Yuzu looks at the ceiling with a lost gaze. He is still in a daze. He can't believe Zixuan was replaced in his last life and no one noticed. It feels like a story where suddenly an identical twin pops out of nowhere.
Yuzu looks down. Zixuan is deep in his sleep beside him. Partly because of the exhaustion , partly because of the medicine. Yuzu slowly lifts Zixuan's right palm. He looks at the cut which is the only difference between Zixuan and Zemin.
He didn't ask how Zixuan died. Or had Ze-min tortured him to death or not ? He is not ready for the details yet. It can be a dream for Zixuan but for him it all happened like yesterday. Very clear , very real.
Yuzu caresses the mark on Zixuan's palm. The deep cut is old. The wound is healer but the left the mark. It's hard to recreate the exact same cut. Even if Ze-min tries, he can't make it as old as Zixuan's.
"Yuzu !"
Yuzu sits on the bed. "Father ... Come in .. why are you standing there."
Minister Bai smiles "I was thinking if you are up or not."
"Just woke up." Yuzu stands up from the bed. "Do you need anything ?"
"His highness's medicine. He needs to take it before breakfast. But he is not up yet ?"
Yuzu chuckles "you know ,how he sleeps... Like a child."
Minister Bai sits on the mini sofa. "He is still a child. I wonder what made you grow up so much ?"
Yuzu frowns with a funny face "what ?"
Minister Bai looks at Yuzu with a serious face "when you asked to marry His highness. I instantly knew it was a bad idea. You two were never an ideal match."
Yuzu sits in front of his father. But he didn't interrupt.
"You were in your little happy bubble. You were in love with a person whom you never knew. Your heart and soul was not made to be in a harem. You were immature.
And I also knew Zixuan was not mature enough to protect you. Zixuan was in his mother's bubble. He was never raised to rule a kingdom like an ideal crown prince, he was raised to accept his mother's order."
Minister Bai smiles "In one word, Zixuan was not that ideal , powerful king whom you pictured in your heart. You got that proof. Didn't you ?"
Yuzu looks at his father with a little pout "He is not a bad king."
"He is not bad. He tries really really hard not to be a bad king. But Yuzu , he lacked guidence. The right guidence. So you were not the ideal male consort he needed. He needed someone like Yaad beside him."
"Yaad is a fool." Yuzu retorts in jealousy.
"Yaad is not a fool, Yuzu. But You have become smart suddenly. I have seen you whine for Zixuan for years .. when did you learn to fight for Zixuan ?"
Yuzu looks back directly into his father's eyes.
"What happened Yuzu ? What have you suffered in that abandoned chamber ? I want to know."
Yuzu looks away "what would happen... You know what happened.. I wanted you to beg for me tha..that's why I cut my wrist."
"Then why did you stop me in court that day ?"
Yuzu blinks "I .. I just realised if you beg, then it would look like I accepted the accusition."
"You didn't have the maturity to foresee things, Yuzu. I know that very well. But if you don't want to reveal, then I will not force you." Minister Bai stands up.
Yuzu takes a breath of relief. How can he explain his rebirth ? He can never.
Minister Bai looks at the bed before leaving. He feels like Zixuan is not a child anymore either. Zixuan is learning to protect too. His lip curves upwards.
***
"Do you have any plan ?" Empress dowager asks Afreen.
Afreen humms in her thoughts.
Yaad stands in the corner with a sour face. Everything was going according to his plan. Yuzu was out of the palace. He made peace with Zixuan but that bitch Jia-Li wasted everything .
Afreen stands up from her bed "Did you say that minister Bai stopped you from visiting his other rooms ?"
Empress dowager scoffs "He behaved like I am thief and if I enter in a wrong room, I will steal."
Afreen frowns harder "but why mother .. why ? It sounds a little absurd."
"What absurd ? Zixuan was not in other rooms. He guided me to the right room but in a bad way. And why are we talking about him ?"
"Because I am worrying about the bad way. His highness was injured. You entering the wrong room should be the last of his concerns unless ...."
"Unless he wants to hide something." Yaad completes Afreen's unfinished words "like stolen money .. or ornaments .."
Empress dowager scoffs "You two are useless. 'Hide stolen money..' why do you think I accepted Yuzu when he gave me the proposal of his son ?"
Afreen keeps on frowning. She doesn't reply to empress dowager. Yaad asked instead "why ?"
"Because minister Bai has the money that can lead our entire army against us." Empress dowager replies with an ugly face.
Afreen stands up from the bed "you need to visit minister Bai's residence again, empress mother and this time I will visit with you."
Empress dowager scoffs at Afreen in disgust "you can clearly say that you have no plans. No need to pretend like you have one..."
***
Yuzu gasps for air. "This can't be real.."
"Yuzu calm down." Zixuan holds Yuzu's cold hands tightly.
Yuzu looks at Xingchen for another confirmation "Jia-li is dead ? Someone murdered her ?"
Xingchen nods "someone stabbed her from the back. Five times."
Yuzu's head spins. "I should've known .. I should've.. She told me."
Zixuan holds Yuzu's face with a serious look "what ? Who told you ? Has someone threatened you ?"
Yuzu blinks. Threatened? Warned ? What was it. Whatever it was .. it was not joke when she said ... "You can't cheat on death. But may death cheats on you and gets mistress."
Death took the mistress.
"Yuzu.." Zixuan gives Yuzu a shake.
Yuzu comes out of his thoughts "I .. I need to visit the temple. I will be back soon.'"
Yuzu didn't stop for Zixuan's resistance. He ran. He ran as fast as he can. He didn't stop anywhere until he reached the stairs of the temple.
Yuzu looks at the male begger sitting in place of the old woman. "Where is she ?"
The male begger tilts his head. He is surely drunk. "Who ?"
"The old woman who sits here. Why are you talking her place?"
"It's my ....place." the man slurrs.
Yuzu shakes his head "no ..not you...
"Leave it my son..he is way too drunk to understand what you are talking about." The priest who came out of the temple addresses Yuzu.
Yuzu looks at the priest. "Have you seen an old woman who sits here ?"
The priest smiles "you maybe new here. That's why you don't know , I can't see."
Yuzu blinks then frowns "What ? Then how can you be a priest ?"
"How ? Because eyes have no use when he it comes to god. You have eyes .. can you see him ?" The priest asks.
"Maybe, I saw her yesterday..." Yuzu replies in a questioning tone. He doesn't know, that woman can be a good fortune teller too instead of God.
"Can you see him today ? You have the same eyes." The priest asks again.
Yuzu looks around "no..".
Maybe she was not a god. Yuzu repeats in his mind.
"Why ?"
"She is not here today."
"Temple is her home, noble consort. She can't be anywhere else except here. But you can't see her as you wish.. you will only see her, when she decides to let you see her .. with or without eyes. Go back , consort Yuzu. You need to be in your home too before someone else possesses your home."
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