I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 92

Behind the screen came the faint sound of water.

Wei Ying looked toward that side. Through the thin gauze, she saw a jade-like silhouette.

Yunshao was half-leaning, her chin resting on the edge of the bath barrel. Her snow-white skin bore red marks pressed in by the hard wood. With her eyes closed, pale lids lowered over deep black pupils, she thought of what had just happened. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and she suppressed the urge to curl her lips into a smile.

She was both happy and afraid.

Afraid it was only a dream, that upon waking everything would vanish again.

Yunshao lowered her gaze, looking at her own snow-white arm. She opened her mouth and bit down hard, biting until traces of crimson seeped through before she finally smiled with satisfaction.

So it was real.

Blood welled from the bite marks and dripped into the bathwater fragrant with spices. The scarlet strands quickly dispersed into the warm water, vanishing from sight. She lowered her arm into the tub to wash away the blood, and only after the bleeding stopped did she rise, quickly dry herself, put on her inner garments, and step into the bedchamber.

Wei Ying sat at the bedside, tilting her head with a smile.

Yunshao halted in her steps. At once, her heart thudded like a drum.

Wei Ying’s eyes curved into crescents as she beckoned with her hand. “Tired? Come to bed now.”

Lowering her head, Yunshao came over nervously, only to be pulled onto the bed by Wei Ying. Her cheeks, flushed from steam, glowed with a breathtaking charm. Nestled in the soft bedding, she tugged at Wei Ying’s collar and asked softly: “Shall we do it again?”

Wei Ying: “…Sleep. There’s court early tomorrow.” She paused, then added, “There is court tomorrow, isn’t there? Even if you take a day’s rest, it’s fine. You’re the emperor, above ten thousand. Don’t exhaust yourself so much.”

Yunshao’s lips curved, red lips parting: “Above ten thousand, but beneath Yingying.”

Wei Ying glanced at her rosy lips, tempted to bite them. In the end, she didn’t. She turned over to lie on the outer side of the bed, covered the lamp, and said, “Sleep!”

Though Yunshao spoke of wanting more, she was indeed exhausted. Burrowing into Wei Ying’s embrace, curling up slightly, she murmured softly: “Yingying, I’m so happy.”

Wei Ying smiled but did not reply.

Yunshao added: “Teacher is mine now.”

With that, she closed her eyes, her breathing gradually evening out. Shrinking into the quilt, only her quiet brows and lashes showed as she pressed close to Wei Ying, falling asleep.

Wei Ying, however, could not sleep.

She kept her eyes open, gently patting Yunshao’s back like coaxing a child. After a long while, she whispered twice: “Your Majesty? Your Majesty?”

No reply.

Carefully, Wei Ying turned over and got up. Carrying the lamp, she went to the rosewood cabinet.

The candlelight, softened through the gauzy lampshade, cast a dim glow upon her face, lending her pallor a touch of warmth.

She did not open the rosewood cabinet, only stood silently staring at it, a key revealed in her pale palm. That cabinet, and the lacquer box inside, was like a thorn lodged in her heart. Every time she thought of it, it hurt unbearably.

Perhaps it was no more than a pea under the mattress in the story of love—but she was precisely the overly-sensitive sort who could not bear even a grain of sand in her eye.

Wei Ying took a deep breath, staring at the cabinet for a long time. In the end, she chose to carry the lamp back to bed. She gathered the drowsy emperor into her arms, thinking, The emperor must have her own secrets.

Since she had chosen to try, she wanted to try trust as well.

She held Yunshao close, stroked her silky hair, and pressed her forehead lightly to the woman’s.

It seems I’m starting to like you, Your Majesty.

…

When Wei Ying awoke, the emperor was still nestled obediently in her arms.

Her heart softened slightly. She thought, Her Majesty must have been truly exhausted, to even skip court. Then she remembered: today was the first day of the New Year, a holiday.

Wei Ying relaxed, guilt-free, and hugged the soft, fragrant emperor close, drifting back into another nap.

The day was clear, sunlight spilling through carved windows, painting auspicious patterns on the floor.

Holding Yunshao in her arms, Wei Ying felt the woman stir.

She shut her eyes, feigning sleep. After a moment, something soft brushed her cheek.

Yunshao had placed a light kiss on her. Not content with just one, determined to fulfill her dream of “kissing Yingying every day, again and again,” she began planting countless tiny kisses across Wei Ying’s face.

Wei Ying’s eyelids itched under the rain of kisses, her lashes fluttering. Yunshao startled, shrinking back, too scared to continue. Nestling obediently into Wei Ying’s arms, she tilted her head to observe her for a long while—then, mustering courage, sneaked close again with a cheeky little “mwah~.”

Wei Ying opened her eyes, returned a kiss to Yunshao’s cheek, and said, “Good morning. Alright, I’m up. Since it’s rare to have a day off, let’s go out for a walk.”

Yunshao basked in that morning kiss, dazed for a long time before following Wei Ying happily.

Wei Ying wrung out a face towel from the washbasin, gestured for Yunshao to come closer, and gently wiped her face. Smiling, she said: “Your face is covered in sleep marks.”

Yunshao stood stunned, blinking slowly.

That day, the exalted emperor finally enjoyed the VIP treatment she deserved, doing all manner of absurd things together with her favored consort.

At night, wrapped in golden robes, Yunshao sat in a round chair, staring blankly at a vase holding nothing but a dried tuft of foxtail grass.

Only then did she realize what Wei Ying meant by “trying.”

But the surprise had come too quickly, too suddenly. She felt as though she were sitting among the clouds, weightless, without solid ground beneath her.

She had grown used to watching from the shadows, to chasing from behind, to climbing alone toward unreachable stars.

In her heart, that star had never belonged to her. She held no expectation—only devotion and courage. Yet when the star truly fell into her arms, she was filled instead with hesitation.

What should she do?

Nervously, Yunshao bit at her fingers until her pink nails were ragged. Hearing footsteps behind her, she quickly hid her hands in her sleeves and turned with a bright smile. “Yingying!”

Wei Ying’s eyes curved in a smile too, immediately noticing the foxtail grass on the table.

It was a stem she had idly pulled up and given the emperor during the hunting grounds, never expecting Yunshao to enshrine it in her bedchamber.

“This little stalk has such good fortune,” Wei Ying teased, twirling the dried grass. “To be in the company of a true dragon every day—what peony or orchid could ever compare?”

Yunshao’s lips quirked. “Since it was a gift from Yingying, it’s the best of all.”

Wei Ying ruffled her hair, then suddenly asked: “Your Majesty, you said you wanted me to slowly remember my past. Then tell me—how did you know I would come back?”

The smile faded from Yunshao’s face. Pale, she looked toward the woman behind her.

Wei Ying tucked stray strands of hair behind her ear. “If you don’t want to say, then forget it.”

Yunshao clenched her hands tightly. After a long pause, she finally spoke: “I… I always knew Yingying was no ordinary person. Back then, strange miracles often occurred. Once, when I was bullied, you came over. That person clearly raised his hand to hit me, but the blow landed on himself instead.”

Wei Ying: …Oh no, that card again.

She stroked the emperor’s soft hair and asked gently: “So that was when you recognized me, when I protected you?”

Yunshao lowered her head, her voice faint: “Even earlier than that. Another time, when the ministers knelt through the night, demanding I abolish my reforms—their words instead came out urging me to behead them. That was when I confirmed in my heart… Yingying was always good to me.” She smiled faintly.

Wei Ying felt awkward, for in truth she had only used her card then to settle a score—tired of hearing the ministers call her a demon consort. She touched her lips, then asked again: “Your Majesty is clever indeed, to guess so well. To think you believed something so strange.”

Yunshao nodded lightly, saying nothing.

Wei Ying continued: “And in the past, was I good to you?”

Lifting her bright black eyes, Yunshao said slowly: “Yingying was the best to me.”

Wei Ying propped her chin on her hand, tilting her head as she gazed at the emperor, smiling faintly. “Your Majesty, what happened during those six years? You should tell me. I heard there was a great fire at your palace?”

Yunshao’s face turned ashen, her knuckles white. Staring blankly for a long time, she finally nodded. “Yes. A fire broke out. And assassins came after me.”

Wei Ying: “After me?”

Yunshao was silent for a moment, then said: “Me, and the servant who cared for me.” Her expression stiff, she continued slowly: “He died in my place. Burned until only bones remained. That’s how I escaped. How I survived.”

Wei Ying let out a quiet “Oh.”

Yunshao added: “I only wanted to live. I wasn’t wrong, was I?”

Wei Ying smiled faintly. “Of course Your Majesty wasn’t wrong.”

But Yunshao’s face remained pale. Fingers gripping her sleeves, she did not smile, only went on softly: “I rushed back overnight because I wanted to take Yingying away with me. I thought, from then on, Yingying would be mine. We could go anywhere—south, north, to the ends of the earth. But I hadn’t expected… those who wanted me dead also regarded you as a thorn in their eyes. By the time I arrived, Teacher, you had already been poisoned.”

She gazed at Wei Ying quietly, her eyes carrying an indescribable emotion, and asked in a low voice: “Yingying, do you remember everything now?”

Wei Ying shook her head, patting her shoulder. “No, I don’t. Pity—it seems the past was quite dramatic. Ah, Your Majesty, why look so grim? I’m here now, aren’t I?”

Yunshao’s body relaxed visibly, her smile returning. Softly, she nodded, wrapping her arms around Wei Ying’s waist, resting her head on her chest. “Yes. It’s all in the past. Now Yingying is mine.”

Her voice hardened, expression darkening: “No one will take you away.”

Wei Ying ruffled her hair again, then asked: “So that’s all? Your Majesty has no more secrets from me? You know, my temper is good—but I hate being lied to. Forget it, let’s talk about something else. For example…”

Wei Ying blinked playfully. “For example, this mission from Nanzhao. What do you plan to do?”

In the original book, among those envoys was a woman who resembled her. That woman was a spy, who stole the emperor’s favor and became the spark of the heroine’s suffering. Wei Ying didn’t fear the woman’s arrival, but the thought left a sour taste.

She really didn’t want to see the emperor showing infatuation toward someone who merely looked like her. The thought alone was heart-wrenching.

Yunshao tilted her head, eyes still glistening with faint tears. Cautiously, she glanced at Wei Ying, then ventured: “Kill her?”

Wei Ying: …

Totally unnecessary.

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