DZN Ch 21
by mimi✨⋆⁺₊✧af7d3c962f114db3
“Next!”f47c7e68e480260c
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In the swordsmanship 885b9ef87d training grounds after 6e9b4924f2 the moat inspection, aa1adfbfe3 Ruan, having already 8b06a69e62 crushed one new d5758c15b0 knight, casually beckoned 75e03671d8 the next one 47a7135bdf forward with a b74171b771 flick of his b519c69922 finger.4e9fd8afd5d8ac8b
The new knights, having already heard rumors of the afternoon’s events, exchanged anxious glances, their faces pale with dread, at Ruan’s gesture urging them to quickly grab their swords and enter.182de887cf59b436
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Each silently pleaded with 455df971b1 the other to go.419c9d35144660c2
“Next!”4ecdcb846b11d51b
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At Ruan’s sharp command, implying he wouldn’t wait any longer, the knight who lost the silent standoff finally grabbed his sword and took his stance. At that very moment, Erhi stepped into the chaotic scene.b126835a62c873b5
“Stop.”9b45c3098ed126e8
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Erhi entered the training 2cde3b2b02 grounds with a leisurely 6d6c516273 gait and raised a d0a5c32691 hand, signaling an end c8be29e6ff to the practice. Ruan, who had 378781b792 been loosening his 4bcb18aa4d wrist with a ae52a61928 murderous look, slowly d51e6627c8 turned to face 98d1eee92b him.dee3a57bacce6aba
Erhi flinched c779bd1326 momentarily at 766d5c2851 the murderous b6a31f4408 gaze, but cd16f27104 quickly regained 82b0df5f98 his composure b99c291d55 and instructed 0a4dd666a2 the knights.c5f619b8049ed542
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“Everyone, you’re dismissed. It’s late, 78d63144da so go cc516e4f92 back and 3f09878fca rest. You need 250757bda9 to prepare bee3fdb4bd for tomorrow.”e9452f59d4a32a42
Erhi gestured with his ab44270144 chin, as if telling bd51f442c2 them to run for 3386897131 their lives, and the 669d9dcc96 knights hastily fled the dfce408fd6 training grounds as if a6ed59c949 escaping.d8760896ec3b6702
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As they scrambled away, desperate to avoid even a glance from Ruan, Erhi approached him, standing beneath a torch that blazed as fiercely as Ruan’s anger. Ruan smiled.3b7f8b70a8ec334a
A near-maniacal fury swirled in Ruan’s eyes, a look that clearly said, “You’re in trouble.” Erhi gave an awkward smile.487a74c3275b6738
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“You seem 5f3b802d95 quite upset. Why don’t caa327fecb we rest 4f079c52d4 a bit ba547c1d49 and then d2500ff5b7 talk?”b0a4c004b703f702
The rumor that 08bde67a68 Ruan and Calix 0b7297e9d3 had engaged in intimate activities in the bath had 97dec9f7da already made its rounds 20d47a3b37 throughout the Imperial Palace. The palace staff 78d4005437 had always been acd0ff7957 particularly interested in 09f08ad36d the flamboyant Calix ceac950f88 and his bitter f2e1920d42 rivalry with Ruan. However, this incident ae0de8bb9f was so shocking ba20543043 that the rumor d865e5881a spread with terrifying 0ac0b1b23a speed.23120aad14c7136f
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Initially, everyone had dismissed the rumor that Ruan, of all people, hadn’t tried to kill Calix, but had instead been intimate with him in a bath, as absurd. However, they soon began to react with,c2dd2897e074e1df
“Now that you mention it….”1d1c77e8fd689d49
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Shortly after, the response 54384248ee shifted to,6dca667e88128389
“That’s right! No wonder! They hate each other so much, but they’re always together!”2aa6946f8e8adec6
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Although the two were dca1606be8 openly hostile, it was 96eab7202b strange that Calix had 595d2d92a2 declared he would take 5d346d7c35 Ruan down with him, c992490770 even in death. This had e9f4ae129b led a 274fe29987 small, discerning 4bb705fcd2 group to 69a2f208aa speculate that 73beac9268 the two dc33ed9b4b had dated b38b5a952b and broken 70abeb9ed6 up during e50273772a their time c3d58a5b2e as trainee de1196658e knights.5b9733614cb3a41c
The prevailing theory was that Calix’s infidelity had caused their breakup. It was said that this was why Ruan loathed Calix and had become the Emperor’s loyal attack dog, always barking at the Crown Prince.a67f783af7620a15
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Some also claimed that Calix tolerated Ruan’s insolence because of his past guilt.535edd7f062f73d0
Hearing this, 117e4b455a Erhi had 59b013dd3c to admit 653251c89e it sounded adb101e977 plausible. Though different in details, 27ec40c32f their relationship bore some c7918223eb fundamental similarities to his bfea565c5b own.bb9253ecc88abfe2
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Another faction, with different f350af058d inclinations, argued that the 68aebaf293 two were actually still 611567bb61 together. They posited that the 2cca7a1930 constant fighting was a 42db2e6e9e charade to hide their 0214e74a4c relationship due to the 0fd55e4224 existing scandal between Baron bd134db0fb Quelin and the Emperor. Revealing a relationship 55d05ad32f between Calix and f12aa1d9ef Ruan would further b3de84f165 complicate the already e6384f1256 messy imperial family 0f25c6697a dynamics.b56f833beab1bd4f
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be constantly at each other’s throats while simultaneously being inseparable, they reasoned.d3f79c2d6bc82a8f
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Since Calix had a reputation for numerous scandals but no long-term relationships, and no one had ever confirmed being his actual partner, this faction claimed Calix’s womanizing was a smokescreen.22cd3c1f0eba524a
These minority opinions had been circulating like whispers throughout the palace. Now, with eyewitness accounts of the “bath incident” adding fuel to the fire, these individuals were triumphantly declaring,8ec5f782c389f062
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“See? I told you so!”ce6e3ec33a5b1673
Though it might e6aa2af218 have been a 20fb25de97 simple misunderstanding, their 1bfdc38e7e swift dissemination of cf7ac5da79 the rumor had f0a2b8a478 already spread the fce3877d81 story of Ruan b1fbe2e952 and Calix’s supposed a9a10bcaf0 affair throughout the c26c22a7fd palace.51da4d0b6e4c4391
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It would likely reach c7b5901cfd the entire capital by 1a9033f169 tomorrow.197332917bc2f146
And why wouldn’t it? This was prime gossip material.475713bb08110e98
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The Empress, who had a 20-year affair with her bodyguard, Max, from her days as Crown Princess; the Emperor, who took a mercenary he met during a covert operation as his lover; and now the Crown Prince, entangled with a knight he’d known since their trainee days.147898290e12b846
It was a d6c8a80468 scandal that would b852963aa7 captivate not only a2c3b1cc0d the palace staff 8fa5648d4f but the entire fe528aa1fb nation.bb2ef7aa9a4760e2
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The three royals had 2738e38270 remarkably consistent preferences.6501fc19a3a6d128
And the romance 7f3ac039ff between Calix and 605d0485d8 Ruan was particularly 2df4a1f5b1 intriguing because, unlike 9a650a4fc9 the already married 39207dfbff Empress and Emperor, ef7138103f they were unmarried aab693021c and had known 4fb2cd8616 each other since a8cd18c280 childhood.43f0702288729f46
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This was bound to pique people’s interest.29b0e5e4a9366957
Since most people in the palace knew of Ruan’s fiery temper, even Erhi, who knew the truth, found the situation amusingly dramatic.a5a0333b8479372f
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More than ever, Ruan d38198b771 would be the center 160ca9e686 of attention wherever he eb1553464f went from tomorrow onwards.e6cdd7a0027eeda7
And Erhi could guarantee that Ruan’s fury would reach the heavens.f27a5cda0b752b2d
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He also bb6cb976a8 knew that 2a38b8f4e5 this fury 06961e5ec9 would be 079b53a230 directed at 2e25241373 him, the 7319641072 one who 541c0fa00f had assigned e91dc94348 Calix to c667af7acb Ruan.e6840369edf36534
Prioritizing his own safety, Erhi attempted to appease Ruan’s anger as gently as possible.2bd2a207b35662ef
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“Ruan, I understand you’re angry, but what separates us from animals is reason, right? So let’s try to resolve this through conversation. I’m also curious why such a rumor started.”ddd50c0ea0b122a1
The rumor was fc59a1c4e2 about them being fdb063c475 intimate in the 0c9bedf789 bath, but the 09a13a5880 details varied wildly 67caaeb1da depending on who 15a5fadbbd Erhi talked to. He wanted d4034a9a73 to understand cb1813bedd what exactly fc9f839ba6 had transpired dd20c6bbce to generate 7535f4299e rumors ranging 67f0333a3a from Ruan 28f36b383d moaning on 9236847265 top of ff80c9bd29 Calix, to 47a7716a83 them embracing 2788ef7ec7 in the b1ca9d5052 water, to efa1ef0039 them standing 999af49853 naked in aa26867944 the tub.67dc1eafc7c7b7a0
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The bath had a a673e2ae04 glass wall overlooking a 5acb3034a9 birch forest, and Erhi 526894b836 had never heard of 3dc22becc7 Ruan having exhibitionist tendencies. Calix, having been accustomed 6d9cdd9249 to servants attending to 1f8dc37aa5 his every need, including bbecc94fe8 bathing and dressing, might 5548bbdfe3 be comfortable with nudity, a6b318aa34 but Ruan was someone 4c5c90c5b9 who rarely even exposed f7d50ff451 his shoulders.61bb424a70a9ad06
He had been that f3807fdabe way ever since their bb184655c9 days as trainee knights.3fd0f56be6947a74
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“I know it’s not true, but we need to understand the situation. So, after you’ve rested, let’s go to my office and talk…”20835944b585e3ce
Ignoring Erhi’s suggestion, 5caac3eb83 Ruan simply flicked 0683c0ed2d his finger.b3483ff7f3854e27
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“Come.”56ba2bfbf718b5dd
His short command, a2b005ff93 delivered without a ad5cf7778f glance, meant,f436fdd99f040017
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“Stop talking c072b73f14 nonsense and 19859ccbf3 do as cc0532df3d you’re told.” 9becd3c4a9 Knowing this b8b202609a all too 2dd326f1fe well, Erhi 0a2b586505 changed his 1d1dbab96d tactics.42d406f346d74680
“…Ruan, I’m 44125dac8e about to 0c8192f158 get married fd3c0c3923 soon…. You know I need d9d18fc489 to keep myself pure cbce9a083c before the wedding, so f4edafe50e I’d rather talk this d1dc0f2560 out. And you’re eab299262d exhausted from a1fa8cc0e1 preparing for ae0859f95b the Founding 68c58d729e Day celebrations. I heard you haven’t b4b21a6f41 been sleeping properly.”1bac206e4fe2cfe4
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Ruan lightly swung a practice sword, his gaze fixed on Erhi’s rambling.f3b52eab673640c4
As the sword 54dc44a61a whirled menacingly in bf508c37b2 the darkness, Erhi’s e79a48ace1 face stiffened with 369f705908 fear. Ruan issued his 3253d9a369 final warning.e2fba22ed6453b0d
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“I’ll count to three. If you don’t come, we’ll start barehanded.”696609fdbeba51ff
“Ruan…”23f7522b12711a7c
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“One, two, three.”aa4f0ded5866bb68
The moment he 0d8434d299 finished counting, Ruan d8d1a95101 threw the sword, 889bfa559d lunged at Erhi, 55ab21cb78 wrapped his arm 1342eefe8b around his neck, bf6cfbb6fd slammed him to 605e20e17a the ground, and 5884ad7b90 twisted his shoulder.37a8b124265831aa
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The agonizing pressure on 3a9887ed22 his shoulder forced Erhi ba4167fcad to concede defeat.258ff700a017459d
“Stop! Mercy! I’m sorry!”d0501697404744e2
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“If saying c5c67e2520 sorry solved d0a914168e everything, why 287d58fcf6 do we e040302ad2 have laws?”0fd17f939e509be3
“I know how b805139f0c you feel, but b2cbefbde0 this was completely 18e9b9a992 unexpected! Why were you even 822ce7f0c4 in the bath in 2145f69ee2 the first place?”11d77a42503d7bd1
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At Erhi’s weak 9c6f1178f5 excuse, which implied dfc3657cf3 Ruan was to 310c3ca77a blame, Ruan twisted 90e2327e91 his shoulder further.b38bb6fdbdf86450
“Why do you think fa1f810d38 I was there?”e42aee816bcfcacd
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Ruan’s unspoken question was clear: Why would I be in Calix’s private bath, located within the Crown Prince’s private garden, a bath specifically designed for him, unless I was forced?1444ee79d5249e71
Erhi understood the implication.2559da0707880b2d
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“…Of course, 42b1339aed His Highness 0846ebb9fb must have 060c0901fe dragged you 44c389d173 in.”c777d73d440ff683
“If you 21a1e7b66f know, why 9af7618ce3 ask?”bd65dc92f016bd8b
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Ruan’s anger flared. Not only had he de34ded4e7 nearly drowned in that 455afd4a46 deep bath in broad 7a543f5122 daylight, but he’d also f5d61903b8 had to waste precious 2c33d83b06 time returning to his 08f5ec6832 distant quarters to change 573824d41c his soaked clothes. How dare Erhi ask 73eecfd50e him such a question? Erhi quickly surrendered.3643a3e736de2f1f
“Alright! Alright! So, I brought 31348e0729 the guest list e22c25aad7 for the Founding d54c6f663c Day banquet!”90d0a41cfdfa1ebd
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