The tea had long gone cold.
Not that I noticed. The tension between us had simmered far hotter than any porcelain cup could hold. And still, Consort Yi smiled across from me—tight-lipped, bone-deep, the kind of smile a snake might flash before striking.
"An alliance with you would be mutually beneficial," she said, tapping the rim of her teacup with one polished nail. "There is no reason we should be at odds."
I leaned back in my chair, fingers laced loosely in my lap. "You're right. There's no reason… unless, of course, one of us believes the other is disposable."
Her smile widened. "I don't believe that at all."
"But you've considered it," I pointed out. No woman like the Imperial Consort Yi, who had survived the harem for so long was a vegetarian, and I wasn't willing to be her next meal.
A flicker in her gaze. Subtle. Controlled. But it was there.
