The old king’s expression turned to that of anger. His son had surely ruined his plans and now he was running around the galaxy making trouble. This he couldn’t accept. "Just speed up the plans. I need him back on Zeden Star by the end of the month!" he boomed, his voice a thunderous roar.

Lee Ya’s heart pounded in her chest as her father continued unleashing his fury upon her. His booming voice echoed through her soundproof bedroom filled with disappointment and anger.

Her eyes reddened as she listened to him calling her everything under the sun. She had been sent to spy on her own half-brother and find his weaknesses and black material her father could use to force him back under his control. He wanted the most important and detrimental information that would make him concede.

She had been doing everything to get into Luo Muchen’s good grace but he was still guarded in every aspect. She much preferred for him to be captured and exposed for his crimes but her father insisted on this method.

As the highly encrypted transmission ended, Lee Ya was left in the dark for a while. She remained on the ground, kowtowing in the presence of her father’s wrath. Her body trembled with what could only be perceived as a mixture of fear and frustration.

Slowly, her trembling fingers curled into fists their half-done nails digging into her palms ruining the progress the nail technician had made. Dark energy seemed to emanate from her as she raised her head, her eyes glinting with something sinister.

A maniacal laughter erupted from deep within her throat, escaping her lips like the cry of a fiend that had crawled out of hell itself. At that moment, she resembled a creature driven to madness, consumed by her own anguish and the weight of her father’s rejection.

Why didn’t her father want her to take the throne? The question burned in Lee Ya’s mind, fueling her anger and confusion. Her half-brother was nothing more than a pirate, a criminal. Yet, instead of exposing his crimes, her father concealed his true identity, protecting him with preferential treatment.

It was an injustice that gnawed at Lee Ya’s soul. Luo Muchen, the second most wanted man in the Zeden Coalition, remained hidden, his face unknown to the galaxy. Actually no, now that the psychopath was dead Luo Muchen was the number one most wanted man in Zeden Coalition yet his identity was protected by the crown. This meant he could still claim the throne if their father wished it, and the old king’s failing health only added to the urgency of the situation.

Lee Ya’s mind raced with thoughts of revenge and defiance. She knew she had to find her own path, a path that would make her the king of Zeden. To do that Luo Muchen had to be destroyed. He had to be reduced to dust. Then she would force her way to the throne with no challenger. All her other half-siblings from other concubines were women and had no interest in state affairs. All they cared about was a noble husband who could treat them well and play dress up at banquets.

Her eerie laughter subsided, replaced by a steely determination burning in her eyes. Rising from the ground, Lee Ya wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye and straightened her posture.

Enough was enough. She would no longer be a puppet in her father’s game. She would take that throne, even if it meant defying the very blood that flowed through her veins.

Lee Ya turned the light on and put back her docile and friendly mask seeming like an entirely different person. She checked her perfect smile in the mirror and fixed her hair before removing the strict security protocols. When the room was reinstated to its previous state she called the nail technician back to her room.

Meanwhile, Qie Xieling was sitting alone in the dimly lit small cabin on his cold hard bed lamenting on the soft and comfortable bed in Luo Muchen’s room. Oh, what a luxury he longed to have.

He reached into his inner pocket and retrieved the small, intricately designed box he had been safeguarding for so long. It was a paradoxical creation, both complex and simple, its smooth surface hiding secrets within. "What were you hiding in this?... What was so important?" he mumbled to himself wishing somebody... anybody could make his life easier.

With careful fingers, he turned the box around, examining it from every angle, searching for a lock or a hidden mechanism that would grant him access to its contents. But despite his efforts, the box remained stubbornly sealed, its secrets locked away from prying eyes.

"Argh fuck!!... Tell me your secrets," he said while trying to pry it open from the edges but whoever made it made sure that no one could open it.

He was suddenly startled when the sound of the cabin door sliding open broke the silence. He quickly tucked the box back into his inner pocket.

Mauve seemed not to notice his strange behaviour. That’s because he had his own troubles.

"Mauve," Qie Xieling greeted him, his voice betraying none of his inner turmoil.

Mauve didn’t respond. He seemed to grow increasingly frustrated as he stood by his bed. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"What’s eating you?" Qie Xieling teased, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

Mauve shot him an annoyed glare, his vibrant vertical slit pupils narrowing. "It’s this no going shirtless rule," he grumbled.

Qie Xieling couldn’t help but chuckle while saying, "Then take it off. I promise it will be our little secret."

Mauve’s brow furrowed. Why did it sound wrong coming from Qie Xieling’s mouth? Qie Xieling misunderstood his gaze so he said, "What? Do you think I am a snitch?... Wait wait wait or maybe you think I am a pervert. Geez, I already told you I was just envying you. Fine then, you can roast in that shirt. I am very curious what roasted alien tastes like," he said and Mauve was very offended.

"Who are you calling an alien? You are the fucking alien. Your mother is an alien, your entire family are aliens," said Mauve while his hands fumbled with the stubborn shirt.

Qie Xieling, "..."