---
Princess Lù Zhāo sat in her personal chamber, brushing her long black hair in front of a polished bronze mirror. Behind her, servants flitted quietly about, laying out evening silks and preparing jasmine-scented water for her bath.
But the princess's mind was far from fashion or fragrance.
She was thinking—calculating.
Observing.
Ever since that awkward morning in the prince's chambers, Lù Zhāo had been paying closer attention.
And the truth was becoming clearer with each passing day.
Prince Xìn Xuān was no longer himself.
Not in the way he walked. Not in the way he spoke. Not even in the way he looked at people.
He was too quiet. Too stiff. He never teased her anymore, never flirted like he used to before their engagement was announced. He used to be bold—even arrogant. But now? He barely met her gaze.
And the knight, Shèng Lín, had started doing strange things too. He smiled. He laughed. He complained like a spoiled noble. He even tripped once in the garden while scolding a servant—an unthinkable moment for the usually perfect knight.
Something was off.
And yet…
Lù Zhāo wasn't angry.
She was… grateful.
---
Later that evening, she invited her childhood friend and confidante, Yuè Rán, into her private study. Once the doors were closed and all servants dismissed, she finally spoke the thoughts she hadn't dared say aloud.
"I don't think I'll have to marry the prince after all."
Yuè Rán's eyes widened. "What? But it's already been announced…"
"I think something's happened to him. To both of them. I can't explain it—but they're not behaving as they should. And now, with those rumors…"
Yuè Rán leaned closer. "You think the prince is in love with his knight?"
"I don't know if it's love. But something is there. And I plan to use it."
Yuè Rán's voice dropped to a whisper. "Are you saying… you want to escape the marriage?"
"I never wanted it," Lù Zhāo said softly, folding her hands. "I was born to marry power, not love. But I'm tired of pretending that duty is everything."
Her voice gained strength.
"If the prince wishes to keep his knight close… then I'll give them space. Publicly, I'll remain his fiancée. But privately, I will begin my exit."
Yuè Rán's voice trembled. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Everything is dangerous, Ran. Especially when you're a woman born into a crown not made for your head."
---
That night, Princess Lù Zhāo began writing letters.
Careful, coded messages to a trusted aunt in the far western province.
A request for a diplomatic visit.
A subtle suggestion that her health may not suit a summer wedding.
And beneath every word, a quiet rebellion.
Let them stay tangled.
Let them stay confused.
If she played this right…
She might just escape her fate.
---