Kai Fanghua felt as if his heart was in his throat. He swallows deeply as he makes eye contact with the crown prince's intense gaze. Should he pretend to faint this time?
"You do realise what you have done right?" Zhihuan glowers out, causing Fanghua to gulp. Fanghua stays silent, unsure of how to go about this. "Well? Do you want me to add your silence when the crown prince is asking you a question to your list of crimes too? You should already be sentenced to about 4 deaths." Zhihuan states, wickedly smiling.
"Four!?" Fanghua shouts in disbelief, unable to contain himself. Zhihuan smirks, beginning to circle around the chair Fanghua was tied too.
"Touching the holy skin of a prince is punishable by death." Oh no Fanghua thinks. "Yet you did not even touch it accidentally. Oh no. You went and... slapped me before...kicking my precious manhood." Zhihuan spits, pausing for each painful encounter to sound more dramatic. Fanghua hangs his head in shame, each pause dealing a stronger blow then the previous.
That itself is already punishable by the most gruesome death possible. And then there's number 2. Theft. You not only dared steal from me, you dared to steal my most precious belonging only to discard it! Are you even human?" Zhihuan spits out. Kai Fanghua looks up in disbelief. He could not possibly be talking about the animal dung, could he? Since he was already going to die, Fanghua decided he would not hold back. He had already committed so many crimes, so why not break a few more?
Fanghua suddenly laughs, causing Zhihuan to stop his pacing. "You can't really mean those dried animal dung droppings? My, my, my, I never knew the crown prince had some strange fetish for animal dung." Fanghua says, his eyebrows raising. Zhihuan looks at him in disbelief. No person had ever dared talk back to him whilst knowing his identity.
"F-f-fetish?! Are you crazy? I do not have a fetish for animal dung you incompetent fool." Zhihuan glowers, his hands balling into fists.
"Incompetent fool?! How dare you call a lady an incompetent fool you.. you chicken." Fanghua seethes in anger. He may not be a lady but he did not care anymore. Unknowing to Fanghua however, Zhihuan already knew that he was indeed a male but wished to conceal this knowledge.
"Those were in fact chocolates. An extremely rare foreign delicacy. Worth over thousands of Zhang. And you went and destroyed it. Oh yes I almost forgot. Why thank you for reminding me. You also tried to drug the crown prince into imitating one of the lowliest animals to walk this earth. A chicken."
Fanghua inwardly curses. Him and his tongue. But wait?! Did the crown prince just say that unappetising dung looking thing was worth over thousands of zheng?! Fanghuas soul almost left his body then and there.
Zhihuan ponders for a sec. "Wait a minute. My calculations were incorrect. One chocolate ball is worth around 1000 zheng. That pouch had about 7 balls. So around 7000 zheng you destroyed.
Yes. Fanghua was ready to die now. 7000 zheng! That was the amount of money he could make by working hard for 1 whole year. To think he had thrown that bag into the water without a second glance.
"Hah, you think I am bad. You are the same. Did you not also destroy the 'Art of a Thousand Li,' by dropping it into a pond. There are only a few copies of that in existence. I may have been naive but nothing can excuse clumsiness." Fanghua replies back smartly.
For the first time in his life, Zhihuan was at a loss for words. He had indeed been clumsy and had dropped it in a pond. Sure the imbecile of a man was talking back to him, yet why was Zhihuan somewhat enjoying this? Was it because no one had ever dared talk to him like this before?
"Hmph. Perhaps, but you have no right to point out the misdoings of a prince. Especially one who has committed such crimes and is currently on trial. Explain yourself. Why did you do it."
Fanghua gazes around the room. Beautiful tapestries line the wall along with marble tiles delicately sliced and placed on the floor. Lanterns give the room a red glow, illuminating Zhihuan and making him seem like a fierce dragon breathing down his neck. This was indeed really happening. All because he had broken his oath and stolen from an innocent. And to punish him, the gods had made that innocent none other than the crown prince.
"Why did you do it?" Zhihuan suddenly asks. Oh no, how would he even begin to explain this situation to him.
"Sigh. I know this may sound false but I truly am sorry. A series of situations came up where I immediately needed money for an urgent situation. I even had to break my own oath to steal from you. It was the first and the last time." Fanghua says honestly. Zhihuan looks at the handsome man's face. He seemed genuine enough but he would never trust this man.
Wait? How long exactly had Fanghua been unconscious for?
Zhihuan suddenly frowns as a desperate look suddenly replaces Fanghuas features. Oh God. Please don't tell me he was going to beg for his life.
"How long have I been unconscious for?!" Fanghua asks, his tone suddenly urgent.
"What?" Zhihuan asks, baffled.
"Tell me!," Fanghua cries out, alarming Zhihuan.
"Around 9 hours. It is already the next day." Zhihuan replies back. Wait why was he listening to this mans demands?! A horrified expression replaces Fanghua as he sits up straight, directly looking at Zhihuan.
"Really?!" Fanghua asks in disbelief.
"I am not a liar like you." Not really taking into consideration what the crown prince had just said, Fanghua suddenly breaks out in a large smile. This beautiful man sure had a way of making Zhihuan feel at a loss for words.
"Why are you smiling?" Zhihuan demands, suspicious. Sure Fanghua would most likely die soon. But by being captured by the crown prince, he had avoided having to pay back money to that bastard and have his pride immensely lowered. At least he would never have to see his face again.
"Oh no reason." Fanghua says, continuing to smile. What was wrong with this man. Did he not realise the current situation he was in? Zhihuan suddenly walks towards Fanghua and with his long fingers, suddenly grabs his face to make him look at him. Fanghua suddenly stops smiling, his heart rate suddenly increasing as he stares at the golden depths of fire. Zhihuan seems to pause too as he stares at Fanghuas ruby red eyes which were only a few centimetres away from his own.
"Do not smile. It is annoying." Zhihuan says coldly before releasing his hand from Fanghua's face as if he had touched fire. Hah! So he was forbidden to touch him but the crown prince could do as he pleased. We are both humans. He was just lucky to be born into a royal family. The only thing that makes you different from Fanghua is your title.
"Now, onto your punishment. Should it be death by a 1000 cuts? Or perhaps dismemberment by horses?" Kai Fanghua freezes, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. So this was it. At least he would die with his pride still intact.
"Or perhaps, make you my own personal head maid for eternity." Zhihuan states, a glint in his eyes. Wait, what? Did he hear that right? Fanghua snaps his head up in shock. Personal maid? Is he crazy? Disguising as a woman was one thing, but being one 24/7 forever was absolutely impossible. And to serve this man out of all people! Never, ever. He would rather die. Okay maybe not, but nonetheless, this was absolutely ridiculous. He had his pride! He was a man.
"Are you crazy, I cannot be your maid. I am a-." Fanghua starts before halting. Oh pangu. If he revealed that he was a man now, he may truly truly die this time. Perhaps it was better to go along with it for now till he finds a better solution.
"You are a what?" Zhihuan states, his voice deathly cold. Was he perhaps going to reveal he was a man now? Zhihuan wondered. Fanghua gulps.
"I am a useless woman. I know nothing about taking care of a man, let alone someone like the crown prince." Fanghua lies.
"So you would rather die. Then so be it."
"NO. No. I will learn. I will become your maid." Fanghua urgently protests, shaking his bound hands. Zhihuan smirks. Sure this man had committed many wrongdoings. But sometimes, other forms of punishment can be much, much worse than death. By making him his own personal maid, he will forever have to follow his orders, swallow his pride and serve him as if he was truly a lady. He truly could not wait to make him suffer.
"Well then, my dear maid. I guess its time to get you trained." Zhihuan smirks, his eyes flashing with excitement. Finally, it seemed that things would get interesting around the palace for once.
Fanghua closes his eyes, sending a message to the gods above. 'I know that I prayed to you so that one day I would reunite with the book 'The Art of a Thousand Li,' but this is truly not what I meant! Gahhhhh.