Kenji led Lina into the main hall. At that mont, most guests were still raising their glasses and hadn't noticed her arrival. Soon, though, a small group realized there was an extra face at their banquet—and one they clearly disliked. Their stares were anything but friendly. Lina didn't pay them much mind, but being watched so intently while eating felt uncomfortable.
"Ignore them. Co eat," Kenji said. He sat at his place, then pulled a chair over and set it beside him for Lina. He also told the maids to move her bowl and chopsticks to his side.
As commander of the Gray Scales Division, Lina wielded real authority. Yet the departnt was newly ford, answered only to the Emperor, and ranked below the established central ministries. In the hierarchy of the main hall, her official rank still trailed those veteran ministers. At first, the court had made an exception for her because of Kenji, but once she stepped inside she'd felt unwelco. She'd retreated outside so Kenji wouldn't have to defend her. Now that Kenji had placed her seat beside his, the hostile gazes remained, but at least she could calm herself next to her Young Master.
"Actually, it's fine if I don't eat," Lina murmured.
"Stop joking. There's so much good food. Try so," Kenji replied. He used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of deer sinew that had been stewed until it practically lted on contact. He dropped it into her bowl. "We don't get this often."
Strictly speaking, the Anos family could afford daily feasts of rare delicacies. Kenji simply hated watching dishes go to waste. He didn't like the sight of half‑eaten plates ending up in the trash—his servants couldn't even finish it all—so he kept his banquets modest. Now that Lina was a central official too, she deserved a treat.
"Grand Marshal," a familiar voice called from Kenji's other side. "About that matter last ti—thanks to your help freeing Chancellor Long and , we steadied the situation and lived up to Her Majesty's hopes. Tonight, I must offer you a toast."
Kenji turned his head. The man beside him was a handso middle‑ager. Though ti had left faint lines on his face, his features remained refined, and he carried himself like a scholarly gentleman. Kenji recognized him as Head Censor Cassian Thorne —the only official in the court, outside the Emperor and Chancellor Long, whose rank equaled Kenji's.
"Mr. Cassian, you flatter . I was only doing my duty," Kenji said, smiling. He raised his cup and clinked it against Cassian's. "I hear you've been busy with inspection tours. I haven't seen you around the palace much lately. Rumor says it's true—does Her Majesty really send you out that often?"
"Aye," Cassian said with a wry smile. "Her Majesty tasked with inspecting the canal works. A few days ago, I also went to Hexi County to check on the harvest and supervise reconstruction in several districts."
"That county should have recovered sowhat by now, right?"
"It has. When I first went for disaster relief, I'd never imagined such devastation could exist. The people there suffered terribly. Thankfully, the court still had spare resources and prevented things from getting worse. Otherwise, who knows how many more would have starved."
Cassian sighed deeply.
"Hexi disaster shows us we still lack the capacity for swift, large‑scale relief… After the floods, relief grain and funds should have gone out imdiately on the official roads. Instead, each region passed the buck, waiting for direct orders from the center. That delay alone wasted nearly half a month…"
"My thoughts exactly," Cassian agreed. "That's why I took charge of expanding Hexi's granaries on my return. I also heard about your effort to purchase surplus grain from the people. Hexi has always been a vital granary region for Calot Empire. We can't afford setbacks. I understand much of the grain you secured was sent to their storehouses. At least that stockpile will shield them from famine and serve as a buffer."
"Enough about that," Kenji said, waving a hand. "The worst is past. We must look ahead. By the way, Head Censor, this is Commander Lina of the Gray Scales Division. You haven't had the chance to formally greet her since she took office."
Cassian smiled and inclined his head to Lina. "Commander Lina, an honor."
Lina bowed politely. "I'm grateful, Head Censor, but I owe my post to my Young Master's favor."
Cassian laughed. "If positions alone produced results, we'd see them everywhere. But I heard about your operation against the Old Fron Trading Guild. Clean, efficient work. Did you finish the interrogations?"
"We've questioned most of them," Lina replied carefully. "We've gathered enough to reach a verdict."
She kept the details sparse—so Gray Scales cases involved sensitive secrets.
"You see?" Cassian said, turning back to Kenji. "Your people simply outshine the rest. Let's have another drink!"
The banquet carried on past midnight before it finally broke up. Kenji got thoroughly drunk—though he hadn't forced himself. Everyone at court knew his limit, yet even those small cups did him in.
"Is he all right?" Pluvia asked, watching Kenji slump forward.
"He'll be fine," Lina said. She hoisted him onto her back with ease. "Young Master can't hold his liquor, but after a sleep he recovers completely. Your Majesty need not worry. I'll take him ho."
"Shall I send soone to help?"
"No trouble, Your Majesty. I've got this,"
"All right, take care on the way," Pluvia said. She didn't insist further—her arms were aching from holding Kenji's gifts, and she had neither the energy nor the patience to fuss.
With that, Lina set off into the night, carrying her young master back through the empty corridors of the palace.
....
The next morning, in the imperial bedchamber, Kenji held his Western Campaign Plan in hand, staring at Pluvia, who lay on the bed with a face full of resentnt.
"You don't need to show the text—read it out loud," Pluvia ordered.
"Uh, Your Majesty, I still think you ought to read it yourself…" Kenji hesitated.
"Read!" she snapped.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Kenji cleared his throat and began:
"…According to reports, the state of Samanjiang currently fields 120,000 troops. Its terrain is mountainous. Samanjiang's military system—known as the Mandala system—entrusts local elders with command. Each region's forces operate independently, and civil administration and legal codes are poorly integrated…"
Before Kenji could finish the full briefing, Pluvia signaled to Sonya, who had been summoned to give her a therapeutic massage under the imperial physician's instructions.
Pluvia had insisted on Sonya's help because she had trained in martial arts since childhood. The imperial doctor recomnded a technique that followed the muscle‑fiber direction, so Kenji and Pluvia both trusted that her hands would be experienced hands.
"…Given these conditions, our campaign must prepare for infiltration and encirclent, eliminating enemy detachnts one by one. Mountain passes render cavalry, chariots, and siege engines ineffective. I therefore recomnd a force composed primarily of light and heavy infantry. First, secure the mountain ridges around Samanjiang's major cities; then lay siege to the cities themselves. Next…"
Sonya approached Pluvia's right arm. She placed her two fingertips together and followed the muscle fibers from shoulder to wrist, pressing gently and sliding down.
"Ah~!" Pluvia cried out.
Kenji, still reading the plan, flinched and looked up.
"Your Majesty—" Sonya froze. "Am I… hurting you?"
"Careful… it's excruciating," Pluvia hissed, her arm tensing.
"I—Your Majesty, I'm being gentle," Sonya protested. "I only used the lightest pressure the physician recomnded."
"Is that so? Then be even lighter," Pluvia growled. She bit her lip as another jolt of pain shot through her arm.
Kenji, trying to keep his composure, gave a half‑smile. "Miss Sonya, must you really squeeze so hard? You've always trained in martial arts—your grip is strong. Perhaps you can't moderate your strength?"
Sonya bristled. "What do you an, Grand Marshal? Are you calling a rampaging tigress with superhuman strength?"
"I didn't say that. You did," Kenji teased.
"Grand Marshal, please stop your idle teasing. If you doubt my strength, why not try it yourself?" Sonya shot back.
Kenji's eyes glinted. "Very well. I've encountered this kind of soreness before. Let try." He turned back to Pluvia. "Your Majesty, please relax your arm. I beg your forgiveness for the impropriety."
Pluvia raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead—you can be more… improper than Sonya, I suppose."
If this were any other day, a man touching a female emperor's bare arm would be a grave breach of etiquette. But Pluvia's arm was unbearable, and she welcod anyone who might ease the pain.
Kenji positioned himself at the bedside. He steadied Pluvia's arm with one hand and, with the other, laid his two fingertips along the muscle fibers. He pressed as lightly as possible, then slowly slid down the arm.
"Brace yourself," he murmured.
"Eee—ah!" Pluvia's shriek was piercing. Her entire arm drew back reflexively. She clenched the sheets and kicked out, as if being interrogated under torture.
Kenji froze. He instinctively grabbed her arm to keep her from pulling away—only to drive his fingers deeper into the tender muscles. Pluvia's shriek turned into a conspiracy of shrill yelps.
Sonya, recovering from her embarrassnt, rushed forward and pried Kenji's hand away. "You're going to crush Her Majesty!"
"It's not —it doesn't feel like it's !" Kenji protested, disbelief in his voice.
"See? I told you I was already gentle," Sonya said with a weary shrug. "Your Majesty must be… especially sensitive."
"Amazing sensitivity," Kenji muttered. He looked at Pluvia's pale, sweating face with new respect.
Pluvia, still panting, managed to croak, "Does… it have to hurt this much?"
Sonya knelt beside the bed, checking the arm. "The physician says the thod is effective. It's normal to feel sharp pain at first. Better to endure now than remain sore for days."
Kenji nodded. "Let us continue. If Your Majesty avoids treatnt, the arm could throb for many more days."
Pluvia glared at him. "I refuse. I'll rest and recover."
"What about official docunts?" Kenji pointed to the Western Campaign Plan in his hand. "Can you read and sign them with one functional hand?"
Pluvia sighed, trapped. "Very well… continue."
Kenji motioned to Sonya. "Fetch a towel for sweat. We must be thorough."
"No—wait—" Pluvia tried to protest, but another pulse of pain cut her off. She wailed, "I'll cut off your hands if you don't stop!"
"Silence!" Kenji growled, leaning forward. He applied a gentle stretch to her fingers, then a slow slide along her forearm.
"Ahhh—stop—too painful—" Pluvia's voice cracked. "You monsters—how dare you torture !"
Her cries echoed through the palace corridors. Outside, the Royal Guards exchanged bewildered looks. They knew the emperor was seldom roused from her dignified composure—yet from within ca the sounds of cruel treatnt, a ruler reduced to pleading for rcy.
By the end of the session, Pluvia's arm did show real improvent. The sharp ache dulled to a manageable throb. She sank back onto the pillows, exhausted but oddly satisfied.
Kenji closed the campaign plan and bowed. "Your Majesty, the treatnt is complete. I believe you can rest now."
Pluvia closed her eyes, breathing heavily. "Next ti… bring a whip and call it harsh justice."
Kenji suppressed a smile. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
And so ended the emperor's morning of punishnt at the hands of her own Grand Marshal and trusted attendants—an unofficial therapy session that beca the court's most curious legend of the day.
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