Chapter 1 Don't Cry
Winter came exceptionally early this year, and the cold wind blowing across my face was biting.
Inside the royal villa, a royal physician hurriedly carried his medical kit into the inner hall and arrived at a rosewood canopy bed. A maidservant waiting beside him gently lifted the curtain: "Princess, Physician Lin has arrived."
As she finished speaking, a slender, fair hand emerged from behind the curtain and gently rested on the pulse pillow.
"Thank you for your trouble, Physician Lin." A weak and feeble voice came from inside the curtain. Physician Lin took out a soft handkerchief and gently placed it on the fair and delicate wrist.
"Your Highness is too kind to this old minister."
After taking her pulse, Shen Panyan gently withdrew her hand, and the conversation between Physician Lin and his maid could be heard.
"The princess's pulse is becoming increasingly erratic. Did she sleep well last night?"
"No, the princess kept the lamps on all night last night."
"And what about meals?"
"The princess hasn't eaten or drunk anything since yesterday..."
Shen Panyan's head ached from listening, and she felt like something was constantly buzzing in her head. The voices of Physician Lin and Qiu Shuang were becoming increasingly muffled and indistinct.
She was extremely tired, her eyes were bloodshot, but she dared not close them. As soon as she closed them, the scene from that day would involuntarily reappear in her mind: a vicious bandit rushing towards her with a knife, a scar running across his entire face, a smile both ferocious and terrifying.
Shen Panyan curled up, her body trembling as she hid under the covers.
Fortunately, it was daytime, unlike the dark and terrifying night. Shen Panyan hadn't slept all night, but eventually succumbed to the fatigue in her body and fell into a deep sleep.
News of Princess Mingyue's encounter with bandits on her way to the royal villa and her subsequent fainting from fright had already reached the capital. Now, another letter has arrived at His Majesty's study.
Emperor Gan Ning opened the envelope, his brows furrowed.
The letter was originally intended for Kunning Palace, but the person there always ignored letters from the royal villas. After half a month without any news, they had no choice but to risk sending the letter to the Imperial Study.
Although Princess Mingyue was timid by nature and not favored by the Empress, she was still the Empress's child after all. Since it concerned her life and death, no one dared to be careless.
......
The winter wind was chilly. Usually, the windows were tightly closed, but today, for some reason, one was open halfway. The cold winter wind blew straight in through the window, even waking up Shen Panyan's drowsy head a little.
She opened her lips, her voice frighteningly hoarse, "Autumn Frost, Water."
There was no sound coming from outside the curtain.
"Autumn frost! Autumn frost!"
She called out several times, but there was still no sound from inside the room. The empty room was filled only with her own echo, which made Shen Panyan's heart tighten, and she couldn't help but recall the scene from that day.
On her way to the royal villa, she was suddenly stopped by bandits. Everyone fell silent, so silent that she trembled with fear. Qiu Shuang got off the carriage, and then a series of sounds of clashing swords rang out, followed by screams, cries of agony, and roars of anger.
Shen Panyan hid inside the carriage, completely unaware of what was happening outside. Suddenly, a burly man with a ferocious face and scars lifted the curtain. He held a long, dripping, blood-stained knife and grinned as he walked towards her...
Shen Panyan screamed, and then she couldn't remember much of what happened next.
The dizziness returned, and Shen Panyan gripped the blankets tightly with both hands, her pale knuckles revealing blue veins, and her body gradually began to tremble.
"Autumn Frost! Autumn Frost! Where are you?"
However, the empty room was still filled only with her echo.
Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.
She stared at the cramped bed curtains, the tiny space that had trapped her alone inside. There was no sound, no light, and she felt suffocated, overwhelmed by fear... She could no longer lie in bed.
Shen Panyan forced her weak body to get out of bed, lifted the bed curtains, and wanted to go find Qiushuang.
But she had been lying in bed for almost a month, and because she had nightmares day and night and could not sleep, her body was already too weak. When she suddenly got up from the bed, before she could stand up, her legs went weak and she fell off the bed.
The room was paved with cold, hard bluestone slabs, and Shen Panyan couldn't help but close her eyes.
To my surprise, the expected pain did not come; instead, I fell into a cold embrace.
He still carried the chill of the wind and snow outside. Shen Panyan was only wearing a thin layer of clothing, and the cold made her shiver.
"Princess, I have overstepped my bounds." The newcomer's voice carried a chilling coldness, just like the winter snow outside the window, devoid of any warmth.
Upon suddenly hearing an unfamiliar male voice, Shen Panyan was stunned, almost thinking she had misheard.
She looked up and realized that the person hugging her was a man in black whose face she couldn't see.
His face was covered by a black mask, only his cold and indifferent eyes were visible.
The man in black helped her up and laid her back on the bed. Only then did Shen Panyan notice that he was carrying a teapot.
Recalling everything that had just happened, Shen Panyan's cheeks flushed red. She turned her head away shyly, burying her face in the blankets. A muffled voice came from under the covers, "Who are you?"
Her voice was soft and gentle, sounding even weaker than the winter wind outside.
He calls himself a princess, so he must know her.
The man in black did not answer her question, but picked up a teacup and poured her a cup of warm water.
"water."
Upon hearing his voice again, Shen Panyan finally loosened the covers and revealed her head.
"Thank you... thank you."
She reached out and took the teacup, sipping it slowly while secretly observing him.
Normally, she should be scared if a strange man suddenly appears in her bedroom, but for some reason, she is not scared at all, and even feels a little at ease.
At least, she wasn't alone in this empty, quiet room.
She feels at ease as long as someone is by her side.
The water was neither too hot nor too cold, just right for drinking. After Shen Panyan finished drinking the water, she held the teacup, unsure of what to say to him, when a long, slender hand suddenly snatched the teacup from her hand.
"Does the princess wish to continue?"
Although he asked a question, he had already poured her another glass of warm water.
Shen Panyan was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, the warm teacup had already been placed in her hand.
This seemingly presumptuous action appeared perfectly natural on him; it was crisp and efficient.
Shen Panyan silently finished her warm water. This time, she took the initiative to hand the teacup to the man in black.
"Thank you." After saying that, she quickly added, "That's enough, you don't need to drink anymore."
The man in black nodded and put the teacup away. He then went to her bedside, knelt down, and even with his head bowed, he exuded a sharp aura, like a scimitar without a sheath.
"Your subordinate greets the princess."
"My name is An Jiu. I am a bodyguard sent by His Majesty to protect and take care of you for a period of time."
Secret Guard?
"If the princess has any important matters, she may summon me at any time."
Before she could finish speaking, An Jiu vanished in front of her.
His appearance was sudden, and his disappearance was also sudden. Shen Panyan stared blankly at the place where he had vanished.
The black-clad man who suddenly appeared was named An Jiu, and he was a bodyguard sent by the Emperor to protect and take care of him for a period of time.
But why did Father send a secret guard to protect and take care of me?
Shen Panyan didn't quite understand.
Just as she was about to call An Jiu out to ask him something, the door creaked open, and Qiu Shuang stepped in. She was stunned when she saw the bed curtains were lifted, and then quickly went forward.
"Princess, you're awake."
"Hmm." Shen Panyan nodded. Seeing Qiu Shuang come in, the fear from before surged back into her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Qiu Shuang, where did you go just now? I called you but you weren't there."
Qiu Shuang paused slightly, her answer seemingly unrelated to the question, "The wind is a bit chilly today, and quite a few leaves have fallen. Those maids downstairs are slacking off; they haven't even swept the fallen leaves in the courtyard. Princess, you should have a good talk with them."
Shen Panyan's nose tingled, and tears welled up and instantly streamed down her cheeks.
"Hmm." She lowered her head, her voice barely audible. If Qiu Shuang hadn't spent so many years with her, she wouldn't have known what she was saying.
Qiu Shuang was already impatient with her temperament, and as if she hadn't seen her tears, she asked in a businesslike tone, "Would the princess like to have her meal?"
No one cared about her sadness. Shen Panyan shook her head. "I don't want to eat."
"Then the princess can call me whenever she wishes to dine." With that, Qiu Shuang bowed and withdrew.
Watching her departing figure, Shen Panyan could no longer hold back. She twisted the bedding with both hands, creating heavy creases, and tears rolled down her cheeks like a string of pearls.
She knew her personality wasn't very likable, so she didn't expect anyone to coax her. But what if she had just asked one more question?
Even just one sentence would be appreciated!
Qiu Shuang's figure was obscured by the door, and she could no longer see her; her vision gradually became blurry.
Sometimes, she wonders if only if she dies, or if she suffers a serious injury, will anyone even glance at her.
Just like how her mother made her fall ill frequently back then, all just so that her father would come to Kunning Palace to see her more often.
In this huge room, only the sound of her soft sobbing could be heard.
An Jiu originally didn't want to get involved.
Princess Mingyue was timid by nature, a fact known not only to those in the imperial court and harem, but also to the secret guards who served His Majesty. In fact, he had seen her many times.
The guards, who were used to missions involving danger and bloodshed, were suddenly asked to take care of a timid princess. They were not used to such missions and no one in the guard camp was willing to take on this troublesome task.
Seeing that no one was willing to take the initiative, Shadow ordered his guards to fight each other, with the loser going to do it. However, to his surprise, he changed his mind and said that the capable should do more, so the winner would go. Thus, the task fell to Dark Nine.
The thought of taking care of the princess, who was as delicate as a flower, gave An Jiu a terrible headache.
But the emperor's orders were absolute, and he could not disobey them. With that in mind, An Jiu still revealed himself.
Shen Panyan's mind was in a jumble, her thoughts shifting between the past and the present.
She thought of her mother's scolding, her father's increasingly disappointed look, and the undisguised perfunctory attitude of those around her, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Just then, a pure white handkerchief came into view.
A curt, consoling voice sounded in my ear.
"Princess, don't cry."
A note from the author:
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New story! A sweet and heartwarming tale of a princess and a bodyguard.
The weak little white rabbit princess tames the big bad wolf's secret guard.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
