The Villain

Azula, so this was Zuko's younger sister?

Kahn studied her curiously.

Azula looked about the same age as the girls, but she dressed less like a little girl their age and more like a boy.

She was very cute, which stood to reason, since her older brother Zuko was a handsome young lad too. What felt jarring, however, was the sinister malice in her smile, which utterly ruined her looks.

Kahn could not help frowning. Who did she learn that expression from? It looked like plastic surgery gone wrong.

Zuko had complained to him about his sister plenty of times. In Zuko's telling, there was no evil she would not commit, and all the bamboo in the world would not be enough to record her misdeeds.

Although Zuko was only a child, and his complaints might contain plenty of exaggeration and personal bias, even so, Azula undoubtedly qualified as a little terror.

Little terrors were always troublesome, and one of Azula's exalted standing was trouble among troubles.

Better keep my distance from her, Kahn decided.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

Although Kahn had only given Azula a quick once-over, his involuntary frown seemed to her like an expression of disgust, and her expression instantly turned vicious:

"What, do you like looking me over that much? Shall I gouge your eyes out and put them in my room so you can look at me every day?!"

"Azula, don't scare Kahn!"

Zuko sounded displeased.

"Zuzu, has no one taught you any manners? Don't interrupt people when they're talking."

Azula ignored Zuko completely and simply stared at Kahn:

"Is your friend mute? If he is, why don't we just sew his mouth shut? That way, no one will get the wrong idea. See? What a wonderful idea!"

Azula even clapped in approval after she finished speaking, thoroughly pleased with her own suggestion.

Yet the meaning of her words sent a chill down the spine. It was almost impossible to believe that a little girl could say such things. This went far beyond being a little terror.

"I'd prefer to keep both my eyes and my mouth as they are. I meant no offense. If I've done anything wrong, I apologize."

Kahn answered calmly.

In fact, he was thinking that a little girl Azula's age could not possibly have come up with those words herself. Rather than dwelling on her threats, he began considering just what sort of person would teach a little girl to behave this way.

If this was deliberate instruction, that person's intentions were far too sinister, especially where an imperial princess was concerned.

Azula had no idea what Kahn was thinking. Even so, the attitude he displayed now surprised her and was enough to displease her.

In her expectations, Kahn should have been afraid. He should have been afraid of her.

Yet what Kahn displayed was calm.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. What gave him the right not to fear me?

"Even if Kahn did something, he's already apologized. Besides, you're clearly the one who started this. Azula, have you had enough? If you keep this up, I'm telling Mother!"

Zuko's voice came from beside her, as weak as ever. Azula curled her lip disdainfully, stood up on the wall, and stared at Kahn, seemingly wanting to do something. Just then, a gentle yet questioning voice came from nearby:

"Azula, Zuko, what are you arguing about?"

All three turned toward the voice.

A beautiful woman with a gentle bearing emerged from the palace. Her lovely face conveyed a calm, composed air, while her sumptuous, neatly arranged court robes lent her an added dignity.

"Mother!"

Zuko called out.

Zuko's mother was named Yin Shu. She fixed her gaze on Azula atop the wall and frowned:

"Azula, how could you climb onto the wall? It's too dangerous!"

Then she told the maid beside her, "Hurry and help Azula down."

"No need. I'll come down myself."

At Yin Shu's reprimand, Azula immediately pursed her lips in displeasure. Without waiting for the maid to help, she leaped casually from the wall and landed with ease.

Yin Shu was startled by Azula's actions. "Azula!"

"I just wanted to get down faster. I already did what you told me."

Azula brushed the dust off her backside, looking utterly unconcerned, though she kept her head turned aside rather than looking at her mother.

"Azula!"

Yin Shu was somewhat angry, yet also somewhat helpless. At last, she sighed, turned to Zuko and Kahn, and repeated her earlier question:

"What were you arguing about just now?"

Azula did not answer, merely wearing a disdainful expression as though she were sulking, while Zuko did not hesitate to tell on her:

"Azula was picking a fight. She was giving my friend Kahn a hard time!"

Azula cast Zuko a haughty glance:

"Yes, Zuzu, you're right. And you're always so sure you're in the right, especially when Mother's around."

"Mother, look at her!"

"All right, I understand."

Yin Shu felt nothing but weary. She was about to punish Azula. "Azula, you-"

"No, ma'am, that isn't what happened."

Just then, Kahn suddenly spoke, drawing all three pairs of eyes to him.

What Kahn said next left them all astonished:

"No one was bullying me just now. Zuko's sister Azula and I were having a normal conversation. Zuko simply misunderstood."

Azula wondered whether she had misheard. She could not even maintain her expression and blinked in surprise.

"Kahn?!"

Have you lost your mind?!

Zuko cried out in astonishment, but with his mother standing before him, he did not voice the second half.

Even Yin Shu was surprised. She glanced at Azula, then asked, "Azula really wasn't bullying you?"

Kahn shook his head. "She really wasn't."

"We've only just met. How could there be any bullying? Even if there were a few misunderstandings, they've already been cleared up, haven't they?"

He looked at Azula and quietly gave her a meaningful glance.

Seeing Kahn act this way, Azula suddenly felt an inexplicable emotion. Apart from her father, no one had ever treated her like this, and no one had ever willingly taken her side and spoken up for her.

That inexplicable emotion made her extremely irritable. She even wanted to attack him despite her mother's presence and burn him to death, but for some reason, she ultimately did not.

After what seemed to everyone else like a long silence, she finally gave a noncommittal grunt, and her expression was no longer as defiant as before.

Yin Shu had her doubts. She knew Azula's temperament, and so she knew all the more clearly that Kahn's account was the lie. Yet his attitude left her unsure what to make of it for the moment.

Why would Kahn defend Azula when she had spoken so viciously to him at their very first meeting?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Yin Shu's mind and would not let go.

Could he have fallen in love with Azula at first sight?