CHAPTER 86 — THE CROWN PRINCE'S UNSETTLING PROMISE
Her expression shifted far too quickly.
That alone was enough to make the Third Prince wary.
In the next breath, Tang Ke Xin turned away from him and beckoned gently to the Little Princess.
"Princess, come here a moment."
"Yes—what is it, Big Sister?"
The princess hurried over at once, obedient as a sparrow hopping to its perch.
Tang Ke Xin leaned close, lowering her voice to the faintest whisper. Even with the Third Prince's sharp hearing, the distance between them was too great; he could not catch a single word.
The Little Princess, however, heard everything—and froze.
"S‑Sister… this… this isn't very good, is it?"
Her voice trembled, her eyes widening in alarm.
The Third Prince's brow twitched.
Judging from the princess's reaction, whatever Tang Ke Xin had whispered was certainly not favourable to him. Even he could not guess what she had said.
"Do you still wish to learn mind‑reading?" Tang Ke Xin asked softly, her tone calm and almost tender.
A thought had struck her—sharp, satisfying, and perfectly just.
His Highness was far too much of a scoundrel.
Reasoning with him was impossible; he twisted every word, turned every argument into advantage, and somehow made her feel as though she were the one in the wrong.
Very well.
If he could use the princess to scheme against her, then she could just as easily let the princess repay the debt.
"Yes! Yes, yes!"
The princess nodded vigorously—three times, to show her sincerity.
Tang Ke Xin merely looked at her, saying nothing more.
The princess was clever enough to understand.
"But… but I'm afraid that when the time comes…"
The princess hesitated, clearly torn between fear and anticipation.
"If the princess has thought it through, I will not force her," Tang Ke Xin replied lightly, lifting her shoulders in a small shrug. The meaning beneath her words was unmistakable.
She would not compel the princess to act.
But if the princess wanted to learn mind‑reading… she knew what must be done.
"I… I agree."
After a moment's struggle, the princess glanced at her Third Imperial Brother, then nodded firmly. The temptation was simply too great.
The Third Prince, realising Tang Ke Xin would not answer him, turned his gaze to the princess. He said nothing, but the question in his eyes was clear.
The princess puffed out her cheeks.
"Third Imperial Brother, don't look at me like that. I promised Sister Tang, so I can't tell you. But you'll know soon enough."
She even smirked a little.
The Third Prince's eyes slid back to Tang Ke Xin.
What exactly had she said to the princess?
And why was the princess protecting her so fiercely?
Tang Ke Xin met his gaze—and pretended not to notice it at all.
"This humble girl will now go to pay respects to the Empress," she said with a bright, untroubled smile. She bowed gracefully and turned toward Kunning Palace.
"Big Sister, I won't accompany you for now!" the princess called. "I'll go complete the mission Sister Tang gave me, then come find you for mind‑reading lessons!"
The Third Prince did not stop her.
He simply watched her skip away, the corners of his lips lifting in quiet amusement.
Very well.
He would wait and see what Tang Ke Xin had instructed the princess to do.
He expected mischief.
He expected trouble.
He expected… something.
What he did not expect was to regret, later, that he had not asked the princess immediately—and that he had not prepared himself.
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Tang Ke Xin noticed he did not stop the princess, and her lips curved faintly. But she did not slow her steps. She still intended to visit the Empress; yesterday's events had left her uneasy.
Yet just as she approached Kunning Palace, she saw the Crown Prince walking toward her.
Her brows drew together.
Had he just come from the Empress's residence?
Why was he here at this hour?
The Third Prince had already left the palace.
Why was the Crown Prince still lingering near Kunning Palace?
Tang Ke Xin slowed her pace.
"Ke Xin."
The Crown Prince halted, his gaze settling on her with a gentle smile—one that held something strange beneath the surface.
"This humble girl greets Your Highness," she said, bowing respectfully. She had intended to pass by with a polite salute, nothing more.
But the Crown Prince stopped her.
He stood before her with a composed, almost solemn air, as though he had something he wished to say.
Tang Ke Xin straightened, waiting.
"Did you get it?"
His voice was soft, almost casual—yet the words struck her like a blow.
Did you get it?
Her heart lurched.
What did he mean?
Get… what?
"This humble girl does not understand Your Highness's meaning," she replied, forcing her voice to remain steady.
But her mind had already leapt to the jade pendant that had mysteriously appeared on her table that morning.
No.
No, she must not jump to conclusions.
It might be coincidence.
It might have nothing to do with him.
"Heh…"
The Crown Prince chuckled softly. His laughter was gentle, refined—yet carried a faint, unmistakable arrogance.
He stepped closer—not too close, but close enough that his next words were meant only for her.
"You are a clever girl. Since you understand, there is no need to pretend before me."
Tang Ke Xin's pulse quickened.
"This humble girl truly does not understand," she insisted. But her mind was racing.
Could it be…
Was the jade pendant placed by the Crown Prince?
Then—
Could the man from that night…
be him?
A coldness swept through her, chilling her to the bone.
Her limbs felt numb, her breath thin.
If the man from that night was truly the Crown Prince…
What would become of her?
She dared not imagine the consequences.
She lifted her gaze, searching his expression for any hint of truth. But the Crown Prince's face remained serene, his smile gentle, his eyes unreadable.
A man like him—deep‑minded, calculating, always in control—could hide every flicker of emotion if he wished.
"Can you read anything from my face?"
His smile deepened, warm and indulgent, as though he were teasing a child.
He knew she was trying to see through him.
He knew she was afraid.
"If you wish to look, then look," he said softly. "I will let Ke Xin see clearly."
He straightened, offering his face openly, as though daring her to find the truth.
Tang Ke Xin's eyes narrowed.
If he truly wished to hide something, she would never see it.
His smile—gentle, elegant, perfectly measured—was the same smile he always wore. A mask.
His voice lowered, the faintest hint of amusement threading through it.
"Tell me, Ke Xin… am I lying?"
The Crown Prince's tone was light—so light that no ordinary listener would have sensed anything amiss. His words drifted out as casually as a breeze, carrying no weight, no threat, no discernible intent.
"This humble girl…" Tang Ke Xin began, though her voice faltered.
Inside, her heart was pounding.
The Crown Prince was behaving strangely today—stranger than she had ever seen him. His words were peculiar, his manner even more so. What was he planning? What did he want?
She opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could utter a single syllable, he stepped closer.
So close that she could feel the faint warmth of his breath.
And in a voice so soft it barely stirred the air, he said—slowly, clearly, deliberately:
"Do not worry. I will marry you."
Tang Ke Xin froze.
Every muscle in her body turned to stone.
Her breath caught.
Her mind emptied.
He had spoken quietly, yes—but each word had been enunciated with unmistakable clarity. There was no possibility of mishearing. No chance of pretending she had misunderstood.
Marry… her?
Her thoughts scattered like startled birds.
What did he mean, do not worry?
Why would she need reassurance?
And why—why in heaven's name—was he speaking of marriage?
Marriage.
The Crown Prince of the realm…
speaking of marrying her?
The implications were too vast, too heavy, too impossible to grasp all at once.
Shock rippled through her, cold and absolute.
Her heart seemed to stop entirely.
He wanted to marry her?
Her?
Tang Ke Xin felt as though the world had tilted beneath her feet, leaving her suspended between disbelief and dread.