Ruhan moved quietly through the palace corridors. The heavy Khan mask covered his face, and his dark robes hung loosely around his body, hiding the tension in his muscles. Even here, deep within the palace, he felt the weight of the throne pressing down on him. Every step, every movement had to be careful. He could not show any weakness.
Tonight, however, he allowed himself a rare indulgence: the private hot spring pool tucked away from the main wings. One of the few places where he could exist without the constant scrutiny of ministers or his stepmother. A place where he could breathe.
"Arkan," he said, lowering his voice so only his second-in-command, someone he trusted like a brother, could hear, "keep watch around the perimeter. I don't want anyone seeing me here without the mask."
Arkan inclined his head sharply. "Understood, my lord. I will watch outside."
Ruhan's gaze lingered on the young man for a long moment. Arkan had been at his side for years. Faithful, competent, observant. But even he could not fully protect him if someone saw him without the mask, and his secret exposed.
He had managed to avoid Princess Lian Zhi these past few days. He didn't want to see her. Not while she was suffering, her face bruised, her tears falling each night. But he could not interfere with her fate, or at least that was what he told himself. So he kept his distance, fleeing like a coward, even as his heart ached. Still, he sometimes instructed Arkan to secretly ease her burdens, like slipping her sleeping pills, keeping Kabil occupied so he wouldn't harm her, and removing poisoned food before she could even touch it. Each act of protection felt pathetically small compared to the anguish of knowing she suffered while he stood helpless.
He needed this bath. He needed to clear his mind, to put her out of his thoughts for a while.
He lifted the silk screen and stepped into the pool area, inhaling the fragrant steam rising from the mineral-rich water. The heat seeped immediately into his stiff muscles, loosening the tension coiled in his shoulders and down his spine. For a moment, he allowed himself to relax, closing his eyes as the warmth spread through him.
A small movement caught his eye. A bird, small and dark, fluttered in through the open window. A tiny scroll was tied to its leg.
"Arkan," he said quietly, "retrieve that."
The guard emerged from the shadows, untied the parchment, and handed it to Ruhan. "News from our watcher, my lord."
Ruhan scanned the scroll. "So the Chancellor has been secretly meeting the Hua General." A faint crease formed between his brows. "Interesting."
Finally, the Chancellor was making his move. He had been quiet for weeks, and that silence had been suspicious.
"Find out what this is about," Ruhan said, returning the scroll to Arkan.
The young man hesitated. "Yes, my lord. But that means I'll leave you here alone. Perhaps you should—"
"I'll manage. You can step away." Ruhan shook his head. "I don't think anyone will come."
Arkan inclined once more and departed, leaving Ruhan alone in the steam.
The hot spring offered a fleeting sanctuary. He let his hands drift along the edge of the pool, feeling the heat spread through his body, easing the strain from months of constant vigilance. For a moment, he could ignore the Chancellor's schemes, the weight of the throne, the endless calculations.
But even here, his thoughts returned to Lian Zhi. Before she appeared, his purpose had been clear. He had a plan, a role to play. But ever since he met her, even back in Hua, she had stirred something in him. Turning his every plan upside down. And now, seeing her suffer each day without being able to intervene was unbearable. Did fate take pleasure in torturing both of them? Did he really have to care so deeply for her?
He let the steam rise around him, the heat numbing some of the tension in his body, but his mind remained restless.
Then, a faint sound broke the quiet. A soft splash, followed by an occasional hum.
Ruhan's eyes snapped open. He blinked through the mist curling over the pool's surface. His hand went instinctively to the edge of the pool, muscles tensing.
Whoever it was had not announced themselves, and he could not afford to be seen as the Khan without his mask. Even with his identity as Ruhan, a mere eunuch on the Khan's private pool, will not be easy to explain.
Another splash came, closer now. His heart quickened. Someone had come deliberately, silently. Could it be an intruder, or worse?
"Who's there?" he called. A mix of panic and caution.
No answer came, only the soft ripple of water. The mist began to clear, and Ruhan's eyes widened.
Princess Lian Zhi.
She stood in the warm water, her dark hair damp and clinging to her shoulders. Even in the simple undergarments, she was striking, delicate, and graceful. Her beauty was impossible to ignore. His heart raced, and a faint flush crept across his face.
She was not supposed to be here, in his private hot spring. What was she doing?
He stepped back instinctively, planning to leave her to avoid an awkward confrontation. But he made a small noise, a ripple in the water, and Lian Zhi turned sharply. Her eyes met his, and she almost screamed.
Before she could, Ruhan's hand shot out, covering her mouth gently but firmly. His other hand supported her by the arm.