POV: Lin Yue
The imperial court was heavy with silence, the scent of sandalwood thick in the air. Lin Yue stood at the center—her back straight, her robes whispering against the marble floor like silk over a blade. Her gaze swept across the nobles seated in a crescent, catching the glint of suspicion, curiosity, and disdain in their eyes. But none dared speak.
Not when she stood like this.
She was no longer the disgrace. No longer the foolish, weak daughter left behind.
She was fire wrapped in silk.
And they were about to burn.
Crown Prince (Rui Shen) watched her with veiled intensity. His jaw tense. His fingers curled slightly on the armrest of his throne. But he said nothing.
Yet.
"You accuse your own family of treasonous deception," spoke Grand Minister Hao, voice cold. "You realize the weight of your words, Lady Lin?"
Lin Yue smiled—not sweetly.
"I do. And I carry it willingly."
POV: Courtroom Whispers
"Isn't that the disgraced daughter?"
"No... look at her eyes. That's not the same girl."
"She dares accuse the Prime Minister's wife?"
"Hah. Either she's brave or mad."
POV: Lin Yue
"I request the court to read aloud the original letter that sullied my name," Lin Yue said.
The scroll was brought forward.
She stepped beside it.
"Now compare it to this one," she whispered, producing another scroll. Her fingers brushed against the parchment like a caress—and a threat.
The court gasped.
"That seal—it's the personal crest of Stepmother (Madam Rui)!"
Madam Rui stood abruptly, robes rustling.
"This is outrageous! That seal could have been stolen. She's fabricating this entire farce!" Her voice shook—not with anger, but with the shrill panic of a liar trapped.
"Then explain the servant testimony," Lin Yue said smoothly, her eyes gleaming like obsidian. "Two maids under your wing—now missing. Found bound and silenced near the west wing. Shall we fetch them, Your Highness?"
Crown Prince (Rui Shen)'s gaze snapped to Madam Rui.
"Explain," he ordered, voice soft. Dangerous.
Stepmother (Madam Rui) faltered.
Stepsister (Rui Lian) clutched at her mother's sleeve. "Mother—say something!"
"Lies! Lies from a jealous—"
"Careful," Lin Yue said, stepping closer. Her voice now a serpent's hiss. "You speak too freely for a woman cornered by truth."
POV: Crown Prince (Rui Shen)
This wasn't the Lin Yue he had known.
No.
This was a storm with a human face.
And gods help him… he was drawn to the destruction.
POV: Royal Scribe
A decree was drawn hastily—punishment limited, reputation salvaged. The Prime Minister's family could not fall—not openly. So a scapegoat was chosen. A third cousin with a history of indiscretion. Enough blood to soothe the masses. Enough mercy to keep the Empire stable.
But everyone in that chamber knew the truth.
And now, they knew Lin Yue.
POV: Lin Yue
As she bowed before the Emperor's seal, the Lustbound System shimmered faintly in her mind—pleasure, power, heat curling in her veins.
[System Reward: +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma, +1 Seduction]
"Let this serve as reminder," the Emperor spoke, "that reputation is earned by virtue."
Lin Yue looked up, smiling.
"And truth," she said, "is earned by pain."
The court stared.
Crown Prince (Rui Shen) did not blink.
And far away… a scroll reached the hands of a general stationed at the border.
He read the name signed at the bottom.
Lin Yue.
His sister.
And his eyes turned to steel.