Deborah_Leo

In the grand empire of Skiiri, a marriage is arranged between the noble Prince Xìn Xuān and the elegant Princess Lù Zhāo—a union meant to strengthen alliances, not hearts. Among her guards is a silent, sharp-eyed knight named Shèng Lín, whose loyalty masks a deadly secret: he is a spy sent to assassinate the prince.

But fate has other plans.

On the final night of their journey through the mountains, beneath pouring rain and hidden desires, the prince and the spy share an unexpected kiss. When dawn comes, they wake up not with regret… but in each other’s bodies.

Forced to switch lives, the proud prince must live as a lowly knight, and the cold spy must pretend to be royalty. They must fool their kingdoms, survive political traps, and navigate the palace’s endless gaze—all while untangling the growing feelings that neither can deny.

Yet when the prince discovers the truth—that the man he’s falling for was once sent to kill him—the fragile trust between them shatters.

Will love survive betrayal?
Or will duty and destiny tear them apart for good

(bl) Swapped lover

The morning was gray when Shèng Lín rode out of the Prince's palace, a small escort following him as he crossed the border back to the kingdom he once served without question.

His hair was tied back, robes neat, but his heart felt heavy.

It had been a long time since he last stepped into these halls—not as a spy, nor as a knight under orders, but as someone carrying secrets that no longer belonged to any kingdom.

The Prince of the Eastern Kingdom, Lù Zhào's elder brother, awaited him in a quiet study. He was tall, composed, with sharp, clear eyes that missed nothing.

> "You look different, Shèng Lín," the prince said, gesturing for him to sit. "Your hair's longer. You've changed."

> "Time changes everyone, Your Highness," Shèng Lín replied, bowing politely.

The prince studied him for a moment before leaning back in his chair.

> "I hear rumors," he said slowly. "About you and the Prince of Skiiri. Is it true you're acting as his personal guard now?"

Shèng Lín did not flinch. "Yes."

> "And yet you've come back. Why?"

A small smile touched the prince's lips. "Direct, as always."

The conversation shifted to business.

> "When will you join us again, Shèng Lín?" the prince asked. "We could use your skills here. Things are changing rapidly. I also wish to speak with the Prince of Skiiri myself."

Shèng Lín's fingers tightened around the cup of tea he was holding.

> "I will deliver your request to him," he replied carefully.

> "And what of my sister?" the prince asked, his tone softening. "How is Lù Zhāo?"

At her name, something flickered in Shèng Lín's eyes.

> "She is well," he said. "She has chosen her own path, and she is…happy."

The prince's smile faded to something bittersweet. "She always was strong-willed. I hear she has taken residence with a certain… individual."

Shèng Lín nodded. "With Shèng Mèi, my sister."

> "I see." The prince tapped the armrest of his chair. "As long as she is safe and at peace, I will respect her decision. But you know as well as I do, the court is restless without her presence."

Shèng Lín kept his head lowered.

> "It would be best," the prince continued, "if you and the Prince of Skiiri could visit formally. It will calm rumors."

When the meeting ended, Shèng Lín stepped out into the courtyard, breathing in the air of the kingdom he once called home.

A prince who refused to let him go.

A sister who had finally found her happiness.

And him, caught in the middle of every path.

As he mounted his horse to return to Skiiri, he looked back once, wondering how much longer he could keep walking the tightrope between his past and the fragile new life he was building with the Prince.

Chapter 40 — Across Kingdom Borders Again