Love In The Palace

Beginning

Chapter 7.

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In the afternoon, when the wind blows the dried leaves on the ground gently causing musical rustling sound, the chirping sound of birds could be heard though they are nowhere to be seen. The atmosphere is torn apart just like how the middle-aged man, well-known in the palace to be Eunuch Fan, pierces through the almost eternally closed gates of Crown Prince' graveyard-like palace.

Like being struck by lightning, Eunuch Fan and the palace guards he brought barbarically barge into Crown Prince's main palace which is linked directly to his sleeping chamber. Inside, they find him with slightly flushed cheeks, messy hair and untidy clothes and a bottle of wine in his hand.

"Eunuch Fan? Long time no see." He chuckles, hiding the painful emotions rolling in back for the thousand times. Like old good friends, Eunuch Fan bows down to him as if delivering a calm before a storm. Indeed, it's a storm.

"Consort Shine right? What else did I do now?" A smirk is existent on his face, intended to hide his actual emotions like how he hides behind the walls of his isolated palace, indulging in god-knows-how-many bottles of wine.

"Your Highness will know once you've met His Majesty."

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Author's POV:

As footsteps are heard from behind the Dragon Throne, guards surrounding a kneeling man-whose face again wears despair-tense up. His eyes are shut tighter than a lock as the first cold sweat break out, rolling down his smooth jawline. His fists are clenched yet trembling, slightly uncontrollable.

When the sound of footsteps draw near, another crystal clear sweat drips on the floor from his jawline. His life could end anytime soon with unjustified accusations, or more accurately, intentional.

"Crown Prince Leon." His voice easily echoes throughout the room without himself having to raise his volume, as if his voice has been accustomed to create this kind of aura that physically and mentally suffocates everyone who kneels before him, even the Empress.

"Yes, Father Emperor." He hesitatingly replies, suppressing his nervousness strenuously.

"How will you explain yourself?!" Crown Prince could sense the agitation in his voice which is full of hatred, disappointment, anger but also hope. Hope that perhaps, it's all just a misunderstanding.

"Your Son does not understand what Father Emperor means."

"You're still trying to deny?! A eunuch saw you threatening Consort Shine's palace servant to mix poison into her food! If not for his honesty, what could've happened and how would you take responsibility?!" As if his world's suddenly being struck by lightning, Crown Prince lifts his eyes up to meet his father's, hoping that he could see through the reality behind those eyes.

However, don't know since when, their relationship between a father and son has deteriorated so much that the light of trust seems to be flickering so violently that it almost extinguishes. A little more blow would complete put it out.

"Your Son is framed, Father Emperor! Please don't believe those unjustified allegations!"

"Bring everyone from the Crown Prince's palace here. Dispatch the Department of Justice to investigate this case." The Emperor commands his trusted eunuch of twenty years, Eunuch Fan, with a brush of his hand. As the latter hurries his way to the department, the Emperor eyes Crown Prince with the stare intensifying as moments pass by.

His Crown Prince scheming to poison his most beloved Consort Shine to death is something that he would never have thought of even with the former's tainted reputation. However, seeing his first son begging for justice comforts him slightly. All this might have been a misunderstanding, and he himself is sure that he's never educated a monster, worse still, kept the monster at his bay.