The silence that followed the Emperor's departure was a living thing, a heavy blanket of unspoken threats and a thousand watching eyes. Lia stood frozen in the center of the ballroom, the echo of his final, chilling words ringing in her ears. I had her killed. It was a confession and a threat, delivered with the casual cruelty of a god swatting a fly. She was no longer a ghost; she was a specimen, pinned under the Emperor's curious, dissecting gaze.
The moment stretched into an eternity. Then, a figure detached from the crowd, moving with a fluid, protective grace. It was Julian. He reached her side, his presence a sudden, solid shield against the weight of the court's attention. He offered her his arm, his expression a calm, unreadable mask, but she could feel the rigid tension in his muscles.
"I believe we have seen enough of the palace for one evening," he said, his voice just loud enough for those nearby to hear. It was a dismissal of the entire spectacle, a quiet act of defiance.
Before they could take a step, another figure glided into their path. Lady Seraphina Valerius, her crimson gown a slash of color against the pale marble, her face a perfect mask of false concern.
"My goodness," she said, her voice dripping with manufactured sympathy, though her eyes were sharp with suspicion. "The Emperor seemed to take a special interest in you, Lia. You must have made quite an impression."
It was a probe, a test. Lia forced the tremor from her hands, sinking back into the role of the timid scholar. "His Majesty was… very gracious," she murmured, keeping her eyes downcast.
"Gracious?" Seraphina's laugh was a delicate, tinkling sound, but it held no warmth. "My dear, the Emperor is never simply 'gracious.' He is a collector of interesting things. You should be careful you don't end up in one of his display cases." She turned her attention to Julian, a possessive hand landing on his arm. "Julian, darling, you must tell me where you found such a fascinating little creature."
"Lia is a valued associate, Seraphina," Julian replied, his tone coolly polite as he subtly disengaged from her touch. "Her mind is a greater asset than any jewel in this room."
The compliment was a shield for Lia, but it was also a spark thrown into the tinder of Seraphina's jealousy. The look she gave Lia was venomous. It promised retribution.
Julian, sensing the escalating danger, gave a final, formal bow. "If you will excuse us. The hour is late."
He guided Lia away, leaving Seraphina standing alone, her perfect smile tightening into a thin, hard line.
The ride back to the safe house was a long, tense silence. The adrenaline of the confrontation began to fade, leaving behind a deep, bone-chilling cold. The Emperor hadn't just seen through her disguise; he had seen something of the Shadow Hand in her, a ghost he thought he had exorcised.
When they were finally back within the quiet, fire-lit walls of the study, the dam of Lia's composure broke. A shudder ran through her, a violent, uncontrollable tremor.
Julian was there in an instant, his hands on her shoulders, his touch grounding. "Lia. Breathe," he commanded, his voice a low, steady anchor in the storm of her fear.
"He knows," she whispered, her voice raw. "He doesn't know who I am, but he knows I'm not who I say I am. That last thing he said… it was a message."
"It was a threat," Julian corrected her, his expression grim. "He was testing your reaction." He guided her to a chair by the fire, pouring her a glass of brandy with a steady hand. "And now, he will not let you go. He will watch you."
As if his words were a prophecy, a sharp knock echoed from the front door of the safe house. They both froze. The old woman who ran the house appeared in the doorway a moment later, a sealed parchment in her hand.
"An imperial messenger," she said, her voice flat.
Julian took the parchment, his thumb breaking the Emperor's seal. He read the contents, his face hardening into a mask of cold fury.
"What is it?" Lia asked, her voice tight.
"It is a royal decree," Julian said, his voice laced with a quiet, dangerous anger. "In light of your 'profound historical knowledge,' the Emperor has appointed a royal tutor to oversee your 'scholarly development.' Effective immediately. He has just placed you on a gilded leash."