The Tale Continues (Saiunkoku Monogatari Fanfiction: Ryuuki x Shuurei lemon)

Chapter 83: Distressed Lover

Shuuei saw Seiran looking faraway. He seemed deep in thought that he did not even notice Shuuei's footsteps. Shuuei followed Seiran's gaze and saw Jyuusan guiding one of the soldiers on how to properly use a bow and arrow. He noticed something in Seiran's gaze and saw red roses settled on the table behind Seiran. He walked to it and checked the label. He smiled to himself.

'So this man finally falls in love huh,' he thought. He had been observing how Seiran looks at his sister and he noticed how it greatly changed. Seiran himself must have not noticed it but Shuuei had noticed it years ago since Jyuusan had joined the military.

Seiran had been watching Jyuusan as she did her best to prove herself in the military. He had hated how the men cannot accept that her skills are better than them and they had done efforts to remove her from the army. They think that Jyuusan is being treated special since she is one of the Ran clan princess and Shuuei is one of the Generals in the military.

Shuuei, Ryuuki, Kouyuu, and Seiran just watched her struggle just like how they did not help Shuurei. They cannot help Jyuusan no matter how many of the soldiers tried to ambush her. Since if they did, it would seem like she is weak. She quickly rose through the ranks and after three years, she became a general and was in charge of the women who joined the military after her.

As Shuurei traveled around the country and became created a legend of the first woman to be an official, Jyuusan became prominent in the military for her being the first woman to join the army.

Sai Rin had become so famous of her inventions and being one of the Ministers.

Shusui was known for being the high priestess and head of the Hyou Clan who made the castle in the sky open to all and prioritized education and also currently the Director of the Cave of Immortals.

Kou Yuri was renowned for putting up institutions that take-in homeless children and Heki Karin was famed for her unrivalled artwork.

Kou Sera was renowned not only for her beauty but also for always helping in all the works of the Kou clan.

Kocho's reputation of beauty, knowledge, and strength as the underground boss in Shi province did not waiver through the years.

Many women had become so popular that when a law was passed by the emperor giving women equal rights with men, it was quickly accepted by most of the people who have heard of the legendary women.

''Is this for my sister?'' Shuuei asked and Seiran was startled at his voice.

''Since when are you there?'' he asked and pulled the roses from Shuuei. He wondered how he could have not notice Shuuei.

''I've been here long enough to know that a certain depressed looking man is gazing at my sister with yearning,'' Shuuei stated. ''Will you give her that?''

''No. This is for my room,'' Seiran obviously lied.

''Why won't you just go and talk to her if you have something to say?''

''She's busy,'' Seiran said and sat down on a chair and sadly stared at the flowers. This is the first time Shuuei had seen this man so dejected. He looked like a brokenhearted man who had no hope at fixing his problem.

''Why won't you join me for a drink on Saturday? Shuuei invited.

''I don't need you to console me.''

''Kouyuu and His Majesty will come too,'' Shuuei insisted.

''Tsk. Fine,'' Seiran played with the empty label of the bunch of roses.

''Give that to my sister. I know she will like it. Jyuusan may look so tough but she is a princess in the inside too,'' Shuuei advised.

''I thought you don't like me for your sister.''

''I can see that things have changed. And in the end it's not my choice to make,'' Shuuei said and left. Shuuei would not really butt in with the two. Since he could see that Seiran is taking his sister seriously, then it's fine. Seiran is gentle and protective (make that overprotective) to those he loves.

The next day, Seiran was even more crestfallen when he heard that Jyuusan had been receiving a lot of flowers lately ever since she danced in the banquet. Since he did not sign that the red roses are from him, it was lump together as one of the anonymous gifts she had been receiving.

Jyuusan had been acting as she usually did when around him. She acted like nothing happened, just like the time when he first brought her to his mansion. She never mentioned and she never gave a hint if she ever thought about what happened between them. She never visited him in his mansion like she had said to do. It pained his heart.

It's not like he wanted to do it with her again, but because he had been missing her. He had been thinking about her all the time. And as he watched her converse happily with other men, it makes his chest hurt and he envies the men she talks to, for having her attention. He wanted her attention too.

She only talked to Seiran during trainings and there are less trainings currently since the lady soldiers were posted to help guard in various parts of Kiyou. He wondered how she could act as if nothing happened.

He realized now that he had been wondering that, ever since the day she first kissed him. He wondered how could she do all those to him and act like it does not matter to her after that. He wanted it to matter since it matters to him.

He had never forgotten the feeling of her lips when she first kissed him. He hated the fact that she kissed him not because she liked him but so that she could distract him and defeat him. He disliked how she just forgot about it; when even though it had happened years ago, to him, it is still fresh in his memory like it had just happened.

'Was what happened between us like that too? It matters only to me and soon she would forget it,' he thought. He recalled what she said then 'if I have time,' so he is just a past time then. If she is busy, if he is not needed, he does not matter to her. He wanted to matter. He wanted to be needed by her. He wanted to have even if just a minute of her time.

He recalled how beautiful she looked when she presented the sword dance. He would never forget that graceful yet dangerous aura around her. She had blazed as a gorgeous woman and a magnificent military officer at the same time. His heart had fluttered and he was breathless that time as he watched her dance.

He had thought that she only captures his attention since she looked like Shuurei and she acted a lot like Shuurei too. He had always compared Jyuusan to Shuurei and now he is doing it again. He compared how he felt about Jyuusan to that of Shuurei; and now he finally understood that there is a difference between how he cared about the two.

Next Chapter: The King's Eyes