Chapter 23. Gathering Evidence

The more Alina learned, the less she understood.

The palace was a place where rumours thrived like ivy creeping along ancient stone walls, twisting around the truth until it was nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction. And yet, despite the conflicting whispers, one certainty remained—Prince Sheen was at the heart of it all.

If she wanted answers, she would have to find them herself.

She began cautiously, planting seeds of inquiry where they wouldn't be noticed. A casual remark while assisting with the tea preparations in the noble quarters. A subtle question to an elder servant while folding imperial garments. She listened, observed, let the conversations flow around her until she could pluck the pieces that mattered most.

"His Highness?" A stewardess scoffed as they worked together in the laundry hall. "You'd think a prince would spend more time in leisure, but he rarely leaves the council chambers these days. Always in meetings, always planning something."

"Planning what?" Alina asked carefully.

The stewardess hesitated before shaking her head. "Whatever it is, it has the court in an uproar."

A young maid, no older than fifteen, leaned in. "My cousin serves in the western pavilion," she whispered. "She said the prince has been speaking with the generals more frequently. There's talk of strengthening the palace guard."

A courtier passing by interjected with a sly smile. "Because he's afraid."

The women turned to look at him, and Alina instinctively held her breath.

"He knows the ministers are restless," the courtier continued. "You must have heard—some say they've already started discussing alternatives to the succession." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "A prince who commands without favour is a prince with no throne."

Alina felt a strange unease settle in her chest.

Had Prince Sheen begun reinforcing the guards out of ruthlessness, as some believed? Or had he done so out of necessity, knowing the court would turn against him the moment he showed weakness?

The whispers swirled around her, but they all pointed to the same truth—the empire was on the edge of something dangerous, and the prince was caught in the middle of it.

That night, Alina made her way through the quieter parts of the palace, careful to avoid unnecessary attention. She had already gathered more information than she expected, but she needed confirmation.

She found herself near the Hall of Records, where scribes copied decrees and documented political dealings. The doors were partially open, revealing stacks of parchment and rows of neatly arranged scrolls. She wasn't foolish enough to attempt sneaking in—doing so would mean risking imprisonment or worse—but she hovered nearby, just long enough to catch fragments of conversation from within.

"—the command to seize Yuan's assets was precise. No executions carried out, only exile."

Alina inhaled sharply. So, the rumours were exaggerated…

Another voice responded. "And yet, the court still calls it cruelty."

"They will call it whatever suits them," the first speaker muttered. "But mercy in a den of wolves is nothing more than an invitation for slaughter."

Alina's blood ran cold.

She stepped away before she could be caught, slipping back into the servant corridors.

Prince Sheen was not the monster they painted him to be. He was not without ruthlessness, but he was not without restraint either.

The problem was— restraint would not be enough to keep him safe.

And for the first time, Alina feared that neither would she.