The Liang family villa looked the same as it always had. Bright. Beautiful. Untouchable.
Crystal lights glittered above her head. Marble floors reflected her figure as she walked, calm and elegant on the surface, tight and trembling underneath. Servants bowed. Relatives smiled. Everyone acted as if nothing had changed. Liang Xi played her role almost perfectly well. She was trying her best to fit in.
She had been back for a week now. A week of watching, listening, copying. A week of memorizing expressions and reactions. A week of reminding herself, Don't hesitate. Don't ask questions. Don't be soft. So far, it was working.
No one had questioned her. That should have made her feel relieved. Instead, she felt like she was being watched. It wasn't obvious. Just small things. A pause in conversation. A shadow that didn't move. The feeling that if she turned too fast, she would catch someone staring. She told herself she was imagining it.
She reached the study in the late afternoon, needing somewhere quiet. The room smelled like old books and expensive wood. Sunlight spilled in through the tall windows, warm and comforting. She exhaled.
Then—
"You're adapting faster than I expected."
Liang Xi froze.
Her heart slammed into her chest as she turned.
A man stood by the window.
Jiang Shanghai.
She hadn't seen him since that time they made their dramatic entrance into the capital city. He had been carried away with work and paperwork he needed to tend to, or so she heard.
He hadn't made a sound. He hadn't announced himself. He was just… there. Hands in his coat pockets. Calm and unbothered. Like the bearer of death he was.
Dangerous. The title of dark emperor, was befitting of him.
"I didn't know you were here," she said, keeping her voice steady.
"I've been here," he replied.
Something about the way he said it made her uneasy.
She forced a polite smile. "Welcome back."
His gaze shifted to her. Slow. Heavy. It felt like he was peeling her apart layer by layer.
"You look well," he said.
Relief flickered in her chest. Just small talk.
"I've rested," she replied. "The island was great for recuperating."
He hummed. "Hmmmm....those kind of places are good for hiding."
Her fingers curled slightly. Silence stretched between them. Then he spoke again.
"Do you remember how you take your tea?"
Her heart skipped.
"Yes," she answered quickly. "Jasmine...No sugar."
He smiled faintly.
"No."
The word landed softly. But it shook her.
"She took honey," he continued. "Two drops. Always."
Her throat went dry.
"You misremember," she said, almost stuttering.
"I don't."
He stepped closer, smirking at her futility.
"One step," she thought. Just one step.
"Your horse," he said. "What was his name?"
"Baiyun."
"She never called him that." he replied sharply.
Her pulse started racing.
"You hesitated," he added. "She never did."
Cold spread through her body..
"You stroked the white tiger yesterday," he said casually. "The real Liang Xi hated animals."
Her breath caught. What was with all these questions and Interrogation. Annoyance was piling up in her chest.
"You're not her," Jiang Shanghai said.
The room went silent.
Her mind went blank, trying to process his words.
"What are you saying?" she whispered.
He looked at her, eyes sharp and calm.
"You're wearing a dead woman's face."
Her knees weakened.
"No…" Her voice shook. "That's not possible."
"Stop lying," he said, in finality.
"I've known since the island," he continued. "From the moment I set my eyes on you, I knew that vile woman was gone. I watched you make mistakes."
Her chest burned, unable to believe her ears. The bombshell he dropped was unexpected. So he had been watching her make a fool of herself all this while. How laughable!
"You thought no one noticed," he said. "You were wrong."
Tears pressed behind her eyes, but she forced them back in rage. She felt played.
"If you knew," she asked quietly, "why didn't you expose me?"
He studied her for a moment.
"Because you're useful."
Her breath hitched.
"The world expects Princess Liang Xi," he said. "If the truth comes out, you will be hunted. And everything will fall out of place"
He pulled a black folder from his coat and placed it on a nearby desk.
"This is your only option."
Her hands trembled as she opened it. It was a contract that he had already prepared before hand. He had been planning this for a while. She was in the palm of his hands. Foolish of her to think she was in control.
The contracted words were simple. There were four phrases that stood out to her:
She was to remain Princess Liang Xi.
She was to act as his partner in public, and be his blade in the secret.
She was to follow all his arrangements.
She was not to seek any form of affection.
In exchange: protection. Power. Survival. They were all hers. It was a good deal. Too good to be true. Although they were entering a master and servant contract, it would be foolish to give it up.
She looked up at him. His gaze also steadily watching her, waiting for a reply.
"And if I refuse?"
His gaze hardened.
"I tell them and destroy your life and future with a snap of my fingers"
The silence was terrifying. Her fingers closed around the pen which he had offered to her.
She signed, and the click echoed in the room.
He took the folder and slipped it away in a satisfactory manner.
"From today on," he said calmly, "you are Princess Jiang."
He turned and walked out. The door closed softly behind him.
Liang Xi sank onto the chair, her body shaking. She was alive. But trapped.
The cage had been set unknowingly to her.
She pressed a hand to her chest, breathing hard.
I survived once, she thought. I'll survive again.
She lifted her head, eyes burning.
One day, this contract wouldn't own her.
But for now—she would play the princess.
And she would learn the rules of this dangerous game.