The chambers fell into stillness and silence after the doors closed.
No servants
No witnesses
Too still.
Even the faint sound of wind beyond the window seemed to have disappeared.
Wang Xinyi stood facing Yu Shayue, her brows slightly drawn, her earlier playfulness gone.
What remained was something sharper—
"…Now tell me."
A pause, she looked at Shayue and said
"…You're not doing this for peace."
It wasn't a question.
A pause followed
Shayue stood with her back half-turned, her sleeve shifting slightly with the stillness of her breath.
For a moment—
She said nothing.
Then—
Very quietly—
"…Peace?"
The word left her lips as if it did not belong to her.
Distant.
Almost unfamiliar.
A faint smile appeared.
Cold.
"When has this court ever chosen peace…"
A pause
"…for me?"
Silence deepened.
Xinyi's expression changed instantly.
"…Shayue…"
Shayue's fingers tightened slightly against her sleeve.
"They trained me."
Her voice remained calm—
Yet something beneath it shifted.
"Strategy."
"Warfare."
"Command."
A pause
"They placed maps before me… and asked me how they should win."
Her gaze lowered slightly.
"They gave me soldiers…"
A faint breath.
"…and told me to make them stronger."
Silence
"They let me believe…"
Her voice softened—
Not weak, but quieter.
"…that I had a place in all of it."
Xinyi's hands clenched unconsciously.
"…You did have a place."
A pause
"You earned it."
Shayue did not respond.
Because both of them knew—
That was not how the court saw it.
Then—
She spoke again.
"And when it was time to decide…"
A faint pause
"I was the easiest piece to move."
The words fell lightly.
But they did not land lightly.
Xinyi inhaled sharply.
"…They used you."
Shayue did not deny it.
That silence—
was answer enough.
A long breath passed between them.
The suddenly—
Xinyi stepped forward.
"…So this marriage…"
Her voice slowed.
"…is not surrender."
Shayue lifted her gaze.
Sharp
Clear
"No."
A pause
"It is a choice."
Silence deepened.
Xinyi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…You're going to the Lin Empire…"
Her voice lowered.
"…not as their enemy."
A brief pause.
Shayue's lips curved faintly.
"…Why would I destroy a place I have not yet seen?"
A step forward.
Her gaze darkened.
"I only destroy…"
A pause
"…what is deserved to be destroyed."
The meaning settled slowly.
Xinyi froze.
"…Yu Empire…"
A breath.
"…you're turning against them."
A pause
Her voice lowered—more serious now.
"…The Yu Empire."
Silence lingered for a breath.
Then—
She added quietly—
"…the people too?"
The question did not sound accusing.
But it carried weight.
For the first time—
Yu Shayue turned fully towards her.
Her gaze was steady.
Clear
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
A pause
"Never the people."
Silence deepened.
Shayue's voice lowered slightly—
Calm, but firm.
"They are not the ones who made those decisions."
A step forward.
"They are not the ones who chose to use me."
Her fingers tightened faintly at her side.
"And they are not the ones who should pay for it."
Xinyi's gaze softened—just slightly.
Shayue continued—
Her tone steady, carrying quiet authority.
"I have no intention of bringing suffering to them."
A pause
"If anything…"
Her eyes sharpened.
"…I will ensure they never have to suffer for the court's decisions again."
The words settled slowly.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
But absolute.
Xinyi stared at her—
Really stared this time.
"…You're not just planning revenge."
A pause
"…you're planning to take everything."
Shayue did not deny it.
Her silence spoke clearly.
A faint breath escaped Xinyi.
"…And rule it better."
A slight shift in Shayue's gaze—
Not pride, not arrogance—
But certainty.
"Yes."
One word.
Enough to change everything.
Xinyi let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head.
"…You're terrifying."
A small pause, then softer—
"…but if anyone should hold that power…"
She looked at Shayue with a faint smile.
"…I'm glad it's you."
Shayue said nothing.
But the stillness in her eyes—
Was no longer just cold.
It carried something else now.
Responsibility.
Then suddenly—
She leaned slightly closer, squinting at Shayue as if inspecting her.
"…Wait."
A pause
"…How long have you been thinking like this?"
No answer.
"…Don't tell me…" Her eyes widened slightly.
"…you agreed the moment the proposal was mentioned?"
Shayue remained silent.
Xinyi gasped softly.
"You did!" she took a step back.
"You actually heard 'marriage' and thought—."
She raised her hand dramatically.
'"Perfect. Let me walk into the enemy empire and ruin everything from inside."'
Silence
Shayue glanced at he.
"…Your imagination is excessive."
Xinyi stared at her, unbelievable.
"…That means I'm right."
A faint pause, Shayue turned slightly away.
"Not entirely."
Xinyi crossed her arms immediately.
"So you admit it's partly right."
A brief silence
Then—
Unexpectedly—
A faint smile appeared on Shayue's lips.
"…You always hear what you want to hear."
Xinyi huffed.
"And you always avoid answering directly."
A pause
Then her expression shifted again—
Softer now.
"…But I understand."
She looked at Shayue seriously.
"No wonder you accepted so easily."
A faint breath.
"You're not entering a marriage…"
Her gaze sharpened.
"…you're entering a battlefield."
Shayue's expression did not change. But her eyes—held something colder.
Betrayal is not forgotten.
It is answered.
A faint, almost invisible smile appeared.
"Then stay close," she said quietly.
"It will not be gentle."
Xinyi snorted softly.
"When has anything with you ever been gentle?"
A faint smile tugged at her lips again.
"…Still."
She stepped back slightly.
"If you're going to start a war from inside another empire…"
A pause
"…at least make sure and try not to burn the entire world while you're at it."
Shayue glanced at hr.
"…Well no promises."
Silence—
Then suddenly—
Xinyi laughed.
"…That's exactly what I was afraid of."
Shayue looked at her and give a faint smile while saying,
"Don't worry… everything will be according to I plan to do…"
Silence
"I hope…." A pause…
"…No…I am sure it will." She said with a smirk on her face.
To be continued.....