NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108: Does he like me?
The next morning, King Augustus woke up with a terrible expression and a haggard face. He had slept lightly and woken up multiple times at the slightest sound of disturbance.
He despised the feeling of wrongness and weakness. Once the contract was broken, those Sedaverians would pay a thousand times over!
He threw off his blanket in disgust.
“Get in here and help me dress!” he demanded. “And call Aurelia immediately!”
The servants standing outside the door entered. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
King Augustus sneered as the servants scampered around preparing his clothes. Tsk, at least they still feared him as they should!
He was buckling on the last item—his sword—when Aurelia arrived.
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Aurelia greeted with a bow.
King Augustus strode past her. “Follow me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
King Augustus descended the stairs. First was breakfast, then morning court. He’d see who would dare to act out of line.
Ren Xiyang woke up feeling well-rested. It had been a while since he had gone to sleep early.
As he lay in bed, he spread his awareness out, sensing the different heat sources nearby. He stopped when he reached a certain familiar heat source: Rian.
Yesterday, he had felt emotional ups and downs regarding his revelation.
But now, after a good night’s sleep, Ren Xiyang felt much more calm.
Yes. He liked Rian. Rian was a good person, and his best friend. He was handsome and kind and fun. Ren Xiyang shouldn’t feel guilty or uneasy about the fact he liked Rian.
He had many things to consider before choosing an action. But in the meanwhile, he had a lot of work he also needed to do, both with and without Rian.
He pulled back his magical awareness and got up.
Not long after, Ren Xiyang walked out of his tent, fully dressed.
The sleepy knight Sir Allen Copper abruptly straightened. “Good morning, my Lord!” He blinked. “You’re walking!”
Ren Xiyang paused. Woops, he had forgotten about that. But being injured meant Kel wouldn’t let him work. Ren Xiyang nodded. “Yes, I feel much better now.”
Sir Allen Copper pursed his lips, not looking very convinced. “But, my Lord…”
“Be at ease. I’m simply going for a walk, not a run.”
“I’ll go with you!”
Ren Xiyang let him follow.
The early morning air was cold, though that wasn’t a problem for Ren Xiyang. He walked around the nearby grounds, passing by Viscountess Venemum’s camp and avoiding Duke Ignis’s stern-faced guards.
When he returned to the Sedaverian camp, more people had woken up. Some staff were starting to pack things away, while other staff were preparing breakfast.
Kel spotted him and came over to intercept him. “My Lord, how are you feeling?” she asked, concerned.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Forgive my question, but are you sure?”
Ren Xiyang’s lips quirked up slightly. “Yes, I’m sure. Do you want help cooking?”
Kel looked at him from head to toe. Then she looked at Sir Allen Copper.
“His Earlship has been walking well this morning,” Sir Allen Copper reported.
Kel was slightly convinced. “My Lord, please take a seat, breakfast is almost ready.”
“Thanks, Kel,” Ren Xiyang said.
He took a seat at the dining table, and not long after, Rian came and sat down next to him.
“Earl Rosewood, you’re up early today,” Rian said with a sunny smile. “Did you sleep well? I did.”
Ren Xiyang’s heart skipped a beat, blanking out a little at the smile. Did Rian always sit so close to him? Could Rian like him?
Rian blinked and touched his own face. “Is there something on me?”
Ren Xiyang shrugged. “No. Except for your face.”
Rian huffed. “The duel changed you,” he grumbled. “By the way, I need to talk to you later, so keep your schedule clear for me.”
“Okay.”
Kel came over with a tray of dishes. “Your Highness, my Lord, here is your first breakfast course…”
Rian straightened and flashed a quick smile as Kel laid down the dishes.
Ren Xiyang glanced at him, his eyelids lowering slightly. He had forgotten, Rian smiled at everyone.
Breakfast was efficient. The Sedaverian convoy was ready to go by the time Duke Ignis emerged.
Duke Ignis mounted a new warhorse and led it to the Sedaverians’ camp.
“Hurry up and board your carriages, we have a lot of ground to cover today,” he said with a grumpy face.
“We’ll be right behind you,” Duke Mauveine said.
“See that you are.” Duke Ignis pulled the reins on his horse and went to the front.
Rian started walking over to the Rosewood carriage, but then both Kel and Count Aegean gave him a look.
Kel didn’t want him to disturb her Earl Rosewood. Count Aegean wanted to give Rian a lesson.
“Aren’t you coming?” Count Aegean asked sternly.
Rian inwardly sighed. “I’ll see you later, Ayden,” he said to Ren Xiyang, before following Count Aegean into the Imperial carriage.
“Do you know what we’re going to learn today?” Count Aegean asked, once the carriage door closed and they started moving.
“More on diplomacy, I assume,” Rian said.
“That’s right. And do you know why?”
“Because you would like to vet my decisions going forward,” Rian said.
“That’s right,” Count Aegean said, crossing his arms. “Now open up to page 304…”
Ren Xiyang turned to Kel.
“Kel, sit inside with me. It’s been a while since I called back to the Rosewood Group.”
Kel frowned. “You don’t have a scheduled meeting today.”
“I assume they’d like to know that I’m well.”
Kel blushed slightly, recalling her possibly exaggerated words about Earl Rosewood’s injury when she spoke to Maria and the others back home. “Yes, my Lord.” She sat down inside the carriage next to Ren Xiyang.
Ren Xiyang connected his communication mirror back to the Rosewood summer manor. Maria and Aaron appeared in the glass.
“Earl Rosewood! Are you okay? We heard that you were struck by lightning!” Maria said.
“I can control lightning,” Ren Xiyang said.
Understanding spread on Maria’s and Aaron’s faces.
“Earl Rosewood was partially bedridden yesterday, but he has made a quick recovery,” Kel said.
“My Lord, you should rest some more,” Aaron said. “Mrs. Cooks would certainly say so if she were here.”
“I can’t rest when I’m thinking about how my greenhouses are faring while I’m away,” Ren Xiyang said.
Aaron placed a hand on his chest. “My Lord, the farmers have been caring carefully for your plants and recording all the information! If you like, I can call one of them here to report to you…”
And just like that, Ren Xiyang was able to segue into work. He pitied Rian—working was much more interesting than taking a lesson with Count Aegean!
The convoy had a brief break mid-morning and then had a longer stop for lunch. At the end of lunch, Rian once again tried to go to sit with Ren Xiyang.
Duke Mauveine intercepted him by the Rosewood carriage.
“Your Highness, Earl Rosewood,” Duke Mauveine greeted. “Do you mind if I talk to both of you?”
Rian inwardly sighed. “Come in.”
Rian and Ren Xiyang sat next to each other, while Duke Mauveine sat opposite them with a set of papers, a notebook and a pen in his hands.
“I appreciate your time this afternoon,” Duke Mauveine said, looking at Earl Rosewood in particular. He then looked at Prince Rian. “Yesterday, you spoke about some of your plans. I want to know more about some of them, including how your participation will function, Earl Rosewood.”
Rian was torn between—Was Duke Mauveine coveting Ren Xiyang??—and—Duke Mauveine recognised Ren Xiyang’s importance!
Ren Xiyang inclined his head. “What would you like to know?”
“Let’s begin with the new laws you’ve implemented in the Rosewood fief and the ones Prince Rian is planning to put forward to the Imperial Council in some form.” Duke Mauveine flipped to some papers. “I have a list of all the laws you’ve implemented here. Many of your new regulations changed the crime and punishment system in the Rosewood fief. Prince Rian, you said that you wanted to analyse their impact on the Rosewood fief and consider a review of Sedaveria’s criminal justice system. But I noticed you didn’t mention any details. So, Earl Rosewood, did your new laws reduce violence and crime as you initially purported when you presented them to the Imperial Council?”
Rian’s polite smile faded. Duke Mauveine was in his Prime Minister mode.
Ren Xiyang’s expression didn’t change. “There are many confounding factors.”
“You’re saying crime has increased,” Duke Mauveine said.
“The number of reported crimes has increased. But I don’t have good information on whether the real number of crimes has increased or not.”
“Explain.”
“Not all crimes are reported, for one reason or another. Sometimes, people do not feel safe reporting it. They might feel like it’s not a big deal. Or they might feel that their case won’t be treated seriously, or dismissed altogether. As you know, I introduced other laws that made certain actions crimes. The Rosewood Group has also set up systems and teams to help victims report and prosecute. At the same time, there are charity services and anti-banditry initiatives. Petty theft is down. And there hasn’t been any bandits in the Rosewood fief since I became Earl.”
“So you don’t have any records to confirm your hypothesis regarding under-reporting.”
“I know that it is possible to estimate the amount of under-reporting. However, I don’t yet know how that would be implemented. Thank you for the comment, I’ll speak with the Rosewood Group regarding what we can do to form a preliminary estimate…”
Rian watched Ren Xiyang as he spoke.
A serious Ren Xiyang was very handsome. Unlike Duke Mauveine’s scepticism, Rian was familiar with Ren Xiyang’s talk about data and data gathering and biases and systematic errors. Ren Xiyang had told him it was a scientist thing back in his old world.
As Ren Xiyang talked with Duke Mauveine, Rian suddenly realised that Duke Mauveine might mention the marriage laws next! He glanced at Ren Xiyang. If he did, it was an opportunity for him to subtly signal to Ren Xiyang!
As Ren Xiyang and Duke Mauveine continued to talk, Rian suddenly realised, was Duke Mauveine only going to talk about the crime and punishment?
—Yes. The answer was yes.
Duke Mauveine turned to Rian. “Did you know all these things that Earl Rosewood has spoken about? Do you know more?”
“I know, Earl Rosewood keeps me updated,” Rian said. “If you have ever visited the Rosewood fief, you would quickly realise that the culture there has changed. The people living there don’t seem unhappy about Earl Rosewood’s various legislation. However, I understand that new laws are useless if they can’t be implemented and supported. That’s why I want to propose a review first. To improve reporting, to support victims, to pay for the cost of hard-labour sentencing over execution, all of this requires money and people.”
“And how do you propose the review to be conducted?”
“I hope that can be determined in consultation with you, Duke Mauveine,” Rian said. “I’d admit that I’m not familiar with how it should be done, but I assume there is historical precedence. I planned to speak with Count Aegean and others too to formulate a well-grounded plan before I present it to the Imperial Council…”
In the late afternoon, the convoy stopped for a brief break. Duke Mauveine stopped questioning Prince Rian and Earl Rosewood and returned to his carriage to meet with Count Aegean and Lord Marcus Celeste.
And so, Rian was able to sit with Ren Xiyang in the Rosewood carriage alone!
With the curtains closed and a privacy spell cast, Rian slouched back, losing his princely posture. “Finally! We haven’t had time to talk for a while.”
“We had private meetings yesterday,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Over 24 hours ago,” Rian corrected.
Ren Xiyang: “…” Was that a necessary correction? Did Rian really like to spend time with him?
Did Rian like him too?
“And it’s been over 24 hours since you said you’ll tell me about lightning tribulation!”
Ren Xiyang: Ah, so that was what he wanted. “Oh, I forgot.”
“You forgot?!” Rian put on a scandalous expression. “You promised something to your crown prince and you forgot?”
“I heard that Count Aegean and Duke Mauveine were dubious about your continued status as crown prince.”
“Xiyang, you should be my biggest supporter,” Rian said.
“Or, perhaps I know you too well.”
Rian snickered. He sighed and tilted his head back, his eyes warm. “Maybe you do.”
Butterflies fluttered in Ren Xiyang’s stomach. He lowered his eyes briefly. “Do you want to learn about lightning tribulation?”
Rian straightened up, placing his hands on his knees like a good boy. “Go on.”
“Lightning tribulation is a trope in certain types of stories in my old world.”
“In romance novels?”
“In some, sure. It’s a fantasy-genre trope. In those stories, if you can survive some number of lightning strikes then your power increases to the next level.”
Rian narrowed his eyes. “Does that mean your power has increased?”
Ren Xiyang’s lips twitched. “I don’t think this is the right novel genre.”
“Hmm.” Rian put on a pensive expression. “The fact that you survived lightning means that your strength has reached a high level, correct?”
“Yes. But in those stories, ‘surviving’ does not always mean surviving a lightning strike. It could also include successfully defending against them or successfully dodging them.”
Rian smirked. “We defended against quite a few lightning strikes.” He nodded to himself. “Well, I already know we’re very strong. But what a curious trope!”
“It’s part of a larger fantasy setting called xianxia. Oh, the flying-on-a-sword trick I did was also based on xianxia tropes.”
Rian’s eyes widened. “Tell me more!”
Rian: *wants to spend time with Ren Xiyang*
Rian: *wants to spend more time with Ren Xiyang*
Rian: *wants to spend more more time with Ren Xiyang*
Ren Xiyang: I wonder if Rian likes me…
Tired bafflinghaze, much regret that past me didn’t do more work / writing >_>
Also, data! The biases and issues about apparently “cold hard” data are very interesting to talk about. I cut out a few paragraphs about it though because it was too info-dumpy 😆