The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus

56

"What did you say?"

The bone china teacup fell onto a gold-rimmed saucer. Princess Duanyang's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "When did Brother Liu and the rest of them leave? How come I didn't know?"

Peiyun stood on the side with her fingertips pointed towards the ground. "Yesterday, in the morning..."

"Why did no one tell me?" She cried out in shock but shock turned into anger in an instant. She abruptly stood up from her chair and glared at Peiyun's face. "Brother Emperor deliberately made you all withhold the information from me, didn't he? He just didn't want me to..."

"Minmin, were you talking about me?" The young emperor coincidentally walked into the palace as she said these words. A smile still hung off his lips, a stark contrast to the tense Duanyang.

He raised the hems of his robes slightly before sitting down, taking a peanut from a plate, and placing it in his mouth. He then turned towards Peiyun and pulled on her sleeve, casually asking her in a low voice, "Are your hands better?"

"They're...They're much better now." Peiyun hurriedly hid her fingers under her sleeves, unwilling to let him see the scars which remained.

On her left, was the caring gaze of the emperor. On her right, were the angry eyes of the princess. This gave her the feeling of being slapped on both cheeks, two fires lighting up on each side from their piercing gaze. She turned around and left that area of misfortune. "This servant will go and pour tea."

The bead curtain which had been raised by her, swayed and rattled, leaving only the two siblings in the palace.

"Brother Emperor, why did you just let Brother Liu go just like that?" Her anger quickly turned into distress.

"Whether or not he leaves, what does that have to do with you?" The emperor's smile slowly faded and he frowned.

He seemed to be reluctant to say any harsh words to his younger sister. "Minmin, demon catchers have their own lives. They run all over the country unlike your life of leisure."

Tears filled Princess Duanyang's eyes. "But brother emperor, Brother Liu almost died in order to save me."

A moment passed before the son of heaven replied. "This emperor knows."

He looked at the princess's small face. After that incident, she had gotten seriously ill and the healthy glow had completely disappeared from the girl's face. A wave of guilt rose up within him.

"It's elder brother's fault that you experienced such a shock."

"..I'm talking about Brother Liu, why are you bringing this up?" Duanyang frowned, "I know elder brother has always looked down on demon catchers..."

"..."

Peiyun remained outside for a long time, listening quietly to the arguing in the main hall. She covered the sun's glare with her hands, her right hand on top of her left as she looked up at the clouds in the sky.

The sky was blue. Even on such a fine day, she could still feel an echo of his touch on the wrist he had just touched, as though he had left a fiery mark on her.

She exposed her hands little by little. She had fine and slender fingers but they were marred by ugly brown scars. festering skin can be cured over time but it would still leave behind the traces of the damp, dark prison.

The difference between them was like the sky and earth, but now, it seemed she was even less worthy of him.

The sunlight fell on her oval nails, coating them with a subtle luster. She laughed at herself.