Servants rushed through the hall carrying buckets and rags, the sharp scent of scrubbed wood and bitter herbs thick in the air.
Lady Rong stood at the center of the chaos, directing preparations with calm authority.
Malin had already explained why.
Yan Rui was coming.
Seventeen. Heir to the wealthiest family in the empire.
Apparently, the real Rong Xi had spent years dreaming about him—swooning over portraits, writing letters, and hoarding every gift he sent. According to Malin, half the jewels in the Rong household had come from the Yan family.
She made it sound as if Rong Xi were already hopelessly in love.
Great.
Rong Xi sighed inwardly.
He's probably some pampered, self-important brat.
And I still can't read this language.
God gave me the ability to speak it—but not read it? Not ancient scrolls? How exactly am I supposed to search for magical relics like this?
She pushed the thought aside as they stepped into the sitting room.
Half the household turned to look at her.
"I—I beg your pardon," Rong Xi said quickly, lowering her gaze as if embarrassed. "I forgot myself."
Lady Rong took her hand gently.
"What troubles you, child?"
Her father smiled across the table.
"Are you eager to meet him?"
Stay calm.
Be her.
Bland. Obedient.
Rong Xi nodded.
"Good girl," Lady Rong said, satisfied.
But Lord Rong studied her face a moment longer, his expression softening.
"If you find him unworthy," he said quietly, "tell me."
Daddy's favorite, Serena thought.
She almost smiled.
But none of it mattered.
She slipped her arm around his and leaned against him.
"Father, why are you home so early?"
Lady Rong frowned.
"Do not cling. You are nearly wed. You must learn restraint."
But Lord Rong only laughed and covered Rong Xi's hand with his.
"Married or not," he said warmly, "she is still our daughter."
The warmth in his voice twisted something sharp in her chest.
I wish I knew who my real parents were.
And why they threw me away.
"Can I not be your daughter a little longer," Rong Xi said lightly, swaying his arm like a child, "before I must become someone's wife?"
Lady Rong tried to maintain her stern expression.
She failed.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"There is commotion by the riverside dock," Lord Rong said suddenly. "A Western vessel arrived at dawn. Now the entire city is talking about it."
Rong Xi straightened.
"A Western ship?"
He nodded.
"They are charging outrageous prices for tea and glassware. But what draws the crowds is something else."
"What?"
"An old clock."
Rong Xi blinked.
"A clock?"
"They claim it has… unusual properties."
Her pulse quickened.
"Unusual how?"
Lord Rong chuckled.
"They say it makes people disappear."
Rong Xi stared.
"Disappear?"
"Nonsense, of course," he said easily. "Just a rumor to stir the crowds. Still, half the city guard has been sent to manage the docks."
But Rong Xi barely heard the last part.
A clock that made people disappear.
Her mind was already racing.
Rumor or not—
she had to see it.