The first day after the assassination, the Princess's estate was thrown into utter chaos.
At least, that was how it appeared to outsiders.
I lay upon the low couch in the inner chamber, the heavy bedcurtains cascading down around me. The thick, bitter scent of medicinal herbs hung heavy in the air.
Outside the window, the sound of footsteps was a frantic, disorganized scramble—hushed whispers, sudden gasps, and sharp reprimands rising and falling in waves.
Occasionally, someone would rush past, the hem of their robes sweeping against the bluestone floor with a crisp, hurried rustle.It was the perfect picture of panic.
I kept my eyes closed, allowing the maidservants to gently wipe my body, my breathing drawn out into a slow, shallow rhythm.
The performance of these loyal servants—I was quite satisfied with it.
"Lighter! Her Highness is gravely injured, mind her wounds!"
The voice of the old steward, Luo Zhong, drifted in from the outer room.
Beneath its steady timbre, he had perfectly layered just the right amount of anxious urgency.
A chorus of maids murmured their hasty compliance.
I lifted my eyelids a fraction, casting a single glance toward Luo Zhong. He understood instantly, turning slightly and waving a dismissive hand toward the door.
In the outer room, voices were deliberately lowered into conspiratorial whispers— "I heard it was poison...""That wind yesterday... it wasn't right...""Could it be from the Palace..."
And there, the words abruptly ceased.
Excellent.
I opened my eyes fully. Beyond the heavy curtains, the light was dim, as if even the sun itself had been tainted by the gloom of this "assassination."
Slowly, I slipped my fingertips beneath the thick layers of gauze bound tightly across my chest. The wound wasn't deep. But it hurt enough.
My wound had used a fine blade, carefully avoiding anything vital, merely slicing through the flesh to mimic the grazing strike of a hidden weapon. The edges of the cut were turned outward, the raw crimson exposed—a gruesome sight at first glance.
As for the poison—The corner of my lips curled upward in a faint, cold smile.
That was where the real play began.
"Your Highness."
A voice, impossibly light, sounded from the other side of the bedcurtains.
"The antidote?" My voice was low, laced with a feigned, trembling weakness.
Cold sweat slid down my spine, leaving my inner garments damp and clinging to my skin—exactly like a patient who had just been dragged back from the gates of hell.
He fell silent for a moment. That moment was fleeting. So brief it was almost imperceptible. Then, he spoke.
"It is not yet time."I let out a soft, breathy laugh.
"You formulated the poison yourself, and yet you wish to delay?"
He didn't answer. I knew he disliked it when I acted this way.But this game had to be played to the absolute limit.
"They are watching," I said slowly. "And not just the people outside."
There were eyes within the estate. Eyes within the Palace. And the eyes of those—those who coveted the mines and the horse pastures I held in my grasp.
The iron, salt, and gold mines of ancient Dian, and the breeding rights for the warhorses of the Northern Frontier. I had built these from nothing, carved them out of the wasteland with my own two hands. But now that they had grown vast and powerful, they were no longer something a mere Princess was permitted to hold.
And so, there were always those who wanted me dead. Or—if they were slightly more clever—wanted me to suffer an "accident."
I closed my eyes."I need them to believe, with absolute certainty, that I cannot hold on much longer."
The man behind the curtain remained silent. He seemed to be suppressing something.
A flicker of impatience stirred within me. I was too accustomed to the absolute obedience of my subordinates; I did not care to be questioned.
"Your Highness need not—"
He finally spoke.
His voice so low it was barely a whisper."—injure yourself to such an extent."
I opened my eyes, my gaze fixing on his blurred silhouette through the sheer fabric of the curtain.
"What are you doing? Pitying me?" My tone was teasing, almost cruel.
I stared in his direction, waiting to see how he would respond. Behind the veil, the shadow shifted slightly, as if he were about to speak.
I thought I saw the bob of his throat as he swallowed. But in the end—He said nothing.
In that fleeting second, a sudden wave of displeasure washed over me. Not because of his silence, but because— For the first time, I felt a strange, unsettling sensation. I could feel him enduring.
"This Princess is... quite bored today."The air remained heavy with silence, stretching on for so long that I lost the patience to wait.
Perhaps he didn't dare let his guard down for even a moment while by my side, nor did he dare speak a word of defiance.
Suddenly, the whole affair felt rather dull.
"Withdraw," I commanded. "During the day, you should not be here."
He gave a single, stiff nod. And then, he retreated without a sound. Like a gust of wind.
As if he had been there, and yet—as if he had never come at all.