The eastern wing was quieter than it should have been, which was always a bad sign. I stepped carefully over the polished marble floors, trying not to squeak or draw attention to my nervous pacing. Prince Jian strolled ahead, calm as ever, while Prince Lei followed behind with that infuriating smirk that said he already knew everything. Probably including how useless I felt inside.
When we reached the chamber the note had mentioned, my stomach sank. The desk wasn't in disarray—no, that would have been too obvious—but several important papers were gone. Gone. The treasury ledgers, council records, and a few other documents that would have screamed "minor catastrophe" if anyone noticed. And now, apparently, everyone had noticed.
Prince Jian's calm voice broke the silence. "Missing, you say?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the messenger said, bowing so low I wondered if his neck would snap. "Several key documents… were removed during the night."
My chest tightened. This was bad. Worse, I remembered the original story—the Yuan Wei in the novel had stolen documents. And now… all eyes were subtly on me. Not that anyone openly accused me yet, but the whispers were there in every glance, every tilt of a head.
I forced a casual shrug. "Accidents happen," I said smoothly. "Perhaps a clerk misfiled them, or a servant moved them without knowing their importance."
Prince Jian's eyes flicked to me, curious, but not accusing. Good. One calm prince meant at least some stability.
Then, of course, Prince Lei stepped into the spotlight. He leaned against the doorway, smirking. "Or perhaps," he said, voice soft but deliberate, "someone had particular knowledge of where to find them… someone who knows the palace well. Someone like… Lord Yuan Wei?"
I froze, blinking rapidly. The casual accusation didn't help. I had no proof, no witnesses, and—most importantly—if I contradicted him, I could end up looking guilty. "I—" I started, but he cut me off before I could even form a sensible excuse.
"Ah," he said smoothly, almost like he was humoring me, "but why argue? We know you were elsewhere last night."
I blinked. "Elsewhere?"
He leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough to make me tense. "With me, of course. Drinking and chatting in my chambers. No one could accuse you if you were… indisputably accounted for."
I wanted to scream internally. That had not happened. Not in the slightest. But saying it aloud would make me look suspicious. So I kept my expression neutral and nodded. "Ah… yes, Your Highness. How convenient."
Prince Lei's smirk widened faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes. Too casual. Too soft. That leniency was dangerous. It was almost as if he was giving me rope to hang myself later.
Prince Jian, apparently satisfied, didn't press. "Then the matter is… settled for now. Still, we must locate the missing papers."
I edged closer to the desk, pretending to inspect the remaining ledgers while mentally calculating my next move. Someone had stolen them deliberately. And no one had seen anything. Convenient for Prince Lei, convenient for the thief, inconvenient for me.
"You see," I murmured casually, "these scratches and marks indicate someone dragged something heavy. They knew exactly what to take and where to find it."
Prince Lei stepped slightly closer, peering over my shoulder. "Hmm. Subtle. I like subtlety." His gaze lingered on me, playful but unreadable. Too lenient. Too casual. And yet, he had a point—someone was testing me, whether I liked it or not.
Prince Jian raised an eyebrow. "A skilled hand, then. Not Lord Yuan Wei, surely?"
I forced a small laugh. "Of course not, Your Highness. I would never—" But I caught myself in time. Never? That might sound like a defensive lie. I swallowed. "I—wouldn't risk theft in this hall." Neutral, safe, and vague. Survival first.
Prince Lei tilted his head, voice casual as ever. "Perhaps not intentionally. But one can learn a lot from observing… chaos."
I nodded carefully, pretending to understand his cryptic statement. "Yes… observation." Every muscle in my body was screaming that he was playing some deeper game, but I had no memories of what that game had been.
Prince Jian finally gestured toward the remaining ledgers. "We must ensure this does not happen again. Guards and clerks must be vigilant. And the thief must be identified."
"Of course, Your Highness," I said. I could feel sweat at the back of my neck. If Prince Lei hadn't interceded, I might already be under harsh questioning.
"Relax," Prince Lei said smoothly, leaning against the wall again, arms crossed. "The situation has been… handled. You were with me, weren't you?"
I blinked again. "Yes… with you." My voice sounded far too even. I wanted to protest, to argue, to point out the lie—but that would make me look guilty. Better to nod, smile, and survive.
Prince Lei's smirk lingered. "Good. That simplifies things. Now we can focus on… other matters."
I forced a polite smile, but suspicion boiled under the surface. Too lenient. Way too casual. He knows more than he's letting on. And that leniency? Dangerous.
Prince Jian glanced between us, calm as ever. "Then let us continue. Yuan Wei, assist where needed. Observe, note, and report anything unusual."
I nodded, keeping my tone polite while my mind raced. Assist. Observe. Survive. Repeat.
I moved toward the desk again, pretending to scrutinize every inch. My fingers hovered over the marble scratches, tracing the path someone had dragged the documents. Whoever it was knew the palace well, knew how to leave no witnesses, and knew the perfect amount of subtlety to avoid suspicion.
Prince Lei lingered, his gaze on me, faintly amused. "You are sharper than I remembered… or perhaps sharper than the palace expects."
I swallowed. Or perhaps I just look that way. No matter what, I couldn't let him know how much I didn't remember. That would make me easy to manipulate.
Prince Jian finally stepped back. "We will investigate the clerks first, then the servants. And we must consider who might have had access last night."
I nodded, keeping my face calm. Access last night. If anyone checked logs or questioned me, I had nothing solid to prove innocence—but I also had no crime to confess. Modern logic didn't work here. Charm and quick thinking did.
Prince Lei's voice was softer now, almost conspiratorial. "Sometimes observing the fallout teaches more than the theft itself. You've learned this lesson already, haven't you, Yuan Wei?"
I blinked, swallowing hard. "I… believe I have, Your Highness."
He gave a faint smirk and stepped back, almost too casual, and I felt that familiar tickle of unease in my gut. Leniency like that wasn't generosity—it was testing, watching, calculating. And I had no idea what the correct response was.
The crown prince, seemingly unaware of the subtle game, nodded at me. "Then we proceed with caution. Your attention to detail will be appreciated."
I nodded again, hiding the tight coil of panic twisting in my stomach. I had survived the courtyard, the initial accusations, and the discovery of missing documents. Now the real danger was the subtle observation of Prince Lei. He was too calm, too smooth, too willing to let me slip by. That could only mean he had something planned.
As we exited the chamber, sunlight streaming back into the corridor, I exhaled silently. I had survived this round. The game was only just beginning. Someone had stolen the documents, Prince Lei was suspiciously lenient, and I was still the prime suspect in a palace that loved accusations but rarely forgave mistakes.
I knew one thing for certain: charm, wit, and an endless supply of plausible explanations were now my lifelines. And the longer Prince Lei lingered on me, that smirk playing on his lips, the more I realized that this game was far from over—and I had no idea if I would ever know all the rules.
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✅ Chapter 3 Highlights (1,700 words)
Eastern wing: important papers missing
MC realizes palace suspects him due to original Yuan Wei's history
Prince Lei casually dismisses accusation with false alibi
MC knows it's a lie but must remain silent
Tension and suspicion of Prince Lei's unusual leniency
Comedic/dramatic MC POV maintained
Forward-moving plot with suspense and palace intrigue
Ends with cliffhanger: MC unsure what Prince Lei is planning