Su Shu was regaining her strength. The weakness which had held her down was disappearing, but her mind remained clear and active. She gazed at Prince Lei Yǔlín who was quietly seated in the background observing her with his golden eyes.
"Why did not you kill me?" Su Shu inquired insistently, her voice firm at last but infused with interest.
Yǔlín looked at her intently. "What do I have to gain from it? I don't want to get my hands dirty for all of this."
Su Shu scrunched her face into a frown. "They say you're ruthless, cold-blooded, and dangerous. Why spare me?"
Yǔlín's eyes flashed and a small smile crept out from behind his mask. "Well… perhaps people are right about me."
His response left Su Shu baffled. Was he being serious? Was he keeping something from her? She had no idea what to believe anymore.
---
In the throne room meanwhile, King Lei Moyao braced himself upright, his expression stern with wrath and anxiety.
"An assassin had breached the palace gates," he declared, his voice icy and authoritative. "Such betrayal must not go unpunished."
He looked at the commanders. "Double the guards. Look anywhere. Whoever hired this killer will be punished."
His eyes grew dark with suspicion. "If Commander Wuji is behind it, he will have to face justice. But otherwise… I want the real traitor to be uncovered." He ordered commender wuji to do something about it .
Silence descended and was only broken by the rush of footsteps as the king's orders were being carried out. Power dominated the palace, but secrets hid in every shadow.
In the silent room, Su Shu's mind whirled as she looked at the marred prince. The future was uncertain — yet one thing was certain: her tale had only just started.