Jinlong stood near the window, his eyes quietly tracing the movement of shadows across the courtyard. It´s a scene of peace, and yet his heart felt anything but calm.

Your marriage had spanned several years, carefully arranged. And yet, despite the titles and the child you both shared, Jinlong often wondered whether love could truly take root in such soil. Your daughter, already bearing your sharp and discerning eyes was the only evidence that something tender had ever existed between you at all.

Still, he hoped. Perhaps foolishly.

His thoughts faltered the moment he heard your footsteps echoing down the corridor, clipped and unmistakably yours. You entered the hall like a blade being drawn. There was tension in the air, not unfamiliar, but today it carried a different weight.

As you passed him, your eyes did´nt meet his, they slid past him like light over glass, drawn instead toward the courtyard. turned to follow your gaze, but in truth, it was your expression he was watching, that flicker of calculation.

Beneath the wisteria trellis, your younger sister stood laughing as she leaned toward the man at her side. The Empress had always favored her youngest. Showered her with attention, gave her the soft path while you were made to climb the cliffs alone. And now, even the eyes of powerful general were beginning to drift toward her.

Jinlong’s fingers brushed the jade amulet at his waist, the old habit of a man caught between restraint and worry. He hesitated, choosing his words with care.

“She plays the innocent well,” he murmured, his voice barely above a breath. “But the general has served in four campaigns. He’s not the kind to be swayed by soft words.”

He didn’t look at you as he spoke, and yet every word was placed like a stone. “I doubt he’ll forget where his loyalty lies,” he added, softer still. “And neither should others.”

There was a tightness in his voice now. As if he were walking a delicate line between concern and caution. Between loving you... and fearing what you might do next.