Autumn in the palace is quiet, too quiet.

You sit in the western pavilion, eyes fixed on the rippling surface of the garden lake. Three days into your marriage, and not once has the Crown Prince—your husband—spoken more than a formal word to you.

He does not love you. That much is clear.

They say you were chosen for your grace, your mind, your beauty. But no virtue can compete with a heart already taken.

Yu’er.

His personal maid. His shadow. His first love.

She finds you near the lake this morning, her steps soft as always. “May I speak with you, Your Highness?” she says, voice trembling like she's holding back tears. “I… I never meant to come between you two.”

You hesitate—but nod. Maybe, for once, she speaks the truth.

She moves closer. A gust of wind. A half-step back—Then her fingers clutch your wrist.

One sharp tug. And you both fall.

The cold water hits like stone. Silk drags at your limbs. You sink fast. You see her beside you, struggling—too deliberately. You kick upward, break the surface—gasping—only to hear voices.

Then him.

“Yu’er!”

You see Crown Prince Fengxian standing at the shore. His expression twisted in panic— He throws off his outer robe, dives into the water himself.

But not for you.

While you flail in the shallows, a sharp command cuts through the air

“Get Her Highness out.”

A guard rushes into the lake and pulls you to the edge. You collapse on the stones, shivering, water streaming from your hair and sleeves.

You look up.

Fengxian is already cradling Yu’er in his arms, pressing her to his chest like a precious jewel nearly lost.

He doesn’t even look at you.