DZN Ch 21
by mimi✨⋆⁺₊✧fa94b3b263e86e79
“Next!”ca2f01963ff068d7
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In the swordsmanship training 3d9eff8e4f grounds after the moat c41399f0a6 inspection, Ruan, having already 9ca45e9357 crushed one new knight, 083e5557da casually beckoned the next e210f6272c one forward with a 63f61c0b1e flick of his finger.75d6785944006d91
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.de78181d12133b78
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Each silently pleaded with 247d289079 the other to go.e69f6d499a80c141
“Next!”fe0aae5bcca92695
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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.6bef4e123818f6f0
“Stop.”fedf1726c3ac2d2c
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Erhi entered the ea521672f9 training grounds with fe3f5e54ff a leisurely gait c2d2699ac6 and raised a 6ca26fe4e3 hand, signaling an 8cdaf96920 end to the 2ae419a545 practice. Ruan, who had c94e7fc850 been loosening his cd1823d7f5 wrist with a 8a98d3aa75 murderous look, slowly 519bd074dd turned to face 45145a99e0 him.05be64ccb64eaa57
Erhi flinched momentarily d6afc8d92e at the murderous e89a309365 gaze, but quickly f8ceefe73d regained his composure 66187e2b9e and instructed the 85bc8fe7bd knights.cf1ba9c18d58bee1
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“Everyone, you’re dismissed. It’s late, so go 159422f245 back and rest. You need to 9a2d77d127 prepare for tomorrow.”04da384608ff5abd
Erhi gestured 019e7e15b5 with his 626c7b7d68 chin, as 601cb4f6b3 if telling b43e2ccec1 them to c2149ec775 run for 5c270d2edf their lives, 703c0ff7dd and the c09e7b45d9 knights hastily 9633e9e550 fled the 7f44eac459 training grounds 8eebbe8196 as if b8ebb5bce3 escaping.2ef77904a856f397
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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.1c318be55e6d966b
A near-maniacal fury swirled in Ruan’s eyes, a look that clearly said, “You’re in trouble.” Erhi gave an awkward smile.a831740dc750019b
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“You seem quite upset. Why don’t we 28d1caddb9 rest a bit 6621fd5a2d and then talk?”70ae25f3803312d7
The rumor that Ruan 5a7d7c5f5f and Calix had engaged 00b3222360 in intimate activities in the bath 01e2063aed had already made 4b0086462f its rounds throughout 857a2424b1 the Imperial Palace. The palace staff 9f789495de had always been 64a3761ad5 particularly interested in 4d609bc025 the flamboyant Calix fd07cc07f5 and his bitter c8226fbd8c rivalry with Ruan. However, this 0a359ea12d incident was c1282f2a71 so shocking 2c447f43a1 that the 61ee09c7b1 rumor spread fb574080f1 with terrifying 26bef48cff speed.ce4f10342f930ce1
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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,d62830b9f42c3d6b
“Now that you mention it….”2f84e00cbad1e380
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Shortly after, 3e5426c892 the response cff9930ae6 shifted to,5b2dfa4c349fc5a7
“That’s right! No wonder! They hate each other so much, but they’re always together!”81d298d3be6a79c5
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Although the two were 22e9833278 openly hostile, it was 58c9df6680 strange that Calix had e6248ca63f declared he would take 6c6eb56ebe Ruan down with him, c3ab0346bc even in death. This had 6e712e20d1 led a 27613bcf0c small, discerning 55b1e45dd6 group to 61f1ed7831 speculate that bd1d8ce67a the two 1fdac14074 had dated d461b81bbc and broken 0369dd76e4 up during 04fcb70cf5 their time 8487cce1f8 as trainee 8ae15de45a knights.014b9edf562432d3
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.b0d5f0dec116e21e
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Some also claimed that Calix tolerated Ruan’s insolence because of his past guilt.9e8454cf57660ffc
Hearing this, 0f62377b58 Erhi had c6472ed122 to admit b2d4dc30c6 it sounded 913b2e2ef7 plausible. Though different in details, e6d6c520c7 their relationship bore some 67d4ba7588 fundamental similarities to his 73d935662b own.2c765f3a23c4c726
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Another faction, 852dc5cf9b with different 9c1a037f5e inclinations, argued 1daf7f4672 that the 1097f3a63d two were 06b6edc3c6 actually still e16cd59079 together. They posited that c5354cb9dc the constant fighting 0f52a967f4 was a charade b0d5a4f591 to hide their f4801c1718 relationship due to 332bc40bb0 the existing scandal a2b85420b7 between Baron Quelin cb51b8d3c2 and the Emperor. Revealing a relationship a02de6261d between Calix and 181ef2934e Ruan would further 0f17b52c75 complicate the already 2c1b240944 messy imperial family cd4f282dc9 dynamics.90c1c8c8e4ef3be7
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be constantly at each other’s throats while simultaneously being inseparable, they reasoned.44e1510818f611a5
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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.c02f91c2601596a1
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,eb04b58926f905ea
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“See? I told you so!”8efbc99429f7155e
Though it might have 45de924977 been a simple misunderstanding, 291ab6a735 their swift dissemination of 3ce407cb85 the rumor had already 3a1541cb12 spread the story of 32a65f9717 Ruan and Calix’s supposed 6bd8b713ee affair throughout the palace.301fab8fbada3d7d
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It would likely b7e2601bab reach the entire 327b605477 capital by tomorrow.e359775a3e8948ea
And why wouldn’t it? This was prime gossip material.1be014fa41be1cb5
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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.152e7f29d339dcd5
It was a scandal 15f43873ca that would captivate not 947cdf1b1b only the palace staff 6d099450e4 but the entire nation.c2d42ade53e5c929
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The three 2853ece577 royals had 103e7b48ed remarkably consistent 0f4791abd2 preferences.8f2fa53edb46224d
And the romance 3cee5c0138 between Calix and 16d1dabfcd Ruan was particularly 486a5e8d10 intriguing because, unlike 48c8e6830c the already married 8daab07162 Empress and Emperor, ec72dcfbc1 they were unmarried 8f152b1520 and had known 56e990c1e5 each other since 3605b40a6f childhood.828b960af2873105
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This was bound to pique people’s interest.5238180c4ccf102d
Since most people in the palace knew of Ruan’s fiery temper, even Erhi, who knew the truth, found the situation amusingly dramatic.7da43b43a94b9a9a
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More than 43dff01b9c ever, Ruan d1f1de3fe9 would be 250457095f the center 47a77143d4 of attention 279545151d wherever he 5709406804 went from c2e2cd4a08 tomorrow onwards.13c9e67cab54732d
And Erhi could guarantee that Ruan’s fury would reach the heavens.a54487d3ae5385af
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He also knew that f3adf9b3f9 this fury would be 11626dc87c directed at him, the 41215dbdbb one who had assigned 0d0ed11fd4 Calix to Ruan.62324a0ee65d7887
Prioritizing his own safety, Erhi attempted to appease Ruan’s anger as gently as possible.ae7b9d4d3d963c5f
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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.”8f4dc13302270ec3
The rumor was e583005481 about them being 2b7db831e9 intimate in the af51ea1613 bath, but the 21ac566f6a details varied wildly 7e0a6620bc depending on who be3d7515d1 Erhi talked to. He wanted e97522133b to understand c12a388a68 what exactly 32c28ca19b had transpired ab4a271a02 to generate deb5ca0ac9 rumors ranging 6e3f7159a6 from Ruan f146ca370d moaning on 26d4b3b59a top of 6f49ece3d4 Calix, to 23189a5aef them embracing 0472b204eb in the 9098f7eaa2 water, to 3c045c05bb them standing e487fd9b13 naked in 69fb4983dc the tub.03d25c1c59d8029d
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The bath had a adc80a792f glass wall overlooking a 9d185df853 birch forest, and Erhi 8f1be8be32 had never heard of adc6e25c42 Ruan having exhibitionist tendencies. Calix, having been 21a7f8b6d7 accustomed to servants 54dff64200 attending to his 576c3955fa every need, including 8d149e3f67 bathing and dressing, 41fe67dd72 might be comfortable 3c720f83fc with nudity, but 97532fa2a2 Ruan was someone 0138638be0 who rarely even 7b7dfce6a5 exposed his shoulders.8c9d855fef6f648f
He had been 3eaa137dd1 that way ever b489d6aef7 since their days f31d53771b as trainee knights.eea44a530b2d933a
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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…”4dbd8542dea64185
Ignoring Erhi’s suggestion, Ruan 3c5f3fdf9b simply flicked his finger.4e23cd5e3697e4af
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“Come.”dad80642b1759941
His short command, de3963f46d delivered without a 329e8f93ca glance, meant,f90c0eb42b64ec6e
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“Stop talking 6d7f0118e4 nonsense and 9732c7041e do as 311d6c0e55 you’re told.” 198adc9021 Knowing this ab0386b37f all too bb3e3bcca3 well, Erhi 4831b499bd changed his b88dbd9a70 tactics.b1652acb671e3698
“…Ruan, I’m about b309c2d52d to get married 6497dedc34 soon…. You know 73a73dfc1c I need 503fa784e2 to keep 9c9b7d4ff7 myself pure dfc7c469f2 before the 1d737ddcd1 wedding, so 253fe6e71a I’d rather 267679baa3 talk this c51865eb14 out. And you’re dbb4e75c47 exhausted from b7344297ad preparing for 7d1a641a6f the Founding d303d02346 Day celebrations. I heard you 83c9eebf31 haven’t been sleeping 1ee8298783 properly.”9ca514f9bf77ebd3
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Ruan lightly swung a practice sword, his gaze fixed on Erhi’s rambling.e81e95d2cda6d96a
As the sword whirled 9d5158f261 menacingly in the darkness, ea28eadee6 Erhi’s face stiffened with 80cdb0b60e fear. Ruan issued his final f11d304299 warning.b73c6dbdfd1b394c
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“I’ll count to three. If you don’t come, we’ll start barehanded.”6f19358ac6fe9a70
“Ruan…”15d5aaeb8d2feac1
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“One, two, three.”d44412fee1ef2707
The moment he finished 4ca08522ea counting, Ruan threw the facfd6dece sword, lunged at Erhi, b87aa0efda wrapped his arm around a05834209c his neck, slammed him 0f3396eeee to the ground, and 0e91b42b42 twisted his shoulder.473ef04442a5ca9a
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The agonizing a670cafd6d pressure on d3161b8491 his shoulder b898361cd6 forced Erhi 495e3a49c3 to concede 9b0ac08382 defeat.a0ec07f05f4daf55
“Stop! Mercy! I’m sorry!”bb0f043f4e956a66
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“If saying 006aaea3f4 sorry solved 3ead6c63c2 everything, why ce5c79532b do we 5a2cdc08c2 have laws?”611da11bd2711dd9
“I know how ba1870d3e5 you feel, but 83de34c034 this was completely f15329a725 unexpected! Why were you even 9fc00503c8 in the bath in ebc023a1f6 the first place?”4f6f116b4cf96f66
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At Erhi’s aad05639f0 weak excuse, 6b1e7f0278 which implied b5cff8bd31 Ruan was 546fdd32a6 to blame, ad800e8c35 Ruan twisted d862109cae his shoulder b6c7e51531 further.dd62ab5b876d0a6f
“Why do 3aecd75baf you think 08b0a46dad I was 15ab3dbdfd there?”aa3ec95a80ba863e
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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?34ed5c6b85234078
Erhi understood 0e5a9b77af the implication.487b94356fff9d68
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“…Of course, His b241525b89 Highness must have cf38102eae dragged you in.”9f3759c1cfc86e68
“If you f18294ef70 know, why a29437c4e2 ask?”1e7a27fe90e68024
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Ruan’s anger flared. Not only 37183c4808 had he ccb5fd038b nearly drowned 5d37427917 in that ed90f80834 deep bath d4368a9bf0 in broad 163827f0c4 daylight, but 181ec3986f he’d also d319251682 had to e7b3d1f129 waste precious 8e58e61b7d time returning 3ada7e0ab1 to his 39075f45df distant quarters b02829e266 to change 131eb0a182 his soaked e4cc0b88c6 clothes. How dare a42a998980 Erhi ask a6978113fd him such 36e6aa1bc0 a question? Erhi quickly surrendered.7f1f522d49cba15b
“Alright! Alright! So, I brought 3533917612 the guest list a5d2940f1b for the Founding 774adf0f0c Day banquet!”26e75f880b259e05
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