I'm Her Favorite Character-Chapter 33 - : The Jade Empress

I sit alone in a secluded booth at the campus bakery, surrounded by the comforting aroma of freshly baked goods. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla hangs heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the melancholy weighing on my heart. It's been almost two weeks since Rowena's death, and the pain still feels raw, like an open wound that refuses to heal.

Before me sits a box of cookies, an assortment of flavors I'd normally relish. Today, they're more a distraction than a treat. I absently reach for another, the sugar cookie crumbling between my fingers as I take a half-hearted bite.

The bakery bustles with activity around me, students chattering and laughing as they go about their day. I sink further into my seat, trying to make myself invisible in the sea of normalcy that surrounds me.

My mind drifts to the impending arrival of my mother. In just a few days, she'll be here to meet with the Queen of Eltar.

I sigh heavily, the sound lost in the ambient noise of the bakery. Octavia is off at her dueling training, her absence leaving a palpable void. In the short time we've been together, I've grown accustomed to her constant presence, her unwavering support. Without her by my side, I feel adrift, anchorless in a sea of grief and uncertainty.

My classes for the day are done, leaving me with an abundance of free time that feels more like a burden than a gift. I could return to my dorm, but the thought of being there right now is suffocating. I could wander the campus grounds, but the risk of running into Rolo or being accosted by well-meaning classmates offering condolences is too great.

So here I sit, in this booth that feels both like a sanctuary and a prison, nibbling on cookies.

I reach for my glass of milk, intending to dip a cookie into the creamy liquid. But before I can grasp it, a peculiar laugh rings out, shattering the relative quiet of my secluded corner.

"Kakakakakakakakaka!"

The sound is jarring, like the cackle of some exotic bird. I look up, startled, to find a strikingly beautiful young woman standing before me. Her long, flowing black hair cascades down her back like a silken waterfall, and her calculating grey eyes seem to evaluate my worth in an instant. She's adorned in an elaborate traditional Han royal gown, intricate jade accessories glinting in the soft lighting of the bakery.

"What do we have here?" she purrs, her voice rich with amusement and a hint of something darker.

Before I can react, she slides into the booth beside me, her proximity sending a jolt of nervous energy through my body. Two women, clearly bodyguards by their stern expressions and muscular builds, flank me on either side, effectively boxing me in.

The woman in the royal gown places her hand on my thigh, the touch both intimate and presumptuous. Her fingers press lightly into my flesh through the fabric of my pants.

"What's a cute boy like you doing here all alone?" she asks, her tone dripping with arrogance and barely veiled desire.

I blink, momentarily stunned by her forwardness. But as her words sink in, I find myself fixating on an entirely different aspect of our encounter.

"Wait," I say, my brow furrowing in confusion. "Why did you laugh like that? Is that your real laugh, or is it practiced?" I take a moment to think. "It didn't feel real."

The woman's grey eyes widen slightly, clearly taken aback by my unexpected question. Her perfectly manicured hand tightens almost imperceptibly on my thigh.

My mind races with possibilities. Perhaps it's a cultural thing, a specific laugh reserved for royalty in her homeland. Or maybe it's a carefully cultivated affectation designed to make her stand out in crowded royal courts. Or maybe she just likes attention and wants to feel special.

The woman's annoyance finally boils over. Her grey eyes flash dangerously, and her lips curl into a sneer.

"It's just how I laugh," she snaps, her voice sharp enough to cut glass.

She looks at me, her grey eyes glinting with a predatory hunger. A slow smile spreads across her face.

"How much?" she purrs, her voice low and seductive.

I blink in confusion. "How much what?"

'How much cookies can I eat? Wait no that would be "how many."'

Her smile widens, reminding me of a cat that's cornered its prey. "How much for you, of course. I wish to buy you."

I chuckle awkwardly, the sound strained and nervous even to my own ears. "Oh no, I'm not for sale," I say, trying to inject some lightness into my tone. "My name is Elwin Wa..."

Before I can finish, she presses a finger to my lips, effectively silencing me. "Shh," she whispers, her grey eyes boring into mine with an intensity that makes my heart race.

She leans in even closer, her lips brushing against the shell of my ear as she whispers, "Don't be so disobedient. Name your price. Let me make you my pet and shower you with gifts."

"Look, lady," I say firmly. "I have a girlfriend. I'm not for sale."

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I see something change in her eyes. The playful glint hardens into something colder, more calculating. Her lips curve into a bigger smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"A girlfriend?" she repeats, her voice dripping with amusement. "How quaint. But surely you understand that everything has a price, my dear boy. Even love."

Her fingers trace a lazy pattern on my thigh, sending involuntary shivers down my spine. "I could offer you riches beyond your wildest dreams," she continues, her voice hypnotic. "Power, influence, pleasure... all yours for the taking."

'Who is this psycho?' I think to myself in the moment, knowing full well in a different life i would have fallen head over heels for this kind of girl.

I gently but firmly remove her hand from my thigh. "I appreciate the offer," I say, trying to keep my voice steady, "but I'm not interested. My heart belongs to someone else."

She grabs my wrist, her grip surprisingly strong for such delicate-looking hands. Her jade rings dig into my skin as she leans in close, her grey eyes flashing with indignation.

"Do you know who I am?" she hisses, her breath hot against my cheek.

Annoyance bubbles up inside me, threatening to boil over. This is the last thing I need right now. If one of my sisters catches wind of this woman womanhandling me, it's going to escalate into a diplomatic nightmare. I can already picture Diana's icy rage or Lydia's fiery fury.

"Lady," I say, trying to keep my voice level despite my rising frustration, "I have no fucking clue who you are. Do you know who I..."

But before I can finish my sentence, a familiar voice cuts through the tension.

"Elwin? Are you okay?"

I turn to see Saria standing there, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's, stuffed full of cookies. Crumbs cling to the corners of her mouth, and her emerald eyes are wide with concern as she takes in the scene before her.

The woman holding my wrist turns to Saria, her lip curling in disdain. "Hello, elf princess," she says, her voice dripping with contempt.

Saria's eyes widen even further, recognition dawning on her face. She swallows her mouthful of cookies with an audible gulp. "Yu?" she says, her voice a mixture of surprise and wariness.

Saria's gaze darts between Yu and me, confusion etched across her delicate features. "Elwin, what's going on?" she asks, her voice trembling slightly. "Why is Yu Huo grabbing you like that?"

I turn to Saria, relief washing over me at her familiar presence. "This girl is trying to buy me."

Saria's emerald eyes widen in shock, her mouth falling open. A half-chewed cookie tumbles from her lips, landing with a soft plop on the polished bakery floor. "What?!" she exclaims, her voice rising an octave. "But that's... that's the prince of Sunhaven!"

At Saria's words, Yu releases my wrist as if it had suddenly burst into flames. Her grey eyes, previously narrowed in irritation, now widen with a mixture of surprise and intrigue.

Yu's gaze sweeps over me, reassessing, recalculating. Her eyes linger on my face, tracing the lines of my jaw, the curve of my lips.

"You're the Warbringer prince," she purrs, her voice rich with newfound interest.

I meet her gaze steadily. "And you are?"

Yu's smile widens. She draws herself up to her full height, her posture regal and commanding.

"I am Yu Huo," she declares, her voice ringing with authority, "Empress of the Han Kingdom."

The weight of her title hangs in the air between us.

"Can I go?" I ask, unable to keep a note of annoyance from creeping into my voice.

Yu Huo's grey eyes flash with amusement. "Now, now," she chides, her voice silky smooth, "that's no way to talk to an empress, is it?"

Saria's emerald eyes flash with a steely determination I've never seen before.

"Let him go, Yu Huo," Saria commands, her voice ringing with power. "Unless you wish to have one of his sisters come for you."

The air in the bakery seems to crackle with tension. Students nearby fall silent, sensing the charged atmosphere. Even the bodyguards flanking Yu Huo shift uneasily, their hands drifting towards concealed weapons.

For a moment, Yu Huo's grey eyes narrow dangerously, a storm brewing in their depths. Then, unexpectedly, she throws her head back and lets out that peculiar laugh again.

"Kakakakakakaka! It's just a joke. Of course I would never try to really buy the prince of Sunhaven."

The sound echoes off the bakery's walls, causing several patrons to jump in surprise.

With grace, Yu Huo rises from the booth.

"You're free to go, cute prince," she coos, her voice dripping with honey and hidden thorns.

As I shuffle past her to exit the booth, Yu Huo's tongue darts out, moistening her lips in a gesture that's both sensual and predatory.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Saria's warm hand finds mine, tugging me gently but insistently away from Yu Huo and her imposing bodyguards. "Come on," she says softly, "I'll walk you home."

We make our way towards the bakery's exit, weaving between tables and curious onlookers. Just as we reach the door, Yu Huo's voice rings out behind us, clear as a bell and sharp as a blade.

"He really is cute, isn't he?"

I sigh, a mixture of annoyance and relief escaping my lips as we step out into the crisp afternoon air. The door swings shut behind us, cutting off the sound of Yu Huo's laughter, but I can still feel the weight of her gaze on my back.

As we step out of the bakery, the crisp autumn air hits us like a refreshing wave. The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the cobblestone paths, giving everything a dreamlike quality.

Saria's emerald eyes dart around nervously as if expecting Yu Huo to materialize from the shadows at any moment. The cookie crumbs still clinging to the corners of her mouth somehow make her look even more endearing.

We walk in silence for a few moments, the only sound the crunch of fallen leaves beneath our feet.

Finally, Saria breaks the silence, her voice soft but urgent. "I know we ended on awkward terms last time we talked," she begins, her emerald eyes meeting mine with an intensity that takes me aback, "but you really need to stay away from people like that, Elwin."

"She just sat down next to me," I explain, shaking my head in disbelief. "I was just eating cookies."

Saria's grip on my hand tightens slightly reminding me i was still holding it. I let go the second I realize this.

"Yu Huo is bad news," she insists, her voice dropping to a near whisper. She glances around furtively before continuing, "There are rumors she funds 'freedom fighters.'"

I raise an eyebrow, my mind immediately conjuring images of rebels and underground resistance movements. "Terrorists?"

Saria sighs, her shoulders sagging slightly. The weight of her knowledge seems to press down on her. "For lack of a better word, yes," she admits reluctantly.

Saria's emerald eyes shine with a mix of concern and something deeper, more intense. She stops walking abruptly, turning to face me fully.

"Look, Elwin," she says, her voice soft but urgent, "you need someone to watch over you. You clearly need a strong life line to tether you to something real." She takes a step closer, her hand reaching out as if to touch my arm but stopping just short. "Let me be that someone. Let me your rock in all this chaos."

I take a step back, putting some distance between us. "Look," I say, my voice gentle but firm, "I already found my love, alright Saria?"

A flash of annoyance crosses Saria's delicate features, her emerald eyes narrowing for just a second. But then she takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she visibly calms herself.

"Okay," she says finally, her voice steady. "I'm sorry to have brought it up again."

"It's fine," I say awkwardly, not knowing what else to say. My eyes dart around, looking anywhere but at Saria's face, afraid of what I might see there.

Finally, unable to bear the tension any longer, I gesture vaguely in the direction of my dorm. "Well, I can walk the rest on my own."

Saria's emerald eyes widen, a look of panic flashing across her face.

"No, I insist," Saria says, her voice filled with a mix of concern and determination. She takes a step closer, close enough that I can see the flecks of gold in her green eyes. "At least let me see you home safely."

"Okay," I concede, my voice filled with resignation realizing she isn't going to drop this.