The Emperor's Obsession

Chapter Seventeen || The Brother

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Emperor Hyeon woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. It felt like someone had drove a wagon over his head again and again, and that was definitely not a good feeling. He squinted at the annoying sunlight and groaned sleepily, realizing he was in his bed. He didn't have the energy to sit up, so he just lied there with a frown on his face. What the hell happened last night? He remembered drinking way too much wine, and inviting Hae Won to his chamber.. her mentioning the name "Lihua" and him, for some reason unknown to him, getting angry. The rest, however? Completely forgotten.

"Good God.." He muttered, placing his hands on his face.
"You bastard!!"
Her voice suddenly rang in his mind. What did she call him a bastard for? What did he do?
Lihua's eyes, wet with tears, flashed in his mind. Her trembling lips as she tried not to cry. Her outraged glare breaking, slowly being replaced by a depressed and broken look. Memories began returning..
The kiss.
He'd kissed her even when she was unwilling. She'd slapped him, and called him a bastard.
Because that's what you are, a tiny voice at the back of his head wickedly whispered.
A small part of him wanted to feel guilty. To regret it.
But that's the thing. He didn't feel guilty. He didn't regret it, not even a little.
He remembered the feeling of her soft lips against his and bit his lip, feeling the desire to kiss her again. Kissing her had given him a wonderful sensation he'd never felt before. He'd never felt it when he was with Hae Won.
Closing his piercing eyes, he took a deep breath and pushed all the confused thoughts out of his head. He needed a little more sleep and rest. But just as he was about to fall into the world of dreams and nightmares, a voice came from outside his chamber:
"Your Majesty?"
His eyes snapped open and he scowled, but didn't reply.

"Your Majesty, are you awake? My most sincere apologies for disturbing you, but I have important news. So if you would please allow us inside.."
He recognized the voice. It was Delun.
Having no choice, Emperor Hyeon sighed heavily and said, "enter."

The door opened gently and the elderly man followed by servants and maids stepped inside. After the emperor bathed and got dressed, he went to the dining room and saw that his breakfast was ready and warm. He sat down and dipped a silver spoon in the soups to check if there was any poison. When he was sure the food was safe, he grabbed the chopsticks and began eating quietly.

The advisor was sitting there, clearly nervous.

"Well?" The emperor questioned after swallowing the rice. "What are the news?"

"Ah, well, Your Majesty.. your brother.."
The room turned heavy with the sudden silence. The emperor's hand stopped mid-way, and he stopped chewing too.

Then, in a soft yet ice cold voice, he said, "what about my brother?"
"While on his way to his wife's family's home, he got ambushed. And after he and his wife managed to escape and return, they found their lands all burned to ashes."

"Who did it?"
"We don't know yet. But we suspect it's those damned Red Turbans. The same ones who tried to assassinate you. I think they're trying to kill off the entire royal family."
Emperor Hyeon's hand balled into a fist and his jaw clenched. He slammed his fist on the table and growled, "those sons of bitches!" He spat, "I'll make sure they spend their last moments being brutally tortured." He was angry. Really angry. How dare anyone try to rebel against the royal family? He was going to teach them a lesson no matter what. A lesson they won't ever forget, not even in the afterlife.
"Where is my brother now?"
"The prince and his wife are on their way here now."
"When are they going to arrive?"
"Maybe in half an hour or so." Delun answered.
"Prepare for their arrival." The emperor ordered, taking a sip of his tea.
The advisor bowed and said, "yes, Your Majesty."
Lihua hadn't been able to sleep at all. She'd been crying the whole time. How could he force himself on her that way? She knew that he was drunk and wasn't thinking properly, but still. What kind of monster was he? She was clearly unwilling to kiss him. She clearly didn't want to, and yet he forced her. "Bastard.. bastard.. bastard.." She kept muttering to herself, sniffing as she sobbed quietly.
Eun Soo noticed the state she was in, but held back the urge to pull her into a hug and comfort her. She had been ordered to keep a distance at all times, and she had no choice but to obey. She managed to persuade Lihua to get out of bed and bathe, because it wasn't proper for a lady to stay in bed for too long. After bathing, the maids dressed the sixteen year old in a beautiful, yet modest hanfu and brushed her hair before neatly pinning it in place.
They applied a little bit of makeup to hide the bags under her eyes, but they couldn't hide the redness in them.
"The emperor's younger brother, His Highness the prince, is on his way—" Eun Soo began, but was interrupted.
"The emperor has a brother?" Lihua raised a brow, surprised.
"Yes."
"Oh. How come nobody talks about him here, then?"
Eun Soo stiffened and quickly said, "let us go help with the preparations, maybe it'll get your mind off His Majesty." She walked away before Lihua could say anything else.
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