👑 KAI’S TONGUE 👑

“I’m your…what?”. Jade asked in a little tone and the Emperor pulled away from her, turning his back on her.

“Kai”. He called out in a low tone and Kai instantly rushed in.

“Show her out…

“Since when? I know my way out. I’ll just go…

“Don’t you dare cut me off again. You’re in no position to do that”. The Emperor said and Jade blinked.

“I was just…

“Are you deaf?”. The Emperor Damien growled lowly and Jade scoffed inwardly before moving closer to him, standing behind him she made to speak but Kai eyed her to keep quiet.

“Why did you make me your mistress? Do I look too pitiful to you? Or i look like one who can’t survive on my own? You know, where I come from mistresses are seen as lowly segz tools and won’t get any respect as the real wife. You want me to be bullied by your Empress when she’s chosen right?…

“Is that a question? You just questioned my actions?”. The Emperor is usual in stressed tone but deadly tone.

“I didn’t mean however you heard,I’m just curious to know….

“She’ll be leaving now, I’ll see to that?”. Kai said pulling Jade away as she struggled to set free from him.

“Do you have a death wish?!”. Kai asked when they got out.

“What kind of question is that?! If it were you who got acquired like a common tool would you sit quiet? I just want to know the reason why he gave me such a lowly position in this palace!!”. Jade snapped and Kai held his head.

“Being a mistress is by far better than most position in this kingdom not to forget as the Emperor’s mistress you’re more like the second most respected lady in this whole kingdom…

“I don’t want. Tell your Emperor I’m not interested in being his mistress! I’m still young and doesn’t deserve to locked up in the palace”. Jade retorted her pissed face growing into a sad one and Kai sighed before walking away.

“Where are you going?”. Jade called after him and when he didn’t respond, Jade made to walk back into the Emperor’s chamber but Kai appeared and pulled her along with him.

“Just one question. I promise it won’t take long”. Jade pleaded as Kai pulled her along with him.

“You might like your new life though. You love gold right?”. Kai said and Jade stopped struggling with him moving more closer.

“Explain more please?”. Jade asked and Kai only scoffed at her remark leading the way only to run into Asa who was coming out of the banquet set by the Queen Mother for the trainees who passed the first trial.

Kai walked passed her like no one was in front of him, while Jade glanced at her like they were strangers before making to walk past her to…

“I don’t remember treating you badly before? How come you don’t even bother to greet now?”. Asa asked and Jade stopped on her track.

“Of course you don’t treat me bad. But you also taunted me for being birthed by a slave didn’t you? Being the fancy person you were, my existence just irritated you, didn’t it?”. Jade asked and Asa only looked away before facing her again.

“Maybe i did felt irritated. But don’t ignore ne when next you see me…

“I’ll leave you behind if you don’t come here now”. Kai’s voice cut Asa off from the far front and Asa threw him a frown before moving closer to Jade to whisper into her ear.

“Avoid him also. He and the Emperor are big bullies. So stop moving around with him”. Asa warned before walking away and Jade stared after her.

“I’m sometimes proud of having such a beautiful older sister. But I’m more prettier ofcourse”. Jade assured herself flipping her hair as she went to meet Kai.

**ZHUO MANSION**

“Are you going to explain to the lord the reason for your arriving late?”. Han’s personal slave asked as he walked behind his master who ignored the greeting of the maids while they made their way to his father’s chamber.

Han was very good looking and in his late 300s as he possessed the power to control anything liquid, mostly water.

He was currently looking a bit tattered cause the fight he had earlier wile his servant who happened to be a short man about the same age as him looked utterly dirty in his cheap slave outfit, as he had earlier tried fighting along woth his master.

“I should. Father is always fascinated by my stories”. Han smiled widely as he stood before the door to his father’s chamber.

“Just don’t tell him, you got injured cause of a gambler…

“A girl. A pretty one at that”. Han cut his slave off.

“She doesn’t deserve to be called one. You see the way she was bringing out all those expensive stuffs? Even you would think thrice before acquiring any of them, but she just wouldn’t stop betting with gold and then as expected the real owner appeared. The Emperor!!..

“Just go to your base. I’ve had enough of you today”. Han rolled eyes and his servant winked.

“You said you wouldn’t bow once you see the Ç0çƙy Emperor who forced noble young masters to join the army and defend the kingdom once their hundred years old and serve for at least two years before seeking freedom. But what happened you bowed instantly?”. His servant annoyingly winked and Han scoffed with balled fist.

“He was just lucky to have dominiative aura, people dare not question, that’s all. Plus…He obviously sent the nobles to war front just to have our young ladies to himself! For how many years now, Queen selection…Queen selection! But he never ends up with an Empress and then gives us back those failed trainees as leftovers for we to marry”. Han said anger visible in his tone and the servant only laughed nudging his elbow.

“He’s still the Emperor! Both you and lord Zhuo can not question him. Even your sister Giselle is currently at the palace fighting for his attention…

“Will you leave my sight?!”. Han snapped and the servant laughed funnily before running off.

“Just thank your jovial energy, otherwise i would have sold you a long time ago”. Han sneered at his leaving servant before walking into his father’s chamber.
*
“Heard you crossed the city’s boarder at noon, but you’re here by this time?”. Minister Zhuo asked and Han only smiled going to sit on his father’s empty wooden chair.

“Just little shopping. What about mom?”. Han asked looking round his father’s room.

“She went to exchange slaves with the Wangs. Ours tend to be too outspoken and nosy”. Minister Zhuo said walking closer to his soon, who smiled.

“Heard about them. The family with twenty daughters or so?”. Han joked and his father sighed.

“How was military service? I tried sending some slaves but the Emperor’s security against special treatment to heir was too tight…

“He’s problem’s getting worse lately. Thank goodness I’m back, I was getting too engaged training hectically cause i was ordered to do so”. Han sighed resting his back on the chair.

“Don’t talk I’ll about the Emperor. But you can as well settle then. I’ve been getting some sweet marriage proposals lately….

The minister wasn’t done when Han Uninterestedly stood up from the wooden chair and began walking towards the door.

“I’ve got eyes on someone else. And she doesn’t look like any noble so refuse wh@ťěver invite you got from any family to marry their spoiled brat”. Han said before leaving the chamber and his father shook head at him.

“There’s always a lot of time for him to change his mind”. His father sighed before going to sit on his writing table.

<QUEEN MOTHER’S CHAMBER>

“What makes you think he’s into her?”. The Queen Mother asked her personal maid Loli who could pass as her spy also.

She sat right in front of her beauty mirror taking off her jewelries and makeup with the help of two other maids.

“I heard her conversation with Kai in the hallway and it seems the Emperor made her his mistress”. Loli said helping the Queen Mother combed her hair, but the moment she mentioned the word mistress the Queen Mother stood up enraged banging her hand on the desk before her.

“Mistress?! My son acquired a lowly mistress?! And that not anyone else but a once blind girl?! Or a trickster should i say!”. The Queen Mother roared storming out of the chamber.

“Your highness,the Emperor shouldn’t find out we know yet!! Let’s wait till he announces it first”. Loli yelled after the Queen Mother who then fumed back into the chamber.

“I combed out all the mistresses hovering around the late Emperor when i assumed the post of an Empress and i won’t mind doing it again in place of the future empress. I never liked that girl to begin with, imagine making a big mockery of the whole kingdom and tricking the Emperor into training her, he even saved her powerless @zz by not making her compete on the field like other trainees and now he made her his mistress?”. The Queen Mother scoffed in annoyance and her maids only had the same look as she.

That had been their behavior, hating whoever she h@ťěd and liking who ever she liked no matter the attitude of the person concerned.

“Find out more about that snake for me. Loli i need every evidence to kick her out of this palace before she grows on everyone”. The Queen Mother said and Loli bowed before exiting the chamber.

“Just a matter of few days and my son has already been charmed by a Witch? I should be ready to open his eyes for him”. The Queen Mother muttered before going into her inner chamber.

<THE WANG MANSION>

Lia a young maid in her early sixties slowly fetched water from the well right at the backyard of Lady Wang’s court.

She looked really tired and that was why she couldn’t use her powers as usual so she instead used her hands.

Pouring the last water into the huge bucket she closed the well and made to lift the bucket of water up to her head when someone threw her a note which landed on the ground right in front of her.

She looked around, knowing fully well who it was she instantly took another route to go into the mansion and Jun then came out of hiding glaring at her leaving figure.

“She ignores my messages now? Just wait to senior Mother is not around. You’ll tell me who’ll save you from me”. Jun glared with balled fist before walking away and Mina and her mother who stood quietly behind him exchanged glances of disgust.

“Can’t believe he’s still into that kid”. Mina muttered.

“That kid is twelve years older than the witch stealing the Emperor from you all maidens in this kingdom”. Lady Wang replied a little harshly and Mina gritted her teeth.

“Do you have to remind me…

“You’ll be returning to the palace by tonight and join tomorrow noon’s competition”. Lady Wang said and Mina faced her in shock.

“So fast tonight not tomorrow?”. She asked.

“My people are pretty fast, so they did what I asked them to do on time”. Lady Wang smirked before walking away and Mina’s gaze followed her in puzzlement.

<PALACE>

“Cherry give me a little chance please”. A fellow trainee begged Cherry who rolled eyes in annoyance at her as they walked towards the fountain located deep in the garden.

“No! I make friends with only girls of my rank, what if i become the Empress tomorrow, won’t it be too disgracful to keep someone like you as friend?”. Cherry glared at the girl who still followed her and Cherry got mad.

“Just stop following me, you leechy opportunist!!”. Cherry snapped pushing the girl to the ground and the girl fell to the ground but panicked when she felt she landed on something.

“Ha! I think I fell on something!!”. The girl screamed getting up instantly while Cherry only stood looking closely to see what the girl meant since it was very late at night.

“What’s that? Is a deer? Cause it was really squeashy”. The girl asked and Cherry threw her a glare.

“Why are you asking me why can’t you clarify yourself!”. Cherry asked pushing the girl to the structure on the ground and the girl screamed loudly and getting up again.

“Its a dead body!! I saw it!! Oh my heavens!!”. The girl screamed running away but Cherry only blinked moving closer.

“Someone died just like that? Does it mean she’ll be replaced by one of those who got eliminated? Wait…why do I sense that she devil senior mother is behind this? She wants Mina back in then it’ll ne no Emperor for me!! I’ll surely ruin her plans, my mother trained me to be really cunning also”. Cherry scoffed giving the body that was shot dead on the forehead with an arrow before walking away also.

<EMPEROR’S PRIVATE LIBRARY>

The Emperor took his usual reading position, relaxing on the shelf as he went through an historical journal. His mask has been gotten rid of also.

Kai stood behind him a straight face on him but his whole mind was in turmoil.

“You have just one question to ask”. The Emperor’s voice came, his gaze not diverting from the book in his hand.

“Why did you take her as your mistress?”. Kai quickly asked not wanting to be greedy.

“For monitoring”. The Emperor replied still with his eyes on the book.

“Monitoring? Your highness, i know she gambles alot but don’t you think that kind of step just to monitor her is a huge one?”. Kai asked and the Emperor closed the book with a sudden force returning it back to its shelf he faced Kai fully and Kai bowed, his long black her sleeping behind him.

“You think her gambling moves me at all? I’d just order for her two hands to be cut off since she h@ťěs using them negatively”. The Emperor said.

“Everyone thinks I hallucinated when I said I saw her remove my sword. And now Old Shanghai has just told me something I’d accept as stupid. But after what I saw, its only best i keep her near”. Emperor Damien said his gaze fixed on Kai who avoided it.

“But..she should have just continued in the contest then that way we have a greater chance of she removing the sword, not she withdrawing from the contest”. Kai muttered.

“Who told you she withdrew. She’s just taking a rest. Now that she’s my property I can train her however I please without having to worry about how bad people will see my maltreatment towards her. She has one thing to do here and that’s for her to remove the sword. I don’t care if she has some hidden powers or not, i only know that power whatsoever will have to reveal itself when i want it to so it better brace itself”. The Emperor said with so much air of readiness and finality and Kai though felt his coldness also said nothing before bowing and taking his leave.

The Emperor went back to his reading but finding nothing he shoved the book back into its self.

“What can of phoenix can she be be then. I’m the only fire and there’s no ice or is there?”. Emperor Damien muttered to himself slowly pacing round the little space he stood his mind clouded with so many thoughts till he heard a sound behind him and with his strong wind he pushed the shelf behind him to the ground and he frowned at the sight before him.

“I…I..just walked in”. Jade stuttered her hands clutching tight to one of the pots she brought with her.

Her lips and clothes were soiled with the food already, she placed three huge pots on the table and held one to herself no spoon.

“Is this becoming an habit now?”. The Emperor asked his sharp gaze piercing through her and Jade i stantly shook her head coming down from the table she sat to explain.

“Stay where you are and speak. Don’t dirty my library”. The Emperor cautioned and the Jade stood were she was.

“Kai told me that as from tomorrow, I’ll start dressing grand and all, i won’t get to eat however I want, he said I’ll be attending courtsey classes, etiquette sessions and get to eat only a tiny piece of meal every time to keep my figure and class. So I thought its best i eat to my heart content tonight”. Jade ended smiling widely.

“What happened to not wanting to be a lowly mistress?”. The Emperor asked and Jade blinked.

“Did i say that? I must be stupid”. Jade replied going back to her pots of food and the Emperor glared at her.

“You still want to continue eating over there cause i didn’t punish you? How did you even get in here in the first place?!”. The Emperor questioned and Jade flinched in fear instantly getting up to run out of the library.

“Hey! Hey!! Jade or wh@ťěver your name is, come take your pots with you!!”. The Emperor yelled after her but she was already gone.

“I need to inform Dori to start locking the kitchens as from now on”. The Emperor sighed walking closer to the abandoned pots only to see his logo on it and his eyes widened.

“She’s been stealing all these meals from my personal kitchen? How who prepares all these for her?!”. The Emperor gasped turning to storm outside, but Kai appeared before him.

“I think she makes them herself…

“Who cooks three huge pots of food every night like its for a whole battalion of army?! Get me the head maid and all her surbodinate and don’t forget the witch also bring them all to my court right now”. The Emperor said outting on his mask and walking out of the library.

“I..think its cause she never really got served food like the others ever since she arrived here…

“So my kitchen’s the one she has to visit and not the trainee’s?!”. The Emperor cut Kai off.

“She must have missed her way. Plus she’s your mistress now so i think the kitchen belongs to the both of you now. Afterall, she clearly uses it while you barely eat so no maid do visit it to prepare meals for you. The pots logos should also have her signatures on it, she deserves to hold the kitchen key also…

Kai stopped talking when he saw the Emperor move closer to him.

“Whose side are you on?”. The Emperor asked in a calm but thr_@tening tone and Kai instantly went on his knees.

“Forgive my tongue your majesty”. Kai pleaded and the Emperor hit his back with his elbow, before walking away gently like he didnt just almost dislocate Kai’s back.

“Get me everyone I mentioned to my court. Especially your little cook”. The Emperor reminded as he left the library.

“Yes…your..majesty..ahh!!”. Kai mouthed getting up to his feet as he danced around a little trying to touch his back but it was impossible.
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《TBC》