Ruhan reacted on instinct. His body moved before his mind could catch up. He crossed the distance quickly and clamped a hand over her mouth, pulling her back against the stone edge of the pool.
"It's me," he murmured urgently, breath low and close to her ear. "It's alright. Don't scream."
Lian Zhi's body went rigid beneath his touch. For a split second, he felt the violent thrum of her pulse against his palm, every muscle locked in fear.
Then she blinked up at him through the steam.
"Ruhan?" Her voice was barely audible, muffled against his palm.
He loosened his grip immediately, though he did not pull away at once. His sharp eyes cautiously scanned the surroundings. Only when he was sure no one else was around did he let go of his hand completely.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was quiet but tense. This place was private. Untouchable. And she should never have been anywhere near it.
"I-I got lost," she stammered. "I saw the steam and thought it was… I didn't know this place was here."
Lost.
Of all places she could have gotten lost, it had to be this one.
"You got lost, and you wandered into the Khan's private hot spring?" He raised his eyebrow.
Her face burned. "I didn't know it was private. Or that it was the Khan's. I just… it looked peaceful." Her voice faded at the end.
Then she frowned, as if something had occurred to her.
"What about you? If this belongs to the Khan, then what are you doing here?"
The question caught him off guard. For a second, he just stalled. He couldn't tell her the truth, that this was the only place he could go to stop her from haunting his thoughts.
"I came without permission," he lied, his voice a bit too thin. "The Khan is away. I was... curious."
"You won't tell anyone, right?" His tone softened slightly.
"Only if you won't tell about me," she promised, a faint grin touching her lips.
For a moment, an awkward stillness settled between them.
But as the steam cleared, the reality of the situation hit them.
Her hair was damp, clinging to her shoulders. The thin undergarment she wore was soaked through, nearly translucent in the water. Steam curled around her, but not enough to hide everything.
And as for him, he was bare from the waist up, water running down his chest and arms. The steam softened the image, but the fact remained.
He was half-naked.
Lian Zhi's cheeks flamed red. She pressed her arms to her chest, sinking slightly, trying to hide herself under the water.
Ruhan, seeing her obvious panic, turned away quickly. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't— I mean—" His words stumbled as he spoke.
"I'll leave," he said quickly, already moving toward the edge of the pool.
Then he stopped.
He turned his gaze to the side of the pool, where he put his robe. His Khan's robe. He couldn't let Lian Zhi see him leaving with those. That would be trouble.
His expression tightened in frustration. "You should go first."
"Yes. Of course," she agreed far too quickly. She climbed out of the pool, arms wrapped around herself as a shiver ran through her.
Ruhan kept his back turned, determined to be a gentleman, until the sharp hitch in her breath forced him to look.
Through the thinning steam, he saw them.
Purple bruises blossomed across her arms. Angry red imprints marked her neck. They were the physical proof of every nightmare he'd had while forcing himself to stay away from her room.
His jaw clenched so hard it ached.
"Wait."
The word was out before he could stop it.
"…Does it hurt?"
He already knew the answer.
She hesitated, her eyes dropping to the water, then gave a slow, painful nod.
A dark, heavy knot twisted in his chest. It was a mix of rage and a crushing sense of failure. It was the same guilt that had made him send sleeping pills with Arkan, a cowardly way to help without having to face her.
"Stay," he said, almost regretted it after.
"What?" She blinked at him, confused.
"The hot spring helps with healing. It eases the pain," he tried to reason. "You shouldn't leave."
A half-truth. The real reason was simpler.
I can't watch you walk away like this.
His fingers hesitated on the edge of the pool. "I… I mean, I will go." He didn't know how, but he would figure out somehow how to escape without exposing his identity.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "You can stay too."
He went completely still, but she noticed.
"I mean, the pool is big enough," she added quickly, pointing at the large stone dividing it. "There's a rock between us. You won't see anything." Then, softer, "And… you look like you need this too."
He did. More than he wanted to admit.
He had come here to stop being the Khan for a moment, to forget the backstabbing stepmother and the endless lies. This spring was supposed to be his one safe spot. A place where she couldn't reach him.
But here she was. And the second he saw her, every wall he'd spent the last week building just... crumbled. He'd told himself that staying away would make him forget her, but it had done the opposite. It had only made the silence feel louder.
And her asking him to stay did nothing to help his restraint.
He told himself this was indulgence. Just this once.
After a long pause of negotiating with himself, he nodded. "…Very well."
They settled on opposite sides of the stone divider. The rock acted as a barrier, and yet also a connection. Slowly, the tension began to fade, replaced with something calmer... and quietly warm.
For the first time in days, Ruhan allowed himself to breathe.
"How have you been?" she asked softly, finally breaking the silence. "I haven't seen you in days."
"I was sent away on an errand."
Another lie layered over a truth.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to… serve you." The word tasted wrong even as he said it.
"Serve?" Her voice tightened. "Aren't we friends?"
Friends.
He had tried to convince himself that that was all they could ever be. Tried to make it safer.
"You're a princess," he said carefully. "We can't be friends."
"But I want you to be my friend," she said before he could say more. "You're the only one I trust."
His chest tightened.
"I know being near me is dangerous," she continued. "Especially with the Khan. Everyone dislikes me. I wouldn't blame you if you stayed away."
"No."
The answer came too fast. That simple word betrayed his every resolution for the past few days.
He felt her leaning closer to the stone. "Then… when no one is around, can you be my friend?"
The question struck deeper than it should have. Friendship was a lie he could tell himself, an excuse thin enough to hide behind. He knew this was a mistake. He knew agreeing meant stepping closer to something he could not afford.
And yet, the thought of turning away again felt unbearable.
"…Yes."
He felt it. The easing of something tight and painful in his chest, like a knot finally coming undone.
For now, this was enough. The peace was stolen, and he knew it wouldn't last, but he didn't care. The world could demand its distance later. Fate could go back to being cruel tomorrow.
But for right now, in the warmth and the mist, he would stay.