𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 || 敵の旦那様 (𝐁𝐋) ✔ [COMPLETE]

80. To Love is to Let Go

And that was why Fu Lin grasped the knife in his hand, an inch firmer.

It did not matter that he'd incur the wrath and displeasure of more than an Empire and he might end up getting cursed for a lifetime. And it absolutely did not matter that he'd carry a debt of blood to his grave in the ripples of death.

He wanted to do this for Haoran. He wanted to do this so that he could be unleashed on the burden that pertained to them both.

Fu Lin stood motionless, turning his back to Haoran, who now positioned himself by Jing Hui before his robes slightly rustled to the trails of indolent winds. And then before anybody could react to the urgency of his action; he had begun moving. Fu Lin was ignoble and futile in many a sense, but it was definitely not with regards to giving chase and running away. Hence, he ran and ran with all his might even as people around him called out to him.

Blood pounded in his head. Fu Lin knew he had to do this today.

The screams from all four sides passed on a deaf notion through his ears as the gap between him and Emperor Guang decreased. Hands rushed at him from all sides and tattled through his prison robes. and an arm almost toppled him to the ground, but he managed to scrimmage himself up by gritting his teeth and eating a mouthful of sand.

Haoran could hardly fathom what was happening before him while it lasted. By the time his eyes widened in realisation and the words left his lips,

"Fu Lin! Don't—"

Fu Lin was already standing before Emperor Guang, who was now seated at his throne with an impassive face. Then his façade fell; his face contorting in a menacing gleam as he asked, "What, are you here to commit yourself to killing an Emperor so that you can avenge the heartache of your potential lover? You think you can survive the Empire after doing something like that?!"

"Hey now," the assassin yanked Emperor Guang by the hair and growled "Don't get too ahead of yourself and everybody else," He addressed Haoran and the rest who neared them to protect the Emperor, "One more step towards me or this mosquito prince here, and you can consider this old man dead meat."

He then turned to Fu Lin. "I thought I was supposed to deal the finishing blow?" "No," Fu Lin held the Emperor's gaze unwaveringly, "I shall do the honours."

He then raised the knife high up into the sky, but it only lasted a second before it came down and blood scoured the floor. Emperor Guang stood astonished as the knife eased out of Fu Lin's hand and fell down with a clatter.

Fu Lin had cut himself.

Red blood soaked through the robes that draped on him and dyed the floor an ugly crimson. Fu Lin held the shoulder. He just rammed the knife through and spoke,

"This..." He heaved with red eyes, "This is my oath of blood to you; to Emperor Guang as the omnipotent, divine sovereign of Blazing Sun, as the only liege and lord to the lands of the entirety of Kanglun... as an acknowledgement of your reign over both Blazing Sun and the ! I swear obedience to you as a complete subject of the Blazing Sun by forgoing my identity as a Silver Mountaineer, and abolishing my ties to said place in both heart and mind."

The remnants of whatever crowd remained after the commotion gasped in sheer incredulity while the lieutenants and even Jing Hui gazed in bewilderment.

He gasped as pointed his finger at Guang and knelt before him, "From henceforth I shall serve under your reign and die at your disposal, your Imperial Royal Majesty. But I beg you... this is the measly life that man saved again and again by risking his precious life countless times. So do not kill me... for barging in and causing such commotion in an event that was supposed to be joyous. I beg you..." he bowed deeply before Guang, "Spare my life and let me go this once. I shall disappear to some place where the General wouldn't find me. I shall never step into the bounds of his life."

He then staggered himself to get up and walked over to General Haoran, who now gazed at him with piercing eyes. He reached out his hand to touch Haoran but stopped himself when he realised that Haoran took no initiative to step forward to him from where he stood- from Jing Hui's side.

Fu Lin smiled slightly as his fingers brushed Haoran's sleeves. "Please excuse this filthy one's touch one last time?"

He then touched Haoran's face with blood-soaked hands before he could tell anything and spoke softly, "The unfortunate one who couldn't give you happiness was me. So find joy in life; the happiness it has to offer without the shadow of my ruinous self. I wish I could profess 'I love you' a thousand times over before you sleep every night and know that's what it means to love now. Oh, but I have learned that to love is also to let go. Therefore, I shall... please be well."

He pressed one last painful kiss; a searing yet trifling one on Haoran's forehead before he began walking away.

His breath rapidly increased, and his senses dulled. When he felt wetness down his face, he couldn't help but smile. He also couldn't help but turn behind and look at Haoran and tell in a barely audible whisper,

"Did you know Haoran? I also no longer have a home... except—"

And then his body gave out. He found himself falling to the ground. Two arms came around him and held him in place, two palms the size of trash cans embracing him in indescribable warmth, and Haoran breathed into him.

"I know. This is all I ever wanted, and this is all I'll ever want."

"But we can't—" Fu Lin felt himself slipping into darkness.

"No," Haoran held him close, "You did great holding onto the sight of all that blood for me. There was nobody else from the beginning, nobody..." His irises rapidly darkened as Fu Lin closed his eyes.

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