Chapter 330 - Is this a prisoner?

Chapter 330: Chapter 330 - Is this a prisoner?

Jian left the detention wing in a terrible mood.

He had gone there expecting to find his best friend suffering in some miserable prison cell, only to discover Nansich lounging on silk bedding, eating expensive fruit and ordering the guards around as though he were staying at a luxury resort. Under ordinary circumstances, Jian would have found the whole situation hilarious. Unfortunately, the ridiculous treatment didn’t change the fact that Nansich had been arrested for a crime he clearly hadn’t committed.

And the person responsible was his own brother.

Jian couldn’t understand what Dican was thinking. First, he’d spent days chasing Nansich around the palace, declaring him his second mate despite already being married to Bian. Then he’d apparently allowed Nansich to be arrested for poisoning him, only to visit the prison afterward and kiss him through the bars.

What kind of logic was that?

Xing Yu followed silently beside him, allowing Jian to walk off some of his anger. He had already noticed the way Jian’s expression kept changing between disbelief and irritation, and he suspected that anything he said now would only make matters worse.

After several minutes, Jian suddenly stopped and turned toward him.

"Where is Dican’s room?"

Xing Yu glanced at him. "Jian, perhaps you should calm down before speaking to him."

"I am calm."

Xing Yu looked at his tightly clenched fists.

Jian followed his gaze and immediately shoved his hands behind his back.

"I’m perfectly calm. I just want to have a little conversation with my dear second brother."

The sweetness of his voice was thoroughly unconvincing.

Xing Yu sighed. "His chambers are in the eastern residential tower."

"Good. Take me there."

Knowing there was little chance of changing Jian’s mind, Xing Yu led him toward Dican’s residence. The eastern tower stood apart from the main residential palace, connected to it by a long crystalline passageway overlooking the gardens. It was a beautiful place, with pale golden walls and enormous windows that allowed the light from Gia’s twin suns to pour into the corridors.

Jian barely noticed any of it.

By the time they reached Dican’s private chambers, his temper had only worsened. Two guards stood outside the entrance, and both straightened when they recognized him.

"Your Highness, Prince Dican is currently—"

Jian pushed the doors open before the soldier could finish.

"DICAN!"

Inside, Dican was sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed only in loose trousers. His long blond hair hung over his bare shoulders, and one hand was tangled in it as he leaned forward, looking thoroughly exhausted.

He had returned from the healing wing not long ago, and the information he’d discovered was still weighing heavily on him. Five years of rejected medical examinations. Five years of Bian controlling access to his treatment. The report documenting the purple discoloration in his eyes had left him feeling sick, and he’d been sitting there trying to make sense of everything when his door suddenly flew open.

Dican jerked upright.

"Jian? What are you—"

He stopped when he saw his younger brother’s expression.

Jian looked ready to murder someone.

Dican hurriedly grabbed a loose robe from beside the bed and pulled it over his shoulders, tying it around his waist.

"What happened?"

Jian marched toward him.

"What happened?" he repeated incredulously. "You’re asking me what happened?"

Dican frowned. "Yes?"

"WHY DID YOU ARREST MY FRIEND?!"

Dican froze.

For a moment, he simply stared at Jian. Then his gaze shifted toward Xing Yu, who had entered behind him and was quietly closing the door.

"You went to see Nansich?"

"Of course I went to see him! What did you expect? That I’d happily sit around preparing for my wedding while my best friend was locked up in your prison?"

Dican rubbed his forehead.

"Jian, it’s complicated."

"Complicated?" Jian laughed angrily. "What exactly is complicated about it? Nansich has been here for only a few days! He’s barely had time to learn his way around the palace, and you’ve already thrown him into prison!"

Dican tried to maintain a calm expression.

"There was evidence found in his room. I couldn’t simply ignore it."

"Oh, really?"

Jian stepped closer.

"And what about kissing him?"

Dican’s expression changed.

Xing Yu raised an eyebrow.

Jian pointed accusingly at his brother. "Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. Nansich told me everything! You arrested him, went down to the prison and kissed him through the bars! What the fuck is wrong with you? Is this one of your love tactics?"

Dican opened his mouth, but Jian didn’t give him a chance to answer.

"Do you think imprisoning someone is romantic? Are you trying to make him fall in love with you by locking him up and feeding him expensive fruit?"

Dican’s ears turned slightly red.

"That wasn’t why I—"

Jian punched him.

The blow caught Dican squarely across the jaw, knocking his head to the side.

Xing Yu immediately stepped forward.

"Jian!"

Dican stumbled back against the bed, one hand flying to his face. For a moment, he looked genuinely stunned.

Then he slowly turned toward his younger brother.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"For being an idiot!"

Dican rubbed his aching jaw, glaring at him.

"You could have just talked to me!"

"I WAS TALKING TO YOU!"

"By punching me?!"

"You weren’t listening!"

Dican stared at him in disbelief.

His little brother had apparently inherited the family’s temper in full.

Xing Yu moved closer to Jian and rested a hand on his shoulder, gently preventing him from taking another step forward.

"Jian, let him explain."

Jian was still breathing heavily, but he finally stopped advancing.

Dican straightened his robe and cautiously moved his jaw. It hurt. Quite a lot, actually.

He had been expecting Jian to become angry when he discovered Nansich’s arrest, but he hadn’t expected him to arrive quite so quickly.

"Listen," Dican began, lowering his voice. "I know you’re upset, but there are things happening that you don’t understand. I will explain everything later. Just—"

His words suddenly stopped.

Something had caught his attention.

The doors behind Jian and Xing Yu hadn’t closed completely. A narrow gap remained between them, and through it, Dican could see a shadow stretching across the floor outside.

Someone was standing there.

Dican’s expression stiffened.

He hadn’t heard anyone approach, but the shadow remained perfectly still, positioned just beyond the doorway.

A cold suspicion entered his mind.

He looked back at Jian, who was preparing to argue again, and quickly raised his voice.

"BECAUSE NANSICH POISONED ME!"

Jian recoiled in shock.

"What?"

Dican forced himself to look furious.

"I said Nansich poisoned me! They found Grayling poison in his chambers. What was I supposed to do, pretend nothing happened?"

Jian stared at him.

For a moment, he seemed too stunned to respond.

Then his anger returned twice as fiercely.

"What the hell are you talking about? Nansich would never poison you!"

"You don’t know that!"

"I KNOW HIM BETTER THAN YOU DO!"

Jian’s shout echoed through the room.

Dican almost winced.

He knew Jian was genuinely angry, and under different circumstances he would have appreciated how fiercely his younger brother defended his friend. Unfortunately, he needed Jian to understand what was happening before he accidentally revealed something important.

Dican deliberately shifted his gaze toward the doorway.

Then back to Jian.

Jian didn’t notice.

"You’ve known Nansich for what, a few days? I’ve known him for years! He might be rude, he might swear at everyone, and he might threaten to stab people when they annoy him, but he would never secretly poison someone!"

Dican widened his eyes slightly and glanced toward the door again.

Jian frowned.

What was wrong with his brother?

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Of course I’m listening!" Dican snapped. "But I can’t release someone just because you say he’s innocent!"

He gave another pointed look toward the entrance.

This time, Jian noticed.

His anger faltered just enough for him to follow Dican’s gaze. He turned his head casually, as though irritated by something behind him, and caught sight of the shadow beneath the partially open door.

Someone was listening.

Jian’s eyes narrowed.

He looked back at Dican.

His brother was staring at him intently.

Then Dican silently formed a name with his lips.

Bian.

Jian’s expression changed.

Only for a fraction of a second.

He understood.

The sudden shouting, Dican’s exaggerated anger and the repeated glances toward the door weren’t accidental.

Someone was eavesdropping, and Dican wanted him to believe they were fighting.

Jian still didn’t understand why his brother was behaving this way, but he knew enough about Bian to realize that anything involving him required caution.

He gave the smallest nod.

Then he immediately raised his voice again.

"Fine! If you want to believe that bastard Bian over my best friend, go ahead!"

Dican stiffened at the insult, though this time he made sure his anger was visible.

"Watch how you speak about my mate!"

"Oh, your precious mate!" Jian scoffed. "Of course! Everything always comes back to Bian, doesn’t it? He cries a little, and suddenly everyone else is guilty!"

"Jian!"

"No! I’m tired of this! You haven’t changed at all!"

The words struck Dican harder than the punch had.

For a moment, his expression almost slipped.

Jian noticed, but he couldn’t stop now.

He stepped back, his eyes blazing with convincing fury.

"I thought that after coming back to Gia, things might finally be different. But apparently you’re still willing to believe anything Bian tells you!"

Dican clenched his fists.

"That’s enough."

"Not even close!"

Xing Yu had been watching the exchange quietly. He had also noticed the shadow outside, and although he didn’t know the full situation, he understood that Dican was deliberately provoking Jian.

He placed a hand on Jian’s back.

"Jian, let’s leave."

Jian glared at Dican for another moment.

"You’d better release Nansich. If anything happens to him, I won’t forgive you."

Dican forced himself to look unmoved.

"He will remain detained until the investigation is complete."

"Then don’t expect me to come begging you for anything!"

Jian turned sharply and stormed toward the doors, pulling Xing Yu along with him.

He threw them open so forcefully that they struck the walls.

Outside, the corridor appeared empty.

But Jian caught the faint movement of golden fabric disappearing around the far corner.

His expression darkened.

So Bian really had been listening.

Jian didn’t stop or call out. Instead, he continued down the corridor, still muttering angrily about his idiotic brother.