where the thorns grow

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN,

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN | WHERE THE THORNS GROW

  "OH, BLOODY HELL."

  Under any other circumstances, watching the prim and proper Irina Gu, Princess Gulun Mingxian Huancheng be reduced to a situation where the only thing that came out her mouth was swearing and more swearing would be entertaining. Not this one.

  The packet of powder she'd snatched from headquarters she left felt heavy in her pocket. She'll have to drop that into something Diego would eat or drink, which meant somewhat getting into close quarters with him. The moment she did that he'd notice her on his radar. Which meant an unavoidable interaction.

  She'll risk it, though, it was an acceptable sacrifice if it meant he'd stop breathing before the end of tonight.

  They all sat together in Irina's personal palace, where she actually lived. Myrina and her maid, Chunyi, were helping Irina with the finishing touches of her makeup. They'd gone all out tonight. Irina's hanfu was the colour of the greenest jade, made with clearly expensive silk that seemed to glimmer when cast under the light. Irina had always been beautiful, and today she wore little makeup except on her lips, which had been painted blood red. It wasn't traditional, the shade, but it suited Irina more than anything. Her hair had been left half-down half-up, part of it fixed on the top with a large golden, half-disc accessory with intricately carved details. It was a crane on a pond, Rhys realised upon closer inspection.

  Small chains ended with jade swung down from both sides of the accessory, framing her face. Irina stared into the bronze mirror in front of herself, sucking in one deep breath after another. She was nervous. Irina Gu was nervous. Rhys never thought she'd be able to see the day, but here she was.

  Asteria walked forward as Myrina smoothed out Irina's hair once more. "You look gorgeous, Irina."

  "Thank you, Ast, but truly, that's not what I need to know right now. I usually look quite good." They all ignored most of what she said today, because on the rare occasions Irina was in a state of disarray like this, she was the epitome of a du she. A poisonous tongue, as if she wasn't one usually already.

  Chunyi ran off for a few seconds as they all watched, and a moment later came back with a large box of accessories. The young maid glanced at everyone else gathered—Danna, Io, Justine, Rhys—and explained meekly, "The Empress gifted the Princess many of her favourite accessories."

  "Since bo mu does not have a daughter of her own to give all her jewellery to, I am now the fortunate recipient," Irina said wryly. "When I go to Arecia, I'm going to be bringing a shipload of accessories of all kinds."

  Danna said, bored, "I'm pretty sure you'll be receiving plenty of gifts from your future husband already. Are you on your way to become the richest Princess to ever exist, Irina?"

  "The Hrishnan princess is extremely wealthy," Irina pointed out.

  "As rich as you?"

  Irina tilted her head. "Last I remembered, by a tiny bit, yes. She has five mansions outside of her main residence. Two hundred servants in her household."

  Rhys creased her nose. "What do you need all those servants for?"

  Asteria said, "Once you have the money, you'll find a purpose for all of them."

  Rhys raised a brow. "Coming from you, future duchess."

  "I didn't say," Asteria murmured, "that I can't find a purpose for more servants. It's simply that I do enjoy some of the more boring and repetitive tasks in life, helps me find peace."