Bao Ji (Lia)
The morning greeting was painfully boring, and I was fighting sleep when I suddenly heard the Queen say the best words in the entire universe:
"Today is the Lantern Festival, and all of you may go."
My head snapped up so fast I almost broke my neck.
"Lantern festival?" I asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes," the Queen replied with a gentle smile, while all the concubines stared at me like I crawled out of a rice pot. Honestly, fair enough. I was acting weird. But who cared? I wanted to go.
"We'll take our leave to get ready," one concubine said.
They scattered instantly. Like pigeons.
I stayed behind.
"Could I go with Your Majesty?" I asked shamelessly.
She smiled. "I was about to ask the same thing."
Bless her soul.
The courtyard was glowing with hundreds of lanterns.
Red, gold, and pale white lights swayed in the wind, washing the palace walls with warm, dancing colour.
People wandered around, laughing softly as riddles fluttered from the lantern strings.
Seeing it in real life was a thousand times better than seeing it on TV.
"It's so beautiful…" I whispered, entranced.
"You look like it's your first time," the Queen said.
"Well, this is my first time seeing it in real life. TV doesn't do it justice—"
Her footsteps stopped.
"What did you say?"
SHIT.
Did I just expose myself?
"I mean— I mean—"
She stared directly into my soul, confusion written all over her face.
"Every year it gets more beautiful," I said quickly. "So… of course it feels like the first time."
Even I didn't believe myself. How could she?
"Look! Those lanterns are so pretty—let's go see them!" I grabbed her sleeve and dragged her away before she could question me more.
Did it work? No idea.
I could only pray.
We checked the stalls with riddles, then the stall selling tanghulu.
Well… technically I checked that one.
I bought one. It was too sweet, but I still ate it like a starving child.
"Slow down, concubine Ji!" the Queen called.
I didn't respond. I was too excited, running around like an unleashed toddler.
I stopped at a stall to admire a beautiful jade hairpin. After paying, I turned to go back toward the Queen—
—and slammed into something solid.
I stumbled backward, ready to fall, when a strong hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me against—
A chest.
A very… solid chest.
"Ouch," I muttered, rubbing my forehead as I looked up.
A black mask.
A pair of dark eyes staring back at me.
Long black hair.
White robe.
A white jade pendant with a star in the middle, hanging at his waist.
Rich.
Definitely rich.
"Are you hurt?" he asked in a deep voice.
I stepped back. "I'm okay. You?"
He nodded. "I'm fine."
Before I could inspect him more—
"Lady Ji? Are you alright?" the Queen's voice called.
I turned toward her. "Yeah, I just bumped into someone—"
But when I looked back…
The man was gone.
"Bumped into who?" the Queen asked, confused.
"A man. He was right here—"
"Concubine Ji must pay more attention to where she walks."
That cold, unmistakable voice.
The Emperor.
The Queen and I exchanged a quick glance before bowing.
"Your Majesty."
He was looking directly at me, annoyance written all over his face.
Why?
Because I didn't watch where I was going?
Because a man caught me?
Because I didn't fall gracefully like a proper concubine?
"If it's alright with Your Majesty," the Queen said, "Concubine Ji and I will take our leave. We wouldn't want to disturb Your Majesty and Lady Si's walk."
Only then did I actually register Bao Si standing there.
Wait—WHAT?!
Why would we leave? This is the perfect time to sabotage!
The queen side-eyed me. HARD.
Before I could protest—
"What's the rush, my lady? We can walk together," the Emperor said.
"Exactly," I said immediately… then froze. "Excuse me?" I asked.
"I said we can walk together," he repeated. "Or is that a problem?"
His tone nearly froze the blood in my veins.
What is wrong with him tonight?
Was he annoyed at Bao Si?
At me?
Because I bumped into a man?
Why am I thinking like this?!
I need to throw my delusions into a bonfire.
"It's not a problem," the Queen said smoothly, subtly tugging my robe.
"Right, concubine Ji?"
"Exactly what her majesty said."
"It seemed concubine Ji did not want to accompany us," the Emperor noted.
IS HE SERIOUS?
"I was just surprised Your Majesty offered," I said honestly.
"Why would it be surprising?" he asked.
"Well… Your Majesty enjoys spending time alone with concubine Si, not with the other concubines."
The moment it left my mouth, I realised how it sounded.
Like jealousy.
Pure, flaming jealousy.
Kill. Me.
Thankfully, the Queen jumped in.
"Please don't take it to heart, Your Majesty. concubine Ji only voiced what every concubine thinks."
The Emperor still stared at me. Not blinking. Not moving. Not looking away even when he answered the Queen.
Then, finally:
"Shall we go?"
He started walking.
I whispered to the Queen, "What the hell is happening?"
She whispered back, "I have no idea."
We walked for thirty minutes.
It felt like three lifetimes.
Bao Si on the left of the Emperor.
I was on his right.
The Queen next to me.
Why was I beside him?!
I tried giving the queen the "please switch with me" look, but she ignored me.
What surprised me most wasn't that the Emperor ignored Bao Si—
It was that every time I glanced at him, he was already looking at me.
Every. Single. Time.
Bao Si stopped twice to look at stalls.
The Emperor never noticed.
I had to say something each time.
Something was definitely off.
The third time, we stopped to buy lanterns.
Later we walked to a terrace overlooking the water to release them.
Lanterns floated in the sky, gentle and golden.
Hundreds.
Maybe thousands.
"So beautiful," I whispered, smiling like a child.
"It really is," the Emperor said.
I felt someone staring.
I turned—
The Emperor was looking at ME. Not at the lanterns. Not at Bao Si. ME.
At me.
And this wasn't the "you're annoying" stare.
This was… different.
Warm.
Steady.
Too steady.
My heart thudded.
Noise faded.
For a moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.
Lia, snap out of it.
LOOK AWAY.
But I couldn't.
Damn it.