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Busy is an understatement, with how many reforms he has to oversee to bring Kou Empire away from the rot that Gyokuen and her cohorts have caused. It doesn’t help that there are too many officials who have been blinded and made complacent by her rule, content to simply whittle away time while they fattened their pockets.
Executing traitors, weeding out the incompetents, establishing new laws: the life of a new emperor is packed to the brim.
His bedchambers offer a quiet respite from it all—but not for long.
“What are you doing here,” he asks, tone flat as he watches Judar idly push open the door, floating into his room because he’s too lazy to walk. The few servants and guards that he has stationed outside are nowhere to be seen, presumably frightened away by this lazy magi.
“Now, now, don’t get angry so quickly,” is hardly placating, since they both know that Judar’s idea of work in the recent days is floating all over the capital in order to get some news for him. That sounds very official, especially when it really is just ‘gossiping’ and ‘eavesdropping’ at best. “I came here to help you comb your hair, Hakuryuu.”
His instinctive response is to reject the idea. After all, the only things that Judar likes to volunteer for are things that cause destruction.
But that’s not entirely true either. Even if he denies it, they both know that Judar is the most important participant in his plans, one who’s enthusiastic about helping him. Plus, given the other’s vanity, he probably is knowledgeable about combing one’s hair.
He doesn’t speak, and Judar reads that as his acquiescence.
So, he sits there on his bed as he continues to review scrolls of reports. Judar half-kneels behind him, humming as his fingers skillfully massage his scalp while detangling any knots on his hair. “This lady who sells peaches apparently has a son who’d get married next month” and “one of the ugly castle guards is crying for Kouen to come save the land, urgh” are said in the same lighthearted tone.
He listens to all these rumors and information, Judar’s voice echoing in his chambers.
It comes to an end an hour later, as Judar floats in the air in front of him, yawning. Like a puppy eager to be praised, “I did good today, right, Hakuryuu?”
“…There’d be a lot of rumors tomorrow,” he answers instead.
Not that there has been any shortage of such things before. Even a few years back, he’s already heard talk about how the Oracle is strange for favoring him, a powerless prince. After reclaiming the throne, there are those who have continued that line of talk, claiming that he has seduced the dark magic for his own purposes. He doesn’t bother correcting any of them.
“So? Let them talk!” There’s a dissatisfied expression on Judar’s face. Then, just like a capricious child, his expression changes to interest. “Unless you want me to freeze their tongues? There’s this magic that I want to try…”
As expected, he doesn’t think about such things. Hakuryuu rolls his eyes and lightly swats his magi. “Judar, shut up.”
Of course, following his orders on the battlefield or regarding their plans is one thing, but following his orders behind closed doors is another. Judar doesn’t shut up. The next morning, Judar even deliberately sashays out of his bedchambers with his clothes half-falling out of him, and fuels the rumors even further.
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