The Empire of Chishu was particularly bright today. If Lim recalled correctly, mulling over his consistent forgetfulness, today would mark the first day of the season after spring. Rays of gold shone onto his pallid skin, seeping through the leaves of elm trees. He barely stepped inside the borders of the forest before his feet faltered against the pile of flat rocks erected onto the path, causing him to instinctively hold onto the nearest body of bark.
Lim sighed. If he were hopeful enough, perhaps a jar of pills would magically appear in the palm of his hand. Unfortunately, he would instead be greeted by the sight of grime sticking to his palm rather than his medication, which he expected no other outcome.
Considering the state of his legs, constantly weakening after taking a decent number of steps, Lim would have been better off if he had rested in the Lateral Hall at the Palace instead of taking a stroll. But Lim dreaded having to interact with the other flock of concubines. Moreover, thinly veiled envy—odd, desperate attempts to drive him out—made the exchanges between them and him all the more arduous.
To clear his mind, he decided that he should take a 'quick' stroll outside the palace or explore just far enough to reach the forest. However, he overestimated himself by refusing to take his medication just before venturing out into the city, leaving him pitifully holding onto a tree to stay upright.
He leaned against harsh wood, scraping against the fabric of white robes and soiling it with dirt. Lim slid his body down gently, landing onto the grass.
If he stalled time huddled under the tree, there was no doubt that the servants, knowing of his legs' state, would needlessly go frantic and start a search party for him. Lim was uninterested in the idea.
Leaves cluttered to his face, and Lim's fingers reached out to brush them off; The slight sensation from his fingers brushing past his forehead elicited a shuddered response from his arm. The swept away pieces carefully fell to his lap, his hand continuing to linger near his head. His eye, however, having seen something at the corner of it, averts to glance in between the gaps of his fingers, his hand quickly falling back to his lap.
Lim's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Involuntarily backing up onto the tree, hardwood splinters poked into his back. Not far from him, he could see the faint twitching of a hand buried inside the berry bushes, and the tiny hairs on his skin bristled.
Acts of murder were rarely executed in the Empire of Chishu. Truth be told, the countries have all fairly maintained their peace, and executions for scoundrels were always to be done away from the public eye. When Lim saw this, a herd of questions stampeded through his head, and he wanted to do nothing else than to quickly reach out for the owner of that hand and ask if they were alright. But his hands refused to move from his lap, and his legs felt like they had installed themselves onto the ground.
An incoherent grumble left his lips. Lim lifted his hand feebly, only for it to fall back down.
Resorting to different methods, he lightly called out, "You… over there…" A lodge momentarily blocked his throat, forcing him to pause. "Hello?" Lim said, almost awkwardly.
The bush stifled, long white strands standing out amidst the green. To take a closer look, Lim mustered up all his strength, pushing himself slightly forward using his feet.
He cleared his throat and called out for the last time, "Are you alright?" His voice quavered, and the light trembling of his body never ceased. He wasn't sure if it was the wind picking up or if it was his body suddenly feeling frigid. Nonetheless, Lim decided to push past this frigidity and push aside the leaves covering the features of what seemed to be an 'old woman'.
He instantly pulled back when he heard the 'old woman' speak. "Piss off," they said harshly. This was no old woman—This was a young man with absolutely no wrinkly features! Lim wanted to clutch his head and weep in embarrassment.
He stayed composed, albeit refusing to listen to the youth. His eyes softened. "You shouldn't be here … not like this." Lim cradled his other hand tenderly, caressing the palm with his thumb. "I know medication. If you stay here, I can get something to help you—I can get someone to help you," he stated stubbornly.
An inaudible 'tsk' left the boy's mouth. "I told you to piss off."
"How could I? I'm a concubine from the Imperial Palace, I can report whoever did this to you while getting you help," Lim insisted, loosening his hands.
The youth's brows furrowed, and he blurted out, "There's no need."
Lim's brows furrowed along with his. "No need, how?" He glanced at the blood oozing out of the cut just at the youth's waist. "This needs to be treated. How could you say that there's no need?" He began to sound increasingly nervous.
"Don't get agitated. It's simple, some people are just better at taking care of themselves. I can stitch this up myself." He turned his head away, acting as if he weren't lying on the grass like a pitiful lamb.
"Why haven't you, then? You're lying limp on the ground. You're in no state to stand up, let alone stitch yourself up."
Lim's tone sounded extremely honeyed, irking the young boy. He groaned, "If you have any medicine, get it now." He gestured him away.
"I will," Lim said, separating his hands. "Stop the bleeding with your hand. I don't want you to die while I'm gone."
"Hm," the boy hummed, turning his head to face the cut. He reached for the open flesh, blocking it with his palm.
"Please stay here," Lim slightly pleaded. It had barely been half an hour for his legs to fully function at this time, and he quickly resisted this fact. He forcefully lifted himself on two feet, tense and presumably warning him of the probability of falling over any time now.
Seeing this, the corner of the youth's lips perked up unnoticeably. "I will. I won't get dragged by a small gust of wind, unlike you."
Lim said nothing.
The youth scoffed, glancing away. He ushered. "Go."