Gulp...
'It's truly terrifying when a princess is like that,' Jimin thought, swallowing his saliva with difficulty. He even trembled at the princess's cold aura, which was now completely different.
"Okay, now tell me about this empire," Lu Chen said flatly, slowly approaching the large mirror in front of his bed. His gaze was sharp, but his heart was still filled with confusion.
"Yes, princess... The Lu Empire—"
Before Jimin could finish, Lu Chen suddenly screamed so loudly that his maid nearly dropped the tray in her hands.
"Aaaaa!!" Lu Chen screamed, taking a few steps back.
"What's wrong, princess?! Why are you screaming like that?" Jimin asked in panic as she approached. She was afraid something had happened to her princess.
But Lu Chen pointed at the mirror with an expression of utter shock. "Ji—Jimin! W—who is she?! She's so ugly! Oh my, don't tell me that's a ghost in the mirror!" he exclaimed in panic.
Jimin blinked in confusion. "Princess… it… it's you," he replied in a small voice, as if unsure if he had just offended his own lord.
"W-what!?" Lu Chen shouted in disbelief. "Impossible, Jimin! Why is my face like this!? No… it's impossible for a princess's face… let alone a great general like me to be this ugly!!"
Lu Chen immediately slapped his own cheek hard to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Slap!
The sound of the slap echoed throughout the room.
"Princess! What are you doing!? Don't hurt yourself!" Jimin exclaimed in shock. "Ouch, look at your red cheeks! Let me get some ointment to prevent the bruises!"
Lu Chen paused for a moment, his eyes still glued to the reflection in the mirror. "It hurts… it's real…" he muttered softly. He stared at the reflection again. "T-this is Princess Lu Mei's body… and this face… oh my, why is it like this? Shouldn't a princess have a charming, goddess-like face? But what I see is… ugh, this is a disaster!"
Jimin panicked and ran to get the medicine. "Princess, don't talk like that. Your face isn't as bad as you think," he said, trying to reassure her, though it was clear from his expression that he wasn't entirely convinced.
Lu Chen massaged his temples and took a deep breath. "Not that bad? Jimin, this face looks like a snake's skin has shed its layers! It's dry, peeling, and there are red, pus-filled spots! Where can it be less bad, huh!?"
"Uh-huh... in a certain light, maybe... it looks softer?" Jimin replied nervously.
"You say a certain light? You mean if I'm standing in a completely dark room!?" Lu Chen snapped sarcastically, causing Jimin to immediately lower her head in fear.
"Sorry, Princess! This servant only wanted to reassure you…" Jimin said softly.
Lu Chen sighed again. "Oh my God... a face like this would make even my warhorse in the Kingdom of Xion run away in fear. I, Lu Chen—the great General of the Lu Empire, nicknamed The Frozen Blade, trapped in the body of a princess with a face like this? The world is truly cruel."
Jimin returned with the medicine. "Let me treat it, Princess. If you don't apply it now, it'll swell," she said softly.
Lu Chen finally sat on the edge of the bed and let Jimin treat him. He stared at his reflection in the mirror again, silently making a resolution in his heart.
'Alright, Lu Mei. I'll make this face beautiful. Not just beautiful, but stunning, captivating, enough to shake the entire empire!'
Jimin looked at her worriedly. "Princess... are you okay? You've been smiling all this time."
"I'm fine," Lu Chen replied flatly, but his voice was confident. "You know what, Jimin? In the future, I'll be a feared general. If I can conquer thousands of enemy troops, I can certainly conquer... this face."
Jimin blinked in confusion. "T-conquer the face, princess?"
"Yes," Lu Chen replied firmly. "I will make this face into a weapon. A deadly beauty. A beauty that can make anyone fall to their knees. You'll see."
Jimin bit her lower lip, not daring to argue. "Yes, princess... I trust you."
"Good," Lu Chen said. "Now, Jimin, please bring the aloe vera and lemon plants here. I'll make a facial treatment. Oh, and prepare some bathwater too. I can't stand this complicated hanfu."
Jimin looked at her in surprise. "Aloe vera and lemon, princess? For what?"
Lu Chen glanced at her as if he were looking at a soldier who had just asked a stupid question. "To fix my face, of course. Don't ask too many questions. Hurry up and do it."
"Yes, Princess!" Jimin said, then hurried out.
Lu Chen looked at his mirror again, muttering under his breath, "Don't call me a great General if I can't fix this face. 'The Frozen Blade' won't give up even on something as small as dull skin."
A few moments later, Jimin returned with some fresh aloe vera slices and two large lemons. "Here, Princess. What should I do now?"
"Squeeze the lemons, get the juice, and mix it with the aloe vera sap. I'll apply it every morning and night. And don't let anyone into my room while I'm doing the treatment. If anyone comes looking, just say I'm sick and it's contagious."
"Yes, Princess. I understand."
Two weeks passed. During that time, Lu Chen diligently followed the treatment. Every day, he applied his homemade concoction to his face. She even set a strict schedule: waking up before sunrise, practicing martial arts for a while, then getting a facial. That night, she calmed her mind with meditation to keep her aura from becoming chaotic.
Jimin, witnessing the change, couldn't help but marvel. "Princess... you're truly disciplined. Even a physician isn't that strict," he said in admiration.
Lu Chen smiled faintly. "Discipline is the key to victory, Jimin. Both on the battlefield... and in the field of beauty," he said in a casual but confident tone.
"Wow, Princess now even speaks like a commander," Jimin commented.
"Because I am a commander," Lu Chen replied flatly. "And this time, my war is against acne and dull skin."
Word began to spread through the palace. Empress Ning and Princess Lu Yin heard that Princess Lu Mei was seriously ill and that her illness was contagious. They were disgusted but also happy.
"Good," Empress Ning said coldly as she sipped her tea. "If she's really sick, then her ugly face will only get worse. There's nothing more embarrassing than a princess with a disgusting appearance."
Princess Lu Yin chuckled. "Yes, Mother. I hope he doesn't come out of his room again. I can't stand looking at that face."
Two weeks later, a bright morning greeted the Lotus Pavilion. Lu Chen stood in front of the mirror, staring at himself. Then... he was stunned.
His eyes widened in disbelief. His once dull skin was now smooth and radiant, like porcelain. His once dry cheeks were now softly flushed. His nose looked more prominent, his lips naturally bright red, his eyelashes curly, and his brownish-black hair fell gracefully over his shoulders.
"Wow... amazing," he whispered. "Is this really me?"
Jimin, who had arrived with water, immediately froze. "Princess... you... are so beautiful!" he said, his eyes widening. "So different from before! No, not just beautiful... you look like a Heavenly Goddess!"
Lu Chen smiled slightly. "Beautiful, huh? I can't believe it turned out this well. It seems I'm truly excellent at everything, Jimin."
"Yes, Princess! You're amazing! All the women in this empire must be jealous!"
Lu Chen looked at himself once more. "This beauty… a deadly beauty. A beauty that could destroy an empire if used correctly."
He smiled with satisfaction. "A sharp nose, shiny hair, piercing brown eyes, and cherry red lips… perfect."
"Wow… perfect," he finally said with a satisfied expression. "The Frozen Blade is now not only sharp on the battlefield, but also deadly with its beauty."
Jimin stared at her in amazement and a little fear. "Truly… a beauty that could destroy an empire," he thought.