57 Mirthless Laughter (2/2)

Now, that he was ready to give away his life, the other person stopped him. What? What was the monarch playing at?

Did His Majesty simply want him to die at his own command? Thus, he wasn't even allowed the dignity of taking his own life?

If that was the case, it was too cruel and callous of His Majesty.

He heard His Majesty's next words, ”Turn around” and with a heavy heart, he turned around to face the monarch.

Su Li continued, ”Look at me.”

Ning Fu didn't dare to. Who in their right mind would stare at the Son of Heavens? It was an offence punishable by death with extreme torture.

When Su Li realised that the other person wasn't paying heed to her words, she grew agitated.

She shouted in a hoarse voice, ”I asked you to look at me.”

At that moment she even forgot to use Zhen - a self-appellation used exclusively by the emperor.

Ning Fu was baffled by these haphazard orders by His Majesty but still did as he was asked. He raised his head but didn't look at the emperor straight on, rather he fixed his gaze on a point far away and slightly above His Majesty's head.

By now Ning Fu had a faint hunch that either there seemed to be some kind of misunderstanding or the emperor had changed his thoughts at the eleventh hour.

He was more inclined to believe the former rather than the latter because if His Majesty had really changed his decision after hearing his words that proved that the monarch was fickle in nature and didn't weigh the pros and cons of his decisions.

Su Li had stood up when this person had tried to commit suicide to prove his innocence, now that things seemed to have somewhat calmed down, she again went back to her chair and sat down. She looked at The Unit Commander and couldn't seem to find her voice.

Her throat appeared to be clogged.

Anyways, everything else could wait but she had to clear a few things.

Su Li ordered in a terse voice, ”Repeat what you just said to me.”

Hearing His Majesty's repressed voice, Ning Fu felt even more apprehensive and knew that right now his best bet was to keep quiet.

His Majesty yelled, ”I asked you to repeat your earlier words. It couldn't be that your ears have gone deaf or have you turned mute within these few seconds. Don't act like a statue. Answer me.”

With a dreadful feeling in his heart Ning Fu repeated his earlier words verbatim. He watched from behind hooded eyes as His Majesty stood up from his seat agitatedly at the beginning of the impassioned words he had said earlier.

His Majesty staggered back from him in apparent horror by the end of his words.

Those words were very familiar to Su Li.

Terribly familiar.

Those frank, similar words of loyalty had been said to her by another person in another world.

The words reminded her of happier days, and as she listened to them, she couldn't stop hoping and praying, however, she felt apprehensive in equal measure.

What if it wasn't anything other than her fervent imagination?

How could this person say those words with the same intonations that person had used?

”Look me in the eye and do not attempt to evade them.” She had to make sure.

She had to be certain.

Su Li knew she was desperately clutching at straws. However, if there was even a glimmer of hope, she would take that over the actual fact that she would never see or meet that person ever again.

Ning Fu wondered if His Majesty was alright. He just kept on insisting him to raise his head. This was the third time already and he could no longer refuse or it might be seen as insubordination.

As soon as he looked at His Majesty. He was struck dumb by what he saw. His heart trembled.

His Majesty looked at him in a desperate manner akin to a person who had at last found an oasis after a long walk in the desert.

The emperor looked at him as if he was the most precious person to him in his life.

No, His Majesty wasn't looking at him. He was staring at his eyes as if making a desperate attempt to reach his very soul through his eyes.

He watched as His Majesty didn't seem to find whatever he had been trying to see in his eyes.

What could it be?

Was he thinking too much?

How could a sovereign look at a subject with that kind of gaze?

Ning Fu watched in bewilderment as the dazzling eyes of His Majesty lost their twinkle and became almost dull within seconds.

It was as if he or his eyes, in particular, had disappointed the emperor at a visceral level.

As if he had taken away the monarch's most cherished thing and there was no light left in His Majesty's life.

His Majesty laughed out loud.

However, the laughter didn't have the usual happiness in it.

It was a hollow laugh.

It was brittle and humourless.

It was grating to Ning Fu's ears - that broken, mirthless laughter of His Majesty.