The floor tiles of the Eastern Palace’s side chamber were mercilessly cold—kneeling too long felt like blades driven through my knees.
The Crown Prince said nothing, slowly turning the pages of an old scroll. Each rustling sheet drew another bead of sweat from my skin.
I knew he was waiting for me to speak first.
But I couldn’t. To speak was to reveal weakness.
At last, he broke the silence: "You killed that man like a seasoned hand."
I kept my head bowed. "Quick learning is a slave’s fate."
"Not fate. Audacity." His voice cooled. "Only the reckless would kill a Shuntian Office spy."
My heart lurched. That young eunuch had been—
"But luck favors you. He was already marked for death."
He rose, footsteps light as they matched the hammering of my pulse.
"Tell me. Who are you, truly?"
I held my tongue.
Suddenly, he crouched, two fingers pressing against my wrist—
—and my heart stopped.
His touch was ice, yet unshakable as a mountain.
Every flutter of my pulse laid bare.
I tried to pull away, but his grip was iron.
"A heartbeat this frantic…" Amusement glinted in his eyes. "What are you afraid of?"
I bit down hard, silent.
Then he leaned closer, breath grazing my ear:
"You’re no man. Are you?"
Lightning seared through me. My breath caught.
Yet he didn’t wait for confirmation, releasing me with a dismissive flick.
"You hid it well. But—" A cold smile. "You checked his pulse though you’ve no medical training. Named ‘Azure Crow Powder’ though you’ve never studied poisons. A kitchen drudge shouldn’t know these things."
I couldn’t help it: "...Then why let me live?"
He turned away, tone breezy:
"Because you’re the first liar who didn’t flinch while deceiving me."
As I retreated into the night, he tossed me a sealed order.
"Within three days, uncover the origins of the Empress’s new eunuch."
"If he’s not her pawn… kill him."
My fingers trembled taking the scroll.
"One more thing." His smile turned glacial. "You claimed to have no name? I’ll give you one."
"You are Su Liu—26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwfo9mUhLF
Su as in the annihilated Su clan.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7ZVNCCQLJ
Liu as in the pomegranate—26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHo36r0SOI
all those hidden seeds,26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMx0KoBdjO
that garish bloom,26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZHtyU1Ui2
and such a pretty death."
I murmured assent, but inside—
—a storm raged.
He knew. Not just that I was a woman, but that I was Su.
And this was his warning:
From this moment on, my life belonged solely to him.
ns3.137.177.255da2
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