The days pass in a blur.

After going together to greet the emperor the next morning, you have not seen Zhaohui even once. You understand that as Crown Prince, he is very busy. It is silly to miss him so much already. It must be because he looks like Seonghwa, so he is familiar to you. Or, perhaps you are giving that night too much weight. After all, losing your ity to him was probably not a big deal in his eyes.

You cannot help but think the way he avoids you has to do with your eyes. Even if he did not flinch away, it was obvious how surprised he was. He must have pitied your drugged state so much he could ignore it.

If only the rest of the imperial city would do so, too. The only person who came close is the emperor. The empress and the rest of the harem recoiled. It had been a very tense morning when they all greeted you. No one seemed to be bearing a grudge yet, but that did not mean these ladies were not plotting in secret.

You need to be wary. Especially if Zhaohui is not going to back you. You need a powerful person to protect you and take care of you. The empress is out; you saw the disdain she looked at you with. It is no secret that she wants her niece to be Crown Princess Consort. You are going to be paranoid now, just in case.

A month passes. You spend a lot of time trying to fix up the household. You want to be proud and happy with your home. You want to make sure it runs smoothly. A good wife helps share her husband’s burdens.

It is lonely, though. Aside from Shan, you do not know anyone. The fear and hostility from the concubines means making a friend is nearly impossible.

You spend most of your free time sewing. Having worked as a costume design major, as well as made period costumes for cosplay conventions, you are fairly confident in your ability.

The praise from Shan and a couple other maids that are stationed at Snow Lotus Pavilion makes you feel embarrassed and shy.

Your current project is a dance costume. You have been working hard to fix up the garden as well. More than anything, you want to dance in this costume. It does not bother you that you will have no audience to perform for.

Dancing alone is something you did back when you lived in modern-day Korea. You would put your earbuds in and tune out the world. As long as no one watched, you felt free. The thought of dancing in front of others still leaves you feeling nauseous.

So you pass your days alternating between your expected duties as Crown Princess Consort, and working on your dance costume.

Since it is for yourself, you make the embroidery as intricate as possible and even work some embellishments into it. Made of purples and blues, you think it will look ethereal in the moonlight.

“Your Highness!”

The frantic tone pulls you from the intense focus. Careful not to prick yourself, you set your work on your lap and look up.

“Yes?”

“Princess Chaoxing is here!”

You look a little confused, so Shan leans in. “She’s the niece of the empress. According to palace etiquette, she should have come to greet you the day after she arrived.”

Ah, the girl obsessed with Zhaohui, you think to yourself.

You had asked one of the servants assigned to you to compile a list of all the concubines and women in the palace with a short summary about them. Chaoxing had been included in the list, right after the concubines. There was a warning next to her name. Apparently, the girl thinks she is entitled to have the position you currently possess.

The breach of etiquette is deliberate.

“Let her in,” you say with a weary sigh.

You are not sure what you expected, but it definitely is not seeing a doppelgänger of Sooyun. Hatred, bitter and burning, flares in your heart. To distract yourself, you carefully pick up your cup of tea. Perhaps you should start testing everything for poisons. The tea smells fine, so you are not worried right now.

Chaoxing carries herself with a level of confidence that only comes with arrogance. You can see her disdain – and jealousy – clear as day as she looks around your home. You wait patiently, pretending to be more focused on your needlework.

Two can play at this game, you think while hiding a smirk.

Shan, however, is oblivious to the nonverbal stand-off for dominance. She only sees someone of a lower, insignificant status deliberately slighting her mistress.

“Are you not going to greet the Crown Princess Consort?”

You see the very subtle flinch at the mention of your title, followed by the clenched fists.

Chaoxing bows, but definitely not as deeply as required for your status. It makes you have to smother a chuckle. This girl is no better than Sooyun, maybe even more pathetic.

Why was I so intimidated by her before?

Pushing that aside as you set your needlework on the table next to you, you finally look directly at the unwelcome intruder.

For the first time, there is a smug satisfaction when you see her recoil at your eyes. You pretend not to understand and arch an eyebrow at her. You might not be able to do much to her, but even she must follow palace rules.

“I apologize for not coming to greet you sooner, Your Highness,” she says, sounding not at all regretful.

You remain silent, just staring at her with eerie intensity. Let her think you are cursing her. She will probably plant a cursed item somewhere around your home. It is better to be prepared.

“I see,” is all you say at last, looking remorseful. “I did not even really notice.”

Chaoxing outright glares at you. The impending tantrum is so close, you can feel yourself tensing for it.

To your shock, Chaoxing manages to stay calm although it clearly takes effort. She takes a deep breath, before offering you a smile so fake it makes you want to give her acting lessons. It is hard to keep a straight face right now.

Chaoxing must notice, because it is blatantly obvious how enraged she suddenly is. Her gaze lands on the clothing you are working on.

“What is that, Your Highness?”

The syrupy-sweet tone makes you blink a couple of times. It has you feeling like you are about to start puking rainbows. What the hell is she up to now?

You glance at your work, before lifting a shoulder in a dainty shrug. “It’s a dance costume I am making for myself.”

It takes so much effort not to roll your yes, because you can practically see the cogs turning in the other girl’s head. You did not intend to set up a trap, but are mostly curious as to how it will work out. The dramas you have seen give you some idea of what she might set up, but you can handle it. Besides Chaoxing, no one else should know about it. You are fairly certain the servants at Snow Lotus Pavilion are at least loyal to the Crown Prince. You do not think any of them have been bought off by anyone who has targeted you. 

It helps that most of the concubines are terrified of you.

“It’s beautiful,” Chaoxing says, managing to sound sincere.

Ah. You see the jealous glint in her eyes. So she does think it is beautiful, and that is bothering her even more.

You almost consider making a similar one for her to steal, but decide not to. After this, you plan to make something for your husband. You just have not decided what it should be yet.

“Thank you.” Your gratitude is genuine, even though you want nothing more than for her to leave.

Chaoxing seems to come to some conclusion, because she quickly bows again. “I can see you are busy, my apologies for disturbing you.”

“It’s no trouble.” However, your tone is not at all friendly. “You may go.”

She looks furious or a moment at the dismissal, but bites her lip. With another bow, she backs away before turning to leave.

Sighing, you pick up your work again to continue where you left off. You will only need a bit longer to finish. Your excitement to see it completed is growing.

---

“Miss Chaoxing visited Her Highness this afternoon.”

Zhaohui pauses from reading the scroll in his hands to look up. Chang’s face is blank, unconcerned. Relief floods him, pulling a sigh out as well. Although Chang has kept the same lack of expression during stressful situations, he has learned to read other subtle clues. It seems that you managed to handle his cousin well enough on your own. For a princess who has been kept secluded for most of her life, you sure are full of pleasant surprises.

Chang shares a look with Lei, the head eunuch. Both of them have noticed the change in their master whenever you are mentioned. The pleased little grin is pretty common-place, anyway. It is obvious the Crown Prince has sincere feelings for you.

Which just makes the distance he is keeping from you even more frustrating. If he is not sneaking over to Snow Lotus Pavilion late at night to spy on you, he is ordering Chang to go make sure you fall asleep safely without a care.

“Did you happen to overhear their conversation?” It is obvious to both Chang and Lei that the prince is trying to be nonchalant.

“Not quite. However, it looked like they discussed an outfit she must be making. I have seen her working on it before.” Chang is not sure why this information is important.

Before anyone can saying anything, another eunuch scurries in. “Your Highness, Princess Chaoxing is here.”

That was fast. “Let her in.”

“Big Brother!” Chaoxing’s greeting is enthusiastic.

Zhaohui sighs softly. “You’re in a good mood today.”

Chaoxing smiles happily at him. “Of course! I got some good news today.”

Avoiding the urge to glare at the shadow guard above them, he looks at her curiously. What could you two have possibly talked about to end up here with her this excited?

Try as he might, Zhaohui cannot get her to tell him what she found out that might affect you. The giddier she acts, the more worried he feels. The only good thing is the fact that without the empress, she has nothing. Alone, she really is not a threat to you.

By the time she finally leaves – after stubbornly ignoring all his polite hints – there is nothing more that he wants to do than clear his head.

“Lei.”

The eunuch blinks, before shuffling forward. He bows deeply. “Yes, Your Highness?”

“Bring me tea.”

Lei bows again, before going over to speak with another eunuch near the door. Whatever he says has the man jumping into action. It is almost amusing; if only Zhaohui was in a better mood. There are so many things he wants to be doing instead of this, but he knows better than to procrastinate and avoid his duties.

Once he has caught up on reading the various documents the court has diverted to him, he will go release some of the pent-up frustration. Even if he just goes on a walk, although he prefers…

“Chang.”

“Yes, Your Highness?” The voice comes from the shadows among the beams overhead.

“Be prepared to spar with me as soon as I’m done.”

The silence almost feels amused. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Normally, a walk would suffice. However, Chaoxing tried his patience to the point of nearly angering him. He mentally curses his mother for allowing the empress – who at the time was just a concubine – to bring the stupid girl into the palace as her companion.  

At least the gods are on his side. Otherwise, he most likely would not still be alive, let alone Crown Prince. If the empress had been able to give birth to a son, Zhaohui would have turned into an obstacle. The lack of her own heir prompted an adoption of sorts. It also means that her only way to have control of the throne is through him. The best way to control a man is with a woman, hence the constant pressure for him to marry Chaoxing.

While the emperor might usually ignore what machinations the empress does, he is cunning enough to know her intentions when it comes to Chaoxing. So far, his father has pretended to fall deaf to any requests and hints on the topic of that marriage.

It had been a major surprise when Zhaohui accepted the marriage alliance with Qin. The ministers had been deflated, having prepared meticulous arguments. However, the Crown Prince gave in without even a hint of protest.

There are so many things that require his attention, the issue regarding you and his cousin fades to the back of his mind. Besides the general affairs, he also has to deal with the soldiers returning home from the border with Qin. Now that Princess Meizhen has married into the Zhou royal family, the skirmishes and looming threats of war have vanished. All those returning will require pay and rewards for their merits. It is no small task to undertake, and it is obvious many eyes are on him waiting for him to fail.

Which is why Zhaohui has been spending hours with Haofeng, the son of the Minister of War, and Lijie, the Prime Minister’s son. Between the three of them, they have managed to hammer out where the funding will come from as well as gathered up the separate rewards to be distributed. In doing so, they had collectively offended the nobles in the capital. After all, the best source of money is those who have plenty. Ruffling them up is exactly what the emperor had been intending.

Hours ago, the three had finished their audience with the emperor. He had asked them to keep the solution quiet so as not to alarm those families who will try to hide assets to avoid paying the sudden tax. Their rewards will be delivered in secret, too.

With Lijie having helped to a drunken Haofeng from the palace, Zhaohui is left alone with comfortable silence. He is exhausted, too much so to even bathe. As he starts to drift off at his table, he hears something.

Very faintly, music is drifting through his courtyard. It sounds beautiful, and he cannot tell if he has heard it before.

“Chang.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Go for a walk with me.”

“Yes.”

The two men make their way from his palace and in the direction of the music. It must be his exhaustion that makes it take so long to recognize his surroundings. He pauses.

“Your Highness?”

He frowns a little. “Is it coming from Snow Lotus Pavilion?”

“It sounds like that is the case.”

Chang watches his master patiently. When it comes to the Crown Princess Consort, he has gotten more and more unpredictable. It has been months now since the wedding. Aside from when your duties require it, he has not been to visit you. The only time he sees you is late at night when he sneaks over with Chang to spy on you. For his part, the guard does not understand the man’s actions at all. However, the only time he asked, he had been threatened severely. Or, well, as severely as Zhaohui gets when he is not really serious.

Zhaohui seems to make up his mind. With a sigh, he motions Chang to continue forward. However, he uses another motion to signal a stealthy approach. Amused, the guard falls into step behind him.

Neither is sure what they expected to see, but it definitely is not this.

Snow Lotus Pavilion does not look very different than any other night. The moonlight bathes the courtyard in soft light. Off to the side under a pergola sit a few musicians. They all appear to be maids, so they must be low in rank from the music department. Zhaohui cannot stop the small grin at your thoughtful planning. By taking those who are unimportant to the rest of the palace, you have made this moonlight concert more conservative.

She must have done this with Chaoxing in mind, he thinks to himself, pleased.

He scans the courtyard looking for you, unaware of the sullen frown that appears when he does not see you right away. It is good he does not look at Chang, who is struggling to conceal his amusement.

Where–?

His thoughts evaporate when he sees you.

Draped in a flowing dress of blues and purples, you twirl and dance your way out into the courtyard. The moonlight glistens off tiny embellishments on your dress. You sway and pivot, leap and run, in a dance he has never seen before. For the moment, your eyes appear to be closed. You look serene and beautiful.

Then you open your eyes and the moonlight is caught. Your blue eyes seem to glow with an icy fire.

It is mesmerizing and changes you into an ethereal being. He feels as if the air has been knocked out of him, like a horse kicked him in the chest.

“Your Highness!”

The hiss is urgent enough to break through the trance he fell into. If he did not know better, he might have actually wondered whether you are a witch.

Still, he is annoyed by the interruption. He glares at Chang.

“An entourage is coming this way. It appears to be the empress.”

Zhaohui looks where indicated and nearly growls. It is not hard to guess why and how the empress came wandering the courtyards of his palace. This is clearly Chaoxing’s plan. If the empress sees your hypnotic performance, she will blow it out of proportion. At best, you will be labeled wanton and extravagant. Neither are good qualities worthy of an empress. It might not be enough to force Zhaohui to divorce you, but your reputation will be damaged even more.

He has to protect you.

---

Dancing is exhilarating.

No one will laugh and mock you. In fact, no one is even looking except Shan. The musicians provided by the music department keep their gazes focused down either on their instruments or the ground in front of them. The rest of your servants have been dismissed to sleep.

You are free to move as you want without care.

My guests should be arriving soon, you consider as you move your arms so that the light material trails through the air like mist.

There is no way Chaoxing is unaware of what you are doing tonight. Although the servants here are loyal to the Crown Prince, you know it is only a matter of the right leverage to turn one into a spy. Most likely, the empress is behind obtaining spies even if they report directly to Chaoxing. You do not think the latter has the resources to threaten families.

So lost in the music, you do not even notice the quiet visitors. However, Shan does and immediately gets on her knees to bow.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

This alerts the musicians who pause their instruments to bow and greet the Crown Prince.

Zhaohui waves them up dismissively, attention on you. Even without music, your steps do not falter. He finds himself smiling.

With your eyes closed, it is extra startling to spin into something solid. Your eyes open in shock as you start to fall back. The Crown Prince looks just as startled, but easily grasps you around the waist to pull you back against him. Breathing slightly labored, heart pounding, it takes a moment for the situation to catch up with you.

“My apologies for not seeing you first,” you say.

Zhaohui is just so damn attractive, you feel flustered and tongue-tied. You know the heat rising in your cheeks has little to do with the dance. Now you are acutely aware of how disheveled you must look.

The intensity in his eyes is not helping.

Zhaohui smiles ever-so-slightly at the blush. “It is quite alright, no need to apologize. You were enjoying yourself so I did not announce it.”

Well, at least there’s that, you think with relief. You have not made yourself look like a complete fool.

Before either of you can say anything, a maid you do not recognize appears at the entrance.

“The empress is entering!”

Zhaohui feels you tense up in his arms. The expression in your eyes turns wary, before going blank. It seems you have some plan, so he just gives you a gentle squeeze in support.

To his utter delight, this makes an adorable squeak escape you. Your face reddens even more.

Once the empress is visible, Zhaohui releases you with obvious reluctance. You waste no time, bowing slightly deeper than required without going as far as you should for the emperor. Kissing up as much as you can is the only way to stay safe from the empress personally taking action against you. As long as you do not break any rules, there is little she can do to torture you.

Neither of you look surprised to see Chaoxing standing just behind her aunt. You can basically see the hearts coming out of her eyes as she stares at the man by your side.

Zhaohui bows slightly. “Greetings, Imperial Mother. What brings you to my palace so late?”

You are taken aback by the chill in his voice. A furtive glance shows the prince looking calm and unaffected. No, not unaffected, irritated. It is almost as if the empress has interrupted something very important to him. That does not make any sense, though. He just got here and you were not even dancing for him.

“I heard complaints about noise and came to see who dared to disrupt the tranquility of the Crown Prince’s palace,” the empress answers with a cold glare aimed your way.

There is no need to inquire further, as the evidence is in plain sight. The musicians behind Zhaohui look terrified. They set their instruments aside and kowtow, foreheads on the ground. You have to bite the inside of your lip to keep from scowling. With one word, the empress could have any of them killed. It is not fair.

Just as you are about to step forward and take responsibility, Zhaohui moves to step in front of you.

“It is my fault, Imperial Mother. I hadn’t had the chance to see my princess dance before, and I heard she made a costume even though she would never wear it,” Zhaohui lies so smoothly you almost wonder if he is telling the truth.

It explains why he showed up tonight, you consider. Although it is more likely he just heard the music.

The empress looks like she just tasted something sour. The mental image of her reacting to a lemon, or better yet, sour candy from your previous life is too funny. You quickly avert your gaze so no one sees. Even the prince will not be able to save you if the empress accuses you of mocking her. You strongly doubt she would find the concept as humorous as you do either.

The empress looks around critically, her eyes go from the still kowtowing musicians to your dress that shimmers in the moonlight.

“It is too wasteful to deck yourself out like that for such a dance,” is her judgement.

You are not surprised. However, you pretend to be taken completely off-guard. “I apologize, Your Highness. I tried to save costs as much as possible, and even used some of the money I brought with me.”

The empress does not look impressed. Behind her, Chaoxing is still ogling the Crown Prince. It is very difficult not to call her out on it or roll your eyes.

“You have even sewn jewels into your dance attire, and yet you claim to be frugal?” It sounds almost like the empress is excited.

She must really be desperate to get me out, you think wryly.

You frown with feigned confusion. “Jewels? Your Highness, forgive me for saying so, but there are new jewels. I have added some seed pearls, but I paid less for those because they have minor imperfections so the textile department passed them over. These are not gems, but tiny pieces of colored glass that have been cut to look like jewels.

“I know my husband has been busy trying to gather funds for your returning soldiers. It would dishonor him and the royal family if I spent so frivolously.”

Zhaohui struggles to hide how impressed he is. Not only have you thought several steps ahead, but you did so in a way that makes you look pious and filial. He almost wants to laugh with glee at the expressions on the two women’s faces as you easily rob them of the faults they found in you.

Chaoxing finally steps out next to the empress. “Why would you make the costume before Big Brother requested a performance? Are you trying to seduce—”

The empress stops Chaoxing from finishing her accusation. You are mildly disappointed, after all she would have been punished for slandering a member of the royal family. Still, you know better than to goad her right now with her supporter at her side.

You sigh sadly, averting your gaze. “This is a costume I started back in Qin before the wedding. I brought it on the road for something to preoccupy me. It reminds me of home, so when I feel lonely I find it comforting.”

The sorrow in your voice is genuine, although they will never know you are missing a country that is not existent yet. You hope Hyunshik is doing okay without you.

Looking at Zhaohui helps more than you thought it would. It must be his resemblance to Seonghwa. His familiar face is like a beacon of comfort.

Sudden memories of the night of your wedding flash through your mind. Face burning, you shift to press your forehead against his arm to hide it.

The touch is unexpected, but welcome. There is not a single person, even in his mansion, who feels so free to touch him. To his surprise, he finds himself enjoying how bold you are. Memories of the night he slept with you surface and he regrets not coming to see you again sooner.

Chaoxing is boiling with rage. Only the presence of her aunt keeps her temper in check. She wants to kill you more than ever. Even she has never felt free to touch him. He has never looked at a woman like that before, either. Why are you so different?!

“You—”

“It is late,” the empress declares. “You should rest, Princess Meizhen. As should you, Crown Prince, for your day will be busy tomorrow.”

You are a little disappointed. You were hoping that, since he is here already, that he might stay and spend the night with you. Perhaps you are being too greedy. It is enough to have a gorgeous husband who treats you well. Asking for his love as well is too selfish.

Zhaohui nods in acknowledgement before turning to Lei. “I will stay here tonight.”

A strangled noise comes from Chaoxing’s direction, however even the empress ignores it. She tries to plaster on a smile, but it is so fake it is almost painful to see.

“Very good, Zhaohui. Make sure to give the entire harem your attention, do not play favorites.”

Raising his arms, the man at your side bows. “Thank you for your advice, Mother.”

With that, the invaders turn and leave. The glare Chaoxing aims over her shoulder almost feels poisonous. It is a good thing the other girl is so incompetent.

Once the last attendant leaves, you let out a huge sigh of relief. You turn to your husband and smile softly.

“Thank you for helping me.”

Zhaohui shrugs, before looking at the poor musicians. “You are dismissed. Take care of the instruments and I will have someone pass on that you have two days of rest.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

You cannot help the sullen pout. The dance got interrupted before you finished! Even though sending them away is a smart move as any more noise will only bring the empress back, you are still disappointed. From now on you will have to dance to music you hear in your head. It is just not the same, or as fun.

“Come with me,” he says, gently grasping your hand.

You cannot really argue, so you allow him to lead you along. It should not be as much of a surprise that he enters Snow Lotus Pavilion. After all, he told the empress he was going to stay here for the night. Your heart is starting to pound.

On a table off to the side is a zither. You have only seen them on the internet before coming here. There was one in the princess’s old room, but it was untouched.

“Since your music has been dismissed, I will accompany you,” he says nonchalantly, as If he is doing you a favor.

If it weren’t for the red tinge to his ears, you might have been offended. However, this is sweet and he is surprisingly adorable.

How can someone be so good-looking? It’s cheating! You reluctantly let go of his hand, before moving to take your place at the center of the room. Between the zither and your rearranged furniture, it is obvious that the Crown Prince has been busy preparing. It is really very sweet.

“Whatever you decide to play, I will do my best to dance,” you inform him with a shy smile.

Zhaohui’s eyes widen a little, before he breaks eye contact. Clearing his throat, he nods once and rests his fingers on the strings. A moment later, he begins to play.