When the final drumbeat fell silent, everything around them quieted. Only the sound of cicadas chirping impatiently in the trees far away remained.
Xylira tried to steady her slightly fast breathing, her eyes sweeping over the excited faces of those who had been the noisiest just moments ago. Seeing each of them red-faced and stunned, she thought this could be considered a heavy slap in the face on behalf of her brother and Caelen.
Zhaoye no longer felt like watching the show. He had never imagined he would one day be moved by a woman, and this was only a performance.
However, apart from Xiyan and Caelen, he was the first to react. He clapped loudly.
"Good, very good, Xylira, you are quite impressive."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty." Xylira responded respectfully to the emperor's compliment. Zhaoye asked with a smile, clearly in a good mood, "What is the name of that song? Did you compose it?"
"It wasn't composed by me," Xylira thought for a moment, then said, "The piece is called 'Loyalty to Serve the Nation'. I heard it from a disabled old beggar. He said it was written by a general he served under during wartime when he was young."
"Hmm." Zhaoye raised an eyebrow in his bright yellow dragon robe. He wondered how there was such a talent in his kingdom that he had never heard of. "Do you know the name of that general?"
"I do not. It seems he died in battle decades ago," Xylira answered seriously.
Those who were paying attention were shaken. They imagined the tragic yet powerful scene, like thousands of horses charging.
As men, they felt their blood boiling, but they had never actually fought in a real battlefield. But Caelen was different. His entire family was known for their loyalty and sacrifice.
What had they just done? Was it because the emperor did not comment on the rumors? Or because Caelen didn't resist?
In their arrogance, they had forgotten that Caelen's father died in battle and that the scar on his face was from saving his fellow soldiers. How did this look in the emperor's eyes?
Thinking of this, those who had just mocked Caelen were now sweating through their clothes despite the summer heat. They didn't think Xylira had done this on purpose, but if they could figure it out, how could the emperor not?
"What a song, 'Loyalty to Serve the Nation'." As expected, Zhaoye praised her again. But the look in his eyes as he glanced at the people below carried deeper meaning, depending on how one interpreted it. "You may leave."
"Yes." Xylira bowed gracefully, then stepped down. Under everyone's gaze, she walked calmly back to her seat.
"Alright," Zhaoye said with a smile, "Today is the Qixi Festival, I won't get in your way. Third and Fourth, you two stay and host the event for me."
"Yes, Father." The two princes stood up at the same time.
Xylira knelt among the crowd, her face twitching as she respectfully saw off the emperor and empress. She couldn't help but feel like the emperor had just spoken like a kindergarten teacher saying, "That's all for today's lesson. Now it's free time. Dismissed."
"Xylira, Xylira," Xiyan looked at her blankly, seeing her caught in a strange daze, a mix of nostalgia and shock on her face. He had no choice but to pull her up himself.
"Ah, brother," Xylira realized she was slipping into her old habits. After living in the modern world for eighteen years, adjusting to this society wasn't something that could be done overnight.
She looked around at the boys and girls who were supposed to be enjoying their free time, but they were all staring at her. She turned toward Caelen and found that he really was looking at her.
Somehow, he seemed even more dazed than before. "Go call your future brother-in-law. I'll wait for him in that plum pavilion."
"He's not my brother-in-law yet," Xiyan frowned at Caelen with a bit of irritation. Still, he didn't refuse his sister's request.
He walked over with a heart full of resentment. Xylira felt like her brother's jealousy was growing stronger with age. She turned and left.
Fortunately, in this society, men were held to strict standards of purity. So even if someone had bold intentions, they didn't dare approach her openly.
"Hey, didn't they say Xiyan was lame? What's going on here?" Suddenly, a woman's sharp voice rang out, followed by a flurry of discussion.
But since both Xiyan and Caelen had already left, the crowd only chatted for a bit before going off to enjoy their free time. Thinking back to the unfriendly tone Xiyan had used with her earlier, she finally realized her feelings.
Compared to how nervous she was at the Qixi Bridge gathering, she now felt uneasy, scared, even hopeless. With these thoughts, Caelen walked into the plum pavilion, his entire presence cold and stiff.
"General Caelen, please sit." Xylira poured him some tea and passed it to him. Seeing him sit so properly, she could tell he was a serious and disciplined man.
Not bad. Although there were no elders present and the two already had a marriage agreement, this was still like a blind date.
Xylira thought it would be rude to keep her veil on. Besides, it was hard to drink tea with it. Naturally, she took it off.
Caelen looked at her bright and beautiful smile. Just as General Renyu had said, she really was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
But right now, he had no mood to appreciate her looks. Bitterness filled him from the inside out.
How could a girl like her be matched with someone like him? If it were the old him, he would have taken the initiative to ask the emperor to cancel the engagement.
But now, he realized he had already developed feelings for her. Deep down, he hoped to be with her.
Xylira had no idea about his inner struggle. "What is it? Don't you have anything to say to me?"
She smiled, trying to avoid awkward silence. "Hey, General Caelen, even if you're quiet, you're not mute, right?"
Ah, Xylira suddenly remembered that in this society, it was usually the man who took the lead in such matters.
She frowned slightly. "Do I need to be even more active and enthusiastic? Do you want me to be the one to bring up breaking off the engagement?"
Caelen looked at Xylira's frown and thought she was even more dissatisfied with him. His heart kept sinking.
His hand gripped his sword tighter and tighter. He tried to summon the courage, but the words "cancel the engagement" were stuck in his throat.
He couldn't say them.
Caelen had been holding back for so long, but he could not get past that hurdle in his heart. He thought it was better to end the pain quickly instead of letting it drag on.
He knew he was not worthy of her and that she was unhappy with the engagement, so he should not have had even a sliver of hope. He should not wait for her to be the one to bring up the breakup.
Caelen, you cannot be so selfish as to let her take the blame for defying the imperial decree. With a blank expression, he kept scolding himself in his mind and finally decided that he would be the one to end it.
He did not want to be the reason her bright smile disappeared. Hey, General, why are you silent again?
Xylira was getting a little exasperated and felt like she was performing a one-woman show. You are way too quiet, so I guess I will take the initiative and be more enthusiastic.
Caelen forced down the "selfishness" in his heart, pushed away the emotional struggle and raised his head to look seriously at Xylira. He pressed his firm lips together and gathered his courage to speak.
"Miss Xylira," he began. But Xylira was thinking that if this meeting went well, this man would be the future father of her child.
Hmm, the more she looked at him, the more pleasing he seemed. That righteous and fierce aura blending into a kind of iron-blooded charisma made him incredibly attractive.
"General Caelen," she called. They bumped into each other just like that.
Caelen paused, surprised. Xylira chuckled.
"Does General Caelen have something to say to me?" she asked. "Why don't you speak first, Miss Xylira."
As he looked at her flowery smile, Caelen could not help but notice the teasing light in her eyes. But to him, that vibrant, lively girl, who had seemed so out of reach just moments ago, now felt vivid and real.
Even he did not realize that there was a gentle warmth in his eyes as he looked at Xylira. Years later, he asked Xylira what she would have done if he had broken off the engagement back then.
Already his wife for many years by that point, Xylira answered without hesitation. "Break off the engagement, of course. Forced marriages don't bring happiness."
Hearing this, Caelen was relieved and also broke out in cold sweat, thinking to himself how lucky he had been. "General Caelen, both you and I know how this engagement came about," Xylira began.
"I don't know if you're satisfied with me or not." Even though marriage was a serious matter, Xylira still smiled.
These were words she felt the man should be saying, yet she spoke every word with great sincerity. "But I am very satisfied with you."
Caelen's ears twitched slightly, and his hand holding the sword trembled. He could not believe what he was hearing.
After a long pause, he found his voice. "Why?"
Thinking of his own face, he really did not understand what about him Miss Xylira was satisfied with. He blurted out his question.
Weren't women most concerned about looks? Her answer was simple, but she understood his meaning.
"A man who would sacrifice himself on the battlefield to save his comrades shouldn't treat his wife badly, right?" she said. Of course, she would never reveal her brother's role in it.
"That's it?" Caelen was clearly flustered, perhaps feeling the stirrings of emotion for the first time.
Xylira's unconventional way of speaking made him so nervous that he almost seemed foolish. So he added, "But, what husband would not treat his wife well?"
Xylira had no experience in such matters either. Plus, Caelen always wore a blank face, so she really had no idea what he was thinking.
"General Caelen, you haven't answered my question. What do you think of me?"
Even someone like Xylira, who had been through many grand occasions, felt her face grow hot as she said these words. She couldn't help blaming this ridiculous society again.
"You're very good." This time, Caelen answered quickly, seriously and with full certainty.
That was enough. Xylira let out a breath of relief.
She was about to turn fifteen. Without a prime minister for a father, if Caelen was not satisfied with her, she certainly would not force him.
That would mean ending the engagement and finding someone else, but she had no time to spare with the upcoming imperial exams.
She needed all her time and energy to prepare.
As for Caelen, while she could not say she liked him yet, she did admire him. Still, some things were better cleared up early.
"General Caelen, if that's the case, then just agree to two things, and we'll live well together in the future."
Realizing how unusual her requests might sound, she added, "Of course, I'm not threatening you. I just have reasons I can't ignore, and I hope you can understand."
Since entering the pavilion, Caelen's heart had been like a rollercoaster.
Thanks to his injuries, he looked emotionless no matter what he felt.
So even after hearing Xylira's words, he immediately knew those two conditions would not be simple, yet he could not help but respond seriously. "Go ahead."
Good. At least he was not blinded by beauty and giving hasty promises.
Such people were usually those who valued their commitments.
"First, do your best to protect your purity. After you have me, you cannot have any other women."
In her eyes, a one-man, one-woman relationship was ideal.
His dark face turned pale. That beautiful smile earlier now seemed piercing.
Even though she spoke with sincerity, Caelen could not help thinking she was mocking him.
He stared coldly at Xylira as his heart slowly iced over.
"Second, protect my purity too. No other man but you can touch me."
Xylira emphasized this even more strongly. "The first condition is more important than the second."
Crack.
The layer of ice in his heart shattered instantly.
Caelen's eyes widened in disbelief.
He once again doubted his own ears.
He wanted to speak, but could not find his voice.
This had to be a dream, yes, definitely a dream. But it was such a sweet dream.
Xylira was not at all surprised by Caelen's shock.
She calmly sipped her tea, waiting for him to react.
"Miss Xylira," Caelen finally said.
His left hand, hidden under the table, had pinched his thigh countless times.
Each time hurt more than the last.
He had finally confirmed it was not a dream.
"I can definitely fulfill the first condition. As for the second..."
"I know what you're thinking. You probably also understand what method I'll use."
"At least five years until I turn twenty. I'll do my best, but in these five years, I hope you'll help me with everything you've got."
The law was there, and Xylira knew she was making a difficult request.
Caelen looked at her serious expression, full of a confidence no other woman had.
He did not know why she thought this way.
Why she would give up a life of luxury and choose such a hard path.
He did not think she was joking or being unrealistic.
Both emotionally and logically, he wanted to believe her.
Actually, he should have known Xylira was different.
She could write beautifully, her graceful and noble demeanor carried strength and independence.
Her large dark eyes were filled with calm poise despite the ups and downs of life.
Thinking of all this, Caelen felt his earlier thoughts had been rather petty.
Looking at it now, a girl like her making such a request was not strange at all.
Of course, he could not deny the joy rising in his heart.
It was not the same satisfaction as returning victorious from battle.
This feeling was sweet.
So, once he figured it all out, Caelen relaxed his furrowed brow and revealed the first genuine smile he had shown since his father died and his face was scarred.
"Alright."
Xylira looked at Caelen's smile and once again thought that this man was very suitable for her.
Just look at that smile, full of strength and intensity.
Even the hideous scar on his face, twisted by the smile, looked more heroic and grand to her.
And being stared at by those smiling eyes, her heart suddenly started beating faster.
She looked down slightly.
If this was what her grandmother had called falling for someone, then it did not feel too bad.
Had she just fallen for his smile?
Caelen never thought he would be swayed by a woman's beauty.
But the girl in front of him had turned red like she was bleeding.
Even though he could only see her forehead and dark hair now, he was dazed.
Silence fell again.
But this silence was not the same as before.
The entire pavilion now seemed filled with a romantic tension.
What's wrong with this guy? Why is he still staring at me?
Xylira grumbled in her heart.
She had tried for a while but still could not calm her racing heartbeat.
Because she could feel his bold gaze still fixed on her.
Caelen was also puzzled.
Why was she still looking down?
Wasn't she just very talkative?
But when he saw her small ears turning red too, even someone as composed as him could not help exclaiming,
"Are you... shy?"