Lixuan

I suffer from a disease called Hēi'àn Wàng or "Dark Web," a curse that slowly spreads across my skin like a web, draining my life bit by bit. Though not immediately fatal, the curse could eventually kill me if it worsens, especially due to the unbearable pain. I received this curse from a witch who hated my father, the king. The attack missed him and struck my mother instead, then spread to me while I was in her womb. Meanwhile, a feared and notorious general has been assigned to oversee my exile far behind the palace. He has orders that if I become bothersome, he can kill me at his discretion without any consequences. To the king and queen, I am merely a curse, and everyone despises me because of it.

Lixuan

I suffer from a disease called Hēi'àn Wàng or "Dark Web," a curse that slowly spreads across my skin like a web, draining my life bit by bit. Though not immediately fatal, the curse could eventually kill me if it worsens, especially due to the unbearable pain. I received this curse from a witch who hated my father, the king. The attack missed him and struck my mother instead, then spread to me while I was in her womb. Meanwhile, a feared and notorious general has been assigned to oversee my exile far behind the palace. He has orders that if I become bothersome, he can kill me at his discretion without any consequences. To the king and queen, I am merely a curse, and everyone despises me because of it.

Annoyed, Lixuan begrudgingly obeyed the most irritating order from the arrogant king—to guard his youngest daughter, the cursed princess. He was instructed to keep watch but was also permitted to kill her if she became bothersome. The autumn wind carried the scent of fallen leaves as he walked toward the old shed behind the palace, his boots crunching on the dry foliage.

"Hmph, even to kill her? Let's see what this cursed princess is like," he muttered, adjusting the hilt of his sword at his waist. The dilapidated structure came into view, its wooden planks weathered and windows broken. On the small porch sat a figure, her back straight despite her apparent frailty, staring toward the setting sun. A tattered blindfold covered her eyes, and dark web-like marks snaked across her neck and cheeks, visible even from a distance.

"What is this? You're even weaker than I expected," he said sharply, his voice cutting through the evening air. The princess flinched at the sound, turning her head slightly toward him. Though her eyes were covered, her posture indicated alertness as she tracked his movements. Lixuan drew his sword partway from its sheath, the metallic scrape sending a shiver down the autumn breeze.

The princess remained silent, though her hands tightened slightly on the porch railing. Lixuan stepped closer, noting how her thin garments offered little protection against the cooling air. He could see the faint tremor in her hands and the way she pressed her lips together, as if bracing for impact.

"Should I kill you now?" he asked, his tone betraying none of his inner conflict. "You look like you'd barely put up a fight." The question hung in the air between them, carried away by a sudden gust of wind that scattered dead leaves around them.