It was foolish to think my happiness in that mansion could last forever.
I knew it then—and I was right.
The coughs of Lady Lianyu were not from a simple cold. No, she had pneumonia.
Ariya, Yichen, and I had sensed something was wrong for weeks. The nobleman's wife grew thinner by the day, her once-bright eyes dimming like a sunset fading into dusk.
She was in her forties—neither old nor young. At that age, illness could be survived, yet watching her body weaken while I stood helpless at her side felt like a cruel punishment.
"I'll pray for her," Ariya told Yichen when he broke down in tears. His voice was steady, almost too steady. "Don't worry. Many people recover from this disease. We can't see her, but the gods can hear us."
I wanted to believe him. I really did. But deep down, I knew better. Not everyone survived. Especially women her age.
Night after night, Lady Lianyu lay in her bed, coughing until her voice cracked. Ariya prayed without rest, whispering to every god he knew. Yichen worked harder than ever, always busy, always out of sight.
And me… I did nothing. Nothing but eat, sleep, and drown in worry.
For two weeks, I hadn't seen her face. I didn't even know if she was alive.
Until one morning—
I got my answer.
She was alive.
And better.
That was the good news.
The bad news was that I had to leave.
Lady Lianyu had been the only reason I was allowed to stay. She'd fought for me, argued with her husband for me. But now, weak and bedridden, she could no longer protect me.
The nobleman had never trusted me. Never wanted me here. And now that his wife was ill, it was the perfect time to get rid of me.
When Ariya and Yichen heard the news, their faces fell.
"Surely he can't just send you away! The lady's getting better—she'll make him keep you!" Ariya argued, his hands trembling.
"I don't want to cause her more trou—"
"IT ISN'T TROUBLE IF IT MEANS YOU'LL BE SAFE!" he shouted, his voice breaking.
"I know, but she's sick—"
"Stop yelling."
Yichen's voice cut through the room like a blade. It was sharper than I'd ever heard it.
"I have a plan," he said quietly. "Ever since I learned Miss Lianyu was ill, I've been… stealing money."
Ariya and I froze.
"She told me you'd have to leave one day," Yichen continued, his gaze unwavering. "She told me to take coins from the nobleman's wardrobe whenever he was in the study. Little by little, so he wouldn't notice. I've saved enough for you to go to the palace."
The palace.
Lady Lianyu's words echoed in my mind—If anything happens to me, go there. They always need maids. You'll survive there.
Had she known this was coming? Had her illness been longer, deeper, than any of us realized?
Ariya was staring at Yichen like he didn't recognize him. I probably looked the same.
"I know you don't like it," Yichen said.
"No," Ariya murmured, shaking his head. "I'm proud of you. Even if it's a crime, it's for the greater good. For Meilina."
A bittersweet ache filled my chest. These two… they cared for me enough to risk their lives. Even a monk would bless a sin if it was done out of love.
"I'm truly grateful, Yichen. I won't forget this. If there's anything—"
"Find my brother, he works in the palace," he interrupted softly. His eyes looked tired, older. "Even if he doesn't come back, I just… want to know he's alive."
His words hit me like a stone. It felt cruel that I might see Yichen's brother when he never could.
"I'll find him," I promised. "I'll tell him about you. I'll write, if I can."
That night, I couldn't sleep. Every memory of the mansion—the warm tea, the faint scent of roses, Lady Lianyu's gentle voice—haunted me.
The next morning, I packed.
In the corner of my small room lay the jade hairpin Lady Lianyu had given me years ago. I'd never worn it, thinking it too precious. But now… I couldn't leave it behind.
I held it tightly, feeling the cool stone press against my palm. Memories flooded back—her soft laughter, her rare smiles, the way she spoke more with her eyes than her lips.
I wanted to see the palace. I wanted to see China, to work, to survive.
But more than anything, I wanted to stay by her side. Even if it meant being caged, just as she was.
When the nobleman finally allowed me to see her, nearly three weeks had passed. She was thinner, paler, but her gaze was still fierce.
"Go," she told me. Her voice trembled, but her eyes did not. "Live your life, Meilina. I don't want you to live mine."
Those words carved themselves into my heart.
Yichen cried silently in the corner. Ariya bowed his head in prayer, his lips trembling with words I couldn't hear.
The stolen coins were pressed into my hand. I tucked them into my pouch, beside the few belongings I had—Lady Lianyu's gifts from the past three years.
Three years. Three years in this mansion, surrounded by roses that never stopped blooming, no matter the season.
I didn't know if I'd ever walk its gardens again.
As I stepped out, the morning air felt heavy, like it carried every unspoken word I'd left behind.
"Goodbye," I whispered, though I wasn't sure who I was saying it to—Lady Lianyu, Ariya, Yichen, or the girl I used to be.
The wind rustled through the roses. Petals scattered across the path, dancing around my feet like little ghosts of the past.
I clutched the jade hairpin tighter.
And without looking back, I walked away.