Luwen sat by the window, basking in the moonlight. A couple of unwanted wood planks laid by her feet and she held a small knife in her hand, carving absentmindedly. The repeated motion was calming in her mind and allowed her to think clearly.
It was hours past midnight, and she still hadn't slept. She couldn't. After meeting Shao Wuying two nights ago, she felt a heavy, ominous feeling attached to her. Her wariness grew upon realizing that the person who had tried to harm her was still around.
Tonight, the air felt different. It was too quiet, except for an occasional breeze sweeping by and the rustle of leaves. However, the owls had stopped hooting, and the crickets ceased their chirping a while ago.
A shuffle of footsteps came from outside. Heading towards her room.
Luwen stopped sharpening the wooden dagger she had made for herself and sat still. Waiting. In the past, she had worked many jobs for the matriarch, and one included a sentinel, spending days and nights at the fortress keeping the demons and enemies away from the walls barricading the Xia clan. Her survival in this world hinged on her constant vigilance.
Her maid had already retired for the night, so there shouldn't be anyone roaming across the hallway outside her bedchamber.
A knock came, and Luwen slowly rose from her seat, taking up the two wooden daggers she had made with her bare hands. She couldn't request for weapons from the Dai clan, but she could make them herself. She always needed to be prepared in case something unexpected happened.
"Who's there?"
A small voice answered through the doors, sounding oddly familiar. "It's me, Lady Xia."
Luwen's brows rose in disbelief. It was Shao Wuying—her most unwelcome guest.
And this time, she was behaving civilly.
"Lady Shao," Luwen greeted, but she knew the woman didn't hold good intentions for visiting her at this untimely hour. "What brings you to my room this late during the night?"
Shao Wuying exhaled loudly. "I couldn't sleep. I needed to speak to you."
She sounded remorseful, which was a stark contrast to the unkind tone which she had used on Luwen previously. "I wish to apologize for my rude behavior and everything I've done to you in the past. I was caught up in my emotions in the heat of the moment. Yichen gave me an earful, and I realized I hadn't understood the hardship you went through to maintain this war truce between our clans, but now I know better."
Luwen carefully made her way to the door, still distrustful of Shao Wuying's words. She clutched her weapons tightly in her hands. "I much prefer we do this in the morning in the lord's presence himself, Lady Shao."
"I understand your caution against me," she said sadly. "But my mind can't be at rest until I've apologized to you in person. I've brought some sweet persimmons and chestnut cakes which I've made. If you're willing to accept them and my apology, I'll leave right away. I'm so sorry to disturb you this late."
The plea in Shao Wuying's voice was notably desperate, as if she sincerely wished to meet Luwen and make amendments.
However, Luwen wasn't as naïve as she thought. In the past, Shao Wuying had offered an invitation and baited her into a trap. It would be no different this time. There was something else she must have truly wanted, something which would benefit her and harm Luwen, and the first thing she would do was to...
To get me to open the doors for her.
Luwen finally grasped the situation–somehow, the lady wasn't able to push through her doors and barge into her room. She was forbidden to enter.
Was there a protection ward placed at her doors? One which she was unaware of?
Regardless of what it was, Luwen wasn't about to fall for another one of Shao Wuying's schemes again–once bitten, twice shy. "I accept your apology and appreciate your kind intentions, Lady Shao, but I'm not hungry."
"You're refusing to see me? Even after my apologies?"
"Yes, because I'm doubting your sincerity." There was only cold honesty in Luwen's words. "I'm about to go to bed, and you should do the same."
The sound of frustration emanated from the other side of the doors. Shao Wuying knew her plan was failing, and it gave Luwen some form of satisfaction to see she wasn't getting her ways.
"You leave me without a choice, Lady Xia."
Several footsteps shuffled on the other side, followed by a garbled cry. There was a tussle and suddenly, the doors burst open and someone was falling through them. Luwen's disabled maid landed on the ground and a few feet away from her. Whimpering and trembling in pain from the purple bruises on her arms.
Shao Wuying entered, accompanied by two of her men.
Luwen stepped forward and put herself between the group and her maid. "What are you doing?"
"It is what you see," Shao Wuying answered, dropping her remorseful act and revealing her true colors. She glared at the doors. "I can't believe Yichen warded your entrance. These days, he has been overly protective of you and cautious of me, but I bet he doesn't realize what he's doing isn't enough to keep me away. He made only you and your maid accessible to your room. I just have to use her to unlock the doors and get me in."
"What do you want from me?"
"Your death. You never belong here. You're far too dangerous for the lord." Shao Wuying turned to her men, signaling them to proceed with their plan. "Seize her."
The two men, both brandishing their swords, advanced towards her, but Luwen's sharpest glare halted them.
Shao Wuying laughed at the shabby weapons she was holding in her hands. "You think you can fight? And you're using wood to fight against actual swords?"
Despite her mockery, Luwen remained calm. Even in the face of danger, she managed to smile. "It's because it's not meant to inflict damage," she answered. "It's meant to protect me."
And then she leaped forward first, taking advantage of their surprise when they realized she could actually fight.
She targeted the man to her right. He swung his sword downwards at her, but she crossed her daggers to block, the force pushing her back slightly. She twisted the sword around sharply, effectively disarming him, before slamming an elbow against his throat and cutting off his air, forcing him to stagger backwards.
In a moment of distraction, she exerted all her strength to push him against the other man.
Turning around, she met a stunned Shao Wuying, who didn't have time to move away before Luwen threw her full weight against her. She tackled the woman to the ground, rolling together until she could hook her arm around her neck. Pulling out the small carving knife from underneath the silk band of her white nightgown, she held it against Shao Wuying's delicate throat.
"If you or your men make another wrong move, you'll die."
Shao Wuying let out a laugh. "If you harm me, you're just proving to everyone how much of a threat you are. And you shall perish by their hands. There would be no option for Yichen but to kill you."
The truth stung Luwen. Her determination faltered for a brief second, but it was enough for Shao Wuying to grab her wrist that was holding the knife and her hair while yelling at the men. "Kill her."
There was a flash of white, followed by an animalistic snarl. A large snow leopard soared through the air and across the men, swiping claws in their direction.
Luwen breathed out a sigh of relief. "Anya."
Her familiar knew she was in danger and saved her.
Anya swerved around and attacked Shao Wuying, sinking its canines into her right arm, who was crying and struggling to free herself. Her sleeve tore away, her arm bloodied, but something else caught Luwen's eyes.
There was a red magical stone embedded in her arm. With a black mist swirling within it.
Luwen caught her arm and held it up, horrified as she recognized the stone. She had seen it a few times in her life. "You've transacted with the matriarch in the past."
Shao Wuying appeared terrified for the first time. Her face turned ashen. "I'm not on her side. We're not working together."
"But you met her before."
"Once," she whimpered. "It was only once."
Her true motive for wanting to remove Luwen was the risk of her secret being exposed if Luwen recognized the stone she possessed, not because Luwen belonged to the Xia clan. It contained dark magic in it.
"I know what the stone is used for," Luwen said in shock. "If you're wearing it, you're hiding your true aura—"
"Enough!"
The color of Shao Wuying's eyes changed, turning from black into amber for a second. She tried to reach for Luwen again, but Luwen shoved her and took off, calling back Anya with a quick whistle.
While running, her thoughts were solely on the lord. She needed him badly.
Now aware of Shao Wuying's true identity, she couldn't possibly challenge her, especially in her weakened state.
"If you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation next time, run to me. I will protect you."
The lord's words rang in her ears as she sprinted to his quarters, her cries coming out loud and frantic. "My lord! Wake up! I need your help–"
Something slammed into her back, throwing her onto the ground painfully. Someone wrenched her around, and Shao Wuying sat on top of her, forcefully squeezing her throat with their hands and cutting off her screams.
Her eyes flashed murderously. "Be quiet and go to sleep, princess."
Sleep. But Luwen refused to do so.
She choked out a laugh. "After how innocent you pretended to be, it turns out your blood is filthier than mine."
Shao Wuying grew more enraged than before. Her hands tightened.
Luwen's body was fighting to survive; thrashing about and nails digging into the skin of her killer. Blood rushed to her head and dark spots emerged in her vision. She couldn't breathe.
She was going to die.
Suddenly, Shao Wuying screamed above her. Lifted by a fistful of her hair before she got flung aside.
Luwen welcomed the rush of fresh air into her lungs, gasping greedily for them. When she glanced up, Dai Yichen stood above her in midnight blue sleeping robes, towering dangerously and powerfully. He had his dark eyes on her, concerned, as he searched her body for injuries.
"Be careful, my lord!" she cried in between gasping breaths. "Lady Shao is a demon!"