"Liliana, the Grand Tutor gave me even more lessons today. Do you think he just doesn't like me?" Prince Allennon set down his brush and looked at the little ghost girl sitting across from him.
Lately, everyone seemed a little strange.
Liliana disappeared every evening for about an hour and came back looking downcast. He could tell she was in a bad mood, but she wouldn't tell him why.
If he ever found out who upset her, he swore he would wipe out their whole family.
Even the Grand Tutor was acting oddly. The lessons that were originally one hour long had been extended by thirty minutes. And whenever he lowered his head to write, the tutor would glance at the corner of the room with a strange expression.
Liliana looked at Prince Allennon and thought to herself that youth really was carefree. These days, she didn't know what was going on with Cassian. Even when he saw her with a cold face and obviously in a bad mood, he still insisted she visit him on time.
She found it boring. She had already explored the whole palace during the daytime. There were no other women around, and no one else could see her. She couldn't leave either. Other than chatting a bit with Prince Allennon, she had nothing to do. It was extremely dull.
She had been thinking for a long time and had tried several times. Since she first met Cassian and touched him during that garden incident, she hadn't been able to touch him again.
Maybe Cassian had some unknown power, or maybe it was the dragon energy that emperors were said to have. If she stayed around him longer, maybe she could absorb enough of it to touch him for a short while.
"The Grand Tutor is very knowledgeable. Maybe he just wants to help you learn more so you can become a better emperor someday."
As night fell, the palace staff came into the Crown Prince's hall to serve the meal.
Eunuch Kerian found it odd. The crown prince had been pushing dinner back by an hour for several days. Once the dishes were served, he would send everyone away and stay alone in the room. Sometimes, strange sounds could even be heard inside.
Eunuch Kerian wondered if the crown prince was feeling too much pressure from his studies. He considered whether he should report this to the emperor and ask for an imperial doctor to take a look.
Prince Allennon looked at the little ghost girl standing quietly beside the table. She picked up a delicate piece of pastry with her chopsticks, tasted it slowly, and then described the flavor and texture to Liliana.
Liliana thought about how she used to watch food videos when she was bored in her past life, and now in this strange world, she was basically watching a live version of one.
She had to admit, the way Prince Allennon described food and his graceful dining manners, combined with his good looks, made him incredibly charming.
If he became a food influencer, he would easily gain millions of fans.
"Liliana, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, women are rare. Usually, one woman will marry several husbands. What kind of person do you like?"
After dinner, Prince Allennon lay on the couch and glanced at Liliana, who was sitting near him, carefully asking the question.
"What kind of person do I like?" Liliana looked up and stared at the moon outside the window. In her past life, she lived twenty-six years, and she had been in this world for some time now.
As a child in the orphanage, she worried about survival. In school, she worried about her studies. It seemed she had never really thought about what kind of person she liked.
Her past life had been exhausting. In this life, she just wanted to rest and take things easy.
Liliana looked down at Prince Allennon. "I think… maybe someone who can afford to take care of me."
She suddenly remembered the couple that Cassian had executed recently. The young eunuch had cheated and fallen for someone else. She realized she could never guarantee that someone she loved would always love her back.
Forget it. She had never been in a relationship, and now that she was a ghost, the idea of love seemed even more distant. She didn't want to play out some ghost-human romance like in those stories.
Prince Allennon leaned on his hand and looked out at the moon with Liliana.
Liliana was the first person who had ever been this close to him. Sometimes she was so quiet, even when upset, she would just puff her cheeks and sulk without saying anything.
At the same time, he also felt she was very far away. Even though she was right there beside him, she felt as distant and unreachable as the moon outside the window.
His chest felt strangely tight.
"Liliana, can you sleep with me?" A pitiful voice came from behind.
It was happening again. Ever since she didn't reject the little brat's request last time, he had become bold, constantly begging her to sleep beside him. He looked as pitiful as a puppy, saying he couldn't sleep without her, and that he'd have nightmares.
Seeing Liliana not moving, Prince Allennon propped himself up with both hands. "Sister, do you really have the heart to let me stay up all night? If I don't sleep well, I'll be tired in class tomorrow and the tutor will punish me."
Liliana couldn't bear it. That pitiful puppy face, calling her "sister" again and again. She had to admit, she had a soft spot for weak and needy ones.
Forget it. She was just a ghost anyway, and the kid was just a lonely, underdeveloped little boy who had lacked love since childhood.
She lay down on the inside of the bed. "Blow out the candle and sleep."
With the candle out, Prince Allennon grinned like a little cat who had just snuck some food. He always knew Liliana was this gentle. It seemed she never really turned down any of his requests.
He looked at the moon outside the window, then turned his gaze to Liliana's pale, smooth face, sketching her features in his mind.
Outside the Imperial Study, Eunuch Kerian was holding a bowl of herbal soup. "Your Majesty, you've had trouble sleeping recently. It might harm your health. The Imperial Hospital prepared this sleep aid."
"Take it away." Before Eunuch Kerian could finish, Cassian's voice came from inside the room. Eunuch Kerian turned and left with the soup.
Inside the Imperial Study, instead of official documents on the emperor's desk, there was a painting. In the painting, a woman wore a simple blue dress, her figure graceful. But her face was blank.
Cassian thought he must have gone mad these days. He knew the little ghost was unhappy being around him. He knew he shouldn't fall for her. Yet he still kept her by his side while he worked, as if torturing himself.
He didn't even realize when he had memorized her face well enough to paint it.
He opened his left hand. There were deep crescent-shaped marks left by his own fingernails.
He put the painting away in a silk box and took a deep breath.
"Kerian."
The head eunuch heard the emperor's voice and quickly entered the room.
"Tomorrow, bring me the portraits and records of all suitable marriage candidates."
"Yes."
"And bring the imperial astrologer from the Astronomical Bureau."
"Yes." Kerian was confused. There was no festival or ceremony, so why call the imperial astrologer?
Cassian looked up at the same moon outside the window. He turned his back to it. Everything needed to end. He could no longer allow his heart to waver.
Short Scene 1
Prince Allennon: Sister, sister, please have pity on me.
Cassian: As a crown prince, how can you behave like that?
Liliana, look at me. I'm better than that annoying brat.
Arthur, the clueless Grand Minister and tutor: What's wrong with these two? Are they sick or something?