...
The next morning, the palace erupted.
"WHAT?!"
Zhao Meilin's voice rang through the hall.
"She's moving to the inner palace?" she repeated, disbelief written all over her face.
Lady Zhao Lihua remained seated, her expression calm—but her fingers tightened slightly around her teacup.
"This came directly from His Majesty," a servant said nervously.
Meilin's face twisted. "There must be a mistake!"
"There is no mistake."
The room fell silent.
Li Jianhong stepped in.
Everyone immediately knelt.
"Your Majesty."
His gaze swept across the room before settling on Xueying, who stood quietly at the back.
"Come here," he said.
Xueying hesitated before stepping forward.
Every step felt heavy.
Every gaze burned into her.
She knelt.
"My King."
The hall was so silent, even breathing felt loud.
Li Jianhong looked at her for a long moment.
Then, slowly—
"From this day forward," he said, his voice echoing through the hall, "Li Xueying will no longer serve as a maid."
Murmurs broke out.
Meilin's face turned pale.
"…Because," he continued, "she is my daughter."
Silence.
Dead, suffocating silence.
Xueying's mind went blank.
"…What?"
The word slipped from her lips before she could stop it.
The king stepped closer.
His voice softened, just slightly.
"You are the daughter of the late Empress," he said. "The true princess of this palace."
The world tilted.
Xueying felt like she couldn't breathe.
Memories flashed—whispers, strange looks, things that never made sense.
All of it suddenly… did.
"No…" Meilin shook her head violently. "That's not possible!"
Lady Zhao stood slowly, her eyes sharp.
"Your Majesty," she said carefully, "this is a serious matter. Are you certain?"
Li Jianhong's gaze hardened.
"Are you questioning me?"
She immediately lowered her head. "I would not dare."
But the hatred in her eyes was no longer hidden.
Xueying's hands trembled.
"A princess…" she whispered.
Her entire life… had been a lie.
Or maybe—
This was the truth.
"Prepare her," the king ordered. "She will be recognized officially."
As the servants rushed to obey, Xueying remained frozen.
Her heart pounded violently.
This should have felt like happiness.
But as she looked up—
At Meilin's burning hatred…
At Lady Zhao's cold smile…
She felt something else.
Fear.
Because deep down—
She knew this was not the end of her suffering.
It was only the beginning..
She feared the worst, her step mother and half sister are just now plotting and plotting on how to take her down, she wished at this moment to go back to being a made.