Leena and Li Wei turned toward Jun, their hands still entwined — frozen in a gesture far too intimate to ignore.
The guard quickly looked away, out of respect or perhaps embarrassment, though his voice remained steady.
"Your Highness, a eunuch from the palace requests an audience. He says it's urgent."
For a moment, Li Wei didn't answer. His eyes stayed fixed on Jun, but his mind was elsewhere — caught between the warmth of the moment he wanted to keep, and the weight of duty that never stopped calling.
Finally, he exhaled and let go of Leena's hand, reluctantly, as if breaking a promise neither of them had spoken aloud.
"Tell him I'll be there shortly," he said, his tone calm but distant.
Jun bowed and left the room as quietly as he had entered.
Silence followed — but it wasn't the same silence as before.
It carried the echo of what almost was, and the ache of what would never be said.
The garden was quiet that day, touched by the soft rustle of bamboo and the distant chirping of cicadas.
Li Wei walked alongside the royal eunuch, Fu Meng, his hands folded neatly behind his back, the weight of unspoken thoughts still lingering in his chest.
This eunuch wasn't just another servant — he was family.
The younger brother of Li Wei's late mother.
Unlike the Empress, his uncle had always treated him with patience and warmth. For the first time in weeks, the prince's face softened with a genuine smile.
"It's been too long, Uncle," Li Wei said quietly.
"Indeed," the eunuch replied, eyes glinting kindly. "And you've grown into a man your mother would have been proud of."
They walked beneath the blooming plum trees, their fragrance almost sweet enough to hide the heaviness of their words.
"I read the head physician's latest report," the eunuch began. "The infection is contained. No further contamination has been found. Everyone will be allowed to return home soon."
Li Wei exhaled deeply — the kind of breath that carried relief and exhaustion both.
His uncle smiled.
"You handled this crisis with composure. Even the ministers praised your sense of duty."
But the compliment was quickly followed by something that made Li Wei's steps falter.
"There's one more thing," the eunuch continued. "The Emperor has decided that your younger brother — the Eighth Prince, Li Ming — will accompany you to the northern front."
Li Wei stopped walking.
"...Li Ming?" His brow furrowed. "Why send two princes to the same battlefield?"
"At first, the court objected," the eunuch admitted. "But Li Ming insisted. He said he wanted to learn from you — that he wished to study war under 'the best.'"
Li Wei's gaze turned sharp, almost suspicious.
"From the best?" he repeated slowly.
The eunuch nodded.
"Those were his exact words. Somehow, he convinced His Majesty to approve it."
Li Wei didn't respond right away. The calm in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a storm of thoughts he couldn't voice — not yet.
Meanwhile, sunlight spilled gently across Leena's desk.
She sat cross-legged, lost in her own small world, watching the jade ring shimmer under the golden rays filtering through the window. For once, her smile was peaceful — fragile, but real.
The door creaked open.
Maya entered, carrying a tray with tea and delicate confections.
"I brought something sweet," she said with a playful grin. "Maybe this will help you forgive me... and bring back my cheerful lady again."
Leena's smile deepened. She poured tea into two small cups.
"I should be the one apologizing," she said softly. "I was harsh because I didn't know how to explain what I felt. I'm sorry, Maya."
Maya's heart melted. It had been a long time since she'd seen this version of her mistress — kind, gentle, with that warm smile that could calm a storm.
But her eyes soon caught something else.
A travel bag. Half-packed, resting near the desk.
Her expression changed immediately. She leaned in and whispered, careful not to be overheard:
"Are you... planning to run away?"
Leena chuckled quietly.
"No, nothing like that."
Maya frowned, clearly unconvinced.
"Maybe we should run away," she muttered, almost to herself.
Leena ignored the suggestion completely.
"Actually," she said, still smiling, "His Highness invited me to join him to the battlefield in the northern front. As his personal physician."
"WHAT?!" Maya gasped so loud that Leena immediately pressed a finger to her lips.
"Shhh! Keep your voice down," Leena whispered urgently. "It's still confidential. The quarantine will be over soon anyway — there's no more contamination."
Maya's shock turned to outrage.
"And that's supposed to make it better?! The quarantine ends, and now he finds a new way to put your life in danger?"
Leena sighed.
"I won't be in danger, Maya. I'll be fine—"
"You always say that!" Maya interrupted, her voice trembling between anger and worry. "And yet, I always end up terrified for you!"
Her words hit hard, but Leena didn't seem to understand why.
"And why do we have to follow the prince everywhere anyway?" Maya continued, her tone breaking. "We came here to be safe, not to chase after a man who constantly drags us into trouble!"
That last sentence made Leena's eyes harden. Her voice dropped low, sharp as glass.
"How ungrateful of you," she said. "The Prince kept us safe, gave us food, a roof—how can you speak like that about a royal?"
Maya clenched her fists.
"He's not my prince," she snapped. "And he's not yours either. So why are you defending a stranger?"
The sound of Leena's palms hitting the table startled even the air around them.
The teacups rattled violently, one nearly tipping over.
"He's not a stranger!" she shouted.
The silence that followed was heavier than any argument could be.
Leena turned sharply, her steps echoing as she stormed out of the room — leaving Maya frozen, her chest tight with anger and confusion.
The hallway led her straight into Bao Wen.
He stood there, stoic as always, yet something in his eyes betrayed that he had heard everything. Their gazes met — intense, unspoken — before Leena turned away, deciding to ignore him.
She stepped out into the open courtyard, the air still damp from the morning dew. Bao Wen followed, two paces behind, silent as a shadow.
The garden whispered around them — birdsong, the rustle of leaves, the faint scent of wet soil. It should have been calming, yet Leena's thoughts raced.
Maya's words... why did they sting so much?
Had she seen something I didn't?
And then, a darker thought crossed her mind — one that made her stop in her tracks.
What if... the Prince is hiding something? Something only Maya knows?
She shook her head sharply, as if to physically drive the thought away.
Because she trusted him.
Didn't she?
Bao Wen, lost in his own thoughts, didn't notice her sudden stop and bumped into her shoulder lightly.
"Forgive me," he murmured.
Leena didn't answer. She kept her eyes ahead, expression unreadable.
But Bao Wen's restraint finally broke.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, voice low but firm. "Can we really trust that the Prince will keep you safe?"
The question struck deeper than she expected.
Her heart squeezed. What she felt for Li Wei was not simple affection — it was devotion, blind and consuming. She trusted him with her life.
He was danger and comfort at once — a storm she didn't want to survive.
She turned abruptly, facing Bao Wen head-on. Her lips parted—
But before she could speak, she noticed his eyes shift — not to her, but behind her.
The sound of footsteps followed.
Two silhouettes approached down the garden path: Prince Li Wei and Eunuch Fu Meng.
Leena straightened instinctively.
Fu Meng's eyes softened as he looked at her — there was curiosity there, even admiration.
But Li Wei's gaze… it was locked on Bao Wen. Sharp. Possessive. The faint smile he'd worn moments earlier vanished like mist.
Sensing the sudden tension, Fu Meng spoke first.
"Ah, you must be the foreign physician His Highness brought into the palace?"
His tone was warm, friendly — a rare thing in this world of rules and rank.
Leena bowed politely.
"Exactly, my lord. My name is Leena. It's an honor to meet you."
Her sincerity made the old eunuch smile wider.
"You must be quite remarkable," he said kindly. "For the prince to defy court tradition and allow a foreign woman to serve as a physician... That speaks volumes."
"I wouldn't call myself remarkable," Leena said humbly.
Li Wei, who had been silently staring Bao Wen down, finally stepped closer — close enough that there was barely air between him and Leena. His voice cut through the tension.
"Don't underestimate yourself," he said, his tone carrying both pride and warning. "You are an extraordinary physician."
Then, with a confident glance at his uncle, he added —
"In fact... she'll accompany me to the northern front."
He said it with unmistakable pride.
Bao Wen's composure barely held. He took a measured step forward, his expression unreadable but his intent clear.
Fu Meng immediately cleared his throat loudly, trying to defuse the storm brewing between the two men.
"Ah, I see! The prince has great plans for you, Lady Leena. Such a bright future indeed, haha..."
Then, turning to her with a teasing smile, he added,
"Actually, my throat has been hurting quite a bit lately. Would you mind if—"
He didn't even get to finish before Li Wei interrupted, his voice full of enthusiasm —
"She'll gladly examine you!"
The prince's excitement was almost boyish, his pride impossible to hide.
It was clear to everyone present — he wasn't just showing off her skills.
He was showing off her.
And though Leena tried to hide it, a small smile tugged at her lips.
The breeze shifted. The garden felt alive again — whispering of new beginnings, and of dangers yet unseen.
To be continued...