Forbidden Grace~Yandere Erlang Shen

Chapter 1: The Blooming Encounter

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Erlang Shen's footsteps were silent as he moved through the Celestial Palace gardens, his gaze distant, focused only on the task ahead. The gods and spirits that inhabited the heavens often praised the beauty of this place, but to him, it was just another part of his duties—another perfect piece of creation that needed to be maintained. He was, as always, the vigilant protector, the god with a piercing third eye and an unwavering sense of duty.

But today, something was different.

He paused, sensing a presence ahead. Among the blooming flowers, a figure knelt, her hands gently brushing over the petals as though she were speaking to them. The soft, melodic sound of her laughter drifted through the air, so pure and carefree that for a moment, it disarmed him. She was unlike anyone he had ever encountered here before.

Erlang Shen's sharp eyes narrowed as he studied her from afar. **Her hair**, cascading down her back in waves, seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, a color he couldn't quite place—too vibrant to be ordinary, too soft to be divine. And then there were her **eyes**. Even from a distance, he could see their unusual brilliance, as though they held the light of the stars within them.

Who was this woman?

He approached, drawn by something he couldn't explain, his heart beating a little faster with each step. As he neared, she looked up, her face breaking into a wide, radiant smile.

"Lord Erlang Shen!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with warmth. She stood up, brushing off her robes, her fingers still dusted with the golden pollen of the flowers she had been tending to. "Aren't these flowers just the happiest little things? I think they like you!"

Erlang Shen blinked. They like me? It was such a peculiar thing to say. He was used to solemnity, to reverence, not such casual words. He cleared his throat, attempting to maintain his usual air of seriousness.

"They bloom well," he replied, his voice measured, "under careful cultivation."

The woman giggled, a sound so light it almost made him falter. There was something in her laugh, in the way she looked at the world, that was... different. *Too different*, he thought, but he couldn't look away.

"You know," she said, tilting her head and fixing those star-filled eyes on him, "you're always so serious, Lord Erlang. Have you ever tried smiling at the flowers? They might bloom even brighter!" She flashed him a playful grin.

Erlang Shen stiffened, unsure how to respond. Smile at the flowers? Was she mocking him? But there was no malice in her tone—just a lightness, a warmth that seemed to radiate from her effortlessly.

For the first time in what felt like centuries, Erlang Shen found himself speechless. His third eye, which could see through the truth of all things, was now useless—because all he saw in her was brightness. His gaze traveled back to her hair, catching the sunlight in a way that made it shimmer like the finest silk, and those eyes, so filled with life, as though they could see past the world of gods and into something more profound.

He didn't realize how long he'd been staring until she spoke again.

"I think they're happiest when they're watched over," she said, crouching down to gently stroke the petals of a flower. "Kind of like us, don't you think? The gods watch over us like we watch over the flowers."

Erlang Shen watched her slender fingers, so delicate, tracing the edges of the blooms. He wanted to say something—anything—but the words wouldn't come. Instead, his mind was flooded with thoughts he couldn't comprehend. Why was he so captivated by her?

"Do you come here often?" she asked, glancing up at him with a smile. Her question was innocent, but to Erlang Shen, it felt weighted, as if she were opening a door into something dangerous—something he wasn't ready to face.

"I... have duties," he said curtly, trying to regain control of his thoughts. "My time is not spent in the gardens."

"Oh, right," she said, standing up again. "The protector of the heavens must be very busy!" She didn't seem bothered by his distant tone, instead twirling a flower between her fingers. "I'll bet you don't get much time to relax."

Relax? Erlang Shen didn't know the meaning of the word. For so long, his life had been nothing but duty and order. And yet, as he stood there, watching her laugh and move so freely, he felt a strange yearning—an unfamiliar, dangerous desire.

"I should go," he said abruptly, his voice colder than he intended. He turned to leave, trying to shake the feeling that had gripped his chest so suddenly.

But before he could take a step, her voice stopped him.

"Wait!" she called out. He turned to see her smiling again, though this time it was softer, more sincere. "Thank you for keeping us safe, Lord Erlang. Even the flowers bloom brighter because of you."

Her words struck him like a bolt of lightning. He couldn't explain why, but in that moment, something deep within him shifted.

He left quickly after that, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to clear his thoughts. Her laughter echoed in his ears, and those brilliant eyes, that strange, ethereal hair, were burned into his memory. He couldn't stop thinking about her.

By the time he returned to his chambers, the weight of the encounter had pressed down on him fully. He sat in his art room, staring at the untouched stone before him, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for his tools.

Without thinking, he began to carve.

Hours passed, but he didn't notice. All that mattered was the shape that was forming beneath his hands—the curve of her face, the softness of her smile. His heart beat faster with each strike of the chisel, each movement bringing her closer to him.

When he finally stepped back, there it was: a stone image of her, as perfect and divine as she had appeared in the garden. But it wasn't enough. He needed more.

With a single glance at the statue, he muttered under his breath, barely audible:

"She is perfect."

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And so begins Erlang Shen's descent into obsession, the seeds planted during that first, fateful meeting with the girl who didn't even realize she had captured the heart of a god.

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