ARBE Chapter 20

Chapter 20

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Five years later.

In two months, it would be Kris' twenty-third birthday, and his curse would be completely lifted. Kris would also be officially announcing his true identity to the entire continent.

But Ding Sheng couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Five years—this meant that the great protagonist was about to come back as well. If he remembered correctly, in the original story, the little Princess Kris was frozen under the icy lake on her twenty-third birthday by Dishang Huai, after losing everything^[1].

In one moment it was a lively, bustling banquet and in the next, it was the lonely depths of a frozen lake—this stark difference painted a vivid picture of why it was a terrible idea to go against the protagonist.

However, Ding Sheng had already broken off his engagement with Dishang Huai—one of the major plot points had passed without caring for anyone. Now all he could do was avoid provoking Dishang Huai as much as possible.

For example, he absolutely had to make sure not to incite the chairman's grandson to challenge Dishang Huai. And under no circumstances, should he mess with Sherry—who was currently most favoured by Dishang Huai and showing signs of becoming a lead female character. Still, despite his efforts back then, he couldn’t stop the engagement breakup plot from playing out. Now, with so much uncertainty to look out for, Ding Sheng really didn't have much confidence.

But it's not like I was the one who initiated the breakup back then so our Sir Dishang wouldn’t hold a grudge against me like in the original story right… ight… ight… But it's really hard to say, after all, the power of the plot is so strong.

Ding Sheng has already begun to prepare for the worst. In the past five years, apart from focusing on honing his own abilities, he has also been collecting all sorts of relevant skills, tools, and magical artefacts that could aid in his escape after being sealed at the bottom of the ice lake.

In preparation for Kris' birthday which would be arriving in two months and the big announcement that would follow, the Olay royal family used the Empress' longing for her daughter as an excuse to summon Kris back to the kingdom.  The scheming order chairman sent his grandson along to accompany Kris.

For the past five years, Ding Sheng has deliberately kept his distance from the chairman and his grandson. Looking back at how things unfolded then, he wasn’t sure if he’d offended Dishang Huai, but he was certain that the cannon-fodder chairman, who was a major cannon-fodder in the original story, had definitely crossed him.

The Emperor and Empress weren’t particularly fond of the chairman's grandson either. They remembered all too well that their precious son liked men. Dishang Huai left and now came a Sanctus which wasn't any better.

The royal family was still hell-bent on "straightening out" their little princess.

But it seemed that this Sanctus still hadn't won Kris' heart and was still in the dark that their little princess was actually a boy. Hmph, two months later would be when you're slapped in the face by the truth. Then this Sanctus, Shank-tus or whatever, can all just sod off. The Emperor thought to himself.

Ding Sheng knew that, according to the original plot, the protagonist should’ve already returned by now, playing the fool while wreaking havoc all over— just having the time of his life. To avoid crossing paths with this ticking time bomb, who was more than likely going to freeze him at the bottom of the lake, based on the progression of things, Ding Sheng stayed holed up in the palace as much as possible, not going out unless he absolutely had to.

These past few years, Ding Sheng had thrown himself into training at the Holy Order and hardly returned to the Olay Empire. His current behaviour, however, was misinterpreted by the Emperor and Empress as having "hometown anxiety^[2]" They assumed that the familiar surroundings brought both nostalgia and unease and also reminded him of a certain someone—the one who nearly succeeded in becoming the first male empress in the history of the Olay Empire: Dishang Huai.

At that moment, the Emperor thought to himself: 

Well, if it's Sanctus then so be it, it's not like the princess likes you anyway, at least you can accompany him around town.

And thus, Ding Sheng was sent out for a walk around town with Sanctus.

True to the original novel, Sanctus fawned all over Kris. The more Kris ignored him, the more he rushed to please her.

He said, "Your Highness, the biggest annual auction is in town today, let's go and have a look."

Ding Sheng: "No way!"

He resolutely refused to go to any events associated with the terms "annual" or "grand". These types of settings were always where the protagonist would shine. The last thing Ding Sheng wanted was to earn the ire of the main character and end up sealed under the lake.

However, after seeing the auction catalogue, Ding Sheng couldn’t help feeling a little tempted.

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1. Written as "家破人亡" is an idiom which means death and destruction to a person's family.^↩

2. Written as "近乡情怯" which is an idiom that originated from the Tang Dynasty poem "Han River (汉江)" by Song Zhiwen (宋之问). It refers to the feeling of nervousness or apprehension one experiences when returning to their hometown after being away with no contact for many years. The closer one gets to their hometown, the more anxious they become, fearing that something unfortunate might have happened. This idiom is often used to describe the complex emotions of someone returning home after a long absence.^↩

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