Originally, in Azula's heart, Ozai truly had always been the father she respected most.
She had done everything she could to grow into exactly the kind of person Ozai wanted her to beco.
Even Ozai's likes and dislikes gradually beca her own.
If Ozai wanted to conquer the world, then she wanted to conquer the world.
If Ozai hated Zuko, then she hated Zuko as well.
But there was one point where she differed from Ozai.
That was their attitude toward Ursa.
As Ursa's biological daughter, no matter how Ozai trained her, he could never completely erase the yearning for maternal love hidden deep inside a young girl's heart.
That yearning had never been clearly expressed.
Even Azula herself had not realized it—
Until the day Ursa disappeared.
It was also at that mont that Ozai brushed her aside for the first ti, successfully leaving behind an indelible crack within her obedient devotion to him while her emotions were at their most unstable.
Afterward, her heart-to-heart conversation with Kahn allowed him to truly step into her heart.
Not only did he fill the crack in her soul, but he had now even begun contending with Ozai for a place within it.
Perhaps one day, Kahn would completely replace the Fire Lord in her heart and beco the most important person in her world.
Of course, all of this was happening silently and imperceptibly.
Neither Ozai, Azula, nor Kahn themselves realized it.
Ozai and Kahn were even less aware that their confrontation had already begun from this very mont.
Although everything unfolded in silence, when Azula heard Ozai ntion Kahn, she still frowned almost imperceptibly.
However, she imdiately returned to her usual expression.
Why would he suddenly bring up Kahn?
Azula pondered inwardly while outwardly maintaining the sa "innocent" deanor she always showed in front of her father.
She replied indifferently, "So what?"
"He still can't beat anyway."
"That goes without saying."
"Whether now or in the future, you will always be the finest, my daughter."
"The one I am most proud of."
Ozai paused briefly before continuing.
"I rely heard that you and Zuko have been spending quite a lot of ti with him lately."
"So I beca a little curious."
"Tell , what do you think of him?"
"What do I think?"
"Hm…"
Azula could not tell exactly what Ozai was probing for, so she lightly tapped her chin and answered with careful nonchalance.
"I think he's far more interesting than people our age."
"At the very least, he isn't as cowardly and weak as Zuko."
"Oh?"
Hearing that evaluation, Ozai seed sowhat surprised.
A person even Azula found interesting—
That alone made him intriguing.
Finally, Ozai revealed his true intentions.
"Then do you think he is the sa kind of person as Iroh and the others?"
"Or do you think he would get along better with us?"
What did "get along" an?
Naturally, it ant whether Kahn could be brought over to their side and used.
Although Ozai despised Iroh's behavior and believed it beneath the dignity of royalty for a mber of the royal family to personally care for a commoner orphan, it was a completely different matter if that orphan happened to be a gifted firebending prodigy.
In other words, Ozai had taken an interest in Kahn's talent.
A genius valued by Iroh—
Even if he was not as talented as Azula, he would undoubtedly beco a formidable combatant in the future.
Naturally, the more such assets, the better.
And if possible, letting Iroh helplessly watch soone he valued leave his side to beco a weapon of the Fire Lord…
Wouldn't that be rather amusing?
A faint smile appeared on Ozai's face as malice quietly spread through his heart.
The mont Azula understood Ozai's intention, a trace of displeasure instantly rose within her.
Kahn was her person.
By what right did Ozai decide such things without even asking for her opinion?
And by what right did he decide anything about Kahn at all?
At that mont, the balance in Azula's heart quietly shifted once again.
Outwardly, however, she tilted her head, thought for a mont, and replied with feigned innocence.
"From what I can tell right now, he seems to get along with pretty well."
"Is that so?"
Hearing Azula's answer, Ozai's smile widened.
"That is wonderful."
"I am very pleased he is not the cowardly type."
"However, he spends quite a lot of ti around Iroh and the others these days."
"I'm sowhat concerned he might be negatively influenced by them."
Azula imdiately understood.
A smile identical to Ozai's appeared on her face.
"Leave it to , Father."
"I'll make sure he isn't influenced by them and stands on our side."
Or more accurately—
On my side.
"Very good."
Ozai nodded in satisfaction.
"It's sowhat unfortunate."
"He has visited our ho so many tis, yet I still haven't spoken with him properly."
"That's rather poor etiquette on my part."
"But I currently do not have the ti."
"Never mind."
After thinking briefly, Ozai ultimately decided it was not worth personally spending ti on the matter.
No matter how talented Kahn was, he was still rely a commoner.
There was no need for the Fire Lord himself to lower his status by personally intervening.
Instead, leaving the matter to Azula would serve as a good opportunity to train her.
Thus, Ozai made his decision.
"Then I shall leave this matter to you, my dear daughter."
"Do not disappoint ."
Azula lowered her head.
"Of course."
——
"…Anyway, that's what happened."
Azula lounged lazily on the sofa while eating grapes, casually spitting the skins into a distant trash bin with perfect accuracy as though she were talking about sothing utterly insignificant.
But Kahn could not remain nearly as relaxed as she was.
How had he suddenly ended up attracting the Fire Lord's attention?
After swallowing the last grape, Azula wiped her hands clean and said, "Isn't this a good thing?"
"Even Father has acknowledged your talent."
Kahn's face darkened.
"I'd rather not receive this kind of acknowledgnt."
Being targeted by a Fire Lord who was ambitious, ruthless, calculating, willing to use any ans necessary, had seized the throne by force, and ruled with an iron fist—
Just thinking about it made Kahn's scalp tingle.
Could it be that from now on, no matter where he went, soone would secretly monitor him?
Or would he suddenly end up dead in so alley one day?
Looks like I'll have to be even more careful from now on.
Kahn let out a weary sigh born from pure survival instinct.
Then he sighed once again.
Although he had only t Ozai once, he interacted constantly with Ozai's daughter Azula, his son Zuko, his brother Iroh, and even Ursa herself.
His relationship with the first three was especially close.
Under those circumstances, it was only natural for the Fire Lord to notice him.
This is what they call guilt by association, I suppose.
"However…"
Azula suddenly narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Where do you think Father got his information about you?"
"Hm."
Kahn thought for a mont before quickly arriving at an answer.
"It must've co from the Fire Academy."
"Apart from around you people, that's the only place where I've used firebending."
"And when Iroh personally inford them that he would teach himself so I could stop attending the academy, the information probably leaked from there."
Azula's question also served as a reminder.
Aside from Iroh and the others, nobody else could truly be trusted.
It seed he would need to beco even more cautious with his words and actions in the future.
"Couldn't it also be soone among us?"
Azula suddenly sneered.
"Don't forget."
"There are still two outsiders hanging around us."
"Mai and Ty Lee."
"Can't you trust your friends a little more?"
Kahn rolled his eyes at her, clearly exasperated by her conspiracy theories.
"If you're going to say that, then the most suspicious person should obviously be you."
"What did you say?!"
Azula instantly exploded in fury and unleashed a burst of fire directly at Kahn.
"Hey!"
"What are you doing?!"
"It was just a joke!"
"Don't go too far!"
The two imdiately started fighting again.
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