The girl gasped.
“Your memories?” she whispered, her voice trembling with fear and worry.

I nodded slowly. “My memories,” I said, my voice barely audible.
After watching so many dramas and fantasy shows, I couldn’t believe this was my best idea.
But it was working.
“I don’t remember who I am, where I am... or even how old I am.”

My heart pounded in my chest like a trapped bird.

The girl froze for a moment, as if all her hope depended on that one answer.
Then she pressed her hands to her chest and whispered, her voice breaking—
“You mean... you don’t remember me either, Princess?”

There was such fragility in her tone that it pierced right through me.
Panic rose again, sharper this time.
Because now, I had no choice but to play the most important role of my life.

When tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, a sharp pain burned my throat.
I wanted to look away—but couldn’t.
Her gaze chained me in place.

I swallowed hard and forced my voice to stay calm.
“You have to tell me everything,” I said finally. My hands were pressed against my knees so tightly that my knuckles ached.

The girl nodded quickly, though her lips quivered. “I... I don’t even know where to start,” she whispered.

“Start from the beginning,” I urged gently. “Where we are... who I am. Tell me everything.”

She took a shaky breath. “This is the Kingdom of Xiango... and you are its princess.”

Her words echoed in my skull.
Princess? Me?

A laugh almost escaped my lips, but what came out was only a broken whisper.
“So... my father is the Khagan?”

Her expression darkened. She lowered her gaze, then nodded slowly. “No... he’s not.”
She took a deep breath before blurting, “Your father, your mother, and your brother... were all poisoned by a Wei general when you were three years old.”

It felt like a stone dropped into my chest.
Three lives, gone in a single breath.

“Then what happened?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“Your uncle, Karaçay Khagan, took the throne,” she said quietly. “He protected you... but also led Xiango into endless wars. Years of blood, fire, and fury.”

The words struck like waves, each heavier than the last.
Uncle. Betrayal. War.

She hesitated, glancing up at me. “Now that the Warring States era is over... you’ve been chosen—”

“Chosen for what?” I pressed.

She looked away. “For the Heqin alliance. You are to be married to the Wei Empire.”

“What?” The word burst out of me. “Married?!”
My voice filled the tent, bouncing off the felt walls.
No. No, no, no.

I could barely wrap my mind around this.
I had time-traveled—or something like it—and now they wanted me to marry some prehistoric warlord?

The girl looked around in panic. “Please, keep your voice down! Someone might hear!” she begged. “The Khagan ordered it himself. You have no choice.”
Her gaze flickered toward the wine jar on the table. “When I found you... I thought he had poisoned you.”

I sank back onto the fur, my legs weak. “Doesn’t the Khagan have a daughter of his own?”

“She’s only fifteen summers old,” she murmured.

I clenched my jaw. “And me?”

“You’ve seen twenty springs, Princess,” she answered softly.

Twenty.
At least I wasn’t a child bride.
Still, the realization left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“When is the wedding?”

“Three dawns from now,” she said, her eyes downcast.

“Three dawns...” The words felt heavy as lead. “And who am I supposed to marry?”

“The most famous general of the Wei Empire,” she whispered. “A prince... and the one they call the Golden-Armored General.”

I stared at her, unease crawling up my spine.
“Something tells me you’re not telling me everything.”

Her fingers twisted the fabric of her skirt. “He’s... known for his cruelty.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. “Of course he is. My luck wouldn’t land me a gentle flower picker.”

“Isn’t there any way to avoid this marriage?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Her silence said everything.
Finally, she whispered, “You told me before that the marriage would never happen.”

My brows furrowed. “I did?”

She nodded. “You said the Khagan wanted to gain power but also a guard.
By marrying you off to the general instead of his own daughter, he could control less—but also protect himself.
You said he sent you because you were... expendable.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, exhaling shakily.
“So I was the disposable one,” I murmured.

The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “You also said the Khagan’s son—Prince Yitan—was once meant to marry you.
But when he fell in love with a Wei princess, the Khagan sent him away. You feared he’d try to kill you before this marriage could happen.”

The words wrapped around me like a storm, cold and suffocating.

Finally, I asked the only thing that mattered, “What’s my name?”

The girl straightened, her voice trembling with reverence.
“You are Princess Sayina of Xiango, daughter of Bayru Khagan and Lady Aybike, and sister to Prince Çoyundur.”

My throat tightened.
Banu no longer existed.
Until I found a way back, I would have to live as Princess Sayina.

And maybe... I didn’t need to die to escape this fate.
There were already enough people waiting to kill me.