Last night's rain had left the morning air fresh and cool. But inside her room, Xiao Zhi didn't feel refreshed at all.
Her skin was still burning and itching. She shifted restlessly under the covers, scratching her arms even though she knew it would only make things worse.
The ointment the imperial doctor had given her smelled sharp and bitter, but it hadn't helped at all. It felt useless, like something made just to shut her up.
She groaned and pressed her palms against her eyes. "If this keeps up, I'll scratch myself bald."
A soft knock came at the door.
"Come in." Xiao Zhi pulled the blanket up to her chin, preparing herself to act sick.
The door slid open, and she froze.
Ruhan.
He filled the doorway with effortless poise. Gone was the fancy attire from yesterday. Today, he only wore a simple dark robe trimmed with white thread. Simple yet striking. The sunlight behind him made him look extremely confident, like someone who had never lost.
Could fate not grant him even one ugly day? she thought bitterly.
He bowed slightly. "Princess."
Xiao Zhi didn't bother with a polite greeting. Her skin was crawling for reasons that had nothing to do with the poison. "What are you doing here?"
Ruhan's smile was faint but polite. "Just checking on your condition. You don't look well."
"Oh, thank you for noticing," Xiao Zhi rolled her eyes, leaning back into her pillows with a tired huff. "The doctor says I'm doomed. Apparently, I'll live out my days looking like an old witch."
He chuckled quietly. "I see your sense of humor is still intact. That's a good sign."
"Wonderful," she muttered. "Maybe I'll start a comedy show for the dying."
Ruhan's expression didn't change, but a knowing glint lingered in his eyes. He began to stroll slowly around her chamber, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze lingered on her furniture, the delicate porcelain vases, the carved wooden screens.
Xiao Zhi frowned. "What are you doing? Taking inventory? Planning to redecorate?"
"Just observing." He stopped by the window, brushing his fingers along the silk curtains with agonizing slowness. "The palace's taste is elegant. Even your chambers are arranged with quiet precision." He paused, his finger tracing a line along the carved window frame. "Beautiful, but fragile."
She arched a brow. "Meaning?"
He turned to face her. "Everything fragile breaks easily."
The calm way he said it sent a chill down her spine. She forced a laugh. "You really love your dramatic one-liners, Envoy."
Instead of answering, he pulled something from his sleeve, a small ceramic jar.
"For your rash." He held out the jar and placed it neatly on her desk. "A Tughril remedy. We survive harsher climates, poisonous plants, and venomous creatures. This will help the itch."
Xiao Zhi stared at the jar, her heart skipping a beat. A cold sweat that had nothing to do with her fever broke out on her neck. How did he know about the itching? She had only complained about that to her maid after the doors were closed.
"Why are you… helping me?" She didn't reach for the jar. She didn't trust anything he touched.
"Think of it as goodwill between nations," he said simply.
He paused. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy.
"After all," he whispered, "you are soon to be the princess of my kingdom."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
"Hey, I'm no longer—" Before she could finish, the door closed. Xiao Zhi grumbled, sitting frozen, staring at the jar. Her instincts screamed: suspicious.
Ruhan wasn't someone who helped freely, especially not her. There had to be a catch.
Still, the itching was unbearable. Desperation outweighed suspicion. She hesitated a bit before finally dabbing a tiny bit of the ointment onto her hand. She waited, expecting pain, burning, or numbness. Nothing.
A minute later, a cool relief spread across her skin. The irritation eased.
Her eyes widened. "It… actually works?"
Within moments, she was rubbing it over her arms and neck. Wherever it touched, the burning faded.
She sighed. Half laughing, half groaning. "Finally…"
Then her laugh faltered. Ruhan never did anything without a reason. Why now?
***
Meanwhile, in another chamber, Lian Yue was sipping sweet pear tea. Though her expression was tense, her fingers tapped impatiently against the cup.
After a while, her maid, Qinghe, entered the chamber bringing the news she had been waiting for. "Your Highness, we checked the city as you ordered. There's no plague. No sickness anywhere."
The news pleased her. "So my dear sister lied."
Not long after that, another maid rushed in. "Princess! I overheard something from Princess Lian Zhi's room. The rash… it's from poison. She pretended to be sick to avoid marriage!"
Lian Yue slammed her hand on the table, knocking over her teacup. "Poison? That shameless girl!"
She rose abruptly. "She dares to deceive everyone?!" Her voice shook with fury, "She thinks she's clever, but this time, I'll make her pay."
She spun toward the door. "Let's go. We're going to see Father."
***
That afternoon, the imperial hall shook with raised voices.
Lian Yue knelt before the emperor. "Father, I must report the truth. Lian Zhi faked her illness. She took poison to avoid marriage."
The emperor's face darkened. "What nonsense is this?"
"It's true! Summon the imperial doctor if you don't believe me."
"But the imperial doctor confirmed the illness."
"He lied! Lian Zhi must have colluded with him," she argued. "She dares deceive you. Deceiving the emperor is a capital crime!"
"But the envoy leaves tomorrow. Even if she is faking it, she's still unfit to be a bride." The emperor knew he could not present an ugly princess to Tughril.
"But Father—"
"Silence!" He slammed his hand on the throne. "You will still take her place."
Lian Yue went pale. "What? But you promised me I could marry Shen Han!"
"Enough!" The Emperor had lost his patience. "Guards!"
Two guards appeared instantly. "Return Princess Lian Yue to her quarters. She leaves with the Tughrils tomorrow at noon."
"Father! Please!" Her cries echoed as they dragged her away.
***
Back in her room, the door slammed shut. Lian Yue stood trembling with rage.
"How dare he! How dare she!"
She swept her arm across the table, sending teacups shattering to the floor. Then she noticed it. A small ceramic bottle on her vanity. Beside it, lay a folded note.
Use this. It will help you.
Her breath quickened, suspicion mixing with desperation. "Fine. If this can save me… so be it."
She drank it. Moments later, her vision blurred. Her knees buckled. Darkness claimed her.
***
Dawn broke.
Piercing screams could be heard from two sides of the palace, jolting the maids from their morning routines.
The maids at Lian Yue's quarters rushed into the princess's room and froze in shock.
Their mistress lay sprawled on the bed, her skin covered in angry, swollen rashes that made her almost unrecognizable. Her arms and face were blotched red, and her usual beauty was buried beneath the hideous marks.
A low gasp escaped one of the maids, and another stumbled backward, clutching her skirts.
"Princess… what happened?!" one whispered, voice trembling.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the palace, Xiao Zhi stood before her mirror. Her hands were shaking as she brought them up to her face. Her reflection stared back at her, smooth, clear, flawless. No sign of the rash remained. No swelling, nothing.
She traced her cheek with a trembling finger, half-afraid this was not a dream. Her lips parted in disbelief, and a soft cry escaped her throat.
"It's… gone. The rash is gone."