(Narrator's pov)

BaiLing smiled before reaching up gently to take the fifth prince's hand and saying.

"Your highness, is that you?"

Fifth prince: "That's right. I'm here to see you."

While the fifth prince puts his hands down, BaiLing turns around to face him with a bright smile on her face, making the prince believe that she was madly in love with him.

After the fifth prince sat down, a couple of maids and her secret guard came with the snacks and wine.

Maids: "Greetings, my lady, your highness, we've brought the snacks and wine."

BaiLing: "Alright, you can put them down and go back to your duties."

The maids and her guards put everything down, bowed, and then left them alone.

As soon as the servants left, the fifth prince started to pour out some wine. Although he was trying to be sneaky, it was hard for BaiLing not to notice how he was pulling a trigger on the bottle to open up the other vale to pour out the drugged wine for her, but as usual, she pretended not to know anything.

Once he poured her, her drink she gently touched his hand and said.

"Let me pour a glass for you."

The fifth nodded his head and let go of the bottle. To him, it seemed as though she was just doing her duties, but to her, she just wanted to make sure that the wine that she had drugged herself was poured out.

Once the wine was poured out, both drank the wine. However, BaiLing in reality poured the wine onto a handkerchief instead of drinking it. Even though she knew that the wine was fine, it was a habit of hers to do that every time. While the fifth prince was smiling inside and out, thinking that his plan is going smoothly, BaiLing was also smiling, knowing that his plan would fail while her's was moving along just fine.

Five minutes after the wine was drunk, BaiLing began the next part of her plan.

As the two talked, BaiLing slowly changed her expression from happy to sad/concerned. Soon the prince noticed and asked her.

"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

BaiLing looked at him and shook her head before saying.

"No, I'm fine. But..."

Fifth prince: "Yeah, what is it?"

BaiLing: "Is... Is there anything that you want to tell me?"

The fifth prince looked a bit shocked at the moment but then recovered and said.

"No, there's nothing."

BaiLing looked at the prince with a disappointed face before saying.

"Alright."

Following that, she took out one of the hairpins from her hair and placed it in front of the prince. The hairpin was beautifully crafted. It was a light pink flower, with smaller gems inlaid and a pearl for the center. Looking at it, anyone can tell it cost a fortune, and the artesian was a very skilled one.

Upon placing the hairpin in front of the prince, he looked at her in confusion and asked.

"What is this for?"

BaiLing: "Your highness, do you remember what you told me when you gave me this hairpin?"

Fifth prince: "Of course I do. How could I forget."

BaiLing: "Then, can you tell me what you told me at that time again?"

The fifth prince seemed a bit annoyed, but he sighed and said.

"Of course I can. When I gave you this hairpin, I told you that this was made for the person who would become my princess consort. And that person would be you. I promised you that I would always be by your side and to love and cherish you forever."

BaiLing gave the prince a bitter smile before saying.

"That's right, you did tell me those things."

Prince: "BaiLing, what's wrong? Why are you acting so weird today? And why are you giving me your hairpin."

BaiLing: "Your highness, you told me that this hairpin would be for your wife. I... I don't think I should keep this anymore."

Prince: "What?! Why?"

BaiLing, at this point, noticed an extra presence in her courtyard but pretended not to know. She had already known who it was since she spent her entire life watching over him.

But she soon went back to her plan, and this time tears were coming to her eyes as she looked at the fifth prince and said.

"Your highness, you're already engaged to the prime minister's daughter. She'll become your wife now. It should be her who has this hairpin. It should be her who wears this."

The fifth prince looked shocked, hearing this from BaiLing. He couldn't understand how she know of this news when it was just announced this morning. He came as fast as he could to try and cover up the news, but it seems as though he was too late.

Once he recovered from his shock, he tried to sweet-talk her into believing in him and that he would marry her.

"BaiLing, listen to me. You're the one that I love. I had no choice in this engagement, but trust me, I will marry you."

BaiLing: "Your highness, I understand your feelings. But even if you were able to marry me. I would just be a concubine. I wouldn't be your wife."

Tears were now flowing down her cheek, making her seem extremely heartbroken.

Wiping her tears away, the fifth prince told her.

"I'm sorry, please don't cry. I'll talk to my father and ask him to let me marry you and let you have a status as high as a princess consort, alright?"

BaiLing: "Your highness, I truly love you. But I don't wish to have to share my husband with any other women. I know this is selfish of me, so I'd rather let you go than have to go through this pain."

Prince: "BaiLing, listen to me. Although, I have to marry her. I promise you that I will only have eyes for you and will only love you, okay?"

BaiLing tried to show him a smile through all of her tears. Then she proceeded to say.

"Your highness, thank you for all the memories that you have given me. But it's too late now.

Neither of us can go back anymore."

Worried about why the drug has yet to take effect and what BaiLing was talking about, the fifth prince was starting to get anxious.

Prince: "BaiLing, what are you talking about? There will be a way. Just wait for me."

BaiLing shook her head and said.

"This morning. Eunuch Huang came by with an edict. Your highness, the emperor, bestowed an engagement for me and the ninth prince. I can't marry you anymore. From now on, I'll be your sister-in-law."

Shocked from what he just heard, the fifth prince asked her again to make sure he heard her right.

"Did you just say that my father bestowed an engagement between you and my ninth brother?"

BaiLing nodded her head.