Chapter 33 The Emperor Who Was Afraid of the Dark
The world was shrouded in darkness, a deep, dark black that hinted at an impending storm.
All around was silent, not even the arrogant and sharp-tongued emperor made a sound.
I gripped my short sword, watching warily from a spot in the darkness, fearing a sudden attack.
All the muscles in my body were tense. I stood there for a long time, and even my neck was stiff, but I still didn't move.
A bolt of lightning struck, and in the light I spotted a large rock not far away, about two meters high. It had a depression in the middle, perhaps due to erosion, forming a natural barrier.
I groped around and found some dry branches, carried them to the bottom of the cave, took out a tinderbox from my satchel, lit it, and sat down cross-legged.
By the light of the fire, I saw Liu Xie standing sideways not far away, motionless.
Thick grass grew on the cave walls, and I leaned against that natural grass mat, feeling very comfortable. I squinted slightly, still keeping a close eye on him, worried that he might suddenly make a move.
With a rumble of thunder, a torrential downpour swept away the heat of the past few days.
Through the dense curtain of rain, I saw Liu Xie standing in the rain, still motionless.
"Hey! It's raining!" Looking at that lonely figure in the heavy rain, I frowned slightly for some reason.
He remained motionless.
What is this? I'm clearly the victim, so why is he acting like this?
"Forget it, come inside and take shelter from the rain. I'm a magnanimous man, I won't mind!" I shouted. He was the ruler of a country; if he died in the wilderness like this, how could I escape the blame?
He remained motionless.
"Your Majesty, your status is so noble. It's not worth it to harm your health just to save face!" I pinched my nose and continued to shout sarcastically.
Liu Xie stiffened slightly and turned his head to the side.
Another bolt of lightning struck, making his face appear as pale as snow. He moved his lips slightly, as if he were saying something.
"Speak louder, I can't hear you!" I shouted.
His eyes were slightly unfocused when he suddenly rushed towards me, soaked to the bone, and hugged me tightly.
"Xiaoxiao... I'm scared..." he murmured in my ear.
The wet feeling was very uncomfortable. I was about to push him away when I paused because of his words. Afraid? He was the emperor, who was he afraid of?
He leaned on my shoulder, his arms around me tightly, and his body was trembling slightly.
"You're choking me to death..." I said, stretching my neck to finally breathe.
"So dark...so dark..." he murmured, his trembling growing more and more violent.
Uh? Dark? He's afraid of the dark?
You must be joking.
He's willing to kill people, yet he tells me he's afraid of the dark?
"Smile...smile..." he murmured.
I froze, feeling a damp patch on my shoulder. Don't tell me... he cried...
"Why...why does everyone reject me...why am I the only one left..." he said softly, in a childlike tone.
My heart sank. Why? I want to know too. Why... does everyone reject me?
"My elder brother is dead, my elder sister is dead... Xiao You and Xiao Ai are dead too... even Xiao Xiao..." he muttered in a daze, his body trembling more and more violently.
Sensing his unusual behavior, I held his shoulder and pushed him away, only to find that his eyes were closed and he seemed to have lost consciousness.
He rested his head on my lap, tears sliding down his tightly closed eyes. "Xiaoxiao...why...why Dong Zhuo...why...even you don't want me..."
Why does nobody want me?
I lowered my head and gently wiped away the tears on his face.
I know that the "Xiaoxiao" he's talking about isn't me.
What kind of woman was Xiaoxiao? So many people thought about her, so many people missed her.
Before I knew it, the rain stopped and it got light.
In the pond not far away, the new lotus leaves after the rain gently exude fragrance, and even the air is filled with that faint aroma.
I calmly lowered my head and stared at Liu Xie, who was sleeping on my lap, wondering how he would react when he woke up and saw me sleeping on my lap.
He stirred slightly, slowly opened his eyes, and then stared at me blankly with his dark pupils.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Xiaoxiao..."
"emperor……"
In the distance, several horses galloped towards them.
I looked up, and the first thing I saw was Cao Cao, dressed in a bright purple robe, galloping towards me on horseback, splashing up countless puddles of water in his wake.
In the morning sunlight, I squinted slightly as I watched the man riding towards me on horseback. He had narrow eyes, thin lips, and a dashing air about him.
I stared at him, somewhat lost in thought, feeling that something was off.
Does he really have amnesia?
He abruptly pulled on the reins, watching me from a distance. Seeing Liu Xie still leaning against my knees, he narrowed his long, narrow eyes, then dismounted.
"emperor!"
Liu Bei arrived next, accompanied by several guards; Zhang Fei and Guan Yu did not come.
I glanced at Liu Bei, feeling no goodwill towards him. I had clearly promised to forget about the blood oath that day, yet this guy still betrayed me, trying to kill me! How insidious…
Liu Xie slowly stood up, straightened his clothes, and gracefully walked out of the stone cave.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back, his dark, bright pupils now misty with tears. "Thank you, Xiaoxiao," he said with a smile, speaking softly and politely. His misty eyes glanced at me before turning and walking toward Liu Bei.
I also stood up, leaning against the stone wall, but my knees went numb, and I sat back down heavily on the ground.
"Xiaoxiao!" Without looking at the Emperor, Aman walked to my side and picked me up in his arms. "Why didn't you go back to the manor last night? I thought you didn't want Aman anymore." His expression was somewhat aggrieved.
The doubts in my heart vanished instantly, and only Cao Cao could have uttered such a mournful tone.
Ignoring the emperor and Liu Bei's party, Cao Cao carried me onto his horse and left, acting extremely arrogantly.
I secretly broke out in a cold sweat. Would the sharp-tongued emperor punish him for his disrespect?
Liu Xie simply watched us leave with a faint smile, without uttering a single word of reprimand.
Sitting behind Cao Cao, I saw Guo Jia riding his little horse slowly in the distance.
"A fortune teller?" I looked at him in confusion.
He coughed lightly and smiled, "Ah, I found it."
"What are you doing here?" I asked, very curious.
"I was looking for you, but Xiao Mao is too slow, so he fell behind," Guo Jia said with a smile.
Looking at that guy who was bored out of his mind and munching on the grass roots by the roadside, I was speechless.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
