I knew it was foolish of me to do such a thing.
To abandon work, though it was draining, was the only way I could keep myself fed and alive.
Yet the boredom, the endless routine, and the persistent dreams had driven me to the edge. I needed to breathe. I needed something different.
So… I slipped away for a night stroll.
Escaping the half-asleep guard was easier than I expected. My feet carried me quietly across stone paths lined with grass and scattered pebbles.
I should have paid attention in that silent-walking lesson, I thought bitterly.
The same blue flowers that framed the roads leading to the Lanxuan Pavilion swayed faintly in the breeze, their fragrance unchanged even in the dark, though their petals looked grey beneath the moonlight.
Nature, it seemed, was the only thing that could soothe me.
Above me, the sky glittered with stars, the moon radiant and bright. Beautiful, yet treacherous. It illuminated everything, making it far too easy for a wandering guard to spot me.
For a maid, no, even a mid-ranking maid like myself, being caught outside at night meant suspicion of escape. With my foreign features, mercy would be even rarer.
Still, the thought barely troubled me. Life inside that pavilion had stifled me to the point where even danger felt preferable to monotony.
Whether the world outside brought me better or worse, I did not care.
Time slipped away as I crept forward, more focused on evading discovery than enjoying the night.
The Forbidden City was breathtaking, even under its shadowed veil filled with mysteries and murders of the unfortunate.
The towering pavilions over the once grassy, bare land, the trees whispering with the night wind, and the faint smell of flowers weaving through stone courtyards.
Indeed, no one could deny its beauty, even though it was tainted by whispers of tortured screams, public hangings, and cruel punishments.
There is beauty in fear, they used to say. And in this place, that truth echoed louder than anywhere else.
A few more guards passed by, their lanterns dim in the distance. None noticed me. Fortune, at least for now, was on my side.
Eventually, I reached a quieter area, far from the Lanxuan Pavilion. This place was… different.
It lacked the grandeur of the rear palace, the vibrant colors, the decorated pavilions in shades of red, plum, and sapphire. There were no flowering shrubs, no elegant displays of nature.
Here, there was only silence. Plain buildings, unguarded corridors, and barren land.
Surely the Emperor would never house a consort in such a place…
Drawn further, I wandered behind what seemed to be a storage hall. There, I found a small pond, its still water dotted with pale lilies whose faint fragrance brushed the air.
I leaned closer, gazing at the reflection and recalling ponds in my homeland. For a fleeting moment, peace warmed me.
But it didn't last.
Rustling stirred from the bushes pressed against the storehouse walls.
I froze, whipping around to check if it was a guard.
No one.
No one–except… a sword?
My heart hammered against my ribs. Someone must have seen me. Had the sword's owner left it here? Or was it a trap, to frame me?
My mind raced through possibilities, but my body remained rooted. Running would only draw attention. If I had been seen, then there is no point in escaping.
Slowly, I stepped forward. The blade caught faint moonlight, it was silver, gleaming faintly, with a single red gemstone embedded at the base of its hilt.
Its glow felt like an eye, looking at me longingly.
Without thinking, I picked it up. It was heavy, but not unmanageable, its balance reminded me of training with my brothers long ago.
Faded scars marred the blade, signs of combat, though none deep enough to mark true battles.
I lost myself in the weight of it, the familiarity of fighting. So much so, that I didn't notice the bushes rustle again until a voice split the night.
"Who are you… and why are you holding my sword?"
My heart stopped. Worse than guards, someone had caught me.
A maid found sneaking around at night was scandal enough. A maid wielding a sword… treasonous.
I steadied myself, forcing calm into my voice. Perhaps I could talk my way out.
I decided to not say my name.
"I apologize. I found it lying here and thought—"
"Your name. And your position," the man interrupted, his voice edged with authority.
There was no escape. "I… am Meilina. A maid who works—"
"Do not lie to me," he snapped. "No common maid could carry a sword so easily… much less strike with one."
My silence betrayed me.
He stepped closer. Instinctively, I dropped the sword, hoping he would be distracted. But he ignored it, seizing my wrist in a firm grip.
I sighed inwardly. So this is my end.
"You need to be punished—" he began, then stopped, staring at me. His eyes narrowed. "Wait. Why do you…?"
I braced myself. That same question again.
My dark skin. My foreign features.
"You are not from here," he muttered. "The south, perhaps? Bharat?"
Shock pierced me. Few here even knew the south, let alone the name.
"Yes," I admitted quietly.
His grip loosened slightly, though his expression only grew sharper. "Then you are far more interesting than I thought. Tell me, how did you come here?"
I stayed silent. To reveal my past to a stranger was unthinkable.
"Of course," he said, a faint smile tugging his lips. "Then let us strike a bargain. Tell me the truth, and I will let you go unpunished."
Inwardly, I laughed. Did he truly expect me to believe such a trick?
But after a long silence, he sighed.
"My name is Cao Renshu. And I will not let you leave unless you tell me how you came to be here."
Cornered, I surrendered a half-truth. I told him of my father marrying me to a Chinese merchant, of losing everything, of being taken in by a kind woman, and eventually working at the palace.
But his curiosity was insatiable, like a large candle that was ignited and would take forever to melt completely.
"You fight with skill with that sword. That was no chance swing. Who trained you?"
I hesitated. Exhaustion gnawed at me, too heavy for lies.
"My mother," I admitted. "She taught me to wield a sword so I could defend myself. From my own relatives. They tried to kill us, for our wealth."
His eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
But I gave him no more. "Sir Renshu, I apologize for intruding tonight. But I must return before dawn, or I'll be punished for failing to work."
He went back to his calm expression. "Very well. But one last request…"
Every instinct screamed to run.
"Come tomorrow night. Same hour. There are still things I wish to know. You serve at the Lanxuan Pavilion, do you not?" His gaze swept over my light-blue garments. "Those clothes give you away."
Cold dread twisted in my stomach. He knew. He knew too much.
"Dismissed," he said simply.
I bowed and walked away as quickly as I dared, my mind reeling.
He knew where I worked. He knew I was foreign. He knew more than anyone should.
Maybe the time has come for me to take things into my own hands and use the knowledge my mother had bestowed upon me...
No, I could not do that.
Nothing except the night of tomorrow had been rushing around my mind.
Perhaps it was nervousness or perhaps it was excitement, but I couldn't help wondering if the attention of this man, Cao Renshu, would change my life for better… or far worse.
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Chapter Sixteen: "You're far more like me than I ever imagined," he admitted, his tone low but edged with a strange mix of respect and warning. "We've both learned to survive where the others would have broken."