Page 69 of Empire's Curse

She nodded mutely.

“Then they will be looked after very well.”

Feiyu had mentioned the same thing. And now, with her final worry seeming to abate, there was nothing holding her back anymore. This, she decided, was probably for the best. If she married Muyang, then her family would never have to worry about anything anymore. Whoever was threatening her family would back off once Muyang offered his protection. All of her worries about her family would disappear if she married him.

But there were so many sacrifices she would need to make—so many sacrifices that were necessary for any woman married to the emperor. She would have to be satisfied with being one of many. She would have to put up with his court, especially the other women in his court and in his favor. She would have to be content with the risk of being cast aside or disfavored by him in the future. She would have to deal with her children potentially being treated differently since she was a commoner.

There was so much of herself that she would have to give up, and she didn’twantto.

But this was the only solution that would bring true peace and prosperity for her family. Her elderly parents wouldn’t have to worry about food, or the rice fields, or theirharvest. Her grandmother could finally relax after a long life of labor. Her siblings could have a chance at an education and marrying into a higher status. There would be no more danger upon them either.

And with the way Muyang was right now with her, she could imagine herself being content with him. She didn’t love him, but it didn’t really matter. She wouldn’t marry him because of love—that was outside her scope.

“All right then,” she whispered, a part of her wilting and another part of her coming to terms with her decision.

She had made up her mind.

She would marry Drakkon Muyang. Not for love, but for everything he offered—power, wealth, and status. And she promised herself in that moment if she ever felt like she had made a mistake, she would flee from him with everything she had, even if it killed her.

24

The restof their travel to the fortress wasn’t as arduous as Daiyu anticipated it would be. During the night, Muyang had placed a magical shield over their bodies that kept them warm, and by the morning, the weather had cleared up enough that traveling was bearable. By the time they arrived at the fortress in the evening, Daiyu was starving, but otherwise fine. She scarfed down every bit of food given to her, and before she knew it, it was nightfall once more.

Daiyu pulled the silk covers of her blanket over her body and turned on the plush mattress in Muyang’s room. Thankfully, since arriving at the fortress, she hadn’t come across her betrothed, who was too busy getting back to work and, likely, eradicating the rebel soldiers in the nearby village. She was more than happy to be left alone, especially now that she had made up her mind about marrying him. Although she was final with her decision, there was a small part of her that didn’t want to come to terms with it.

But right now, with the loneliness of night, she wondered what he was doing. She had been engaged once before, with her childhood friend Heng, but everything about this betrothal was completely different. For one, she didn’tknow Muyang like she had known Heng. She had known everything about Heng and loved him dearly, but she didn’t feel the same with Muyang. But … she also felt things with Muyang that she hadn’t felt with Heng. She hadn’t felt dark, guilty attraction. Her stomach didn’t warm at the sight of Heng’s face, nor did her body tingle with anticipation anytime he was near. Her chest hadn’t felt tight any time he had been close to her. And she certainly had never thought about touching him or even kissing him.

She touched her mouth lightly, her face flushing with warmth. What was shethinking?

Daiyu yanked the covers over her flaming face and curled into a tight ball. She needed to focus on surviving in Muyang’s court and it was better for her not to think of such … strange thoughts. And it was even better that Muyang wasn’t around for her thoughts to tarry.

Days passed without incident.Daiyu didn’t run into Muyang even once during her stay at the fortress. She had thought that maybe she would run away when she came in contact with him—for fear of how she would act around him now that she knew she would marry him—but she couldn’t even execute her plan since she didn’t see the man anywhere. It got to the point that she tried searching him out from time to time. She would walk the halls of the fortress, peek into the dining hall, and even wander the courtyards. But alas, the emperor was nowhere to be seen.

Daiyu fastened her mulberry-colored cloak tighter around her body and folded her sheep-skin gloved hands together on her lap. Her butterfly hairpins were studded with amethysts and every time she turned her head, the jangle from the dangling charms at the end of them startled her. She hoped she appeared like a proper noble lady, but she had no clue if she was actually succeeding. All she knew was that she was actually putting in an effortin her appearance, and Muyang wasn’t even around. It made her wonder why she even cared, but at this point, it was just to spite him.

Soldiers sparred in the open courtyard, their breaths streaming white and their clothed bodies dampening with sweat. She had grown accustomed to the sound of steel clashing against steel, and even now, with the cacophony of drawn weapons and men grunting, she remained unperturbed. Daiyu drummed her fingers over her knees and watched the flurry of movements in mild boredom. It was still better than being cooped up in her room, though.

“Lady Daiyu?”

She turned her head and squinted against the harshness of the sun as Atreus came to stand a few feet away from the bench she sat on. His burned-honey-colored hair was brushed neatly back, and there was a sheen of sweat glistening on his tan face and neck.

“Oh. Atreus.” She smiled at him and partially covered her eyes against the sunlight glare. “I didn’t realize you were sparring here.”

He shifted away from the brightness and motioned to the spot beside her. “May I?”

“Certainly.”

He sat down on the cool stone bench and leaned against the backrest with a soft sigh. The ends of his damp hair curled against his neck, and Daiyu glanced over at the cross-collared, black and red military uniform he wore. “You look more in your element now that you’re not associated with bandits,” she commented half-jokingly.

The corner of his mouth rose and he rubbed the nape of his neck. “Ah, yes. I don’t think I make a very good bandit. I apologize if I appeared vagrant and crude.”

“Not at all.” She turned to watch the sparring soldiers once more. Their weapons glimmered in the harsh light as they moved strategically. “You were only doing your job, and you did a splendid job at that too, if I may add. I might not be here if not for you.”

“I’m sure you would have found a way to escape.” He watched her from the corner of his eye. “Just like how you escaped this fortress. An impressive feat.”

An unexpected laugh bubbled from her and an embarrassed flush climbed up her throat. “Oh, trust me, that wasn’t impressive at all. I was running on pure determination, naivety, and blind luck.”

“You managed to shock His Majesty, and not much surprises him these days,” Atreus said with a hesitant smile. He laced his rough, calloused hands together, and the wind gently tousled his hair. “I wish you could have seen his face. Everyone in the room was terrified that he would kill us all for our negligence. Imagine our surprise when helaughed.”

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