Her daughter's last hope, her final gambit to save the boy she claimed meant nothing, dissolved into the evening air like morning mist under sun.
The letter burned completely, thoroughly, until nothing remained but delicate gray ash that caught on the breeze and drifted away, scattering across the courtyard stones where it would be trampled beneath careless feet come morning.
Lady Yuwen stood watching until even the last ember died, then carefully brushed her hands clean of the evidence, her movements precise and deliberate.
She turned back toward the main house, her posture perfectly composed, her expression serene, the very picture of a concerned mother who had done what needed to be done.
For Yueshuang's own good, this foolishness had to end. Had to be cut off at the root before it could grow into something that would strangle her daughter's future entirely.
YUESHUANG'S CHAMBERS - EVENING
