Chapter 28

It was an expression I haven’t seen from him. The emperor who always came back every night, sometimes in the middle of the day, who told scary stories amidst his drowsiness and cuddled me so tightly I wanted to cry.

Maybe he was coming to terms that I am indeed, Liliana’s substitute.

Before, his face looked like it was made of dry clay; stiff and rigid looking but today he somehow looked a little bit relaxed, and he was treating me like I really am Liliana. It was a reassuring, yet disturbing thought. As long as he sees me as Liliana, he’ll never be able to cut ties with me and that means he wouldn’t see me for the real me, standing in front of him.

I watched him thoughtfully as he laid down on the grass, head resting atop my thighs. He must really like my thighs.

I didn’t think the emperor enjoyed the simplicity of lying down on the ground because in the novel, he was always strict and razor sharp in just about anything. He was anything but relaxed, the opposite of how he was being right now.

“I’m in a good mood.” He uttered as his eyes closed softly. The birds chirped in their nests, humming cheerily around us creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Having the chance of getting to know the tyrant emperor made me realize that he was quieter than what I expected him to be. He had a brooding aura of course, but apart from grabbing me by the collar and throwing an expensive looking pot on the first day, he did not do anything close to violent.

And I felt sorry for the emperor, for he was battling traumas and nightmares within himself. Perhaps I was the only one he was this nice to since I am a doll.

I looked at the sky mindlessly. Not thinking about anything particular, I watched the clouds float by the blue horizon. Soft, summer wind blew from all directions, blowing my hair and it fanned across my cheeks, making me feel sleepy. ‘But I shouldn’t fall asleep.’

My eyelids felt heavy and I am unable to keep them from closing. My vision blurred and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep, unaware that the emperor had opened his eyes, watching me for a while.

**

“Lily, wake up. Lily.”

In my slumber I heard a faint sound of someone calling for me. I opened my eyes slowly, blinking the sleep away as the emperor tapped me on the cheek with a finger.

Upon noticing that I’ve woken up, the emperor abruptly stood up and I hastily followed suit. He then yanked me towards him and caged me into his arms.

My eyes were still hazy with sleep that I stood confused before him, caught off guard at the unexpected contact. “Stay still.” He uttered, arms wounding tight around my waist.

We were so close and there was not an inch separating us that I got a whiff of the shower gel he used yesterday. My cheek that was pressed firmly on his shoulder grew warm.

The emperor was still and unmoving. I peered up to look at him and saw he was staring fixedly at something behind us. What had him so troubled?

Before I could turn my head to see what it was that got his attention, the emperor spoke. “How dare you interrupt me.” The irritation was apparent in his voice.

I was taken aback by the venom in his words, and only then did I hear the faint sound of the bushes rustling. TheeEmperor did not fail to notice that someone was hiding behind the bushes, watching us for who knows how long.

My heart raced, and I felt my body twitch in fear. ‘Who’s there?!’ Hands shaking, I clenched my fists against the emperor’s chest and my eyes flitted nervously around us. Whoever it was behind the bushes clearly did not have good intentions.

The emperor’s eyes were stormy and intense, and I found myself looking at him, gauging how he would react that I didn’t notice that his arms went higher, settling a comforting yet firm palm on my back. I shakily turned my head to the side and my eyes grew wide seeing a fast moving object heading towards me.

It was an arrow. I didn’t have enough time to steer clear of its path.

“Lotuboru.” The emperor spoke in a low voice, and a hazy fog swirled in his hand and took form in the shape of a sword. Without delay, the emperor swung the sword with an immense speed and struck the flying arrow, hurling it to the side followed by the sound of something crashing, ringing loudly in our ears.

The emperor gripped me tighter and twisted his body to the side, shielding me and he swung the sword for the second time. I was too caught up with the fighting that I only just noticed our surroundings growing misty, caused by the smoke in bringing about the sword. The way the sword was wielded was just astonishing.

The large bush twice my size fell even though the sword didn’t reach it. ‘He’s so powerful!’

The book was not able to fully explain the extent of his prowess. How can a man even swing a sword at such lightning speed? It was tremendous, and not a single video on the internet I watched from my previous life would be able to compare.

Sensing that the emperor was no longer in defense mode, I wondered if we’re finally safe. The enemy must have been caught, but the emperor was still glaring at the direction where the arrow had come from. “He got away.” He gritted through his teeth.

I winced at the thought of being attacked so unexpectedly once again, but the emperor seemed to have driven the immediate danger away.

Body still trembling and my heart frantic against my chest, I tried to lower my gaze just in time to see a strange sword in red and black.