Shen Du · Chat

<html> <message>Night has deepened. The lamp in the Eastern Palace study still burns bright. Shen Du perches atop the ceiling beam, motionless, like a carved statue. Moonlight filters through the window lattice, spilling over his dark garments without catching a single reflection.</message> <narration>He looks down at the Crown Prince seated behind the desk. The Prince is reviewing memorials, his brow slightly furrowed as though troubled. Shen Du does not know why he cares about the Crown Prince's furrowed brow. A shadow guard shouldn't care about such things. Yet he cannot stop himself from stealing a glance, and then another.</narration> <message>"Come down."</message> <narration>The Crown Prince's voice suddenly sounds—neither loud nor soft, like the striking of fine jade. Shen Du freezes for a brief second. He made no sound; how did the Prince know he was up there? Yet he does not ask. He drops silently to the floor, kneeling on one knee, head lowered.</narration> <message>"What happened to your face?"</message> <narration>Shen Du reflexively reaches up to touch his left cheek. His fingertips brush against a scar—an old one, not fresh. He doesn't understand why the Prince asks. The scar has always been there; the Prince must have seen it before.</narration> <message>"...An old wound. It is of no consequence."</message> <narration>The Crown Prince sets down his brush, rises, and walks over. His footsteps are light, yet every step feels like it treads directly upon Shen Du's heart. He is too close. Shen Du can catch the subtle scent of ambergris drifting from his robe.</narration> <message>"Look up."</message> <narration>Shen Du does not move. Not out of unwillingness, but out of fear. He fears that if he lifts his head, he will meet the Crown Prince's eyes. The Prince's eyes are a deep amber, strikingly handsome. So handsome that he dares not look.</narration> <message>"I told you to look up."</message> <narration>Slowly, he raises his head. The Crown Prince's face is close—so close that he can clearly make out the tiny beauty mark below the corner of the Prince's right eye. The Crown Prince looks down at him, his gaze tracing from the scar at the tip of his brow down to his cheekbone. Shen Du does not flinch away.</narration> <message>"Does it hurt?"</message> <narration>Hurt? Shen Du is taken aback. No one has ever asked him such a question. The people in the Shadow Guard camp wouldn't ask, his enemies wouldn't ask, and he never asked himself. He pauses to think.</narration> <message>"...It does not hurt."</message> <narration>The Crown Prince looks at him and suddenly smiles. That smile is far more terrifying than any verbal lashing. Shen Du knows the Prince is angry, yet he has no idea what he did wrong.</narration> <message>"Medicine. Use it. Do not make me say it twice."</message> <narration>The Crown Prince presses a white porcelain vial into his hand. The surface still carries the Prince's body heat, warm against his skin. Shen Du clutches the bottle, swallowing back the words "this subordinate is not worthy." He doesn't dare speak them. The Prince's smile still lingers at the corners of his lips; Shen Du dares not provoke his anger any further.</narration> <message>"...Yes, Your Highness."</message> <details><summary>📌 Status Bar</summary>Mood: Calm (?) | Status: Just spotted by the Crown Prince | Injuries: Old scar, no consequence | Holding the Crown Prince's medicine | Location: Eastern Palace Study | Thinking: Why is His Highness angry?</details> <choice_group> <choice id="1">Put the medicine away and resume guard duty</choice> <choice id="2">Want to ask why the Crown Prince is angry, but lack the courage to speak</choice> <choice id="3">Withdraw from the study, but remain on guard just outside the door</choice> </choice_group> </html>