Scene came back to the present.
Kenji, lost in his thoughts, was pulled back by Prince Tashi's voice.
"Kenji? Are you okay?" Tashi called.
"Yes, Your Highness," Kenji replied, blinking and trying to steady himself.
Tashi sighed. "I called you so many times… you didn't reply, so… whatever. Tell the kitchen to prepare some food for me. I'm going to eat here today."
Nyima looked up. "Tell them to make something nice."
Tashi cut her off smoothly. "No need for that. You're injured — you need something nourishing. Too much spice, or non-veg, may affect the medicine. Let them make something simple and healthy. I'm fine with it; don't make anything separate for me."
"But you just returned…" Nyima protested.
"It's okay. It's final — Kenji, you go." Tashi's voice was firm.
Kenji moved to obey.
…
Some days later.
The evening felt quiet and calm — the kind of silence before a storm. Everyone was busy with their chores when the current Queen (the King's second wife) came barging toward Nyima's mansion, her guards and maids in tow.
"Princess Nyima…? How dare you go against me? Just because the King supports you, you think you can do whatever you want. Come out — where are you hiding?" the Queen shouted.
Nyima heard the commotion from her room and sighed with disappointment. She turned to Pema, her maid. "Here she comes to ruin a nice evening. And what does she mean by 'hiding'? It's my house — should I not stay here?" Her voice was casual, edged with weary annoyance.
Nyima and Pema stepped out. The Queen stood in the courtyard, clutching a long ruler. Pema went pale at the sight.
"My lady, you shouldn't go to her," Pema pleaded. "Let me handle her. I'll say you're not at home."
"That won't work," Nyima said quietly. "I can't escape this."
Nyima walked toward the Queen. The Queen's face had turned hard. "Kneel down," she snapped.
Nyima stayed still. One of the Queen's maids lunged forward and forced her down.
"Your Majesty, you're going too far — how can your maid treat Her Highness like this?" Pema protested, indignation and fear twisting her voice.
"You — a lowly maid — dare to question me?" the Queen spat. "As master and servant, kneel down, or I'll wipe your whole family from this world." Pema went to her knees, trembling, saying nothing.
The Queen leaned in toward Nyima, eyes cold as a blade. "You dare to make eye contact with me? I want to gouge out your eyes — but I won't, in the name of humanity. You… a lowly girl, the illegitimate daughter of the King — you don't even know who your mother was. No one has seen her. Who knows what sort of woman she was, or what kind of relationships produced you?"
Nyima's face did not falter. "You're here for me. Why insult someone who is not alive? Get straight to the point — what do you want?"
"What do I want?" the Queen hissed. "What can you even give me? Your existence annoys me. How dare you kill those maids? Who gave you that power?"
Nyima's eyes hardened. "Oh — so it's about those maids. I didn't kill them; I punished them. They were weak and died later. Why should I be held accountable? Since when did Your Majesty start caring so much about maids who worked in my mansion?"
"No matter where they work, I'm in charge of the household," the Queen shot back. "You will pay for what you did."
At that moment Kenji stepped into the courtyard and watched from a distance, unable to understand everything that was happening. He kept himself still so no one would notice him.
Nyima answered, steady, "One of those maids is alive — just injured. She worked under Kenji and was careless; I punished her. Can't I do that?"
"And the other two?" the Queen demanded.
"They were caught red-handed by me, spying on my every move," Nyima said, her voice cold. "They weren't ordinary maids — they were spies planted by someone. I only wanted to warn their owner."
From where he stood, Kenji heard everything. A thought sliced through him — the death rumors Soren had whispered must be true. Beating someone to death… that was terrifying. Whose spies could they have been?
The Queen scoffed. "What nonsense. Spy? You know how we select maids. Everyone in the palace knows how ruthless you are, how you treat your maids, servants, and… your so-called guard, Kenji." At the name, Nyima's eyes flashed in shock.
Her gaze landed on the figure at the courtyard edge. The Queen murmured, speaking with venom, "Speak of the devil, and here he comes." Then she shouted, "Come here!"
Kenji flowed forward. The Queen surveyed him from head to toe, then ordered, "Show me your hands."
He hesitated, but there was no other choice. He held out his hands; his knuckles were scarred and raw, his arms bruised.
The Queen raised a single eyebrow and stared at Nyima. "How do you explain this?"
Kenji stammered, "I got hurt while practicing."
"I asked her, not you," the Queen snapped.
Something broke in Nyima. She lost control and, in one swift motion, struck the Queen's maid. The maid staggered, stunned.
"Enough of your drama," Nyima said, standing. "I didn't want to hurt your image, but you've gone too far. Do you really think I don't know anything? Those two girls were your spies. And it hurts you because one of them was your niece — wow, what a fine aunt, using your own niece for your schemes. How did you convince her to take such a risk for you? Ah! Now I understand why you're so desperate to find a wife for Prince Tashi — you're planning to pair him with your niece. But before that, you wanted to poison me using her. Let me tell you all…" Nyima turned and looked around at everyone — the Queen, her retinue, even Kenji — her voice rose like a blade. "Hate me as much as you like, resent me, but it's not easy to kill me. I'm not meant to die in your hands."
Kenji's breath hitched as those words reached him. She even doubts me, he thought. But I never intended that.
Nyima stepped close to the Queen and whispered hotly in her ear, "How does it feel to mourn for your niece — to push her to her death? I'm curious — how did you explain that to your brother? Oh yes, your brother rules a city under the mercy of his sister; losing a daughter would be no big problem for him, wouldn't it?"
The Queen's face darkened. She barked orders — her maids lunged and forced Nyima to her knees. Then, without restraint, the Queen beat Nyima with the ruler across her back. The ruler cracked; Nyima grunted with each blow.
"You maniac girl, you're getting on my nerves. I'll make you handicapped today. You even dare to slander me?" the Queen hissed.
Nyima's laughter cut through the pain even as the ruler came down. "Your Majesty, stop lying to yourself. You're more miserable than I am. Who knows when your past deeds will be revealed one by one — how will you handle them?"
The Queen couldn't bear Nyima's defiance. She beat her more fiercely. Kenji watched, his chest constricting. He tried to interfere, pleading with the Queen for mercy, offering to take the punishment himself.
"Don't interfere," Nyima ordered him, but he didn't listen. Neither did the Queen.
Kenji snapped. He drew his sword and pressed the blade against the Queen's neck. "If you don't stop, I'll make this your last moment," he said, voice low and shaking. "I'm just a lowly guard — my life is worth nothing — but imagine the Queen of Lumera slashed by a guard. How would that sound?"
For a breathless moment, everyone froze.
Nyima couldn't believe her eyes — she had never expected Kenji to go this far. "Take back your sword!" she shouted.
"I won't," Kenji said, clutching the hilt. "Not as long as she doesn't leave this place."
Nyima felt panic rise; things were spiraling beyond her control. She called to him again and again, but Kenji stood his ground.
Fearful of his impulsive act, the Queen retreated from the courtyard. On her way out, she fumed, "How dare a guard get guts to treat me like this?"
One maid tugged at her sleeve. "Your Majesty… I think there's a bigger problem than that."
"What?" the Queen snapped.
"That third princess isn't as simple as she looks. She found out about your niece, and now she's been brutally beaten. What if His Majesty finds out? How will you explain?"
The Queen's face hardened. "She knows the truth, but she doesn't have solid proof. She can't prove the girl was my niece. And about her — can't I just teach or punish? I'm still their mother, even if it's not biological."
"But…" the maid protested. "We'll be in trouble if the King learns of her condition."
"Don't worry," the Queen said with a sly smile. "There's someone who can help us."
"Who?" the maid asked.
"It's the Queen Dowager. I know she doesn't like her either," the Queen said.
"The Dowager won't dare to go against His Majesty," the maid warned.
"Don't worry. I know how to play this game," the Queen whispered, satisfaction cold in her eyes.
—
Back in Nyima's courtyard, she could barely stand. Her body was bloodied and bruised; the ruler had left angry marks across her back. Pema supported her, shaking as she tried to steady her mistress.
Kenji stood nearby, speechless and panting from his own actions. He had acted impulsively, and part of him expected punishment — but there was no regret; he was ready to accept whatever came.
Nyima's gaze fixed on him. "Do you accept the guilt of what you have done?" she asked, calm and cutting.
Kenji slowly lifted his head and met her eyes. His voice was low. "Yes."
"Pema — bring my whip." Nyima's command was flat.
Pema's face twisted with fear. "Your Highness!"
"I said, bring it," Nyima repeated.
Pema bowed, her hands trembling. She returned with the whip, eyes brimming but refusing to cry.
Nyima drew back and cracked the whip across Kenji's back. He fell to the ground.
"Get up," she snapped.
He forced himself upright. Nyima struck again, the whip slashing across his skin.
"How dare you act on your own?" she snarled. "Have you forgotten your position? Have you grown tired of living? If so, I will fulfill your wish — go to the next world and meet your colleagues there."
Kenji's voice was hoarse. "Say whatever you want, but they aren't my colleagues. I have nothing to do with the Ghost Vipers."
Nyima leaned in until their faces were inches apart. She fixed him with a steady, piercing stare. "An identity built on lies won't last long. No matter who it belongs to — neither you nor I — no one can escape the truth."
Kenji blinked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"Ask yourself," Nyima said.
He looked at her, hurt and heated. "It has been three years… and you still don't trust me?"
"Are you trustworthy?" she shot back.
She struck him again and again until his consciousness slipped away. The sight was so terrifying that Pema could not bear it — she fainted to the ground.
Nyima looked down at the two senseless bodies and exhaled a long, cold sigh. "So useless. Drag them out."
Some servants ran forward and hauled Kenji and the fainted Pema away.
—
Scene shifted to the hall of the Queen Dowager. The Queen arrived, breathless, and began explaining the events to the Dowager with theatrical distress.
"You finally remembered this old lady!" the Dowager said, amused but wary. "I thought you had taken me as dead."
"What are you talking about?" the Queen snapped. "You don't know how much I want to come here to spend time with Mother, but I'm so busy. There are so many things to handle — I'm literally tired. I can't even find time for myself."
"Okay, okay — enough excuses," the Dowager said, waving a hand. "How come you remember me tonight? It's late."
"It's true — I'm not making excuses. You won't believe what happened today. Just thinking about it makes me feel like I'll go crazy. It was so embarrassing I don't think I'll sleep tonight — it's been running through my head." The Queen's voice trembled between genuine worry and calculated sorrow.
"What happened? What's so serious that will keep you from sleeping? Are your children okay?" the Dowager asked.
"I knew it — you still care for me," the Queen cooed. "Yes, my children are fine with your blessing. It's just another problem."
The Dowager softened. "For a mother, nothing is more worrying than her children's health. So what happened?"
The Queen lowered her voice. "There's a rumor spreading that the Third Princess treats her maids and servants very cruelly. Even if Prince Tashi and Nyima aren't my own children, I see them as mine, so naturally I worry. The Princess never visits me or acknowledges me, and she always gets on my nerves."
"They aren't children anymore," the Dowager said. "They can handle their own problems. Stop worrying."
"It hurts my heart," the Queen replied. "Rumors like that ruin the image of my children and our royal family. How can I ignore it? I went to her mansion to check whether the news was true or false — and it turned out to be true. She killed two maids and one is seriously injured. No matter what they did, that was too cruel. She is so young; it could harm her image. I just wanted to teach her a lesson, so I gave a little punishment."
The Dowager's eyes widened in surprise. "Don't tell me you beat her."
"It was just a little punishment," the Queen defended weakly.
"How could you do that? She's just a child. You could have made her understand politely."
"I'm sorry — I was wrong. I won't do it again. I literally lost control. Mother, help me this time." The Queen's voice took on a pleading edge.
The Dowager sighed, incredulous. "You even dare to ask me for help… (she sighed) — say what can I do for you? You already punished her; what else do you want?"
"No, you misunderstand," the Queen said quickly. "I treat her like my own daughter; I don't take her words to heart. The main problem is her servants and guards. They are out of control — they dare to raise their voices against me and disrespect me in front of my maids and many guards. I witnessed it myself. No wonder she killed those maids — they deserved to die. They are getting more unruly day by day. Mother, please look into this matter. Her bodyguard is really something else — he even held his blade to my neck. Do you know how much he disrespected me?"
"Who?" the Dowager asked, narrowing her eyes. "That boy whom she saved from prison?"
"Yes, that boy," the Queen replied eagerly.
"I've always been suspicious of that boy," the Dowager muttered. "Isn't it enough that he got a chance to live? He even dares to disrespect royal members. I never liked him from the start. Why is she keeping him? I'll make him regret for living until now." The Dowager's tone was colder than before.
The Queen sneaked a glance at her maid and gave a smirking, satisfied look. Her maid hurried to flatter her: "Your Majesty… you are truly something."
—
The next day, the Queen Dowager arrived at Nyima's mansion.
She checked Nyima's condition and gently convinced her not to take the Queen's words to heart — insisting she was only a worried mother. Nyima said nothing but agreed to obey the Dowager's decision.
Then the Dowager asked about Nyima's guard. "He is getting more unruly day by day," she remarked, "and he should be punished as per the rules." She ordered someone to call Kenji.
A servant returned a short while later. "Kenji is too seriously injured — he can't get up. He can't make it here."
The Dowager's expression sharpened. "Is his leg broken? Is his waist broken?"
"Nothing's broken," the servant replied.
Nyima stood quietly, expression unreadable.
"Nyima, take me to him," the Dowager said.
Nyima's reply was flat. "Why give yourself a hard time? Someone just drag him here if he can't get up."
Two men went and hauled Kenji, dragging him until they dumped him onto the floor in front of Nyima and the Dowager. He could barely open his eyes but offered a weak greeting and knelt.
Kenji wore only a light cloth. Nyima moved forward, tore down his shirt, and, eyes on the Dowager, handed her a blade.
"Stab where you want," she said, voice hard. "Stab him, cut his throat — do whatever you wish. It's upon you."
The Dowager, watching Kenji's bloodied body and the wounds that covered him, was chilled and sickened — it was a horrible sight. She reeled and vomited.
"Who did this?" she demanded.
Nyima answered simply, "Me. I punished him for his unruly conduct and for showing disrespect toward the Queen."
The Dowager flung the blade back at Nyima and said, shaken, "Since he is already punished, I think he won't do that again. It is enough. My dear child, don't be so cruel. Why stain your hands? You could have asked others to handle it for you. As a girl engaging in such cruelty, you might scare your future husband. Be good, be gentle. Don't make this old lady's life harder when it comes to finding you a husband. Take care of yourself — you look weak. Go and rest; eat something nourishing." Then she hurried away.
One of Nyima's close servants leaned forward and asked quietly, "Your Highness — what if she had killed him for real?"
Nyima answered, certain. "She wouldn't dare. After all, she is the biological mother of the King. Even though I don't know her very well, I know His majesty. He is soft of heart. I don't think his mother can be that ruthless."
"So you already knew something like this would happen today? You punished him beforehand?" the servant pressed.
Nyima simply nodded and looked at Kenji. "How is he?"
"The physician said they're only flesh wounds," the servant reported. "They may leave scars after healing, but none of his internal organs are hurt. So it's nothing life-threatening."
Kenji lay there, and in his mind he thought, Just accept it. You can't bear to watch me die. Last night, looking at this injury, I thought you hated me. But now you saved me. I owe you too much. I don't know if I can repay you in this life. As the thought crossed him, a small smile tugged at his lips.
Nyima noticed. "You're smiling?" she said, pressing a finger into one of his wounds.
He closed his eyes, biting back the pain.
Nyima murmured, "Seems like this punishment still isn't enough for you."
Kenji lifted his gaze slowly, and with a flirtatious, deep look he said, "Yeah. Waiting to die in your hands."
Nyima's reply was a dry half-smile. "Of course. That day won't be far, idiot."
She turned and left, her long robe sweeping over the floor as Kenji watched her go, eyes lingering on her retreating silhouette.