Chapter 12: Alienation

Chapter 12: Alienation.

Although the Imperial Physician had repeatedly guaranteed that the Crown Princess was merely suffering from a fever and would recover after taking her medicine, Tang Zhuozhuo did not show signs of waking until evening.

The room smelled of thick medicine mixed with the soft, lingering scent of mint. Huo Qiu sat on a soft stool not far from the bed, looking as composed and elegant as a breeze under a clear moon.

However, his mind had been thrown into turmoil by the woman’s soft, fragrant body and the delirious nonsense she had muttered in her sleep. His usually calm heart was now rippling with restless waves.

He had to sit further away just to find a modicum of peace.

Yet, even so, his gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the petite figure on the bed.

Tang Zhuozhuo’s face was still a bit flushed. Her small face was framed by her jet-black hair, and her snowy skin glowed like congealed fat under the candlelight. She exuded a temptation that made one’s throat go dry.

Huo Qiu’s eyes were like an overturned inkstone—dark, dense, and unreadable, filled with a dangerous and suppressed intensity.

Tang Zhuozhuo was jolted awake by the pungent smell of the medicinal broth. The bitterness spread from every inch of her tongue to her heart and down her spine, causing fine goosebumps to break out on her forearms.

She finally opened her eyes and instinctively turned her head to avoid the jade spoon at her lips. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times before she met a pair of chilling eyes.

Huo Qiu, dressed in a moon-white robe with silver trim, sat on the edge of the bed with a frown. He was still holding the soup spoon she had just rejected, his hardened face covered in a familiar frost.

Tang Zhuozhuo instantly became more alert.

“Your Highness?”

She called out softly, her voice dry and raspy, yet unable to hide her surprise.

Huo Qiu looked down at her from his height and gave a low, mellow hum of acknowledgement.

“Drink your medicine.” His long, well-defined fingers held the delicate jade spoon, looking both clumsy and out of place.

Tang Zhuozhuo’s scalp felt tight. She gave him a flattering smile. “Your Highness, I can do it myself.”

Huo Qiu gave her a deep look before handing the warm medicine bowl to her. When his fingers brushed against her soft fingertips, his body stiffened slightly, and his gaze darkened.

The broth in the bowl was thick and smelled of pure bitterness. As Tang Zhuozhuo gripped the handle of the spoon, she could still feel the residual warmth from Huo Qiu’s fingers.

Her heart suddenly trembled.

In her past life, she had frequently fallen ill while in the Cold Palace. Usually, a single bout of illness would leave her unconscious for a whole day. Every time she woke up, the room smelled exactly like this.

She had always assumed An Xia had secretly procured some herbs and brewed them for her. She had never stopped to think: how could An Xia possibly have such capability? When one is in the Cold Palace, who cares if you live or die?

Especially in a place as cutthroat as the Imperial Palace.

Tang Zhuozhuo took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking slightly, but she hid it as she swallowed the bitter medicine in one go.

Her bright, peach-blossom face immediately crumpled into a ball. She desperately wanted to call An Xia to bring a dish of preserved fruits, but with Huo Qiu standing there with a cold face, she could only purse her lips and close her eyes to swallow the bitterness.

Seeing her secretly gritting her teeth, a faint smile flickered in Huo Qiu’s eyes, and the icy aura surrounding him dissolved.

She had never shown such a vivid and lively side of herself in front of him before.

After finishing the medicine, Tang Zhuozhuo’s eyes were brimming with crystal tears. Seeing this, An Xia kept her head as low as possible as she brought over a plate of preserved fruits.

Only then did she feel a bit better.

People truly change with their circumstances. She had endured the greatest of hardships in the Cold Palace, yet now, lying on this soft bed, she found even a bowl of medicine too bitter to bear.

The servants entered to change the incense and opened a small window to let in fresh air. The smell of medicine dissipated slightly, and as night fell, a touch of chill entered the room.

Tang Zhuozhuo kept her head down, her slender fingers poking small indents into the brocade quilt. The presence of the man sitting on the edge of the bed was too overwhelming. From her angle, she could see his long fingers folded over his moon-white robe. The scent of mint on him mingled with the incense in the hall, making her head feel suddenly light.

“Has Your Highness… had dinner yet?” Tang Zhuozhuo asked, glancing at the time outside.

Huo Qiu arched an eyebrow. “I will eat back at the main hall in a moment.”

Tang Zhuozhuo nodded slightly. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, revealing a corner of her elegant magnolia hairpin.

“Did I disturb Your Highness today?”

Huo Qiu gave her a nonchalant glance and stood up. When he noticed that Tang Zhuozhuo finally seemed to relax, his eyes darkened instantly.

Why did Tang Zhuozhuo call his name while she was delirious, yet act so distant and guarded once she woke up?

What exactly is she thinking?

“You didn’t.” He felt a knot of frustration in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to grab the person on the bed and demand answers. But he was always a man of self-restraint. He stroked the jade ring on his finger, his eyes filled with a raging blizzard.

“I have been somewhat frail since birth; Your Highness need not worry.” She looked up, her gaze clear and sincere.

She naturally knew Huo Qiu cared for her. Every night in her dreams, she saw him standing alone in the Imperial Study, stroking her portrait. It was truly heartbreaking to behold.

“Since you know your health is poor, why do you not take the medicine prescribed by the physician on time?” His voice was as cold as an ice cellar in winter. He frowned, his eyes filled with undisguised anger.

Today, he had interrogated the Imperial Physician and learned that she needed to be carefully nurtured with medicine. Yet when he checked her pulse today, there was no improvement. After questioning the maids, he found out she hadn’t touched a drop of the medicine, instead pouring it all under the trees in the courtyard.

He had almost laughed out of sheer rage.

Tang Zhuozhuo swallowed the words she was about to say. Before her smile could spread, her chin was tilted up by a cold hand, forcing her to face the man’s intense, dark gaze.

“Today, when you were muddled with fever, you were calling my name.”

Tang Zhuozhuo’s pupils shrank. Since the day she was reborn, she had dreamed every night of the desolate Cold Palace, where Huo Qiu stood on the palace walls watching her.

As she stammered, unable to find an excuse, Huo Qiu moved a step closer. His deep gaze wandered over her exquisite face, not without a trace of obsession.

“Tang Zhuozhuo, I know your character well. All this deliberate flattery these past days—what is it you seek?”

His tone was indifferent and sharp, like a sword stripping away all disguises, leaving her nowhere to hide.

Tang Zhuozhuo found it difficult to speak. Her fair palms clenched tightly. “I…”

Before she could finish, Huo Qiu released her chin and laughed deeply, his face full of gloom. “When have you ever referred to yourself as ‘this consort’ (妾) before me in the past?”

Tang Zhuozhuo was speechless. She had originally disliked Huo Qiu and was forced into the marriage. It was a miracle she didn’t call him by his full name; how could she have ever used such a submissive self-address?

Thinking back, had this change in her behavior aroused his suspicion?

Seeing her silence, Huo Qiu’s chest heaved with anger. Disappointment and rage mixed together, nearly causing him to lose his sanity.

This was the person he held in his heart, whom he wanted to meld into his very body, yet she remained utterly unmoved. She acted so detached, as if all this affection was purely his business alone.

And yet, it truly was his business alone.

“Jiaojiao.” Huo Qiu was furious. He gripped her slender waist, pulling her body flush against his own. His heart finally found some solace, and he let out a slightly raspy sigh.

Tang Zhuozhuo was as stiff as a board, her almond eyes wide. Her nose was filled with his clean, light fragrance. The sharpness was gone, replaced only by a winding, lingering tenderness.

“Can you stop making me worry so much?” His raspy voice sounded like a low mockery, yet also like a lover’s whisper, completely shedding his noble and cold court persona.

Tang Zhuozhuo felt a warmth in her heart. She turned her head away, her eyes feeling suddenly hot.

“Aside from not drinking medicine, I have always been quite effortless to worry about,” she muttered under her breath, her small face scrunched up.