The road back to the palace was quiet.
Too quiet.
Leena walked in the middle, her veil trembling with each step.
She clutched the little box to her chest like it was her heart itself.
Daddy… I hope you're okay…
Behind her, two pairs of footsteps echoed.
Li Wei and Chen Yu.
Neither spoke.
But their glares?
If looks could kill, the street would be littered with bodies.
Chen Yu glanced at the prince, then at Leena.
The prince was walking right beside her.
Not on my watch.
He casually lengthened his stride—
And slipped between them.
Now he was at her side, flashing a little victorious smirk.
Li Wei's jaw twitched.
He sped up.
Two steps later, he reclaimed his spot.
Then Chen Yu slid over again.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Leena, lost in thought, didn't notice a thing.
She was too busy praying for her father's safety.
Meanwhile, the two men beside her were silently waging a war of footwork.
Until—
Li Wei stopped dead.
His sharp eyes narrowed at a shop across the street.
Chen Yu almost bumped into him.
"What now?" he whispered.
The prince's voice was low.
"…That's my mother."
Both Chen Yu and Leena froze.
Across the street, a woman in a silk veil disappeared into a small boutique, her head lowered, her face hidden.
Even disguised, Li Wei could recognize her posture anywhere.
He moved without hesitation, crossing the street in silence.
Chen Yu and Leena followed, holding their breath.
They crouched by the window, peering inside through the wooden lattice.
The air smelled faintly of herbs and incense.
What they saw inside the boutique made Li Wei's blood run cold—