Sat stiffly in his chair, bracing himself to speak.
The middle-aged man across from him was the father of this mortal vessel—cruel, incompetent, and power-hungry. But mortals couldn't always get what they wanted.
The woman who had become the true mistress of this household had long ago stripped him of his authority, pulling his strings like a puppet master.
Her gaze shifted to the large sandalwood boxes.
"The Emperor has sent gifts for you. He commands your presence at the spring banquet."
She looked at the man before her with deliberate indifference.
"The Emperor is... displeased with your recent public displays. He still blames himself for that incident. Attend this feast so he can see you and find peace."
Without another word, he departed the room, leaving Bai Lian alone with the gift boxes.
Moonlight streamed through the window, carried by a bitter wind.
From her chamber, she gazed at the luminous full moon before her—the only ally she had in this cruel and chaotic world. The Emperor was the sole person who showed her kindness, and she wished desperately for a true blood bond with him that would justify accepting such affection.
---
**The Day of the Feast**
---
The melodic strains of instruments drifted from outside. The murmur of the crowd pressed against her like a weight. She took a deep breath and entered the palace.
The red wooden pillars gleamed with golden carvings, while silk curtains swayed in the evening breeze. The music was hauntingly beautiful—wasted on these wretched, two-faced creatures.
"Look over there!"
"The Demon Princess?"
"Look at her dress—I'm certain the Emperor sent it to her."
The black silk gown with crimson accents flowing to the hem, adorned with golden embroidery that cascaded to the dress's end, made her breathtakingly beautiful.
"Look, her dress is even more exquisite than the Crown Princess's."
Ignoring the others, she took her seat and occupied herself with food and wine.
The Third Princess bristled at the sight of her.
"Well, look who's here!"
She regarded Bai Lian with a sneer of contempt.
"The Demon Princess..."
She placed her hand theatrically over her mouth.
"My apologies—everyone calls you that so often, it's become habit."
She gestured toward the Crown Prince's wife.
"I forgot to introduce her. She is the Crown Prince's wife. Shouldn't you show her proper respect?"
Bai Lian continued drinking her wine, paying no heed to the Third Princess.
The Third Princess raised her voice deliberately.
"Sister-in-law, did you know that before you became my brother's wife, she was betrothed to him?"
She sighed dramatically.
"If my brother had married her, I would have truly pitied him. She's mute and bears two great wounds on her back that will never heal. Even the servants fear the sight of her scars. Far too many flaws for a Crown Prince's consort."
Whispers rippled throughout the banquet.
"Is that really true?"
"What a shame—such a beautiful face, but she cannot speak!"
The Third Princess continued with a deep smile, savoring Bai Lian's humiliation.
"After her engagement to the Crown Prince was broken, she couldn't accept it and became wild—like a creature raised in the deep forest without parents to civilize her."
Bai Lian's nails pierced her palms from her clenched fists.
An infernal silence ruled the hall; no one dared laugh or challenge the Princess.
The distant music continued to play.
Her smile was like a blade sensing the warmth of its victim's blood before the strike.
She raised one eyebrow and moistened her lips with her tongue. Lifting her head, she met the Princess's gaze.
She lifted her wine cup from the table and rose.
Moving gracefully toward the Crown Prince's wife, she filled her cup and drank in her honor.
"Aren't you afraid my wounds might bleed into the wine and poison your sister-in-law?"
She approached the Third Princess with a smile.
The Princess trembled at Bai Lian's smile. She had bullied her since childhood and despised her, but nothing she did ever worked. The woman before her was no longer that simple, innocent girl.
Bai Lian bowed respectfully.
Relieved that Bai Lian seemed to be showing deference, the Princess exhaled deeply, though those eyes still filled her with dread.
"Do you wish to show me respect? You hardly deserve—"
Her words were cut short as wine splashed over her head, and she shrieked.
When the wine was spent, Bai Lian seized a food platter and shoved the Princess's face into it.
With serene composure, she smoothed her robes, retrieved her wine cup from the table, and departed the palace.
....
A gentle breeze was passing through the city.
Fei Ji wore magnificent robes. In the thousand years he had spent in the mortal realm, he had grown accustomed to such banquets and felt little inclination to attend them, but he wanted to find that girl.
The crowd's chatter in the streets was overwhelming.
Though night had fallen, the spring banquet had illuminated every street like day.
"Look over there!"
"Who is that girl?"
"Is that the Demon Princess?"
Hearing the crowd's conversations, he grew curious.
She moved with languid grace, the wine cup gleaming in her hand.
The evening breeze gently parted the curtains of the palanquin.
Watched quietly as the girl passed through the crowd, unable to see her face clearly. Seeing the wine cup that belonged to the palace, he surmised she must be the Demon Princess—the only person who dared take palace property with impunity.
Her long hair was adorned with golden chains that swayed with every movement of the breeze.
The scent of blood reached his nostrils—not fresh blood, but that of wounds that had opened countless times.
He sensed she was the same feline girl he had encountered, but this seductive behavior couldn't be meant for him, and he saw no blood on her garments.
Yearned to glimpse, for just a moment, the face of this Demon Princess—one who, despite having the Emperor's protection, was still judged by others.
Bai Lian moved quietly through the crowd, seeking solitude.
With weary body and troubled mind, he watched her departure from the palace walls, a sensation in his heart causing him distress.
She had changed greatly in these past months, and perhaps that was what drew his attention to her more than before.
"Ping Ming?"
Hearing the Grand Eunuch's voice, he turned.
"The Emperor seeks you!"
He adjusted his purple robes and quietly followed behind the Grand Eunuch.
Though he looked ahead, his thoughts remained with the Demon Princess—the one who still possessed his sister's eyes.
He hoped to see her again, perhaps to ease some of his longing.