Meanwhile since yesterday, the emperor has been unsteady, anticipating to hear a word or get a letter concerning Bella's journey to the border.
He regularly visited the secret drop point where it was agreed that the letter concerning her transfer would be dropped but always empty.
He refuses to eat because of worry. Now it's the present day, he walks through the palace in determination to change and go check on it by himself, when Cheng appears with a suspiciously overly happy face .
Cheng's cheerful expression faltered slightly when she saw Lee Chang Hao emerging from the corridor leading to the private messengers' quarters. His usually impeccable attire was rumpled, his face drawn with sleepless tension.
"Your Majesty," she greeted him with forced brightness, adjusting the new emerald necklace resting against her collarbone. "I was just returning from the market. Did you receive news regarding Bella's escort?"
The Emperor's steps slowed as he approached her, his sharp eyes immediately noting the suspicious satisfaction in her demeanor. "No letters have arrived since yesterday morning," he stated flatly. "I'm preparing to ride out myself if there's no update by sunset."
Behind him, palace servants whispered amongst themselves about their master's mounting anxiety over the missing consort. Servants carrying trays of untouched meals passed by frequently, evidence of his refusal to eat or rest.
Cheng's smile tightened at the corners.
"Don't be so foolish. One wrong move, could lead to war" she said with a tight smile. He was about to reply her threat when she walked passed him.
Towards the concubines who now approached her , with happy faces looking at boxes of things she brought from the market which Aiko and Gen held, oblivious to the tension.
Lee Chang Hao watched Cheng turn away from him, her back a wall of indifference as she embraced the other concubines eager to admire her purchases. Their giggles and excited chatter echoed through the marble corridors, a stark contrast to the heavy silence that settled between him and his wife.
"War?" he repeated softly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge that made nearby servants pause in their tasks. "There will be war if I do not know whether the woman I love lives or dies."
He took a deliberate step forward, forcing Cheng to glance over her shoulder at him. The concubines quieted their celebration momentarily, sensing the shift in atmosphere.
She smiled at him. "You are being paranoid" she said.
Cheng's smile remained fixed as she addressed her husband whose jaw tightened, her tone dripping with condescension.
" My dear Emperor, you've been neglecting your duties worrying over a mere concubine. Have you forgotten your responsibilities to this empire?"
She turned back to the circle of admirers, selecting a delicate fan from one of the market bags. "Look at these beauties," she announced loudly enough for others to overhear. "Gifts for those who appreciate beauty and loyalty."
Lee Chang Hao's jaw tightened visibly as he watched Cheng deliberately ignore his concerns. "This isn't paranoia," he said through clenched teeth. "It's concern for someone I value more than any jewel in your collection."
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword instinctively, though he made no move to draw it. The temptation to kept off her head in overdrive.She grinned as she watched him touching his hilt.
"If I were you , I did not do anything stupid" with that she walked out on him, the concubines following her behind.
Lee Chang Hao stood frozen in the corridor as Cheng and her entourage disappeared around a corner, their laughter fading into echoes. His hand remained on his sword hilt, knuckles white from gripping it so tightly.
"Your Majesty," Gen's voice cut through the tension. The general had lingered behind, sensing the danger brewing between emperor and empress.
"Perhaps it would be wise to consider her advice. Rushing into action based on emotion could indeed have serious consequences."
The Emperor released his sword slowly, turning to face Gen with weary eyes. "You think I am paranoid as well?" he asked quietly.
Gen shook his head respectfully. "No sir. I believe you are worried for someone you care deeply about.
But Cheng is not wrong about the risks involved in declaring war over one concubine's disappearance."
" I will advice you to be careful and to watch your steps. We all know how the empress can be when agitated." With that Gen bows his head and excuses him self, leaving a thoughtful Chang behind.
Lee Chang Hao remained standing in the deserted corridor long after Gen's footsteps faded. The palace around him hummed with daily routines - servants polishing floors, gardeners pruning roses, courtiers debating politics in distant chambers.
But for him, the world had narrowed to this single obsession: finding Bella. His fingers drummed against his thigh impatiently as he weighed Gen's warning against his growing certainty that Cheng was somehow involved.
"Her smile is too sweet ," he muttered aloud to an empty hallway. "Like poisoned fruit."