Chapter 9: A thorn among roses
The flame-sealed letter sat in Xue Lian's sleeve like a whisper against her skin.
When she finally opened it in the privacy of her room, her gaze sharpened.
"The petals fall, but the fire remembers. He watches from the ashes. Be wary of hands that once held yours."
—ℓ
No signature. No explanation. Just a cryptic warning cloaked in poetry.
But the seal—a flame rendered in one unbroken stroke—was more than aesthetic. It was a symbol once known to her, from her past life. A mark used by an informant within the imperial archives. A loyalist. A spy.
Her fingers curled slowly around the parchment.
Someone remembered her. Someone was watching.
---
Meanwhile, in the west wing of the Xue estate, Xue Yan was seething.
Fourth place. Fourth. She paced the length of her chamber while her maidservant trembled silently by the door.
"Who knew?" she hissed. "Who dared dig up my old matters?"
No one should have known about the maid incident. No one outside the estate.
Yet now Minister Wei had looked at her with faint disdain. Several noble daughters had stepped away from her earlier, whispering behind fans.
It couldn't have been a coincidence.
And Xue Lian—suddenly clever? Suddenly poised? Suddenly mysterious, with men glancing twice?
"Something's wrong with her," Xue Yan muttered. "Something unnatural."
Then her expression brightened.
"Then I'll make it seem unnatural."
---
By the next morning, the rumors had begun.
They flitted like moths through silk curtains:
"Did you hear? They say Second Miss Xue was possessed by a spirit after falling ill last year."
"She never used to be this refined... or cunning."
"I heard she writes like a man now. As if something else is guiding her hand."
At first, it was harmless chatter. But it grew teeth quickly.
A girl in the rankings had whispered to her maid:
"If she's using charms or forbidden texts, should she even be here?"
Even Aunt Mei narrowed her eyes at Xue Lian during breakfast.
Xue Lian remained poised, as always.
Until the surprise inspection.
---
The palace matrons arrived midmorning with stern faces and armed guards. It was announced that the noble daughters' quarters would be examined for banned talismans or sorcery scrolls, under the order of the Lady Supervisor.
Xue Lian said nothing when they came to her chamber.
She only smiled softly.
Let them look.
They opened drawers, sifted through brush pots, shook out folded garments.
And then—one of the matrons gasped.
From the lining of Xue Lian's travel chest, she pulled a paper talisman—blackened at the edges, drawn with strange script, and bound with crimson thread.
Several matrons stepped back instinctively. One crossed herself with a prayer.
"This is no common charm," one muttered. "This is sorcery."
Xue Yan stood nearby, her expression painted in perfect surprise. "Second Sister, where did you find such a thing?"
Gasps rippled through the others.
And yet—
Xue Lian tilted her head. "Matron," she said coolly, "may I see the talisman?"
The woman handed it over warily.
Xue Lian held it between two fingers like a dead insect. "Interesting… this seal here," she said, turning the paper delicately, "was discontinued ten years ago."
She looked up. "Only officials of the former registry bureau used this ink formula. Which means it can only be found in a single place—"
She walked across the room, and pulled open Xue Yan's own brush box, tucked on her shared writing shelf.
The same ink. The same brush, its tip still slightly stained red.
The matrons froze.
"I hadn't touched this box in weeks," Xue Lian added gently. "It was moved recently… by someone trying too hard."
One matron stepped forward, taking the brush and comparing strokes. Her face paled.
"It's an exact match."
Xue Yan's expression cracked for half a second.
Then she forced a tremulous voice. "That's absurd! Why would I—why would I place something like that—"
Xue Lian turned to her slowly.
"I never said you placed it, dear sister," she said. "But you seem awfully defensive."
---
The matter was not pushed further—not openly.
The matrons quickly wrapped up the inspection, murmuring apologies and praises for Xue Lian's composure. But everyone saw the truth in the room. And the whispers turned again.
"It was planted. She's innocent."
"Did you see how calm she was? Unshaken."
"She's not a spirit—she's just smart. Too smart for Xue Yan."
---
That night, Xue Yan shattered a porcelain vase in her room.
She stared at the shards with wild eyes, then spat the words:
"She's not the same."
Then softer, more fearful—
"She knows things she shouldn't."
---
In the courtyard, under the peach trees lit by moonlight, Xue Lian read the letter with the flame seal once more.
"He watches from the ashes."
"Whoever it is, Let him watch," she whispered.
"I'm not hiding anymore."