Tang Zixuan watched as Lady Dana studied alone within the civil servants quarters.

Rain was falling quietly, but steadily, from white clouds covering the sky as he stood in the courtyard with an umbrella and a box of sweets.

He hadn't heard Crown Prince Jing Han mention her name at all lately, save for when he instructed him to deliver the sweets. Princess Shiyao was certainly becoming a favourite topic of his to discuss. It wasn't his place to share his opinions with Jing Han, so he refrained from mentioning how much of a bad taste it left in his mouth to watch him, in the end, treat Lady Dana as nothing more than a tool. He had been crazy over her for so long, and yet just like that she had all but ceased to be of any interest to him.

Was it just the right of a Crown Prince to treat people as nothing but resources?

"Lady Dana?"

Dana looked up from her books, frowning slightly as Zixuan stood by the entrance, but invited him inside nonetheless.

"What brings you here?"

"His Highness sent me."

"He did?" her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"He asked me to deliver these sweets to you." he explained, gently setting the box wrapped in pink silk that was embroidered with blue hydrangeas on her table. A moment passed while Dana stared at the silk and rather than excuse himself, Zixuan spoke again: "May I sit?"

"Please." she nodded, pulling the sweets towards herself to examine the silk further. "Did he say anything?"

"He just told me to deliver these to you."

"Did he choose this silk?"

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"I believe so." Zixuan lowered his eyes.

Dana sighed and glared over at all the books laid out on her table. Why was Jing Han being like this? He had admired her so much, doted on her and always sought her out for night time strolls and they'd talk until the sun was due to rise. He'd flirted with her so much, for so many months they'd been getting closer and everyone was talking about what a good match they were and how they should hurry up and get married.

She hadn't heard from him in weeks, and when she did run into him he was so dismissive towards her, and for what reason? What reason did he have to suddenly change?

Wait.

"Zixuan," she began, getting his attention and moving back slightly as tea was brought to them. "Who is that woman who's always hanging around His Highness?"

Zixuan took a mouthful of tea before answering: "Wang Shiyao."

"Her clothes are so elegant, is she a noble? Surely she's not from that Wang family?"

"I'm afraid so." he replied, taking another sip of the black tea. "And her family is very powerful."

"She's already royal..." Dana sank back in her chair. "So, she's some distant relative of his? Are they dating?"

"I'm not sure if they're dating, but he is spending a lot of time with her."

"Why? Isn't he focusing on his Challenge proposal?"

"He is." he nodded. "But you needn't feel threatened. Shiyao grew up in Ranhara, she knows nothing about how things work here or who's who."

"She's not that... Witch is she? The one who get visions like Lu?"

"She is, but as I say, she still doesn't know anything about Revenet. Jing Han is merely taking an interest in her like one would a new toy - so don't feel uncomfortable, he'll come back to you after time."

Dana gave him a look, but he didn't falter. It might be true, after all - who was he to say that Shiyao could keep his interest?

Some time after, as Zixuan excused himself, Dana sat in the quiet of the study room, unable to concentrate on the research she was doing for the Crown Prince because her attention was taken entirely by the blue hydrangeas on the silk cloth that wrapped the sweets. She turned it slowly in her hands, round and round as she tried to convince herself that Zixuan was right.

He wouldn't just leave her like that.

His attention was taken by the pretty new toy, but he would come back eventually.

Wang Shiyao was no use to him - no amount of study would make up for a lack of cultural exposure, after all.

It was decided then, there was no need to feel threatened by her. Even if the Crown Prince himself was blinded for a moment, the princess didn't have a single merit that she couldn't match, and even if she did have better family connections, she wouldn't be any use as Queen. If there was one thing she knew Jing Han hated, it was incompetence and there was nothing she was more sure of than that.