The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating. Jingyao stood frozen, his hand still gripping the collar of General Song's ragged tunic. The word Prince seemed to hang in the air, vibrating between them like a physical blow.
General Song didn't notice the tension. He was staring at Jingyao with the eyes of a man who had seen a ghost come back to life. "Your Highness... you're alive. My blade... I almost... I would have never forgiven myself."
Jingyao's gaze darted to Qingxue. She was standing by the hearth, her face pale, her eyes wide with what looked like total shock. In her mind, however, the gears were turning at lightning speed.
["Baozi,"] she whispered internally. ["This is it. The big reveal. If I play this right, I don't just clear my name. I secure his loyalty forever. Check his affection stats."]
["Host, he's at 92% and climbing!"] Baozi chimed in. ["He's terrified you'll hate him. Use it!"]
