Bao Ji (Lia)
The Emperor called each concubine to take a walk at the lotus pond. It looked amazing, seeing the lotus flowers floating on the water. The Emperor was walking in front with Bao Si, of course, while I stayed a few steps behind them. The rest of the concubines surrounded us, all trying to get the Emperor's attention.
Well, good luck with that.
The Emperor wasn't even looking their way. When they asked him questions, he replied coldly and briefly, as if he couldn't be bothered. I was silent.
Me. Silent.
That's a first.
Seeing Bao Si next to the Emperor, every possible plan to separate them ran through my mind. But I couldn't decide which plan would work best. Then I noticed something strange. Each time Bao Si spoke, the Emperor replied a few seconds later than usual. He didn't respond immediately.
He seemed… absent-minded.
Why?
I told myself I didn't care, but deep down, it still bothered me. Still, as long as it created a crack between him and Bao Si, I welcomed it. Please, stay absent-minded.
Then I noticed something else.
He glanced toward me.
Again.
And again.
He didn't turn his head fully—just enough to see me from the corner of his eye. And the strange part? I caught it every single time. I noticed it without even trying.
Looking into his eyes brought back that strange feeling.
What is happening?
He keeps acting weird… or maybe my imagination is running wild.
Yeah. That must be it.
I'm just imagining things.
Besides, if it makes the Emperor distance himself from Bao Si, it's a good thing. It makes my work easier. Still, I needed to find a way to speed things up.
Suddenly, I stopped after bumping into something solid. I lost my balance, almost falling backward, when a strong hand caught my left wrist and pulled me upright.
Everything happened so fast that I didn't have time to register it.
When I looked up, the hand had already released my wrist.
The Emperor.
He had caught me.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even realised everyone had stopped walking. The Emperor had already taken a step back, standing there and looking at me.
"Are you okay, cousin?" Bao Si asked, her face cold as ever.
There wasn't a single drop of worry on her face.
"Yes, I'm okay, cousin," I replied, looking at her.
Then I turned to the Emperor.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I wasn't paying attention."
"It's alright," he said. "As long as you're not hurt."
The way he looked at me was… strange.
I couldn't tell what it was exactly. He was clearly trying to keep a neutral expression, but his eyes told a different story. I just couldn't understand what it meant.
Bao Si was now standing on his right.
My gaze dropped to his hands.
Why?
I didn't even know.
Then I realized—he had caught me earlier with his right hand.
At that moment, Bao Si pointed toward the pond.
"Look! That one over there hasn't fully opened yet."
As she spoke, she reached for the Emperor's right hand.
He pulled it away.
Instead, he guided Bao Si to his left side.
What—what just happened?
He pulled away from Bao Si.
From the same hand that had caught my wrist earlier.
Deep down, it made me… happy.
I didn't want to admit it, but it did.
Looking at Bao Si, I could tell she wasn't happy at all. She pursed her lips, trying to appear unbothered, but her eyes gave everything away.
I looked back at the Emperor. He glanced at me, then at Bao Si. He quickly cleared his throat and started paying attention to Bao Si again, talking to her as if nothing had happened.
I couldn't look away from him.
He returned to his usual behavior—focused on Bao Si—but even then, I could sense that something was different. Even now, his gaze kept drifting back to me.
How do I catch his stare every time?
And what is this feeling I get whenever he looks at me?
Why did I feel happy earlier?
Happy that he didn't let Bao Si touch his right hand—the same hand that caught my wrist?
It must be because he's starting to drift away from Bao Si.
Yes. That has to be it.
In the end, my plan is finally working. Of course I feel happy.
Later that day, I sat outside, trying to think of what to do next. I was bored out of my mind. Then I remembered—I'd never seen the palace library.
Curious, I decided to take a look.
My maid led me there.
"Here it is, my lady," she said, stopping in front of the door.
Wow.
It really looked like something straight out of a drama. Blue-covered books, wooden scrolls with writing on them, neatly rolled and stacked.
I walked between the aisles, brushing my fingers over the spines until I picked one up.
A book of poems.
"You chose a really good one."
I froze.
I turned around and saw the Emperor standing behind me, his hands clasped behind his back. He took a few steps closer.
I looked down at the book.
"Did I?" I asked honestly.
I had no idea which books were considered good or not. I had some of Bao Ji's memories, but not all of them. I'd seen her life through her eyes maybe eighty percent of the time, but still—sometimes I had no idea what she was reading.
Poems especially.
Too many metaphors. Too many hidden meanings.
Way too much for me.
"Then I may read it," I said, looking at the Emperor. "I want to see if it's really as good as you say."
"Let me know," he replied warmly. "I want to hear your opinion."
"I will. By the way… why are you here?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"What? Just because I'm the Emperor, I can't come and take a book to read?"
"I didn't say that. Just—"
"Just what?"
"I didn't see— I mean, I didn't see Your Majesty as the type who comes to read. Or at least, the type who comes personally to take a book."
He chuckled softly.
"That's the first time I've heard that."
"Well, now Your Majesty has heard it," I said. "Is it a problem? Am I going to get into trouble for saying that?"
"Why would you?" he replied calmly. "You didn't say anything wrong."
He then took a random book from the shelf without even looking at it and left.
Just like that.
What the hell?
That was weird—him coming here in person.
…Anyway.
I shouldn't overthink it.
It means nothing.