NOVEL NEXT Chapter 233: Wait, what’s going to happen next?!
After a summer apart, Pollux and Hadrian saw each other in person again, Pollux in his carriage and Hadrian on his horse awaiting the convoy.
They had communicated via their communication mirrors, but it wasn’t the same.
Hadrian seemed to have a golden glow about him. He made Pollux’s heart skip a beat, and then another beat when Hadrian’s eyes lit up and he smiled at him.
Cognisant of all the people around them, they had to restrain themselves.
They finally had some ‘privacy’ the next day, when Hadrian boarded Pollux’s carriage for the journey to Sedaveria.
The cats were in the carriage with them, on their own special padded area.
“Meow!” Lady Artemis pounced on Princess Sasha playfully.
Princess Sasha raised her paw and pushed Lady Artemis’s head down, before starting to groom her.
Hadrian took out a cat toy and teased Lady Artemis. It worked for a while, but eventually Princess Sasha pinned lady Artemis down again, in order to continue grooming.
Pollux’s lips curled up. He turned to Hadrian, to share the amusement.
Hadrian looked back at him.
Ba-dump.
Pollux reached out and held Hadrian’s hand.
Hadrian blushed. “Your Highness, I’ve missed you.”
“Do you want to…”
“Hm…” Hadrian leaned in.
Pollux leaned forward, and their lips touched gently. His heart swelled with warmth.
They were both too shy to keep kissing for long.
“My sister wants me to buy a property in the Sedaverian capital,” Pollux said.
“My mother wants the same thing,” Hadrian said.
Pollux looked down at their entwined hands. “What if we bought a third property, together?”
Hadrian’s hand tightened. “Oh. Yes.”
“Then we can look together when we arrive.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“I also told my sister that I was dating a man.”
Hadrian looked at him in shock. “Her Majesty?!!”
“I didn’t say your name because we hadn’t discussed it yet,” Pollux said. “Do you want us to be known, eventually?”
“If your Highness wishes, then I agree,” Hadrian said.
“No, what do you want, Hadrian?”
“I…I don’t know, your Highness.”
“Did you keep the confidentiality contract?”
“Yes, it’s in my luggage.”
“Take it out later, and I’ll annul it. It’s not fair that I can speak about matters, but you, my lover, cannot.”
Hadrian blushed at the word ‘lover’. “I don’t mind, Your Highness. What do you want?”
“Florence told us and Ayden and Prince Rian. They won’t react poorly if we tell them we’re courting,” Pollux said slowly.
Hadrian nodded.
“—Also, I believe Ayden, Prince Rian and Lady Florence already know,” Pollux said, a bit sheepish.
Hadrian’s mouth dropped. “What?!”
Pollux played with Hadrian’s hand. “Yes…before I told you that I liked you, they all gave me advice. I suspect they know.”
Hadrian: “…”
Upon arriving at the Sedaverian Capital, Pollux and Hadrian were welcomed with a dinner hosted by Ren Xiyang and attended Rian, Baltasar, Alexius, Florence and Hespera.
That evening, after the others had all left, Pollux and Hadrian went to speak with Ren Xiyang in private.
After some how-are-you exchanges, including congratulating Ren Xiyang for becoming a Marquis, Pollux said, “Hadrian and I are planning on buying our own properties here.”
“Okay. Do you want some help? I can ask Rian,” Ren Xiyang said.
“We…” Pollux reached out and held Hadrian’s hand. “Would like to purchase three connected properties, if possible.”
Ren Xiyang nodded, his expression not changing. “Of course. Congratulations. Do you have any specific requirements?”
Pollux smiled. “Some place with good privacy, but not too far from the university.”
“Hadrian?” Ren Xiyang asked.
“A place not too far from the Imperial Palace,” Hadrian said, looking at Pollux.
Pollux’s work on the maglev trains meant he had to go to the Imperial Palace, where the workshop/laboratory was currently located.
Ren Xiyang wrote down their various requirements and budget. “Before you buy a property though, your quarters here are next to each other. Would you like a door installed between them?”
Pollux’s eyes widened. Hadrian blushed.
“If it is convenient…” Pollux said.
“Yes, it can be done,” Ren Xiyang said.
“Then we appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
After some final conversation, Pollux and Hadrian left Ren Xiyang’s office.
Ren Xiyang’s gaze turned distant. He could feel that Rian was currently in the Imperial Palace. Unlike Pollux and Hadrian who were still living together, he and Rian were separated.
He could sense that Rian was currently busy talking to someone. Who would he be speaking to, so late at night? One of his secret agents? Ren Xiyang quirked his lips up. No doubt, he was up to one of his many ‘secret businesses’.
As part of his end-of-day routine, Ren Xiyang looked over his schedule and task list for the next day. Aside from blocked-out times dedicated to exercise, magical practice, and tending to his plants, he had several meetings with Rosewood staff and a random noble. Did this noble want to collaborate on something?
Ren Xiyang mentally shrugged and went to bed.
A day later, Marquis Rosewood was the topic of gossip again—there was a rumour that he had someone that he liked!
It came out because some noble (whose name was forgotten in the rumours) went to speak with Marquis Rosewood about possibly marrying his daughter. According to the rumour, Marquis Rosewood declined. When the noble questioned him sharply about why he didn’t like his beloved daughter, Marquis Rosewood was forced to admit that he already had someone he liked.
People who knew Ayden Rosewood went up and asked him directly about the matter. And to their surprise, Ayden Rosewood confirmed that he had someone he liked! However, he wouldn’t say who that person was.
The Rosewood fief residents, and nosy nobles around the kingdom, were once again guessing just who the lucky person was. Was it Lady Florence? Was it Ms Kel? Was it Lady Cassiopeia? Lady Adrienne?
Or, what about Lady Hespera? She was seen around the Rosewood house these days too!
There was a lesser-known variant of the rumour and speculation—what if Marquis Rosewood liked a man? That suddenly doubled the number of prospects. It could be Baron Baltasar Cordovan, or Mr Aaron, or Lord Hadrian Terra, or even Prince Pollux, Prince Alexius, or Prince Rian!! How about a cross-generational relationship with Solicitor Carmine? All these people were frequently seen around the Rosewood house!
While the people gossiped, Ren Xiyang was busy working. Now that the university academic year had started, the matter of opening up his own research institution came to mind once again.
After thinking about it a lot, and talking with Rian, Ren Xiyang was now certain that opening a university was feasible and important. Research into agriculture and technology played on his strengths. He had experience from both his lives. The new research institute would involve both magical and non-magical research and accept non-mage research students and academics. There was still so much more research that could be done, and it was a better use of Ren Xiyang’s time to train others to do the work, rather than to do the work himself.
Of course, opening an research institution meant more work on Ren Xiyang’s already heavy workload. However, once the reference-healing clinic signed off on its second round of funding, Ren Xiyang should have more time.
The rest of the week flew by.
As customary, a week after the university academic year started, there was an Imperial Council Gathering, which Ren Xiyang attended.
And then, in the evening, was the autumn social event—a ball.
When Ren Xiyang arrived, most people were already there. He had arrived a little later because he had been finishing off some work.
When he stepped off his carriage, an Imperial servant guided him to the event hall. Floating lights in the shapes of stars and flowers illuminated the path. The sound of people talking and the smooth weave of music grew louder.
“Announcing, Marquis Rosewood!”
Ren Xiyang stepped through. Tonight, he was wearing primarily black, with a white shirt and accents of red. His long hair was tied back and up, fixed in place with a golden leaf-motif hair ornament.
The biggest hall and its adjacent rooms and gardens were decorated with red, orange, gold and brown leaves, accented with glowing round lights and pops of green evergreen plants.
Richly dressed people filled the hall, though, Ren Xiyang accurately spotted Rian not far away from the door.
Rian beckoned him, so Ren Xiyang walked over.
Tonight, Rian was wearing primarily white, with a white shirt and accents of gold, and a blue cape with fluffy white trim.
When they stood next to each other, the similarity in their clothes was even more obvious.
“Once again, you don’t disappoint, Your Highness,” Ren Xiyang said.
Rian smirked. “Of course.”
Ren Xiyang said hello to the nobles Rian was talking to, before heading further into the crowd.
He spotted Florence and Hespera stood quite close to each other. Florence glanced up and saw him. She waved to him.
“Good evening, Florence, Hespera,” Ren Xiyang said.
Florence smiled in greeting. “Hi, Ayden. How is it not attending the academy?”
“Much better,” Ren Xiyang said emphatically.
Even when he was in the alternative research stream, there were still various restrictions, such as needing to have his work marked. He also had to study to pass the alternative stream entrance exams. Now, no more!
“How is your research?” Ren Xiyang asked. “Do you think it’s ready for small-scale production?”
He, Florence and Hespera talked about the various mushrooms’ growth requirements, yields, and some preliminary nutritional value analyses.
Later, Prince Pollux and Hadrian came by. Ren Xiyang said nothing about their matching clothes. Baltasar and his siblings also came up to talk to him about the progress in the Cordovan fief, and Alexius and his friends came over to say hello.
Nobles glanced at them from afar.
“Look! So many of Marquis Rosewood’s possible love interests coming over to greet him, one after another!”
“Who do you think he likes?”
“It must be Lady Sage, he’s been standing next to her the longest…”
After the first period of standing around and socialising, everyone slowly made their way to the dining hall and sat down for the banquet.
Rian made sure that Ren Xiyang sat next to him.
King Edric and Queen Mira stood on the stage located at one end of the hall and spoke some opening words before officially starting the dinner.
Dozens of Imperial staff walked in, carrying all the manner of dishes and drinks. In no time at all, the tables were laden with over a hundred different dishes, benefiting from the early autumn harvests. There were traditional Sedaverian dishes, modern Rosewood dishes, and some Angian dishes.
“How is it?” Rian asked Ren Xiyang. “Spicy enough?”
The staff member had put a special narrow tray with multiple small dishes in front of Ren Xiyang, which contained chillies in multiple forms: fresh, dried, oil, sauce.
“Hm, good.”
“Better than Mrs Cooks?”
Ren Xiyang glanced at him. “Do you dare say that in front of her face?”
Rian laughed. “If you support me, I would dare! Do you support me?”
“No,” Ren Xiyang said. “I’d like to eat whenever I go back to the Rosewood fief, thank you.”
Rian’s lips curled in amusement. “As it turns out, Marquis Rosewood has one fear…”
“Ayden has a fear?” Alexius piped up.
“Yes,” Ren Xiyang said.
Alexius’s eyes widened. “How is that possible? Rian, I know your fear.”
Rian narrowed his eyes. “Oh?” he said.
Alexius smirked. “It’s Ayden not playing with you anymore.”
“He’s right,” Ren Xiyang said.
As the three talked, King Edric and Queen Mira gave each other a look.
Via their own secret communication method, Queen Mira asked, What’s wrong?
King Edric replied with some annoyance, I wanted to speak with Ayden about some infrastructure matters. Rian and Alexius see Ayden almost every day, yet they still monopolise him!
Queen Mira lowered her head to hide her smile.
Rian walked up onto the stage towards the end of the dinner. “Before the social dance proceeds, there are things I want to say.”
The banquet hall quietened as diners turned his way.
“To remind everyone, the meeting for the association of future leaders is tomorrow. At 11 am, there will be an open meeting, where everyone is welcome to join. I look forward to the presentations that will be given. After lunch, there is a session for only association members. Those wishing to join the association should contact my assistant, Mr Callum Dinan, for details about the application.”
Several young people in the audience straightened in their seat.
Rian glanced at his parents and smiled. “In addition, next week, there will be some organised fruit-picking sessions here at the Imperial Palace. Afterwards, we will use them to make jams and desserts. If you’re interested, come join us in the afternoon. We will visit different gardens around the Imperial Palace every day of the week.”
Queen Mira’s calm expression didn’t change. She had made peace with the fact that Rian was growing fruit—and now vegetables—on Imperial grounds.
“Finally, Marquis Rosewood, come onto the stage,” Rian said.
Ren Xiyang walked up.
“Marquis Rosewood and I met many years ago.” Rian turned to Ren Xiyang. “When I first met you, I felt that you were very interesting. We formed an instant connection and developed a steadfast friendship. We have supported each other over the years and have been able to achieve more than we could have done alone. I deeply appreciate your unwavering support and assistance.”
“You too, Your Highness,” Ren Xiyang said.
The warmth in Rian’s eyes deepened. “Even without me, you are an amazing person. In just six years, you have transformed the Rosewood fief and deeply influenced the entire country. You are hard-working, kind, thoughtful, and trustworthy.”
Rian took a step forward to Ren Xiyang, closing the distance between them.
Random guests: ?? We already know that Prince Rian is good friends with Marquis Rosewood?
Alexius: Rian is showing off again! *rolls eyes*
Queen Mira: Oh.
Florence: Hmm
King Edric: Wait, wait, is this what I think it is??!!
Thanks to Leland for suggesting Hadrian and Pollux buying a house together. Thank you Tin for the monetary tip~
ALSO! toutcequonveut wrote a fanfic, called These Side Characters Are Enjoying A Holiday!! Rian is such a curious big puppy~
Summary:
Ren Xiyang and Rian Azure wake in a new world. They decide to make the best of it.
Featuring: lots of fluff, lots of flirting, lots of food
tumblr | email newsletter | website | twitter