Chapter:16 (Caught red-handed!)

(After the previous chapter)

I never had anything like this before. The cake was so soft and mushy that it melted in my mouth. I closed my eyes in pleasure. I swallowed and reached for another piece, and a hand grabbed my wrist before I could touch it. I yelped in shock. I turned to see who it was and my blood turned cold at the sight of him! It was no one else than Prince Shen himself!!! The food seemed to get stuck in my throat, and I started hiccupping nervously! What the hell?! Why was he here?!

He was frowning at me, still holding my wrist. He said, "How dare you steal my food from the imperial kitchen?!"

It was for him???!!!!!! I just dug my own grave! I heard that the imperial chef only cooked food for the royal family, and no one else ever gets to taste it. I just ate that food!

I gulped, still hiccupping helplessly! I opened my mouth, but my mind was empty. So, I closed my mouth again. He said, "Do you know what crime you have done?!"

I said, "Your highness, I had no idea these were for you! I...I came in here, and these platters were left unattended so, I thought it was from the leftovers, and I thoughtlessly touched it. I am really sorry if I've offended your majesty!"

His eyes darkened slightly, and he said, "There was no one because today was my 'imperial kitchen observing day'. You didn't know?!"

I shook my head and said, "After your highness gave my day off, I went out. So, I had no idea. I was actually wondering why there was no one here when I came here to get something to eat."

He seemed to consider something. Then I realized how close we were standing, almost touching. He was still holding my hand, and he was towering over me. I had to crane my neck to look at his face, from up close! I looked at his eyes, and our eyes locked, and it felt like infinity sinking. Then he realized he was still holding me and let it go, saying, "Your hands are so thin like a girl." I gulped down my fear before I could lose my nerves. He took the platter of cake and shoving it in my surprised hands, and said, "Eat it since you liked it so much. And don't shove it all in your throat so fast or you'll choke and die. Also, do something about that hiccupping of yours, it's annoying!"

I was so stunned that I couldn't find anything to say other than thanks. He just gave a curt nod. As he was standing in front of me and so close, I couldn't find a way to escape. He was staring at my eyes with scrunched eyebrows as if he was trying to solve a difficult equation. I found myself unable to stay still under the power of that gaze. My throat became dry and I mentally struggled to come up with a way to escape from here but I don't know why but my mind went completely empty in front of that gaze! So, I tore my eyes from his and looked down. He was already so handsome that whatever he wears makes him look stunning. Today his clothes were in the deepest shade of blue which was almost like black. His broad shoulders were showed off by the finely cut suit and his eyes were probing as they hold mine. I mistakenly locked my eyes with his again and I realized that I can't stop looking at them and drown in them helplessly!

He suddenly seemed like getting out of a trance and realized where he was and how close he was standing to me. He exhaled like a mighty whoosh and stepped away to let me go. I exhaled too and bowed to him. He was looking away from me. So, I took it as my cue and took my leave.

I looked over my shoulder once when I reached the door, and he was staring at me from where he was standing by the table, crossing his arms. I couldn't tell the meaning of those eyes of his that were now watching my every movement.

I quickly turned my head and went out. Everyone was standing outside the door and Master Kang Ji Han was standing beside the door. I went in there through the back door, no wonder I didn't see anyone. They were now looking at me and the platter in my hands with open mouths! I wondered what my own face looked like, maybe the same as theirs.

I avoided the questions they kept asking and hurried to my chamber.

Kang Ji Han saw everything with a mask of stone but wondered why Prince Shen asked him to stay outside when they saw that servant went in through the back door and stole that food. In any other cases like this, Shen Yi wouldn't have bothered with and naturally left Han to deal with it. And usually, the punishments would have been kicking out that servant without any mercy. And this time not only did Shen Yi forgave him but also gave that whole platter of food to that lowly servant when no one outside the royal family gets to taste that food! What happened to Prince Shen?!!! But he wasn't about to ask these in front of those gossip-lover servants, who are whispering already. So, he kept his thoughts to himself with that stone-cold face.

Prince Shen watched quietly but intently as that servant hurriedly went toward his own way. Then he looked at those all too curious servants crowding in front of the kitchen and signaled Han to end today's observing here.

Prince Shen walked out after nodding to the imperial chef once to let him know everything was alright, leaving Han to deal with the rest of it...

The lanterns hanging above the door shivered and danced in the evening air...