That night, the palace was quiet.
Too quiet.
Xueying lay on the thin straw mat in the servants' quarters, her body curled tightly beneath a worn blanket. The cold still clung to her bones, refusing to leave.
Her fingers were red and swollen, small cuts lining her skin.
But she didn't cry.
She rarely did anymore.
Crying changed nothing.
A sudden knock broke the silence.
Xueying froze.
Servants were not visited at night.
"Li Xueying," a low voice called.
Her heart skipped.
She quickly stood, ignoring the pain in her legs, and opened the door.
The moment she saw who stood outside, she dropped to her knees.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
Li Jianhong stepped inside quietly, dismissing the guards with a single glance.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too poor.
Too unworthy of his presence.
"Stand up," he said.
Xueying hesitated before slowly rising, her head still lowered.
"Look at me."
She didn't.
"I said, look at me."
Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Something strange passed between them—something she couldn't understand.
The king exhaled slowly.
"You've grown," he murmured.
Xueying blinked, confused. "Your Majesty?"
He stepped closer, his eyes scanning her face.
The bruises she tried to hide.
The exhaustion.
The quiet pain.
His jaw tightened.
"Do they treat you well?" he asked.
Xueying's heart pounded.
She knew the answer he expected.
"Yes, Your Majesty," she said softly.
Silence filled the room.
The king's expression darkened slightly.
"Do not lie to me."
Her breath caught.
For a moment, she almost spoke.
Almost told him everything.
But the words never came.
"It is my duty to serve," she said instead.
Li Jianhong closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, something had changed.
A decision.
"Tomorrow," he said, "you will move out of this place."
Xueying's eyes widened. "Your Majesty?"
"You will be relocated to the inner palace."
Her heart began to race.
"That is not for someone like me—"
"It is for you," he interrupted firmly.
She stared at him, confusion filling her chest.
"Why?" she whispered before she could stop herself.
The king went still,he was thinking of a way to explain it.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, quietly—
"Because you are not what you think you are."
Xueying's breath hitched.
"What… does that mean?"
But he had already turned away.
"You will understand soon for now get ready."
And with that, he left.
Leaving behind a girl whose world had just begun to crack.