Fierce Beast (1)
Lee Seong-hwi fulfilled his promise to Bohai Wang Liu Xie by delivering her letter to the eunuch at Shun De Hall. Afterward, to keep his second promise of relaying news from there, he passed through the gates of Aok Seong Hall, where the princess resided.
The martial officers of the Grand General's office watched his entry into Aok Seong Hall with unkind eyes, but since he wasn't challenging or threatening their power, they merely grumbled in silence.
"Father Emperor is... quite... unwell...?"
The petite golden-haired girl, brimming with refined grace, asked with a somber expression.
Lee Seong-hwi nodded. "Yes, that's correct."
"Eek!"
Liu Xie flinched, her small shoulders trembling at his blunt, unsparing reply. Her palace maids shot him sharp glares.
They were grateful he'd brought news from Shun De Hall, but did he really need to relay the harsh reality so directly to a child still innocent of the world's cruelties?
Yet Liu Xie felt only gratitude toward Lee Seong-hwi for delivering the unvarnished truth without a hint of deception.
"Thank you... truly... for telling me about Father Emperor...."
She let out a deep sigh as she expressed her thanks.
She's still so young... yet so resilient. Or maybe she's just trying to appear that way. Has constant turmoil forced her to mature early?
Even hearing that her father's life hung by a thread, the little princess didn't shed a tear. She pursed her small lips tightly and stared down at the dirt floor, lost in some recollection.
What could she possibly be remembering? Joyful memories were surely beyond her grasp. Her birth mother had been poisoned by the current empress dowager, and the grandmother who raised her had been forced to suicide by Grand General He Jin.
It was no exaggeration to say this little princess, having lost all her loved ones, was born into tragedy, lived through tragedy, and still endured it.
"Um, that is..."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lee Seong-hwi bowed low, listening intently as the little princess hesitated, fidgeting with her lips in thought.
"Might I know your name?"
Liu Xie addressed him with an air of maturity beyond her years.
She already knew his rank. Feeling gratitude toward the man who'd informed her of her father's condition, the princess gazed at him with wide, sparkling eyes and asked his name.
"I am Imperial Guard Captain Lee Seong-hwi. In Hanja, it's the star Seong (星) and the shining Hwi (輝)."
"Seong-hwi... I see!"
"Yes."
The little princess reacted with childlike wonder upon hearing his name. Having never conversed on equal footing with anyone but her attendants, she showed keen interest in this new encounter.
She delighted and marveled at the smallest things—a testament to how deeply she craved bonds and connections amid persecution and scorn.
Why is she suddenly taking an interest in me? Because I brought news of her father? That alone wouldn't make her drop her guard... Ah, she's trying to act grown-up, but she's still just a child.
Lee Seong-hwi felt a flicker of suspicion at her sudden overture but dismissed it upon remembering she was only eight years old.
Eight years old. She might act mature and speak with poise, but she was too young for cold, discerning judgment.
"Then, where are you from?"
"Hongnong Commandery."
"Oh! Hongnong—that's the..."
In the Han realm, birthplace and family lineage held utmost importance. Anticipating such questions, Lee Seong-hwi had fabricated his origins as Hongnong.
"It's a commandery west of Hading Commandery, Your Highness."
"Right!"
A nearby palace maid, who'd been listening warily from close by, whispered the detail. Liu Xie nodded as if suddenly recalling.
"From Luoyang, then."
"Yes, born in Hongnong County, home to the lofty Hangu Pass."
Two years in this game world, and Lee Seong-hwi had meticulously crafted his backstory. It wasn't hard—Yellow Turban rebellions had ravaged the land, burning records across Hongnong and the western commanderies amid barbarian incursions and bandit raids.
This made laundering his past—er, fabricating it—a swift success.
Of course, lacking kin in a society that prized blood ties was risky, but serving as Luoyang Gate Captain before meeting Cao Cao kept it from hindering his life severely.
"From now on, rely on Crown Prince Your Highness. You must secure his protection. The Crown Prince is kind-hearted and gentle; he will surely ensure Your Highness's safety."
Lee Seong-hwi advised the little princess. He had no real obligation to go this far, but her gem-like golden eyes stirred pity every time.
Confined like a prisoner among the brutish soldiers of the Grand General's office, her isolated life evoked sympathy. Lee Seong-hwi, who most abhorred acting on fleeting emotions, couldn't bring himself to be callous toward her.
"N-No...!"
Liu Xie, who'd shown such fascination with this new person, suddenly looked uneasy. At the mention of relying on Crown Prince Liu Bian, she shrank back with a terrified expression.
"He's scary! How can I trust him...?"
The little princess feared the Crown Prince... no, his backers. She knew who had caged her in this icy prison of a palace.
She knew they could kill her like her mother whenever they wished.
"I-I can't trust them...! I can't! How could those ruthless, insolent... No! I hate it! They—never..., never...!!"
The golden-haired little princess began trembling violently. It was as if he'd touched something forbidden; her face drained pale, and she looked on the verge of collapse.
"If my imprudent tongue has clouded Your Highness's pure heart, I beg forgiveness."
"N-No...! I'm glad you worried for me! So..., let's talk of something else...! Yes, something else!"
Lee Seong-hwi bowed his head in apology. Liu Xie, her mind still in turmoil, rolled her eyes side to side and stammered.
Her terror bordered on hysteria—likely trauma from years of abuse. She feared the He clan more than monsters, viewing them as worse than nightmares.
Only the soothing words of her maids kept her from losing control entirely. Seeing her cute face twist in raw fear filled Lee Seong-hwi with deep regret.
"I've seen colorful candy balls coated in bright hues from the markets. If Your Highness permits, I'd gladly present some as tribute."
"Candy balls?!"
It was recompense for his blunder. Even this small gesture felt necessary to ease the guilt knotted in his chest from witnessing her terror.
"No."
A maid spoke up, her tone brooking no argument.
Liu Xie's drooping brows betrayed her disappointment at the firm refusal.
Do they think I'd poison it? Fair enough—her mother, Lady Wang, was killed by poisoned food. And I'm from the Grand General's office.
Even as the maid eyed him with open suspicion, Lee Seong-hwi felt no offense. This was only his second meeting with Liu Xie, their first real conversation. The Aok Seong Hall attendants, long persecuted by the He clan, naturally regarded him—a distant outsider—with hostility.
"Pay it no mind. I trust you—you delivered my letter to Father Emperor and brought me news."
"......"
Lee Seong-hwi fell silent, lips pressed tight, as Liu Xie professed trust in him—a Grand General's officer—merely for those acts. Her sparkling golden eyes pierced like a dagger to the vitals, as if ripping open his belly to expose some invisible lump called conscience. An inexplicable pain welled up.
He couldn't fathom why.
He Jin was growing impatient. Contrary to the Chief Physician's diagnosis of death within three days, the emperor still clung to life.
He was supposed to die within three days!!
He wanted to bellow it, but throttling the physician would be admitting to treason like Jian Shi. Swallowing his rage, he waited.
"Grand General, I have a plan."
As He Jin sighed in frustration, his former aide and unit commander O Gwang proposed a drastic measure.
"We must eliminate Bohai Wang at this opportunity."
Eliminate—kill her outright.
He Jin startled at the sudden words, glancing around warily. The guards outside were all sworn loyalists, so leaks were unlikely, but he checked anyway.
"O Gwang, what madness is this?"
"Grand General. What if His Majesty rises from his sickbed? Have you forgotten the eunuchs still surround him?"
After quelling Jian Shi's revolt, He Jin had purged the emperor's eunuch attendants. But the new ones were equally untrustworthy—the Ten Attendants' shadow lingered like an ever-present threat.
He naturally suspected even those newly placed in Shun De Hall might be their puppets.
"So you're saying... there's a grave risk His Majesty might suddenly recover and name Bohai Wang successor over the Crown Prince."
"That's my concern."
"You have a point. Things seem to flow smoothly by the natural order, but we can't lower our guard. The moment all goes too well is when to be most vigilant."
He Jin prided himself on utmost caution—even testing stone bridges before crossing. O Gwang's words rang true.
I've held power this long thanks to the emperor's favor. Even as Grand General, defying his will is impossible.
Should the emperor rally and designate Bohai Wang heir, the Grand General's faction—having backed the Crown Prince—would face catastrophe, like a dog chasing a hen only to see it fly to the roof.
The tide had turned, but old ministers like Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Wang Yun watched hawkishly. Defying an imperial decree outright was madness, even for He Jin.
"The seasoned assassins you've prepared await orders. If we withdraw the Grand General's troops guarding Aok Seong Hall, they can scale the walls with ease."
As the emperor outlived expectations, He Jin's anxiety mounted. He might awaken—and that would be He Jin's worst nightmare.
Until collapsing from illness, the emperor had disfavored Liu Bian, delaying his investiture as Crown Prince. Only He Jin's personal intervention had forced it through.
Everyone knew the emperor's heart leaned toward the princess, not the prince. Should he recover, naming Bohai Wang heir was all too predictable.