The silence fell once again. The only sound was the low hiss of the water as the steam curled around them like a thick cloud. Even with the stone between them, Xiao Zhi could feel him close, as if the space didn't exist.
"Your injuries," Ruhan said, finally breaking the silence. It wasn't loud, but it was filled with concern. "How are they?"
Xiao Zhi glanced down at her arms, the faint shadows of bruises beneath her sleeves. She flexed her fingers in the water, careful not to reveal too much. "They're… bearable," she said softly. "The ointment you sent, it helped a lot."
Ruhan's jaw tightened.
She continued, "It's almost gone, by the way," she added, a small laugh escaping her lips, an attempt to mask the pain and make her suffering seem less pathetic. "I might need a new one soon," she joked lightly.
Ruhan felt a sting in his chest. Another jar gone… that was the third one. He had sent them carefully, hoping to ease her suffering, yet the thought that she had used up all of them… it was more than he could bear. That would mean her suffering was too much. Too often. He wanted to say he was sorry, to speak aloud the guilt and anguish twisting in his chest, but he swallowed it. He could not.
"I… I will send you a new one soon," he promised, though he wished he shouldn't have to. He wished her suffering would stop there, right then. No more need for medicine.
Xiao Zhi tilted her head slightly, unaware of the full weight of his thoughts. "No rush," she said quietly. "Actually… it has become less frequent now." She paused. "The pills… they've helped. They lessened the torture."
Ruhan allowed himself a small, almost invisible exhale. Relief rushed through his chest. Her words meant his strategy had worked. Good, he thought silently. At least that part is working.
A small curiosity flickered in her tone. "…Those pills," she asked hesitantly, "they were from you, weren't they?"
Ruhan froze. His fingers flexed in the water. To admit it was from him would be to draw closer than he could afford. He had resolved to stay distant for two weeks. Proximity now was a danger to both of them. Yet lying outright felt… wrong. He chose a careful half-truth. "Yes… I mean… the Khan asked me to give them to you."
Xiao Zhi's eyes widened, her breath catching. "The Khan?" She blinked, processing the words. "He… he did this? For me?"
"Yes," Ruhan said, as if it wasn't something out of the ordinary. "Quietly. He… monitors what happens in the palace."
Xiao Zhi sank slightly deeper into the water, letting the warmth wash away her tension. "I… never imagined that. The Khan… helping anyone?" She tried to laugh softly, "Isn't he supposed to be vicious and cruel?"
Ruhan stared at the steam, his mind racing. He knew he should probably just keep his mouth shut. Letting her believe the horror stories was the safe bet. But somehow his heart told him otherwise.
"Actually, The Khan... he isn't the monster everyone believes."
Xiao Zhi went still. She turned slightly, the water rippling around her. "Then what is he? Because the stories I've heard don't involve much mercy."
Ruhan let out a short, dry breath, almost a laugh. He leaned his head back against the cold stone.
"The Khan you see is not who he truly is," he said slowly. "What he shows the court is a mask. Figuratively and literally. Cruelty is safer than kindness in this palace."
Xiao Zhi listened in silence.
"He was born into a complicated situation," Ruhan continued. "His mother was from Hua. She was a dancer, trained to entertain nobles and gather information. The previous Khan met her during a mission and fell deeply in love with her."
His voice lowered. "The Khan already had a wife, the Khatun. Their marriage was arranged by her father, the Chancellor. For the Khan, it was necessary to secure the throne. There was no affection. Only power."
"When the dancer came to Tughril, everything changed. She became the Khan's favorite. He loved her openly and ignored the Khatun, even when she was pregnant."
Xiao Zhi's fingers curled beneath the water.
"Kabil was born first. Not long after, the dancer gave birth to Kazrail."
So his name is Kazrail, Xiao Zhi thought.
"They grew up together, trained together, and educated together. But Kazrail was different. His blood was questioned. His mother was mocked. Servants whispered. Noble children bullied him for being half-Hua and born without status."
Xiao Zhi chuckled silently. The treatment seemed too familiar.
"But the Khan favored him," Ruhan continued. "He saw Kazrail's kind heart, discipline, and restraint. That only made things worse."
Ruhan's jaw tightened. "One night, when Kazrail was still a child, Kabil set fire to his chambers."
Xiao Zhi sucked in a sharp breath.
"Kazrail's mother ran into the flames and pulled him out herself. She saved him," Ruhan paused, "Unfortunately… she didn't survive."
Xiao Zhi's heart sank.
"The Khan nearly killed Kabil in his rage. Only the Khatun's pleas and the Chancellor's power stopped him. He couldn't execute his son."
The water around them went completely still.
"So he stripped him of the crown prince title instead."
The weight of that decision filled the silence. She couldn't imagine the Khan's pain. Losing the woman he loved while being powerless to bring her justice.
"The Khan knew Kazrail wouldn't survive the court as he was," Ruhan continued. "So he sent him away. Far away in the mountains. To be trained. To be hardened."
Xiao Zhi smiled. It sounded like one of those stories where the hero disappears into exile, comes back stronger, and changes the course of everything.
"Kazrail's face was badly burned in the fire. The mask began as protection, from pity, from assassins."
Xiao Zhi remembered Ruhan told her about the mask and the scar before, but she never knew the story behind it was this heartbreaking.
"It became armor," Ruhan said. "When Kazrail returned, the Khan was already ill… poisoned slowly."
Xiao Zhi's heart tightened.
"Before he died, the Khan named Kazrail as heir. The Chancellor was furious, but too many ministers witnessed the decree. The Khan died soon after."
Silence followed.
"And so Kazrail became Khan," Ruhan finished. "Surrounded by enemies. Wearing a mask. Ruling through fear, because mercy would have killed him."
Xiao Zhi understood now. Not everything, but enough. Maybe the Khan was not the villain, not her executioner. Maybe he was just another prisoner of the palace. And maybe… he was her only chance to survive.
They stayed quietly, sharing the warmth and the fragile silence, while the steam curled around them.
After a while, Xiao Zhi sighed. "I should go. If I stay too long… it'll cause trouble."
Ruhan nodded. "Of course."
She rose carefully along the edge of the pool, muscles felt lighter, and soreness gone. The side where she stepped was close enough for Ruhan to see her clearly through the mist.
Then her foot slipped…just slightly.
Ruhan reacted instantly, his hands gripping her waist, steadying her. Water splashed around them, droplets clinging to their skin.
"Careful," he murmured, his chest brushing hers. The heat of him pressed through the cool night air.
She gripped his bare arm instinctively. For a moment, they simply stayed like that. Too close, too aware. Words were unnecessary. The tension between them said everything.
Ruhan's eyes lingered on her face, noting the faint blush and tremor in her hands. He wanted to look away, to maintain distance, but couldn't.
The cruel world outside the spring faded until there was nothing but them, the sound of water, and the hiss of steam.
His hand tightened slightly at her waist. She met his gaze through the mist. The boundaries they had maintained seemed meaningless.
Her lips parted. His breath came faster.
Their faces were inches apart.
And then, slowly, carefully… he leaned in.