"Of course, Your Majesty, you're the most handsome." Liliana batted her eyes, her voice dripping with flattery. She didn't care if Cassian could see the fake smile on her face or not.
This emperor was really strange, actually comparing his looks with others. A real-life version of "Me versus Xu Gong," she thought.
Cassian couldn't see her expression, but it was obvious from her tone that she wasn't being sincere.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, women were extremely rare, and even rarer in the smaller surrounding nations. That made women highly valued. If a woman from an ordinary family died, the local governor would investigate and report it to the Ministry of Justice.
This girl ghost named Liliana clearly looked like she was of marriageable age. If she had died accidentally, it should have been reported and looked into.
But she had dodged every question about her past. Since she didn't want to explain, he would just investigate it himself. He wanted to find out what kind of strange little ghost she really was.
Liliana floated nearby, watching Cassian buried in a mountain of documents. She was so bored from floating that her whole ghostly body was tired, and yet he showed no sign of resting at all.
This guy was better suited for scholarly life, she thought. How could someone sit on a cold hard seat for so long? Didn't his butt hurt?
While she daydreamed, she also thought about how she still hadn't gone back yet. The sun was already setting. Would Prince Allennon be worried about her?
"Come here." Cassian finally set aside the document he had just finished reviewing. Looking up, he realized it was nearly nightfall. The little ghost girl was off at the edge of the room, drifting without a care, her mind obviously somewhere else.
Liliana was startled to be called so suddenly and slowly floated over.
Cassian didn't get annoyed at her slow pace.
"How old are you?"
"I'm twenty-six, Your Majesty." Was he trying to do a census? First he asked her name, now her age?
This time Liliana didn't lie. She really was twenty-six.
Cassian's eyes were cold as he stared at her. From her voice, she sounded like she was sixteen or seventeen. And yet she said she was twenty-six.
"I'm not lying. I really am twenty-six. That's something I clearly remember. Also, it's already dark. Do I really have to stay here? I mean, I can't hurt anyone, and I'm useless. I can't carry anything or even grind your ink. Please just let me go."
She was starting to sound desperate, leaning slightly toward him as she spoke.
At that moment, Cassian was seated, and her motion placed her right in his line of sight between her neck and waist.
Her clothes weren't like what normal women wore. They were a little snug, and the collar dipped down slightly.
Because of her movement, a small patch of pale soft skin was exposed.
It was the first time Cassian had ever been this close to a young woman. His hand tightened around the chair, and his throat felt a little itchy. The scent on her body wrapped around him.
He fell silent.
Then Liliana realized how improper her posture was. She was leaning over, practically looking down at him. This was the Emperor! If he got offended, what if he decided to destroy her?
She quickly floated back two steps.
"I'm really not lying, Your Majesty."
As she pulled back, Cassian stood up. The bit of exposed skin and that sweet scent moved away from him.
The little ghost seemed to be afraid of him.
"Fine."
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests your presence for dinner." The voice of Eunuch Kerian came from outside the door.
The Empress Dowager, wise and kind, was Cassian's mother. She had three husbands and didn't often stay in the palace. Since she had returned today, it was natural they would dine together.
"From now on, you are to report to the study at sundown every day. There are too many people in the palace. Even if others can't see you, don't go wandering around."
So he was letting her go. Honestly, being around him was dull and boring. At least with Prince Allennon, she could scare the little brat for fun.
Today, aside from admiring a handsome face, she and Cassian hadn't exchanged more than ten sentences. He was like a mute jar with a lid.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty," Liliana said happily.
Cassian felt a little sweetness in his heart when he saw her so cheerful, but then he remembered it was only because she could get away from him. That happiness faded instantly.
He didn't know why, but he felt bothered at the thought of her being bored around him. He was also worried she might run into danger. And yet, when she left, it made him uneasy too.
After thanking him, Liliana floated straight through the wall without looking back.
Being a ghost had its perks. No need to open doors, travel was a breeze. She better hurry before Cassian changed his mind.
Liliana left the royal study. Cassian waved his hand, and a man in black stepped out from the shadows.
"Investigate. Go back ten years. Check if there was any woman in the Great Zhou whose name had the word 'Zhao' and who died."
"Yes." The man disappeared back into the darkness.
Eunuch Kerian stood quietly nearby, head lowered, eyes on the floor, minding his own business.
Liliana tried to remember the path she had taken and finally floated back to Prince Allennon's residence.
She told herself not to randomly pass through walls again.
Earlier, she had taken a shortcut and ended up in a place she didn't recognize. It looked like a room for servants.
To her surprise, she saw a man dressed like a guard and a eunuch getting very close to each other.
She only watched for a moment, afraid it would hurt her eyes, then quickly floated away.
Liliana still remembered what the two had said. It was shocking. The people in the Great Zhou were really bold. It looked like those two had been holding it in for a long time.
Lights were shining brightly in Prince Allennon's residence. Strangely, the main hall's doors weren't closed.
"Hey, kid. Your big sis is back."
Prince Allennon was sitting right across from the door, with a table full of delicious dishes in front of him.
Eunuch Kerian thought it was strange. Since lunch, the prince had been in a bad mood. He hadn't let anyone shut the doors and didn't eat his dinner. Not only that, he asked the servants to keep reheating the food like he was waiting for someone.
When Liliana's voice came, Prince Allennon stood up happily and walked faster toward the door.
But then he remembered that she had disappeared without a word. His steps slowed down and stopped.
Liliana felt like she should have checked the calendar before going out today. What a strange day. She had just dealt with one situation, and now there was another. Just now he looked so happy to see her, but suddenly his face changed like she owed him a huge debt.
"You haven't eaten yet?" Liliana looked at him, then at the table full of food.
What a waste. If you don't eat it while it's hot, it turns cold. In the 21st century, she was taught not to waste even one grain of rice. These ancient royals really didn't know how lucky they were.
Still thinking, Liliana floated over to Prince Allennon. Even though he was only thirteen, he was already taller than her.
"Are you feeling sick or something?" she asked gently. Teenagers needed care for their mental health or they could easily go off track.
When Prince Allennon heard her caring words, all the frustration he felt from her leaving vanished.
"I'm fine," he answered while looking at her. He made up his mind to search through strange books later. Maybe he could find a way to remove the fog that always covered her face.
"Do you want to eat with me?" he asked softly. He didn't want to scare her away again. He had thought about it all afternoon and realized he was wrong to tease her.
Right after he asked, he remembered she couldn't eat real food.
He stared at her face.
Whatever, she thought. He's just a kid. His hope and nervousness were all over his face. And it was true that she had left without saying anything.
"Okay."
"I'm sor—" Prince Allennon started to say sorry.
"But this time you better tell me how every dish tastes. If I ever get to eat them and they don't match what you said, you're in trouble." Liliana reached out and patted his head.
Even though she couldn't really touch him, Prince Allennon felt full of joy.
He sat down again and carefully described the taste of every dish. Even though the food was cold, his heart felt warm like he was soaking in a gentle hot spring.
Mini Theater
Prince Allennon: Sis, this dessert is really good.
Liliana: Really? How good?
Prince Allennon: Not as good as you.
Liliana: …