Crown Prince's Concubine [Completed]

C1. Nightmare.

Chapter 1

"Close your eyes." The man's hands felt like molten lava as he covered her eyes, plunging her into darkness. The sound of snow outside the room was muffled by his cold, indifferent voice.

Zhao Heng's smooth, soft back pressed against the icy floor, her bare skin covered in goosebumps. Shame and fear flooded over her, engulfing her deeply. The man was draped in a fine fox fur cloak, a loose golden brocade robe falling over her exposed skin, soft as clouds.

She had no idea what was happening.

Today she had been sent to help in the royal kitchen, but she ended up working late and the palace gates were locked. With nowhere else to go, she had found refuge in this abandoned palace. It had been deserted for years and was in a remote location, so hardly anyone ever came here.

That's what she had thought until the man broke in.

Under the bright moonlight, a man who seemed to float like an immortal stumbled into this long-abandoned dilapidated palace, his face as noble as a god's.

With graceful, floating steps, he fell to the ground. Zhao Heng, inexplicably compelled, tremblingly reached out to help him up, only to see his eyes turn crimson, transforming in an instant into a demon that grabbed her throat and tore her clothes apart.

Intense pain shot through her, and a dazzling white light flashed in her mind. In that blinding light, she saw her grandmother's kind and gentle face. How she missed her, how much she missed her.

Orphaned at a young age, Zhao Heng had relied on her grandmother for everything. At the age of ten, she had bid farewell to her grandmother and entered the palace to earn a living. It had been eight years since she had last seen her.

Thinking of her grandmother tore at Zhao Heng's heart. Just a few more years and she would be able to leave the palace and reunite with her. But why did she have to endure this?

A palace maid who lost her innocence could be exiled at best, or even executed.

She was as lowly as dust, and for so many years in the palace she had been careful to avoid trouble. She had always followed the rules, keeping her head down and staying out of trouble. But with just one misstep, she had plunged into hell. She had done nothing wrong, yet she was to die innocently.

With eyes wide with grief and anger, Zhao Heng bit down hard on the man's shoulder, the strong metallic taste spreading in her mouth. The man's fierce movements faltered, and he leaned over, pressing down on her shoulder, his eyes looking at her with a complicated expression. Their eyes met, and tears welled up in Zhao Heng's eyes.

In the pale light of the moon, tears glistened.

In the tense standoff, she saw in his eyes a raging fire and an icy chill, two emotions madly tearing at each other. And in the end, the fire engulfed the ice, and he covered her eyes with his hand.

His movements gradually slowed.

With a crisp sound, the night wind blew in, knocking over an old glass lantern on the table, shattering it into pieces.

The cold of early winter was chilling. After a busy day, Zhao Heng's energy was drained, and her body felt numb, completely devoid of feeling.

The man's body was warm, like a natural furnace, and in her dazed state, Zhao Heng couldn't help but lean into him, trying to absorb his warmth. He seemed taken aback for a moment, then picked up the fallen cloak and covered her trembling body.

Outside, the wind and snow raged, but in her extreme fatigue, Zhao Heng slowly drifted off to sleep.

The nightmares haunted her all night, never allowing her to rest. Startled by the cawing of a cold crow at dawn, she jolted awake. Placing a hand on her chest, she turned to look beside her.