Silence.
A suffocating silence engulfed the entire Star Soul Hall.
The Star Crown and Hellcat totems upon the vaulted ceiling stood mute beneath the dim light, as though they too were watching this silent judgment.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was like burning iron, fixed tightly upon her father's and sister's faces.
Shock, pain, and struggle flashed across Zhu Zhan's face in rapid succession.
He opened his mouth, as though wanting to say something comforting, wanting to weave a beautiful lie, even if only to soothe his daughter's shattered heart for a moment.
Yet the Star Luo Emperor's icy gaze, tangible as steel, Dai Weisi's increasingly deep smile filled with cruel amusement and the silent yet undeniable pressure of the nobles filling the hall.
All of it formed invisible iron walls that forced every trace of misplaced tenderness back into his chest.
Finally, just before the last weak spark in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes was about to go out completely, Zhu Zhan closed his eyes in pain.
As if exhausting all the strength in his body, he forced several words through clenched teeth, each one as heavy as lead.
"It is true, Zhuqing."
Almost at the same moment, Zhu Zhuyun sharply turned her head away, unable to meet her younger sister's eyes.
Her tearful voice choked with guilt and helplessness.
"Zhuqing I'm sorry it's true…"
Boom—!
At that instant, Zhu Zhuqing's world completely collapsed.
The final faint and unrealistic fantasy was personally extinguished by the people closest to her.
The calmness she had desperately maintained shattered like fragile glass, instantly filling with spiderweb cracks before exploding into pieces.
The light in her eyes the curiosity, innocence, even the fear and struggle that still belonged to a child vanished in an instant.
It was swallowed by a bottomless, icy, deathly darkness.
That darkness was so dense it could not be dispersed, as if even the soul itself had sunk into it.
Her tiny body swayed, as though it had lost all support.
Silence.
A deathly silence enveloped her, and the entire hall.
The silence itself seemed to have weight, pressing upon everyone until they could barely breathe.
Time became thick and sluggish, each second torturing her fragile nerves.
At last, after who knew how long, perhaps only a few breaths, perhaps an entire century.
Zhu Zhuqing gave the faintest nod, so slight it was nearly imperceptible.
That motion seemed to drain the last trace of strength supporting her.
She suddenly raised her head.
Without looking at anyone again, she turned and walked straight toward the heavy doors of Star Soul Hall.
Her steps were steady.
Her back was ramrod straight.
The hem of her small black formal dress traced cold, rigid arcs with each step.
It was a dignity maintained only through the full force of her will.
She walked past the nobles with their varied expressions.
Past the Star Luo Emperor seated high upon the main throne, and Zhu Yu with her unreadable eyes.
Past Zhu Zhuyun, whose eyes were full of sorrow yet who dared not step forward.
Past Dai Mubai, who was nearly collapsed in the arms of the guards.
Step by step, carrying a determination and coldness utterly unfitting for her age, she walked out of the hall that had just pronounced the verdict of her fate.
"Zhuqing!"
Zhu Zhuyun could not help taking half a step forward, her voice breaking with sobs.
Zhu Zhuqing did not pause in the slightest.
Her back disappeared into the blinding sunlight outside the doors.
"Sigh…"
Zhu Zhan let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his brow in exhaustion.
He looked toward the direction his daughter had vanished, his expression impossibly complex.
There was heartache.
There was helplessness.
And even more deeply rooted than both, there was an inescapable sense of fate.
In the end, he said nothing.
He merely waved his hand, signaling the ceremony's conclusion.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly loosened, yet an unspoken oppression still lingered.
The nobles exchanged glances, and whispers buzzed like mosquitoes.
"Another little Hellcat who accepted her fate…"
"Innate Soul Power Level Seven. Quite good, actually what a pity…"
"His Highness Third Prince Dai looks like that tsk tsk. Seems another pair of tragic lovers is beginning."
"Are not all daughters of the Zhu Clan raised this way? Back then, Her Majesty the Empress also…"
At the mention of Zhu Yu, many eyes instinctively turned toward the main seat.
Zhu Yu's expression remained calm. Her bare feet rested upon the cold floor, as though everything that had just happened had nothing to do with her.
She merely tilted her head slightly, whispered a few words to the Star Luo Emperor, then rose and departed with elegant grace.
Her departure seemed to place an even colder full stop upon this drama.
As for Zhu Zhuqing's reaction, no one found it strange.
Throughout the long scroll of Star Luo Empire's history, when daughters of the Zhu Clan faced this inescapable fate, some had resisted fiercely, some had silently submitted, while others had become utterly dead inside.
All such responses had long since been recorded, retold, and turned into nothing more than sigh-worthy gossip for nobles over tea.
Was it not said that the current Empress Zhu Yu, after her own awakening ceremony, had once locked herself in her chambers for three days without speaking, only to emerge later with that cold, distant demeanor and those eyes that seemed to see through all worldly matters?
Zhu Zhuqing's silence and determination at this moment were merely another similar footnote in this cruel chain of inheritance.
Pleasantries soon resumed, wrapped in false courtesy and cautious probing for advantage.
The Star Luo Emperor was the first to leave.
Dai Weisi followed closely behind, the corner of his lips carrying a playful smile.
Dai Mubai was practically dragged away while half-supported by guards, stumbling forward in a daze, utterly lost.
The nobles also dispersed in small groups, and before long, Star Soul Hall returned to emptiness and silence.
Lin Xia stood in the corner, taking in everything.
His arms were folded, while Larvitar rested quietly on his shoulder, its crimson eyes sweeping over the departing crowd as a low growl rumbled in its throat.
Lin Xia sighed inwardly.
This was the Star Luo Empire.
This was the cold marriage law binding the Zhu and Dai Clans.
Beneath Zhu Zhuqing's forced calmness, what kind of raging storm must have been hidden?
As expected, Zhu Zhuqing did not come to play with Lin Xia again over the next few days.
Lin Xia understood.
She needed time to process everything, to face the world that had suddenly collapsed around her.
However, after Zhu Zhuqing left, the atmosphere within the Zhu residence quietly underwent an extremely subtle yet suffocating change.
An invisible, icy barrier began spreading through the manor.
Lin Xia noticed it keenly.
He was staying in the Zhu residence, and as Zhu Zhuqing's only friend, he felt the servants' changing attitudes more clearly than anyone.
The wind had changed.
Zhu Zhuyun, the elder daughter who had already been highly valued and possessed greater talent, seemed to have had her status elevated overnight.
Wherever she went, the smiles on the servants' faces became more eager.
Their bows grew deeper.
Their greetings became more flattering.
Fine food, seasonal flowers, and brand-new furnishings were continuously delivered into her courtyard.
The servants competed for chances to serve her, as though being close to this future "victor" were itself an honor.
As for the remote little courtyard where Zhu Zhuqing lived, it seemed covered by an unseen shadow.
Neglect was the gentlest word for it.
Each morning, the warm milk that should have been delivered to her room became lukewarm or was sometimes simply "forgotten."
The lunch boxes sent to her were clearly reduced in portion size, and the dishes changed from refined meals to plain fare.
Once, Lin Xia even caught sight of one containing only a few slices of greens and a bit of white rice.
The maid responsible for cleaning her room had become perfunctory, often leaving dust gathered in the corners.
When Zhu Zhuqing softly pointed it out, all she received was an impatient eye-roll and muttered complaints.
"The Second Young Miss now has such an exalted status. Is this tiny matter really worth fussing over? This servant is busy. The Eldest Young Miss's side is still waiting to be cleaned."
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