THE NEXT DAY
EMPEROR LINAWEI FIRST PERSON POV:
I was lounging in the grand sitting room, surrounded by the usual crowd, soft laughter, perfumed whispers, silk brushing against polished floors. The other concubines fluttered around me like moths, their smiles practiced, their eyes hungry for my attention. I played the part well enough, sipping my wine, exchanging idle words, but my mind was elsewhere. Then a servant appeared at the edge of the room, bowing low.
"Your Majesty, there is news of Lady Mei Shen."He said.
A hush fell over the group.
"What of her?" I asked, voice calm but the steel beneath it sharpening.
"She has disappeared from the palace." The servant said carefully."No one has seen her since yeasterday's night. Only a few of her belongings remain."
A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth, bitter and sudden.
"Disappeared, huh? Like she was never mine to begin with."I said.
One of the younger concubines leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
"Isn't it odd, your majesty? You never seemed to care much for her."She asked.
I narrowed my eyes, pretending to brush off the jab.
"Care isn't always loud, girl. Sometimes it's the quiet things that burn the deepest."I said coldly.
The room shifted, the air thickening with surprise. The game had changed, this wasn't about power or pleasure anymore. I rose, suddenly restless, and faced my court.
"Send guards to search every corner of the city. If she thinks she can vanish from me, she's gravely mistaken."I ordered.
The laughter died, replaced by a tense silence. As the door closed behind the servant.
"You think you're free, Mei Shen? You're already trapped by me."I muttered.
The room grew quiet again, but the other concubines weren't about to let the moment slip away. Slowly, one by one, they tried to draw closer, light touches on my arm, coy smiles, the subtle brush of silk against skin. Their scents drifted in the air, heavy with jasmine and rose, but I barely noticed. Not now. Not when my thoughts are all tangled with her.
"Your majesty." A soft voice whispered near my ear. 'Are you well? You seem distant."
I forced a smile, but it felt brittle, like cracked porcelain.
"I'm… just tired."I said.
Another stepped forward, tracing a finger along my collarbone.
"Maybe you need someone to ease your worries."She said.
I pulled back, the edge in my tone sharper than I intended.
"No one can ease what isn't ready to be soothed."I said.
I left the room and slammed the door behind me, breath ragged. The scent of silk and perfume still clung to my skin, but all I could feel was the raw itch of absence, Mei Shen gone like smoke through my fingers. Gone. Just like that. No warning. No fight.
My hands clenched into fists so tight the nails bit into my palms. The court whispered, the concubines gossiped, but they had no idea what this was, the twisted hunger, the relentless pull that tightened in my chest like a noose. I paced the room, ignoring the cold stone beneath my feet. My mind replayed every glance, every careless smile she gave me when she thought no one was watching. Suddenly, a cold, mocking voice echoed in my mind Zeyrith's ghostly laughter threading through the silence.
"Ah, Your Majesty, how deliciously desperate you sound." He teased, voice like wind through bones. "Didn't think you had it in you. Missing a little concubine so much already?"
"You think this is a game?"I snapped.
Zeyrith chuckled darkly.
"Isn't it? Life's one big stage, and you're fumbling your part. If you don't hurry, she might disappear for good. Forever."He said.
My teeth ground together. She isn't just a toy to lose.
"I will find her. Wherever she hides, I will bring her back."I said.
The god's laughter twisted into something almost cruel.
"Oh, I'm counting on that. Your obsession makes the show so much more... entertaining."He said.
I slammed a fist against the desk, the sting barely registering. The obsession wasn't a weakness, it was a fire, burning hotter with every passing moment. I'll find her. Even if it's the last thing I do. I didn't even hear her footsteps, only the soft rustle of robes and the distinct scent of that powdered jasmine she always wore.
"You're frowning at that scroll like it stole your throne, my son."Empress said.
I turned sharply, temper still simmering, but I stilled when I saw her. The Empress Dowager stood in the doorway of my study, her sharp eyes scanning me with unnerving ease. Her gaze flicked to the shattered glass on the floor, an earlier casualty of my mood.
"Mother." I said tersely. "You shouldn't sneak in like that."
"And you shouldn't act like a lovesick hound." She retorted, stepping forward with her usual grace. "Is it true, then? Mei Shen is missing?"
I gritted my teeth.
"Yes. Left without a trace."I said.
She blinked, almost comically.
"She dared leave you?"She asked.
"She took four things and vanished into the wind." I muttered, sitting back in my chair. "Not even the palace hounds can sniff her out."
The Empress's expression shifted, just slightly. Surprise. And then… amusement?
"I always thought her quietness was a performance." She said slowly, folding her hands in front of her. "But now I wonder if the girl simply had a spine made of silk. Soft, but strong enough to slip through your fingers."
I didn't answer. I didn't need her observations. I needed results. She tilted her head, watching me too carefully.
"You've never acted like this before. You forget concubines within a week. Some last less than a night."Empress said.
I tensed.
"And yet now, you're breaking things." She added, glancing at the broken tea bowl on the table. "Pacing. Losing sleep, if I'm not mistaken."
I didn't answer. My silence told her everything. The Empress Dowager gave a soft hum. "Well… perhaps it's for the best."She said.
I turned my head sharply.
"What?"I asked.
"I have always feared your heart was made of stone, Lianwei." She said quietly. "But now I see you can bleed after all. If this girl has stirred something in your true emotion, obsession, whatever it is I won't stand in its way."She said.
I stared at her. This approval was the last thing I expected. Her lips curved faintly.
"Perhaps it's time the emperor chose someone not for status… but for madness."She grinned.
I didn't respond because I couldn't. Because her words hit too deep.
"Even your mother ships it. How poetic. "God grinned right into my ear.
I ignored him. But I stood, grabbed my cloak, and left the room. If even the Empress Dowager wasn't standing in my way, then nothing would. Not even Mei Shen herself.