Page 116 of Empire's Curse

“Muyang—”

He stared at her directly, his gaze more alert than before. “I’m sorry, Daiyu, for everything I’ve done to you. For prioritizing another man’s daughter over you. I hadn’t realized how humiliating it would be until now, and I truly do apologize for the hurt I’ve caused you.” He breathed out deeply, like talking was taking a toll on him. “I never meant to hurt you, and I hope youunderstand that. I hope you won’t hold it against me for too long. I … I realize now that I can’t easily make it up to you, but I wantyouto be my empress, Daiyu. Not anyone else.”

Daiyu searched his face for signs that he was lying, that he was only saying these pretty words because he thought that it was what she wanted to hear, or because he thought he was dying. But she only found raw sincerity there and she wanted so badly to cling to it, tobelievehim.

“I wish I could make it up to you.” Muyang rested his head against the backboard, his chest rising and falling with struggled breaths. “I wish I could make you believe what I’m saying. I really do, Daiyu. But … I know my time is coming near. I knew it would happen eventually. Ever since I took this throne four years ago, I realized my reign would never amount to much.”

Daiyu’s mouth dried up. “What are you saying? You’re not going to die?—”

“This place is cursed. This palace, this court, this … thisempire.” He breathed out deeply, painfully. Something dark swirled in his eyes, a kind of hatred that made her flinch back. “It will be better for me to die here and for someone else to take my place. I was never meant to be more than a murderer. I have accomplished what I wanted. I have revenged who I wanted, and it’s time for me to rest now. Forever.”

“Muyang!” Daiyu took his cold hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. She didn’t understand what he was saying, but all she knew was that it terrified her. The thought of losing him, the thought of someone else taking this empire. “Why are you talking like that? You’re not going to die! You’re Emperor Drakkon Muyang. You’re the most powerful man I know. There’s no way you would die like this! We just—” A strangled sob escaped from her. “We just started our lives together. We have so much to learn about one another, so much to do, so many more years to spend with each other!”

Daiyu could have sworn there was pity on his beautiful face when he stared at her next. He reached forward with a tired,trembling hand and cupped her damp cheek. She could feel his tremors through his hand.

“I always knew I would be a curse to these lands. Ever since I was born,” he murmured, searching her face with unblinking, glassy eyes. He wasn’t here, in this room anymore, but in his memories, it seemed. Somewhere else because there was a darkness there that she had only seen glimpses of before, and now he was showing it to her full force. The tortured, angry soul that lingered behind his black, black eyes. “Remaining on the throne will tear this empire apart. I knew it would, but I had to do it. I had to spite all those people?—”

“Muyang—”

He turned to her sharply as if brought back to the present. “Daiyu, you must leave this place. Go far away, take your family with you and disappear. Live a long life with another man. Find happiness. Once Yat-sen takes the throne, I don’t know if he will be kind to you or if he will forsake you like I did his brothers.”

“No, I’m not leaving you! Not ever again.” She held the hand that was against her cheek, more tears streaming down her face. “I’m not leaving you here to die! We have to find Feiyu. We have to make him understand?—”

Muyang pulled his hand back like her touch was electric. “No,” he said quietly. “Not Feiyu. He knows the same as I do, that remaining on this throne will only throw this empire into more chaos. He realized that; that’s why he left.”

“The empire isn’t in chaos?—”

“There will always be unrest so long as I breathe and sit upon this cursed throne.”

“But, but Feiyu is loyal?—”

“He knows better than me what it means for me to remain alive.”

Daiyu’s hands shook. “What are you saying?”

“Find happiness,” he said again, mimicking Feiyu’s final words to her. “Daiyu,please. I have so many regrets to this day, but I’ve never regretted meeting you and falling in love with you.You offered me a glimmer of happiness, as short as it may have been. All I want now is for you to move on and be happy.”

She was more confused than ever. She had thought she would march up to Muyang, present to him all the problems he had caused her, wait for him to grovel and apologize, and then—hopefully—live happily with him.

This … this wasn’t how things were meant to unfold.

She hadn’t planned on losing him forever. And she never expected for him to speak so morbidly, so vaguely.

“If Feiyu won’t help you, I’m sure there are other mages who can heal.” Daiyu leaned closer to him and grabbed his face in her hands. She couldn’t find a glimmer of hope within him, only anger and resolve. She didn’t understand him at all. Why was he so bent on dying here? Why was he so certain that he would die? That he was a curse upon this empire? “Muyang, there are others who can help you, but you have to let them?—”

“Daiyu, you don’t understand.” He eased her hands off his face and she felt like he was rejecting her in that moment. “Even if these injuries are healed, my soul is dying. I will die soon. In a matter of days, perhaps.”

“W-What?” Whatever hope had filled her disappeared that second and she sank back down on her knees on the floor. She blinked over at him, not comprehending what he was saying. What he meant. “I don’t … I don’t know what you mean. Is this some sort of magical curse?”

“In a way.”

“Muyang, but … but there has to be something?—”

“Daiyu, please leave from here.” He suddenly looked exhausted. She could tell that this conversation was putting a strain on him. By the looks of it, he had already made up his mind about dying. About giving up.

“Make me understand.” She grabbed the edge of the mattress and hauled herself up to her feet. It was maddening to see him like this, to see him so unlike himself, to see him resolve himself to his fate. “I don’t understand what any of this means. Why are you sodetermined to die? Why won’t you accept any help? And why is your souldying?”

Muyang shook his head, choosing to lie back down instead. “I can’t tell you, Daiyu. But know that this is for the best. For you and for this empire.” He grunted, the little color on his face draining further. “I’d like to rest for a bit.”

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