The morning had finally come, but Xiao Zhi hadn't slept at all.
She lay still on her bed, staring at the ceiling as memories from the past few days replayed again and again in her mind.
The desert bandit attack, when she had nearly lost her life.
The concubines, their cruel smiles and schemes.
And now… the assault attempt. The hidden room. The fear.
Her fingers curled into the blanket as a quiet shiver ran through her. "How many more of these… surprises… are waiting for me?" she whispered into the empty room.
Before transmigrating into this world, she had only focused on the main plotline: her forced marriage to the cruel Grand Prince, the slow destruction of her life, and the tragic end that awaited her. Everything else, these smaller but terrifying moments, weren't in her notes.
Yet here they were.
First, the desert.
Now this.
Each event dragged her deeper into danger she had never prepared for.
Her thoughts drifted back to Kabil. In the story, he was cold, ruthless, and hard to approach. The type who crushed people without blinking. But the Kabil she had met so far had been… different. Gentler. Almost kind.
Too different.
Xiao Zhi squeezed her eyes shut. "Why is everything so different? So unpredictable?" she murmured.
Her gaze drifted to the hairpin resting on the small table beside her bed, the one Kabil had given her. The cold polished surface reflected elegance but somehow distance, like everything he did.
Her fingers slowly reached for it, but just as she touched the cool metal, her hand froze.
She remembered something, another hairpin…
This time, the one Ruhan had given her.
Her heart stuttered.
She searched the table, then the bed, pushing aside the blanket, her movements growing more urgent. It wasn't there.
"That night…" she whispered, the memory clicking into place. "I remember taking it back home with me. Where did I put it?"
A strange tightness formed in her chest.
She turned toward her maid. "Have you seen a silver hairpin?"
The maid blinked in confusion. "You mean that one?" she pointed at the obvious hairpin lying on the table.
"No! Not that one — the other one!" Xiao Zhi said frantically.
The maid then took out the jewelry box from the vanity table. "Are they not here, Princess?"
"No… not there. I've looked there," she grew desperate.
"Then I haven't seen it, Princess. Should I have the others search for it?"
Xiao Zhi hesitated, then shook her head. "No… It's fine." She gave up. She must have lost it that night.
With a slow breath, she forced herself to straighten up, then sat on her bed.
"Tell Lady Sura I won't be attending today's lesson," she told her maid. "Say I'm unwell."
The maid hesitated, concern in her eyes. "Are you alright, Princess?"
Xiao Zhi forced a faint smile. "I will be."
When the maid left, exhaustion finally settled in. Her mind, after spinning all night, couldn't fight any longer. She lay back down and slowly drifted into a shallow, uneasy sleep.
***
A soft knock pulled her back to consciousness.
"Princess," came a familiar voice.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Slowly, a shadow started to become clearer. There Kabil was, standing by her door.
The late afternoon light traced his silhouette, making his sharp features appear softer. There was something different about him today, a quiet tension, a hint of genuine concern.
"May I enter?" he asked.
She nodded slightly before propping herself up.
He stepped inside, walked towards the small table, and sat himself down. "I heard about what happened earlier," he said. "About the… assault attempt."
"I should have been there," he continued quietly. "I should have protected you."
Xiao Zhi shook her head gently. "It's not your fault, Prince Kabil," she said. "I suspect it was the concubines. They've never hidden their hatred."
His jaw clenched almost imperceptibly.
"They won't dare do such a thing again," he said. "I'll make sure of it."
His words weren't loud or dramatic, but there was anger beneath them.
She let out a small, tired laugh. "You always speak like you're about to start a war."
His expression softened slightly. "Only when it concerns you."
Her heart skipped, just once, then steadied again.
"There's something I wanted to do," he added after a pause. "To make up for today."
"And that is?" she asked.
He extended his hand toward her.
"Come with me," he said quietly. "Let me take you out of the palace." He then dragged her out of her room.
***
The capital city of Tughril bloomed differently at night.
Xiao Zhi had visited the city before, but never like this. This was all so festive, kind of reminded her of that festival in the border city.
"Have you been to a night market before?" Kabil asked.
"Only one time," she replied, glancing around as the lanterns swayed in the breeze. "It's beautiful."
A small smile touched his lips. "Everything is when you step away from palace walls."
They walked slowly between the crowded stalls, his pace matching hers. Then her eyes landed on a lantern.
It hung slightly apart from the others, a pale ivory paper lantern.
Her heart stilled.
It looked just like the one from the border city.
Just like the one she had seen with him. With Ruhan.
Her breath caught.
Kabil noticed immediately. "What is it?" he asked softly.
"…Nothing," she replied, shaking her head too quickly. "It just reminded me of something."
He didn't press.
Instead, he offered his arm, and after a brief hesitation, she took it.
Yet even as they continued walking, Xiao Zhi's thoughts drifted far away.
To the border city.
To quiet nights far from palace walls.
To Ruhan's calm voice.
To the way his hand had steadied her grip when she trembled.
…To how close his face had been that night...
Her steps slowed slightly.
Wait… what?
Her heart jumped.
That memory wasn't supposed to be there.
His lips… near hers… his warm breath...
When did that happen?
Another flicker of that scene rushed through her mind.
The closeness.
The silence.
The almost.
She flushed.
Stop it. She scolded herself internally. He's not here. Focus on Kabil. He's the one in front of you.
"Do you like this one?" Kabil asked, breaking her thoughts.
He gestured to a lantern carved with golden dragons.
"It's beautiful," she admitted.
His gaze lingered on her face. "I thought it might suit you."
Her fingers tightened slightly around his sleeve.
***
Back at the palace, the corridors were quiet.
Ruhan stood near Princess Lian Zhi's quarters, his back resting lightly against the cool wall.
A maid approached him hesitantly. She knew he was there to look for the princess.
"She's… with the Grand Prince," she whispered. "He took her to see the night market."
His expression didn't change, but his fingers curled slightly against his palm.
"I see," he replied.
The girl bowed and hurried away.
Ruhan remained still.
With Kabil… again.
He told himself it didn't matter.
She was meant to be Kabil's bride.
Her safety, her smiles, her time…none of it belonged to him.
But still… the thought of her smiling at someone else, being close to someone else, made his chest tighten ever so slightly.