"Pfft—" Shu Mingye's reaction was immediate. He let out a strangled cough, almost choking on his own air. He quickly recovered, but the smile tugging at his lips was far too amused. "Sure, sure," he replied, wasn't sure if she was joking or dead serious.
Right behind her, Song Meiyu stepped into position like a true palace maid—silent, graceful, and ready to act like she belonged here. Linyue didn't even have to glance back to know that she was already blending in perfectly. If there were an award for "Best Disguise as a Background Decoration," Song Meiyu would win it.
The emperor, still playing Father of the Year, raised his cup. "Let us celebrate my daughter's return!"
The nobles around the hall followed, echoing his words with fake smiles that had been definitely practiced in the mirror that morning. Cups clinked. Heads bowed. No one actually drank.
From the corner, soft music drifted through the air. Guqin strings and flute notes carefully arranged to sound elegant. It was graceful. It was refined, but not quite enough to cover the awkward tension.
Then, there were the dancers. Dozens of beautiful girls twirling in bright, floating robes. Swirling around the floor in slow, graceful movements. They moved so slowly it was hard to tell if they were dancing or if they were just trying not to trip on their own feet. Either way, it was an exercise in elegance... and possibly mild dizziness.
Linyue sat at the honored seat, spine straight, expression calm. Inside, her soul was slowly exiting her body. She let out a long, barely audible sigh that came from deep, spiritual fatigue. Her eyes didn't twitch, but her spirit did.
How long is this suffering supposed to last? she wondered, mentally counting how many of her brain cells had already died from boredom. The banquet felt less like a celebration and more like an elegant form of slow torture. At this point, she was just trying to survive without slumping over her expensive sleeves. She was pretty sure she'd already dozed off once with her eyes open.
She gave the fancy food on the table a sideways glance. Everything looked suspiciously beautiful. Tiny meat rolls folded into flowers, glistening dumplings arranged like a painting, and colorful desserts that sparkled. They were arranged so precisely it felt rude to breathe near them. Too pretty to eat. Or maybe too dangerous. Who knows what's inside? Poison? Sleeping powder? Emotional damage? Linyue wasn't in the mood to find out. Her appetite had packed its bags the moment she walked into the palace.
She hadn't forgotten the assassin from the other night, and she still didn't know who sent them. She started crossing off suspects in her mind out of boredom.
Not the emperor. He'd summoned her here himself. If he really wanted her dead, he wouldn't have sent some clumsy assassin. He had the entire palace under his command. Palaces were basically assassin vending machines. Assassins were probably arranged by mood, outfit, and type of dramatic exit.
Not the empress either. A woman with that much power didn't mess around. If she wanted someone dead, that someone would simply disappear and never be found, not get attacked by a shaky sword-swinger in a back alley. Plus, the empress didn't even glance her way all night. If anything, she seemed bored out of her golden mind. Linyue doubted she cared enough to bother.
The first concubine…? That woman had been throwing her sideways peeks all night. Were they curious? Hostile? Or maybe it was fashion-based judgment? Linyue did have enough hairpins to blind someone if the candlelight hit right. Hard to say. What would the First Concubine gain from killing the Second Princess? Public sympathy? More room at the banquet table? Linyue wasn't sure.
She gave the dessert a suspicious nudge with her chopsticks. It wobbled too politely.
Nope. Still not eating that.
Linyue then stared blankly ahead, her mind spinning in lazy circles as flute music floated in the air. Somewhere in the distance, a dancer twirled for the fifth time in a row. Please let it end, she thought. Please, let me go back and take off all this jewelry before my neck decides to quit and roll away down the hall.
Just when she was about to start planning her quiet exit and counting how many hairpins she could fling across the room before someone noticed—the banquet finally, finally ended. Her entire soul screamed freedom. Linyue shot up from her seat, already planning the shortest path—
Until the emperor's voice rang out. "Yuxin, come to my study later. There are many things this father wants to tell you. After all, it has been so long."
Linyue paused. Interesting. He hadn't mentioned Concubine Xiang at all. The princess's mother. Not even a polite nod. Not even a fake "How's your mother these days?" It felt like the emperor had erased her from memory, which said a lot.
Linyue turned back slowly. Her smile was sharp and smooth. "Yes," she replied, her voice calm, polite, and completely hollow.
A perfect answer.
Then she turned and left, walking beside Shu Mingye with steady pace and a face that said she hadn't been silently plotting ten different escape routes during the banquet. Song Meiyu trotted behind them like a very loyal, slightly overworked duck.
"Did someone bribe you to behave?" Shu Mingye asked. His voice was light and teasing, just enough to let her know he'd been half-expecting a flying teacup or table flipping.
Linyue gave him a calm, sideways glance. "I was being polite and giving you the spotlight. I figured you'd set something on fire first and join in later."
Shu Mingye slowed just a little. The corner of his mouth twitched upward. He didn't laugh, but it was close. It always was with her. He never knew if she was joking, serious, or just naturally gifted in making him questioning reality. Normal conversations simply didn't exist with this fake princess.
Still, his thoughts drifted. The emperor had finally called her in person. That had to mean something. Was it time already? Would she obey? Or go completely off-script? He didn't know yet. But that was for later. For now, there were more important things to do.
Beside him, Linyue sighed and rubbed the side of her head. "At least my neck's still intact." She raised a hand and touched the ridiculous mountain of hair ornaments weighing her down. "Barely."
Shu Mingye glanced at the gleaming, sparkling chandelier on her hair. "Impressive structure," he said.
She rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
They walked side by side toward their chambers. Neither of them said anything more but after surviving the palace banquet without injury, scandal, or diplomatic disaster, a little silence was well-earned.