Emperor's Bloom (Yandere!Emperor! x Female!Reader!)

02: The Imperial Contract

                  Following closely behind Liqiang, you notice that his footsteps were surprisingly gentle, reminding you of how mildly his milky brown hair flowed, as though holding a river of enchanted wood that let out a sublime yet subtle scent of lotus flowers. His attire reminded you of those that you would usually see in eastern historical dramas, yet with subtle differences here and there.

One thing that you could be sure about Liqiang was that he was handsome and most likely knowledgeable. It wasn't just the type of handsome which came from the way that such a charming young man looked, but rather that twinkle in his eyes or the small little mannerisms that you could already begin to see. He was truly a gentleman, and it was difficult to believe that this 'frightening' palace, or whatever your supposed 'friend' had called it, was actually that unbearable as he made it sound.

Peeking at you from over his shoulder, not enough to be reckoned as a profile, out the corner of his eye, peeking from the curtain of those acorn-coloured locks, that curiosity in his eyes blossomed every time he looked at you. Slightly embarrassed that you had caught him looking at you once again, he hastily turns his head forwards to hide the fact his cheeks were turning into what looked like a bright rose once again. For God's sake, you were meant to be his supervisor and he wasn't acting particularly sensible.

Going on to mentally scold himself, he decides to divert your attention to something else: "My lady, do you have any special requirements that you would like me to look after for you?"

"Well, nothing comes to mind at the moment. Is there anything that you think I need to know about having you as my assistant? Tell me about yourself," You suggest to him, a light smile on your lips. This intelligent young man could be your source of information.

"I'm really not that interesting, my lady. I enjoy birdwatching, crafting new tea blends and wine tasting," He begins, deciding to only reveal some basic things about himself, "The only necessary thing you need to know about me that it is my duty to look after you. I shall take your measurements and contact a tailor or make you some pieces on my own if you'd like. I am trained in a range of different areas."

"That's lovely, you should really let me try some of your tea blends some time. If I may ask, what is the emperor like?" You inquire, deciding that maybe it would be best to learn more about your biggest threat. After all, you had to keep your friends close but your enemies closer. However, was the emperor really your enemy? You couldn't tell yet given you hadn't met him.

"I have only met him a few times while serving him. You aren't allowed to look directly into his eyes and he's actually fairly aloof. He doesn't really react that much to anything and..." Liqiang pauses for a moment, letting out a gentle sigh, "I don't know why, but it feels there is a barrier between him and the rest of the world. He barely even speaks. But it's not in the kind of way that he doesn't want to converse with others, instead like there's something holding him back. I can't put my finger on it - he truly is peculiar."

"Is he still fairly strict? I was told that he's a very cruel man," You press on.

"If I'm being honest, I don't know. You're better off asking the other women in his harem," Liqiang recommends to you, continuing down the hallways.

He was currently leading you to your private quarters in order to sign this 'imperial contract' that held such high importance. The hallways had floors made of ashen tiles, polished to sparkle as though they were stars and engraved to depict different types of flowers on each tile. At the same time, the walls had azure and crimson murals painted upon them which illustrated a moonlit garden overflowing with ivory flowers and vibrant violets which seemed as though they were swaying in a non-existent breeze of their beauty, which was timeless. The foilage followed a river of sapphire silk winding around silver pagodas that held an enigmatic presence making you wonder what sort of things hiding away within them, contrasting with the raven-black koi fish with lavender detailing that persevered through the unforgiving river, reminding you of your current situation.