Chapter 232: Last touches
Wei Ling’s gaze lingered on Hua Jing, his brow creased with unease. He had seen her fight before, had watched the way she moved like a blade in the darkness, but tonight was different. Tonight, it was not palace intrigues or petty vendettas. Tonight was war—a war that could take everything from them.
"Hua Jing," he said softly, his voice edged with hesitation. "Are you sure you’re ready for this?"
He tried to mask his worry, but it was there in the tight line of his shoulders, in the faint crease at the corner of his eyes. She could see it as plainly as she saw the gleam of steel in the torchlight. She knew what weighed on him: she was a woman, the prince’s woman, and if anything happened to her tonight... how would he ever face Zhao Yan again?
For a moment, the question hung between them like the cold air. Hua Jing met his gaze steadily, her lips curving in a faint, resolute smile. "I am ready," she said simply.
It was the truth. But in the quiet space between her heartbeat and her breath, she felt the quiver of something deeper—fear. It pulsed in the shadows of her mind: the memory of Zhao Yan lying still and pale on the blood-soaked mat. The image haunted her, a wound that would never close.
To be honest, she thought as she tightened her grip on the sword at her hip, I am afraid. Afraid in a way I have never been before. She let the thought bloom in the darkness of her mind, allowed herself to feel the icy dread that twisted in her gut.
But fear was not enough to stop her.
This is war, she reminded herself fiercely. And if everything goes bad tonight... if this is where my story ends... then so be it. She would see it through. She would not turn away.
Wei Ling’s frown deepened as he watched her, but he nodded. He understood her resolve, even if it made his heart ache with worry. "Very well," he said quietly. "I will stand at your side. No matter what."