The maid guided Cixi through a quieter part of the Palace and stopped in front of a private lift hidden behind a wall panel, carrying Cixi's bag. This entrance was not something any guest would find by mistake. When the doors opened, Cixi stepped inside and saw that only one number on the panel was lit for the highest floor. She looked at it for a moment and then turned to the maid.
"The entire floor belongs to Cassian Crown?"
The maid lowered her eyes politely, neither agreeing nor denying it, and the silence that followed only made the answer feel obvious.
The lift rose smoothly without a sound until it reached the top floor. When the doors slid apart, they revealed a polished corridor lit in soft gold.
There was something neatly written on a metal board hanging on the wall, and the moment Cixi read it, her brows pulled together.
RETURN OR ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.
