Chapter 4 — This Eastern Palace has been my hunt from the beginning

He looked at the new wound on my hand and the old scar, at my watery eyes but still trying to force myself, at my outfit that was completely out of place in this hunting field. He was silent, but his hand movements became much gentler, carefully tying the silk scarf tightly, then picked me up. I cried out softly, reflexively wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Don't move.” He spoke in a low voice, his tone seemed no longer as cold as before.

He hugged me and walked towards the camp, ignoring countless eyes following behind. Returning to the camp, he personally placed me on the soft tower, then called the royal physician to follow. When the doctor diagnosed, he stood to the side, silently observing. The royal doctor finished treating the wound: "Your Highness, rest assured, the Crown Princess has only suffered superficial injuries, no tendons or bones have been damaged. Resting for a few days will be nothing to worry about." Tieu Canh Huyen waved his hand for the royal doctor and the palace staff to leave, leaving only the two of us in the tent. He walked to the soft tower, looking at me with complicated eyes: "You... have known you since last year?"

"Your Highness has a great reputation... in the world, who doesn't know."

“So about being attacked back then…”

I raised my head, carrying a bit of shyness and panic as if my confession had been exposed: "My concubine... I just accidentally heard it, in my heart... I admired your majesty, so... so I suddenly lost my mind." He didn't say anything for a long time. After a while, he spoke: "What happened today was your negligence and not arranging the right people to protect you."

"Lieu Trac Phi's horse... has always been very tame, but today I don't know why..."

I laughed coldly in my heart, but on my face I was even more panicked, so I quickly interrupted him:

"Your Highness, please don't blame Lieu Trac Phi!"

"It's because of my own carelessness, it has absolutely nothing to do with the concubine!"

"Lieu Trac Phi's horse is of course very good, it must be... it must be because I am too nervous, it alarmed the horse, that's why..."

The more I rushed to explain to Lieu Trac Phi, in Tieu Canh Huyen's ears, I was afraid that he would be more like me with a pure heart. Even if I was injured, I was afraid of implicating the person in his heart, and even did not hesitate to take all the mistakes to myself. Sure enough, in his eyes, suspicion was replaced by pity and guilt.

"Okay," his tone softened, "you can rest assured. At the evening banquet, if you feel unwell, don't force yourself."

Quiet was restored in the tent, leaving only me and Van Tu. Van Tu's face carried an excited look:

“Miss!”

“Did you see it?”

"His Royal Highness... His Highness has carried you back! And he still cares about you so much!"

“This is just the beginning.”

"He saw a scar left because of him, saw my admiration and purity, and also saw my concubine's jealousy."

After the Spring Festival ended, the atmosphere in the Dong Palace quietly changed. The number of times Tieu Canh Huyen came to my palace was clearly more than before. Although most of them just sat for a while, drank a cup of tea, and asked about my wound, his indifferent and searching eyes were gradually replaced by a gentle look. Sometimes he will play chess with me, my chess skills are not refined, often was killed by him until he no longer had any armor left. Every time like that, I frowned slightly, bit my lip, stared intently at the chess board and thought for a long time, occasionally making a move that wasn't very important, then I looked up at him, with a sparkling light in my eyes. He said faintly: "This water is okay." It was as if I had been given a great compliment, my eyebrows arched, and I smiled brightly. He was observing me, a concubine who had admiration for him, a gentle personality, a bit clumsy but no less intelligent, compared to a tool in-law behind the Tran Bac palace, with unpredictable thoughts, the more reassuring it was, the easier it was to arouse desire for control and pity. Lieu Trac Phi noticed this change. When she came to ask for peace, she still maintained the same gentle and respectful appearance, but underneath that calmness, a faint trace of impatience was revealed that was difficult to hide. She repeatedly hinted that the Crown Prince and I were together more and more. I used the excuse that His Highness was kind and sympathized with the injured concubine, or just casually asked about some trivial matters in the palace, then gently brushed it off.