CHAPTER 49: GREETINGS, FORMER PRINCESS

Even her gaze was so cold and cruel that it could murder someone; just thinking about it gave him the chills.

’Looks like that kid will suffer a bit too much tonight. I need to prepare some extra ointment.’ The old servant muttered under his breath, clutching the small wooden box of salves and bandages tighter against his chest as he approached the annex. His steps grew heavier the closer he drew, his ears catching the echoes that seeped through the cracks of the weathered warehouse door.

As the servant got closer to the warehouse, the more he could hear the cruel laughter coming from inside. It wasn’t the laughter of amusement but of domination, of someone reveling in another’s misery.

Inside, the air reeked of rust and damp, the smell of old wood mixing with something coppery. The flickering light of a single lantern swung overhead, throwing erratic shadows across the walls. The sound of metal chains scraping against stone punctuated the silence, followed by muffled whimpers.

In the center of the room, a boy hung by his wrists, his thin body swaying weakly. Shackles bit into his skin, leaving angry welts. His clothes were little more than rags, stiff with dried blood. Strands of his black hair clung to his sweat-soaked face, and his wide, vacant eyes stared without comprehension.

The boy could not speak properly. His lips trembled, his breath shallow, but no coherent words came out. He only groaned softly, like a wounded animal.

Jiang Meng crouched in front of him, a riding crop in hand, tapping it lightly against his palm. Her lips curled in a twisted smile, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes as she tilted her head.

"Still not crying?" she cooed mockingly. "How boring. Aren’t you supposed to scream louder? Where’s the fun if you don’t beg?"

She lashed the crop across his shoulder. The boy jerked violently, his knees buckling, but he didn’t scream. He only clenched his jaw, trembling, his dull gaze fixed on some point beyond her.

The servant, lingering at the doorway, tightened his grip on the box. He had seen this too many times, Jiang Meng’s "games."

The boy wasn’t normal, everyone knew. His mind was like that of a toddler, simple and innocent. He didn’t even understand why he was chained or why he was in pain. He just bore it, quiet and unresisting, as though it was something natural.

That was what made it worse.

Jiang Meng’s laughter rang out again as she struck him, harder this time, watching as his knees scraped against the rough stone floor. "Pathetic. You’re no fun at all. Maybe I should call in the dogs tomorrow and see how you react when they bite."

The boy made a broken sound, a low whimper that cracked in his throat. He wasn’t fighting back. From experience, he knew that if he resisted, she would torture him even more.

But if he didn’t resist, she would get bored quickly and leave him be.

The servant shut his eyes briefly, forcing down his disgust. He could do nothing. No one could. Jiang Meng was untouchable here, the favored child of heaven, and the boy was just... nobody. A chained shadow in the dark, another disposed pawn of the nobles.

He swallowed hard, then stepped forward quietly, the floor creaking beneath his weight. "Your Highness," he called softly, bowing his head low to mask the tremor in his voice. "The ointment is ready. For when you are finished."

Jiang Meng looked up, her eyes gleaming with sadistic delight. "Good. Don’t let him die just yet. I’m not done playing with my toy."

Then she looked down, back to the boy who was almost half dead from all the torture, as she mumbled with an irritated expression, "Hmph! Just a waste product! Yet he dares to come to our Empire asking for my hand in marriage? This should teach him a lesson, so that he wouldn’t dare to even look me in the eyes!"

The boy’s head sagged forward, a drop of blood trailing down his chin, glistening in the dim lantern light.

***

There isn’t much time left for the Gates to appear and the start of the impending Apocalypse. Ling Yu didn’t feel the need to work on her homework from the University anymore. Instead, she started spending time practicing various types of weapons, training on her mana, and mana control.

Every day, the students who saw how hard she was working out in the gym couldn’t help but think that she was too frustrated to vent her frustrations here daily.

Though in reality, things were different from what they appeared to be.

It had been a week since the invitation arrived, and now, here she was, finally stepping once more into the gilded halls that now felt unfamiliar, like a foreign object.

The palace gates opened with a low groan, and for a brief moment, the sunlight glimmered against the golden spires and polished marble floors. Servants and aides lined the passage, heads bowed low, their voices echoing in unison as they greeted her.

"Welcome back, Your Highness the Former Princess." The words rolled through the air like a solemn chant.

Ling Yu’s gaze swept over them with cool detachment. Just a while ago, these same people wouldn’t have spared her a second glance; some even sneering behind her back, mocking her for her fall from grace. But now, their eyes shone with careful reverence, and their hands folded neatly in respect.

It was almost amusing. How quickly the wind changes when the throne wills it so.

Don’t they know that their respect won’t reach me anymore?

It’s too late.

’If they are showing such an attitude, then that means something must be wrong going around the Palace that needs me to resolve.’

Stepping forward, her boots clicked against the polished stone. Ling Yu was wearing simple attire, an elegant but modest gown in deep sapphire blue, her hair tied back with a silver clasp. No jewels, no extravagant ornaments. She looked neither haughty nor humble, only composed. The kind of presence that unsettled those who watched too closely, because it was not weakness, nor arrogance, it was the quiet authority of someone who could not be shaken.

"Former Princess."

A measured voice interrupted her thoughts. From the path ahead emerged a man in official court attire, his steps unhurried, his expression calm yet solemn. His robe was embroidered with the golden insignia of the Emperor’s Inner Circle, and a jade token gleamed at his waist.

It was none other than Huang Zhiming, the Emperor’s most trusted aide. Known for his sharp mind and incorruptible loyalty, Aide Huang rarely left the Emperor’s side. For him to come in person was not just courtesy; it was a statement.

He bowed slightly, the faintest of smiles tugging at his lips. "It has been a long time, Your Highness. Please, allow me to escort you to the Official Court."

Ling Yu inclined her head, her voice steady. "Thank you, Aide Huang. But I’d appreciate it if you stopped calling me a princess. I’m well aware of my identity. If you insist on doing this, then I can’t help but suspect something is wrong."

"...I apologize, Your Highness, if I made you uncomfortable. But it was personally instructed by His Majesty. I can’t disobey his order." Aide Huang was quick to pick up the meaning behind Ling Yu’s smile as he bent over to apologize.

’I see, so they really are trying to do something. I wonder what it is, though...’ Ling Yu thought as she dismissed Aide Huang from his apology. Anyway, he was following orders at most; she can’t blame him for trying to protect his head over his neck, can she?

As they walked side by side, servants scurried to clear the path ahead, bowing deeply until their foreheads nearly touched the ground. The shift in their attitudes was almost theatrical. In the past, some had whispered cruel names as she passed, and others pretended not to see her at all. Now, they bent over backward, as though even breathing too loudly in her presence might earn them punishment.

Her lips curved in the faintest trace of irony.

’So this is the weight of the Emperor’s will.’

The corridors of the palace stretched long and grand, adorned with murals of ancient battles and tapestries embroidered with scenes of imperial glory. Incense wafted gently from bronze censers, the fragrance subtle but unmistakable. Guards stood at every turn, their armor gleaming under the lantern light, spears crossed in salute as she passed.

As they neared the grand doors of the Official Court, Ling Yu slowed her steps.