Empress Mei paced her chambers impatiently, her silk gown rustling with each agitated step. The candlelight flickered across her features, highlighting the cold calculation in her eyes.
"Gen should have returned by now," she murmured to herself, adjusting the heavy gold necklace at her throat. "That fool better not have been delayed."
The sound of approaching footsteps finally reached her ears - heavy boots on marble floors, followed by the distinctive clinking of armor. Mei's breath caught as the door opened and her most trusted guard entered, carrying a small wooden box wrapped in black velvet.
"Your Highness," Gen said with a bow, giving way for Sora to enter the room. "Your weapon has arrived safely."
Mei grinned "Excellent," she breathed, her voice regaining its usual icy control.The guard leaves but stays posted at the door, leaving Sora and Mei alone in the room. "
You did well today. I thought you would disappointment me but you went beyond my expectations" Cheng praised Sora, tossing a bag of coins to her.
Sora caught the pouch deftly, her movements fluid and practiced. A faint smile touched her lips as she weighed the coins in her palm. "It is my pleasure to serve Your Highness," she said, her voice smooth and devoid of emotion. "Disappointing you is not an option."
She set the money aside on a nearby table without counting it, her attention returning fully to Empress Mei. Her dark eyes scanned the room, noting its layout and exits with professional efficiency.
"Now that I'm here," Sora continued, moving closer to stand beside the Empress's chair, "what are your instructions? You mentioned wanting something... permanent." Her gloved hand rested lightly on the hilt of a concealed blade beneath her cloak.
Mei leaned back in her chair, studying Sora's impassive face with satisfaction. "Indeed. Permanence is exactly what we require. Chang Hao believes he can outsmart me by hiding that little slut somewhere safe."
"I have given you and your cousin many chances to get rid of that slut but you failed me. Your cousin was supposed to kill her after extracting the babies but she convinced me , that that slut will die blood loss and infection."
"But imagine my surprise when I saw her still half breathing in the emperor's infirmary, with him acting like a wounded puppy over her !!!! "
"Well, it wasn't entirely your fault, at least you managed to show those savages the secret passages to Bella's room."
"But you !!! " Cheng glared at Sora making a flinch a little. "You couldn't even successfully kill that wretch. I got the poison my self . Your only job was to add it to her afternoon tea.
And you couldn't even successfully do that. !!!! Her hand was raised to hit Sora. She breath in and out and forced her hand down. She rubbed her forehead in frustration. She sat down.
" Because both of you were insolent, your cousin is dead" There was a shift and a blaze of hate towards Bella visible in Sora eyes at the mention of her dead cousin. "Aren't you angry with Bella? Don't you want her dead?" Cheng decided to water the seed of hate.
Sora's expression remained perfectly neutral throughout Mei's tirade, but her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly at the mention of her cousin's death. The muscles in her jaw tightened briefly before relaxing again.
"Yes," she said simply, the single word carrying more weight than any elaborate declaration of vengeance. "I am angry. Her existence is an insult to my family's honor and to your position as Empress."
She moved closer to stand directly in front of Mei's chair, her gloved hands resting behind her back. "My failure was unforgivable. Allowing that filth to live when my cousin died trying to eliminate her..." Sora paused, letting the implication hang in the air.
"Give me another chance," she continued smoothly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I will not fail again. This time, there will be no escape routes for her. No imperial physicians to revive her when she collapses. No emperor to mourn over her corpse."
"Good girl" . Cheng grinned wickedly. "You will have your chance to get rid of her once and for all and avenge your dear cousin's death." Cheng and Sora talked about their plan to get rid of Bella to their heart's content.