The Witch in the Woods: The Transmigration of Hazel-Anne Davis
Chapter 71: A Man Worth Fighting For

Chapter 71: A Man Worth Fighting For

I didn’t leave a note.

I didn’t pack extra robes or silk shoes or talismans for luck. I didn’t wait for the palace astrologer to say whether the winds favored travel. I woke before dawn, dressed in my usual green, wrapped my hair in a tight braid, and tucked a dagger into my sleeve. I even made sure to tie the green ribbon around my neck...

By the time the sun had begun to crawl over the walls of the Eastern Courtyard, I was already at the stables, checking the stirrups on a stallion that didn’t belong to the Crown Prince. The guards watched me from a distance, but no one approached. They never did. Not since the wedding.

The leather straps were fraying. I made a mental note to replace them on the way out.

"You’re not seriously riding out alone, are you?" Zhu Mingyu’s voice cut across the quiet, sharp as broken porcelain.

I didn’t turn, I didn’t bother to look at him.

He stepped into the courtyard like a shadow with silk edges, dressed in his court robes, every thread perfect. His crown sat atop his head, but I noticed the faint smudge beneath his right eye. He hadn’t slept well.

Good.

"It is a wife’s job to stay and manage the house," he said, voice low. "Not even I will be going south—not unless the Emperor gives the order. I still have to be seen in court every morning. There are appearances to maintain."

I adjusted the saddle blanket and replied without looking back, "That’s nice."

He moved closer. "What exactly do you think you’re going to do down there? Lead the war effort by yourself?"

"No," I said. "I’m going to make sure Deming comes back alive."

His breath caught just enough to betray him. "You’re not serious."

I turned to face him then, slowly, one hand resting on the horse’s saddle. "Have I ever struck you as the type to joke like that?"

"This is treason," he hissed. "You would betray your vows? You would make me wear a green hat with my own brother?"

I blinked. "You betray your vows every time you give attention to one of the five women in the back garden. From my perspective, that still gives me another four spots in my harem. I’m being fair."

His face darkened. "It’s not the same."

"Of course it’s not," I scoffed. "The man can do whatever he wants, but we have to put a smile on our faces and pretend that we are okay sharing our man with someone else. Do not make any mistake. I am not sneaking around. I’m telling you directly. Deming is mine. You can either accept that or not. That is your choice to make."

"You don’t care about the empire," he said, staring at me. "You never have."

"Look at you...so smart. Did you want a gold star?" I sneered, rolling my eyes.

He stepped closer, frustration curling in his mouth. "Then why go? Why throw yourself into a war zone? You don’t owe him anything."

I smiled faintly. "You wouldn’t understand."

He glared. "Try me."

"Because he was willing to give it all up for me. How could I not do the same for him?" I said softly.

For a moment, Zhu Mingyu was completely still. Then he stepped back, as if I’d slapped him. "That’s it?" he demanded. "That’s all it takes?"

"That’s more than you ever gave me," I said. "I’m not going south to protect villages or banners. I’m not going because I care about the Emperor’s throne. I’m going because someone I care about is in danger. And I am very good at making danger regret its choices."

He shook his head, laughing bitterly. "You think the Red Demons can’t handle it? I sent them. They will win."

"The army that couldn’t get through my mountains without help?" I said, arching a brow. "That army? If you want them all dead, just say so. You could at least have the spine to admit it."

"You really believe you’re the only thing that stands between success and failure?"

"I don’t care about success," I replied. "I care about Deming. Whether they win or lose, that doesn’t matter to me."

Zhu Mingyu stared at me, silent.

The horse snorted, breaking the tension. I gave its mane a final pat and moved toward the saddlebags. A short knife, flint, coins, and dried fruit. I didn’t need much.

"You’ll die," he said finally, voice low. "If you go alone."

I looked over my shoulder. "I’ve been alone my whole life, Zhu Mingyu. It hasn’t killed me yet."

"This isn’t a game," he snapped, his hands clenching in frustration as his impassive mask finally snapped.

"Then you should stop treating it like one," I replied, mounting the horse in one fluid movement. The saddle creaked beneath me, but the weight felt right. Familiar.

"No guards?" he asked.

"Do I look like someone who needs them?"

He frowned, stepping toward the horse, grabbing the bridle like he wanted to stop me. "This is madness."

"Maybe," I said. "But it’s my madness. Not yours."

He held on for a heartbeat longer. Then let go.

"If you don’t return..." he began.

"Then mourn me in green," I said with a grin. "It’s my color, after all." I knew I wouldn’t die, but it was kind of fun playing with him a bit.

The gates opened before I reached them. No fanfare. No music. Just the quiet creak of wood and the wind rising off the city walls. The sky had begun to lighten—not yet gold, but no longer blue.

I didn’t look back.

Let the capital whisper. Let the Emperor scowl. Let the Crown Prince realize that I will never sit still and embroider a flower for him. They knew what I was before I married into the family, and it was about time that I reminded them why I scared Yelan.

I had a different war to win.

And a man worth fighting for.