" Your highness, are you okay by yourself?", A man asked behind YongSun and he immediately turned to see who was speaking behind him.
Highest ranking trainee but also third in command of the group of imperial guards , Lee ZhiHuan . .
He is the direct opposite of his senior, Jeo Wanglei and his chief Na HwenThiang, he is a lot less social and diplomatic. If anything ZhiHuan is like the replica of MeiYang, just a little more down to earth and a lot more soft spoken. ZhiHuan seldom talks and is the second strongest in the hierarchy of imperial trainees
He doesn't smile nor does he look angry. He is the slow and warm kind of expressionless, the approachable and less destructive form.
In regards to appearance, ZhiHuan has the softest intense brunette hair of all his peers and he possesses the most rosy , partially upturned lips . His nose is very straight and slim plus his eyebrows are exceptionally full and long. His symmetrical and flawless face is proportional to his heavenly personality that is the personification of a cloud.
YongSun looked at him . He forced a smile and made it seem like he could smile back but he didn't
" I am fine. You don't need to worry", he answered and ZhiHuan nodded and he bowed before he left the space towards the other members.
YongSun remained looking at him ad he left. And he must admit he is very magnetic. His coldness his composure, his everything. He is truly amazing . And at one points, he thinks that he is more alluring than Wanglei or Na HwenThiang who are always firm , stern and lethal-looking. They are both cold, one like a panther and the other like an eagle.
ZhiHuan felt akward since he could sort of feel YongSun s gaze and he turned back to confirm .only then did he see YongSun gawking at him like an opening butterfly cocoon ..
YongSun remained distracted in his thoughts, focusing on ZhiHuan . After nearly ten seconds, his eyes picked up a motion particularly from ZhiHuan s stare that shifted from him to the side.
YongSun followed his eyes therefore he then he noticed a handsome creature striding towards him. He looked deep in thought and wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings.
SheJin was still with red eyes but they were slightly less noticeable . .He had his eyes slightly lowered and looking mostly the lower altitudes of things.
According to the novel, YongSun ran back to his father who was with his family and nearly fifteen guards and some officials that had can to the kingdom this day. And as expected he was here but what the novel didn't mention was the presence of ZhiHuan .
SheJin raised his eyes completely and he spotted YongSun who was already looking at him strangely, like how one looks at someone they didn't expect to see or come . Nonetheless he walked closer to him
Upon reaching him, he inspected his body a little and confirmed that he looked fine.
" Your highness, are you okay? You had stormed out and I had to inquire if..", he was lying .
The only reason he is here is because he knew there was going to be a scandal and a particular person is going to reveal a secret that could threaten the kingdom, but SheJin forgot who that individual is and what they were specifically going to talk about.
" I am fine, but what about you?", He smiled at him and SheJin has to admit that was very akward, the way he smiled like they are friends when they are just master and servant
When will he stop having these kinds of thoughts where he just thinks of YongSun as a ringleader and not as a person . He knows that YongSun is very naive and trusts easily, so him display this sweetness to him is purely genuine , just like a compliment from a three year old.
" I am fine", he answered back but that sounded like he just ended their conversation as there was not much left to say . He has to find a way to make himself stay a little longer but there is virtually nothing he can thaw the ice about. As a servant he knows his place and should not be at all conversing with the prince but the prince really trusts and sort of enjoys SheJin s company, how can SheJin be so cold as to brush him off like a disgusting stain.
" Should I bring you something to eat since you missed breakfast?", He stammered. This is so awkward and difficult.
" No , I am fine", he smiled
SheJin moved away but then YongSun caught his shirt therefore he turned to look at him.
YongSun smiled and he let go of the garment.
SheJin raised his eyes away from cloth and looked to YongSun.
' when will I wake up? ', he questioned himself even though he knows this is not a dream.
" Is the color really that omnious? ", Min questioned ErYuan and he replied yes.
SheJin subconsciously looked to the talking people but before his eyes could reach them, they passed over ZhiHuan who stared sugar-coated daggers at him. He looked like he wanted to act in a particular way by was hesitating, he seemed like he had a lot to say but the words won't come out the way he would like therm to be understood .
If there is ever a moment of greater awkwardness it is whenever ZhiHuan looks at SheJin like he wishes to share a very lengthy lecture . But needlessly he never says anything, not that he would ever say a word
ZhiHuan turned away first and SheJin felt very miserable so bad he wanted to call him ask him what he wanted to say . Not that he feels ZhiHuan wants to talk to him but just to hear him say something.
' ' he makes me so uncomfortable ', he thought to himself as he just decided that he will observe from a distance instead of closer like this.
He went ahead and after he turned , the crowd of whoever was watching him looked away and back to their business and didn't even realize SheJin had snuck behind the large pillar
" Your highness, the matter from outside has been tended to and the victim and culprit have been taken into isolation for observation. Wanglei is currently with them and had sent to give this brief report as he prepared a fuller one", ZhiHuan sang softly like a bird and every looked like they magnetite towards him
" What?",
"Is Wanglei on sedatives? That information is clear as night and day to anyone,what I want to know is what exactly had happened", The king screamed at the dury and everyone fell to their knees then processed to lay on the floor and lay their hands in front of themselves
" You highness , please come down...", They begged in sync like the had rehearsed
" Halt!! ", he stopped ZhiHuan from going to his knees and waved his hand signaling that be continues to talk.
" Your highness, there was a conflict..", he tried to keep it together
".. conflict?? ", He barked
' stop screaming at him. How is he going to explain if you keep interrupting so rudely', SheJin argued in his mind as he didn't approve of the way the king is taking out his frustration in the wrong person. If anything he should be yelling at Wanglei, poor lotus heart ZhiHuan is just a messenger
"The culprit attacked the victim multiple times and thus brought the victim to unconsciousness. The victim is being treated to an... ", He spoke as fast as he could but that only infuriated the king..
" SILENCE!!", He bolted at him so much that even SheJin felt himself shuddered
" Use your words. who was the one attacked and by whom?", He screamed at ZhiHuan and SheJin saw that this screaming really did affect him as he half-blinked in a two seconds
" The victim wore the imperial servant uniform and the culprit is a member of the ... WEST SECT!", He whispered and a moment of silence rained in the room.
Everyone who was there exchanged looks of disbelief and confusion. Aren't the west sect the heroes, why are they now attacking the kingdom people?
" Are you guys crazy? Why are you attacking us yet we are the ones who plead for help from you?", He screamed at the people then furiously pushed the table that was infront of him sending the papers out. This sudden action startled ZhiHuan making him fall to his knees
" Your highness!!", Everyone screamed with their heads hanging low for the king to come down but he didn't
ZhiHuan closed his eyes , then tilted his face to the side waiting for the papers to hit him and award him unnecessary cuts but he never felt any of those things because there was a shield that had emerged out of the blue and it blocked everything..
After five seconds, he opened his eyes to observe what happening and why those papers didn't hit him . He returned his head back to the original state and facing the King but what he saw infront of him paralyzed his senses and confused him beyond any state of imagination. He felt his heart leap from his chest and land flat on the floor then beat erratically. His blood went cold and his muscles went numb to the realizing and after the processing of the scenery infront of him
' does this person have a death wish? ', ZhiHuan question himself as his mind made out the identity of the jewel in front of him
YongSun, the most beautiful person in all of the KINGDOM, CITY AND UNIVERSE that ZhiHuan had ever seen . A man whose beauty seems custom made to tease the eyes of lookers to the brick of addiction. A man whose flawlessness makes all beautiful things feel shame to be compared or even mentioned as a peer to. A person who looks so godly like they emerged from a fairytale or a different universe and timeline, a person who if gifted flowers and jade would look like they were tossed a pile of garbage since those worldly claimed aesthetics are just not as breathtaking as this man. How can such a person dare to do such a selfless deed for ZhiHuan?
YongSun had indeed stood protectively in front of strawberry gentleness called ZhiHuan ,while he faced to the king and blocked those papers plus all the other objects like the small stone decorations from touching any inch of ZhiHuan s skin.
Immediately after that SheJin ran swiftly behind the duo and he knelt next to ZhiHuan , while YongSun fell to his knees infront of ZhiHuan
" Your highness, speculation is that it's the work of magic but all hands are on deck for a solution. ", He spoke and the king asked what on earth gave him the right to answer on behalf of the 'mutt'
" I am Eogeum Jiulin , a witness for what has happened. The inspector gave a report in our presence when he asked us not to trail far away in case there are any questions . ", He answered it seemed he had tamed the fire burning because the king then turned to YongSun and asked if he had called for the royal messenger
" Yes, he is on his way", he lied as he completely forgot about that.
" I am still not satisfied with that. You two, get me a solid report NOW . tell those men to be cooperative unless they indeed to do a better job of serving civil duty. Make sure Zhao-Zong comes to my quarters ", he moved off from where he was and he walked to the back of the room .
No one elevated . And only after they heard his footsteps varnish, that is when they arose.
YongSun jumped to SheJin and he quickly helped him stand
" Xiong'Jiu , Please go and inform the messenger and tell him to come quickly. Tell him that the king is extremely furious", he begged and before SheJin could respond YongSun held his hands and he pleaded .
Feeling that ZhiHuan was looking , SheJin agreed only so that YongSun let go of him. And that he did.
YongSun shook SheJin s hands before he rotated then blast off to the king s study to tear up the letter that he accidentally left on top of the table .
' what have I gotten myself into? ' SheJin thought to himself as he watched YongSun running away like a small child. How old is he anyway?
He moved swiftly in front of ZhiHuan but as his body almost completely passed him, ZhiHuan elevated his hand just about thirty degrees from his legs to which the arm laid parallel. He hesitated to go any further so YongSun passed off and ZhiHuan collapsed his elevation.
His hesitation is mainly due to the unsureness of reality that he was experiencing. He thought he was hallucinating because he never ever expected to encounter YongSun like this. Reason being he could not even imagine their conversation being easy or possible . To think that in all the times that he had seen YongSun in the palace, he has never ever said more than two sentences to him. They are always in atleast a twenty foot distance from each other. But right now all formalities and akwardness seemed to fade as he just protected him from the king without a second doubt.
' should I have said something ? ' he wondered as he stood frozen. And he even bowed his head to replay what just happened
The only route that SheJin could take that allowed him to pass out of this place would be through the same one he entered and then he would leave through the route used to bring deliveries into the palace. So he headed that way.
A few feet later , SheJin turned back and he looked to him but he thought that ZhiHuan s posture showed sadness. He assumed that he was still in shock for being scolded and nearly assaulted for no reason.
' look at how shattered he is. Can't they see that he is introverted and should be treated with a little modesty? How insensitive for someone who claims to be the king? Suddenly I don't mind if he falls sick if he treats innocent souls like this. ',he got mad due to the fact that he hates it when they raise their voices at ZhiHuan .
SheJin disappeared from the scene and ZhiHuan elevated from the floor and he looked to ErYuan who was yet again enjoying the spotlight that is always shadowed by MeiYang
" What sort of person is your friend? Why would he attack a palace worker? The poor soul works so hard to feed his family and this is the thanks he gets", HyanNi spoke pitifully and to everyone who can relate to the woman knodded in sync.
Others only knodded in accordance to the motion of punishing the west sect. Their reason being that the powerful abuse the powerless.
"That is not what happened. Like the Eogeum-Shi said, magic is on the decks and magic is not selective therefore anyone can be a victim that can become a culprit. ", He argued and others refused to believe him
" So are you saying there is magic in the palace? ", Min asked and ErYuan replied yes and that is what made Suyen angry
" But isn't it that the demon of anger only affects angry people? Why was Zhao-cultivator angry? ", XuGang, Iseul 's brother asked ErYuan.
ErYuan almost called him Xiao because his voice is very feminine but he nonetheless kept it formal
" That is .. true-ish. The thing is, one must be angry in order to give out a demon and when that demon becomes strong due to persistent angry thoughts the demon becomes physical and victimizes anyone who is angry enough to keep the demon fed. And in most cases the producer of the demon becomes the host", he spoke looking XuGang who was looking back like he was being taught how to bake a cake.
" Whether or not Zhao-cultivator made the demon, he still got possessed so he was angry. And anger means violence", a maid spoke and everyone agreed
As ZhiHuan was still standing there witnessing the ridiculous conversation, YongSun came back running and almost fell down in front of him
" What's the matter? ", ZhiHuan interrogated him feeling like he was attacked or something. He even outstreched both his hands to catch him
" Where is Xiao'Jiu ? The messenger s guards won't let in without a proper something. He needs something like this", he handed him a seal of the king s stamp.
This is very important, it like a yes from the king, even if nothing is written on it .
" Please help me find him.", he begged ZhiHuan panting heavily.
" I will reach the messenger first , should I go?", he answered and YongSun agreed.
" But please hurry back since he king wants a report", he whispered