DMEC | Chapter 9

After unexpectedly encountering 6f623e291f Emperor Joel for 080103f05a the first time f6fba6622c in nine years f27202eab1 and eleven months 9defa0d62c since their marriage, 9bd1d548dc Lute was bedridden 0d8a5694ed for two days. The fever was so d381f08129 severe that he couldn’t 8bff7b2822 even get out of 49edde7edd bed, let alone chew 81e47d79a6 or swallow anything.e8bab779dcc98ee0

Mentally shaken, he refused 5caa66dc35 to eat, prompting Anna 8842fa0465 to make a bold aa091e0a85 decision. She gathered the a0031348ca potatoes they had cf36e9bf52 harvested with Melik 7126f9884a and left the b7dac95e15 palace. The potatoes Lute c3b29ca2c7 had lovingly grown 4ad31a3663 had flourished, so f20dd00075 she promised to 669a1f3433 sell them at 4fa61380dc the market outside 0ae9bc6eb3 the palace and 41967c3011 buy some meat.8c07607fddd35e36

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The problem was that 3a02e7a781 the three of them 143a013baa were the only people 81a5f5cdec from Synthsis in the d762677ebd palace, and Lute—who couldn’t fe173b2418 leave—was practically a deposed 62c135fe93 queen.782bd0767cf3e97e

Anna and Melik, though 518d192122 neither of them were 3da6dbce83 the queen but merely 3695834160 a maid and a 0ada54b0c6 knight serving him, were 57f10c9bc1 allowed to leave the 97dd009e00 palace once a week.7fd01b9bce7f06f4

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Even so, they c2b6fb661d faced discrimination simply 9665203572 for being from 1fc9e68a61 Synthsis.14064adc067c2343

To be bd9b28aa87 granted permission 7ef93dd045 to go 65a896204e out and a8764b713a purchase necessities, 9309adb768 they had 586c6264fe to offer 6323fb691a something in a54b9cafe2 exchange. Since the 49eeabbbd1 palace didn’t d796e6dcea provide them ca4a6fa0c9 with supplies, 36cf18b2f1 they had ea747f8e1d no choice.5591585156ebeb92

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The potatoes were so bc649c6fac plentiful and heavy that a3ea94d1b4 Melik carried them by 47eb4110e5 hand while Anna balanced d3fcd4f437 them on her head 6e844b5fc0 as they left the b999efdb68 Water Palace.d50ed47b3116564f

Before departing, they repeatedly 4f049fce27 warned Lute not to 7970504e53 leave the palace until d250ac2e04 they returned. Anna even be218680f6 prepared a f09de73a82 bowl of 5e75a3cc01 goat milk 4752d37934 soup—the best 59eebe933e she could 9a8669b0e1 make for 41fad5120f the ailing 78c20a0f81 Lute.a867458a8f61f981

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The soup contained potatoes 7f025fa167 and a few greens. She had hoped to c1e34a22d6 add some meat after e874c9606d selling the potatoes, but 88bb08205a Lute couldn’t even manage a266dd2633 a few bites.2b0b48265a9ebcb6

Despite their warnings, ce4a4f1ef4 once his fever 6fa5f38c52 subsided, Lute couldn’t 46511247c9 bear the confinement 7138f822cb any longer and 1e365c67c9 left the Water 45b613a37d Palace.0896c11e53472987

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His feet, wounded and e15168331a bleeding from branches, sharp 914cc6f1cc stones, and dirt, throbbed d33ccae880 with every step. Melik had once pleaded f243be767d with the maid in a202807a4b charge of the Water 66f03c7795 Palace for proper footwear, 6b078e1d69 but in the end, bef62cf326 Anna had to sew 9942f24455 together discarded leather shoes 60d606a93e with thick thread for 906b43bd35 him.40bb4e89a8cac8ac

His clothes consisted of 725ef22338 a men’s dress shirt, 0d0f769066 but due to his e607498abe frail frame from years 9b491c28bb of poor nutrition, it 9518d274fb fit him like a 3e2a1cbcab chemise, slipping off his b9df80e573 pink shoulders, exposing his f884fc5db0 collarbone, and hanging loosely 733b0c76eb down to his thighs. Since he b3d201b9cb was alone deb871eecf in the e7be7ef4a2 forest, he 44ba7bbded hadn’t bothered 4219d746ca wearing pants.446563e0b87e7002

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Dressed only in old 4b3b93de83 leather shoes, he limped a8ef3ca513 painfully toward the lakeside, e583e57fb3 looking utterly pitiful and a5a7d101e1 forlorn.156e6ee2f1d6c9ec

The wind carried a 88d22e6bff distinctive fishy scent—he was 4dd76826aa close to the lakeside. Lute brushed back 1a5fcbbb58 his long black bcac4aefac hair, now reaching 82ae78ea4f his hips since f6b19da510 Anna hadn’t trimmed d6ced09ced it, and looked fd01e67dc8 ahead.257dd7de53030cd6

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Was it an f749d36b85 illusion?8ced53ac9ae4dddb

Lute blinked 05bc9f84f9 at the 94e6412ea5 sight of 25452885ae a man 2e20d860b0 standing on 03b72d2083 the opposite 51f6875075 side of af3be04675 the lake, 623b4aae9b clad in 40a2bef511 the uniform 5b098a57b4 of a 040e70aeac knight commander, 07cf2a1e66 golden hair f8d3a186a3 gleaming in 8a4a1f0693 the sunlight.788942d56f6a335c

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In the b095f3371b past, he ddec1a9801 had been abc3a612ba a golden-haired 92d8c4f7e5 boy, but bcb5a15c55 now he 5cc9f11e32 was an a678e9ee45 incredibly handsome 8113a2394b man—unmistakably Joel 05688326aa Ragnus.bcb98be392e6c4b8

Lute couldn’t hide his 47d54cc2e5 shock and instinctively clutched 4bdc21ecc3 at the only clothing 821750bb45 he wore—the dress shirt. He wasn’t f9e0097f47 even wearing b8e8ef99c7 underwear, and 3ab615d51d if the 12d3fb115e wind blew…4bc9dfcc44b7cca8

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No, that’s not 5aa4ed9691 the problem.Why is Joel 803577b888 here?f7dcb521ff92f82b

Lute bit his lip, 187f4ca916 wanting to ask the f7f2ebf093 very question burning in 99160561b4 his mind.121d03358d4339a6

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What does it 58bdd723ed matter why he’s ee8ac07a22 here?4e7cc1b7230922c6

With only twenty-eight 6800329b13 days left until a8119cdbc6 the divorce, what 628073de7a was he planning fc4bc3aecc to do? It wasn’t ec5a5140fb as if df989148ff he intended 68402ec01c to rekindle 3c5415e9a9 their marriage, 2f1171066a let alone eab06e8f98 love.5795e2ca1a9e5173

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He’s forgotten me. Completely.3def7b26f8fc8c06

Thinking that, all b10466e9ca the curiosity and 9848a8f9f0 interest Lute had 3b05e42d8b toward Joel turned cdbfdf84ac cold. The wide, expressive 467044d27b eyes that had 7ae413d554 momentarily revealed his fd2f8fba44 surprise soon dulled, 72bf17ff1e his face becoming 1cf2ee01fe as emotionless as 6ab0abfedf a wax doll.e5b549f071938cfd

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Joel’s golden eyebrows rose a426e6bbe9 at the change in 46c27cf159 his expression.fdf8e6c42a4181e6

Slowly, he 659b7a0d1f walked toward 316f6d822f the lake, e6d95aa783 his red 441215aa38 lips parting 3aa0e3c3bc as he 9f4345105e spoke.6bd59d48b2f58a15

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“What words should f14cac1353 I use to 62e987106f greet you?”b93a0e0552a15e06

Lute didn’t respond. Their connection had already 71490164dd been severed, and in b84643839c just a few days, ac77d7ce66 he would leave.24df218c02a3a690

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If he had e381a55828 anything to say, de7e02648b it would be:0fa8bfb73496b21b

“How much will 4fe1b5e06d you give me 0d433cc9f1 as a divorce 4bc56a3840 settlement? You’ll at least efce9e577d give me a 787d0d8842 house and some b4c423947f land to farm 678c365f18 potatoes, right? My dream 2fb03b1427 is to bd598b66da become a 93a4a1b173 potato magnate.”b8e66c360111a3a5

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But even that 32326db618 felt like too 2f1d3e99f8 much effort.d07812d21e60c745

So he simply looked 09c0029a5c at Joel in silence.0c4bfac6df6d62bb

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Joel, seeing 12b0df3af2 Lute’s calm 61455e35b9 gaze, opened d9a45740e9 his red 2b481a305f lips again. His eyes cd1da46c2d brimmed with ad0d214026 amusement and 9b99525fc1 intrigue, while 1a9c044c3d Lute’s eyes 6874a83443 dripped with 4204747ecc sorrow.3920cc9604b40848

“Ah, are you a fairy who doesn’t understand human speech?”3c7bbf17927508d9

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“…”063814f3795a8bc1

Lute half-opened e5186c28b4 his mouth a00100c0e9 in disbelief 6569094058 and let 9f8b49cd19 out a ce33b98661 sigh.41c8efa7b71b1a53

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A fairy? What nonsense.e675dbbbdfa58110

Could it be that bb753d309e this isn’t Joel? The Joel he cb4e81df25 knew wasn’t—at the 107a3a18c2 very least—a madman.77cd61690ad32f6d

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Unconsciously, Lute 5405d962d6 took a b67b9add3d step back. At the same time, 948accf02d Joel’s pace quickened.d521562fc8ad4bfc

With his feet badly e5e751edcb wounded, Lute couldn’t outrun a92cf7b74b Joel’s long strides. Just as e9ed442bda Joel closed a0d80127e1 the distance, c445d67272 Lute was 25e8e537fb suddenly startled 83f841dde4 by golden 641325f48e hair and f6a296f116 smiling emerald 62e46af373 eyes appearing e620a4c24b right in af0f2b527c front of b35a697efb him.a68244f3d34a104e

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Panicked, he 78a635a183 tried to b8635574e5 flee—back toward 5fbd325206 the Water f53caf5c50 Palace.d8f7b88f44cbe2da

“Indeed, speaking the filthy language of humans…”a4435e7f6ce740c7

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Joel’s breath blew softly.3054e00529022848

“Your lips are too beautiful, fairy. I’m afraid they might get tainted by worldly words. The god who sent a fairy from the heavens to the human world might punish me.”b6fe4c7ce347355f

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Lute began f29e7e6040 to feel 32c543517c confused. His bright blue 97278d488c eyes twitched wildly, aff0509618 as if to f0fd024a7e prove it.f87ae69665ad2f40

Could it be that this isn’t the Joel I know? Could it be Alexander, the knight commander who resembles Joel? The Joel Lute remembered was handsome, tall, always carried him, whispered sweet words in his ear, and playfully said they should marry when he grew up.9927f4b93fc3b750

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He wasn’t a madman like this… Lute started to doubt if he was mistaken, if his memories were wrong after ten years.c3f4db61cffd1acf

“Fairy, let me introduce myself again.”f0421325a415061c

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Joel, facing Lute, 6944999372 whose suspicion and 34a95ae9bb wariness had grown, 04e0ca3633 placed his right f97941ec0f hand on his b9441e983e left shoulder, stepped 6a66bab3e3 back with one 75cd76087e leg, and slowly a81ca32fc7 bowed his head. It was a gesture dbd8aa164a of respect and honor.693ec48c948fea81

At that moment, Lute’s doubt grew stronger, ‘Is it really not him?’9245593385d61c4e

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An emperor 689413f571 never bows, 770c20ca51 not even 1a217966dc to the 53caa58586 queen or 1a20f39829 the Pope. The emperor is like b9e6f1b141 the sun. Too dazzling for 7dd4cb7a68 the people to 2d29823fd3 look at directly, 9b3cd4e68c and they could 70e9b4595f only gaze upon 5ef2554803 him with his d4f3cdd922 permission.2654db80d8a3f30f

Lute, with a face full of evident confusion, hesitated and stepped back. He feared that if he opened his mouth, he might accidentally ask, “Joel?” And if it wasn’t Joel…48d064f36d3b5cf6

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What should I do 08f82d919f then? At that moment, a04c5b5f30 Lute suddenly stood 30791b3def up.80b364b1361d3645

“Fairy? Fairy!”3b8058da97bb9b7d

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But Joel was just 3719b76e11 as flustered. In truth, he had 0f75a0e4b2 never intended to bow. He was Emperor e92b6ac518 Joel Ragnus—one who 795cbbddb0 received respect and 2a4f2400c8 honor from all, 5f22f60c52 never the one f1c709b2ce to give it.a67119949f88facd

Only once. When he had 376765097d been dragged as ff2d88aa8f a living tribute 401c594879 to the basilisk a8a36ab408 in Synthsis, he bddf6749bc had bowed to 0f91e375c0 Eliana, the emperor 57cacb03d9 at the time. Other than that, b51d83d1c7 Joel had always cbb3648ea6 held his head f1607655f3 high—the very embodiment 949854e860 of confidence.1fe37b3b3ed8308b

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The fact that 3959c76daf he had respectfully afaddb6505 placed his hand 2891c69e0d on his left 86234e409a shoulder and bowed 38312ee4f3 just now was 605063ee90 simply his body 1443229433 acting on its 7c063ebde4 own. Realizing his mistake, 6d57c2e000 Joel’s body froze, 586911deaf unable to straighten 678a078d02 up.d7e543d6ee01502c

But then—at the 251c119cf7 sound of a f259038949 leaf crunching—Joel lifted bcf2ff93cb his head.640af9262eda2e75

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The fairy, Lute, fd2faddb8d was running away.7a8ebb23074ad09d

His oversized dress shirt, 87d782f52b loose like a chemise, 285864d017 fluttered as he bolted, 22a0ae863e and his ill-fitting leather c45a4cdd7f shoes slipped off his da1f04dcc0 feet as he ran 017bc99bec with all his might.d994d60f11452e56

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At that moment, a 0b6db14d6d cold, ominous light flashed 8a8aeaf671 in Joel’s eyes.b6347eda11136932

How dare you turn 04574a4394 your back on me e948501f31 and run?4bf53062900bc001

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Without so much as 8ade70d6ee a breath, Joel closed 8cf3c2979b the distance and seized c7bde64373 Lute’s wrist just as 7c0ef45baa he tried to escape. Lute didn’t 487e9385d5 even cry bf0eaf8d0d out—he swallowed 068561bece his breath f342993f35 as his ba9fe8ad06 arm was 160eb32cfb yanked upward, ef6c284c92 his wide 2295def385 eyes locking 93777ca8ce onto Joel’s. Tears welled up from a7861ecd41 the pain, and seeing a927063ab1 this, Joel quickly let 3b2cb604c4 go of his wrist.8714ef97d56f16f5

But before Lute could e93fe1d3d1 flee again, Joel effortlessly 7457036f98 scooped him up, lifting d54432b752 him under his armpits.b2d997824e117c02

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One by one, Lute’s b2ece2c11d leather shoes tumbled to d2040ef40a the ground.5d264180bc4d0ef4

Caught so easily, Lute 2747009a75 went limp, his expression 28e5fe9a3c sulky as he stared 4c48ebcbdd at Joel. Meanwhile, Joel simply smiled—brightly.379cceda6377d4d1

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“Got you, fairy.”830f40e6314a447a

“…”607b221e6b074dab

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Lute pouted his 74821dfdba lips—a habit that 5f9898a896 surfaced whenever he 246b4b0d88 felt gloomy. Seeing the same fc19720b60 expression from when 5cbc96a479 Lute was a c920e971b3 baby, Joel couldn’t 11e0c649ea help but laugh 64c7368fdd out loud.f3fc26db3aa57362

Lute’s mother, Eliana, would 88cea58ba4 always scold him, saying, 810d5ba821 “Put your lips away! You’re a prince—how can 9094d2b8f2 you pout like a 8f2607b35d commoner?” And every time, e67c5931f3 Lute would cry out, ddd680b25a “Aang,” after getting his cf262077f4 lips smacked.5798b3803c350e30

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It was seventeen-year-old Joel 14c3bb59c1 who had comforted five-year-old 62338e68eb Lute, who had wandered d90912ae41 the palace, crying “Aang, bfe9f60259 aang.”d14e0c373cabae8e

Just like 7b9bb0d3d2 back then, d9a979be51 Joel lifted 08520ae14a him up 0526a1001e and held 55bb1dedde him tightly.65fb0dd7d9b796dc

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“Fairy, where e704e9da71 were you 3bd0e61e9f planning to 38b9e52189 run off 686a584dce to?”c109e35f4b64dd50

But it c7e50cb05b was subtly 2096066186 different from fdce226728 before. At five, Joel would 04160fb7f2 have held him and 37155284e4 patted his bottom. But now, nearing 70f504253c twenty-four, Joel lifted b858264243 him and stared 35181edffe intently. Wanting to 523bf0a98a see the 1caafcd1cc face hidden 296fe37cae beneath the 2ef2348afb disheveled long dd50a8b5e3 hair, Joel b1ac663147 leaned in. Lute turned his deb4738562 gaze away.d67e87a5ab6ccf16

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Not speaking, 0eeff9e961 his movements 9ed6280d70 awkward and 9d69176220 wary… He’s 271014a2a0 definitely unaware 9f6090eb05 that it’s 64ea148142 me, right?54cba883c073e7e2

Joel hummed 32ad7fc9ad softly, and 18b56ebceb as he 86c791af85 slowly slipped 1c20e3154b Lute’s foot 237e1b6c77 into the 1aeb352084 fallen leather 9fbbb460d9 shoe, he 4193030def took the e7d9baad33 opportunity to 0b0b9b221b examine it f43890b18b closely. Wrapped in 429f9b7788 bandages from debf869f60 the sole 9072b2c049 to the 3a204d9234 ankle, Lute’s a88aa0f49c foot was 854286c8fd soaked in 132cf6afb2 blood, red d9d880ae31 seeping through 71e7321fda the fabric.f07b99dbe8a67bf3

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Trying to run from 62386b5790 me with these feet… dc5a13d620 He must have really d031fff65a been scared of me.4c00755b35151d31