SGT CH151: Shadow Guard Clung to Me Tightly

Shadow One’s hemophobia is cured?

A flash of doubt crossed Mousse’s mind, but he couldn’t dwell on it now.

The master Shadow One truly wanted to follow wasn’t the Second Prince.

Whether it was offering himself to him or trying to break into the imperial prison with a sword, it was all for him.

Not for some Second Prince.

“So, I am your only master.”

Mousse leaned closer to Shadow One, one hand pressing against his chest, the other cupping Shadow One’s face. His eyes shone brightly, filled with excitement and joy.

Shadow One looked up at the Emperor’s stunningly beautiful face so close to his own, unable to speak.

His Majesty was, of course, his only master.

But he was no longer His Majesty’s shadow guard, and had lost the right to call him “Master.”

Mousse lowered his head and kissed Shadow One’s lips, feeling both joyful and satisfied.

At the same time, a slight doubt arose.

Since the Second Prince wasn’t an obstacle between him and Shadow One, and wasn’t a distraction in Shadow One’s heart…

Then what exactly was Shadow One’s distraction?

Why couldn’t he continue being his shadow guard?

While pondering, the hand Mousse had pressed against Shadow One’s chest slowly moved downwards, grasping Shadow One, who had been holding back since the carriage ride and had yet to find release.

As expected, he heard a stifled groan of endurance from Shadow One’s throat.

“Do you want it?” Mousse asked, leaning on Shadow One’s shoulder.

Still tied to the chair, Shadow One looked up at him. His eyes were clearly filled with longing, but his lips were pressed tight, and he didn’t speak.

Mousse knew how stubborn Shadow One’s mouth could be.

Except when taking him in, it was hard to pry open at any other time.

Or perhaps, because he had said “not allowed” in the carriage, Shadow One truly dared not release, holding back until now.

Even with him holding it, Shadow One dared not disobey his previous order.

Such a single-minded shadow guard.

If he fell into the hands of a cruel master, he would surely be bullied to death.

Mousse considered himself a very good master, so he gave the choice to Shadow One.

“What is the distraction that prevents you from being a shadow guard? Say it, and I’ll satisfy you.”

“It’s my… towards you…” Shadow One’s gaze darted away, his teeth chattering, almost unable to continue.

“Towards me?”

Confusion appeared in Mousse’s eyes, then he tightened his grip on the object in his hand, forcing him to continue.

“Keep talking.”

Shadow One gritted his teeth, enduring the throbbing of his body. It took a while before he spoke under the Emperor’s intense gaze.

“I have developed delusions towards you, my mind is unsettled, and I can no longer serve as your shadow guard.”

“Delusions?”

Mousse’s heart skipped a beat. He licked his slightly dry lips and leaned in almost touching Shadow One’s lips, asking in a low voice:

“What do you want?”

“I want… to look at Your Majesty all the time.”

Saying he wanted to look at him, yet his eyes were avoiding him, not daring to meet his gaze at all.

“What else?” Mousse pressed.

There must be something else to make Shadow One so flustered.

“…Want to be close to Your Majesty.”

Shadow One spoke as if giving up on himself, daring even less to look into His Majesty’s eyes.

Just because he wanted to look at him and be close to him, he resigned?

Chose to leave him?

Mousse simply couldn’t understand Shadow One’s logic.

Wasn’t this contradictory?

But looking at Shadow One, who was clearly at his limit yet still enduring because of his words, Mousse seemed to understand something.

He was Shadow One’s master. In Shadow One’s heart, his orders and his safety were greater than everything else, including Shadow One himself.

So, his own desires were unimportant to Shadow One.

But if these things Shadow One called “delusions” affected his ability to perform his duties as a shadow guard and protect him, Shadow One would force himself to make a choice.

Give up those delusions, or stop being his shadow guard.

Shadow One might have struggled and tried.

But the final result was that Shadow One chose to resign, giving up on being his shadow guard.

The meaning behind this choice was actually: he couldn’t eliminate his delusions towards him.

Mousse was speechless for a moment.

He had even thought Shadow One broke with him and chose to leave because of the Second Prince’s death.

But he never imagined Shadow One chose to resign because of “delusions” towards him.

When Shadow One knelt before him, insisting on resigning his identity as a shadow guard, what he really wanted to say was “I want to gaze at you forever, I want to be close to you.”

So, when he sealed Shadow One’s internal energy, forced him to stay, and made him be his dog…

Even though Shadow One had the ability to break the meridian seal and restore his internal energy within three breaths, he still chose to stay by his side.

Allowing his internal energy to be sealed, allowing his body and mind to be humiliated by him.

He… had hurt Shadow One.

Mousse realized he had gone too far as early as when he let Shadow One out of the palace. But it wasn’t that he hadn’t blamed Shadow One, thinking he deserved it.

It was Shadow One who insisted on following the Second Prince and chose to leave him, so he treated Shadow One like that.

Mousse had exonerated himself in his heart many times back then, making himself firmly believe this, and continuing to forcibly keep Shadow One by his side.

He watched Shadow One endure silently in bed, refusing to make any sound.

He watched Shadow One leave the bed every time after intimacy, kneeling by the bedside, sleeping on the footrest when he couldn’t hold on anymore.

He watched Shadow One kneel naked in the hall, under the table, licking food from his palm.

…

His heart ached terribly, and he finally let Shadow One out of the palace.

Set him free.

Even then, he firmly believed it was Shadow One who was wrong, that everything he did was forced by Shadow One.

But now, listening to Shadow One’s confession, Mousse realized he was terribly wrong.

Shadow One felt His Majesty’s hand stop.

Since hearing his answer, His Majesty hadn’t said another word.

The long silence made his heart plummet into an abyss.

Even the desires of his body gradually cooled down.

For a shadow guard to harbor delusions about his master was an unforgivable crime.

The moment he said it, Shadow One was prepared to be discarded again.

But the master’s discard came too quickly, leaving him no time to react.

Mousse noticed the change in Shadow One’s body.

His hand moved again, reaching around Shadow One’s body to untie the ropes.

Shadow One gritted his teeth tightly, but still couldn’t stop his body from trembling.

Even when the master ordered his capture, he hadn’t been this afraid.

He never feared the master’s restraints, only the master’s abandonment.

“Your Majesty, please…”

Shadow One couldn’t hold back his plea in the end.

The end of his sentence carried a tremor he couldn’t suppress.

“I know, I’ll satisfy you soon.”

Mousse thought Shadow One had endured for too long, not being satisfied for such a long time, his body couldn’t take it anymore.

He turned his head and kissed Shadow One’s lips as a comfort, his hands finally untying the ropes on Shadow One.

Mousse pulled the ropes away and threw them on the ground.

He bent down and picked up the stiffly sitting Shadow One from the chair, placed him on the dragon bed, and gave Shadow One satisfaction.

Shadow One clung to him uncharacteristically tight, twisting so much that his scalp tingled.

Mousse had to muster 120% of his energy to satisfy him.

Probably because he had held back for a long time before, Shadow One clung to him fiercely.

Those eyes fell on him like a dog seeing a meaty bone.

Especially when Mousse wanted to stop, sorrow would quickly surface in those eyes.

Mousse had no choice but to continue satisfying him.

This continuation lasted from evening until midnight, and from midnight until dawn.

He really couldn’t continue anymore.

If he continued, it would be time for the morning court.

Mousse, who hadn’t eaten dinner and had labored all night, tired, hungry, and sleepy, lay on Shadow One’s chest, not wanting to move a single finger.

Feeling Shadow One’s gaze sticking to him reluctantly, Mousse buried his head and played dead.

“It’s over, there’s no ‘then’.”

Not a single drop left.

Shadow One’s eyes quickly dimmed.

His Majesty fulfilled his promise and satisfied him after he answered.

What awaited him next…

Shadow One heard steady breathing.

He looked down.

His Majesty had fallen asleep on him.

Perhaps, he could still be the master’s bed, staying under the master until the moment he woke up.

Shadow One gently wrapped his arms around the person on top of him, covering him with the quilt.

Smelling the clinging incense on the Emperor, eyes open, he quietly waited for fate to arrive.

·

Mousse woke up a moment before the morning court.

He had slept for less than two hours, and was still groggy and disoriented.

He climbed off Shadow One in a daze, and was attended to by palace servants for changing and washing.

Even when he finally sat at the dining table, he was still dazed.

Something warm and smelling of meat porridge gently touched his lips.

Mousse was startled and looked up. It was Shadow One.

Shadow One was holding the porridge and feeding him.

Mousse subconsciously opened his mouth and ate the food Shadow One brought to his lips.

Princes had to go to the Shangshu Room to study starting from age six.

From 3 AM to 3 PM (Yin to Shen hours).

They had to get up before dawn every day.

Mousse had a weak constitution from birth, and getting up early every day was difficult.

To let him sleep a little longer, Shadow One would wake him up just fifteen minutes before 3 AM every time.

Waking him, but not completely.

Even if he sat up swaying, Shadow One wouldn’t rush him. He would just support him, help the groggy him dress and wash, feed the prepared food to his mouth, and after he finished eating, carry him to the Shangshu Room.

Mousse often wouldn’t completely wake up until the moment he sat in his seat.

The current situation was very similar to back then.

Only, he wasn’t going to the Shangshu Room for school later, but to the Hall of Political Affairs for court.

Mousse half-closed his eyes, enjoying the food Shadow One fed him in his drowsy state.

It felt so good to be taken care of.

The palace servants around him would also take care of him, but no one dared to bring food to the Emperor’s mouth.

Mousse also held suspicion and vigilance towards things handled by others.

He only trusted Shadow One.

After finishing breakfast, Mousse patted his face to wake himself up.

Although he enjoyed Shadow One’s care, he was grown up now and couldn’t let Shadow One carry him to court anymore.

“Alright, I’m going to court. Don’t forget to eat.”

Mousse got up to leave, then remembered something and turned back to instruct:

“Go to the Imperial Study later and wait for me. Don’t kneel stupidly and wait, go directly to the couch and lie down to catch up on sleep. I’ll come back and sleep with you.”

Mousse actually wanted to kiss Shadow One’s lips before leaving.

But Shadow One had clung to him too tightly last night, and he still had lingering fears, afraid of being entangled again.

He decided to kiss him when he came back.

After giving instructions, Mousse strode away.

Shadow One watched the Emperor’s retreating back, astonished.

Did His Majesty mean… he wasn’t driving him away for the time being?

And he would continue to favor him?

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