Page 80 of Empire's Curse

By the timeDaiyu returned to the palace, her head was so stuffed with pointless, scathing gossip that she had to rest on her couch to process it all. The only useful information she learned was that once noblewomen began gossiping, their lips became loose enough to spill abouteverything. Even something as small as what so-and-so ate for lunch, and where, and how terrible it was. And despite everything she had learned, nothing stood out as to who could be behind Daiyu’s multiple life-and-death situations. It could very well be every single noble lady who was connected to Muyang—and there weremanywomen, apparently.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Daiyu lifted her arm from over her eyes and peeked at Nikator, who stood by her doorway, appearing unsure of what to do. She had almost forgotten the youth had accompanied her back here.

“My head feels like it’s going to burst.” She rubbed her temples and sat upright so she was in a more appropriate sitting position—another thing she had learned about noble ladies was how important it was to carry herself. Considering how Nikator was one of Muyang’s trusted warriors, it probably was wise to act in a respectable manner.

“Too much gossip for one day?” Nikator grinned.

She groaned and resisted the urge to flip back down on the couch. “You have no idea. I didn’t think it was possible to talkso muchabout nothing.”

“I didn’t think lady Jia was into much gossip,” he mused, shifting on his feet and crossing his lean arms over his chest. “She’s always been a chatterbox, as opposed to her husband, General Liang Fang, but she’s not one to gossip incessantly. But maybe I read her wrong.”

“No, it was mostly Lady Eu-Meh who gossiped.”

“That sounds more in line with her personality.” Nikator eyed her carefully and frowned. “Anyway, are you still up for going into the gardens later this afternoon to see the princesses? You don’t look like you want to entertain any more chitchat. We can always wait until next week.”

She was already shaking her head before he finished. There was no way she was going to push her meeting with the princesses aside, not when she hadn’t learned anything fruitful this morning. She was more determined than ever to find a culprit or two to focus on instead of the looming threat and trouble this entire union would bring.

“I’ll be fine after resting my eyes for a bit,” she said, smoothing down her navy blue skirts. “Do you think you’ll still be able to escort me?”

“Of course.” He raised a dark red eyebrow. “What kind of guard would I be if I’m only conditional?”

“Well, you technicallyareconditional, aren’t you? Until Vita comes to the palace, I mean.”

“I think the term temporary is more suitable.”

An awkward silence filled the void between them as Daiyu’s mind traveled to other topics—particularly what it meant to be Muyang’s wife. She frowned and spread her hands over her thighs to flatten the creases that had formed when she was crumpled on the couch like a curled noodle. She hadn’t realized how clammy her hands were until that moment.

“Um, Nikator?” She smoothed down a particular crease, avoiding eye contact as she zeroed in on it. “You’ve been with His Majesty for a long while, right? So you’ve likely learned bits and pieces of his personal life, right?”

There was a pause and a shift. “Yes.”

She raised her gaze to meet his. He was now staring at her strangely, like he had his guard up. He probably thought she was going to ask something incredibly threatening. Like Muyang’s weaknesses or his darkest secrets. He stood expectantly, his broad shoulders stiff and his bright blue eyes narrowed in expectancy.

“So you know about his love life, yes?”

He blinked. “Um. Sort of.”

“How does he treat his lovers?”

If that was the question he was expecting, he surely didn’t act like he knew it was coming. Nikator rubbed the nape of his neck. “I’m not really sure. His Majesty keeps his personal life personal. I’ve never met any of the women he was involved with … until you.”

She wasn’t sure if she should be happy about that or not. She should have felt special upon hearing that, but it only made her anxiety gnaw at the pit of her stomach even more. Because there was nothing inherently different or special about her to make her stand out, so why was she treated differently than the other women? What was Muyang’s aim with her? Why weren’t the other women “good enough” for him to marry?

“Has he ever been in love?” she blurted out without thinking better.

Nikator pursed his lips together and seemed to think on it for a few minutes. Time ticked by slowly, and the more he seemed to ponder, the less sure Daiyu became of anything.

“I don’t know,” he finally answered with a shrug.

“Oh.” Another red banner that screamed that something must have been wrong with him if he never loved before.

Nikator studied her carefully, and she could see the cogs in his brain grinding to a stuttering stop. “You don’t … look happy to hear that? I thought women swooned at the idea of being the first love.”

“I’m really not sure what to think of”—she gestured toward the room, looking at nothing in particular before sighing and slumping over the couch—“any of this. I’m not used to this kind of life and I’m not sure if I’m suited for it either. I’m just trying to figure it all out, you know?”

He bobbed his head, but she could tell he didn’t understand what she was saying. He must have lived such a difficult and different life than her—first as a slave, and now as a personal warrior to the emperor himself. He must have known what she was going through to some extent, but at the same time, he likely saw her troubles as trivial.

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