Chapter 3: The Banquet Of Masks

The Xiu family mansion buzzed with preparation. Servants hurried about, carrying silk cushions, setting tables, polishing lanterns. Tonight, the emperor’s court officials and noble families would gather for a mid-autumn banquet.

For Haein, it felt like stepping into an elaborate play she had never rehearsed for.

Her maid hovered nervously, adjusting the jade pins in her hair. “Milady, please… tonight you must remember proper etiquette. Do not speak out of turn. Do not laugh too freely. Do not—”

Haein groaned. “So basically, don’t be myself.”

The maid blanched. “Exactly.”

Haein sighed, but she forced her lips into a smile. Alright, Bae Haein. You’ve hosted press junkets, translated for celebrities, survived live TV. How hard can a little banquet be?

---

The banquet hall glittered with lanterns, casting golden light across rows of nobles dressed in embroidered robes. Musicians plucked strings, dancers floated across the floor. Every move, every glance carried centuries of formality.

Haein entered with her parents, bowing stiffly when announced. She felt dozens of eyes on her—curiosity, suspicion, even envy.

But one gaze in particular weighed the heaviest.

Zhao Tian sat at the head, his expression unreadable as ever, but when his eyes found hers, she felt her skin prickle. He inclined his head faintly, almost mockingly, as if daring her to slip up.

---

Haein sat beside her family, trying to mimic the way others held their chopsticks, the way they sipped tea. But her disguise cracked when one dish arrived—braised duck with spices she adored.

“Oh! My favorite!” she blurted in Korean before realizing. Silence fell for a heartbeat.

Her father’s eyes widened in horror. “Ying’er—”

She coughed, switching awkwardly to Chinese. “I-I mean, truly delicious!”

Across the hall, Zhao Chen bit back laughter while Zhao Tian’s smirk deepened.

---

As the evening stretched, scholars recited poetry, generals recounted victories. Then came the turn for Xiu Ying.

Her name was called. She froze.

The maid whispered from behind, “Milady, you always prepare verses… you must recite.”

Haein’s mind went blank. She knew history, she knew dramas, but classical poetry? That wasn’t in her translator’s job description.

Panic surged—until a memory sparked. A line she once translated for a historical show script. Slowly, carefully, she spoke:

> “The moonlight flows like water, yet cannot wash away longing.”

The hall fell quiet. Then applause rippled, polite but approving.

Zhao Tian’s eyes lingered on her, sharper than before.

---

Later, as dancers entertained the court, Haein excused herself to the garden, desperate for air. Lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, casting shadows across the lotus pond.

She leaned against the railing, muttering, “I can’t keep this up. One mistake and I’m done.”

A voice answered from behind. “You made many mistakes tonight.”

She spun around. Zhao Tian stood there, hands clasped behind his back. His presence filled the quiet space, steady and imposing.

“Your chopsticks. Your speech. Your verses. None were as they should be,” he said, stepping closer.

Her throat tightened. “Then why didn’t you expose me?”

For the first time, his eyes softened, though only slightly. “Because, Xiu Ying, I find this version of you… far more intriguing than the one before.”

Her heart stuttered. She forced a shaky laugh. “So you’re entertained, that’s it?”

His lips curved faintly. “Perhaps. Or perhaps you are no longer a mask, but the truth beneath one.”

Before she could reply, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed. Zhao Tian straightened, his mask of cold authority snapping back into place. “Return to the hall,” he ordered.

She watched him disappear into the lantern-lit corridors, her pulse still racing.

---

Back inside, Concubine Yan Bai observed from across the room, her gaze sharp as a blade. She had seen Zhao Tian’s unusual attention, and jealousy burned in her chest.

Quietly, she whispered to her maid, “Find out what happened between them. If Xiu Ying thinks she can steal the king’s eyes, she is mistaken.”

The banquet continued, but for Haein, the night felt like the start of something far more dangerous than she could have imagined.

End of Chapter 3.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***