Li Mei's life had officially turned into a high-stakes game.
Unfortunately, no one had given her the rulebook.
Every smile in the palace felt like a trap waiting to spring. Every compliment tasted faintly of poison. The last time she'd tried to relax, the Empress herself had appeared out of the shadows and handed her a title.
Now, even the breeze sounded suspicious.
By the time the sun crawled over the horizon, Li Mei was already moving through the eastern court with that peculiar expression of someone trying to appear calm while actively reconsidering every decision that led her here. The servants bustled around, carrying trays of tea, scrolls, silks—all the elegant accessories of power—and Li Mei tried to copy their rhythm.
Except she wasn't elegant. Or graceful. Or particularly good at pretending she belonged.
[Status: Survival Rate — Fluctuating. Advice: Avoid eye contact with predators in silk.]
She resisted the urge to mutter back. The System had a gift for stating the obvious.
Lady Yun's voice floated ahead of her, soft as sugar but sharp enough to cut glass. "His Highness will be observing the stables today. See that everything gleams. No trace of last night's storm."
Li Mei paused mid-step. Stables?
She'd seen the imperial stables once—massive, white-tiled, full of horses that probably had better living conditions than she did. The smell of hay and perfume mixed into something oddly regal and terrifying.
Now, apparently, she was supposed to help prepare it.
The others scattered quickly, moving with the unspoken speed of people who understood that disobedience near Lady Yun was a death wish. Li Mei followed, clutching her broom like it was a weapon.
She kept her head down, sweeping at phantom dust, while Lady Yun's silk shoes whispered across the floor. The woman's perfume—something floral, elegant, expensive—hung in the air like the memory of danger.
"Careful with that vase," Lady Yun said, not even looking at the trembling maid nearby. "It's worth more than your future."
Li Mei pretended to focus on her sweeping. Inside, her brain screamed.
This woman terrified her. Not because of her power, but because of how easily she smiled while wielding it. Lady Yun's beauty was the kind that required obedience. Her laughter didn't sound human—it sounded like applause in a room where someone had just been executed.
[New Objective: Avoid becoming the example.]
She nodded to herself, mentally checking that box before she even started.
The stables shimmered in the golden light filtering through the open arches. The scent of polished leather and oiled metal filled the air. Somewhere, a horse snorted—a deep, regal sound, as if reminding them that even the animals here outranked her.
Li Mei wiped sweat from her forehead and tried not to look suspiciously alive.
Then Lady Yun turned.
"Li Mei," she said. Smooth. Sweet. Fatal. "You have such… creative instincts. I'm sure you'll make yourself useful when His Highness arrives."
Li Mei blinked. "Useful, my lady?"
"Oh, don't be modest." The smile sharpened. "After all, the Empress has taken quite an interest in you. Surely, you wouldn't want to disappoint her."
Her stomach dropped.
This is a setup.
Every nerve in her body screamed run, but her feet were traitors.
The System flickered.
[Warning: Social Combat Imminent.]
[Tip: When surrounded by predators, appear harmless or bite first.]
Harmless. Right. She could do that.
Probably.
She forced a smile that could best be described as nervous wallpaper chic. "Of course, Lady Yun. I'd… never dream of disappointing anyone. Especially people who could have me vaporized."
A few maids giggled behind their hands. Lady Yun's expression didn't change, but the air seemed to lose a few degrees.
"Be ready," she said. "The Crown Prince will arrive soon."
And with that, she swept out, leaving a faint trail of perfume and dread.
Li Mei exhaled only when she was gone.
Her hands were shaking slightly, the broom handle slick with sweat. The stables seemed to stretch around her, endless rows of polished wood and shadow. Somewhere, a bird cried out—a sharp, lonely note that echoed like a warning.
She glanced at her reflection in a bucket of water.
Dark circles under her eyes. Stray hair clinging to her forehead. A maid, yes, but one who looked like she'd survived an apocalypse and immediately been told to scrub floors afterward.
"Okay," she whispered to herself. "New rule: never trust anyone who smells like flowers and smiles like a guillotine."
A horse in the next stall huffed as if in agreement.
"Right," she told it. "We're in this together. Mutual survival pact. You don't kick me, I don't accidentally get us both killed."
The horse blinked at her.
She blinked back.
For one brief, peaceful moment, she almost convinced herself that maybe today would be fine.
Then she heard the distant footsteps—measured, sure, authoritative. The kind that made people straighten their backs and rethink their life choices.
[Incoming NPC: Crown Prince Jianyu. Threat Level: Variable.]
"Oh no," she whispered. "Oh no, no, no—"
The footsteps grew louder. The scent of sandalwood drifted through the air. The air itself seemed to stiffen.
Li Mei's entire soul screamed a single phrase:
Okay. Nope. Abort mission. Wrong turn. Recalculate GPS.
The System chimed again, bright and merciless.
[Event Triggered: Social Duel — Opponent: Lady Yun | Audience: Crown Prince Jianyu | Stakes: Survival + Reputation + Maybe Your Soul.]
Li Mei's first instinct was to faint. Unfortunately, her knees had developed self-preservation instincts.
Across the courtyard, Lady Yun approached with the serene poise of a goddess who'd eaten lesser mortals for breakfast. Her silks whispered like rumors, her hairpins gleamed like tiny blades. Behind her, a cluster of attendants trailed — eager, fearful, and desperate not to draw her attention.
The air shimmered in that palace way — beauty layered over danger. Gold sunlight on lacquered tiles. Birds singing too sweetly, as if mocking her doom.
Jianyu was already there.
He stood by the stables' entrance, hands clasped behind his back, expression unreadable. Even at rest, the Crown Prince radiated that same impossible precision — as if the world itself tilted subtly to accommodate him.
Li Mei had never been near him this close without nearly choking on her own panic. His robes were simple today — a shade of silver-grey that caught the light with each movement. His gaze lifted, brushed her for the briefest second — and that was all it took for her stomach to stage a rebellion.
"Your Highness," Lady Yun purred, bowing low. "A pleasure, as always. We've been preparing all morning to ensure everything is perfect for your visit."
"Is that so?" His tone was quiet, cool. His eyes slid back to Li Mei. "And this one?"
The question landed like a thrown knife.
Lady Yun's lips curved. "Ah. The maid Her Majesty has taken such an interest in. I thought it only proper she assist today. It's important, after all, that she… learns what it means to serve the court."
Translation: Let's see how fast she drowns.
The System flickered.
[New Objective: Do Not Die.]
Li Mei smiled, terrified and doomed. "An honor, Your Highness. Really. Such… stables. So… shiny."
Lady Yun's eyebrows arched a fraction. "She does have a way with words."
Li Mei's brain screamed at her to shut up. Instead, her mouth went rogue. "I clean better than I speak, my lady. Which is fortunate, since talking here feels like walking barefoot through blades."
A silence fell.
Lady Yun blinked once. Slowly. "Indeed."
The Crown Prince's lips twitched — so slight it could have been imagined.
Oh no, Li Mei thought. He's amused. I'm going to die for being entertaining.
Lady Yun turned back toward Jianyu, her tone honeyed again. "Forgive her, Your Highness. The girl is simple."
Li Mei bowed low. "Yes, deeply simple. Tragic condition, really. Can't be helped."
Another pause. The kind that stretched like pulled silk.
Then Jianyu spoke. "Perhaps simplicity has its uses."
Lady Yun's eyes flickered — a microexpression, gone in a heartbeat. "If Your Highness says so."
The System pinged.
[Mini-Duel: Phase 1 Complete.]
[Result: You survived. Barely. Reward: False Confidence +0.3% Charisma.]
She wanted to scream.
Lady Yun gestured to a tray nearby. "Since we are all present, perhaps the maid would like to demonstrate her… abilities. Pour tea, maybe?"
Li Mei froze. She'd poured tea before — successfully even — but this wasn't about tea. This was about humiliation.
Her hand trembled as she reached for the pot. The porcelain was warm, deceptively light. She felt the gazes like arrows against her back — the Prince's steady and cool, Lady Yun's sharp and expectant.
She inhaled once. Twice.
Okay, you can do this. It's just tea. It's not poison. Probably.
The pot tilted. The amber liquid caught the light — smooth, perfect, until a single drop splashed over the rim and hit the saucer with a sound so loud it might as well have been thunder.
Lady Yun's smile sharpened. "Careful, little one. Spilling in front of royalty is terribly… unlucky."
Li Mei's body moved before her brain caught up. She dipped the cup, set it gracefully before the Prince, and — without missing a beat — said, "Then I suppose I'll just take the bad luck for myself."
Silence again.
The kind that trembled on a knife's edge.
Jianyu looked at her. Really looked at her this time. There was something unreadable in his eyes — amusement, maybe, or curiosity. Or something far more dangerous.
Then he lifted the cup and drank.
"Brave," he murmured.
Lady Yun's composure flickered. "Your Highness—"
But the Empress's voice sliced cleanly through the air.
"Indeed," Celestia said. She had appeared as if from nowhere — light cascading around her like she carried her own dawn. "Bravery takes many forms. Don't you think, Lady Yun?"
Every person in the courtyard bowed. Li Mei dropped so fast she nearly bruised her knees.
"Your Majesty," Lady Yun said, her tone smooth again. "A pleasant surprise."
Celestia smiled. "It often is." Her gaze lingered on Li Mei for a fraction longer than necessary, and the faintest curve touched her lips. "You learn quickly, little one."
Li Mei's heart tripped. "I try, Your Majesty."
"Good," Celestia said softly. "Try harder."
The words sounded kind. They weren't.
The System flared again, a golden shimmer at the edge of Li Mei's vision.
[Quest Complete: Survive Lady Yun's Duel.]
[Reward: Title Acquired — 'Protected by Majesty.' Passive: Minor immunity to petty court schemes.]
Li Mei wanted to collapse.
Celestia turned, her gown catching the light. "Lady Yun, walk with me. We must discuss your latest… report."
The words had teeth. Lady Yun's expression didn't move, but her knuckles whitened where she gripped her fan.
As they departed, the tension in the air thinned like fading smoke.
Li Mei stayed kneeling long after they were gone, trembling, heart still pounding in her throat.
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So she did both — quietly, in her head.
Sometimes ridiculous is the sharpest blade.
Lady Yun's bow was deep enough to scrape the marble tiles, but her smile had sharpened into a thing made of glass.
"As Your Majesty commands," she murmured, sweet as poison left to steep. "But this maid should remember—protection does not last forever."
When she rose, her silks whispered like snakes. The other noblewomen followed, heads bowed low, eyes glittering with restrained fury. Their perfume hung in the air — a suffocating cloud of jasmine and malice — long after they'd disappeared beyond the garden gate.
Li Mei exhaled shakily. The silence that followed was somehow louder than all their laughter had been.
I survived, she thought weakly. Somehow. With pigeons.
Her System chimed smugly.
( [Quest Outcome: Success. +300 XP. Reputation with "Sympathetic Observers" increased. Reputation with "Scheming Faction" decreased.] )
"Oh, wonderful," Li Mei muttered, pressing her palm to her face. "I'm leveling up in enemies now."
"Not enemies," a low, teasing voice replied. "Rivals."
She jumped. Jianyu stood beside her — far too close — the sunlight catching in his dark hair, the faint scent of sandalwood wrapping around her like a whispered dare.
"Your Highness," she stammered. "I—I didn't mean to—"
"You handled that rather impressively," he interrupted, the corner of his mouth curving upward. "Though I never expected pigeons to be your weapon of choice."
Her face went up in flames. "It wasn't a weapon! It was panic!"
Jianyu tilted his head, eyes bright with mischief. "Panic can be… persuasive. Especially when delivered with that kind of conviction."
"Conviction? I was flailing!"
He laughed softly — a warm, velvety sound that wound through her nerves like silk. "Then you flail with style."
Li Mei wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. Preferably before he smiled again.
Before she could think of a comeback, the air shifted. The Empress's presence returned like a change in gravity itself — heavy, impossible to ignore.
Celestia's silver eyes swept over her once more, assessing, unreadable. But this time, there was something faintly approving in the tilt of her mouth.
"You survived your first duel, little maid," she said softly. "Not with blades, but with wit. Remember — in this palace, words cut deeper than steel."
Li Mei bowed low, her throat dry. "I… wasn't trying to duel anyone, Your Majesty. I was just trying not to die of embarrassment."
Celestia's smile was small — too elegant to be called kind. "Intentions are irrelevant. Results, however…" Her gaze sharpened. "You turned chaos into armor. Learn to wield it."
Li Mei blinked, unsure if she'd just been complimented or sentenced. "I'll… try?"
Her System glittered at the edge of her vision.
( [Skill Upgraded: Chaos Armor (II). Effect: +20 Survival in Social Conflicts. Side Effect: +15 Likelihood of Attracting Unnecessary Attention.] )
"Of course," Li Mei groaned quietly. "Armor with a built-in spotlight. How… convenient."
Celestia gave no sign she'd heard, though her lips twitched before she turned and glided away — her scarlet robes trailing behind her like fire dissolving into smoke.
Jianyu's gaze lingered. His smirk had softened into something quieter — unreadable — before he, too, drifted into the shadows.
And just like that, Li Mei was alone again.
The tension that had been holding her together dissolved all at once. Her legs wobbled as she stumbled toward the gardens, needing air, space, anything that didn't smell like ambition and expensive perfume.
She collapsed onto a stone bench beneath a cherry blossom tree, petals drifting down around her like quiet applause.
"Okay," she whispered, voice hoarse. "Still alive. Didn't get arrested. Didn't get stabbed. Just humiliated myself with pigeons in front of the Crown Prince. Totally fine."
Her System was apparently in a mood.
( [Ding! Daily Log Updated: Survived First Court Confrontation.] )
( [XP +350] )
( [Achievement Unlocked: Accidental Diplomat. Passive Bonus: +5 Charisma, +5 Influence.] )
( [Warning: Noble Hostility Escalating.] )
( [Warning: Emotional Entanglement Probability with Crown Prince Jianyu: 81%.] )
( [Hint: Romantic complications may compromise survival.] )
Li Mei dropped her head into her hands. "I don't need romance right now! I need noodles. And maybe a bunker."
A faint breeze teased through the cherry blossoms. The koi pond rippled nearby, serene, mocking. For one precious moment, she allowed herself to breathe.
Then the air shifted again.
A shadow leaned against the garden gate.
Jianyu.
His expression was unreadable this time, softer somehow — but his eyes still burned with that dangerous light.
"You're making quite a name for yourself, little maid," he said quietly.
Li Mei groaned. "I don't want a name! I want to be a background extra!"
"Too late," he murmured, his smirk ghosting across his face. "Chaos doesn't stay hidden."
Her chest tightened. "Then I'm doomed."
"Or destined," he said, and for just a heartbeat, his tone wasn't teasing. It was something else — darker, deeper, laced with something she didn't yet have the words for.
Her System blinked.
( [Hint: The Crown Prince may be a double-edged sword. Proceed with caution.] )
Li Mei covered her face with both hands. "Fantastic. A double-edged sword with good hair. Just what I needed."
When she peeked through her fingers again, Jianyu was gone — vanished into the dimming light, leaving behind nothing but the scent of sandalwood and the weight of possibilities.
But somewhere in the palace shadows, Lady Yun's voice coiled like smoke.
"This maid will not remain unscathed. Next time, her chaos will fail her."
Li Mei slumped back against the bench, staring at the drifting petals overhead.
"Can we skip to the part where I accidentally win again?" she muttered.
Her System chimed one last time — quietly, ominously.
( [Hint: The next challenge will escalate. Prepare wisely.] )
The petals kept falling, soft and endless, whispering secrets she didn't want to know.
Li Mei tilted her head back and sighed.
The palace was too quiet. Too still.
And somewhere deep inside her, she felt it — that shiver in the air before a storm.
The real duel was just beginning.