Chapter 17 The Conversation
The candlelight inside the room flickered weakly.
Xie Ning stood with his arms crossed, staring out the window. Only his clenched jawline was visible.
Rong Che spoke first.
He sat in the armchair, idly turning a string of blood-red beads between his fingers.
"Imperial Princess has always been frail and suffers from headaches."
"She ran away from the palace out of boredom. I ordered you to stop her. Why did you hide it from me?"
Xie Ning turned his head lazily.
"Imperial Princess is beautiful. I felt pity for her. Is that a problem?"
Rong Che laughed, but the smile was cold.
"No wonder you refused my offer before. You did not want to be her guard. You wanted to be her consort."
Xie Ning lowered his eyes and stayed silent.
Rong Che poured himself a cup of tea.
"You think following Imperial Princess will let Ling Yun Valley hide behind her and escape safely?"
Xie Ning shot to his feet.
"Rong Che, you dare!"
Rong Che only shook his head and smiled.
After a long moment, Xie Ning sat back down, forcing down his anger.
"Whether guard or consort, Ling Yun Valley still serves Young Lord. I follow only him."
"Whether you watch Imperial Princess as consort or as guard makes no difference."
Rong Che suddenly raised his hand. His gaze shifted toward the door.
I quickly cast a barrier.
Only after a while did Rong Che look away and snap at Xie Ning.
"Watch your words. I never told you to spy."
"I only worry about Imperial Princess. As her brother, I want to know she is safe."
"For now, I will overlook this because you can treat her headaches."
"From then on, report everything to me. Do not forget who you serve."
Xie Ning pressed his lips together and answered reluctantly.
"Yes."
Rong Che waved his hand.
"Go back. Do not mention tonight to Imperial Princess."
"If she finds out, things will end badly."
Xie Ning walked a few steps, then stopped.
"Last time, Young Lord said if I agreed to be Imperial Princess's medicine slave and gain her trust, you would reward me."
He paused.
"Does that promise still stand?"
Rong Che looked surprised.
He studied Xie Ning for a moment, then smiled lightly.
"Of course."
Xie Ning left without looking back.
I slipped behind the doorframe and watched his figure disappear into the night.
My hands and feet felt cold.
I did not notice Rong Che had come up behind me.
"Imperial Princess?"
He stepped outside and saw me behind the pillar.
"What are you doing here?"
I turned away quickly and wiped my eyes.
"I... I could not sleep. I came out for a walk."
Rong Che broke the silence first.
"How long were you standing there?"
"I heard everything," I said quietly.
Rong Che sighed and turned me to face him.
"Imperial Princess, I did not mean to hide it from you."
"I only wanted to make sure you were safe, so I asked Ling Yun Valley to find you."
"Xie Ning is my subordinate. He follows my orders."
"He did not tell you his identity. That was my mistake. I did not expect him to have other intentions."
"He saw your beauty and wanted to become your consort. You heard him. He only cares about money and status."
"I wanted you to see his true face earlier, but you seemed to like him..."
"I already know," I said.
I bowed to him.
"I am going back to my room."