The slap of silk against stone echoed behind her as Liora walked briskly through the garden courtyard, heart still racing from the encounter. The Crown Prince's words circled her thoughts like birds of prey
Some of them are connected to the Prime Minister. I suspect Mei is being used to test you."
So this wasn't just petty jealousy. Lady Mei was a weapon, and worse a willing one.
Liora knew one misstep, one overheard word, and Mei could destroy her credibility. With the Prime Minister involved, it wouldn't just be scandal she'd face. It would be execution.
Later that afternoon, Liora approached the southern archives under the guise of studying etiquette scrolls. She didn't expect the records to be so heavily guarded, but a passing scribe whispered that Mei's brother, Lord Ren, had recently been assigned to oversee military document preservation there.
Too convenient.
She spent two hours pretending to read before slipping away to the records mezzanine. There, among scrolls marked for disposal, she found one that didn't belong. A falsified land tax report signed with the Prime Minister's seal, but dated during a time he'd publicly claimed to be "ill.
Falsified taxes. Smuggled weapons. Hidden alliances.
The net was tightening.
That evening, she was summoned to the Crown Prince's private study. But instead of finding him bent over documents or scolding generals, she entered a dim room heavy with silence.
He stood by the open window, his hair loose for once, caught in the moonlight. His outer robe hung open, revealing a thin scar that slashed across his collarbone old, but deep.
She blinked. "Your Highness…?
He didn't turn around. "Close the door.
She obeyed, heart pounding. Something was wrong.
I wasn't born to rule," he said quietly. "My mother was a concubine. My legitimacy has been questioned since the day I could walk. The Prime Minister… supported me back then.
Liora remained silent, sensing he wasn't looking for comfort just release.
He taught me strategy, diplomacy. Promised me the throne. But all along, he was just… shaping me. So he could control me once I wore the crown.
Liora stepped forward. "And now you suspect he's behind the military corruption?
I don't suspect," he said, finally facing her. His eyes were hard, but there was something brittle beneath the surface. "I know.
Then why don't you expose him?
Because treason without proof is still just slander. The ministers would turn on me. Civil war would break out.
She swallowed. "And Lady Mei?
His jaw tensed. "She was once loyal. But she's been whispering in the Prime Minister's shadow too long. She believes if I marry her, her family will rise.
She won't stop until I'm gone
She won't succeed." He stepped closer, slowly, gaze unreadable. "You've survived too much already.
Liora's breath caught. "Why are you telling me this?"
Because I don't trust anyone else.
That confession landed like thunder in her chest.
[Mission Update: Emotional Trust –Achieved.]
[Crown Prince Affection: 70%]
He looked down at her, the space between them heavy with something unspoken.
I want to believe you're here for more than the mission you claim not to have.
He knows. Or at least, suspects. Her cover as a gifted, silent courtesan wasn't going to last forever.
She swallowed. "What if I am?
He stepped back then, gaze darkening. "Then don't betray me. Not even once.
The next morning, Lady Mei made her next move.
The Crown Prince was absent from court dealing with soldiers in the outer city leaving a power vacuum. And Lady Mei filled it with deadly grace.
She called an emergency assembly of the palace consort council, citing "unrest" and "improper behavior" from Liora.
Liora arrived to find herself accused of stealing palace documents and forging tax reports.
You think you're clever," Mei said sweetly before the room. "But perhaps the pressure of court life is simply… too much for someone like you.
Liora didn't flinch. "Interesting accusation. Especially since the scrolls you're referring to were reviewed by the Crown Prince himself."
Gasps echoed.
Are you suggesting His Highness is protecting a criminal? Mei snapped.
I'm suggesting," Liora said calmly, "that you should be careful whose name you invoke. Treason's a heavy word… and I doubt your family can afford to be accused of it.
Mei's expression cracked. Just slightly.
The doors slammed open.
The Crown Prince entered.
He walked directly to Liora's side, casting a withering glare at the room. "I trust her," he said. "Insinuating otherwise is insulting not just to her but to me.
Mei bowed, jaw clenched.
He turned to the gathered ladies. "Any further disputes may be brought to me directly. Privately. For punishment.
The threat hung heavy.
As everyone dispersed, Mei walked by Liora, her voice low and venomous. "You think you've won. But you haven't seen how far I'm willing to go.
Liora didn't answer. She didn't need to.
[System Update: Rival Mei's Power Weakened.]
[Progress: 78% – Emotional Bond Strengthened. Trust Level Critical.]
Later that night, the Crown Prince came to her chambers. Not with orders. Not with suspicion. Just silence.
They sat side by side on the edge of her bed, neither speaking for a long while.
Then, he whispered: "They will come for me soon. But they'll try to reach me through you first.
She turned her head slowly. "Then they'll find I'm harder to destroy than they think.
His hand brushed hers. Brief. Warm. Human.
Good, he said. "Because I don't think I could lose you now.