Although the repercussions of Iroh and Zuko's defection fell far short of what Kahn had initially expected, they were not entirely nonexistent.
At least for Kahn, he suddenly found himself under close surveillance.
Though the soldiers assigned to watch him were highly skilled and kept well concealed, to Kahn, who had now made considerable progress in Spiritbending, their fixed gazes practically radiated scorching heat. They were not only conspicuous but uncomfortable.
And before his Mind's Eye, even the most sophisticated concealment was no different from standing openly in front of him.
Thus, what should have been covert, tight surveillance felt to Kahn more like being openly ogled by a crowd of burly men. The skin-crawling experience nearly made him lose control and kill the watchers.
Fortunately, he rarely went out anyway. Under these circumstances, staying home and focusing on his training was a decent choice. Unfortunately, he had originally wanted to continue training with Guru Pathik, but it now seemed that would have to wait.
This was obviously Ozai's handiwork. That old bastard never failed when it came to making people sick.
Clearly, Iroh and Zuko's defection had struck a raw nerve with Ozai, to the point that Kahn had once again fallen under serious suspicion, even warranting men being sent to keep him under close watch.
Azula, however, did not seem to face any restrictions. She could still come over as usual, as though nothing had happened.
After another sparring session, Kahn still had to clean up the grounds, while Azula slipped off to the pavilion to enjoy the snacks all by herself. Veins bulged on Kahn's forehead at the sight, and he said, speechless:
"Does your conscience really not hurt?"
Azula shrugged.
"Of course not. Having to deal with you and secretly gather intelligence is already hard enough.