Floodgates

After a long while of the two of them sitting in silence, the Emperor suddenly said, "I understand why you don't want to be in the palace."

Lei Xing raised her head and glanced at him, he sent her a wry smile and continued, "If I had the choice, I wouldn't have chosen to be here either." He then let out a breath and looked down again, "The Imperial palace is a cold place...and being part of the royal family can be a very cold existence..."

Lei Xing slightly knit her brows and stared at him. The Emperor's quietness was already unnerving enough, and now he brought up this subject which he seemed to hate. Whenever she mentioned anything about life out of the palace or leaving, he always glared at her. So she had stopped mentioning it. But now he started it with a smile on his face. She was lost.

{...Why is he suddenly talking about this?... He wouldn't be sending me out of the palace, right? No...Why?...}