Seiring upacara terakhir usai, dentum dalam lonceng perlahan memudar menjadi keheningan.
Dupanya hampir habis terbakar.
Doa-doa berhenti.
Para pejabat upacara mundur ke belakang.
Dan begitu saja, pemakaman Kaisar selesai.
Satu per satu, pasukan yang berkumpul mulai mundur.
Sebagian dengan tenang.
Sebagian dengan tatapan yang masih tersisa.
Sebagian sudah mengirim sinyal senyap kepada sekutu mereka.
Bai Zihan berbalik dan hendak pergi juga.
Ia tidak berniat berlama-lama.
Semua yang perlu dilihat sudah dilihat.
Tapi kemudian... gerakannya terhenti.
Tatapannya bergeser.
Mendarat pada sebuah sosok tak jauh dari sana.
Yu Feiyan!
Putri Kesembilan.
Sesaat, matanya menyipit sedikit.
Ada sesuatu yang terasa aneh darinya.
Berbeda dari biasanya, ia tidak membawa ketenangan yang nyaris penuh perhitungan.
Begitu pula pesona halus yang sering ia gunakan dengan mudah.
Sebaliknya, ia berdiri diam dan hening.
Ekspresinya... tertekan.
Ada jejak kepedihan samar yang tersisa di matanya.
Bahkan, kemerahan halus di sekitar matanya belum sepenuhnya memudar.
Seolah-olah ia baru saja menangis.
Alis Bai Zihan sedikit berkerut.
(Apa yang sedang terjadi?)
Yu Feiyan bahkan bukan dirinya yang sebenarnya, dan ia tidak mengira keduanya memiliki hubungan apa pun—kecuali ia keliru.
Meski begitu, ia tidak mengira orang seperti Qin Lingxiao akan menangis.
(Berakting?)
Itu masuk akal.
Pura-pura berduka.
Memenangkan simpati.
Menurunkan kecurigaan.
Itu sesuatu yang lebih dari mampu dilakukan Qin Lingxiao.
Namun... ada sesuatu yang terasa salah.
Kesedihannya terasa begitu tulus bahwa jika ia tidak tahu bahwa ia bukan Yu Feiyan yang asli, itu akan dipandang sebagai kesedihan yang sesungguhnya.
Tetap saja, ia tidak tahu.
Dan bagi orang sepertinya, ketidakpastian adalah sesuatu yang tidak ia sukai.
Biasanya ia akan menghindarinya, karena ia adalah seseorang yang bisa membunuhnya dengan mudah.
Tapi kali ini, ia tidak takut.
Pertama, ayahnya dan Bai Ren ada di sini, meski keduanya lebih lemah darinya.
Apalagi, dalam situasi seperti ini, meski Qin Lingxiao ingin bergerak, ia tidak akan bisa—kecuali ia berniat membunuh semua orang untuk menghapus saksi.
Tanpa ragu, Bai Zihan mengubah arah.
Dan mulai berjalan menuju Yu Feiyan.
Gerakannya tidak luput dari perhatian.
"Bai Zihan... sedang menuju Putri Kesembilan?"
"Apakah ia mendukungnya?"
"Itu mustahil! Bukankah ia pernah menolaknya sebelumnya? Seharusnya tidak ada hubungan apa pun di antara keduanya."
"Kalau begitu, apa ini?"
Beberapa orang saling bertukar tatapan tajam.
Ekspresi mereka berubah halus.
"Apakah ia menggoda dia entah bagaimana?"
"Kapan itu terjadi?"
Kejutan!
Kebingungan!
Spekulasi!
Semuanya menyebar seperti api dalam semak.
Tapi di antara mereka semua, yang paling terlihat terpengaruh adalah mereka yang berdiri di belakang Yu Feiyan.
Mata mereka berbinar.
Kegembiraan bergejolak di dalam diri mereka.
(Jika Bai Zihan mendukungnya...)
Satu pemikiran bergema di benak mereka.
(Maka kemenangan adalah milik mereka!)
(Kerja bagus, Putri!)
Yu Feiyan menyadarinya hanya ketika ia sudah berdiri di hadapannya.
Sesaat, kejutan yang tulus melintas di wajahnya.
Ia jelas tidak menyangka ia akan mendekat.
Bai Zihan berhenti tepat satu langkah dari sana.
Ekspresinya tetap tenang, tetapi tatapannya tertuju lama pada Yu Feiyan.
Lalu, ia berbicara dengan nada lembut.
"Yang Mulia... turut berduka."
Jeda.
"Wafatnya Yang Mulia adalah kehilangan besar bagi Kekaisaran."
Kata-katanya formal dan pantas.
Namun ada sesuatu yang lain di baliknya.
"Tapi masa lalu tidak bisa diubah."
Suaranya turun sedikit.
"Anda harus menjaga diri... dan melangkah maju."
Kata-kata itu, saat ia mengucapkannya, membawa rasa keakraban samar di antara mereka.
Yu Feiyan membeku sesaat.
Bibirnya terbuka.
Tapi tidak ada kata yang keluar seketika.
"T-terima kasih... Tuan Muda Bai..."
Suaranya lembut.
Bahkan ada getar samar di dalamnya.
Ia menundukkan pandangan sedikit.
Jarinya menggenggam lengan bajunya dengan halus.
Ia sopan dan patut, meski ucapannya tergagap—tapi orang bisa menganggap ini sebagai kehilangan kendali karena duka.
(Jika ia berakting, maka ia layak mendapat Oscar!)
Bai Zihan berpikir sambil mengamatinya.
"Hmmm..."
Ada yang jelas-jelas tidak beres.
Sebaik apa pun kemampuan berakting seseorang, kejutan dan getarnya yang nyaris ketakutan, ini terlalu bagus.
Hampir se
As the final rites came to an end, the deep toll of the bell faded into silence.
The incense had nearly burned out.
The prayers ceased.
The ceremonial officials stepped back.
And just like that, the Emperor’s funeral was over.
One by one, the gathered forces began to withdraw.
Some calmly.
Some with lingering glances.
Some were already sending silent signals to their allies.
Bai Zihan turned and was about to leave as well.
He had no intention of lingering.
Everything that needed to be seen had been seen.
But then... his movement paused.
His gaze shifted.
It landed on a figure not far away.
Yu Feiyan!
The Ninth Princess.
For a brief moment, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Something felt off about her.
Unlike her usual self, she did not carry that calm, almost calculating composure.
Nor that subtle charm she often wielded effortlessly.
Instead, she stood still and silent.
Her expression... subdued.
There was a faint trace of sorrow lingering in her eyes.
Even more, the subtle redness around them had not completely faded.
As if she had cried.
Bai Zihan’s brows furrowed slightly.
(What is going on?)
Yu Feiyan wasn’t even her real self, nor did he think that the two had any kind of relationship—unless he was mistaken.
Even so, he didn’t think a person like Qin Lingxiao would cry.
(Acting?)
It would make sense.
Feign grief.
Win sympathy.
Lower suspicion.
It was something Qin Lingxiao was more than capable of.
And yet... something about it felt wrong.
Her sadness felt quite genuine that if not for knowing that she wasn’t the real Yu Feiyan, it would be seen as her being in grief.
Still, he did not know.
And for someone like him, uncertainty was something he did not like.
He would usually avoid her, as she was someone who could kill him easily.
But this time, he wasn’t afraid.
For one, his father and Bai Ren were here, even if both were weaker than her.
Moreover, in such a situation, even if Qin Lingxiao wanted to make a move, she wouldn’t be able to—unless she intended to kill everyone to remove witnesses.
Without hesitation, Bai Zihan changed direction.
And began walking toward Yu Feiyan.
His movement did not go unnoticed.
"Bai Zihan... is heading toward the Ninth Princess?"
"Is he supporting her?"
"That’s impossible! Didn’t he reject her before? There shouldn’t be any relationship whatsoever between the two."
"Then what is this?"
A few exchanged sharp glances.
Their expressions changed subtly.
"Did she seduce him somehow?"
"When did that happen?"
Shock!
Confusion!
Speculation!
All of it spread like wildfire.
But among all of them, the most visibly affected were those standing behind Yu Feiyan.
Their eyes lit up.
Excitement surged within them.
(If Bai Zihan supports her...)
A single thought echoed in their minds.
(Then victory was theirs!)
(Good work, Princess!)
Yu Feiyan noticed him only when he was already standing before her.
For a brief moment, genuine surprise flickered across her face.
She clearly had not expected him to approach.
Bai Zihan stopped just a step away.
His expression remained calm, but his gaze lingered on Yu Feiyan.
Then, he spoke with a gentle tone.
"Your Highness... my condolences."
A pause.
"His Majesty’s passing is a great loss to the Empire."
His words were formal and appropriate.
Yet there was something else beneath them.
"But the past cannot be changed."
His voice lowered slightly.
"You should take care of yourself... and move forward."
Those words, as he spoke them, carried a faint sense of familiarity between them.
Yu Feiyan froze slightly.
Her lips parted.
But no words came out immediately.
"Th-thank you... Young Master Bai..."
Her voice was soft.
There was even a faint tremble within it.
She lowered her gaze slightly.
Her fingers tightened subtly at her sleeves.
She was polite and proper, although her words were stammering—but one could take this as her losing control due to grief.
(If she is acting, then she deserves an oscar!)
Bai Zihan thought as he observed her.
"Hmmm..."
Something was definitely off.
No matter how good one was at acting, her surprise and trembling almost in fright, this was too good.
It was almost as if—
Just as that thought was about to fully form, a figure suddenly stepped forward.
"Thank you, Clan Leader Bai, for your concern toward Her Highness."
The voice was respectful yet calculated.
It was Yu Feiyan’s attendant.
She stepped slightly ahead, positioning herself just enough to subtly interrupt the moment.
Her posture was perfect.
Her expression was composed.
"With His Majesty’s passing, Her Highness has been deeply affected."
She continued gently.
"It is fortunate that someone as considerate as Young Master Bai would come personally to offer comfort."
Her words flowed naturally, but their intent was clear.
To everyone watching, it painted a different picture.
One of familiarity.
Of closeness.
As if Bai Zihan and Yu Feiyan shared a deeper connection.
A political move!
The surrounding whispers shifted instantly.
"I knew it... there’s something between them..."
"So it’s true..."
"Bai Zihan is really supporting the Ninth Princess?"
Excitement surged even more among Yu Feiyan’s faction.
Their earlier hope now began to feel real.
Bai Zihan’s gaze slowly moved.
From Yu Feiyan...
To the attendant.
He looked at her quietly.
His eyes were unreadable.
Then a faint smile appeared on his lips.
(So that’s how it is.)
In that instant, he understood everything.
Yu Feiyan before him was the real Yu Feiyan—and not Qin Lingxiao.
And Qin Lingxiao... was this attendant.
Although everything about her was different, he felt the same uneasiness as when he had previously spoken with Qin Lingxiao.
Initially, he thought that Yu Feiyan might have been killed by Qin Lingxiao, who then took her place.
But it looked like things were different from what he had thought.
Looking at how Qin Lingxiao had brought her back to see her father last time, it seemed their relationship was good—and that Yu Feiyan was cooperating with her.
As for Qin Lingxiao becoming the attendant, it was probably to help Yu Feiyan from the shadows.
After all, there was no guarantee that other princes or princesses wouldn’t act right after the funeral ended.
With Yu Feiyan’s comparatively meager strength, she stood no chance.
And if she died...
All of Qin Lingxiao’s efforts would be for nothing.
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!