4. Who Are You?

With a palpitating heart, Meng Huo followed the maid to the main hall where Han Xin was waiting for him for breakfast.

After laying awake on the floor all night long as he wasn't used to sleeping on a mattress, the poor slave was tired both physically and mentally. The apprehension of the upcoming days gnawed at him cruelly and the last thing he wanted was to sit with Han Xin.

"Not having a good night, I see," Han Xin teased Meng Huo, pointing at his sunken face.

Not knowing how to respond, the slave kept his silence and kept standing.

"Why are you standing? Sit," the prince said pertly as he was sure the man in front of him wasn't a prince.

Hearing the comment, Meng Huo sat at the other side of the table immediately as obeying was all he knew.

His extreme reaction didn't slip from Han Xin's attention. With narrowed eyes, he watched the other man poking the food on his plate indelicately.

"Who are you?"

Meng Huo's soul left his body. With horror-filled eyes, he stared at his hands, too afraid to raise his head.

"You are not a prince, aren't you?" Han Xin pressed with a smirk.

"W-What are you s-saying?" Meng Huo uttered with a low tone, fear lacing with his words. If he was caught this early, his sister, his only relative, would die.

Somehow Han Xin was intrigued by the weird man. It was obvious that he was hiding something and was scared to his very core, yet Han Xin got the clue that he wouldn't reveal anything no matter how much he intimidated him. His guard was very high, so it was better to corner him slowly.

"The East royalty is known for their love for meat. I even heard that they eat two plates of meat every morning," he lied while congratulating himself inwardly for his creativity.

As Meng Huo had no knowledge about the claim, he naively believed the prince. He pulled the meat plate and started to dig in without breathing.

His foolish act made the prince chuckle, how could a man be this naive? Then his smile faded as a revelation hit him. He couldn't really be a servant, right? The king of the East wouldn't dare it... right? Then who was he?

"Thank you, my prince for the food," Meng Huo said politely when he finished the plate. Unfortunately, as he wasn't used to eating that much, let alone eating meat dishes, his stomach was protesting already. Clumsily, he rose to his feet to leave the hall before he threw up, but the prince had other plans to confirm his suspicion.

"Are you leaving already? Right after you finished? Where are your manners, my prince?"

Meng Huo froze on his spot, looking at the prince sheepishly.

"Let's go to the garden," Han Xin also rose to his feet and dragged the poor man to the garden. As the North was cold all the time, the garden was a winter garden with a lot of winter flowers.

Seeing the cute snowdrops, Meng Huo forgot about his stomach for a second. "What are these?" he asked with curiosity as he crouched down in front of them.

So you are not from the North or the West, Han Xin said inwardly while a slight smile crept onto his lips, seeing the childish excitement of the other. "It is called Snowdrop," he explained as he pulled the crouching man up.

The sudden movement caused a surge of pain in Meng Huo's stomach and made him lose his balance. Luckily, the prince was agile. Swiftly, he grabbed the small man's waist and secured him inside his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked with worry, seeing his knitted eyebrows and sweat drops on his temples. Even if he was the enemy, he wouldn't hurt anyone in his palace.

"I..." Meng Huo started, but his stomach churned audibly, so he pushed Han Xin and threw up under a tree.

Panicking, Han Xin shouted out to the servants to bring the healer before rubbing Meng Huo's back while his other hand was preventing the suffering man from falling down. When Meng Huo had nothing left inside of him, Han Xin scooped the half-conscious man in bridal style and rushed inside the palace.

Carefully, he laid the small man on the mattress in his room and the healer came in shortly after. After the examination, the healer took agitated Han Xin outside the room.

"What did he eat before getting sick?"

"Meat." But a full plate of it...

"He seems to be starving, so it is not wise for him to eat a lot at one sitting."

"Starving?" Han Xin's eyebrows were knitted. Surely, Meng Huo was way too thin, but starving? How could it be possible? Even a servant must have been fed sufficiently, right?

"Indeed my prince, so be careful about his meals. I also left two bottles of medicine."

Absent-minded, Han Xin thanked the healer and sent him away before entering the room back again with guilt tugging at his heart. Luckily, Meng Huo's complexion was better although he was still unconscious. Not knowing what to do, the prince lingered inside the room and sat beside the mattress.

When he was satisfied with watching the mysterious beauty, he noticed the basin and towel near the mattress. Squeezing the cold towel, he placed it on the sleeping man, pretending to have a purpose for staying in the room.

"Who are you?" Han Xin murmured in the silent room with curiosity though he knew he wouldn't get an answer.