Chapter 8 — The True Heiress Reads Fates

The moment the words left her lips, I knew the Empress intended to humiliate me. The noble maidens looked my way with complex expressions—some curious, some disdainful, and others buzzing with the thrill of a spectator waiting for a good show. I rose gracefully, a bright and easy smile touching my lips.

Since Her Majesty has issued the command, this humble maiden will gladly make a fool of herself.

I turned my attention to the first young lady in line.

You must stay far away from the water's edge in the coming days.

That young lady froze in astonishment. I moved on to the second.

Your current fiance will not do. You had better find someone else.

Her face flushed an incandescent crimson, while her mother’s complexion turned the color of bruised jade. When the third young lady extended her trembling hand, I studied her palm for a long while before speaking with utmost earnestness.

Your destiny is profoundly lacking in wealth.

Her eyes lit up instantly. Is there any way to remedy this?

I offered a bland smile. Gamble less.

She quietly withdrew her hand. The atmosphere within the banquet hall grew steadily more bizarre. Some suppressed their laughter, some seethed with quiet indignation, and others began to form a discreet line. The expression on the Empress’s face finally cooled. Then, the Crown Prince spoke up lazily.

Since Second Miss Shen has been so generous with her readings, why not divine the matrimonial fortunes of our third brother as well?

The entire hall fell into an absolute hush. Xie Linniyan, seated directly across from me, lifted his gaze to meet mine. I stepped forward, putting on a great theatrical display as I examined first his face, then his palm. His hand was remarkably well-formed, the bones slender and elegant, yet a deep, vicious fracture marred the center of his lifeline. Such a break traditionally denoted an untimely, violent death. But now, running parallel to that fatal fissure, was an impossibly thin thread of crimson—the lingering trace of the soul-binding cord I had tied to him earlier. My heart gave an involuntary flutter.

The Crown Prince wore a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. Well? How does it look?

I cleared my throat. Third Highness is blessed with exceptionally auspicious matrimonial fortune.

A flicker of genuine amusement warmed Xie Linniyan’s eyes. I pressed on.

His future Princess Consort will be intelligent, stunningly beautiful, exceptionally swift at drawing talismans and dispelling malevolent spirits, and above all, remarkably reasonable with her consultation fees.

More than one guest in the banquet hall failed to suppress a snort of laughter. Xie Linniyan chuckled softly.

It seems this Prince must cherish her very dearly, then.

The Crown Prince’s countenance turned pitch black. At that exact moment, every candle in the grand hall simultaneously plunged into deep, Stygian darkness. A desolate, bone-chilling wail echoed near my ear. A Dan had arrived. Inch by inch, she materialized from the shadow of the Crown Prince, rising from the floor tiles like a spreading drop of black ink taking human form. Her neck was grotesquely fractured, her eye sockets entirely hollow, and cradled against her chest was an ancient, weather-beaten bow lantern. The eerie, greenish flame shed no light upon her face; it illuminated only a pool of dried, blackened blood staining the hem of her padded red tunic. The mortals present could not perceive her form, yet they felt the temperature in the hall plummet to a terrifying degree. The wine cup in the Empress’s hand trembled slightly. I looked at her. She looked back at me. In that single, suspended heartbeat, I knew with absolute certainty that she was well aware of A Dan’s presence.

The Empress abruptly stood, forcing a strained smile. The hour is late, and We are rather fatigued. Gui Yi, accompany Us to the side hall. We have a few private matters to discuss with you alone.

Xie Linniyan spoke instantly. If Mother Empress has words for her, surely they can be spoken right here.

The Empress offered a gentle, soothing smile. What is this, Linniyan? Does My own son fear that We might devour her?

I was on the verge of refusing when A Dan suddenly raised a hand, pointing directly toward the side hall. Her lips moved in a soundless murmur, and I understood instantly. She whispered:

My bones.

Her mortal remains were hidden within that side hall. I batted my eyelashes at Xie Linniyan, silently signaling for him to remain calm. His brow furrowed into a tight knot. I shaped another phrase with my lips:

More money.

Xie Linniyan looked as though he had been provoked into amusement by my audacity, the lethal chill in his eyes softening by a fraction. After that, I followed the Empress from the room.

The side hall was utterly still, so quiet that the steady dripping of molten candle wax sounded like heavy footfalls. The Empress dismissed every servant in attendance, then turned her back to me.

These eyes of yours are truly every bit as detestable as your mother’s were in her youth.

My heart gave a violent lurch. You were acquainted with my mother, Your Majesty?

The Empress slowly turned around, the gentle facade completely wiped from her features. Of course We were acquainted. Had she not been so fond of meddling in affairs that did not concern her, you would never have gone missing all those years ago.

My fingers tightened around the concealed dagger within my sleeve. The Empress paced toward me leisurely, her voice as soft and venomous as a viper hissing in the dark.

Sixteen years ago, your mother stumbled upon the Duke’s estate using the life-pacts of infants to forge forbidden talismans. She threatened to expose Us, leaving Us with no choice but to have someone steal her precious daughter away, just to teach her a harsh lesson.

A creeping frost slithered up from the soles of my feet, making even the stack of talisman papers hidden in my sleeve feel as though it had turned to ice. As it turned out, I had not merely been lost; I had been stolen.

The Empress stared down at me with a cold, mocking smile. The only thing We failed to anticipate was that you would manage to survive, and even return bearing this crooked, unorthodox path of sorcery.

I forced myself to speak. The blind master who took me in back then—was that also your arrangement?

No. For the first time, genuine hatred surfaced in the Empress’s eyes. We intended for you to perish outside the city gates. It was that wretched blind hermit who rescued you, ruining Our plans twice over.

I drew in a deep, measured breath. Very well. Old debts and new grudges would be settled here and now.

Just as I moved to strike, the heavy door behind me slammed shut with a deafening crash. A circle of crimson runes flared into blinding existence across the flagstones. The Empress retreated backward out of the formation, her voice dropping into an icy register.

The dead can only suppress evil, but a living life-destiny can be grafted to replace another. Since you are so skilled at breaking malevolent forces, you might as well step in and supply the final vertebra of fate for Crown Prince.

A furious gale of nether-winds whipped through the chamber. The blood-red runes beneath my feet flared brighter with every passing second, and the yellow paper talismans in my sleeves spontaneously burst into a smokeless, phantom fire. This was no longer merely an attempt on my life; she meant to strip away my very destiny, tearing it from my soul to weave it into the Crown Prince.