Hua Ren’s mind swirled in confusion. His lips parted, but no words came out. He was so flabbergasted that it felt like the world had momentarily frozen around him. His pulse pounded in his ears as the Emperor’s words echoed in his mind; marriage, mark, permanently. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Despite everything, the Emperor wanted to marry him? What about the charges against him? What about the fact that he lied and deceived the Emperor for years? What about the assumption of him colluding with the Rebels? Would the Emperor just let it go? Won’t he get punished? Or was marrying the Emperor a form of punishment? Keep him tied to the palace so he won’t ever think of betrayal.
But the Emperor said he would still remain a General. He would still be able to battle so what was the reason for the marriage?
He felt so confused. What was the Emperor’s true motive? It couldn’t be that the Emperor suddenly took a liking to him because of his face. Was the Emperor that shallow? He didn’t know what to think.
The Emperor, who was watching Hua Ren closely, suddenly felt annoyed. He could see the cogs in the General’s head turning but he could not tell what he was thinking. As usual.
Hua Ren’s face was blank. Especially his eyes, devoid of a single hint of emotion. It was said that the eyes were the windows to one’s soul but the Emperor could see nothing. He could not read him at all and it irked him to no end.
Covering his irritation with a smile, he reached out to take Hua Ren’s hand, his fingers curling gently around the General’s. "This was too sudden, right, Hua Ren?" He asked gently. "You do not know what to say."
Hua Ren looked at the Emperor then his gaze flickered to the hand on his own and slowly, he nodded. His very first thought when the Emperor touched him was to pull away his hand. He didn’t know why but immediately the Emperor’s hand clasped his own, a strange itch crawled up his arm. The feeling was unpleasant, like a million ants crawling on his skin. His body was rejecting the warmth of the hand it had always longed to hold and it made his heart sink.
He didn’t understand why. He was supposed to be elated. He was supposed to be over the moon. This was the man his heart had admired for so long. The man he was always ready to die for. Why was his body reacting this way? Why the hell was he hesitating? Why did he feel a strong urge to pull away his hand?
Was it because the talk of marriage was sprung on his so suddenly? Right. That must be it. He was confused. He had so many questions. He wasn’t clear about the Emperor’s motive. That was why his body was trying to get away.
“You don’t have to give me an answer now, Hua Ren,” the Emperor said, his tone kind as he stared at Hua Ren’s beautiful face. “I will give you two days to think about it.”
Two day? Just two? Hua Ren was surprised but he didn’t let it show. This was a huge decision. How could he be given just two days to think about it? He suddenly felt he would rather be in prison than the palace for the moment. At least, there would be no talks of marriage.
"May I consult my parents first, Your Majesty?" Hua Ren asked, his gaze still locked on the Emperor’s hand holding his. He couldn’t help but compare the Emperor’s touch to someone else’s. A kind of touch that was soothing and gentle. A touch that evoked feelings in him he had never felt before. A touch that made him leak pheromones.
Even at such a moment, when the Emperor, the man he thought his heart beat for, was sitting before him, all he could think about was his true Alpha. His true mate, Sheng Fei.
And it scared the hell out of him.
“Of course." the Emperor said gently, giving Hua Ren’s hand a light squeeze before releasing it to which Hua Ren let out a small relieved sigh and retracted his hand from the table, covering it with his long wide sleeve. He discreetly rubbed on the skin, trying to erase the Emperor’s touch.
“You can pay them a visit tomorrow and tell them about my proposal. If you all accept, as I said earlier, you will remain a General, Hua Ren." The Emperor continued. "You will remain by my side, protecting the Celestial Kingdom as you’ve always done. However, if you choose not to marry me, you’ll have to be stripped off your title and rank then be sent off to marry and live your life in servitude of another man. Just like every other Omega. Think about it carefully. I know you’ll make the right decision.”
"Yes, Your Majesty." Hua Ren replied, his head bowed. He was releieved that he didn’t have to make a decision right away for his head was completely scrambled. "I will give an answer within two days. Thank you for everything, Your Majesty."
The Emperor rose from his seat, smiling as if he was already certain of the answer. There was no way Hua Ren would say no. After all, he knew that he was Hua Ren’s weakness.
"Good. I will return in two days. For now, you can move around as you like but you are not allowed to leave the Kingdom. Also, if you want to leave the palace, two of my guards must accompany you. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Hua Ren replied as he stood up and bowed. Before he could raise his head, he felt the Emperor’s hand on his head, rubbing his soft hair.
Hua Ren suddenly felt that same irritating itchy sensation all over his scalp and down the back of his neck.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Hua Ren replied as he stood and bowed, his head dipping low in respect. Before he could rise, he felt the Emperor’s hand resting on his head, fingers gently rubbing through his soft hair.
An immediate wave of irritation swept over him, that same maddening itch spreading from his scalp down the back of his neck. Hua Ren discreetly retracted his head, straightening up quickly.
“I shall see you off, Your Majesty,” he said, hoping to put some distance between them.