Chapter 95 - 94: D-don’t come any closer!

Chapter 95: Chapter 94: D-don’t come any closer!

"Now, now, let us return."

Zhao Xinya was the first to move, dragging Zhao Linger by her right hand. "Father only allowed us to be outside for several hours. Any longer than that would earn me a knock on the forehead, and I don’t want that..."

Zhao Linger rolled her eyes and hummed softly under her breath. "O-okay..."

After all, she wanted to escape from this place as soon as possible. Along the way, Zhao Xinya would occasionally tease her about the way she had reacted to the puppet show just now.

This earned a soft laugh from Zhao Xinya and a weak grumble from Zhao Linger.

"Whatever you say, little crybaby."

"I am not a crybaby!"

"Of course, of course..."

Zhao Linger puffed out her cheeks in defense, and Zhao Xinya laughed again, poking her little sister in the waist.

Zhao Lianyu followed a short distance behind them, occasionally offering a remark when the opportunity presented itself, while Chen Rui maintained his position nearby.

Eventually, the lantern-lit streets began to grow quieter as the night wore on.

The crowd genuinely thinned, and the vendors began packing away their belongings.

Zhao Xinya looked toward the distant palace gates.

The four of them made their way through the streets toward the palace, leaving behind the lively city. Then, just as they passed a quieter stretch of road, a voice whispered beside Zhao Linger’s ear, "It’s unfair, huh?"

Zhao Linger’s body tensed as her steps faltered. Almost as if struck by an electric jolt, she twisted her head sharply toward the voice, her eyes widening as her spiritual energy rapidly circulated inside her.

There was no one there. The street behind them was nearly empty, faintly illuminated by the lanterns hanging from the nearby buildings.

A few pedestrians walked farther down the road, but none stood close enough.

Had someone spoken?

She glanced toward Zhao Lianyu, who was walking behind them, but she appeared to have noticed nothing unusual.

Chen Rui continued keeping watch over their surroundings, his expression as steady as ever.

Only Zhao Xinya had noticed her sudden movement.

She stopped and turned toward her younger sister, her brows drawing together in confusion.

"Linger? What are you doing?"

Zhao Linger’s head snapped back toward her sister, and for a brief second, she considered telling her sister what she had heard.

However, the words were caught in her throat, and she found herself quiet, unable to explain.

"N-nothing," Zhao Linger replied, shaking her head. "I was just randomly looking around."

"Huh... Strange. Looking around? Are you hungry?"

"N-no! I am not!"

Zhao Linger’s face went red yet again, and Zhao Xinya studied her for a moment longer, clearly unconvinced.

Nevertheless, she didn’t press the matter. Instead, her firm grasp on her little sister’s hand tightened.

"Stop overthinking things... Focus."

Zhao Linger nodded.

Zhao Xinya released her younger sister’s hand only after they had returned to their residence, reminding her to get proper rest before leaving.

Zhao Lianyu accompanied Zhao Linger inside, while Chen Rui followed Zhao Xinya.

Before long, the night’s disturbance seemed to have passed without consequence.

Yet Zhao Linger lay awake for quite some time, staring at the ceiling as the strange whisper kept replaying in her mind over and over again.

"Who was that?"

There was no answer.

But the same smiling mask came to mind, and each time she tried to brush it off, the things she had seen through the fortune-teller’s reading also came back to her.

"Urghh..."

She planted a pillow over her face.

"I hate this..."

Eventually, exhaustion overcame her curiosity, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

Morning arrived with sunlight spilling through the windows. Zhao Linger had barely finished washing up when she hurried out of her room, her eyes immediately searching for the familiar figure waiting nearby.

"Lianyu!"

Zhao Lianyu turned around at the residence’s entrance. "Your Highness?"

"Let’s go out, shall we?"

The words came so quickly that Zhao Lianyu paused what she was doing, seemingly wondering whether she had heard correctly.

"Go out?"

"Yeah!" Zhao Linger hurried over and grabbed her sleeve with both hands, her eyes teary. "Just for a little while! We can visit the markets or go somewhere else. I promise I won’t cause any trouble!"

Zhao Lianyu looked at her silently. Zhao Linger blinked, still holding her sleeve, and tightened her grip.

"Please..."

"No."

The answer came without hesitation, leaving Zhao Linger staring at Zhao Lianyu in disbelief.

"W-why?!"

"Because His Majesty has instructed me to keep you inside the palace for the time being." Zhao Lianyu gently removed Zhao Linger’s hands from her sleeve. "Yesterday was an exception granted by His Majesty. Unless His Majesty gives you permission to leave again, I will not take you outside."

"But I promise I won’t cause any trouble!" Zhao Linger protested, following her closely. "I’ll stay by your side the whole time, and I won’t run off anywhere. You can even hold my hand if you want!"

Zhao Lianyu looked at her.

"Your Highness, that is not the issue."

"Then what is the issue?"

"His Majesty’s orders."

Zhao Linger opened her mouth, only to close it again when she realized there was nothing she could say to that.

She tried another approach, looking up at Zhao Lianyu with the most pitiful expression she could manage, but her protector remained unmoved.

Even after several more attempts, Zhao Lianyu refused to change her mind.

In the end, Zhao Linger could only let out a long, defeated sigh.

"Fine... I won’t go."

"Thank you for understanding, Your Highness."

"I don’t understand at all," Zhao Linger muttered under her breath before turning away. "You’re just bullying me because I’m weak..."

Zhao Lianyu pretended not to hear her.

With nothing else to do, Zhao Linger returned to her residence, her shoulders slumped as though the entire world had conspired against her.

She wandered aimlessly for a while before finally deciding to climb one of the tallest buildings within her residence.

From there, she could see beyond the surrounding rooftops and gardens, all the way toward the distant walls of the Imperial Palace.

Zhao Linger leaned against the railing, resting her chin on her folded arms as she gazed toward them with longing.

The palace walls stood tall beneath the morning sky, separating her from the vast city beyond.

Somewhere on the other side were the bustling streets, the lively markets, and countless places she had yet to explore.

Compared to all of that, remaining confined within her residence felt almost unbearable.

"Ahhh... I want to go out."

A gentle breeze passed through the upper floor, stirring the loose strands of Zhao Linger’s hair.

Just as she was about to turn away, something white fluttered into the corner of her vision.

Zhao Linger paused.

A butterfly was drifting down from the sky.

Its wings were an unusual shade of white, almost translucent beneath the sunlight, and each gentle flap seemed to leave behind a faint shimmer that disappeared a second later.

"Huh?"

"What is this?"

Her disappointment momentarily forgotten, Zhao Linger straightened and leaned forward to watch it.

The butterfly circled once above the railing before drifting toward her, its delicate wings opening and closing.

She raised a hand cautiously, afraid that the slightest movement might frighten it away.

To her surprise, the butterfly landed on her fingertip.

"Whoa..."

Her eyes widened, and she brought her hand closer to her face, examining the tiny creature.

Its wings were so pale that the sunlight passed through them, revealing delicate patterns that looked like frost spreading across glass.

"Where did you come from, little thing?"

The butterfly fluttered its wings.

Zhao Linger smiled. She slowly extended her other hand, hoping the little creature would move onto her palm.

It did not.

Instead, it suddenly took flight.

"Ah! Wait!"

Zhao Linger instinctively reached after it, taking a small step away from the railing as the butterfly drifted past her shoulder.

She followed it with her eyes, watching it float toward the far end of the platform before making a lazy turn in the air.

Then a man’s voice sounded beside her.

"Are you really so bored that a butterfly can entertain you for this long?"

Zhao Linger nearly jumped out of her skin.

Her hand jerked back, and she stumbled sideways, her heel catching against the edge of the floor.

For an instant, she lost her balance and flailed her arms in an attempt to steady herself, letting out a startled gasp that was far less dignified than anything a princess ought to make.

Fortunately, she managed to catch the railing before falling.

"W-WHAT?!"

Her heart hammered against her chest.

Zhao Linger spun toward the voice, her spiritual energy surging instinctively through her body.

A man was perched leisurely on the railing a short distance away.

One leg hung over the side while the other rested comfortably against the stone, as though balancing several stories above the ground were no different from sitting on a chair.

His loose grey robe shifted in the breeze, and a strange smiling mask concealed his face.

The mask’s curved lips and cheerful expression seemed particularly out of place against the sudden tension.

He looked at her through its eyeholes.

Zhao Linger stared back.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

She instinctively took a step backward, putting a little more distance between herself and the strange man while trying to understand how he had appeared without her noticing.

Then she remembered the whisper from the previous night. The voice had sounded almost exactly like this man’s!

And that smiling mask...

Isn’t this the puppeteer?!

Zhao Linger’s fingers curled around the railing.

She could feel the cool stone beneath her palm, but it did little to calm the uneasy sensation creeping up her spine.

"Y-you..." she began, but the words caught in her throat.

The masked man tilted his head slightly, still sitting as casually as before.

Zhao Linger swallowed.

"W-Who are you?! And how did you get in here?!"

Her voice came out louder than she had intended, carrying a slight tremor that betrayed her unease. She immediately glanced toward the stairway, half expecting Zhao Lianyu or one of the guards to appear after hearing her shout.

Nobody came. That only made the situation worse.

Foundation Establishment expert?

She swallowed nervously.

Meanwhile, the man briefly shifted his hand, causing Zhao Linger to tense up as she hurriedly yelled, "D-don’t come any closer!"