THE REMAINDER OF the day was spent in peace. At three o'clock Myrina headed back to Chen'an Hall so that they could get ready to head out. She'd already had someone send a message to the Iron Wolves' headquarters for Rhys, Dominic and Ronan for dinner tonight, along with the restaurant. She had nothing else to worry about. She quickly got ready, removing some of the most elaborate pieces so that she wouldn't stand out too much on the streets, as well as putting on a silken pink veil that hid the lower half of her face, and they headed out on a carriage into the city. The silk veil would not hide her true identity from anyone, but it seemed more appropriate.

The market they went to was one they frequented. The moment they got off the carriage, the smell of street food immediately flowered towards them. Myrina's lip twerked upwards.

"Not too much food," she told her maids. "We have dinner in a few hours."

Chunju grinned. "Just a tiny bit, my lady, just a tiny bit."

"One or two dishes shared among us, perhaps," Myrina agreed. "But that's not the point of us being here. I hear you need new clothing, perhaps we should head to the fabric and clothing stalls first?"

"It's not necessary," the maid blushed. "It can wait."

"Don't be shy," Myrina murmured, "make a list of all the things you two want to get. I don't have much anyways, I'll just buy as we go."

"Yes, my lady," Chunju said with a curtsy. "I'd really appreciate it if we started off with the fabrics and clothes, ma'am."

"Then that is where we shall head."

While the fabrics and clothes they got from the Scarlet Palace would always be of higher quality and better handwork, they were almost always the same few designs over and over again, and felt more like uniforms than actual clothes. Thus, they'd all frequently head out to the markets to see what they could pick up, and then send to either outside or the Palace seamstresses and tailors to finish up. While Myrina was not somewhere with a massive wardrobe, she still had enough sets for someone of her position.

Chunju was clearly more familiar with the area than either Chunyi or Myrina. Chunyi had grown up outside of Hong Cheng, while Chunju had grown up within the city, the daughter of a low status official. The girl was currently fifteen, and Myrina would most likely release her from her surface in a year or two so that she could begin seeking a good match. Perhaps she'd request Myrina pick a husband for her, as some maids did when they became of age. Chunyi, on the other hand, was merely an ordinary peasant girl. Myrina wasn't certain if she'd leave at the usual age, or if she'd leave at all. There were certainly maids of lower backgrounds who chose to stay with their masters and mistresses for the rest of their lives, or, in the Scarlet Palace, married another servant.

Though it wasn't impossible either for the maid to attract the attention of an official or even a lord. Chunyi was Myrina's personal maid, and that was a possibility for her. She was by no means bad looking, and the fact that she'd worked under Myrina meant that she'd be viewed as someone with no difference to the youngest daughter of a low status lord or the like. And some men may view marrying her as gaining Myrina's support as well.

That was a choice.

But it wasn't anything Myrina herself had to worry about yet. If either of them wanted to go, they'd tell her. Until then, all she had to do was wait.

It was clear that Chunju liked brighter colours, but was forced to pick a muter palette as Myrina herself preferred lighter shades. But Myrina still gifted her a bright orange cotton that the girl could probably have turned into a jacket. A brighter jacket atop a mute robe would not be too unacceptable, especially if the mistress herself allowed it. Chunyi, on the other hand, dressed much like Myrina herself, in light pinks and blues and greens.

They did all their shopping at one shop, and brought enough that Myrina simply asked the owner to have the fabric be sent to the Eastern Palace for her, instead of having to carry them by themselves. Even if the owner of the shop hadn't recognised her, one glance at the clothes she wore, the accessories adorning her head and the way her maids were dressed was enough to show her status. A mention of the Eastern Palace and the owner's eyes had widened.

"Ma'am... if you don't mind me asking for your name?"

Myrina raised her head with a soft smile. "Myrina Mai, Countess of Li Han. Tell the guards at the Eastern Palace my name, and they will know where to bring the fabrics."

"My lady! Of course, of course, thank you so much for buying from us!"

They left the fabric shop soon after that, heading to the food stalls to grab a couple snacks. Myrina got a pack of candies, while both of her maids asked for some bing tang hulu, sugar-coated haws. With that they headed to the trinkets area of the market, where Myrina found nothing of particular interest, but Chunyi's eyes found themselves glued to a jade miniature of a pig.

Myrina raised a brow. It didn't seem like the kind of thing her quiet maid would like. "You want it?" she asked, tilting her head.

Chunyi blushed. "Not me... but my brother, he loves collecting jade miniatures."

"Get it, then. Consider it my gift for him," Myrina smiled as she picked up the miniature and asked for the price. It was slightly pricey, but at the same time nothing she couldn't manage. And she always liked to treat her maids well. Back in Mai Manor, the maids had sometimes been her only friends in a house surrounded by men who looked down on her. She'd always sympathised with them, and she related to them more than a lady of her rank probably should.

Not that she particularly cared.

"Thank you, my lady! I'm certain he'll love it!"

"I'm glad to hear that. Has he any interest in working in the Palace in the future?"

Chunyi shook her head. "I don't know, my lady. I think most likely not, he very much likes statues and miniatures, and he's quite good at carving and those crafty things. I believe he's more likely to become an artisan."

"That is a very respectable career," Myrina agreed, "especially if he likes it a lot himself. If he ever needs help finding a master or what to learn after, I'm almost able to help."

"Thank you so much, my lady!"

"No need for that. You're both my maids, and you're both excellent at your jobs. I know I can be quite cold some days, but I do really appreciate your work."

"You're never cold," Chunju frowned. "Quiet, yes, ma'am, but never cold."

Myrina let out a light laugh. "I'm very happy to hear that. I worry about that sometimes."

They kept on shopping. Myrina bought a necklace for herself from one of the shops she frequented that she thought matched very well with one of her dresses. At the end of it they each had a small basket of new trinkets, and they returned to the carriage, where they quickly hurried to the restaurant.

The restaurant was owned by a woman whose surname was Hu, and Ms Hu was all smiles as she came out to welcome Myrina. "My lady!" she said with a curtsy, "I'm honoured for you to be here tonight. How many?"

"I'm not completely certain," Myrina admitted, "but most likely around seven. And a table for the servants, of course." The restaurant had suites especially for people like them, with a main chamber inside and a smaller one outside for the servants to have food in as well.

"Aye, of course, of course," Ms Hu said, nodding furiously as she turned to her employees and gave them instructions to quickly arrange everything. "This way, please."

Even though it was still early, Huan Xiang Lou was already filled with people inside. The main dining rooms were already crammed, and the smell of food flowed upwards to where Myrina followed Mrs Hu into a private suite. She was, as expected, the first one there, so she took the chance to glance at the menu and picked off the few dishes she knew her friends would most definitely order, as well as the dishes she wanted to try, and told Mrs Hu to have the cooks start with that. Her friends would most likely arrive soon.

A little while later, Asteria and Justine were the first people to arrive. Justine brought no maid, and Asteria's was directed to the room outside.

"Myrina!" Justine said with a grin. "I'm so glad you called us out tonight, I was dying inside the Palace."

Myrina beamed back. "With Rhys and Dom finally back, I thought it was about time for us to have a meal outside of the Palace. And I'd heard that the restaurant released a few new dishes. I've already ordered your hand-teared chicken, by the way. And your pig lung soup, Asteria."

"Your memory," Asteria said, shaking her head. "I assume you got Malcolm's fish as well."

"I did. Steamed fish for Malcolm Man. And roasted squab for Ryan." Ryan considered himself a connoisseur of good food, which was also one of the reasons why they rarely ate outside of the Palace—because Ryan had all the Palace cooks trained to be the absolute best they could be. But even he admitted that the roasted squab at Hua Xiang Lou was unbeatable, so he was still more than happy to come out with them every once in a while for a happy dinner.

The three women began to chat away, and a little bit after Ryan and Malcolm came in, looking rather pleased with themselves. But none of the women asked, because the moment they did they wouldn't be able to stop talking about what sort of important thing they'd managed to get into today. And then they'd have to awkwardly stop mid-discussion because they were outside of the Palace and couldn't reveal too much without it being a danger.

It was why they preferred staying in, even if it got boring. It wasn't safe, and they had to be so careful.

Rhys and Dom were the last to arrive, which was expected, because they'd have only arrived back in the Palace a mere few hours ago. They had probably dropped off their things and immediately came here.

Asteria raised her brow as the two walked in. "How was it?"

"Went perfectly well," Rhys grinned. "Don't you worry. We handled it amazingly, as always."

"That is excellent to hear," Ryan said, smiling. "Sit down now, Myrina already ordered you guys your favourites. I'm sure it's coming soon."

"It better," Dom snorted. "I'm starving."

"Long journey?" Myrina inquired.

Rhys raised five fingers. "Five hour carriage journey straight for today, not to mention the one from yesterday. It's been a tiring while, not going to lie. I love travelling, but god, sitting in a carriage for so long is just unbearable. And it would be even worse riding the whole way through it. My bum would be so sore."

"Fair enough," Malcolm hummed. "But hey, you're back. I'm sure we can get tomorrow cleared for you two so that you can have a good night's rest."

"That would be extremely appreciated," Dom responded. "I'm genuinely just exhausted."

"That is not a shock to anyone, I think," Malcolm mused. "Just enjoy the food."

They never held back when ordering, especially when Ryan was there, because they knew they could finish it and the bill just went on the Palace spendings, and it was never that expensive. It was always bearable. Which was why Myrina didn't worry that anyone might have changed their taste or wanted to try something new—they could just add it onto what they'd already ordered.

The first dish was the soup Asteria loved—almond pig lung soup. Huan Xiang Lou had always been quite good at cooking it, and while it was by no means a luxurious dish, it was very difficult to make. So more often than not, Asteria was only able to have it outside of the Palace or her father's manor in the city.

The atmosphere was the same as always, as everyone laughed and giggled and discussed the non-politics related things they'd had to go through in the past while. Which wasn't a lot, because they'd mainly been preoccupied by work. Myrina held her tongue from asking Ryan about the assassination, but knew that they couldn't risk letting the news get out. And there were most definitely people listening here. While she trusted the staff of Hua Xiang Lou, she most definitely did not trust the other guests, who ranged from fellow nobles to foreign dignitaries and merchants and everything in between. The only thing they all had in common was money that they were willing to throw away at a good meal.

That was what attracted people to Hua Xiang Lou. It was how Mrs Hu made a living. High price for excellent food, just enough to attract people like them over.

Myrina's favourite braised pork belly came on a little while later, and the dish was quickly pushed before her by the others on the swirling stage so that she could take the first piece. With a laugh, Myrina took one and placed it on her rice, allowing the luscious sauce to be stuck to the rice before taking a careful bite.

The perfectly balanced fat and lean meat melted in her mouth. The braised pork belly here was cooked in a slightly different style than the ones in the Palace, but it tasted just as good. It was why she'd ordered it, of course.

Years ago, when the restaurant had first opened, she remembered coming here with her father and her brother. It was one of the few rare times they'd ever shared a meal together. She fervently remembered fighting over the last piece of meat with her brother. It was one of the last happy memories she shared with them, before her father had wasted away and her brother had left for his studies.

It felt like lifetimes ago.

Maybe it was.

Myrina was not someone who particularly enjoyed thinking about the past. It was not an enjoyable experience, and she believed in living in the present or the future. Or not living at all, at a few points in her life. But the memories at Huan Xiang Lou were all sweet, and not with a bitter undertaste. Sweetness, real sweetness. Real memories that brought happy memories to her face.

She didn't have many of those, she rather thought, and she wasn't exaggerating when she said that.

She had to stop reminding herself of that before she started getting sad.

So instead, she threw herself into the conversation. They were discussing one of the upcoming feasts an earl was throwing in the city. Myrina had gotten an invitation too, and she wasn't sure if she was going to go. She rarely attended those events voluntarily unless there was a clear purpose or advantage to be gained in doing so, and usually there weren't.

But everyone else seemed to want to go to this one, and Myrina couldn't quite figure out why. She remembered the last feast thrown by the Earl of Ranghu. It had ended disastrously after his wife had thrown a massive temper tantrum, allegedly having found out that the Earl had been having an affair with one of her maids, and—

Oh, that was why.

Everyone wanted to see if something like that might happen again.

Well then.

That made a lot more sense.

Yes, that made a lot more sense. Though Myrina didn't think it was very proper to want to attend the feast of a nobleman for that particular reason.

Actually, she was more surprised that the Earl's wife hadn't asked for a divorce yet. The Countess of Ranghu was from a prolific and powerful family, and had every right to ask for a divorce in a situation like that. If she hadn't, it most likely had been a personal choice.

Why, Myrina wasn't sure. And she wasn't really interested in seeking the answer either.

It had little to do with her. Though she wouldn't be upset if the answer somehow got into her ear. Not at all.

After all, even Myrina had an ear for gossip and a curiosity that demanded to be satisfied, even if she hid it better than most.

"I heard the maid got kicked out of the manor," Rhys murmured. "I kind of feel bad for her, not going to lie. It's not really her fault."

"The Earl was married," Ryan snorted, "she knew what she was doing. She chose the path. It's unfair to blame it all on her, but she's definitely still responsible. It wouldn't do to act like she's innocent. And it would just be a bad example."

"She was a maid," Rhys argued, "we have no idea what she might have been told if she hadn't listened to the Earl."

"Then that would be a whole other situation together. But we don't know the details, so we can't really say anything about it."

Rhys let out a quiet grunt, but it was the truth. No one had really intervened, since it had been considered the private matter of the Earl, so none of them had the facts, and hence also not the right to comment on the situation except as a passing, laughing joke. They were people near the top of the ladder, and thus had to be careful with the things they say. If a word of what they said about something was heard by the public, the tides of opinions could change very quickly, and not always for the better.

After all, they were still human, no matter how much they liked to act like young gods sometimes. And all humans made mistakes. Even them.

In the Palace they could be a lot more free. They could speak their minds, make comments that they'd never dare to elsewhere. But outside? Every word had to be carefully weighed. Some things had to be mentioned through carefully coded language so that only the other would realise the true meaning and no one else. It was stressful, definitely, but it was also how things had to go. They were not just responsible for themselves and their families, they were responsible for the entire Empire.

They had no other choice, the moment they had been born into this life.

And they were all used to it by now, even her.

"I heard," Dom said very slowly, "that Lady Ru is visiting the Scarlet Palace quite soon."

Now, Ryan let out a loud groan while Malcolm and the rest of them guffawed. "Oh yes," Malcolm grinned, "very soon. And she's staying for quite a while from what I've heard. Ryan's getting old, you know, he needs a bride soon."

Dom nodded, purposefully dragging the movement out. "I heard that she's quite a beauty."

"Very intelligent as well," Myrina chirped. Dom's eyes flickered over to her with mild surprise, and Myrina offered a small, tight-lipped smile in return as she promptly ignored Ryan's searing glare.

Malcolm let out another snigger. Myrina could not for the life of her understand why.

Actually, she very much could.

"I think she'd make an excellent Princess Consort," Asteria murmured. "One of the best candidates out there, certainly. No one else quite like her. All the qualifications and qualities needed."

"I quite agree," Rhys said with a wide grin on her face. "This matter ought to have been settled a long time ago, why was it dragged on for so long?"

And then the entire table turned to stare at Ryan, whose teeth were clenched as he glared at all of them. "You fucking bastards."

"The only bastard among us," Rhys said wryly, "is not among us tonight." That would be Iolanthe Mi she was referring to, currently away on a mission.

"I'm not referring to the literal kind of bastard, for Hongyun's sake," Ryan snapped. "Stop wanting me to marry. What is all of your obsession with it? None of you are married, so stop trying to persuade me to do it."

"I mean," Asteria mused," the Emperor and Empress are urging you to marry and they certainly are married themselves, so they must have a lot to recommend."

"Asteria," Ryan said, his voice suddenly sweet as honey, "I'm going to throw my bowl at you."

"It would be my honour, Your Highness, for you to bestow upon me such a gift. I simply don't know how to thank you, good sir."

"I'm actually going to kill you."

Asteria's face morphed into its usual coolness as she raised her chin, resuming her normal posture. "You can try, Gu Ruge, you can try." Of course he wouldn't actually. While their method might be irritating to the extreme, what they were proposing was something everyone knew ought to have happened long ago. The marriage of any royal child was never in their own control. It was always for power, for status, for safety. Love and feelings were an afterthought. After all, what was romance in the face of the fate of an empire? It simply wasn't comparable. It wasn't comparable at all.

Ryan knew that better than anyone. He was just being stubborn, not unsimilar to how Irina had been a few years ago when she'd been in much the same situation. They were cousins, after all, it was normal for them to throw a temper tantrum or two. They wouldn't be Gus otherwise.

But, Ryan needed to start waking up any day now and accept reality.

It was starting to drag on just a little bit too much.

Perhaps when Lady Ru arrived, Ryan would finally let it settle in, rather than try to fight it with every inch of his life.

It was the duty of every prince and princess throughout history, and now it was his burden to bear as well. It wasn't as if it would be that awful anyways, so she couldn't understand why he was so against it. She doubted he could come up with a coherent, proper reason himself, except perhaps of that he didn't want to.

Which was never a good enough excuse.

Some aspects of their lives simply weren't in their control. With great power comes great responsibility, and Ryan Gu, Crown Prince of Sai, was one of the most powerful people in the entire nation.