Reborn as an SSS-Rank Guide in the Sentinel Academy [BL]

"nothing," Julian said flatly, arms crossed, staring the Emperor dead in the eye. "the answer is nothing, because I’m not for sale, and I’m getting real tired of explaining that concept to grown men who apparently missed that lesson growing up."

The Emperor’s eyebrow rose slightly. "bold words for someone who..."

"and while we’re at it," Julian cut in, not giving him the chance to finish, "you can take that whole ’my no doesn’t change anything’ attitude and shove it somewhere the sun doesn’t reach, because I don’t care how many crowns you’re wearing, nobody gets to decide my answer for me. not you. not your cousin. not anybody."

The attendant who’d delivered the gift earlier, still lingering awkwardly a few paces back, made a small strangled noise like he was actively regretting every career decision that led him to this moment.

The Emperor stared at Julian for a long, silent second, something unreadable moving behind his composed expression, before that same faint, unsettling smile crept back onto his mouth. "you really don’t fear me at all, do you."

"I fear plenty of things," Julian said. "spoiled royalty who think ’no’ is just a starting offer isn’t one of them."

Something flickered behind the Emperor’s eyes at that, quick and sharp, gone before Julian could name it. "we’ll speak again," he said simply, and turned, robes sweeping behind him as he strode off without waiting for a response this time, the poor attendant scrambling to keep up.

The fox let out a low whistle once he was out of earshot. "this unit has never seen someone talk to an Emperor like that and survive it. this unit is genuinely impressed and mildly concerned in equal measure."

"add it to the list," Julian muttered, rubbing his temple.

---

Across the training yard, Reid stood half-hidden near the archway, having caught the tail end of the exchange without meaning to, and found himself staring at Julian a beat too long, mind drifting somewhere it had no business going.

’that almost-kiss,’ he thought, jaw tightening at the memory that had been sitting uninvited in the back of his skull since yesterday. ’that shouldn’t still be bothering me like this. I’m a commander. I don’t get flustered over a slipped pillow and bad timing.’

Except he did. He very much did. ’stop thinking about his mouth, Reid. focus. there’s a border war happening. there’s a corrupted core-class Aberration that talked. there’s an Emperor apparently trying to marry him. none of that is the time to be thinking about how close you got to...’

He cut the thought off hard, exhaling slow, forcing his attention back to the training reports in his hand that he’d stopped actually reading three minutes ago.

---

Not far off, Jayden watched the whole scene unfold from a shaded balcony above, arms crossed, jaw tight, something complicated twisting in his chest that he didn’t fully want to look at directly.

’good,’ he told himself firmly, watching his cousin storm off in a huff. ’good, he said no. that’s good. that’s exactly what should happen.’

He didn’t examine too closely why watching Julian reject the Emperor sent something warm and relieved through his chest, sharper than simple political satisfaction should feel.

’his heart shouldn’t be something I’m trying to win,’ Jayden thought, gripping the balcony railing a little tighter than necessary. ’this isn’t about that. this is about protecting an asset the crown needs. that’s all this is.’

He didn’t believe himself even as he thought it, and that irritated him more than anything the Emperor had done all morning.

---

Julian was halfway through rubbing the headache out of his temples when the alarm tore through the academy grounds, sharp and screeching, far more frantic than the breach alarm from two days ago.

Sentinels who’d been calmly training a second earlier suddenly dropped their weapons, clutching at their own chests, some crumpling to their knees, others staggering like the ground had shifted beneath them.

"what’s happening," Julian said, already moving toward the chaos, the fox going rigid against his shoulder.

[Host. Threat detected. Multiple Sentinels showing signs consistent with corruption exposure. This is not a normal illness.]

A voice boomed out over the academy’s emergency system, panicked and shaking.

"medical emergency, all available Guides report immediately... repeat, this is not a breach, this is internal... the majority of our Sentinel forces have just been confirmed infected!"