Prince Zhao Yifeng stared at her like she had grown a second head. "What?"
"I mean—" Soyeon's eyes widened as she realized what she had done. She dropped into a hasty bow, her words tumbling over themselves. "I apologize! I apologize, Your Highness! I spoke out of turn! I only meant, my chambers are in the Cold Moon Palace, my things are there, I don't want to impose on your household, Your Highness—"
She could feel every eye boring into her back. Stupid, her brain screamed. You just refused him again. In front of everyone. Again.
When she dared to peek up, Prince Zhao Yifeng's expression was unreadable.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, slowly, his trademark smile slid back into place. But it didn't reach his eyes.
"If that's what you want," he said softly.
He stepped closer, and Soyeon forced herself not to flinch. His hand came up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing gently across the dried blood there. The gesture was tender, possessive.
"Those bastards who attacked you," he murmured. "I'll have them killed. Every single one. No one touches what is under my protection."
What is under my protection. Not who. What.
Soyeon's skin prickled.
Behind her, she heard Prince Liang Jian make a sound that might have been a scoff.
Prince Zhao Yifeng's eyes flickered to his brother, something tense passing through them. Then he released Soyeon and stepped back.
"Go then," he said. "Rest. Recover. We'll speak again soon, Su Yan. I promise you that."
It sounded like a threat wrapped in velvet.
~
The walk back to the Cold Moon Palace was silent.
Prince Liang Jian walked three paces ahead, his spine rigid, his hands clenched at his sides. Soyeon followed with Teacher Wan and several female servants, none of whom would meet her eyes.
The sky was lightening to pale gray. Dawn birds were beginning to sing.
They reached the entrance to her chambers. The servants moved forward to escort her inside, but Prince Liang Jian raised a hand, stopping them.
"Leave us," he said quietly.
The servants exchanged nervous glances but obeyed, melting into the shadows.
Soyeon stood alone with him in the dim corridor. She could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.
Prince Liang Jian turned to face her. His expression was unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes. Anger? Guilt? She couldn't tell.
"I apologize," he said abruptly.
Soyeon blinked. "What?"
"For tonight. For bringing you into danger. For—" His jaw clenched. "For failing to anticipate the attack. It was my responsibility to ensure your safety. I failed."
"No, Your Highness. You didn't fail," Soyeon said quickly. "You saved me. If you hadn't come back when you did—"
"I shouldn't have left you with inadequate guards in the first place." His voice was harsh, self-recriminating. "I underestimated the threat. That mistake could have cost your life."
"But it didn't. I'm fine—"
"You're not fine." He stepped closer, and suddenly she could see it, the exhaustion in the tight lines around his eyes, the blood still staining his armor, the tremor in his hands that he was fighting to control. "You were terrified. You ran into the forest in blind panic. You—" He stopped himself. "My brother was right. I cannot adequately protect you."
"That's not true—"
"Isn't it?" His laugh was bitter. "Perhaps you should have accepted his offer. The Jade Phoenix Palace would be safer. My brother has more resources, more guards, more—"
"I don't want to go to the Jade Phoenix Palace."
The words came out fiercer than she intended.
Prince Liang Jian stared at her. "Why not?"
Wait….
Why not? Why didn't she want to go? Was it because of how uneasy she sometimes felt with the crown prince?
"Because my chambers are here," she said instead. "Because Teacher Wan is here. Because this is where the Emperor assigned me."
His expression softened, just slightly. Then the mask slammed back down.
"Rest," he said. "You've been through enough tonight."
He turned to leave.
"Your Highness—"
He paused but didn't look back.
"Thank you," Soyeon said quietly. "For saving me. For keeping me safe."
His shoulders tensed. For a moment, she thought he might say something.
But he just nodded once and walked away, his black robes disappearing into the morning shadows.
~
The servants came then, gentle and with kind hands.
They led her to the bathing chamber, helped her out of her ruined robes, gasped softly at the blood that had soaked through to her skin. The water they poured was warm, fragrant with herbs, and they washed her hair with practiced hands, scrubbing away the last traces of violence.
Soyeon sat numbly through it all.
When they finally tucked her into bed, silk sheets cool against her clean skin, she expected to fall asleep immediately.
Instead, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
I could have died tonight.
The thought circled in her mind like a vulture.
Those men would have taken me. Done God knows what to me. Killed me. And there would be no one to even know I was gone. Jiwoo would think I vanished. My parents would never know what happened to their daughter.
I want to go home.
The tears came suddenly, hot and overwhelming.
I want to go home. I want my apartment. I want my medical textbooks. I want my annoying roommate and instant ramyeon at 2 AM and my stupid licensing exam that I'll never get to take.
I want to go HOME.
She curled into herself, pressing her face into the pillow to muffle the sobs.
How easily they could have killed her. How fragile she was here, in this world of princes and assassins and political games she didn't understand.
She was so stupid. So unbelievably stupid to think she could survive here.
Eventually, exhaustion won. She cried herself into a fitful sleep full of dark dreams and the smell of blood.