The golden spires of the Western Palace stretched high into the sky, the sunlight bouncing off their gilded edges and throwing faint, dancing patterns on the courtyard below.

Evelyn’s eyes darted everywhere, drinking in the opulent architecture. The sweeping stairs, the carved railings, the delicate lanterns swinging lightly in the warm breeze. Every surface seemed polished, gleaming, and alive with authority and wealth.

A flicker of awe tightened her chest, only to dissolve into quiet amusement, her thoughts turning dryly sarcastic.

A mesmerizing den, she thought.

“A perfect place for lions and crocodiles alike,” she murmured under her breath.

Beside her, Kayla walked steadily, holding Evelyn’s hand as though letting go would risk more than just physical separation. Her eyes, sharp and tense, never left the back of Yen Momo, the high-ranking palace official guiding them forward.

Behind them, the two personal guards moved like shadows, silent, unwavering, a constant reminder of the tight grip this palace had on its princess.

Kayla’s mind raced even as her hand squeezed Evelyn’s. This was it: she had returned to the palace she once dreaded, but now she was not alone. Her sister was here, and with Evelyn by her side, she could survive anything this gilded cage might throw at her. She squeezed tighter.

Evelyn felt the pressure and returned it, a silent, wordless promise.

I’m here. I’m with you.

The palace courtyard stretched ahead, filled with the sound of distant footsteps and the murmur of attendants. The golden tiles glinted under the sunlight, but the wealth and grandeur did not mask the subtle tension in the air.

The moment Kayla stepped across the threshold, she felt the weight of the palace’s gaze upon them. Every servant, every attendant in the courtyard, paused briefly to look, their eyes sharp and disciplined.

They arrived at the main hall where the grand doors of the princess’s residence loomed. Kayla drew herself up, her chest rising with determination, fingers tightening around Evelyn’s. She could almost hear the faint beat of her own heart in the tension-filled silence.

In her mind, the memory of the street flashed vividly, the moment they had been spotted by Yen Momo and the two personal guards earlier on the crowded busy streets.

Yen Momo had come to an abrupt halt beside the meat bun stall, breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. The two guards didn’t wait for her command, and neither did Kayla.

Kayla had stepped forward instantly, eyes sharp, collected, while a tremor of fear tried to shake her from within. Yet outwardly, she stood as steady as stone, her posture rigid, radiating the quiet authority of someone who knew the rules and the consequences of breaking them.

Yen Momo now stood directly in front of her, relief softening her features for a moment, exhaustion evident from the long chase under the blistering sun. The guards’ faces were slick with sweat, muscles tense, ready for any sudden movement.

“Young miss… are you all right? Oh, thank goodness, you’ve finally stopped running. Come, let’s go back to the palace—”

Her words faltered as she saw Kayla step back just as she tried to reach forward.

Kayla eyes unflinching, and grabbed Evelyn’s left hand tightly, the grip like a scared cat clinging to its only comfort. Yet her face remained calm, sharp, unyielding, someone who knew the rules and would enforce them.

“I will only go back if this person goes with me,” she announced, voice steady and deliberate.

Yen Momo’s gaze immediately shifted to Evelyn. Taller than Kayla, messy-haired, disheveled, with a presence that radiated quiet defiance. Evelyn waved her hand casually, almost teasingly, as if daring them to question her.

“This person…” Yen Momo began, scanning her up and down, hesitation creeping into her tone.

Kayla did not waver.

“She is mine.”

The words landed like a hammer.

Yen Momo blinked, caught off guard, the heat of the sun and the tension of the chase momentarily forgotten.

Kayla smile, placing herself just subtly in front of Evelyn, protective without being obvious.

“From today onward,” she continued calmly.

“She will serve as my personal attendant. She answers only to me.”

The two guards exchanged a brief glance.

Yen Momo studied Kayla carefully.

“Your Highness… may I know her background?” she asked, her tone shifting to a more serious, respectful note.

Kayla nodded once, as if she had anticipated the question.

“She is a beggar, a mute. She cannot speak.”

Evelyn lowered her gaze immediately, hands folding neatly before her.

Kayla went on, voice steady.

“She communicates only through sign language. I have already learned enough to understand her.”

That earned her a longer look from Yen Momo.

“A mute servant,” the old woman murmured.

“That is… uncommon.”

Kayla met her eyes without flinching.

“So is my preference.”

Silence followed.

Evelyn resisted the urge to grin.

Inside, she was impressed. Kayla’s tone was calm, measured, neither defensive nor demanding. Firm where it mattered. Polite where it counted.

Yen Momo exhaled slowly.

“If she is to remain at Your Highness’s side,” she said at last,

“then she must be formally vetted. However, Your Highness must understand, this matter does not end with me. The final judgment rests with His Majesty.”

Her gaze sharpened slightly.

“Only if His Majesty deems her fit may she continue in Your Highness’s service.”

Kayla nodded.

“Of course.”

Yen Momo turned to Evelyn.

“Look at me, child.”

Evelyn did so.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, the old woman saw it, that flicker of mischief barely restrained, intelligence coiled beneath stillness. A servant, perhaps. But not an ordinary one.

Then Evelyn lifted her hands.

She signed.

Slowly. Deliberately.

Her movements were graceful, almost lazy, yet precise. A quiet greeting. Respectful. Polished enough to pass, but loose enough to feel natural.

Yen Momo paused.

“…You truly cannot speak?” she asked.

Evelyn shook her head gently, then signed again.

Kayla translated without missing a beat.

“She says she understands palace rules and will not overstep.”

Evelyn nearly laughed.

Overstep? Me? Never.

Yen Momo studied the pair, one calm and resolute, the other silent yet unreadable. Something clicked into place, though she could not quite name it.

At last, she straightened.

“Very well,” she said.

“If this is Your Highness’s wish, then she shall remain.”

Kayla let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“She will be housed,” Yen Momo continued.

“Given quarters near your chambers. The guards will be informed.”

Kayla bowed her head.

“Thank you, Momo.”

Now, left alone inside the Western princess’s chamber, just as Kayla had insisted, the atmosphere shifted immediately. With a firm, almost imperious tone, she dismissed the servants, leaving no room for argument.

The old woman hesitated at the threshold, glancing from their princess to the stranger she had just met in the street earlier. But Kayla’s unyielding expression brooked no defiance.

Bowing respectfully, Yen Momo turned to leave, stepping carefully as if the air itself was tense, but she glance back. Her concern over leaving the princess alone with this peculiar person clearly warring with her sense of duty.

The door clicked shut behind her. Silence settled over the room, broken only by the quiet rustle of fabric as Evelyn signed quickly, her gestures sharp and deliberate.

Kayla caught it from the corner of her eye.

You were pretty terrifying when you lied earlier.

The words formed silently across Evelyn’s hands.

Kayla’s lips twitched into a half-smile. She signed back subtly, nearly invisible under the sleeve of her hanfu,

You’re terrifying when you smile.

Evelyn dipped her head obediently, her shoulders shaking just slightly, betraying a suppressed chuckle.

Hearing no footsteps or movement near the chamber, Kayla finally turned to face her fully. Evelyn promptly raised both hands in exaggerated applause.

“Stop that,” Kayla snapped, swatting them down instinctively.

Evelyn grinned, silent and unapologetic. She signed lazily, almost teasingly,

Princess Kayla Bail Ryder. Mute servant. Bold lie.

Kayla crossed her arms, exhaling with a mixture of fatigue and satisfaction.

“It worked,” she said softly.

Evelyn shrugged, eyes gleaming with pride.

“Told ya.”

Kayla sighed, but this time there was relief in it, a subtle easing of tension that hadn’t been there since they’d entered the palace. She glanced at Evelyn, scanning her messy hair, dirty appearance and worn clothing.

“…You need a shower,” she said quietly, but with the warmth of care threading through her words.

Evelyn’s expression softened, the mischievous spark dimming into something genuinely touched.

“Glad you remembered,” she said.

They held each other’s gaze for a heartbeat, just long enough for recognition to settle, before both of them burst into laughter, the sound light and unburdened. If only for a moment, amid the gilded walls of the palace.