The kitchen disaster had broken the dam of awkwardness. The careful, stilted politeness was gone, replaced by something lighter, easier. They returned to their afternoon teas in the library, but the atmosphere had shifted once more. It was no longer a battleground of wits or a minefield of unspoken tension. It felt like… a habit. A comfortable one.
They spoke of everything and nothing. Xue Lian complained about the ongoing "Artisanal Ice" trade negotiations with a dramatic flair that made Lan Yue snort into her tea. Lan Yue, in turn, began to tentatively share anecdotes from her training days not the grand, heroic tales, but the small, funny ones. The time a fellow disciple had tried to impress her by taming a spirit crane, only to be chased into a lake by the enraged bird.
Xue Lian had laughed, a real, unguarded sound that echoed warmly in the silent library. "See? Righteous cultivators. Just as ridiculous as the rest of us."
It was during one of these easy, meandering conversations that Lan Yue, emboldened by the comfort, asked a question that had been nagging at her.
"The library," she began, setting her cup down. "It's… immense. And the collection is… surprisingly unbiased." She chose her words carefully. "The texts on celestial history, even the ones about the great purges… they're not demonic propaganda. They're just… history. How? The previous Empress… she didn't seem the type for balanced scholarship."
Xue Lian's smile faded into something more thoughtful. She traced the rim of her teacup with a finger. "She wasn't. Her collection was mostly torture manuals and books on strategic backstabbing. Riveting stuff, but limited in scope."
"Then where did all this come from?" Lan Yue gestured to the shelves around them.
A shadow passed over Xue Lian's face, a glimpse of the loneliness she usually kept hidden. "Me," she said simply. "When I… came into power, the archives were a mess. So I started collecting. I sent agents to every corner of the realm, to mortal auctions, to ruined sect libraries, even into the vaults of other demon lords. I wanted…" She paused, searching for the words. "I wanted to know. Not what my side said, or what your side said. I wanted to know what happened. The truth, as best as it could be pieced together."
She looked at Lan Yue, her amber eyes serious. "It's hard to rule effectively when you're basing your decisions on fairy tales and prejudice. So I built a library of truths. Even the ugly ones. Especially the ugly ones."
Lan Yue stared at her, a new understanding dawning. This wasn't just a collection. It was a weapon. But not a weapon of war. A weapon against ignorance. Against the very foundations of the hatred between their worlds. The Empress hadn't just been redecorating the palace; she had been rewriting its entire intellectual foundation.
"It's why I brought you here," Xue Lian added softly, her gaze intense. "Not just to this room, but to this palace. I wanted you to see that the world isn't as simple as you were taught. That I'm not as simple."
The confession hung in the air between them, raw and honest. It was the core of Xue Lian's gambit laid bare. She hadn't just kidnapped Lan Yue for an heir. She had kidnapped her to show her a truth she couldn't find anywhere else.
Lan Yue's heart ached with a strange, bittersweet feeling. She thought of the charity event, the happy demon children, the efficient relief efforts, and now this a library built to house the truth, not a dogma. The image of the evil, tyrannical Demon Empress was not just cracked; it was shattered, replaced by the complex, brilliant, and terrifyingly lonely woman in front of her.
"You are…" Lan Yue struggled for the right word. "…not what I expected."
A wry smile touched Xue Lian's lips. "I know." She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper, as if sharing a secret. "Sometimes, I'm not what I expected either."
For a long moment, they just looked at each other. The space between them felt charged again, but not with the previous awkwardness or raw desire. This was something deeper. A connection forged in shared laughter over terrible dumplings and a mutual, desperate hunger for truth.
The silence was broken by the arrival of a messenger a young, nervous looking bat demon who bowed so low his ears brushed the floor.
"Your Majesty," he squeaked. "Archduke Jin and the council await you in the Sunken Hall. They wish to… discuss the allocation of funds for the new public bathhouses again."
Xue Lian sighed, the moment broken. The weight of her crown visibly settled back onto her shoulders. "Of course they do." She stood up, the Empress once more. "Duty calls. Apparently, the hydrothermal heating systems are a 'frivolous extravagance.' Try not to have too much fun without me." She gave Lan Yue a tired but genuine smile before following the messenger out.
Lan Yue was left alone in the library, but for the first time, she didn't feel alone. She felt the presence of the woman who had built this place, shelf by shelf, truth by truth. The unspoken library was no longer just a collection of books. It was a testament to its creator's mind, her heart, and her impossible, audacious dream.
And Lan Yue was no longer just a prisoner within its walls. She was its most captivated audience.