Chapter 70 & 71

Daniel There was a theory Daniel had once heard—half joke, half metaphysical assertion—that the universe didn't punish arrogance. It punishe

Daniel

There was a theory Daniel had once heard—half joke, half metaphysical assertion—that the universe didn't punish arrogance.

It punished momentum.

And apparently, he had accumulated too much of it.

Because for one brief, shining moment, everything had actually been going… well.

Shen Minhua was brilliant.

Terrifying, yes. But brilliant.

Their conversation had flowed like good wine over a forged table—steady, balanced, with just enough edge to keep it interesting. She hadn’t flattered. She hadn’t condescended. She spoke the language of mana-tech with fluency and subtle emphasis, citing Ethan's unpublished work like it had been her thesis defense.

And she was gorgeous.

Objectively.

He hadn’t intended to notice. Really.

But then there she was—Shen Minhua, standing in front of him in a gown threaded with runic micro-lattices, confidence stitched into every line of her posture.

And Daniel, at the end of the day, was still a man.

He hadn’t lingered.

Just a glance. One glance.

The kind that short-circuited rational thought for a moment and dumped him backward in memory—back to undergrad when he was still on earth. Back when he’d first transferred into the engineering program at Cal Tech. He’d been seventeen, awkward, too smart and too uncertain, and there was this one girl in his advanced materials course—half Iranian, maybe Israeli, he couldn’t remember exactly—who looked like she belonged on a Vogue cover, not in a nanotech lab. She had this habit of chewing on her pen when she was thinking and speaking in perfect, breathless logic that made him forget how to form full sentences.

It had taken him three months to say anything that wasn’t a stutter around her.

Shen wasn’t the same. Not exactly. But she carried that same weight. The kind of presence that didn’t require ornamentation. The kind of beauty that made you forget, briefly, that you were a person with thoughts.

She used it to her advantage too. She could probably give Marissa a run for her money in the pure body department. And Marissa had once declared herself the undisputed champion of “distracting necklines.”

Daniel had behaved himself. Mostly.

And she hadn’t seemed to mind.

Then the convesation took over and Daniel was entranced. The idea of a closed-door symposium—actual academic discourse without the stuff keeping Imperial Scholars’ breath on his collar—was enough to make Ethan almost lose it right there. For a few seconds, he had allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to just… talk about theory. Not war. Not demons. Not survival.

Just glyphs. Logic. Vision.

And then—naturally—everything shattered. It started with the shift in ambient mana.

Most people wouldn’t have noticed. But Daniel did and it seemed to becoming easier.

The weight of the ballroom didn’t increase.

It refined.

Like the resonance of the air had been tuned a half-degree tighter. Like something perfectly balanced had entered the equation. The background murmur dropped, not in volume but in confidence—conversations pausing, not from fear, but recognition.

Daniel’s breath caught and then came the voice. The voice was nice, clear and amplified by an unseen glyph that echoed across the Imperial Gala. The voice wasn't shouted but proclaimed.

That should have been his first hint that things were about to change.

“By decree of the Ascendant Throne and witness of the Nine Noble Pillars of the Empire, Her Highness, Princess Sophie Virelyn, daughter of Heaven’s Line and Keeper of the Concord Flame, enters.”

The follow could have given a Taylor Swift concert a run for it's money. Magic was really cool. Every light recalibrated, imaging made of pure mana appeared and dance across over the heads of the reaptured crowd. The chandelier’s sent out beams of light highly resembling lasers out in every direction as they danced across the mirrored floor like ripples across water.

He turned with all the other the other eyes in that room, and saw her.

Everything suddenly went still. Princess Sophie Virelyn descended a massive ornate staircase in silence. She was veiled—double-layered silk cascading from a crescent clasp, obscuring everything but her eyes.

But those eyes…

Golden. Not like generic yellow. Actual gold the shade of a bullion or the sun overhead. A color that belonged to the gods or ancient flame.

She moved like she didn’t need the room to acknowledge her. Like acknowledgment would be an insult. Her gown was a study in quiet power—deep violet robes scribed with what looked like celestial grammar, the kind of notation that didn’t belong on fabric but on star-forged stone.

And the mana responded to her.

It flowed differently. Curved around her like water around glass.

Two attendants followed at a respectful distance. One from the Royal Archive. The other from the Observatorium. Both carried scrolls. Neither made a sound.

Sophie did not glance at the Crown Prince.

She didn’t so much as acknowledge the Tower delegation.

She walked, calm and precise, straight toward him.

Daniel felt Ethan stir faintly in the back of his consciousness.“…What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel muttered mentally. “But I think we’re about to be the main character again.”

Sophie reached him. She paused and watched him for long moment. If he didn't know better he would have thought she was smiling under the veil. After what felt like a lifetime but couldn't been more than ten seconds, with voice low and even, she said, “You’re shorter than I imagined.”

Daniel blinked. Ok that he was not expecting.“Excuse me?”

She tilted her head. “Your work suggested arrogance. Most arrogant men are taller.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “That’s one way to start a conversation.”

“I was told your feedback cascade model was dangerously unstable,” she said. “I disagreed. I thought it was elegant.”

“…Thank you?”

“I’m still evaluating the rest of your assumptions,” she continued. “But I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

He hesitated. “Now?”

Sophie nodded once. “Unless you have a better time. While we talk—would you dance with me?”

Daniel’s brain short-circuited.

He barely managed, “I—what?”

“Dance,” she said again, as if that was a perfectly reasonable thing to say in front of half the court.

“I—yes?” he said, almost asking himself. He righted himself.

Get your shit together Daniel. Was that Ethan talking or his own inner thoughts. He didin't know anymore.

Daniel stood straighter and then bowed. "I would be honored to dance with you Princess."

She offered him her hand.

The music shifted—on cue. Like the world had been waiting.

Daniel stepped forward and took the Princess' hand. But he could take a step chaos answered.

A voice cut through the gathered hush. “You will not.”

Daniel turned as the crowd rippled.

Dathan of House Leren stepped forward from the royal wing, face red, voice tight with fury only barely masked by etiquette. He wore a duel-embroidered sash over formal robes and the look of a man who had been waiting for an excuse.

“You would take her hand?” Dathan said, tone sharp enough to carry. “Before the court? With no rite? No sanction? You, an orphaned functionary of a provincial line?”

Daniel froze.

Oh boy, Ethan whispered.

“I only took what was offered” Daniel said evenly.

“You stood there and accepted a favor beyond your station,” Dathan snapped. “Do you think the Empress’s silence is approval? That she would indulge presumption in place of order?

The crowd stiffened. The Empress, with her model face, didn’t move. She simply watched. He couldn't tell if she was bored or amused. Maybe both?

Daniel tried REALLY hard not to laugh. He was only partially successful. What came out was a sort of giggling. The kind where you end up snorting while trying to keep it in.

Dathan raised his right hand, gloved in silk and mana-thread. The mark on the glove glowed across the wrist as he flashed his the back of the same hand like he was trying to show off a fancy watch.

"A duel challenge mark," Ethan whispered trying not to distract Daniel

Daniel spoke inwardly. "They have a mark and gloves specifically for duels that he just happen to be wearing?? You have to be kidding me? Who does that?"

"Welcome to the Empire."

Dathan stood tall, proud and stupid. “I challenge you, Ethan Zhou. For conduct. For honor. For presumption.”

Daniel opened his mouth. Then closed it.

Then opened it again.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

Dathan stepped closer. “You’ve insulted her. You’ve insulted me. And now you insult the rite?”

“I just said yes to a dance.”

“You say it like that wasn’t treason.”

Sophie said nothing and he did not know her. But something told Daniel that she was just and confused as he was. But she didn’t flinch. Didn’t stop him. She simply watched not her fiancé' but Daniel.

"WTF Princess I have nothing to do with this?"

"Hey Daniel you remember that whole seduction thing we talked about--"

"Ethan shut up!"

A court official stepped forward, already unspooling a scroll. The duel challenge was being registered.

Daniel watched it happen in real-time, standing on the mirrored floor of the most important ballroom in the Empire.

He exhaled slowly.

“Well,” he murmured.

“Here we go again.”

Chapter 71

Daniel

Time seemed to stop for Daniel. What is the life flashing before his eyes? He would have thought, living in two worlds, his life would have been a more interesting movie.

Dathan was there, people were watching and it all seemed to float in slow motion.

Damn, why is my life like this?

Ethan’s voice flickered across the inside of his head, dry as ever. “This is what happens when ladies like you too much. I have to ask, did some sort of goddess of love bless you on your way over?”

“Not helping, Ethan.”

“No, really. You should be proud. You have Crane of the Li Household on the ropes. The darling of the Peacock Clan swooning. Now the Imperial Princess, a scholar royalty, living legend possibly divine maiden is making a move. I told you, you should simply seduce her. It would have made this way faster.

“I didn’t do anything. I was just standing here and now this asshole is challenging me to a duel. He seriously went full moron on me. " Daniel said.

“You know I think that is your problem... You stood there. You looked too handsome and competent.”

Daniel groaned internally. "You understand that doesn't make any sense right. I am in your body. Did you get treated like this?"

Ethan paused. 'Well shit."

"Yeah think about that one you asshat."

Dathan was still staring at him. He wasn't the only one most of the people in the room were doing the same.

Daniel sighed.

Ethan, meanwhile, whispered like a devil behind the curtain. “You’re so in trouble.”

Daniel didn't say anything just watched. Dathan’s face turned from red to imperial purple. “Why aren't you saying anything? Are you so uncouth that you dare not even respond, Ethan Zhou? You dare to to mock me. Mock my House. Mock the Empress and the Princess? Does your audicity know no bounds?”

“I would simply point out that you’re the one shouting like a drunken sailor in front of the entire court,” Daniel said dryly. "And I am not sure you know what uncouth means."

Dathan's face went red. “She is my betrothed!”

Daniel shrugged. “No argument here. Though I would review whatever treaty and benefit that supposedly brought. The juice doesn't seem to be worth the squeeze in your instance.”

Daniel said it before he realized it was out of his mouth.

And that last comment pretty much did it.

Dathan yanked off the ceremonial glove, the one with the duel mark, and strode forward, voice rising to the edge.

“I reissue my duel challenge with public spectacle. Ethan Zhou I now declare. You have insulted me and I will have satisfaction. Publicly. For conduct. For honor. For your place.”

The crowd instantly starting buzzing amongst itself. And then, salvation—or possibly damnation—arrived in the form of Nathan LI.

His brother-in-law materialized at his right shoulder, eyes glowing with mana. Literally glowing. The killing intent was off the chart the people in the immediate vicinity took a big step back.

Sword prodigy in deed. Daniel turned to look at this brother-in-law and could see the murder in his eyes. Oh—Nathan was pissed.

Nathan glared. “Hey, you bastard, what did you say to my brother-in-law?”

Mana was phyiscally spilling off Nathan now, pure blue mist. It was amazing to see.

Dathan took a step back as Nathan’s entire presence screamed: I WILL MURDER YOU!

Behind him, Gavin appeared next. Less wild, more grounded—but his jaw was set and his knuckles were flexing like he was one insult away from decking someone.

Then Lucas.

He remained calm. But Lucas was terrifying in his silence everyone knew it. Lucas didn’t even look at Daniel. He was watching the crowd. Measuring. Calculating how this would ripple through alliances, reputations, and inheritance law. He was also whispering in to his message crystal.

Several of what he could only assume were guards from Dathan's house moved in behind him. And all Daniel could think was: I said yes to a dance.

“I said yes to a dance,” he muttered outloud.

Nathan didn’t blink. “Yes the Princess asked my brother in law to dance, and this bastard dared to—”

“I didn’t initiate anything. She just—”

Dathan snorted. “She’s the Princess. She asks to be polite, you're not so supposed to say yes.”

Daniel sighed. “She approached me. I’m the victim here.”

Ethan snorted in his head. “Victim of your own charm.”

"I am seriously going to find a way to kick you."

Daniel was still at a loss when Dathan, seeing that he was the center of attention, with full ceremony, struck Daniel’s chest with the glove.

The duel challenge finalized. The glyphs in the glove activated on contact.

"He is mana bound." Said Ethan all humor from his voice gone. "That means basically he'll have to fulfill his oath or he'll experience crazy back lash."

The court gasped. Daniel caught the glove before it fell to the floor.

He stared at it. Then at Dathan. Then at the glove again.

"You need to throw it back to complete the ritual." Ethan said.

He considered throwing it back. Doing the proper thing. Upholding the ritual.

But instead—“F*** this guy.”

Daniel punched Dathan in the face. with a clean, professional right cross. Not enhanced with mana; he didn't want to kill the guy. (Honestly, he wasn't sure if he could.) He didn't want to go to jail (Did they have jail here?). He wasn't being reckless. (Okay, maybe a bit reckless.) He hit him hard, with full power, a proper right cross with his full body weight behind it.

Dathan hit the floor in a tangle of fancy robes and damaged ego.

Silence swept the court.

Daniel stepped forward, eyes cold now. Every word he said next was precise, both measured and unmistakable.

“You insulted me, which I can tolerate. But you also insulted my wife, her House with your unfounded accusations of impropriety, and your own fiancée in the same breath by judging her actions she willingly took.”

He dropped the glove on Dathan’s chest.

“I accept your challenge.”

He looked up, gaze sweeping the stunned nobles. And then back down. “And when you lose, you will kneel in front of the Li Household."

He glared and continued.

"You will kneel in front of Vivian Li.”

The name hit like thunder. Daniel let it hang.

“You will kneel and break your engagement to Princess Sophie Virelyn, in public, and in shame.”

He didn’t say anything else.

Because now the room wasn’t breathing.

And the dance had just turned into a war.

All he heard was laughing which he was pretty sure was the crowed Prince's.