The Witch in the Woods: The Transmigration of Hazel-Anne Davis
Chapter 44: Of Masks and Miracles

Chapter 44: Of Masks and Miracles

The Imperial audience hall was colder than I expected.

Not in temperature, but in atmosphere—like someone had drained the color from the room and replaced it with protocol and paranoia. The tiles gleamed with perfection, and the pillars were wrapped in coiling dragons.

Seriously, I think every room in this palace looked the same, from the Empress’s palace to the throne room, everything looked like a dragon threw up on it. If I never saw a dragon or a phoenix, it would be much too soon.

I get that, given the materials that were available when this place was constructed, it wasn’t easy to make each place unique... but a part of me was screaming that somewhere, somehow, I was going to paint all the wood a different color, just to break up the monotony of mahogany.

The deeper into the throne hall we went, the more eyes I could feel on me. However, it was clear that every official in the room had perfected the art of bowing while watching from the corners of their eyes. When I tried to find the source of my discomfort, everyone appeared to be looking at the floor.

They didn’t look at me the way they looked at Zhu Mingyu.

It was easy to tell that Zhu Mingyu was loved and respected, like a shining beacon of hope in a tyrannical regime. Even their bodies seemed to unconsciously gravitate to him, whether they wanted to or not.

I, on the other hand, was something else entirely. I was something new, something that hadn’t yet been labeled—and that made me dangerous.

Good.

I stood half a step behind Zhu Mingyu, as was proper for a wife in an open court. The veil over my face had been lowered again, its fine gauze embroidered with golden thread that shimmered each time I moved. It obscured my features just enough to make the ministers whisper, like my appearance would determine everything they needed to know about me.

Let them.

At the far end of the room, the Emperor lounged on his throne as though he hadn’t ordered a thousand deaths in his lifetime. His robes pooled around him like spilled ink, a carved scepter resting against his knee. He was smiling, but not with joy. It was the kind of smile I’d seen on predators before a kill.

"Our first son," he said, lifting his hand in welcome. "And my newest daughter-in-law."

Zhu Mingyu bowed deeply. I followed with a graceful curtsy, letting the silk of my sleeves fall just enough to showcase the jade bracelet now resting on my wrist—a gift from the Empress herself.

The Emperor’s gaze landed on it.

He noticed.

"Word spreads quickly," he said, settling back. "Your wedding caused quite the stir. Half the court was surprised you even agreed to marry."

That was likely meant for me.

I smiled behind the veil. "Why wouldn’t I? The Crown Prince is the most respectable man I’ve ever met."

I didn’t have to see Zhu Mingyu’s face to know he almost rolled his eyes.

A chuckle rippled through the room, but the tension didn’t break. The Emperor gestured lazily, and a eunuch stepped forward with a scroll.

"We’ll be holding a banquet," the Emperor announced. "In three days’ time. A celebration to honor your union, of course—but also a statement of unity. The Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Second... all under one roof. How poetic."

There it was.

The real reason we were called in.

The Crown Prince bowed again. "We will be honored to attend."

The doors to the side creaked open, calling everyone’s attention to the newcomer.

Zhu Lianhua arrived with the same grace he always wielded like a blade that didn’t know if it wanted to be straight or curved. His hair was perfectly arranged, his outer robe a soft ivory brushed with silver clouds, and his face—

Flawless.

Not a single mark. Not a scratch, not a single scar. There wasn’t even a hint of discoloration.

Interesting. According to what I knew, I managed to catch him in one of my traps. My traps weren’t meant to keep people alive. In fact, he must have a horseshoe up his ass if he managed to get out of the bird cage alive. It was impossible to get out of it without a scar.

He bowed deeply to the Emperor before lifting his head and turning toward us. Toward me.

His eyes were warm. Too warm.

I waited.

When he bowed in greeting, I gave the shallowest curtsy I could without drawing official scolding. The veil kept my expression hidden, but I didn’t need him to see my mouth to know he’d feel the smile.

"Third Prince," I said softly, just loud enough to carry. "How wonderful to see you again. You look so well." Was I poking at the bear? Hell yes. Was I going to do it more? Come on... it’s me.

He blinked, caught off guard by the tone.

"Funny," I continued. "I could’ve sworn I heard that you came out of the mountains with terrible scars. The kind that would never be able to heal."

He smiled. It was charming. Controlled. But his eyes didn’t match.

"You must have been misinformed," he replied calmly. "I’ve always been fortunate with my health."

"Mmm," I hummed. "Then you must introduce me to your physician. Anyone who can erase injuries so completely... they must be either a god..." My gaze drifted ever so slowly down his face. "...or a butcher."

A flicker—there and gone—tightened the corner of his eye. I had him. Now it was only a matter of time before I figured out what he was reacting to. And what he was hiding.

If he really thought that I would just sit here after the stunt he pulled, dragging me out of my house and home, then he definitely wouldn’t see me coming.

I smiled wider. "Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference."

Zhu Mingyu didn’t react. He didn’t have to. He was a mountain beside me, unmoving, unreadable.

But I could feel the air shift around us, just slightly. The Third Prince’s facade hadn’t cracked. Not yet. But I knew a man cornered when I saw one.

The Emperor, watching the exchange with mild interest, gave a satisfied nod.

"Let the world see how close my sons are," he said. "Let them believe the royal family is whole."

Let them believe indeed. Even if the royal family was whole, by the time I was done with them, they’d look like Swiss cheese.

The audience ended shortly after, ministers beginning to murmur about arrangements, gift rosters, and seating charts. I didn’t pay attention. I had already seen what I needed.

Zhu Lianhua was hiding something.

And whatever mask he wore, I’d make sure it cracked before the banquet ended.

We exited through the southern corridor. Zhu Mingyu remained silent for several steps before finally exhaling.

"You enjoyed that too much," he growled low, dipping his head down so that he was speaking in my ear.

"Would you rather I complimented his complexion?" I asked, a smile flirting at my lips. I was actually starting to enjoy the banter between the two of us.

He glanced at me sideways. "You’re going to start a war."

I scoffed at his statement before patting the man on the arm. "He already started it," I replied, looking up at my husband. "I’m just giving him a fair opponent."

He paused, as if about to scold me, but then shook his head. "Remind me not to stand between you and whatever chaos you’re planning."

"You weren’t standing between us," I said calmly. "You were standing beside me. I’d be more worried about you than me. That prince is going to explode soon, and you might be caught in the crossfire."

That statement, at least, earned me a ghost of a smile.

We didn’t speak again until we reached the carriage.

But as I sat down, veil still fluttering in the air, I knew one thing for certain.

This palace might belong to the Emperor.

But the game?

The game was mine.