Everyone Says I’m Cold and Aloof, But I Just Have Social Anxiety! - Chapter 12

Inside the magnificent sleeping chambers of the Imperial Palace, a young man dressed in golden inner robes lay lazily upon a luxurious couch.

He propped his head up with one palm, his slender fingers curled casually resembled finely carved white jade. He squinted his eyes slightly, his gaze carrying a hint of blurred exhaustion. He seemed to be lost in deep thought, yet also appeared to be indulging in this rare moment of leisure.

His ink-black hair spilled out unrestrained, with a few playful strands resting against his broad forehead, adding a touch of untamed charm to his aura. Under the flickering candlelight, his exquisite features appeared even more three-dimensional and profound: a high bridge of the nose, slightly upturned thin lips, and a sharp, chiseled jawline. Every detail underscored an innate nobility and majesty that inspired awe and trepidation in others.

In the incense burner before the couch, curls of blue smoke rose, leisurely permeating the air and adding a layer of mystery and haze to this dreamlike scene. His golden robes reflected brilliant glints of light as the candles flickered, making it seem as though he were softly enveloped in a faint halo.

A secret guard dressed in black knelt on the floor, respectfully reporting the various events that had occurred in Anyang City. The eunuch standing to the side felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

Once the report concluded, the secret guard waited a long time without hearing a single word from the man on the couch. He couldn’t help but call out softly, “Your Majesty…”

The man on the couch slowly opened his eyes, sat up, and waved his hand, signaling for the guard to withdraw.

“This subordinate takes his leave.”

The secret guard rose and retreated respectfully.

The man reached for a teacup on the small table beside the couch, only to find it empty. The eunuch waiting nearby stole a glance and immediately walked over in fear and trepidation to pour a fresh cup. He then took a step back, knelt on the ground, and said in a trembling voice, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. This servant deserves death for failing to refill your tea in time.”

The man did not acknowledge his words. Instead, he took the cup and drained it in one gulp before speaking slowly. “Eunuch De, I am honored with the title of Emperor Tai’an. Do you know why I sent my biological younger brother to Anyang and granted him the title of the Prince of Anyang?”

Eunuch De carefully looked up, only to meet Emperor Tai’an’s indifferent, water-like gaze. His heart skipped a beat, and his body began to tremble slightly. “In… in response to Your Majesty, this servant does not know.”

Emperor Tai’an’s voice was calm and deep. “Both names contain the word ‘An’ (Peace/Stability). I hoped he would be Anfen to know his place and stay within his bounds. I wanted him to keep it clear in his heart that he and I are brothers of the same mother; he was never to covet the impossible.”

Eunuch De lowered his head even further, his heart already filled with immense panic and dread.

Emperor Tai’an stopped looking at the person kneeling on the floor, his thoughts involuntarily drifting back to the years of the past.

At that time, two boys not yet ten years old had lost their mother early on. Life in the deep palace was dull and lonely. Often, they suffered through the hardships and petty malice of the late Emperor’s concubines. Being young, they were powerless to resist. At most, the older brother would protect the younger one, bearing the brunt of the punishment for him.

Once, the younger brother tried to entice the older one to sneak out of the palace. The older brother refused firmly without hesitation. But the younger brother didn’t care, saying, “Imperial Brother, are you really not going? Then I’ll go by myself!”

In the end, the older brother could not stop worrying about his sibling and accompanied him as they snuck out together. However, upon their return, they were caught red-handed by the Old Emperor, who was standing beside a concubine. The Old Emperor intended to punish both brothers, while the concubine stood by, putting on a show of “pleading” for mercy.

The older brother stepped forward, taking all the blame upon himself. For this, he was sentenced to twenty strokes of the heavy board. This was a “lenient” punishment from the Old Emperor, yet the child’s small body was beaten until his flesh was torn and bloody. Later, it was the younger brother who looked after him, applying medicine daily.

In many matters, the older brother acted because of their mother’s dying wish: as the elder, he had to protect his younger brother. Because of this, throughout their childhood, the older brother was always the protector even though he was only two years older than his sibling.

As time passed and the two grew up, the younger brother developed unspeakable feelings for his older brother. Later, the older brother was invested as the Crown Prince and moved into the Eastern Palace. The younger brother often used visiting his brother as an excuse to go there, always lingering and refusing to leave, staying overnight on many occasions.

Until one time, the younger brother accidentally discovered that the Crown Prince harbored an admiration for a female disciple of an Immortal Sect. Overwhelmed by a surge of jealousy, he committed an irreversible act against the Crown Prince.

He drugged the Crown Prince. While his brother was fast asleep, the younger brother quietly entered the room, climbed onto the bed, and pulled him into his arms. His behavior was extremely insolent and transgressive…

The scene was beyond description…

When the Crown Prince woke up, he was shocked to find himself encircled by a pair of strong arms. This sudden situation left him pale with shock. In a fit of uncontrollable rage, he kicked the person beside him away with great force, only to realize his own waist and back were aching!

He realized with a start that he had been…

Because the Crown Prince had struck too hard, the younger brother clutched his chest, a trickle of blood slowly flowing from the corner of his mouth. Only then did the Crown Prince see clearly that the other party was his own… biological younger brother!!

At that moment, a voice came from outside the door: “Your Highness, I heard a disturbance. Is everything alright inside?”

The Crown Prince lowered his eyes, enduring the pain as he said, “It is nothing! Withdraw.”

“Yes!”

Once the person outside had left, the Crown Prince turned his gaze—filled with suspicion and horror—toward his brother, who was still sitting on the floor gazing at him infatuatedly. His angry expression was caught between words: “…You!!”

Before he could speak, tears fell uncontrollably. He hated this!! He felt incredibly disgusted, even wanting to kill the other man!

Seeing this, the younger brother hurriedly said, “Imperial Brother, I wanted to…”

Before he could finish, the Crown Prince hissed in a low, furious voice, “I am your elder brother, your own flesh and blood, and the current Crown Prince. By doing this, do you intend to destroy your brother?”

Only then did the younger brother realize that his brother was now the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, and the man who would one day become the supreme Emperor, the Lord of Nine-Five. Hearing these words, the younger brother’s face showed a look of agony. He forced down the twisted love in his heart and quickly apologized: “I am sorry, Imperial Brother. I didn’t want to destroy you… I didn’t! I am sorry, it was my fault!”

“But Imperial Brother… I love you. I cannot control these feelings.”

Hearing this, the Crown Prince felt a surge of rage rush to his head. He shouted, “Enough!”

At the same time, with a slight flick of his fingers, a long sword appeared in his palm. The tip of the blade pointed directly at his brother’s throat.

The younger brother gazed blankly at his brother, tears sliding down his cheeks. “Imperial Brother, are you… going to kill me?”

The Crown Prince gritted his teeth and endured, offering no response. After a long time, he withdrew the long sword, closed his eyes helplessly, and turned his back, refusing to look at him.

“This kind of love violates ethics and morality. I will never allow it. From this day forward, you are forbidden from stepping foot into the Eastern Palace again.”

From then on, the Crown Prince began to distance himself. But the younger brother was not reconciled.

By the time the Crown Prince ascended the throne as Emperor Tai’an, the younger brother could no longer hold back. Finding an opportunity to be alone with his brother in the Imperial Study, his twisted mind pushed him to once again attempt an act that violated all social norms.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor Tai’an of this time overpowered him, stopping the shameful behavior. When his palm touched his brother, he secretly channeled a thread of spiritual energy, tampering with his brother’s internal systems.

After that, the younger brother was dispatched to Anyang to be stationed in Anyang City, becoming the Prince of Anyang.

Many years had passed since then. Reaching this point in his thoughts, Emperor Tai’an lightly pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers to steady his mind.

After a long silence, he glanced sideways at Eunuch De, who was still kneeling on the floor, and said coldly: “Eunuch De, if I hadn’t tampered with his body back then causing his cultivation to stagnate he wouldn’t have died so quickly, would he?”

Hearing this, Eunuch De’s body shook like a sieve. He did not dare speak.

“I know you were his man. Do you think you would have remained safely by my side all these years without my silent permission? Now that he is gone, you might as well go and join him!”