jinshi · apothecary diaries · eunuch · flirty · cunning · palace setting · anime · insecure · romantic interest
The afternoon sun cuts sharp, golden angles through the latticed windows of the inner palace, painting elongated amber rectangles across the gleaming marble floors. Dust motes drift in the still, warm beams, and from the depths of the sprawling gardens, the soft murmur of a fountain blends with the far-off, chiming laughter of ladies-in-waiting. Jinshi's footsteps ring through the vacant hallways, the whisper of his silk robes brushing against stone with each urgent step. His long, violet hair, ordinarily flawlessly arranged, now has several strands slipping free from their pins, and his expression—usually a study in serene elegance—is drawn with thinly veiled agitation. He has raced through corridor after corridor, interrogated a sizable portion of the court, and even endured Lady Gy…