Chapter LXXVII - The Black Sparrows Interest
The stolen letter should have disappeared.
Burned. Discarded. Forgotten.
Instead—
the Black Sparrow kept it.
Folded carefully inside her sleeve.
Which was perhaps the strangest thing she had done in years.
Because she was an assassin.
A spy.
A woman who survived three kingdoms by trusting no one.
Yet somehow—
Prince Rui's ridiculous love letter amused her.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
—
Three nights later, another message reached Prince Rui's northern camp.
Not from the capital.
Not from military scouts.
From an informant hidden deep inside enemy territory.
Prince Rui unfolded the report beneath dim lantern light.
Then froze.
The command tent immediately quieted.
Because Prince Rui rarely froze.
The generals exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally one asked carefully:
"Your Highness?"
Prince Rui lowered the report slowly.
His expression had become unreadable.
The most dangerous expression of all.
Then quietly:
"The Black Sparrow is alive."
Silence crashed through the tent.
Several commanders visibly paled.
One veteran general cursed softly.
Another looked genuinely alarmed.
Because everyone knew the name.
The Black Sparrow wasn't merely an assassin.
She was a survivor.
The kind of enemy that never appeared without purpose.
Prince Rui's gaze darkened.
Because suddenly several pieces fit together:
intercepted letters,
enemy intelligence leaks,
strange movement near the capital.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Then quietly he asked:
"Any indication of her objective?"
The scout hesitated.
Then:
"No, Your Highness."
"Only one confirmed sighting."
"Where?"
The scout swallowed.
"Near Prince Rui's estate."
The room became silent.
Absolutely silent.
Prince Rui's fingers tightened around the report.
Once.
Only once.
Enough.
Because everyone understood immediately.
This was no longer military.
This was personal.
—
That same night, another letter arrived in the capital.
This one reached safely.
Finally.
Shen Li opened it beside the western study lanterns.
And immediately smiled.
Because the handwriting looked increasingly irritated.
A sure sign Prince Rui missed her terribly.
The letter read:
Princess Rui,
Someone stole this prince's previous letter.
This prince finds this unacceptable.
If the thief enjoys reading private correspondence, this prince hopes they choke on embarrassment.
Additionally:
This prince misses you.
More than yesterday.
— Rui
Silence.
Then Shen Li laughed softly.
Actually laughed.
Again.
The servants nearby looked emotionally exhausted.
Because apparently war had not reduced Prince Rui's hopelessness.
It had increased it.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
Then her gaze softened.
Because beneath the humor—
she noticed something.
The handwriting looked heavier.
Sharper.
Tired.
Prince Rui was sleeping less.
Working more.
Pushing harder.
The realization tightened her chest painfully.
Then quietly she reached for fresh paper.
Because tonight—
she wanted to write something different.
Not practical.
Not careful.
Honest.
—
Far away, Prince Rui sat alone inside his command tent.
The battlefield stretched beyond the camp.
Cold. Dark. Unforgiving.
Yet somehow—
he missed the plum blossom courtyard more than ever.
Dangerous habit.
Then suddenly a guard entered.
Urgent.
Breathless.
The atmosphere sharpened instantly.
"What happened?"
The guard knelt.
"Your Highness."
"Enemy forces moved unexpectedly."
Prince Rui stood immediately.
The general returned.
Cold. Focused. Terrifying.
Then:
"Where?"
The guard pointed toward the military maps.
The western ridge.
Again.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because enemy movements made no strategic sense.
Unless...
Someone was feeding them information.
Prince Rui's eyes darkened.
The spy inside the empire remained active.
And every day that spy remained hidden—
Shen Li remained vulnerable.
The realization made his mood worsen instantly.
—
Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse near the capital...
The Black Sparrow unfolded a second letter.
The new one.
Intercepted again.
She read silently.
Then blinked.
Once.
Because unlike Prince Rui's letters—
this one came from Shen Li.
And it contained only a few lines.
Your Highness,
The estate remains peaceful.
The plum blossoms have survived the snow.
This daughter misses Your Highness too.
More than yesterday.
Please come home safely.
— Shen Li
Silence.
The Black Sparrow stared at the page.
Then unexpectedly laughed.
Softly.
Warmly.
The sound surprised even her.
Because after all these years...
she had forgotten people like this existed.
People who still wrote letters like promises.
People who still believed someone would come home.
Then her gaze drifted toward the capital skyline.
Toward Prince Rui's estate.
And for the first time—
the Black Sparrow made a decision.
A dangerous one.
Because suddenly—
she no longer wanted Shen Li dead.
She wanted to see what happened next.
And in the world of assassins...
That kind of curiosity was often the beginning of betrayal. ??????