'So different... can memory loss affect one's personality too?' That was the question swirling in Princess Lu Mei's lady-in-waiting's mind right now.
"Very well, Jimin," Lu Chen said coldly, his eyes sharp as knives. "Tell me everything you know about me and this empire. Don't hide anything. I want to know everything in detail, from the smallest detail to the largest. Don't you dare lie to me, understand?"
Jimin swallowed nervously, then lowered her head. "Very well, Princess. This one... will tell you everything I know," she replied in a trembling but sincere voice. "But... please don't be angry if there's anything that hurts your feelings, Princess."
"Hmm," Lu Chen simply snorted briefly, his expression remaining impassive. "Just tell me, I won't be swayed by stories from the past."
"Very well... Princess Lu Mei is the first princess of the Lu Empire," Jimin said slowly, trying to calm herself. "You were born to Emperor Lu Yan and Empress Mo Xinyao. However... Empress Mo Xinyao died while saving you, a five-year-old girl, from assassins. They tried to harm you, but she protected you with her life."
Lu Chen remained silent, staring at the ceiling of the Palace. "So that's how it is... that woman died saving her own child," he muttered dryly. "And what happened after that?"
"When the Emperor learned of the Empress's death, he was furious and killed all the assassins," Jimin continued. "But after learning that the Empress died saving you... the Emperor began to hate you, Princess. He considered the Empress's death your fault and exiled you to this Cold Palace."
Lu Chen laughed faintly, but it was cold and emotionless. "So that's how it is… hated just for being alive, huh? Very classic," he said sarcastically. "Continue, I wonder how far their foolishness will go."
Jimin swallowed again before speaking. "A week after the empress's death, the emperor elevated Grand Consort Ning to the position of empress. Empress Ning hated Empress Mo Xinyao deeply, and because of that, she oppressed you, Your Highness. Even the servants no longer respected you. From then on… you were nicknamed 'Imperial Trash.'"
Lu Chen was silent for a long moment, his eyes narrowing. "Trash, huh?" he murmured softly but coldly. "The Lu Empire… a place where royal blood is worth less than dust. Continue."
Jimin gripped the hem of his shirt tightly. "They all treat you like you're nothing. Nobody defends you, nobody cares. Even the emperor himself pretends not to know. They say you don't have any talent, you can't paint, dance or sing..."
"Enough," Lu Chen interrupted, his voice sharp like a sword blade. "How trash do they think I am? I want to know, who sent that assassin? Tell me, Jimin."
"N-no one knows, princess," Jimin answered quickly, looking down deeper. "The emperor himself killed all the assassins without having time to interrogate them. But Nubi knows one thing, princess... You are actually not like what they say. You are very good at dancing, painting, poetry, singing, even playing music. You are extraordinary, but no one knows..."
Lu Chen closed his eyes briefly. "So that's how it is... a genius girl who was buried by the evil of the people around her." He opened his eyes again, the light was now piercingly cold. "Alright, I'll find out who sent that assassin. No matter who it is, I'll make sure that person kneels in regret."
Jimin looked at her, hesitant. "Princess... you wouldn't do something dangerous, would you?"
Lu Chen stared at her sharply. "Dangerous? Jimin, I am Lu Chen, General of the Nation of Xion, nicknamed 'The Frozen Blade' on the battlefield. Terrifying thousands of soldiers with just a glance. Do you think there's anything in this place that can scare me?"
Jimin froze. "Princess... you speak like... you're not the same person you used to be."
"Because you're not," Lu Chen replied evenly, then smiled faintly. "Continue your story. Why am I still called trash, even though I'm talented?"
"I-it's because..." Jimin looked down, fidgeting. "Because you're too timid and shy, Princess. You always lower your head when you speak. Forgive me if this is rude, but back then... you always trembled even when speaking to a lowly servant like me."
"Cowardly?" Lu Chen snorted, the sneer returning to his face. "And now I can even look the emperor in the eye without the slightest fear. The world is truly funny."
Jimin looked at him, puzzled. "Then… can amnesia change someone that drastically?"
"Yes," Lu Chen replied curtly. "Especially if the soul residing in this body is no longer the same soul."
Jimin was even more confused, but he didn't dare to ask further.
"Then what else do you know, Jimin?" Lu Chen asked again, this time softer but still authoritative.
"Then…" Jimin lowered his head deeply. "You were threatened by Empress Ning and Princess Lu Yin not to show your talents. They were afraid… you would outshine Princess Lu Yin. The Empress said that if you dared to appear in public, your beloved servants would be punished, even killed."
Lu Chen raised his eyebrows. "Ah… so it was a threat, huh? Very typical. If you can't shine, they extinguish everyone else's light. How pathetic."
"Princess…" Jimin looked at her doubtfully. "What are you going to do now?"
Lu Chen stared out the window. The sunlight shone on his long black hair, but his eyes remained cold. "I will do what I should have done long ago. I will avenge all these humiliations. From Empress Ning, Princess Lu Yin, to Emperor Lu Yan, who turned a blind eye to their cruelty. Everyone will experience the same hell that Lu Mei did."
"Princess…" Jimin whispered fearfully. "Are you… sure? They are so powerful…"
Lu Chen smiled coldly. "Powerful?" he said in a low but piercing voice. "In the Nation of Xion, I once defeated the armies of three nations with one small force. I am Lu Chen—The Frozen Blade. I fear no one, least of all them."
Jimin swallowed hard. "It… is scary when the princess is like this," he thought. He could even feel the chill emanating from Lu Chen's body. His piercing gaze made her shiver, but also… for some reason, there was a sense of awe in her heart.
Lu Chen glanced at her. "Are you afraid of me, Jimin?"
"N-no, Princess! This one is just… just amazed," Jimin replied quickly. "You seem so strong now. Different from before, when you always looked down and cried."
Lu Chen smiled faintly. "Tears won't change anything. But those people's fear… will be the most beautiful music for me later."
Jimin could only lower her head. "This one will always support this one, Princess, no matter what."
"Good," Lu Chen said. "From today on, don't call me weak anymore. I'm not the Princess Lu Mei of the past. I'm Lu Chen of the Xion Nation, the great general known as The Frozen Blade of the Xion Nation. And I will bring everyone in this palace to their knees."
"Yes, Princess," Jimin said, bowing deeply. "This one will follow your orders."
Lu Chen stood slowly, looking at himself in the large mirror in the corner of the room. His youthful face, with its once gentle eyes, had now turned sharp. "Beautiful but dangerous," he muttered to himself. "A perfect combination to destroy them all."
Jimin could only stand there, stunned, staring at his mistress, who was no longer a timid princess, but a woman with a deadly aura.
"Really... it's so scary when a princess is like that," Jimin thought once again, swallowing hard.