More like a one-sided beating

"Your Highness, aren't you coming with me?" the steward pressed, the unease in his voice evident.

Xiang Yu attached the communicator to his belt, his tone firm. "I will join you as soon as I can. If anyone asks, you know what to say."

The steward felt a twinge of discomfort, but he understood Xian Yu had his reasons. He coated the wounds on his forehead with healing ointment, a gentle touch in contrast to the chaos of earlier. "Just be safe, Your Highness."

"I will," Xiang Yu assured him, though the weight of uncertainty lingered.

Once the steward left, Xiang Yu turned his gaze to the mirror. The reflection exposed his body. It was like a canvas marked by unsightly bruises that where dark and swollen. Each bruise felt like a reminder of how cruel that man could be. He beat him like he wasn't beating his son but as a rag doll in a brutal game.