This seemed to be a letter Yin Shu had hastily written before her disappearance. The handwriting was quite sloppy.
Judging by its contents, Yin Shu had written this letter specifically for Zuko. The first half told him to take care of himself, blah blah blah-some very ordinary words.
The key was the second half, which mentioned Azula. Yin Shu's tone suddenly abandoned its earlier warmth, bluntly calling Azula a monster. She said Azula had frightened her ever since she was born and told Zuko to keep his distance from her.
After reading the letter, Kahn found it somewhat hard to believe. Though his time with Yin Shu had been brief, he could hardly imagine that dignified, virtuous mother saying such vicious things. For some inexplicable reason, he kept feeling that something was wrong.
Beside him, Azula's expression was terrifyingly dark. She had crumpled the edge of the letter in her grip, and her body trembled slightly. Even Kahn beside her could feel that madness on the verge of spilling over.
At the same time, the edge of the envelope slowly began to smoke. Kahn inwardly cried out in alarm at the sight. This was clearly her emotions spiraling out of control and taking her Firebending with them!
He hurriedly said:
"Don't believe what it says. There's something wrong with this letter!"
Azula paused and turned to look at Kahn, her eyes like those of a bloodthirsty beast. Kahn involuntarily flinched, but quickly steadied himself. Thinking at lightning speed, he slowly began to speak:
"The envelope was left somewhere far too obvious, and this room is very clean. Someone clearly cleaned it. In that case, the last people who cleaned this place couldn't possibly have missed it."
"In other words, someone very likely forged this letter and deliberately wanted it to be found."
He wasn't simply making things up. Thinking it through calmly did reveal many unusual traces.
The more Kahn spoke, the clearer and more orderly his thoughts became:
"This is clearly a letter written specifically for Zuko, but you said earlier that your mother saw Zuko before she left. Whatever she wanted to say, she could have told him directly. There was no need to write a letter."
"Besides, your mother couldn't possibly have failed to realize that her room would be sealed off after she disappeared. And with Zuko's personality, he would never force his way in here. So this letter definitely wasn't written for him."
At this point, Kahn paused, looked Azula straight in the eye, and said earnestly:
"Finally, I believe your mother would never say something like that.
"Remember? When we first met, she said it herself: you were a good child."
Azula quietly listened to everything Kahn said. Only at his final words did she freeze, and her emotions finally began to settle. Her reason gradually returned and gained the upper hand.
That's right. Mother praised me herself. She said I was a good child. She also said she loved me.
"I understand."
Azula regained her composure.
Just then, she glanced in disgust at the envelope in her hand. Flames instantly sprang from her palm and burned it to nothing.
Although some of Kahn's guesses did not hold up particularly well under scrutiny, his general direction was sound. Once she calmed down, she too quickly noticed the inconsistencies.
Following Kahn's reasoning, it was easy to conclude that this letter, seemingly addressed to Zuko, had actually been written specifically for her. Its purpose was undoubtedly to plunge her into the state she had just been in, stripping away all reason until she finally descended into madness.
She had to admit that whoever forged this letter understood her psychological state very well. If Kahn hadn't been there, she probably really would have fallen into the trap this time.
So, looking at Kahn beside her, Azula said almost inaudibly:
"Thank you."
"What?"
"Hmph. Nothing."
Kahn froze for a moment, but quickly caught on and teased her with a grin:
"Were you saying thank you? Say it louder, then. It's not like I'd laugh at you. Haha!"
"Are you asking to die?!"
Azula immediately flushed, her embarrassment turning to anger as she unleashed a barrage at Kahn, forcing him to hurriedly beg for mercy. "All right, all right, you win. Now really isn't the time to fool around!"
"Hmph!"
Azula gave an irritated snort, put away her flames, and returned to the matter at hand.
There wasn't much to consider. She could have guessed who was behind this even with her toes-
"You really taught me a lesson, my dear royal father."
Azula sneered, practically grinding the words out between her teeth.
Clearly, no one other than Ozai could have schemed against her to this extent.
Kahn had guessed it was him too. After all, Ozai was the biggest-and only-villain he had come to know since transmigrating. Still, hearing Azula confirm it made him suck in a breath:
"Isn't this guy a little too ruthless?!"
Azula's emotional state had already been very abnormal at the time. If she had remained trapped in it, she might have developed a mental illness or even become a lunatic.
Azula was his daughter!
Azula, however, didn't feel much about that, nor did she think it was anything remarkable. She simply hated having been schemed against.
They still had no clues about Yin Shu's disappearance, and under the current circumstances, they couldn't continue investigating. The two could only give up and wait for another opportunity.
Back home, Kahn thought back on the incident. Ozai had thoroughly played them this time. He certainly lived up to being a ruthless man capable of murdering his father and usurping the throne.
But what exactly was Ozai after, being so vicious even toward his own children?
Suddenly, he remembered the equally suffocating actions of Ozai's father, and it all made sense.
It really did run in the family.
"Achoo!"
Far away, Azula, Zuko, and Iroh sneezed in unison, all inexplicably sensing a wave of malice.
"I heard you secretly broke into your mother's room and knocked out two guards?"
In the palace, behind a curtain of flames, Ozai's face and expression were obscured by the fire. Only his deep voice came through, oppressive and full of authority.
Azula knelt on one knee, her head lowered so that her expression was likewise hidden. A trace of unwillingness colored her voice:
"Yes, because I wanted to know why Mother left without a word, or whether she really is dead."
At this, a subtle change came over Ozai's tone:
"So, did you discover anything?"
"I found nothing."
As Azula said this, the air around her abruptly changed. Her body trembled slightly, and palpable anger and resentment poured out of her, drawing attention.
At last, the corners of Ozai's mouth lifted slightly. He dispersed the flames before him, walked over to Azula himself, and gently patted her shoulder, smiling:
"I know you miss her, so I don't blame you. But I hope you pull yourself together soon, Azula. You must understand that you are the child I am proudest of. I will always be by your side."
At his words, Azula's emotions eased somewhat. She stood and threw herself into Ozai's arms.
"Yes, Father."
Ozai stroked the top of Azula's head with gratification, but his satisfied gaze was less that of someone looking at a person than at a creation, a tool that belonged to him.
Meanwhile, on Azula's face, where Ozai couldn't see, there was not the slightest trace of being moved-only a sneer and disdain.
What a picture of a loving father and devoted daughter.
Before you continue