Page 129 of Empire's Curse

“Yes, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise. I will always love you, my dear, dear sweetfiend.” Muyang brushed his thumb over her eyes, swiping at the tears that rolled down her damp cheeks. “I would choose you again and again. Only if you’ll have me.”

She laughed. Now that the panic and fear of losing him were gone, she was incredibly exhausted. The rush of adrenaline was finally seeping away from her. But even amongst the sea of guards who were staring at them, she didn’t care one bit that she didn’t look like a proper empress.

“And I will always choose you,little dragon.”

A furrow formed between his brows and she chuckled, weaving her hand onto the back of his head. She rose up on her toes and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips. Her eyes fluttered shut. He pulled her closer to his body, his hands warm against her cold flesh. She breathed in the familiar scent of jasmine and spices.

When she pulled back, her throat closed up and more tears blurred her vision. “Promise me you’ll never do anything like that again. Promise me you’ll always live your life, and you’ll never break your soul like that again. Promise me you’ll never leave me, Muyang.”

“I promise.” He cupped her cheek with his calloused hand. The scars on his face were a new addition, but he was just as beautiful as he was before. “It’s painful to remember everything. To know … everything.” Darkness washed over his face, and the shadows of his magic continued to writhe around them, growing stronger. “I have so much anger and hatred in my heart, and so much …rage. But”—he stared at her and something softened within him—“I will remain strong. For you.”

“Not just for me.” She placed a hand over his heart. “For yourself, Muyang. You must find peace. Whether I’m here or not, youwillfind peace.”

He stared at her again, and right when she thought he wouldn’t agree, he nodded.

Daiyu fell back in his arms and it was only then that she could finally breathe easy.

43

Daiyu pulled backto tell him how much she loved him, but his body grew slack against her and she toppled to the floor in the next second. She blinked up at the sky, Muyang’s heavy body pinning her in place. Gasps and startled cries filled the air as the guards rushed forward.

“M-Muyang?” She turned her face to find his head lolled against her shoulder, his eyes shut and his skin pallid. It must have been too much of a shock for his body, she thought, or maybe … maybe she didn’t make it in time? What if his souls rejected each other? What if?—

A blind panic overtook her senses, and she inhaled sharply. She couldn’t lose him. Not after everything they had been through. Not after beingso closeto saving him.

“Assist His Majesty!” Bohai shouted, dropping down on his knees in front of them.

The guards lifted him up and Daiyu was finally able to push herself into a sitting position. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Muyang’s lifeless body. Tears filled her eyes. He couldn’t be, could he?

“Muyang?” she calledagain. “No?—”

“He’ll be fine.” Bohai held his hand out to her, his light-brown eyes softening. “You saved him, lady Daiyu.”

“But how do you know?” She struggled up to her feet and reached out to Muyang, but her legs were leaden and everything began spinning. She stumbled forward and Bohai grasped her forearm lightly to steady her.

“You look exhausted. How about you rest?”

“Where are they taking him?” Daiyu didn’t want to part from Muyang, not with all the uncertainties she felt at that moment. And definitely not after going through so much to see him. She didn’t care that every bone and fiber in her body was resisting, that she also wanted to collapse to the floor and pass out from fatigue.

“To his bedchambers.” Bohai nodded to the men and they continued carrying him away. He followed them and waved her forward. “Come now, you should stay with him too. We have a lot to talk about.”

Daiyu trailed after them, too tired to complain or think too hard about anything. It wasn’t until they took Muyang to his bed, laid him down, and she noticed his chest rising and falling, that she allowed herself to fall on the velvet couch and sag against the embroidered cushions. All the energy seemed to leave her in that instant, and she closed her heavy eyes. She hadn’t realized how fatigued she had become from traveling up the mountain, traversing the rocky terrain, finding Feiyu and looking through his memories all night, and finally flying to the palace—untilthismoment. When everything was seemingly okay.

“So what happened?” Bohai eased himself onto the couch across from hers. He glanced over at Muyang’s slumbering body and then back at her. “You said that his souls combined?”

“Yes.” She explained everything to him, from Feiyu helping her at the palace, to how she knew where to find him, and everything in between. By the time she finished the story, Bohai was staring at her like he had never seen her before. Like he couldn’t believe his ears.

He reclined in his seat, his eyebrows furrowed together. “I always had my suspicions that something was off about Muyang ever since he took the throne, but I never … I never thoughtthatwas what happened. Feiyu and Muyang were the same person this whole time?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “I’m sure it’s quite shocking to you since you knew him—well, both of them—for so much longer than I did.”

Now that Feiyu and Muyang’s souls were stitched together again, didn’t that mean everything she had told Feiyu—her gripes about Muyang, her desire to flee from him, and so much more—were also privy to Muyang now since they were the same person? Her cheeks warmed at the thought of that and she fiddled with one of the many tears in her dirtied skirts.

“I always found it strange that Feiyu showed up when he did, and that he seemed to know so much about everything. Muyang has never been a trusting person, so when he brought in a masked mage who he seemed to trust so easily, I found it … troubling, to say the least.” A pensive expression crossed Bohai’s face for a moment and his voice lowered. “But Feiyu had a way about him that made everyone comfortable around him. Like we alwaysknewhim, and I suppose we did.”

They were both quiet for a moment. Daiyu watched Muyang’s sleeping form with a pang in her chest. How painful must it have been for Feiyu to be around the people he loved and be unable to say anything about who he was? And how confusing for Muyang must it have been to have gaps in his memories for the people he was supposed to love? She couldn’t imagine going through the stress of being the emperor for four years without a solid support system. Without his memories intact. He probably felt like he was going crazy at some moments. At least that’s how she would have felt.

A knock on the door interrupted their silence and Vita poked her head through the doorway the next second. Upon seeingDaiyu, a look of relief passed over her face and she stepped inside tentatively.

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