At the Master Song's basement,
Gon was lying on his bed. He was tossing and turning from one side to another side. He got up and sat for meditation. When he closed his eyes, he started thinking about his memories instead of meditating.
Today, when he saw Wang Lufan's face, the blurred face of his young master in his memories got cleared. Still, he couldn't remember why he apologized to him. It was an immense feeling that he wanted to apologize heartily but didn't know why.
'There must be something important,' Gon thought and started meditation. After few minutes, when he felt relaxed, he laid down and closed his eyes.
.
At the corner of a market,
Few thugs were planning to snatch the money purse of an aristocratic young girl. She was very beautiful, elegant and busy in her own world. Along with the snatching money bag, they also started thinking ill of her.
Just behind them, a slave boy was hiding and eavesdropping on their conversation. When they were about to go near her, the teenage slave boy came out and fought with them without letting her know about it. His moves weren't well planned and lacking perfection, but still, he managed to make them unconscious.
When he was about to step forward to check that girl, a teenager came from behind and held a dagger on his throat.
Looking at clothes, the teenager seemed from an aristocratic family. He was a bit shorter and younger than the slave boy. He held the hands of that slave boy and said,
"Who are you? Why did you save her? What do you want from her?"
The slave boy replied in his young and shaken voice, "I… I mean no harm to Miss."
.
In a royal chamber, the young slave boy was standing at the center of the room. This time, his attire was changed and he was looking like a decent person.
In front of him, a young teenager was sitting on the main seat. He was wearing a black robe which was indicating that he is a Crown Prince of that empire. He observed the tall teenager in front of him and asked, "Why should I believe you?"
The tall boy knelt on the ground and said, "Please believe me Royal Highness, I want to protect Miss. Please spare me…"
Crown Prince asked, "Why?"
"Because… Miss saved me back then. Miss gave me a new life. I will do everything to protect her. But… I don't know how…"
The Crown Prince saw the sincerity in his eyes and asked, "Do you know who is she?" The tall boy got confused. The Crown Prince smiled and said, "She is the Princess of our Song Empire. What do you think now? Can you still protect her?"
The tall boy widened his eyes and then quickly looked down and replied, "Yes Royal Highness! I will protect Mis… Princess over myself."
The Crown Prince asked, "You have to undergo thorough training before being her guard… Can you do that?"
The tall boy bowed and said, "Your grace is immeasurable." Naïve happiness could be seen in his eyes.
.
In the market at night, three aristocratic young men were roaming. Three of them had different expressions;
The tallest one was wearing a black outfit, had a sword in his hand but had bit uncomfortable expressions;
The comparatively shorter one was wearing a silk outfit like a nobleman wandering the market peacefully with a paper fan in the hand, and
The shortest one, wearing nobleman's clothes was flirting with every passing lady.
The shortest one recommended visiting the Courtesan house* for gambling. Three of them went inside and started having drinks. The shortest one was flirting with the courtesan ladies, "Let's gamble. Pretty ladies, do you want to play with me?" The lady blushed and said coquettishly, "We will play but Young master, on what should we bet on?"
The one with paper fan closed his fan in one short and said, "I have an idea. You don't have to bet on something since we can't trouble beautiful ladies…" he paused and pointed his fan at the tallest one, "but if you win, you can have a drink with this man on whom you all were eyeing on... he is pretty strong!"
The tallest one got scared from the core. He can just pray that the shortest one would win every bet and it happened. Every time, the shortest one was winning in the gambling.
While going home, they three went by holding onto each other. The tallest one never got treated so nicely before, the other two were considering him as their closest mate.
.
At the palace, inside Crown Prince's chamber,
A young man was standing near the window, looking outside in a daze. Behind him, a very tall and handsome man was standing. The entire black outfit, sword in left hand and one-sided bangs on his face made him look like a mysterious shadow guard.
He reported his presence, "Greetings to Royal Highness"
The Crown Prince smiled while looking outside. The voice from behind sounded distinct. He said without turning back, "Gon ah, you must be surprised by my decision, right?"
When he got no answer from behind, he continued, "Even when she is crying so hard, begging not to let her marry Emperor Jun, I am not listening to her. Even his majesty wanted to cancel this marriage alliance."
Gon finally said, "Royal highness… do you still don't want to change your decision. Miss was more heartbroken because royal highness himself is insisting on this marriage alliance, his majesty was also surprised… why… are you doing this?" While saying this, he was battling inside his mind, he didn't want to question his young master's decision, but he couldn't see his Miss crying so hard.
Crown Prince replied, "Because this is the best choice for her. She can only be safe if she marries Emperor Jun."
Gon got startled and said, "Miss… is in danger?"
Crown Prince turned around and nodded. He told, "I am suspecting that Prime Minister Kim is up to something, not him exactly, but someone is manipulating him. I don't know much about it and I don't think the little one will believe me, she cannot think rationally now."
Gon quickly objected, "But Royal Highness… out of everyone else, why Emperor Jun? Everyone knows his nature. Our Miss might be safe there but what about her happiness…"
Crown Prince smiled at the sincere loyalty of Gon and asked, "Do you trust me? Do you think I will let anyone marry my little one? Emperor Jun is the best amongst the best for your Miss…" he paused and whispered, "…because he loves her unconditionally."
He stepped forward and put his hand on Gon's shoulder, "Gon ah, I need your help."
Gon widened his eyes and said, "Royal Highness, just give the command to this servant of yours."
Crown Prince laughed and said, "Servant? You were never our servant Gon. You are our friend whom we can rely upon, without any worries."
He patted his shoulder and continued, "Gon ah, I want you to continue following your Miss as her shadow guard even after her marriage..."