Nearly a week had passed.
Xiao Zhi had been stuck inside the Tughril palace for almost an entire week now. Had it been a month since she fell into this novel world? She wasn't sure anymore. Time here moved differently, too slowly. Every sunrise felt like the same day repeating itself over and over.
How long would it take before she could get out of here? How could she even return home?
She missed her messy little apartment, her plump, grumpy cat, and the comfort of late-night instant noodles. She even missed her work, which was something she never thought she would say. And Wi-Fi. Oh god, how she missed Wi-Fi.
She wasn't completely idle, of course. Each morning, she was dragged into endless etiquette lessons arranged by the Khatun Dowager. The Dowager's attendant, a sharp-eyed woman named Lady Sura, seemed to take special pleasure in finding fault in every little thing Xiao Zhi did.
Her bow was too shallow. Her steps were too long. Her tone was either too soft or too bold.
"Grace, Princess," Lady Sura would say with an elegant smile that somehow felt like a threat. "A lady must breathe like a swan, not a sparrow."
She used a stick to correct her posture when she bowed. Sometimes Xiaozhi felt she enjoyed hitting her too much.
By the end of each session, Xiao Zhi's legs ached, her jaw hurt from forced smiles, and her patience was hanging by a thread.
And when the lessons were finally over, she was sent back to her quarters in the East Pavilion, alone.
The rest of the day stretched endlessly ahead. The palace was beautiful but suffocating, all quiet courtyards and high walls.
Sometimes Ruhan would drop by, but lately, he came less and less. He was busier here, perhaps his duties as a eunuch kept him constantly occupied.
Xiao Zhi missed their sarcastic banter. She missed the teasing and the arguments that always ended with him winning and her pouting. She even missed their long walks under the moonlight at the border.
Wait. Did she just admit she missed him?
She sighed loudly and threw an arm over her face. "I'm losing my mind," she muttered.
A sudden knock came at the door.
"Come in," she said, expecting her maid or another boring attendant.
But when the door opened, her eyes widened.
It was Prince Kabil.
He stood tall and confident. The Tughril robes did him way too many favors, all sharp lines and masculine confidence.
Not that he was her type, of course. Xiao Zhi still preferred pretty boys… like Ruhan.
Ugh…there she went, thinking about Ruhan again.
"Good morning, Princess Lian Zhi," Kabil greeted, his tone light and warm. "I hope your morning has been pleasant."
"Morning. It's been… quiet," she replied, sitting up quickly. "What brings Your Highness here?"
Kabil gave her a small smile. "I thought you might be bored. You've been here for several days without leaving the palace."
Her eyes widened slightly. Wait a second, he could read minds now? Because yes, she was bored out of her skull. "You can tell?"
He chuckled softly. "It wasn't difficult to guess. So, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the city. It's a fine day to see the capital."
For the first time in days, Xiao Zhi's whole face lit up. "Go out? Really? I mean, yes! Of course!" She almost jumped out of her couch.
Kabil's smile deepened. "Then let's go."
***
The capital was far livelier than Xiao Zhi imagined.
Xiao Zhi's eyes darted everywhere. Children ran between stalls, women in colorful veils bartered with traders, and soldiers passed by on horseback. The whole city seemed alive.
"This is incredible," she said excitedly.
Kabil walked beside her, his posture relaxed. "This is the heart of Tughril," he said with quiet pride. "Traders come here from every direction: Hua, the West, the North Seas. My Father used to say that this city breathes with the world."
Xiao Zhi smiled faintly. "It really does. Everything feels alive here."
He turned his head slightly toward her. "I wanted you to see it with your own eyes. This will be your new house, after all. It should not feel foreign to you."
The warmth in his voice made her glance away, unsure how to respond.
They stopped at a jeweler's stall, where rows of gold and silver gleamed in the sunlight. The merchant bowed deeply when he saw Kabil. "Your Highness honors my humble stall."
Kabil nodded in acknowledgment and picked up a hairpin carved from clear crystal. "Do you like this?" he asked, holding it up toward Xiao Zhi.
She blinked. "It's very beautiful. But too fine for me."
"Nonsense," he said simply.
Before she could stop him, he reached out toward her hair. Xiao Zhi froze. He was too close.
But he was a prince, and she wasn't exactly in a position to argue.
Kabil carefully removed the old hairpin from her hair, the simple one Ruhan had given her, and replaced it with the new one.
"It suits you," he said with a quiet smile.
Xiao Zhi touched the new pin gently. It was cool and elegant, but the weight of it felt strange.
The jeweler smiled, pleased. But when Kabil turned to hand over payment, Xiao Zhi noticed him casually setting her old hairpin aside, as if it were nothing.
"Wait," she said quickly, reaching for it.
Kabil raised a brow. "That old thing? It's too plain. The new one looks far better."
"I know," Xiao Zhi replied, tucking the old hairpin into her sash, "but I still like this one."
He shrugged, smiling faintly. "As you wish, Princess."
They continued their walk, but Xiao Zhi's fingers occasionally brushed the small, simple hairpin hidden at her waist.
***
Later that afternoon, Ruhan arrived at her quarters. The room was empty.
"The princess?" he asked a passing maid.
"Prince Kabil took her to the capital this morning," she said. "They haven't returned yet."
Ruhan stood still, his jaw tightening. "I see."
He tried to go back to his study, forcing himself to focus on reports and letters, but his eyes kept drifting to the window. His mind refused to cooperate.
He pictured Xiao Zhi walking beside Kabil, smiling as the prince showed her the city. The thought made something twist uncomfortably in his chest.
By dusk, he found himself wandering near her pavilion. He told himself he was simply passing through, but his feet stopped near her door anyway.
The sky darkened, and the maids started to light up the courtyard lanterns. Just when he considered leaving, laughter echoed softly from the other end of the corridor.
She was back.
Xiao Zhi appeared, her cheeks faintly flushed from the evening air, walking beside Kabil. They spoke quietly, smiling at something he said. Kabil looked relaxed, almost gentle, as he stood outside her door.
Ruhan froze. He quickly hid behind the wall, watching from afar. He couldn't hear their words, only the sound of her laughter.
When Kabil finally bowed and walked away, Xiao Zhi lingered for a moment before stepping inside her room.
Ruhan decided to turn and leave, but a glimmer on the floor in the far corridor caught his eye. Something small reflected the torchlight.
He walked closer and crouched down to pick it up.
A hairpin.
Her hairpin. The one he had given her on that day by the border.
He stared at it for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Did she drop it? Or had she thrown it away?
The thought pressed like a weight against his chest.
Ruhan's fingers closed tightly around the small pin, and for the first time in a long while, he felt something he could not hide.
A quiet, stubborn ache that he could not name.