Upon reaching the palace gates, I shrugged Renshu off and got down from his horse.
I fed my poor horse first, it deserved better after what I put it through, then had dinner before heading straight to my room.
No sword-fighting lessons today, fortunately. Wouldn't want him suddenly remembering he had to scold me as we prepared to train.
~~~~MORNING~~~~
The next day was as plain and uneventful as ever. I handed in my solution to the Colonel, only to be rewarded with, of course, more work. Rong Xu was right. Hard work apparently just meant harder work.
At least I had some free time afterward, so I decided to rest for the morning. My shoulders finally loosened a little as I took a quiet walk around the outer court.
"Ah, good morning, Aryan. Doing well?"
And just like that, peace shattered. Commander Wei Fang.
I resisted the urge to sprint in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough authority to do that and live.
"Good morning, Sir," I greeted politely.
He smiled his usual fake, overly cheerful smile. "Tell me, Aryan, do you happen to know about the… ah, relations between Bharat and other nations?"
I frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir?"
"Well, to put it simply," he continued with a grin, "is your country on good terms with other empires?"
My mind instantly clicked into suspicion. Why would he ask that now? Were China and Bharat having political issues? Was that why Renshu kept warning me about danger? About… kidnappings?
And if so, did that mean people might target me just for being from Bharat?
I thought of Ariya. Was he even be safe now?
Keeping my voice steady, I replied, "As far as I know, sir, Bharat maintains good relations with the empires of Persia and Portugal. May I ask why—"
"Oh, no reason!" he interrupted, waving his hand. "Thank you, thank you. I should get going—"
"Sir," I cut in, "may I ask… is there any diplomatic issue happening between China and Bharat?"
For a split second, his expression cracked. His eyes widened before returning to normal. "Of course not! Why would you even think that?—Well, I really must go now."
He left in a hurry, but that tiny flicker told me everything. He was lying.
Whatever was happening, it was serious enough that even a commander was told to keep his mouth shut.
But I needed to know more. If this involved Bharat, it involved me.
The only person who might tell me the truth was Renshu.
And even then… getting answers out of him wouldn't be easy.
~~~~EVENING~~~~
The day went by faster than I expected. Though, by the time dinner came around, my thoughts were still spinning around Wei Fang's words.
When Renshu entered the dining room, the first thing he noticed was my expression.
"What's with that grave look on your face?" he asked, sounding half amused.
"What expres—never mind." I noticed he was teasing. "What's going on between Bharat and China?"
He blinked, clearly caught off guard, but tried to act as if nothing happened.
"Nothing's going on between them. Why do you ask?"
"I'm not stupid," I said sharply. "Wei Fang came to me today asking about Bharat's alliances. Are you seriously telling me that's just a coincidence? Is there a war happening?"
He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Of course not… fine. There's been some tension over land."
I stayed silent, waiting for more.
"The borderlands," he continued quietly. "The emperor believes the southern peninsula is vital for agriculture and population growth. He plans to claim it. But Bharat somehow caught wind of the plan, probably through spies, and is preparing for a counterattack."
My stomach twisted.
Renshu exhaled deeply. "Listen, people might think you're a spy too. That's why you need to be careful. You're under me, so it won't be a big issue, but still."
My fears solidified. I'd been right. There was tension brewing between the two countries, and I was sitting right in the middle of it. A Bharat-born strategist living under a Chinese general. If anyone needed to point fingers, I'd be the best option.
I forced myself to eat slowly, even though my appetite was gone.
"Don't worry," Renshu said suddenly. "Just lay low for a while. People will forget about it soon enough. And don't go out at night for studies anymore. Do it here."
I sighed. It felt like being caged all over again.
Maybe I should've gone back to Bharat when Lianyu fell ill. Why didn't I? If I were home now, maybe I'd be safer.
But then again… my father would've just married me off again.
There was no point in dreaming about it. The past was gone.
"Let's go up tonight, Meilina."
The suggestion came out of nowhere.
Against my better judgment, I accepted.
He led me up the palace stairs to the balcony, the night air sharp and cool.
"Is there any reason you called me here again?" I asked.
"No," he said casually. "I just get lonely sleeping all alone at night, that's all."
I nearly choked. "What?!"
He laughed at my expression. "I meant, it's boring sitting alone. It's better to talk to someone on a quiet balcony, right?"
Before I could reply, he stepped closer, too close, and wrapped his arms around me again.
"I—what are you doing?!" I snapped.
"How rude," he said with a lazily. "It's lonely being in a palace all the time. You work during the day, then come back to silence. Sometimes you just want someone to cling to."
He sounded half-joking, half-tired.
"Are you drunk?" I asked flatly.
"Took a few sips after dinner," he admitted with a hiccup. "Is that wrong for a young man?"
"I'd rather you stop holding me like this—"
He didn't listen. His grip only tightened.
"You're the only one here," he murmured, voice slurred but soft. "Just stay a bit… make me feel better."
He rested his head against my shoulder, his warmth pressing against my back. I almost lost balance.
"Go to sleep," I said firmly, straightening up.
"Why not stay here a little longer—"
I grabbed his hand and pulled him along before he could finish. We made our way back down the stairs, my pace fast and irritated.
By the time we reached his room, he was half-asleep and unsteady. I guided him to the bed, letting him fall back onto it.
Just as I turned to leave, his hand caught the edge of my clothes.
"Please… don't go.