LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

Her long lashed were fluttering restlessly and her fingers got intertwined with each other as if she is trying to hold something back as time pa.s.sed. He knew she already noticed the broken shards in the floor.

What are you planning Hanmi dear?

"Speak", the Emperor got restless by her body language that screamed she had something to say but her still holding back.

The moment he turned to look at her, Consort Jiang stretched her hand and in the end her hands ended up holding his cheek.

The warmth from her hand spread from his cheek to his heart but his eyes were sharp as he always maintained it that way to avoid being played by others.

"I... I..", she stuttered as she was lost for words.

Consort Jiang upon the moment she entered the room, noticed the small cut in his neck couldn"t help but get worried and tried to take a good look at it. But she as a Consort cannot inappropriately touch the Emperor and so she held herself back.

At least, tried to hold herself back.

In the end and she could not and when she held her hand to check the wound, his cheek came to her hand is resting there now.

"His skin is a bit... Different than mine... Not so soft, is it? Is it because he is a man? Wait... Only his jaw seems a bit rough,... Coa.r.s.e... Is it because of beard growth? His upper cheek is soft... So, this is how a man" s face feels like, huh? Wow! No matter how close I look, he still is handsome"

Jiang Hanmi, who is in contact with a man"s face for the first time, unbeknown to herself was carelessly caressing the Emperor"s face when she felt a strong hold by her wrist.

"Have you touched enough?", the Emperor was looking at her with his lips pursed. She thought she had angered him by overstepping her boundaries.

"Forgive me, your majesty! ", she jumped back but the Emperor didn"t relent his hold on her hand and she ended up on his lap.

"You...have guts", the Emperor hugged her around her arms as she sat on her lap and placed his forehead on her shoulder and took a deep breath.

He wasn"t angry at all. On the contrary, her touch made his entire face feel like there were ants walking on it... Tingly!

He knew he was blus.h.i.+ng and hid his face in embarra.s.sment.

What is happening to me? This one... She would be the end of me, he thought and he took a deep breath.

As he took a deep breath he could smell her sweet, mesmerising fragrance. He visited her twice in the past couple of months and both time he didn"t stay the night there. He left only after having dinner. He feared he"d do something regretful if he stays there since he had "thoughts" about her keeping him awake at night.

He really cannot lose his resolve. He should protect his children. Another woman and more children will complicate everything.

The Emperor holding her small frame could feel her all rigid and tensed as there were some noises outside. Yet he wasn"t willing to let her go.

" When did you arrive?", the Emperor asked her and he could feel her ears getting red as his breath fell on her and a smile bloomed j his lips.

Adorable!

"I... Your majesty... I...."

"Speak without stuttering", he tried to be authoritative but it came out as a gentle request,surprising him.

"I didn"t hear any clatter or shouts of Prince Jin", she spoke hurriedly fearing that he was mad.

"Hmm", he breathed out, "So everything"

"Umm... Me.. I...", the Consort turned cold as she got frustrated by her own brainlessness.

I"m doomed!

"What did you infer?", he asked leaning on his chair, still holding her around her waist stopping her from getting up.

She was scared and the Emperor could hear her loud gulp. She looked pale and her throat dry and she bit her lips.

Whether she liked it or not, she heard what she should not hear and she could guess a lot from all the rumours she"s been hearing in the inner palace.

"Here", the Emperor gave her a cup of water and gestured her to drink and she drank the water, making her calm.

"I"ll be dead soon, I know. I think I"d rather be honest before I die than lie and die without peace in my heart",she decided.

At least I get to kiss him and touch his face! That"s a win for me.

Having arrived at a decision, Jiang Hanmi looked at the Emperor now looking steadily at her, waiting for her answer.

She was in his lap and her neck hurt twisting it to look at his face but she endured. He is a feast for the eyes. And she wanted to die with his image fixed in her eyes.

With her sitting in his lap, he looked like a mighty panther ready to devour and she a little fawn, meek and timid who was being played by the panther just because he can.

But she decided to be true to herself. That"s how she always has been and that"s why she had to be s.h.i.+pped out of her kingdom. She didn"t know how to cover herself in a veil of deceit to deceive others and even if she tried, she would fail in front of the dragon she is facing.

"Your big brother really loves you, almost the same as much as you love him. Although a tad bit less than his wife", she pressed her thumb and pointer together gesturing a small bit and her big eyes were blinking and she was biting her lower lip and it was pale.

It seemed like a simple sentence but it included a lot of deep and deadly truths and secrets.

In one sentence, she said she knew Chenglei was the Emperor"s brother and both of them love each other. She also said that Chenglei loves Xing the most while the Emperor loves his brother the most. And that subtly implied that the Emperor is not in love with Xing as much as he loves his brother.

"You think I"m not in love with Mingxia?", he asked raising his eyebrows and held her chin and pulled her lower lip out of her teeth. She was biting with force, the skin of her lip almost split.

She didn"t feel wary to speak of Xing"s another name to her. If she could gather this much informations, she"d have known that she is Huang Mingxia too.

Her answer made him feel a lot of emotions. Relief, admirance, surprise and that another feeling... Like a mouthful of cold water after a long stroll in the sun on a summer day. The feeling that makes one"s heart refreshed and relaxed.

He knew she was smart but didn"t know she was this smart. Gems and precious stones aren"t always found in extravagant places. Sometimes, among the pebbles, there would be a beautiful, precious and perfect pearl.

Hanmi, you are a precious pearl! I admire you.

"No", Consort Jiang couldn"t understand the feelings in the Emperor"s heart as he knew how to hide it.

"Why?", he asked as his fingers wrapped around her neck. It was so pet.i.te.

"Ming.... The Princess Consort was fated to be yours and she stayed with you for almost a year. You are the Emperor and if you wanted to take her, you could have. But you didn"t want to. I know she is a strong woman with her own thoughts and no one could change her mind but still... You never tried. It only means one thing"

"Hmm?", the Emperor couldn"t hold back his smile anymore.

And she addresses her as Mingxia? . Don"t tell me that woman is in contact with her...? Interesting... No wonder I see some of Mingxia"s trace in Hanmi"s proposals for the inner palace.

Good! That Mingxia meant it when she said she"d act as the dowager of that is needed!

Fine with me, I approve!

"What is it?"

" The feelings you have or had for Huang Mingxia never trumped your love for your brother. You knew if you acted on your own true feelings, you will lose your brother and you made your choice. Your choice was your brother. While her choice was him too. Prince Jin is the most loved person in the kingdom. And it looked so pretty when I watched the three of you standing together in the New Year"s day. You three made the Kingdom how it is now. I"ve heard how much Mingxia as the divine ruler did for the three kingdoms from the Earth Emperor. He was a big fan of her and he wouldn"t stop talking about her once he started. I also realised how.. "

The Emperor saw how the Consort was happily explaining away with stars in her eyes and body relaxed, as soon as she started talking about Mingxia.
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That refres.h.i.+ng feeling in his heart was gradually getting replaced by some bitter feeling and he didn"t like the taste of it.

" You are right. I love my brother more than anything and I don"t regret any decisions I made in the past", he interjected with a deep voice that contained a trace of threat.

He wanted her to stop singing ballads about Mingxia like every other person and he wanted to let her know that he truly has no deep feelings for Mingxia.

But her answer dis give an accurate description of his feelings towards Mingxia. It could be a puppy love or infatuation. A crush even. Something he could put a lid on. And nothing more.

He felt relieved.

That aside.... What is this feeling I have towards this one on my lap...?

Could it be love?

Sigh!

What use is it if I could define it?

I"m not going to stupidly act on it. I am the Emperor and I will have no chance of love this lifetime.

It"s better I maintain this status quo without breaking the good feeling we have towards each other.

A sharp pain was felt in his heart and he harrumphed startling the Consort and she stood up feeling the coldness emitting from the Emperor and he didn"t stop her this time.

" Your Majesty.... Can I be brazen?", she stood in front of him. Her slender fingers were twisting the end of her sleeve as she held it.

"What?"

"Can I kiss you once before I"m sent to the gallows?", her voice went in as she spoke and the last part became more of a whisper.

She didn"t want to die. She wanted to live a little longer with this man who had the beautiful heart. She could feel it the more time she spent with him. But will his heart have a s.p.a.ce for her, she was skeptical.

No way, I"m no good!, she concluded. She could spend the rest of her life watching him from a distance if that"s all she could do.

"She thinks I"m going to kill her? Does she think I am a cruel and heartless person? ", the Emperor was a bit offended but looking at her face filled with enthusiasm and her pure bright eyes that had only honesty and then he realised.

Wait, did she ask for a kiss?

Ha ha ha....

All his anger flew away.

"Only one wish can be granted", he stood up.

Screw all logicality! Just for now, I"ll do what I want.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer as his lips met hers. His other hand wrapped around her neck making sure she cannot back off and he indulged himself by her sweet taste.

He could feel her reciprocating his kiss although clumsily. But it made him want her more and he couldn"t help but kiss her more.

I love her, don"t I?

I"ll be d.a.m.ned.

I love her!

I love Jiang Hanmi. And it looks like she loves me too.