CH 47

“Nngh..”

As their lips danced together, Ji Ning couldn’t stop the noises he let out, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. 

Ozer kissed him so fiercely he felt his lip tear, the faint metallic taste of blood passing between their tongues.

The taste of Ji Ning’s blood only seemed to stimulate Ozer further. He grasped Ji Ning’s waist tightly, as if trying to merge their two bodies together. He never wanted to separate from him again.

Ji Ning was kissed breathless. It was this bloodied kiss that made Ozer truly feel as if Ji Ning had returned to him. This was the person he had been looking for all this time, not a phantom delusion conjured by a spiritual attack.

When he first realised the person who entered was not Madam Rosina, Ozer’s spiritual energy swept through the room to discern the identity of the unknown person. During times when he wasn’t suffering from spiritual attacks, he could easily distinguish the spiritual signatures of those around him, and the spiritual energy he sensed was hauntingly familiar to Ozer. 

Every person’s spiritual signature is unique and unreplicable. As soon as his spiritual energy touched the person in the room, he knew they were Ji Ning.

Despite being so familiar with Ji Ning’s spiritual signature, it took Ozer much longer than usual to recognise the energy.

But all of this occurred in a matter of seconds. His instincts moved much faster than his thoughts. As if he was afraid the other party would escape, his spiritual energy had already manipulated the familiar stranger over to his bed.

They raised their hands to cover their face, but Ozer was so desperate to confirm his hopeful suspicions that he pulled them into his arms and forced them to lift their lowered head. Even though Ozer had suspicions of the stranger’s identity, he was still unprepared to see the face that haunted his dreams.

Whether it was the spiritual signature or those beautiful eyes, they all belonged to Ji Ning.

Since the day he had glimpsed the figure he suspected to be Ji Ning in the palace, he had been searching for him, and finally, he had appeared again.

Ji Ning’s face was a little pale and there was an obvious panic in his expression, as if he didn’t really want to see him, but the ecstasy of regaining what was once lost still nearly made Ozer cry. He could only vent his feelings of endless joy through kisses.

A long time had passed since Ji Ning’s death. The moment he knew Ji Ning was gone, his world fell into darkness, ringing with a deadly silence. It was not until this moment that he felt a sense of hope again, his heart beating for the first time in a long time. 

It was him.

It was really Ji Ning. He had come back to him.

The blond monarch had lost his usual calm composure, his whole body shaking violently as he clutched Ji Ning close and kissed him passionately. He didn’t even consider how Ji Ning could have come back to life, the only thing he could focus on, over and over again, was that his Ji Ning was back.

Before he knew it, Ji Nin had already been pushed down onto the bed by Ozer. The oxygen in his lungs was stolen through the kiss, making him dazed and dizzy as he lay on the bed, panting. 

His cheeks were flushed and his eyes reddened, tears rolling down his face and dripping onto the pillow, leaving small, damp spots.

Ozer was also breathing heavily, his handsome face extraordinarily sexy up close. His eyes never moved from Ji Ning, his hands grasping at Ji Ning’s wrists, as if he was worried the person in front of him would simply disappear if he ever let go of him.

Due to Ji Ning’s light struggling, his already revealing clothing had become messier. The neckline of the shirt had been pulled wide open, reaving the fair skin of his collarbones. The faint fragrance that came from his neck was effortlessly seductive and drew Ozer in hypnotically.

“Xiao Ning…” 

Eyes fixed on his face, Ozer murmured his name, his voice slightly hoarse. His eyes were dark, like the depths of the ocean, and exuded a dangerous aura.

Ji Ning was still overwhelmed from the kiss, but felt that if he didn’t say anything, he would fall into some kind of precarious situation. He put on a flattering voice and called out softly, “Brother, I- Nngh!”

He was a little nervous around Ozer and there was a slight tremble in his voice, sounding shy and flustered as he called out the name he once said so sweetly in the past. For a moment, Ozer’s breath caught in his throat, then he lowered his head and passionately caught Ji Ning’s lips in another kiss.

This time, Ji Ning couldn’t say how much time passed before he was finally released, his head dizzy from lack of oxygen. He could barely pay attention to Ozer’s gentle whisper against his ear. 

“Call me that again.”

“Brother…”

“Again.”

“Brother…” 

Ji Ning was in a daze, his voice low and soft. His eyes were filled with pleasured tears and his expression was both pitiful and lovely. He was so cute that Ozer couldn’t stop himself from kissing the corner of his lips again, wrapping himself around Ji Ning’s smaller body and coaxing him to call out ‘brother’ over and over again.

His handsome eyes were filled with a soft light, as if he was staring at a precious lost treasure, his gaze so gentle he almost looked intoxicated.

But the hands that held Ji Ning trembled slightly. His lake green eyes held a darkness he did his best to hide, as he tried to suppress the dark desires inside his heart.

He had to calm down his emotions, otherwise he would lose control and trigger another spiritual attack. He couldn’t frighten his Xiao Ning and make him run away again. 

He couldn’t lose Ji Ning again. The heartache Ozer suffered from Ji Ning’s death caused his spirit to deteriorate into this wretched state. If Ji Ning disappeared again, he would truly go insane.

Perhaps that statement wasn’t entirely true. He had been abnormal for a long time now…

The blond monarch hugged the person in his arms, the corners of his lips curving up into a twisted smile.

He could admit that he was a terrible person. Cruelty and ruthlessness were etched into his every action. There was nothing in his character that could be considered a good quality. 

In the beginning, when he and Ji Ning had a hostile relationship, he’d hurt him so that Ji Ning could feel the same pain he did. Later, after daring to fall in love with Ji Ning, he was still ruthless to the core. When he saw Ji Ning was engaged to a woman, he went mad with jealousy and threatened Ji Ning to break off the engagement, otherwise he would expose his identity as a fake prince.

Facing this situation, Ji Ning, who was only a teenager at the time, was filled with fear. He didn’t understand why his brother was treating him like this. Ozer remembered the overwhelming jealousy he had felt which made him unable to resist revealing that he knew of Ji Ning’s secret love for him. He had even kissed Ji Ning-

“Br-Brother..”

After being kissed so suddenly by Ozer, the boy took a step back in shock and panic. He covered his lips and said in disbelief, “Why are you, why would…” 

He still wasn’t aware of Ozer’s feelings for him. Ozer had always been so cruel to him, and even now, the prince had just exposed the feelings Ji Ning had tried hard to keep secret. Ji Ning must have thought this was just a new way for Ozer to humiliate him.

Seeing his helpless and pitiful expression, Ozer, who hadn’t been angry at first, felt an unreasonable irritation rise in his chest. He spoke with a cold voice, “Kiss you? Why do you think I would kiss you?”

“…”

The boy opened his mouth, numerous possibilities flitting through his head. He was speechless for a while, then finally lowered his head and said quietly, “I’m sorry…” 

Ozer released the spiritual energy he’d used to hold his body up and sat back down into his wheelchair. Squinting his eyes, he asked, “Why do you apologise?”

“Because I am…” The young man’s throat trembled as he said with difficulty, “I am a digusting person who likes the same sex, and you know that I am not worthy of entering a marriage with Miss Feo…brother, you wanted to remind me of this, right?”

Ozer smiled, but his chest filled with anger. He had no idea what was going on in that boy’s head. How could he distort his kiss into such a thing? Did Ji Ning think he was the kind of person who kissed others casually?

Could it be that after loving him secretly for so long, he no longer considered it possible for Ozer to like him back? 

After kissing the teenager, Ozer felt a trace of regret. He could never regret falling in love with the boy, but he wished he hadn’t revealed his feelings.

In the Mo Ling Empire, same-sex love was a crime punishable by death. If he and the teenager confirmed their feelings for one another, it would put them both in a very dangerous situation.

This was wrong.

They were both princes, members of the royal family, and ‘brothers’ in name. Although they were both well aware they were unrelated by blood, others wouldn’t see it that way. 

If they were exposed, they would be executed in secret. There was no other ending to their ill-fated love.

That was what he originally thought.

However, Ji Ning’s reaction angered Ozer. He didn’t want to endure his longing any longer. He beckoned his fingers and used his spiritual energy to pull the boy towards him by the collar.

He squeezed Ji Ning’s jaw fiercely and under the boy’s panicked gaze, leaned forward and captured his lips again. He kissed him until the boy pushed against his chest, squirming in his arms, then he opened his mouth and said slowly. 

“I would only kiss someone I liked.”

When he spoke, his expression was cold as ice. It didn’t sound like a confession at all, so the stunned teenager took a few seconds to understand what he was saying.

Ktf ybs’r ojmf kfca yijcx obg j wbwfca, qgbmfrrlcu jii xlcvr bo mbwqilmjafv gfjmalbcr jr tf mjgfoeiis byrfgnfv Yhfg’r fzqgfrrlbc. Qtfc tf olcjiis mbcolgwfv obg tlwrfio atja Yhfg kjrc’a pbxlcu, tf rajgafv ab mgs, afjgr oibklcu vbkc tlr mtffxr.

Yhfg kjr ajxfc jyjmx ys tlr gfjmalbc. Dfobgf tf mbeiv mbwqgftfcv atf gfjrbc obg atf ybs’r revvfc afjgr, tf tjv jigfjvs gfjmtfv bea ab klqf jkjs atf afjgr ogbw Al Rlcu’r fsfr. Lf ilrafcfv jr atf affc raeaafgfv bea jc jcrkfg. 

“I just thought…”

His voice was choked with emotion, as if sad and happy all at once.

“If you found out that I liked you and were disgusted by me, I would be exposed to the Emperor and executed…”

“I never thought you would respond to me. I’ve done so many hateful things in the past, I thought it would be impossible for you to like me. I thought there was something wrong with me for liking you, so after you found out I was so scared…” 

Ozer felt his heart clench in pain and couldn’t help but hug the boy into his arms, kissing away the tears that rolled down his face. His movements were so gentle that even he was surprised as he comforted the crying teen.

“Nothing is impossible.”

He stroked the boy’s back, his expression warm as he showed a rare tender side, “I have the same heart as you.”

The teenager lay against his shoulders, crying intermittently until the fabric of Ozer’s clothes was soaked wet with his tears. 

When he finally raised his head again, the tips of his eyes and nose were red from crying and his face was stained with tears. His beautiful face seemed slightly embarrassed, but in Ozer’s eyes, he looked extremely cute. Before he could stop himself, he lightly kissed the boy a few times.

He originally wanted to restrain his feelings, afraid they would become fatal for the two of them. He thought he was rational enough to remain unaffected and it would only be Ji Ning he had to worry about, but now…

Ozer stroked the boy’s wet cheeks. His expression appeared calm but his heart had already melted into a puddle of water.

It was unbelievable that a person’s emotions could change so drastically. He couldn’t even remember how he had hated Ji Ning in the first place. No matter how he looked at it, Ji Ning was too cute, every part of him was perfect. He couldn’t find another person who could fill his heart the way Ji Ning did. 

He wondered if this was the way he appeared in Ji Ning’s eyes. Did he feel the same way?

Aware of the change in Ozer’s expression, the teenager looked a little stunned. His cheeks flushed and his eyes softened as he lowered his head shyly. Ozer felt his mouth go dry and immediately threw away his sanity, moving towards the boy and enveloping him in sweet kisses.

It was a while before Ozer’s frenzy was over. When they finally realised how late it was and Ozer had to leave, the teenager pulled at the hem of his clothes and said softly, “Then later I will…see you at the academy.”

“Yes.” 

The handsome blond prince wiped the moisture from his lips. His face slowly returned to its usual icy expression, but the gaze he used to look at the boy had changed, becoming a little softer.

He instructed the teenager, “Don’t forget, we must maintain our previous relationship inside the academy. Don’t let others find out.”

“I know.” The boy nodded, “Of course I understand this, the others will definitely not see.”

“Really?” Ozer raised an eyebrow and said casually, “But it’s so obvious how much you like me.” 

“Brother…” Ji Ning cried out in embarrassment.

Ozer smiled and stopped teasing the boy. He stroked his hair, then said in a low voice, “And break off your engagement. You can’t be engaged to the daughter of Archduke Feo.”

“But, father…he was the one who arranged the marriage…”

Thinking of His Majesty the Emperor, the teen couldn’t help shrinking inwards, his face frightened. 

Inside the Mo Ling Empire, the Emperor was a supreme authority. Even though he was favoured by the Emperor, he didn’t dare make any mistakes. After all, he wasn’t really a prince. His entire life, he’d been walking on thin ice.

“You will be punished, but bear with it and I will plead for you in front of father.” Ozer held the boy’s cool fingers and coaxed him, “You’re obviously in love with me, are you really willing to spend your whole life with someone else?”

“I don’t want to…” The boy whispered, then took a deep breath and nodded, “Okay, I understand. I’ll talk to the Emperor.”

Ozer hugged him in silence, a dark look flashing across his eyes. 

He knew they had already reached the edge of the cliff. If they weren’t careful, they would fall into the abyss.

Even if Ji Ning broke off the engagement this time, as they got older there would be a second or third engagement. As long as they hadn’t married and had children for the royal family, they would be burdened with such troubles and sooner or later they would have to compromise.

But he couldn’t bear to hand Ji Ning over to another person, and apart from Ji Ning, there was no one he cherished in his heart. Due to the experiences of his childhood, he hated physical contact with others, with the exception of Ji Ning. Just imagining someone other than Ji Ning touching him was enough to make him feel sick.

He wished they could monopolise each other completely. 

To live the life he wanted, the Empire’s existing laws must be abolished. He could only achieve this by becoming the monarch of the Empire, and ascending to the highest political position.

Ji Ning was not a true member of the royal family and his personality wasn’t suitable to be an Emperor. If they wanted to stay together, only Ozer could do it.

He had to become the Emperor of Mo Ling.

Right before the engagement ceremony was set to take place, the teenager approached the Emperor to request to break off the engagement. 

He spoke tactfully and explained simply that he and Miss Feo were not suited to be in a romantic relationship. However, the Emperor was still furious and wanted to execute the teenager. It was only because Ozer and Miss Feo pleaded on behalf of Ji Ning that the Emperor reluctantly changed his mind and sentenced him to a month’s confinement.

This was not an ordinary confinement, Ji Ning was to be locked inside of a pitch black room with no contact with the outside world. Although the confinement room was equipped with basic facilities and he could use his spiritual energy for entertainment, the sensory deprivation and lack of outside contact was enough to make him suffer.

Members of the royal family had strong spiritual energy and generationally sound mentalities, so they were unlikely to become unstable because of something like this, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t painful to endure. That the Emperor would punish his beloved fifth prince in this way showed how angry he was.

After Ji Ning was imprisoned, Ozer went to the Emperor’s palace every day to plead for his brother. 

The Emperor was unmoved at first, but as time passed and Ozer persistently continued, his heart began to waver. His severe punishment of the teenager was enough to placate the Archduke Feo, but as long as there was a suitable explanation, he was willing to release the boy. After all, why would he punish his own child for someone else’s child’s sake?

“Go and see him.”

After Ozer had pleaded for half a month, the Emperor felt that his stance was made clear enough and said to Ozer.

“See if your younger brother feels sincerely remorseful. He must learn that the dignity of the royal family cannot be compromised because of his willfulness.” 

“Yes, father.”

The prince sat inside the wheelchair bowed his head. Although the Emperor couldn’t see his face, he was still aware of his sincerity.

Secretly, the Emperor felt it was a pity the child was so exceptional. He had a rare aptitude for spiritual energy and he cared so strongly for his siblings. He had heard rumours that in the academy the relationship between the two was bad, but it appeared that wasn’t the case.

If it wasn’t for the defect of his legs, he would have chosen Ozer as his heir without hesitation, but unfortunately… 

He shook his head slightly, giving up on the idea of Ozer inheriting the throne. When he looked at Ozer again, there was a little more kindness in his eyes.

That child had gone through a lot of hardships in order to return to the palace and he always acted flawlessly. Since it was impossible for him to be the next Emperor, he should make it up to Ozer in other ways.

“Go.” He waved his hand, allowing Ozer to enter the confinement room to see his brother.

With the Emperor’s permission, Ozer rushed to the confinement room after a hasty salute goodbye. He asked the guard to open the door of the confinement room and turned his wheelchair around to face the door, but did not enter. He nodded politely to the guard. 

“It’s fine to leave us alone for a while. After so long, he needs to adjust to the outside light, so he can’t come out immediately.”

The guard didn’t doubt his words. Following Ozer’s instructions, he unlocked the door and continued to stand guard at his post.

Click.

Once the door was opened, Ozer guided his wheelchair into the room. Using his spiritual energy, he sensed the boy was curled up on top of the bed. His breathing was steady and he should be sleeping, but Ozer still felt a little distressed for him and quietly moved closer. 

He waited by the edge of the bed for a while, until the boy made a soft noise and moved as if he was about to wake up. Ozer slightly raised the corner of his lips in the darkness and used his spiritual energy to lift his body onto the bed. The slight movement of the mattress alerted the teenager into waking up.

“Who are-”

Blinded by the darkness, the boy didn’t have time to use his spiritual energy to confirm who was in front of him. Without knowing the person’s identity, he was caught off guard and kissed. Startled, he began to struggle fiercely.

Ozer hugged him close and kissed him deeper. Feeling Ji Ning’s struggles, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing. His chest trembled, and he let out a low noise. 

After a few seconds, the boy recognised who was kissing him and froze, before throwing himself into Ozer’s arms in excitement. In a low voice he asked, “Brother?”

“It’s me.”

Ozer took a break from kissing him and chuckled softly, “Who else did you think it could be? Who did you want kissing you?”

When he asked his second question, his voice was still cheerful but there was a slightly dangerous edge to it. 

“There is no one else, I only want you to come to me…”

Sensing the danger, the boy quickly kissed Ozer’s face and whispered sweetly, “I’ve been looking forward to seeing brother first when I came out.”

Ozer was extremely pleased with his answer. Over the last two weeks, he had worried constantly about the teenager who had been locked up. If he was in Ji Ning’s place, it wouldn’t have affected him, but he was very anxious thinking that the boy was suffering.

Luckily, it seemed the boy’s mental condition was stable. There was even a refreshing scent on his body, so he must have just taken a bath. He smelled good. 

So fragrant…

Days of dark longing had destroyed Ozer’s restraint and he kissed the boy recklessly.

An ambiguous atmosphere quickly developed inside the small room. Only a few metres away, they could hear the footsteps and conversations of the guards on patrol. Although their voices were quiet, it could easily be heard by those with strong spiritual energies.

“The two Royal Highnesses haven’t come out yet, what are they doing? I can’t seem to hear them speaking, could something have happened? I should go inside to check on them.” 

Hearing this, Ji Ning’s body tensed involuntarily. If the guards saw them so closely intertwined with one another, it would all be over.

He pushed against his brother’s chest, but Ozer didn’t move an inch. Instead he kissed him deeper and firmly held the boy’s wrist above his head, not allowing him to escape.

“There’s no need for that. Their Highnesses probably want to speak privately, so have lowered their voices. If there are still no movements after five minutes, we can call for them again.”

“The two of them are so close. I heard that His Royal Highness Ozer pleaded everyday to His Majesty for his brother’s sake. It’s obvious they are not brothers of the same mother, but their relationship is so good, it’s really rare.” 

“Don’t talk about such nonsense. If such a thing is heard by the other princes, you’ll be in trouble.”

Ozer wanted to laugh. He and Ji Ning had a good relationship, but it wasn’t a brotherly one.

It was the love and desire that belonged to lovers, a secret that only the two of them knew.

A taboo. 

When Ozer and Ji Ning came out of the confinement room, the teenager lowered his head desperately and raised his hand to cover his face. He seemed to be slightly uncomfortable.

When the guard saw this, he immediately stepped forward to inquire about the fifth prince’s condition and whether he needed to be escorted to the medical office. But the young man just shook his head, covered his mouth, and said he was fine. He left with Ozer in a hurry.

After walking a distance away, he finally put his hand down, revealing his flushed face and lips that were kissed deep red.

The turmoil of the broken engagement basically ended here and Ji Ning returned to the academy. 

Because of this engagement, Ji Ning’s identity as a prince was revealed to his classmates, which further increased his popularity. As for the matter of the engagement, everyone kept silent, as if nothing had happened. No one dared to meddle with the private affairs of the royal family.

When Ji Ning returned to the academy, it was inevitable that he would come across two people. The first was Ozer, and the two of them maintained their lukewarm relationship on the surface, and the other was Miss Feo who’s engagement had been annulled.

Seeing the boy again, Miss Feo couldn’t pretend that nothing had happened. She didn’t resent Ji Ning, she was just upset because she had really liked him.

It was her biggest dream to marry him, but that dream was shattered before it even began. After that, the teenager was locked up for weeks and she still didn’t understand why he asked to break their engagement. Until she knew the reason, she was unwilling to give up on him. 

“Your Royal Highness, please can you tell me exactly how I displeased you to make you want to annul our engagement.”

A few weeks later, inside the maple forest of the academy, Miss Feo finally cornered Ji Ning, who had been avoiding her. She asked sadly.

“I know it’s not your fault, I must have done something wrong, but I hope you can give me a chance to correct myself. I will do my best to be suitable for you…”

“It wasn’t your fault.” 

The young man spoke, his head lowered, making it impossible to distinguish the expression on his face.

“It’s me…I’m really sorry, it’s completely my fault.”

His evasive attitude made Miss Feo’s beautiful face flash with a touch of hurt. The atmosphere fell silent, before she suddenly gained courage and pulled at the boy’s sleeve, saying.

“Your Royal Highness, please forgive me for being rude, but if you can’t give me a good reason, I will never give up on marrying you. Even if I become a laughing stock among the nobles, I will not change my heart for you-” 

Crack.

There was a sudden loud noise inside the maple forest as a large tree trunk split for no reason and began to plummet towards Miss Feo.

Shocked, Miss Feo used her spiritual energy to intercept the tree’s fall. Being able to enter the renowned Imperial Military academy, she was impressively powerful and had no need to rely on others. Yet the tree that should have easily been stopped continued falling without any declaration, as if she hadn’t even used any spiritual energy.

She hadn’t anticipated this outcome and it was too late for her to run. She used her spiritual energy to cover herself as a shield and closed her eyes, when she was suddenly embraced by a pair of strong arms. 

Bang.

The trunk of the maple tree twisted at an unnatural angle, missing the two of them and hitting the ground with a loud thud. Miss Feo opened her eyes in shock, then felt her face blush.

The prince had actually protected her in his arms. The tree must have been deflected by the prince’s spiritual energy. She couldn’t help feeling shy and thanked the teenager softly, “Thank you very much Your Highness, you saved me…”

But her thanks didn’t receive a response because the boy was staring blankly in another direction. Following the boy’s gaze, her mouth slightly opened in surprise before she saluted. 

“His Royal Highness Ozer…”

The blond prince sat inside his wheelchair, a stern expression on his face. His hands clenched tightly around the armrests of the wheelchair, and the coldness in his eyes made Miss Feo tremble. She didn’t know what she had done to offend the prince.

In fact, she really hadn’t expected Ozer to be here at all. She was chasing after Ji Ning to ask about private things, naturally she had put a spiritual barrier around the area to prevent people from overhearing.

But Ozer was definitely close enough to hear their conversation and she hadn’t noticed his approach at all. 

Why couldn’t she sense his presence?

Miss Feo was very puzzled, but she didn’t think the matter was very serious. She hadn’t said anything shameful, she had just confessed to Ji Ning again.

But the prince who had overheard their conversation didn’t seem to agree. His expression made it seem like she’d said something terrible, like he really wanted to kill her.

In fact, Ozer had already tried to just now. The maple tree split when he lost control of his spiritual energy. Miss Feo was unable to stop the falling tree and didn’t notice Ozer’s presence because his power was so much higher than hers. Her spiritual energy was nothing in front of him. 

Even though this wasn’t a battlefield, and she was no match for Ozer’s spiritual energy, she still provoked him to the highest degree.

Because she confessed to Ji Ning.

They were inside a military academy, in a public place, but she could reveal her feelings to Ji Ning without any fear simply because she was a woman and the love between men and women could be open and celebrated. Even if Ji Ning didn’t like her, she didn’t need to be scared.

He was very different from her. 

In looks, identity and abilities, he was far better than that woman, and more importantly, Ji Ning shared his love, and their feelings were mutually returned.

But what was the use of that? Their feelings could only be concealed in dark spaces and hidden corners, like it was something disgusting that shouldn’t see the light. Inside the academy, they had to appear indifferent towards one other, wearing masks just to appease strangers. They weren’t allowed to exchange even an ambiguous look with each other.

In the face of this woman’s questioning, Ji Ning couldn’t say he had someone he loved because that person was a man.

Why? 

Why was this woman allowed to stand by Ji Ning’s side, to almost marry him and become his wife and lover?

Ozer couldn’t control his dark anger and his uncontrollable spiritual energy simply satisfied his dark desires. If that maple tree smashed against the girl’s head, she would become a puddle of meat with a single touch.

His spiritual energy was terrifyingly powerful. Even if Ji Ning and the girl combined their power, they wouldn’t be able to resist him. For a split second, Ozer really thought the girl might die like that, but he hadn’t expected Ji Ning to use his body to protect her.

If it wasn’t for Ozer’s deflection of the tree trunk at the last moment, Ji Ning would have been the one who was hit. 

He went so far to protect that woman, regardless of his own safety…

Wasn’t he the one Ji Ning liked? Why did he look after that woman so seriously?

Could it be that looking at her pitiful appearance, he finally relented and was willing to restore their engagement?

Jealousy like a black flame burned through Ozer’s heart, filling him with violent emotions, before it abruptly froze into an ice cove, chilling him to the bones. He was scared. He didn’t want to see Ji Ning fall in love with someone else. 

“Ozer…

In the academy, Ji Ning never called him ‘brother’. In the past, it was to cover up their true relationship, but now his expression was ice cold, as if ‘Ozer’ was really the only name he wanted to call him by.

“What did you do to Miss Feo?” He asked.

“…Do you think I did this on purpose?” 

Ozer’s eyes darkened.

It was true that he felt the urge to kill her, but he hadn’t intended to do anything. This was caused by the loss of control of his spiritual energy.

He actually wouldn’t have cared if he killed the woman who stood in his way so many times, but they were still inside the Imperial Military academy and it would have been inconvenient for him. He really couldn’t bring himself to regret what happened, even though it was unintentional, as it still matched the desires inside his heart.

He had always been this kind of extreme and cruel person. 

He didn’t feel wronged by Ji Ning’s accusation, after all, he was correct, but he was angry that Ji Ning was so upset on that woman’s behalf.

Miss Feo was frightened by this accusation. She didn’t know if what Ji Ning said was true, but the accident had to be man-made, otherwise she would have been able to stop the tree.

And now the person behind this was suspected to be His Royal Highness Ozer.

Why would he want to kill her? Had she done anything to offend him? 

Ji Ning looked coldly at Ozer for a few seconds, then turned away from him. He held Miss Feo’s back and motioned for her to leave, “Miss Feo, let’s go.”

“…”

Miss Feio bit her lip and after hurriedly bowing to Ozer, she followed after Ji Ning.

Just as they were moving out of sight, she turned to look at Ozer one final time. He hadn’t moved an inch but his face made her eyes widen in shock. 

Although it only lasted for a moment, she saw the way Ozer looked at the boy.

It was bittersweet, hot and forbidding, as if he was tempted and terrified by him all at once.

The girl slowly turned her head away, her face paling.

She understood it now. 

She knew the terrible secret Ozer had kept hidden.

Ozer loved Ji Ning.

As the sun grew brighter in the sky, a beautiful and dignified lady sat inside the hall of the mansion, having stayed up all night, restlessly.

She had remained in this state ever since the beautiful boy her daughter had found had entered His Majesty’s bedroom. 

Although she kept telling herself that the fact that His Majesty had not driven the boy out, or ordered him to be killed meant that her last desperate gamble had succeeded, without seeing His Majesty personally, she could not feel completely at ease. This night could affect the fate of her entire family.

When it was finally His Majesty’s usual wake-up time, the Madam stood up immediately and walked towards the bedroom with a group of maids.

Although he was outside the palace, no matter where he went, Ozer maintained the same fixed schedule. This was a fact known by all the noble families and even though her family was in decline, she was no exception.

She greeted His Majesty softly from outside the door, so as not to disturb him if he was still sleeping. Before long, the bedroom door swung open, indicating that His Majesty was indeed awake. 

The Madam walked into the bedroom and was about to bow and say hello, when she saw the handsome monarch sitting by the head of the bed, with his index finger on his lips. He smiled slightly, signalling to her to keep quiet.

The Madam immediately withdrew her greetings and gave him a silent bow. Under her directions, the well-trained maids filed into the room and silently served Ozer to wash and dress.

From beginning to end, Ji Ning, who was still sleeping in the bed, was not disturbed. Ozer, who had changed into his uniform, put on his white gloves and used his spiritual energy to move Ji Ning into his arms, sitting him comfortably on his lap. The wheelchair rolled forward on its own, carrying the two of them out.

The Madam who followed behind them, appeared calm on the surface, but in fact her hands were clenched tightly together, wishing she could scream in excitement. 

Even if she’d hoped that the beautiful boy would please His Majesty Ozer, she didn’t dare to imagine he would be so favoured. Was it possible he might really become the Empress of the Empire?

It wasn’t until they had boarded Ozer’s personal spaceship and Ozer had moved Ji Ning to the Emperor’s bedroom, that he spoke to the Madam with a smile.

“Thank you for helping me find him Madam Rosina.”

“Oh, oh…this serv- servant…” 

She hadn’t expected to be thanked by His Majesty personally and felt so honoured she bent into the deepest bow she could, kneeling on the ground, “It is this servant’s supreme honour to be able to serve your Majesty…”

“You don’t have to give me such a heavy ceremony.” Ozer smiled, “As a Duchess, you should have more dignity.”

Hearing the imperial monarch say this, the Madam was so excited she almost fainted. In fact, she was nothing more than the Countess of a declining family, but His Majesty’s casual words had bestowed on her family the title of Dukedom.

All of this was because of that beautiful boy… 

At that moment, the Madam wanted to kneel down and kiss the hem of the boy’s shirt, regardless of her pride. It was because of him that His Majesty Ozer had given her family the highest of honours.

“I think in the near future, you will be able to attend a grand wedding with the title of Duchess.”

Facing the exuberant Madam, Ozer just smiled lightly, looked towards the bedroom door and said softly.

“A wedding for my Empress.” 

This is the longest chapter in the entire novel – I’m crying, I’m crying, this has taken years off my life

Sorry for missing my Saturday update – now that the chapters are no longer so scary, I will actually be updating on the right days again!! ₍ᐢ. ̫ .⑅ᐢ₎