I can protect you,Lihua,but remember no one can protect you... from me
With an unsmiling grandfather and an uptight aunt, Wu Lihua was perfectly content with her peaceful, quiet life. She wouldn't trade it for the life of a queen, and loved her fami...
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The Great Palace, Xiang Empire, 1479 ________________
The motionless girl lied there, staring up at the ceiling. She felt absolutely terrible. Her head was starting hurt from all the thinking and worrying. Her heart felt heavy, and her stomach ached. Her entire body just didn't feel right. Nothing felt right. The guilt was eating her alive, consuming her mercilessly. The events from the night before were haunting her. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see his face. She would see the heartbreaking look he gave her. His wide eyes losing their light, replaced with a depressed and hurt glimmer that was so faint it turned those dark irises of his dull and almost emotionless. His lips parted in disbelief and pain as he stared at her, his body trembling and his cheeks stained with tears— She buried her face in her pillow, feeling the urge to scream. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She exclaimed into the satin fabric of the soft pillow, hoping that none of the servants outside heard her. She slowly turned her face to the side, running her fingers through her hair, which was still a little damp from yesterday's bath. Lihua was pretty hygienic person. She couldn't go more than two days without bathing. "I really am a horrible person.." She groaned, before biting her lip anxiously. What was she going to do now? No, what was the emperor going to do now? Was he going to make her suffer? Make her life worse than it already was? His Majesty was a very unpredictable man. And that was something extremely dangerous. You never knew what he was thinking or planning. One moment he could be treating you like one of the deities, and the next he would have you tortured to death. She had no idea what he was going to do, but she was sure it wasn't anything good. Maybe she should apologize? Yes, she could request an audience with him and ask him if they could speak alone, and then she would apologize. But it wouldn't be that easy. Because one, the emperor would most likely not forgive her, and two, apologizing was something really hard for Lihua. Whenever she thought about it, her pride would get in the way and list countless reasons as to why she shouldn't. He's the one who owes you an apology, and a good one! Why should you apologize? You didn't do anything wrong. He forced you to marry him, threatened to kill your family if you refused, and kissed you without your permission. People like him don't deserve forgiveness, love, or compassion. Then she remembered her grandfather's words, "always be the better person." What would another person do in her situation? Be the better one and do what was right, or wait for the other to apologize instead? Lihua let out a tired sigh. She decided to think about this later. For now, she needed something to cure her headache. And her hunger, too. She noticed how she had gotten thinner, and she didn't have the energy to do anything these days. Ever since she came to the palace, she hasn't been eating properly because her stubborn self wouldn't allow it. Her stomach growled in agreement and she placed a hand on it, rolling her eyes. There was a knock on the door, followed by a familiar voice saying, "my lady, are you awake?" She'd been awake for hours. "Ye—" She cleared her throat, "yes. Come in." As usual, Court Lady Eun Soo walked in with a bunch of other women. They got her ready for the day, dressing her in a simple hanbok and pinning her hair in place, then led her to the dining room. Lihua secretly decided to be the better person and apologize to him. This could be her chance, since she and the emperor would be alone. "His Majesty isn't there, so you're going to have to eat alone, my lady." Eun Soo informed her, as though reading her thoughts. Dammit! "What? Where is he then?" "He already ate about an hour ago, with Hae Won." "Oh.." The girl whispered, trying to hide her disappointment. It's not like she wanted to eat with him. She just wanted to say that she was sorry. They arrived at the dining room and the maids opened the doors for her, allowing her to step inside. She sat down and her mouth watered at the sight of all the food. She bowed her head gratefully at them and said, "thank you for the meal." Then she eagerly grabbed the silver spoon, picked up the bowl of rice, and began eating like there was no tomorrow. "Can I have more?" Lihua asked after finishing the rice, holding out the bowl. Eun Soo blinked twice, "u-um, yes, of course." While the maid was getting more rice, the hungry girl grabbed the chopsticks and started eating all the side dishes, letting out a small moan as the delicious taste filled her mouth. Everyone was awkwardly staring at her. She noticed their stares and pointed at the food, "do you guys want to eat too?" They quickly shook their heads, quietly thanking her. After finishing her third bowl of rice, she let out a sigh of satisfaction. I'm so full.. she thought. She had a big appetite, and she loved food more than anything. Fortunately, Lihua was very energetic, and liked to move and run around a lot, so her weight didn't increase a lot. "Erm, are you done, my lady?" One of the court ladies asked hesitantly. She nodded enthusiastically, "mm-hm! Thank you very much. It was delicious. Tell the royal chef to keep doing what he's doing because he's obviously really good at it!" "Uh.. of course. I'll tell him.."
