Eyes That Don’t Lie
621 Words
By morning, the palace had resumed its rhythm.
Servants moved through the corridors with lowered eyes. Guards stood at attention as though nothing had happened. Ministers prepared for court, scribes carried scrolls, and somewhere beyond the carved wooden walls, musicians were already practicing for the evening’s banquet.
But Evelyn knew better.
Nothing was normal.
Not after the poisoned tea.
Not after the way Li Jian had stood in her room the night before, looking at her as if touching her would change something neither of them could control.
She had barely slept. Again.
And that annoyed her more than she wanted to admit.
Evelyn was not the type to lose control of herself because of a man’s gaze. She had built her life around discipline—intellect, skill, precision. Emotion was something to be managed, not indulged.
So why, standing in front of the bronze mirror, did she still feel the imprint of his almost-touch like a burn on her skin?
A knock sounded.
A palace maid entered with folded robes of pale jade silk. “His Highness requests your presence in the eastern pavilion.”
Of course he did.
Evelyn dressed quickly and followed through long corridors washed in soft daylight. The eastern pavilion overlooked one of the inner gardens—water, stone bridges, blooming trees. Beautiful. Controlled.
Dangerous.
Li Jian stood near the railing when she arrived, dressed in dark robes with subtle silver embroidery.
He turned.
His gaze dropped briefly—to her face, her shoulders, the line of her throat—before returning to her eyes.
“You sent for me,” Evelyn said.
“I did.”
His tone was calm, but quieter than before.
He gestured to a low table holding cups, herbs, and porcelain jars.
“I want you to show me how you knew.”
“About the poison?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn stepped closer. “Your kitchens are compromised. Or your servants are.”
“I know.”
She picked up an herb. “This masks bitterness. Add almond essence, and most wouldn’t question it.”
“The average person,” he repeated.
“I’m not average.”
A shadow of a smile touched his mouth.
“No,” he said softly. “You are not.”
The quiet shifted.
She demonstrated residue on the porcelain. “The poison was added just before serving. Fresh. Intentional.”
“And if I had drunk it?”
She looked at him. “You’d be dead.”
The words lingered.
Li Jian stepped around the table, closer now.
“Then I owe you my life a third time.”
“That’s not a debt I want you collecting.”
His gaze sharpened. “Why?”
Because of the way you look at me.
Because I can’t step away anymore.
But she said none of it.
“Because some debts can’t be repaid.”
His expression shifted—just slightly.
“And what do you think I owe you, Evelyn?”
She didn’t step back.
“Nothing,” she said. “That’s the problem.”
For a brief moment, his composure slipped.
Footsteps approached.
A young official bowed. “Your Highness. The council is gathering.”
Li Jian’s expression closed instantly.
“Join me tonight at the banquet,” he said.
“That sounds less like an invitation.”
“It isn’t.”
Evelyn tilted her head. “Then what is it?”
His eyes held hers.
“A warning.”
He turned and left.
Evelyn stood alone in the pavilion, the scent of herbs lingering in the air.
If he wanted her at the banquet, it meant danger.
And if there was danger—
someone in the palace was about to make another move.
- Writer
