Chapter 21 : The Proposal

Julius in his whole life was on a national scale appreciated as the deceased General's apprentice and his current status as the General himself. None of those years as he grew that he dared to lie to someone just for the sake of keeping the road smooth in Prince Zhang Wei's plot. He was not even expecting to lie in front of a Princess. Plus, for years he had been in disputes with ruthless bastard kings and those types of lies are reasonable, but that had ended when the prince makes him agree to be part of his shenanigans. Choosing to go with the prince's path was preparing to live or die than reject the order of the plan. 'Prince Zhang Wei, I am in a tight spot where I can just lie for both of us. Just this once.' He can't express his feelings in words for the princess to understand since he should not trust anybody at all when it concerns the prince too. Any female human should know that silence can occasionally hide a man's view. However, some would not be aware as well as any other woman should be.

"If I become different then my personality changed. Princess, you must understand that I have a weird disorder and as a general, this is too personal for me to say," Julius tried to stop himself from feeling disgusted with his epic lie. He just can't imagine that a day would come to pretend he had a disorder, it was another problem that he wished for it to not exist. So, he scanned the room to be distracted.

"Well, you can say it, General. I am the type of Princess that does not judge a person at all. I will listen and respect you even if you are being rude towards me." It was not the time to keep the princess waiting. To make her believe, he must talk quickly and convincingly.

Julius lowered his tone as he swallowed his pride, "Sorry if I am being rude towards you Princess, however, my personal issue cannot just be exposed. So, you are lucky that I told you about it."

"Actually, you still did not tell me about what disorder you have," Zina said while she added, "Also, care to tell me why are you sorry for being rude when I could see that you personally do not want to serve me, General. Did the prince force you? Cause since yesterday, you were not willing to take the job, am I right?"

"Princess, you are asking a lot of questions in one go. And no one else is here so I am going to be blunt," Julius heavily exhaled. "I have a dual personality disorder and I despise seeing the prince marry a princess like you. Also, do not worry much about why I despise it, I am willing to do the job, and maybe from time to time my opinion about you will be adjusted."

"Perhaps we need that time, you, me, the prince, and my slave. Now, tell me more about why you despise me?"

Julius's vision turned black; he recalled the time when Prince Zhang Wei asks him to guide King Foster in Fort Pampanga. His previous team was separated into two groups for hunting but with no clear justice for them, King Foster came back alone and the rest of his team that assisted him were all dead, King Foster only said that it was an accident shot by the other king's guard. And Prince Zhang Wei can only watch his people die without punishing the culprit—He was forced to let it go, and after those days he spent hours learning the law of how to face kings as a Prince because his rivals will target him and the other princes who are going to sit down on the throne and once, they fail to be alive and live on with threats then those current kings in neighboring lands will not allow the princes to rule as a king.

"There 'was' a fated meeting with King Foster, your father, Princess," Julius said, he was more eased even if it worries him because he actually cannot continue seeing the princess, it makes his anger boil up. He just cannot be certain of it that Princess Zina was not involved in losing half of his former line-up. The years that went by had made him vigilant by fate.

Zina changed the topic instead of being curious about what her father did to the General making him look serious like he wanted to break her father's bones. His expression in front of her was turning shady. "Anyway, the woman that used my identity is indeed my slave but she will not be a slave for too long, and I have a proposal that will help us both."

Julius cursed but Zina was unable to notice it because he used gibberish words and lowered his voice. He limits himself in speaking and with his own ability in bringing the food to Zina, he was more capable of doing it, but the general's personality yesterday was the man Zina don't need, she was scared to let her heart get robbed by power on the road of bitterness until the end after the wedding. She would not carry weapons and will become useless even a bit of people who greeted her will eventually change. She will be an empress and it will close her happiness.

"You are not speaking anymore, so I will just continue about the proposal I have," Zina moved her body up even in pain to make her back rest on the headboard. "Since you have a dual personality, I have the advantage to use you."

Julius glared and it added up his anger towards the Princess.

"No, listen. I am not threatening you; I just need you to cooperate with me just this once. And when it is done, you are free." Zina inhaled and slowly exhaled before saying another word. "My slave used my identity to find out what the Prince's plan for the wedding and after the wedding."