Rumors slithered through the palace—
The Empress had sent one of her handmaids, Yuan Hong, into the Eastern Palace. Officially, she was to assist the Crown Prince with documents.
Unofficially?
She’d come to uncover the truth about the "new eunuch."
Day One. She fixed her sights on me.
"Oh? You must be the one they call… ‘Young Master An’?"
I nodded, voice carefully low. "Does Sister Yuan require anything?"
Her smile was feline. "Who’d dare make demands of His Highness’s favorite?" A step closer. "But I am… curious."
Her fingers pinched the hem of my robe. "This fabric—a gift from the Crown Prince? Finer than what I wear."
I retreated, pulse roaring. "Thank you for the reminder. I’ll mind my station."
"Minding your station won’t save you." Her whisper dripped honey. "No amount of manners can cleanse… unclean flesh."
Ice shot down my spine.
Then her lips brushed my ear:
"The palace has ways to verify eunuchs. But I prefer… hands-on inspection."
She backed me behind a screen.
Eyes alight, she gripped my collar—
"Stay still. I’ll just… look."
My teeth ground together. A dagger hid in my sleeve.
Then—
"Yuan Hong."
The Crown Prince’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
She froze mid-motion, dropping to her knees. "Your Highness, this slave only—"
"Inspecting my property?" He stepped forward, languidly smoothing my robes—
—a possessive gesture.
"You thought to touch what’s mine?"
"This slave dared not! Only suspected an imposter—"
"You doubt my judgment?" His tone turned lethal.
"Return her to the Empress. Tell my mother: if her spies can’t distinguish truth from lies, she should stop embarrassing herself."
As guards dragged her away, Yuan Hong’s glare promised vengeance.
I kept my head bowed, but inside—
A storm raged.
Would I have killed her?
The answer was yes.
Killing had become… easy.
Not because I’d lost my conscience.
Because I’d run out of choices.
That night, the Crown Prince didn’t dismiss me.
"You’ll stay. Read these edicts aloud."
Protection? Or another transaction?
Reclining on his divan, he mused:
"Nothing in this palace comes free."
"Since you eat my food… you’ll live by my will."
"Kill whom I say. Die when I permit."
I whispered "Yes, Your Highness," thinking death the worst fate.
I was wrong.
Far more terrifying than death—
Was owing a life-debt.
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