Chapter One: The Foxfoe Queen
270 Words
The court was louder than she expected.
Not in sound—but in meaning.
Every movement spoke. Every glance whispered. Every smile lied.
Li Yue stepped into the grand hall, her red gown trailing behind her like a quiet declaration. Eyes followed her instantly. Some curious. Some calculating. Some already judging.
She ignored them all.
“New arrival?” a noblewoman murmured behind a fan.
“She won’t last a week,” another replied.
Li Yue almost smiled.
They always underestimated what they didn’t understand.
Her gaze swept the room—mapping exits, reading faces, memorizing patterns. Survival wasn’t luck. It was observation.
And then—
The room shifted.
Not visibly. Not loudly. But something changed.
Conversations faltered. Laughter dimmed. Even the air seemed to tighten.
The prince had arrived.
Li Yue didn’t turn immediately. She didn’t need to. The weight of his presence was enough—heavy, commanding, undeniable.
Still… curiosity won.
She looked.
And met his eyes.
Time slowed.
Xiao Zhen stood at the far end of the hall, dressed in black and gold, a mask concealing part of his face. But his gaze—sharp, dark, and unrelenting—held hers as if nothing else existed.
It wasn’t interest.
It was recognition.
As if he had already decided something about her.
Something dangerous.
Li Yue’s pulse quickened—but she didn’t look away.
Instead, she tilted her head ever so slightly. A silent challenge.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
Not a smile.
Something worse.
From that moment on, she knew one thing with absolute certainty:
The palace was dangerous.
But the prince?
He was far worse.
- Writer
