Work Text:
Lahan had often heard from his subordinates about the captivating eunuch working in the inner palace. Many rumors claimed that his beauty could bring both men and women to their knees, but he has never been particularly interested. After all, gossip was often exaggerated.
This eunuch was known as Jinshi, the manager of the inner palace, the gardener tending to the emperor's flowers. Lahan’s father would sometimes visit him to check on his beloved daughter, but after each visit, he had to endure the older man’s complaints, which was far from pleasant. He almost felt sorry for Rikuson and Onsou, who had to put up with it all day long. At least at work, Lahan could keep his distance from that eccentric strategist.
Lahan had never had a reason to meet Jinshi. Never–until now. He understood that, as the heir of the La clan, he was partially responsible for the actions of its members. But why did he have to clean up the mess left behind by Lakan? The head of the clan?
Attempting to demolish the walls to enter the inner palace was a serious crime. No one would even think of doing such a thing. And yet, upon receiving news of Maomao’s disappearance, Lakan had stopped thinking rationally (if he had ever done so in the first place). Normally, such an action would be punished with lashes, demotion, or even exile. But Lakan was lucky, no one wanted him as an enemy, so the matter ended with nothing more than a repair bill.
What was fortunate for the monocled man was not necessarily fortunate for his son. Lahan sighed, adjusting the scroll that had slipped slightly from his sleeve. He had originally planned to use this information differently, but in this situation, he didn’t have many options. The clan’s budget was already severely strained due to the purchase his father had made in Hanamaichi. They couldn’t afford another massive expense. They simply didn’t have the means.
Ensuring that his posture was impeccable, Lahan raised his hand slightly and knocked exactly three times on the door leading to the eunuch’s office. When they were opened for him, he bowed his head and stepped inside, tucking his hands into his sleeves.
“I apologize for the intrusion.” Formalities, polite expressions… These things mattered greatly when one wanted to achieve something. One had to know their place, understand their position. At this moment, he was the one of lower status, the one who needed this meeting, so he had to be careful. He couldn’t afford even a moment of hesitation nor the slightest mistake.
“It is an honor to meet you. My name is Kan Lahan,” he introduced himself smoothly before lifting his head to look at the person he had come to see for the first time.
He was not prepared for what he saw.
He barely stopped himself from swallowing audibly as his gaze landed on the person sitting behind the desk, unable to believe that such a beautiful being could exist. It felt as if the world had exploded, showering him with a million dazzling numbers, and the source of the explosion was this very man. Someone as radiant as a diamond in the sunlight, drawing every eye toward him. Someone whose divine proportions outmatched even the golden ratio. Someone so breathtaking that his brilliance would overshadow even the most beautiful woman in the world. Someone with such perfect height, such exquisite measurements…
No, he couldn’t be real. Lahan refused to believe that someone this mesmerizing truly existed.
He had only ever seen someone with such perfect numbers once before in his life. A person who rarely appears in public, who always hides their face, whose name could only be spoken by the one sitting at the top of the country. Lahan had only spotted him from a distance, yet it had been enough to captivate him. Even without seeing his face, those majestic body proportions had engraved themselves into his mind. His numbers had been almost too perfect to be real. He never thought he would see them again.
And yet.
The man claiming to be an eunuch possessed those exact same proportions, down to the millimeter. Some people had similar numbers, but identical ones? Only twins could possibly share such measurements, and even then, it was extremely rare. And Lahan was certain that the emperor’s younger brother had no twin. Which left only one possibility.
It seemed this meeting would be far more interesting than he had anticipated.
Now he understood why the Moon Prince never showed his face. If he did, word would spread at an alarming rate, and his cover would be completely ruined.
Still, Lahan couldn’t shake the feeling that there was another reason. Such divine beauty was not something that should be displayed to the entire world, especially considering its owner’s position. If the wrong people learned of the existence of someone so extraordinary, they would undoubtedly seek to exploit it for their own purposes. Lahan assumed that disguising as an eunuch allowed him at least some escape from this problem.
But was there even any point in being surprised? His face was like a perfectly balanced ledger of assets and liabilities. Such flawless features were not something one saw every day. Delicate like a woman’s, yet sharp and defined. The length of his nose, the distance between his eyebrows, the height of his forehead… It all consisted of breathtakingly beautiful numbers. That gaze, as deep as the infinite decimal expansion of pi, seemed to pull him in endlessly. Those lips, so lush, so full, so glossy. That impeccably smooth, radiant complexion. Those long, silky, tied-up locks, as perfect as the sum of digits in numbers divisible by nine. That jawline-
“And what business does the strategist’s adopted son have with me?”
Oh. Right.
He hadn’t come here to admire the beauty of this alluring being. He had something important to do.
But could anyone blame him for that moment of weakness? Any normal person, regardless of gender, would lose their mind upon encountering someone so exceptional, so unparalleled. Someone whose melodic voice, tinged with a hint of huskiness, sounded like the most exquisite musical composition.
Lahan was beginning to understand the fascination with the emperor’s favorite eunuch, but the rumors he had heard…
They didn’t even come close to capturing half of his majesty.
“I simply thought you might want to take a look at this,” he finally responded, pulling the scroll from his sleeve and handing it to the servant standing nearby, a confident smile playing on his lips.
If everything went according to plan (and the chances of success were precisely 98.45%) he would be able to kill two birds with one stone. Or perhaps even three. He would clean up his father’s mess, aid in the search for his sister, and secure another opportunity to admire the beauty of a man as radiant as a moonlit nymph.
He wouldn’t let such an opportunity go to waste. So, upon seeing the interested gaze, he began explaining the contents of the scroll.