Yura turned her gaze toward the window, where the outline of a lifeless old tree stood. It's branches had long since withered away, bare and skeletal, as though plucked of all life. Perched along the twisted wood were black vultures, and at the very peak sat a lone owl, watching silently. The sight made Yura's heart sink. To her, raised in belief of omens and superstitions, this was a dreadful sign. Her eyes darkened with unease.
"My Heavens… what in the name of the Seven Celestial Gods?" Hanying gasped beside her.
The two exchanged a worried glance. Hanying then quickly reached out, tugging at the princess's hand. "Come, Your Highness. Let us have a bath. I've already prepared warm water. Let's refresh ourselves first and then find out what is happening, mm?" She gestured toward the wooden bathing tub that had been filled in advance.
Yura pulled her hand back gently. "I will take care of myself for now. Go and ask Jing if everything is well back home."
Hanying bowed her head with obedience and hurried out.
In truth, the princess had sent Jing on another task as well: to inquire about Yunxi. He had not seemed himself lately. His desperate yearning to meet an old friend had raised suspicion in Yura's heart. Something about his restless behavior troubled her. Thus, she had ordered Jing to investigate Yunxi's life in secret and find out what truly lay behind his actions.
She remembered clearly the words Yunxi had thrown at Jing the night they left after supper.
"You should not throw tantrums merely because you believe your dear mistress is flirting with me," Yunxi had said with thinly veiled irritation.
Jing had glared at him, eyes narrowing like a hawk.
"I am not interested in such things anyway. I already carry enough burdens—why should I add others?" Yunxi's words had been sharp, yet beneath them lingered a weight, something unspoken. Jing had stared at him long, as though contemplating whether to voice the thoughts that pressed upon his heart, but in the end, he had chosen silence. With a weary breath, he turned over pushed the guy instead.
---
As the household stirred awake, a knock came at the chamber door before it cracked open.
"Elder Brother, good morning… and good morning, Brother Yunxi," Hanying called cheerfully as she stepped inside. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, her smile brightening noticeably when she uttered Yunxi's name.
Jing, however, twitched his lips in disapproval.
Yunxi did not reply. He merely looked at her briefly, expression unreadable, before returning to what he had been doing. With that, Jing and Hanying left the room, their movements carrying a shade of secrecy. Yunxi noticed but did not care enough to pry. He had no desire to meddle in affairs that were not his.
Stepping outside afterward, he encountered Yura just as she was about to knock on his door.
"Brother Yunxi, I came to fetch you so that we may have breakfast together," she said warmly.
Yunxi gave a short nod and followed as she led the way. Along the road, Yura spoke excitedly. "I know of a place where they prepare delicious meals. You must come with me."
They arrived at an old establishment, no grander than the modest inn they had stayed at before. A woman approached their table to take their order. Yura, turning to Yunxi, asked softly, "What do you crave most?"
Yunxi lifted his brows in faint surprise. A slow smile curved his lips. "What I crave?" He echoed her words thoughtfully. She nodded eagerly.
"Fish. Fresh from the lake," he said finally, his tone carrying an odd sharpness. "I want to see it taken alive from the water, kill it with my own hands, roast it, and then eat it."
Yura's eyes widened slightly. To her, it sounded unsettling. She knew, as did everyone close to him, that Yunxi disliked fish since childhood. He abhorred the thought of eating something freshly killed from the water. And yet, here he was asking for it.
"You… do not even like fish," she murmured in disbelief.
The words caught Yunxi off guard. He turned toward her, momentarily startled. But before he could respond, Yura suddenly stood, declaring they would go in search of fish immediately.
Yunxi doubted they would find a lake nearby, yet to his shock, Yura easily guided them to a place he knew too well—too painfully well.
The waterfall.
The very same waterfall where the misery of his life had first begun. Memories came flooding back, sharp and unrelenting.
Yura, her face glowing with fondness, described it as a special place someone had once taken her to. Yunxi's lips curved into a pained smile.
"Han Ji?" he whispered under his breath, the name rolling off his tongue like a ghost from the past.
Yura blinked in confusion. "What? Han Ji?" she repeated.
"The one who showed you this place… was it Han Ji?" His faint smile lingered, though his eyes were reddening. "Ah… I should not call him by name," he muttered bitterly.
Before she could speak further, Yunxi turned away. Yura reached out, voice trembling, "Wait, did something happen?"
He halted briefly, but without answering, he mounted his horse and rode away, leaving her rooted to the spot.
Jing and Hanying exchanged a look. Yura quickly mounted her own steed and dashed after him.
"Princess!" Jing called after her, loosing a raven with a small scroll tied to its leg. The bird soared into the sky, carrying his urgent message. Yura didn't so much like wait, she rode her horse too to follow the man.
---
They all had spent the day searching for the man.
But Yunxi was nowhere to be found. They searched from the streets to the hospital, yet no trace of him surfaced.
"I cannot find him," Yura cried, despair shadowing her face. Hanying tried to soothe her while Jing appeared, his expression heavy. He drew out a sealed message from within his robes, stared at it for a long moment, and then stepped closer.
"The Emperor knows we are here."
Yura's head shot up in alarm. "What? How? I swore this journey would remain secret until—"
"None of us betrayed the matter. The Emperor simply knows. He has sent a messenger. He waits outside, wishing to speak with you," Jing replied firmly.
"The princess will not be seeing—" Hanying began hotly, but Jing cut her off, his voice sharp.
"This is a serious matter, Maidservant Hanying."
Calling her by her rank was a deliberate act, a sign that this was no longer a moment for sibling affection.
Jing opened the door, allowing the messenger in. The man's attire was dark, his presence like a shadow. Bowing low, he spoke with careful respect.
"Forgive my intrusion, Your Highness, for entering without invitation. His Majesty the Emperor has sent me to inform you that you shall not leave this residence until he himself arrives. All provisions you require will be supplied. Until then, you are to remain here."
With that, he departed.
"This cannot be!" Hanying exclaimed.
But Jing's gaze was stern as he stepped forward. "The Queen herself has ordered that the princess must not wander until His Majesty arrives. If she attempts to flee—or if you aid her—you risk not only your own life but the lives of our family. Do you understand?"
He left the chamber, shutting the door firmly behind him.