Chapter 31: Whispered Orders Behind Silk Curtains
In the stillness of dawn, court maids hurried like shadows, whispering rumors behind fans. Mei stood by the lattice window of the Moonlight Chamber, eyes calm, hands folded. She had overheard them.
"The Emperor's health declines," they whispered, "and someone's poisoning the herbal tonics."
Mei's heart beat steady, but her eyes glinted — only one person handled the tonics now: Lady Rin, the concubine who once smiled too sweetly at Prince Iori. That meant something was beginning.
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Chapter 32: A Prince's Warning
Prince Iori appeared unexpectedly at the garden, dressed down like a servant. "You're not as unnoticed as you think," he told Mei, plucking a camellia without looking at her.
"Then perhaps I should vanish properly," Mei replied, her voice like mist.
He stepped closer. "If Rin moves, it's because someone higher ordered it. Someone wants you gone."
Mei lowered her gaze. "Let them come. I'm done hiding my fire."
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Chapter 33: The Tail Beneath the Kimono
At night, a child servant caught a glimpse of a gleaming scale beneath Mei's robes. Terrified, he fled — but told no one.
Meanwhile, Mei knelt at the emperor's side, pretending to test pulse and tea. But her real goal: uncover the poison hidden in powdered ginseng. Her nostrils flared faintly — dragon senses picking up what human noses could not.
The emperor opened one eye. "You're not what you seem," he murmured.
"And neither are you," Mei answered gently.
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Chapter 34: Thunder in the Ancestral Hall
During the imperial rites, a storm cracked the sky — a rare omen. Mei was present, holding ceremonial incense. Across the hall, Lady Rin smirked.
A crash. A servant collapsed foaming at the mouth. Panic erupted.
Mei calmly stepped forward. "This wasn't meant for him." She held up the incense — powdered with the same toxin as before.
"You accuse me?" Rin hissed.
"I accuse the shadows you serve," Mei whispered, her voice like flame behind silk.
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Chapter 35: Dragon Blood Stirs
Mei escaped to the inner garden, emotions unraveling. Her control weakened — her sealed powers trembled beneath the surface. She fell to her knees, clutching her arms as faint heat licked her skin.
Scales shimmered for a breath before vanishing. She wasn't safe anymore.
But she smiled.
"If they want a monster, I'll show them what fire tastes like."
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Chapter 36: Hidden Flame, Hidden Name
Through coded scrolls and whispered clues, Mei learned of the Firebinder's Archive, a sealed chamber in the old eastern wing — forbidden to all but royalty.
With Rei's quiet help, she sneaked in. The walls were lined with murals — one of a dragon in maid robes, chained in gold.
Her breath caught.
It was her.
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Chapter 37: Truth of the Golden Collar
The archive spoke of the Golden Collar, a royal artifact meant to bind dragons in human form. Mei realized the trinket she had worn since birth wasn't protection — it was suppression.
She tore it off. Magic pulsed through her, and her eyes blazed gold.
But someone watched from the shadows.
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Chapter 38: The Assassin in Silk
That night, an assassin disguised as a court dancer slipped into Mei's quarters.
Mei didn't scream.
She moved like a shadow, claws flickering beneath her sleeves.
When Rei arrived with guards, the assassin was already pinned under a web of fiery thread, scales glowing faintly beneath Mei's skin.
"I'm tired of mercy," she said.
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Chapter 39: The Royal Edict
The Emperor summoned Mei publicly. "You've acted beyond your station. You will be judged."
Mei bowed, but when she rose, her voice carried power.
"If your halls breed only lies and daggers, then let me burn a path of truth."
Gasps rippled through the court.
And the emperor...smiled faintly.
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Chapter 40: A Throne Without Chains
Mei stood in the Lotus Courtyard, the court watching in awe. Her dragon traits no longer hidden, but regal and radiant. She wasn't feared — she was revered.
Behind her, Rei stepped forward. "You were never just a maid."
She turned. "And you were never just a prince."
A dragon and a royal. The game had changed.