[Li Cheng Cheng's POV]
Morning light crept across Rui City like a cautious thief. The palace roofs still glittered with shards of last night's shattered chandelier.
By noon, rumors had already taken flight.
> "A northern omen!"
"Heaven's anger at a false marriage!"
"The bride's ghost cursed the hall!"
I listened from behind a painted screen as two maids gossiped, their whispers tasting of fear and fascination.
If only they knew how close they were to the truth.
> (System 003: Public sentiment index—volatile. Target reputation declining 7%.)
"Let it spread," I murmured. "Let guilt become their dinner wine."
---
The Emperor held a brief audience, his expression clouded but composed. Xu Han knelt, claiming sabotage by jealous rivals. Su Mei Xian wept prettily.
Prime Minister Zhao Rong vowed to investigate.
The Crown Prince said little.
But his gaze wandered—to me.
---
Later that afternoon I walked through the imperial gardens, feigning admiration for chrysanthemums.
Behind me, the rustle of silk—then a voice, low and measured.
"Lady Yan Ruo."
I turned, bowing. "Your Highness."
Li Yun stood in sunlight, robes of white and black that caught the breeze. His expression was courteous, but his eyes… searching.
"I wondered," he said, "if you were harmed last night."
"Only startled, Your Highness. The heavens sometimes remind us of their power."
He smiled faintly. "And sometimes people do."
A test.
"I know nothing of such people," I said, matching his tone.
> (System 003: Caution—conversation probability of suspicion 61%.)
I ignored it. "Does Your Highness suspect sabotage?"
"I suspect meaning," he said softly. "Everything that falls in this palace falls for a reason."
---
We walked beneath willow branches. Each question he posed was gentle, each answer I gave shaped like mist—revealing nothing, hiding everything.
"You've studied trade," he said. "And politics?"
"Only enough to survive them."
He chuckled. "A rare honesty here."
His laugh was quiet, cultured—but it warmed the air. For a heartbeat, I forgot the cold edge of vengeance.
> (System 003: Heart rate increased 12%.)
(Warning: Emotional deviation.)
"Don't scold me," I whispered within. "He's only curious."
Yet curiosity, I knew, was the first step toward danger.
---
[Li Yun's POV]
She walked as though each movement were composed by thought.
Every word she gave me was a coin—polished, balanced, valuable.
Who are you, Lady Yan Ruo?
Why do I sense winter and fire in the same breath around you?
When the breeze lifted her veil for an instant, I saw a faint scar along her wrist—too clean, too deliberate.
A warrior's mark, not a court lady's.
And those eyes—when they met mine, I felt as if I stood at the edge of a secret too deep to name.
---
[Li Cheng Cheng's POV]
That night, the system hummed softly while I studied a holographic map hidden within my sleeve fan—points of light marking the Prime Minister's hidden routes of power.
> (System 003: Infiltration node located—Zhao Rong's correspondence vault.)
"Good," I said. "Tomorrow we steal the truth."
A knock interrupted.
A guard bowed. "Lady Yan Ruo, His Highness the Crown Prince requests your presence in the Moon-lit Hall."
---
The hall lived up to its name—silver light pouring through latticed windows, pooling around scrolls and maps.
Li Yun stood at a writing desk, candlelight tracing his profile.
"Forgive the hour," he said. "I wished to discuss the northern trade taxes, but I suspect that's not the only subject we'll touch."
"Then may I ask," I said lightly, "which subject Your Highness truly wishes to understand?"
He looked up. "You."
The word hung between us—simple, dangerous.
> (System 003: Alert—proximity threshold reached.)
"I am but a traveler," I replied. "There is little to understand."
"Travelers do not move like soldiers. Nor do they quote poets older than this dynasty."
His tone softened. "You speak as if you've lived twice."
A shiver passed through me.
How close his intuition wandered toward truth.
"Perhaps I have," I said quietly. "In dreams."
For a long moment neither of us spoke.
Only the sound of ink dripping from his brush—steady, patient, inevitable.
---
He poured tea for us both. The gesture was not princely—it was personal.
"Do you believe," he asked, "that loyalty is born or chosen?"
"Chosen," I said. "Born loyalty binds slaves; chosen loyalty builds empires."
He smiled. "Then perhaps you would choose to lend me yours—for a time."
My fingers tightened around the porcelain cup.
"Is this an order, Your Highness?"
"A request." His voice lowered. "You see things others miss. I need such eyes."
> (System 003: Probability of strategic advantage—high. Emotional risk—moderate.)
I weighed both.
"I accept," I said at last, bowing. "Until the day your trust no longer requires sight."
He studied me, eyes bright like a blade catching moonlight.
"I suspect that day will not come soon."
---
After he dismissed me, I stepped into the night air.
Below, Rui City shimmered; above, constellations whispered like data streams to my augmented senses.
> (System 003: Mission update—Access to Crown Prince archive granted. Progress 34%.)
"Access and danger often share the same doorway," I murmured.
> (System 003: Observation—Your voice modulates differently when speaking of him.)
I smiled faintly. "Even systems learn curiosity."
> (System: Correction—simulating curiosity. Not feeling it.)
"Then simulate well," I said. "We both have roles to play."
---
[Li Yun's POV]
When she was gone, I found myself staring at the doorway as if her shadow still lingered there.
The tea she'd touched was cooling, yet the warmth had not left the room.
Whoever she truly was, she carried storms in her silence.
I told myself she was useful—clever, observant, nothing more.
But when I closed my eyes, I saw the faint reflection of silver light in her gaze, and my thoughts refused to obey reason.
---
[System 003 Log]
> World 001 — Progress 34.6%.
New Link Established: Royal Information Network.
Emotional Reading: Host calm exterior; internal fluctuation noted.
Additional Variable: Crown Prince Li Yun—empathy resonance increasing.
Note: When two minds watch each other through veils, threads of silk may become threads of fate.
---
To be continued…