Wei Li stood alone in his chambers, twirling the lost glove in his fingers.
"Why did you look at me like that?" he murmured. "Like you knew me… and didn't."
He should stay away.
The Empress was already watching him. The other princes were waiting for him to stumble. But every time he closed his eyes, he saw her.
That girl from long ago in the mask. That woman now, with the same fire behind her calmness.
Hua Rui.
But before he could move again, a summons came from the throne room. The Emperor wanted to speak of alliances.
Of marriages.
Wei Li clenched the glove.
Let them plan all they want. I will not be caged by their politics. Not again.
And somewhere else in the mansion, Hua Rui stood on her balcony, glove still tucked beneath her pillow, whispering to the night:
"Who are you… and why can't I forget your voice?"
The great court hall was filled with every official, noble, and royal who mattered.
Silk-robed ministers whispered behind fans. Princes stood in rank, their eyes sharp like hawks circling prey.
The Empress sat proudly beside the Emperor, her son—the Second Prince—standing tall at her side.
The Fourth Prince, Wei Li, stood further back, his expression unreadable beneath the coldness he'd mastered over the years.
The tension in the air could have been sliced with a dagger.
The Emperor rose slowly from his dragon throne, his voice calm, but powerful.
"Today marks a turning point for the empire."
Silence fell. The court leaned forward.
"I have long watched my sons grow, and though many are gifted, it is time I name the heir who will one day rule."
The Empress's fingers tightened on her robes.
Wei Li didn't even blink.
"I name my second son, Li Feng, as the Crown Prince of Qian Dynasty."
The court burst into murmurs. Bowed heads. Shifting gazes. Some were pleased. Others hid their dismay behind forced smiles.
The Empress beamed, pride glowing in her eyes.
Wei Li stayed still, a statue with no reaction. His hands tucked into his sleeves, his expression the same as always: unreadable.
But the Emperor wasn't finished.
"Furthermore," he continued, "in the interest of strengthening the ties between the royal family and the military, I have decided on the marriage alliances that will support the future of this empire."
This drew a sharper silence.
Even the birds beyond the windows went quiet.
"The Crown Prince shall be betrothed to Gu Ruolan, daughter of General Gu."
Gasps. Applause. The Empress smiled with satisfaction. Ruolan, who had been standing among the other noble daughters, raised her chin with restrained pride, though her heart burned with disappointment.
Not the Fourth Prince?
But then—
"And Gu Hua Rui, daughter of the General's First Wife, shall be betrothed to the Fourth Prince."
The room froze.
The Empress's smile faltered.
Ruolan's pride twisted into disbelief.
No. Not her. Not her!
And Wei Li … lifted his gaze, slowly, for the first time since the court session began. His sharp eyes fixed directly on the Emperor.
He wasn't shocked. But something flickered in his eyes—calculated, wary. He bowed deeply, voice smooth.
"As Your Majesty commands."
Gu Hua Rui, standing behind the curtains with the other young ladies, felt her heart seize. Betrothed? To the Fourth Prince?
To… the masked man?
No. It couldn't be.
When Hua Rui saw the Fourth Prince and heard his voice she knew that he was someone she knew but the masked man...?
She stepped back, her pulse thundering in her ears.
Ruolan, meanwhile, gritted her teeth, fingers digging into the silk of her sleeves.
"She always steals what belongs to me…"
Later, in the Empress's private chamber, Ruolan burst in.
"You said he would be mine!"
The Empress stared at her coldly.
"I said he was dangerous. You wanted the Crown. Be satisfied."
"But he's the one I want!"
The Empress sipped her tea, her tone as cold as her stare.
"Then make her lose him."
...
The night before
In the Cold Palace garden, Wei Li stood beneath the plum blossom tree, moonlight painting silver shadows across his face.
A servant had informed him of the engagement. Yes, he already knew but it was... that Gu Ruolan he thought was arranged to him. Even though he disliked her.
He knew of the announcement the next day.
And though he didn't show it…
He wondered if the girl behind the mask—the girl he kept meeting in the dark—was the same quiet-eyed daughter of the General everyone now talked about.
"Hua Rui…"
His voice was no louder than the wind.
"So it's you."With a smile
...
Rain fell softly over the General's manor. Gu Ruolan sat in her chamber, her delicate hands clutching her shawl tighter as thunder rumbled in the distance.
Her mother, Concubine Lin, sat across from her, sipping bitter tea laced with secrets.
"Mother," Ruolan murmured, her brows furrowed, "why… why did His Majesty pair Hua Rui with the Fourth Prince?"
Concubine Lin's hand paused midair.
"Because no one else would take him," she said quietly.
Ruolan's eyes narrowed. "You mean because he was locked away?"
"No." Her mother leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Because he's dangerous. He was born under a cursed star. Do you know why the Queen died?"
Ruolan stiffened.