His Majesty And I ✔️

Decisions

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Chapter 75

Dao
Nevoria

“Physician Master, how is she? What have you found out?” Luo Meng rubbed the back of Dao who rested on his lap as they sat on the mat of their rented room in a small inn.

The physician shook his head. “I am not sure myself, I thought she was pregnant but her pulse is singular with no underlying energy underneath.”

Luo Meng sighed. “Why am I paying you all if you won’t give us the answers we need.”

This was another physician they were consulting after the many others they had sought after. The answer was always the same thing, she was suffering from a bloodless disease, therefore she should eat a lot of seafood, leafy vegetables and red meat to be replenished. However, even though they stuck to this diet strictly, Dao was still feeble.

“We need to have a serious talk.” Luo Meng crossed his feet and sat across her after the physician left.

“I have told you that you should not worry, I will soon recover.”

“Let's be realistic, it has been more than two months since we ran away but we have not gained ground. The palace is not that far away, which makes it dangerous if the emperor dispenses a search for us.”

“We should just proceed to go on, if that's the case.”

“With you always throwing up and complaining about your sore legs? You look too faint, I could not bear to put that on you.”

“Then let us buy a sedan and horses.”

Luo Meng breathed out, exasperated. “This is not about that, Dao. You are unwell and sleep half the day, and the physicians cannot figure out what it is, thus we have to return to the palace.”

Dao knew this had been a long time coming. She had secretly spied on Luo Meng writing letters to the Capital so as to check on the palace. He was probably finding out how they could go back safely and stay alive, spared from the hand of the emperor.

“If I go back, I will be the emperor’s woman again. You want that?”

“I will ask for your hand in marriage.”

“After we ran away? Are we speaking about the same emperor?”

“Nothing will happen to you.”

“To me, then what about you?”

He avoided her eyes.

“Never! I am not going back!”

“Dao.” He pulled her frigid body into his arms. “Nothing could kill me as much as seeing you die before me when I can do something about it. In the palace, they have the best physicians who can inspect your health, not these flimsy people who don’t seem to know what they are doing. Moreover, in the palace you will get a good diet established for you, which the physicians have so far highly recommended.”

She pushed him away and crossed her arms on her chest in protest. “The palace you say, I thought you said if we are going back you are marrying me.”

He sighed. “Of course I will marry you but we don’t know how long that will take, taking into account the conditions in the palace that are not that good at the moment.”

Dao felt betrayed. Why was Luo Meng willing to give up so easily? She felt the happiest there, than she would in the palace. Yes, she did miss her mistress but after what she had done, their relationship possibly would not be the same again. Why go back?

“What has happened in the palace?”

Luo Meng beckoned, “It’s nothing much to worry about. Focus on recovering.”

“You want me to agree to going back to a place that I do know the status of?”

“It is nothing that has anything to do with us, Dao.”

“Luo Meng, you are unreasonable! I won’t go!” She begrudgingly stood and took their dirty clothes from the chest of drawers that was by their sleeping mattress, then dashed out of their room.

She was met by the cold wind of winter that made her feel faint and weary with nausea.

“What are you doing? You are not even strong enough to wash the clothes.”

“I am your woman, my role is to look after us too.” She headed for the well to get some water.

“All right! You do not like my idea. What is your idea then? You seem to forget that we have no money to survive on now. All the savings we had, I spent them on those physicians.”

“Go back and get your wealth, then we'll proceed with our journey.” She dropped the tied bucket into the well and scooped up some water.

“The emperor has the rest of my riches and if I go to my place to sell the property, he will easily find me.”

“Aiyah, why does he have all your money?”

“It is under the custody of the Dragon Palace’s treasury because I thought it was safe there. Who knew I would fall in love and run away?” Luo Meng kicked a stone in frustration. “My idea in the beginning was that we would wait for a few years for them to forget us, then later on we would send someone to sell my property on our behalf.”

"Let's do that, then."

"We don't have any more money! And if I also decide to work, who will look after you while I am gone?"

Dao hated how she had grown up reading fantasy books. None of them ever spelled out the difficulties of life to prepare her for it. Running away was not as easy as she had first perceived.

“I don’t want to go back,” she emphasised.

“We have no option.”

"Then make one for us. Why do you want to give up so easily?”

Dao started separating their clothes for washing, tears brimming in their eyes. Who wanted to be a slave all their lives, especially after tasting the sweetness of freedom.

He held her at her waist and helped her stand up.

“I understand how you feel, our hearts are one, remember? Dao, if we go back, I promise to look after you in the palace and eventually marry you."

She frowned in disagreement. It was a bad idea.

"Admit it that it is better to go back than to keep running away all our lives, you have your mother there, imagine her heartache if she discovered you are missing.”

“But… but I love you.”

He lightly kissed her on the lips. “The same I feel for you, that is why I want you to be safe and healthy. Look at how pale you are, it concerns me. I would not forgive myself if you lost your life under my watch.”

“The emperor will kill us.”

“Leave him to me.” Luo Meng looked at her expectantly, awaiting for her agreement.

She gave up, her shoulders sagging. This man was going to be the death of her. What were they doing with their lives?

S.V