The Emperor gestured toward the cushions, his long sleeves flowing gracefully. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Hua Ren said, gracefully lowering himself onto the cushion.
The Emperor seated himself across from him, reaching for a porcelain teapot. He poured the steaming liquid into two delicate cups, the scent of jasmine and herbs wafting between them. “It is Bi Luo Chun,” the Emperor said, his voice smooth. “I heard it’s your favorite.”
Hua Ren offered a polite smile, lifting the cup to his lips. The tea was pleasant, but it wasn’t his favorite. He wondered where the Emperor had gotten his information from.
The Emperor leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto Hua Ren. “So, I believe you’ve had more than enough time to think about my proposal, right, Hua Ren?”
Hua Ren felt a knot tighten in his stomach. His mouth went dry despite the tea, and he quickly downed the rest of the cup, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. He took a shaky breath, trying to steady himself. “I have, Your Majesty."
The Emperor’s lips curled into a faint, expectant smile. “Good. And?”
The voice in the Emperor’s mind snickered. ’Why do I have the feeling that you’re going to get rejected?’
’Shut up!’ The Emperor snapped in his mind.
The voice continued snickering. ’I mean, look at him. If he really wanted to marry you, he wouldn’t have been dragging the issue for days. He would have jumped on you the second you proposed.’
’I said, shut up!’ The Emperor shouted. On the outside, he tried to control his expressions, not wanting to alarm Hua Ren. He glared at the broken sword resting in the far corner of his room, wondering if he should have signed a contract with it in the first place.
’Oh by all means, hate me now.’ the voice chuckled. ’You’ll definitely thank me later.’
The Emperor was the one who became alarmed instead. ’What did you do?’
The voice only laughed. ’You’ll see. Now concentrate. He’s about to reject you.’
Hua Ren’s hands clenched subtly under the table. He met the Emperor’s gaze, his voice steady but low. “Your Majesty, with all due respect, I...” He hesitated, seeing as the Emperor’s smile dropped.
The Emperor’s sharp eyes darkened as Hua Ren hesitated, his grip tightening on the edge of the table. “Your answer is no, isn’t it?”
Hua Ren’s heart clenched painfully. He lowered his gaze, trying to keep his voice steady. Never in his life did he think there would come a day when the Emperor would propose to him and he’d reject. All his life, he had dreamed of being by the Emperor’s side. Watching over him and protecting him but now, he didn’t even know who the person he had fallen in love with was anymore.
“I am not ready for marriage, Your Majesty,” he said softly.
’I told you so...’ the voice in the Emperor’s head snickered.
The Emperor scoffed, leaning back in his chair, his expression hardening. “Unbelievable. You dare reject your Emperor.”
Hua Ren remained silent.
The Emperor’s chuckle was bitter. “Good. You truly have no fear, General.” He stood, towering over Hua Ren. “If this is your final answer, then know this—you will be stripped of your title and all privileges. You will no longer be the Ivory Warlord, nor my general. You will live as a common omega, without rank or position. Your dream of fighting for me, of standing by my side, will be destroyed forever.”
Hua Ren sighed deeply. His dreams were already shattered the day he fought the Emperor at the auction and although he already knew the consequences of rejecting the Emperor, it didn’t reduce the pain he felt in his heart.
Everything he was, everything he had worked for, was reduced to nothing in an instant.
“I accept whatever punishment you deem fit, Your Majesty.” He said as he stood up then bowed his head respectfully. “If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave.”
He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, the Emperor’s chair scraped harshly against the floor. The next moment, the Emperor’s strong hands gripped Hua Ren’s shoulders, slamming him against the wooden door.
The impact sent a jolt of pain through Hua Ren as the back of his head hit the door. He hissed, but his eyes remained steady as he looked up at the Emperor, whose face was contorted with fury.
“You idiot!” the Emperor snarled. His fingers dug into Hua Ren’s shoulders, the pressure bruising. “You would throw away everything! Everything I’ve given you, all the power, the prestige—just to avoid marrying me?!”
Hua Ren’s lips parted slightly, but he remained silent. Didn’t the Emperor get it? He didn’t care for the power or prestige. He didn’t care for whatever privilege he would get for remaining by the Emperor’s side. What he cared about the most, even more than the Emperor was what made up their Kingdom.
The people of the Celestial Kingdom.
“Do you hate me that much?” the Emperor demanded, his grip tightening even further. “Do you despise the thought of standing by my side? Is that why you rejected my proposal?"
Hua Ren clenched his teeth, swallowing back a hiss of pain as the Emperor’s fingers pressed cruelly against his wounded left shoulder. “I do not hate you, Your Majesty,” he managed through gritted teeth.
The Emperor’s eyes burned with fury as he shouted, shaking Hua Ren roughly. “Then what? What reason do you have for rejecting me?”
Hua Ren bit his lower lip, refusing to speak. He could easily tell the Emperor that he saw him that night at the auction. He could expose him and tell him that he wasn’t the just man he thought he was. He couldn’t stay by the side of a ruler who cared nothing for his people.
That, he would rather stand by Sheng Fei. A man who cared for the people and was doing his best to make things right.
His eyes softened considerably when Sheng Fei came to mind. Those golden eyes that housed both determination and playfulness. His scent that always seemed to calm him and his voice that sent his heart into a frenzy.
He was so focused on his feelings for the Emperor that he never wanted to give Sheng Fei a chance but after that moment earlier during the day, he knew he could not continue to ignore his fated mate.
“Why won’t you answer me?!” the Emperor roared, his hands tightening. “Why reject me? I am the Emperor!"