Ozai still learned about Kahn's visit to their home—a maid told him.
"I told you to stay away from that lowly commoner, yet you dared to bring him into the palace behind my back. Do you still not think you've disgraced our royal family enough?!"
At the dinner table, Ozai harshly scolded Zuko, who kept his head down, not saying a word.
Seeing Zuko's submissive demeanor, he grew bored and turned to Iroh:
"That Iroh fellow too, to actually bring such a person into the palace. Could it be that he just lost his son and has become mentally unsound?"
He had remained silent and bowed his head through Ozai's previous insults, but upon hearing his slanders against Kahn and Iroh, despite his fear, Zuko couldn't help but retort:
"Kahn is not lowly, and Uncle Iroh is not mentally unsound. They are both very good people."
Bang!
"Shut up! You dare to talk back to me?!"
Ozai slammed his fist on the table, his voice suddenly rising as he said fiercely:
"How dare you? With that barren little mind of yours? With that disgraceful Firebending of yours?! Your weak, incompetent personality doesn't even resemble my own son! You..."
"Enough!"
Ursa slammed her chopsticks onto the table and rebuked, "How can you say such outrageous things!"
"Outrageous? Why do you say that?"
Facing Ursa's rebuke, Ozai seemed to lose all his anger at once, as if he had become a different person, responding in a rather relaxed tone:
"I'm merely educating him, helping him understand basic right and wrong. If he continues like this, I'm very worried about him."
"There's nothing to worry about. I think Zuko is perfectly fine as he is."
Ursa interrupted Ozai, her attitude firm.
"Yes, you've raised a good child."
Finally, a slightly sinister smile appeared on Ozai's face. If Kahn had been present, he would have understood where Azula learned her expression management.
He deliberately slowed his speech, looking at Ursa meaningfully:
"Your personality is just like yours—kind, gentle... everything is like you, except it's not like me."
Without waiting for Ursa to say anything more, Ozai waved his hand, looked at Zuko, and said with disgust:
"In short, next time I don't want to hear any news about that lowly boy, otherwise—"
"You will never hear from him again."
Zuko opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out, an indescribable sense of powerlessness washing over him.
Azula, sitting to the side, dangled her feet, acting as if it had nothing to do with her, watching everything unfold at the dinner table as if it were a show.
But upon hearing Ozai's prohibition, she subtly frowned, then giggled and spoke:
"Wait, Father."
Everyone was drawn by her voice and looked over.
Azula ignored the heavy atmosphere and stiff situation, smiling at Ozai:
"I also met Great-Grandfather's friend today. I think that guy is quite interesting."
If Zuko had openly defied Ozai's command like that, he likely wouldn't have fared well, but facing Azula, Ozai was unusually amiable and said with interest:
"Oh, really? Quite interesting, that's a rare compliment. Does my daughter have something in mind?"
"Great-Grandfather wants to make friends, isn't that good? Why stop him?"
Azula revealed a smile identical to Ozai's:
"I also want to 'play' with him 'properly,' and while we're at it, let our siblings 'properly' bond like this today, that would be even better!"
"Haha!"
Azula's words made Ozai laugh with satisfaction, and he readily agreed:
"Since that's the case, then of course it's no problem. I hope you can 'entertain' him well and not lose the royal family's decorum."
At this moment, he completely stopped mentioning anything about royal status.
Ozai smiled on his face, but the smile in his heart was even wider, more twisted, and sinister.
Azula's performance greatly satisfied him. This was his child—clever, strong, cruel, decisive, perfectly inheriting everything from him.
Listening to the conversation between Ozai and Azula, Zuko bit his lower lip hard, his hands clenched tightly under the table, trembling uncontrollably from the effort.
Just then, a pair of soft, warm hands enveloped his fists. Zuko turned his head to see Ursa looking at him worriedly, shaking her head.
The rest of dinner passed in silence.
After dinner, Azula followed Ozai out. Trailing behind Ozai, Azula skipped along like a normal, lively little girl.
Suddenly, she whined to Ozai:
"Father, I'm a bit tired of the maid serving me now. Can you get me a new one?"
Ozai smiled kindly:
"Of course. Who do you want to replace her with?"
"Hmm."
Azula pondered for a moment, pinching her chin, then decided:
"How about Xiaotao?"
"Of course."
Ozai nodded indifferently.
Xiaotao was the name of the maid who had reported to him today.
"Thank you, Father! I'm going back to my room now!"
Having achieved her goal, Azula no longer followed Ozai, turning to leave in a cheerful mood.
Unexpectedly, just as she reached the corner, Zuko suddenly appeared, blocking her path.
Zuko's sudden appearance startled her. Once Azula recovered, she said with disgust:
"Do your eyes grow on your butt, so you can't see where you're going?"
Zuko's eyes were red, clearly from crying.
He said:
"Thank you for not letting Father drive Kahn away, but I won't allow you to bully Kahn."
"But if you really do bully him, I will never forgive you!"
Zuko tried to look fierce, but he appeared somewhat comical.
Such a threat seemed so soft and powerless to Azula. She rolled her eyes disdainfully and walked past Zuko:
"Boring."
But unexpectedly, Zuko grabbed her, saying firmly:
"I'm serious!"
Azula remained disdainful, teasing:
"Oh, really? Then I look forward to your performance."
Zuko didn't retort. After speaking, he left without another word.
She disdainfully patted the spot on her clothes where Zuko had grabbed her, and looking in the direction Zuko had left, Azula sneered:
"Idiot."
Then she turned and left.
"Time to go see my new maid. Let me think, how should I give her a'surprise'? Hehehe."
Ursa watched their departing figures from a distance, her expression very complex. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word, finally letting out a long, faint sigh before leaving herself.
This family was intertwined with errors from the very beginning—bondage, anger, desire, ambition. Now, no matter what, they were uncontrollably drifting further and further down this twisted path, until they would enter an unimaginable and irreversible terrifying abyss.
However,
Ursa inexplicably recalled the scene she had witnessed today: Zuko, Azula, and Kahn coexisting harmoniously.
Not only did Zuko trust Kahn deeply, but even Azula seemed to have a different attitude towards him. Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope appeared in Ursa's eyes.
Although she was very strict with Azula, how could a mother not love her own child?
But she had been too deeply influenced by Ozai; she was already powerless.
She wondered if the arrival of this young man could bring some different change to Azula.
"Achoo!"
Kahn suddenly sneezed, a bit confused, "I hope I'm not catching a cold?"
After washing the dishes, he walked through the courtyard and inadvertently glanced at the sky.
Today, the sky was overcast and windy; it seemed there would be no sun. Occasionally, a muffled thunder rumbled through the clouds, foretelling the coming storm.
He casually quipped:
"Heavy rain and wind, a dark and stormy night—it truly is a night for murder."