Pov Author
Anna sat alone in Shou Feng's room, her shoulders low and her expression clouded with frustration. The room itself was silent, lit only by the warm glow of a single lantern hanging from a wooden beam. The walls carried faint traces of ink-patterned strokes—ancient markings of power she still didn't understand. Outside, the cold breeze pressed against the thin paper windows.
The door slid open.
Shou Feng entered, his long black hair falling over his shoulders like a dark curtain. He paused the moment he saw her long, sulking face. A quiet sigh left him—rare for him, almost unnatural.
He walked toward her.
Anna turned away immediately, showing him her back like a stubborn child refusing to speak.
Shou Feng stopped behind her.
"Look, I… I don't know what to say," he muttered. "I don't apologise to just anyone."
Anna didn't turn. But she listened.
"So I don't know what to say right now."
She replied quietly, "You just said I'm different from others."
"Yes," he answered. "That you are."
"Why?"
Silence.
For a moment, he only looked at her—really looked—and saw her warm brown eyes when she finally turned her face toward him. They weren't magical, but somehow she made them look extraordinary… a softness he wasn't used to.
"So?" she pressed.
Shou Feng exhaled sharply. "I am sorry."
Anna raised her eyebrows. "But you never apologize. Not to anyone. No matter who they are."
His patience thinned. "Just take the apology."
She pouted. He didn't understand why that tiny gesture twisted something unfamiliar inside him.
He turned to the window. Evening was approaching; the sky glowed faint gold. Without warning, he reached for her hand. She gasped, startled.
"What are you doing?"
He didn't answer.
He just walked—and she followed, confused, pulled along until the quiet palace halls opened into the glowing, lively market.
Lanterns hung in thick rows above the street, shops spilled light and noise into the air, and people moved like a bright river through the night.
Anna stared in disbelief. "Why are we here?"
"Let's go," Shou Feng said. "Let's buy. And eat."
She rolled her eyes. "What, are you planning to eat a human heart?"
He smirked. "Not in the mood right now. Let's try something else."
Her eyes widened. "YOU eat—"
He didn't deny it. Just gave her a sly, terrifying little smile.
She gulped.
"Look," he continued, "when girls are upset, they shop. So shop."
"I don't have money!"
"Shop."
And she did.
She bought everything she touched—hair accessories, polished wooden purses, carved hand mirrors, embroidered dresses, shoes, powders, even a beautiful rosewood comb carved with gold lines. It was 8,500 ryō, an absurdly high price for ancient Japan.
But she didn't pay for any of it.
Behind Shou Feng, three servants struggled under mountains of bags and boxes stacked all the way up to their chins.
After a long trail of shops, Anna stopped in front of a restaurant.
It was stunning—old wood polished like glass, lanterns glowing warm against carved columns, and the open sliding doors revealing a soft interior full of comforting smells. Even though it was an ancient, mystical realm, the restaurant looked richer than many modern luxury places she had seen.
They sat on polished wooden chairs. Anna ordered five dishes—steaming udon, grilled river fish, sweet rice cakes, miso broth, and fried tofu with herbs.
Shou Feng watched her eat.
"So," he said lightly, "do you forgive me now?"
She paused. "So all this… you were doing it just to be forgiven?"
He didn't reply. His gaze shifted away, jaw tightening.
Anna giggled very softly.
Their evening passed quietly—small talks, tiny laughs. When she finally finished shopping, Shou Feng dismissed the servants and they walked alone.
They crossed stone paths, wooden bridges, and little lantern-lit corners. Cherry blossoms drifted in slow circles, floating like pink snow. Ancient lanterns with scribbled symbols hovered gently in the breeze. The river reflected every light, every color.
Anna spun slowly. "This is the most beautiful scene I've ever seen."
"Me too," Shou Feng said without thinking.
Only then did he realize he was staring at her, not the scenery.
Above them, tiny stars dotted the sky; soft clouds glided across a pink-tinted moon.
---
Far away, in a cold, distant place, darkness coiled around icy stone walls.
Two pale hands hovered above a crystal ball, swirling with fog. Inside it, tiny images flickered—Anna and Shou Feng standing together on the bridge.
A low, cruel smirk cut through the silence.
"Looks like someone is falling," the figure whispered, voice sharp and chilling.
A wicked laugh echoed through the frozen room.
---
She was talking again, animated and distracted, pointing at lanterns floating down the river.
But Shou Feng suddenly froze.
A presence.
He looked up sharply and saw it—a single black crow perched above them, watching.
His hand slipped into his sleeve. A blade.
"Anna," he said calmly, turning her attention elsewhere.
In one swift movement, he flicked the knife.
The crow fell, dropping silently into the river.
Shou Feng walked to the edge, watching the dead bird drift along the clear water. His voice hardened.
"Send another spy," he said coldly, "and I'll send back a warning carved into their bones."
The river carried the crow away.
End of Chapter.