*** GUESS FATE BROUGHT ME BACK ***
When I finally woke up from my long sleep, at first, I thought I was still in my chambers back at the Lian Empire.
The bed beneath me felt so soft and warm, almost like mine back home. For a moment, it never occurred to me that I had almost died.
And when Xiu Mei's voice drifted softly through the haze, I let out a tired breath and pulled the blanket higher over myself, ready to drift back to sleep.
But then, it came again, but this time it didn't sound like Xiu Mei's.
My eyes flew open instantly, and the unfamiliar wooden ceiling above me came into view. The air smelled of herbs and smoke instead of the sweet incense burning in my chamber.
Panic surged through me. I pushed myself upright too quickly, only to gasp sharply as pain ripped through my stomach.
"Careful," a deep male voice stopped me.
I turned sharply, and a man was there, seated beside the bed, one elbow resting lazily against the wooden chair. A damp cloth, folded neatly across my forehead moments earlier, now slipped slightly as I moved.
His storm-gray eyes met mine calmly. "You're finally awake," he said.
For a second, I could only stare at him, wondering where the hell I was right now, alone with this strange-looking man dressed in dark traveling robes, with a sword resting against the wall nearby. Loose strands of black hair framed his sharp features, and though his expression remained composed, there was something dangerous about him, something cold hidden beneath that calm gaze.
Why do I feel this much pain and so exhausted? I thought. How did I....
And then everything came rushing back to me at once.
The ambush, the assassins, the knife stuck in me. Xiu Mei.
My face paled immediately. "Xiu Mei..." I gasped, trying to sit upright again. "Where is she?!" Pain shot through my stomach so violently that my vision blurred.
The man reached out quickly, pressing a firm hand against my shoulder to stop me. "If you tear your wound open again, you'll bleed to death for real this time," he said flatly.
I froze, breathing hard. My trembling fingers slowly moved toward my stomach beneath the blanket. Thick bandages were wrapped tightly around my waist. Now the sharp pain, the exhaustion, everything suddenly made sense.
"You…" My voice came out weak. "You saved me?"
The man leaned back slightly in his chair. "You were half-dead when I found you."
Found me?
My heartbeat quickened uneasily. I looked around the unfamiliar room again, fear slowly creeping back into my chest.
"Who are you?" I asked quietly. "And… where am I?"
The room fell silent for a brief moment.
Then he answered. "My name is Zhao Ren." His eyes remained fixed on me. "You're in the Xuan Empire."
The Xuan Empire.
The words struck me like ice water. My body went rigid instantly.
No… No, this can't be happening. I can't be here. How did I end up back in the very place I had tried so desperately to escape from? How did I end up back here? Was this some kind of fate I couldn't escape, getting married to that monster and pretending all my life like I was doing just great?
I lowered my gaze quickly before he could notice the panic flashing across my face, my heart beating rapidly.
"And you?" he asked after a moment, his gaze lingering on me carefully. "Who are you?"
"And before you lie to me…" his voice lowered slightly this time, "perhaps you should tell me why assassins were hunting a palace maid through Black Peak Mountain."
Palace maid? Oh right, I was Xiu Mei for a moment. Definitely, he doesn't know who I am either.
I glanced up at him, and his gaze was still fixed on me, patiently waiting for my answer.
My fingers curled tightly against the blanket.
If assassins were already searching for the Princess of Lian, revealing my identity now before this strange man would be the stupidest thing I could do.
I forced confusion onto my face and looked up at him slowly. "I…" I hesitated weakly before shaking my head. "I don't remember."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I hit my head when I fell," I lied. "I can't remember anything."
Zhao Ren stared at me for the longest moment, as though trying to decide whether or not to believe my words. Then finally, his expression eased slightly.
His gaze drifted over my simple servant robes, the same clothes I had worn while pretending to be Xiu Mei. To him, I probably looked like some unfortunate village girl caught in the middle of a noble dispute.
"You were dressed like a servant when I found you," he continued. "You're likely from a poor household that got caught in the ambush."
I lowered my eyes quietly, pretending to remain confused.
"You don't even remember your name?" he asked further, and I shook my head innocently.
He sighed after observing me for another long moment, and then he said when he just couldn't find anything on me, "If your memories return, you can leave then," he added. "Until that happens, you may work at the palace as a maid. At least you'll have food and somewhere to stay."
"A maid?" I muttered too quickly, my jaw dropping. "At the palace?"