As Rei neared the door that Satoshi had mentioned, she wondered what she should do next. Suddenly, she heard the sound of shattering glass and paper flying out of the doorway.
"I don't want to see your worthless reports! A whole week wasted on this garbage? My cat could do a better job than you!" a man shouted angrily.
Rei didn't understand his words, but she recognized the voice of the man who had rescued her in the snow—the rumoured tyrannical King.
"If none of you has anything useful to report, let's end this meeting and stop wasting my time," the King said sternly.
Soon, a group of formally dressed men exited the assembly hall, followed by a group of military men. They glanced at Rei with confused expressions but said nothing before leaving. This left Rei feeling nervous about her upcoming meeting with the King.
Rei slowly approached the door with the lightest possible steps, fearing that any bigger movement will attract any unwanted attention, while at the same time, she can't help but wonder if Satoshi really have some emergencies to deal with or if he just tricked her and left her in this intense situation on purpose.
As Rei walked passed that stack of paper, she took a glance at it out of curiosity, and just as expected, it was a stack that are written in the foreign language of this Kingdom that she doesn't understand, but what really caught her attention was a whole block of words that are crossed out with red ink, under those crossed words are remarks written in red inks, despite not understanding a single word out of it, those words in red ink are the most aesthetic written words she has ever seen, she can't help but wonder who is the that wrote those.
Out of the blue, the King's voice called out,
"Who is hiding behind the door? Just come out, I can see your leg."
Although Rei didn't comprehend the King's words, she sensed that he was summoning her to the hall. With trepidation, she cautiously entered the hall, uncertain of what awaited her.
Upon entering, Rei knelt and bowed before the King, avoiding direct eye contact out of deference.
What occurred next, however, was entirely unforeseen.
The King's tone softened as he spoke,
"Oh, it's you. Is there something you require of me? If so, there was no need for you to come in person. You could have just informed Satoshi."
Taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanour, Rei lifted her head in curiosity and finally beheld the face she had only glimpsed briefly in the snow. The King was a strikingly handsome man with short, black hair and a pair of slightly large, black eyes that shone like two polished gemstones. His lips curved slightly, forming a pleasant, gentle smile. Despite his good looks, an aura of authority emanated from him, and the magnificent black overcoat with its golden thread embroidery lent him an air of majesty and nobility.
Mesmerised by the good look of the King, Rei didn't notice the red ink pen in the King's hand which he later placed down on the small table at his side.
As Rei gazed at the handsome man before her, she found it hard to believe he was the rumoured tyrant. Upon closer observation, she noticed that despite his commanding presence, he looked somewhat pale. Her gaze shifted to a broken porcelain cup near her, and she recalled hearing a weak coughing sound when she was outside the hall. Rei couldn't help but wonder if he had fallen ill due to the snow that day or because he had given her his overcoat.
Confronted with the man who had saved her life, Rei found herself at a loss for words. Despite having prepared herself beforehand, she didn't know what to say…
***
As the lady gazed at him, the King took note of her features as well. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful female official from the renowned Qin Empire. Her big, delicate eyes could capture the attention of any creature, and her nicely proportioned nose and sweet pinkish lips were equally enchanting.
Her long, silky hair was neatly braided and adorned with simple silver flowers that complemented her petite, blushing face. Her elegant and graceful movements made the title of the most beautiful female official seem inadequate for her.
The King studied the lady carefully, recalling Satoshi's report about her true identity. He couldn't believe that this fine lady standing before him could have attempted to poison the Qin Emperor. At the same time, he felt that a mere banishment order was too lenient a punishment for someone who had tried to assassinate the Emperor.
However, if poisoning wasn't the reason for her banishment, then what was? What if she is a spy from Qin Empire? After all, they did that most of the time...
As he was lost in thought, the King momentarily drifted off and gazed at Rei. It took him a moment to realize that she was kneeling before him. Despite his exhaustion, he quickly rose from his throne and extended a hand to help her up.
At that moment, he recognized that Rei was not just any random person one might encounter on a snowy night. Despite the uncertainties surrounding her, she was a fine lady who deserved respect.
After assisting her to her feet, the King returned to his throne and gazed at Rei in silence, his thoughts unknown to those around him. His spontaneous action had left him momentarily stunned.
Feeling a bit awkward from that slightly 'passionate' stare, Rei slightly turned away her face, avoiding direct eye contact with the King. Just like the King, she did not say anything but just stood there without doing anything.
"Uhm… So… What do you need from me?"
The sudden question from the King finally broke that awkward silence.
"I… Your Majesty, I am here to show gratitude towards your life-saving grace."
Despite being a bit awkward, she finally said it…