Chapter 11. Caught by emperor’s hand
A FEW DAYS LATER
MEI SHEN’S POINT OF VIEW:
The wind tugged gently at my cloak as I stood at the ridge overlooking the path leading down from the mountains. Below, the roads wound like thin ribbons toward the capital, toward him. I shouldn’t be doing this. I knew that. My system knew that. Even the God who had been endlessly teasing me went quiet now, like holding his breath.
"So... you’re really going back to him, after all this? I didn’t think you had it in you, soft heart."He said.
"I don’t have a choice." I murmured aloud, glancing down at my slightly rounded belly. "I can’t let him die... not when I can help. Not when I still..."
"Still love him?"System asked.
I didn’t answer. I just tugged the hood tighter over my head and nudged the horse forward. The journey back wasn’t long, but every step felt like wading through memories. Every breath reminded me of the pain, of the night I fled, of his face the last time I saw it twisted in heartbreak and confusion. And yet, here I was, heading back into the lion’s den with my heart aching and my hands trembling. The castle gates loomed ahead, as imposing as ever taller than I remembered, colder than I had prepared for. The guards didn’t recognize me under the travel cloak and the hood shadowing my face. That worked to my advantage. My heart was pounding so hard it made my chest ache. I wasn’t ready. Not for his eyes. Not for his voice. Not for what I might find.
"System." I whispered under my breath as I slipped through a side passage a merchant had let me through. "Get me to his room without being noticed."
"System Notification: Activating ’shadow steps – Level 1. Stealth increased. Guard awareness decreased for 10 minutes."System said.
"Oh-ho-ho." God’s voice sing songed through my mind, lazy and far too entertained. "Sneaking into a man’s room under cover of magic. Mei Shen, are you trying to awaken his deepest fantasies?"
"Shut up." I hissed. "I’m not here to seduce him."
"Sure, sure. Just secretly entering his bedroom after months of silence. Totally innocent."He grinned in my head.