperor's gaze softened, "You've really grown up Haoran—but unfortunately that also meant you are no longer the subject who's only loyal to me. And what you declared just now is utter and prolific treason, but I shall forgive you on account of everything you've done for me. But one cannot be a greater soldier than a lover hence I shall abolish your position as Imperial General and overwrite all property of the Zhou Household as state property."

"Your wish is my command, Your Majesty."

As soon as the words left his lips, Jing Hui stretched her arms and looked at Haoran and Fu Lin disdainfully. "Men are indeed the worst! Never know how to treat a lady right, I'd rather marry a dead fish in the market."

Haoran looked at her sympathetically but did not apologise.

"Hah, don't give me that look," She stuck her tongue out at him, now unbothered by the fact that people around were looking, "You won't get to marry me ever again. Even if you come crawling back to lick my feet! The unfortunate one here is you, formal General."

Then she stopped as she gazed at his figure clutching Fu Lin, like he was a part of Haoran himself.

"And I hope," she smiled, "That this misfortune is worth it. At least one of us is happy."

The crowd began to dissipate, their robes fluttering and scintillating, leaving Haoran alone on the pavilion ground with only Fu Lin curled up into him. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the murky figure of the assassin getting escorted by the lieutenants and though hesitant; he very briefly nodded his head in gratitude. The assassin returned his nod lightly.

He touched Fu Lin's face, his fingers lightly brushing his stray hairs off of his face. He'd never let Fu Lin go, never.

Because to him, Fu Lin was coal. And to Fu Lin he was heat.

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