Two neighboring clans. A raging war. Amidst the threat of defeat, the matriarch proposes a truce by marrying her daughter to the enemy clan.
However, the princess suddenly dies before the marriage ceremony. The matriarch forces Luwen, an orphan, to...
However, the infatuation was fleeting. It wouldn't last. Her infatuation was an illusion that temporarily blinded her to her surroundings and confused her feelings.
Soon, her emotions morphed into anger directed at herself. She glanced down at her hand, feeling slightly lost by the emptiness. She had dropped the lantern she made for him, but it didn't matter now. He could dispose of it for all he wanted. Burn it.
Nothing else mattered except for her own life. She ought to harden her heart and soul. She mustn't forget her goal to return to her real body.
Because once she had completed her mission, she would never see the lord again.
***
As soon as the sun rose in the morning, there was a knock on her door, followed by a familiar voice she found welcoming.
"Princess, it's me! Are you awake?"
Luwen, who spent all night tossing in bed restlessly, answered the call begrudgingly. Even though she was still wearing her old clothes from yesterday and had puffy eyes from the lack of sleep, her appearance was the least of her concern now.
She pulled the door ajar and peeked her head out. "Yerong?"
He gave her a quick look-over and frowned hard. "You look...ghastly."
"Thank you for the compliment," she said, feeling a little wary of the man while knowing he was the lord's close friend. "Are you here to deliver my sentence and monitor me?"
"No." He shook his head before considering again. "Well, maybe yes. They assigned me to watch you every day, but now I am free from that responsibility."
"Every day?" She frowned at his choice of words before letting out a small gasp of surprise. "Have you been watching me from the beginning?"
"Maybe," he affirmed with a wink. "About last night's events, I believe you. I've already given my statement to the lord earlier, so you do not have to worry about your life and safety. You could consider this a return of favor for aiding me during our last fight."
"Wait," she said. "Does this mean you saw the culprit—?"
But much to her annoyance, he cut her off purposely. "I'll let the lord explain everything to you," Yerong promised. "And I hope you'll forgive him for his behavior last night. He's sensitive when it concerns his older brother's welfare. After all, he admires the man and sees him as an exemplary figure. We all do. No one expected him to be hurt this badly. The situation has been challenging for all of us, as we are still searching for a cure. No one can enter his room unless we have exclusive permission."
Yerong spoke so earnestly that Luwen couldn't detect any sarcasm or lies. She knew Dai Yichen hadn't had a peaceful time transitioning from the role of an illegitimate child to a lord overnight. She knew he had been searching hard for a miracle to cure his brother's illness.
While she sympathized with his pain, she knew she was veering dangerously on the edge of the cliff once more. She needed to put on an act to show her loyalty, while ensuring she was detaching herself from him emotionally.
Because when it was time to kill him, she would be freed.
Yerong's enthusiastic voice jolted her from her scheming thoughts. "One more thing," he said cheerfully. "Here's a quick word of warning–the lord is arriving as we speak. I would suggest you change into a fresh set of clothes and not scare away him with your ghostly appearance. You look as if you've walked out from the soil of the earth."
Luwen had so many questions, but he was having his fun by teasing her and giving brief answers. "Yerong, you–hey!"
However, the man scurried away as quickly as he first arrived. Leaving her mind in a state of shambles. Time was running short, and she sprang into action.
In a few minutes, she scrambled to change out of her wrinkled clothes, washed her face and tidied her hair. Appearing presentable gave her a sense of confidence. She wouldn't want to look dispirited, as if she had already lost the battle last night.
Her life was at stake. This time, she needed to reformulate a new plan of gaining his trust once more.
All that matters is your mission, she told herself. Chanting repeatedly like a mantra in her head. Remember that.
And yet, when Dai Yichen burst into her room unannounced, she almost regretted her heinous thoughts.
An awkwardness stretched between them. Similarly, he seemed to be quite at a loss for expressing his thoughts. Rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. "I've completed my investigation last night," he said quietly. "You told the truth and we will take action against the maid. For this, I apologize for acting rashly on my emotions before."
Her voice returned cool and distant. "Don't be. You were just performing your duty as a lord and a brother. My appearance would have bothered anyone."
"You..." Eyes wide with surprise, Dai Yichen let out a sigh and took a step towards her, closing the distance between them. "Why are you so calm? You should get angrier and be honest with your feelings. I wrongly accused you."
She took a step back instead, which didn't go unnoticed by him. "It's resolved," she said calmly. "My feelings don't matter because it wouldn't make a difference. I haven't forgotten my place here."
They both knew she was referring to herself as a prisoner of the Dai clan. A trapped bird with clipped wings. She was expendable.
That was until the lord made a change of plans to her stay and everything Yerong had said earlier made sense.
"From today onwards, you're staying by my side," Dai Yichen decided. "I'll be watching you instead."
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A/N: Give me a hi-five if you're excited about the next chapter! 🙌🏻
