Emperor's Reckoning

Lyon inhaled as his chest slightly puffed up before letting it out through his nose. His eyes were closed as he let the sobbing woman cried against him. The whole bathroom was filled with her cry and reverberated across the hall outside.

He could already hear the footsteps of plate boots coming toward them as his ears twitched. There was nothing that he could do to stop them in their tracks as there was no intention of him hiding from their eventual sight. The woman needed a shoulder to cry on and those that took care and taught him how to behave knew that he was supposed to stand still. Not a single inch did he moved, not a single word of complaint did he mutter. His eyes slowly opened before darting their gaze toward the entrance of the bathroom.

Their clanking noise gradually turned louder as they were approaching the door.

"What was that? We got an intruder?!" said one of the guards while running with his allies inside the long hall.

"This is really bad timing! An attack from inside is the last thing that we need right now!"

"Prepare your weapons, don't die! Every single one of you will be needed in the upcoming war. At the very least we must let them retreat if we cannot kill them!" said the one in the front most.

"Yes, Captain!" said his underlings simultaneously.

Seeing the door only a mere five steps away on the right side of his, the captain pulled out the sword from his sheath before sliding on the floor after taking one step forward. He pointed the sword against the entrance of the door before the royal grand bathtub came in to view.

"Huh?!"

Time seemed to slow down as he finally caught the view inside. His weary eyes that had met countless battles and won absorbant victories under the kingdom's name, gradually had their pupils constricted as he saw straight against those red eyes of his. Just a glimpse was enough to send a jolting thump in his heart as his soul laid bare against the atmospheric pressure exuding from the young man in the tub. In that instance, he saw an image of a beast that governed all through its silence.

"KH!"

His body suddenly failed to function as he couldn't even look at the woman that was crying. One last thump then his eyes lost their focus before his knee bent and crashed against the tile of the floor to a breaking point. The loud thud continued before his torso slammed down from the weight of his own armor. His eyes were still opened but he couldn't see the horror on his subordinates' faces. The strongest of them fell just like that, not even a sword was swing, not even an exchange of words was made.

However, despite the sudden fall of their captain, they all gripped their weapons tightly as they grit their teeth with anger. Barring their fangs if they had any before stepping forward with a roar.

"Ha!—"

*Thump!

The loud thump of his heart was felt as he didn't stand a chance against the gaze. (What... is that...) thought the guard before he fell just like his captain. The others soon followed his fate as each and every one of them failed to withstand the deadly gaze. There was nothing that they could do against the image of the beast that was exuding out of his presence.

The clanking of metals was heard as they fell on top of another before nobody else from the guards was left conscious. Lyon's eyes gradually turned normal at the same time as Cecile's cry stopped.

"Are you done?" commented Lyon as he smiled.

He received no answer with words before the latter looked up to his face. The mingling water on her auburn hair gradually dropped and ran across her face. There was nothing that standing between them except.

Cecile immediately turned a shade of red before looking away. She could feel something was poking against her navel. It was obvious what it was but she closed her eyes before daring herself to look up.

(He is... also nervous... he might not seem so from afar, but from this close, I can tell. He is as nervous as I am) thought Cecile as she saw his face. Despite not having a red tint on his cheeks, one had yet to learn to control his heartbeat.

"Wait here..." muttered Lyon before he turned around and reached out the tiny black bowl. He then proceeded to present it right below her eyes. The glistening moist of the golden liquid that looked like the sweetest honey in the world was enticing. The aroma was dancing against her nostrils as her mood turned soothing.

"This is good for your hair," said Lyon before he poured the entire thing straight against the tip of her head. Seeing it traversing her figure he let out a smile before letting the bowl floated on the water and let it precision be at the mercy of the tub.

"What are you...."

Lyon put both of his hands on top of her head before she could even finish her question. He slightly massaged them before foam started to form and coagulating. The pressure that he put on his ten fingers hit the right nerves on her head that the feeling of satisfaction started to bubbling up. However, even if that was the case, she couldn't help but tearing up once more.

"N-No one... N-No one has ever been this nice to me... My parents... I don't even know if they ever did what you are doing right now..." her voice had turned hoarse as almost every word turned a stutter.

Lyon didn't utter a word as he continued to massage her scalp and cleanse her beautiful hair. With hair that long, it would surely take a while, but not a single complain could be heard from him, not even his thoughts.

She had suffered her entire life, scavenging for food as far as she remembered. Then after a hope came, she ran toward it only to be fooled in the end. Having no background in a world meant life and death, especially in the world where cultivation played a major role. She didn't know how to cultivate, nobody wanted to teach the dirty and smelly little kid that she was. Wearing nothing but a scrap of clothes she found from a used sack. Running around the market, pleading for food, her true beauty was buried under the dirt, under the dust.

She lived on for the word 'maybe'. Just from that word she tried to strive forward and live a better life. She tried to live an honest life, she knew she had no power, both behind and within herself. Being a criminal was already impossible with her intellect and mentality. She was scared of death, until she was framed by the kingdom that she thought could offer her something else than bitterness.

Lyon reached out for the black onyx bowl before scooped the warm water with it. The crystal clear of the water reflected her face as Lyon presented it under her eyes. She could see her crying on it before she looked up once more with her eyes on the verge of breaking down. His grin slightly radiated the gloom of her heart before he raised the black onyx bowl above her head.

"You shouldn't be sad too much, I know that it has been tough for you. However, it's alright now, let this be the start of the new you. Cecile Auburn, the strongest woman that I've ever met.... and the most beautiful."

Her eyes opened wide as she heard those words coming out of his mouth before the latter smirked and pour out the clean warm water against the peak of her head. The water slowly crashed on to her head before pushing all the foam away from her hair then to her face below. Lyon threw the black onyx bowl away before it made a loud thud against the tile of the royal bathroom.

He slowly crossed his arms while tensing his forearms as he took a deep breath before letting out a satisfying grin. He savored the figure in front of her with his eyes before he shook his head.

"I knew it... the most beautiful woman."

The last drop of water ran through her cheeks before dangling along her jawline. It coangulated with the rest before the weight got pulled by the gravity. A beautiful plop was heard against the warm water that they used to bath. Her skin had turned so smooth one could even compare it to a baby. Her face glowed, the face that was battered and tired of living, at this very moment, it glowed brightly as the radiant of beautiful made even the heaven cried in envy. The distinctive long auburn hair of her was finally revealed to the fullest extend of its potential. The gorgeous beauty had her auburn lips slightly gaping as she was looking at the young man in front of her, not knowing that at this moment of time, she was the most beautiful woman that ever existed.