Chapter 20 The Demon Emperor’s Passing Revealed
I sat in the carriage heading back to Yu Jing.
Outside the window, the forest glowed with autumn colors. Red leaves painted the mountains in deep hues.
A Li was excited about returning to Yu Jing.
I stared out the window, lost in thought, worried about the Demon Emperor in seclusion.
"What are you thinking about?" Rong Che lifted the curtain and entered, sitting beside me.
He gestured for A Li to wait outside.
Once she left, he noticed my thin clothes.
He ordered a cloak and draped it over me carefully.
When his fingers brushed my body, I lowered my eyes and shifted away.
Rong Che paused.
After a moment, he smiled. "It seems Imperial Princess has grown up and become distant from me."
I wanted to argue but swallowed the words.
I only clutched my skirt awkwardly.
He did not mind and continued with a smile. "When you were young, you always followed me and called me brother."
"Your spells were weak, and you feared Master's punishment. In the end, I covered for you."
Rong Che spoke of the past in a light, gentle tone.
Indeed, outsiders saw him as a doting older brother.
His parents were my parents' closest friends. Before they died, they entrusted him to my father.
From then on, he lived in Yun Tai Palace and grew up with me.
He was gifted and brilliant.
The Demon Emperor felt guilty for failing to save his dear friend and cared for him even more.
After my mother passed, the Demon Emperor poured all his energy into the two of us.
But I was dull and timid.
Even the servants said Rong Che was more suited to be Young Lord.
As for Imperial Princess, she was a woman. There was no reason for her to inherit the Demon Emperor title.
The demon realm should pass to Rong Che in the future.
Yet the Demon Emperor never mentioned stepping down. I did not know what held him back.
Rong Che saw I stayed silent, lost in memories.
He patted my head. "The Demon Emperor worried about you most. Even on his deathbed, he told me to take good care of you."
My expression froze. I turned to look at him.
"You... what did you say?"
"Deathbed?"
Rong Che hesitated, his eyes filled with regret and guilt.
"Shortly after you left Cang Wu Mountain, the Demon Emperor fell gravely ill."
He sighed, his voice calm.
"He already had old ailments. His meridians were damaged during seclusion. I have been searching for you to tell you this."
The same "accident" as in my previous life.
Only this time, the Demon Emperor's death came earlier.
I stared at him.
Tears streamed down my face and soaked into my collar.
My hands clenched into fists under my sleeves until my knuckles turned white.
Rong Che reached out to wipe my tears.
His voice was soft, yet it carried a warning only I could understand.
"Imperial Princess, look."
"Whether it is Xie Ning or the Demon Emperor, they can only walk with you for a short while."
"From then on, we two siblings will rely on each other. I will protect you and never leave you."
Autumn wind entered the carriage and gently rang the copper bells at the corners.
The long, lingering sound answered his whisper.
My body went limp.
I let Rong Che pull me into his arms and stroke my hair.
His warm breath brushed my neck.
It was nothing like Xie Ning's.
He held me tightly.
He did not see the mocking curve forming at the corner of my mouth.