Top Floor

[ Weicheng's POV ]

... distinguished guests"

The fire flower petals started to heal on her wrist I internally felt relieved. The top floor is comforting, the high ceilings, white-clothed chairs.

Everything on this floor is purely white. Lady Suan Ming bows to her Master.

Lord Dame is the master of Lady Suan Ming, he was vested with great astrology and predictions. Some of the stories tell that he is God sent to supervise the fortune of the kingdoms and empire. And that Arghon, is blessed to have him.

He nodded his head as he looked at each one of us and smiled. His face looks a little younger than the usual depiction. In the stories, he looked like a 70-year-old man with a white beard, but looking at him it felt like he drank a full cup from the youth fountain, if that legend is really that true.

His face is on average in the early 30s. He wears a neatly tied white robe with a huge headdress with several constellations drawn into it. We followed him to his receiving table which his magnifying glass, his book, and a scarcely ceramic tea set laid out accordingly.

I smiled as I smelled jasmine tea. Oh, how I love the smell of flowers.

We sat on the other side as he poured us the hot tea. I carefully look at the tea cup. Weirdly eyeing it with several paintings on it. People stopped from talking as Lord Dame looked at me and laughed.

"You like my tea set?" still looking at it I nodded.

"I stole that set from home" I looked at him as he smiled "You have an eye for small details"

I just agreed and immediately took my cup as if it was the purest thing in the world. I held it into using my two hands and I engulfed it inside my palms. I closed my eyes and I smelled the heated cup as he sat down on his chair.

The sudden warmth sipped through my palms.

"Suan Ming" he started off

"Lord Dame, we came here before you on behalf of the Arghon Empire"

"Let's stop with all the courtesy. Go on and tell me what bothers the Empire" Lady Suan Ming looked at Tae Hua initiating him to answer the question.

Tae Hua as if getting the cue, stood up to offer his bow "I apologize for our sudden intrusion, Lord Dame. I am the third prince of the Empire"

Before he could finish, Lord Dame took his arm to stop him on bowing and guide him on his seat.

"Third Prince, Wang Tae Hua" Tae Hua took his seat again as he started.

"18 years ago I received the first prophecy from you. I was 2 years old and almost dying. It said that I will be receiving another one when the phoenix rise from the ashes"

My brow raised, I can't believe he believed those. I saw how Lord Dame side-glanced at me as if he heard me sulking. I just looked at the other way, avoiding his gaze.

"The empire willingly followed all the necessary protection as we strengthened the education system for the foundation, we also managed to give the crimes lenient to its punishments and removed cruel punishments."

As it should. I whispered. As I held into my robe tightly, remembering my tribe. I looked at him as I saw him starting to fear what he was about to hear next.

"So you're asking if the life you have had led will be beneficial to the kingdom or whether the disaster will be foreseen again?" Lord dame answered

"I am here on behalf of the empire, and not for my sole interest. If the empire will prosper in another's star, then who am I to steal the throne?"

I narrowed my eyes. If this reaches the Empress, she will probably die out of embarrassment. The empress expected him to take the throne. I can't believe him. Lord Dame laughed and turned his heel on us. He looked at the window as he pointed to the sky.

"Your star still shone the brightest. I don't even think a star like that ever shone to anyone as yours. Your destiny is already laid out."

I almost rolled my eyes, does it really have the capacity to hold one's destiny? I saw how Lord Dame look at me with questions in his eyes. Lady Suan Ming bowed her head and introduced me

"This is Dan Weicheng of household, Dan. A scholar in the academy"

I step back as he started to advance his steps towards me. Looking intently into my eyes while holding two stones, that he kept on rolling in his right hand.

"You must be deprived of life" I looked at him in a confused manner. "I can see your fate is wretched"

I looked at him and scoffed. I have to give him the benefit of having a nice tea set, but his demeanor is too off track. I just smirked.

" I don't believe in fate, I will write my own destiny. No one can take over it, but thank you for trying." a small sinister smile formed my face.

He closed his palms and enclosed the two stones as if trying to get information into it. He closed his eyes and turn around looking back at them. I just shrugged.

"The Second Princess.." he lowered his head before returning to the Third Prince I see how Tae Hua seated straight as if he was about to explode.

We heard him earlier calling her name while hallucinating. He must be close to that princess.

"You're here to inquire for her" Lord Dame's eyes looked around the room as he pointed out the star that blinks but is never stable. "That's hers"

He really correlates the lives of people in a star.

"A news broke out that she was still alive" Eun Jo answered.

We waited in silence as Lord dame dropped his cup of tea.

"She must be" I felt all my hair stand up, it was as if we were poured with cold and freezing water. I heard Tae Hua breathe as if the first time since he held on to his breath for too long.

A breath of relief.

"She's probably in danger every day, people want to harm her or even kill her. I hope you find him first before anyone else will," Lord Dame said.

So, she's really alive?

My heart sank because of this. She's probably wandering around for too long. I can feel Lady Suan Ming's gaze as I turned my head towards her and smiled a little. She just nodded.

"What do you mean?" Tae Hua countered confused.

"The officials started looking for every 18 year old girls around the empire and question them one by one. Some of their family members were even brought to prison for questioning the order." Lady Suan Ming said

My eyes almost dropped to the ground.

"I heard people talking at the Village the earlier" she answered with our eyes questioning her.

====

[ Third Person]

"What?" Eun Jo shouted, his voice can be heard through the darkest of the night. Where the cries of the crickets, the whistling blows of wind, the water rummaging the near river can only be heard. His voice was stern and conflicted.

"According to them, a girl's family should register their birth or else the civil registrar will put them into jail for the unregistered birth of girls aged 18 years. Everyone is alleged otherwise."

"That was insane," Tae hua said in an exasperated tone as if he never knew this.

He was there when they discussed this. Listening somewhere. But he never thought that his mother will reach this as if looking for a wild criminal.

Meanwhile, Weicheng closed her knuckles realizing she was being used as a pawn to kill these girls. This event was actually a cover-up so that they could advance their work and to take Tae Hua away from the search.

She was disgusted. She can't imagine what was happening outside the inn during their trip.

"It is. It was against the rule to put them into detention. The decree was hidden, but the events could not be hidden due to numerous detained girls are already being subjected to unreasonable questions." Lady Suan Ming said.

"She's not a runaway and not a criminal" Tae Hua hysterically yelled, he can't believe what he is hearing but he need to stay calm as he looked at Weicheng. He knew clearly, that he was part of this plan. Before he could act, he was taken by Lord Dame inside a separate room.

He was about to ask his question when Lord Dame just nodded. The room was more of like a clean room without the stars surrounding them. It must be away from the illusions. A clear sight. A mundane thing.

His gaze stopped upon hearing Lord Dame.

"Your concern about the Princess is right. I was with the investigation team when she was ambushed. We never saw her body. Not even a piece of her things aside from the hairpin."

He narrowed his brows. He always believed that she was alive, but hearing it from someone who was there is like a miracle. He can't contain his feelings.

"She's alive" his mouth gaped.

As if he already saw her in the flesh.

As if a ghost appeared in front of him.

As if he was in a sudden trance.

He finally realized the reason he kept looking for her. His effort is not put to waste. His blood as if lost for 13 years suddenly flows all throughout his veins. A feeling that took his inhibitions away.

"She must be somewhere, But you have to be careful. The sudden appearance of the Princess will be in chaos. She will encounter several mischiefs"

Tae Hua listened as he was about to explode from the sudden information. He can't even hear anything anymore. He was just glad that she was alive. They went out again and saw the others still idling.

Lady Suan Ming probably knew all of these, But, Tae Hua need to be careful with his other mates. Not all of them want her alive.

His eyes dropped to Weicheng as he whispered "especially if they're working under the empress"