Samaya entered the Court with measured steps, her head held high, every inch of her posture exuding poise and confidence. Yet beneath her composed exterior, her thoughts churned with sharp precision. This is their move. Let’s see how far they’re willing to take it.

  Towering pillars adorned with carvings of dragons and phoenixes loomed above the assembly. Ministers and nobles crowded the room, their faces tense with anticipation. Whispers filled the air like the rustling of leaves before a storm.

  As Samaya crossed the threshold, the murmurs increased. The Emperor, seated on his throne of gold and jade at the far end of the hall, raised a hand, and silence fell. His expression was inscrutable, his piercing gaze sweeping over the room before settling on Samaya.

  Standing at the forefront of the gathered assembly was Minister Kang, his face a mask of fury barely contained. The man looked as if he would like to jump at Samaya and strangle her. Samaya wanted to smirk but kept her face carefully blank yet mildly confused. She could not help but feel the glee she felt inside just by seeing that expression.

  Samaya’s steps slowed, her sharp eyes assessing the scene. Her gaze flicked to the Emperor, noting the faint tightening of his lips—a rare sign of displeasure. The tension in the room was palpable, like a coiled spring ready to snap.

  Minister Kang stepped forward, his voice trembling with rage as he addressed the Emperor. “Your Majesty, I come before you today to demand justice for a heinous crime.” He bowed to the Emperor. “My heir, my son Kang Yanxin, was abducted, tortured, and mutilated. The cruelty inflicted upon him is unspeakable. And I have reason to believe,” his voice rose, venom lacing every word as he turned to glare at Samaya, “that Lady Qing is responsible for this atrocity.”

  A collective gasp swept through the court, followed by an oppressive silence. Samaya stood unflinching under the weight of the accusation, suppressing an ironic smile. So this is the path you’ve chosen, Minister Kang. Bold, but reckless.

  If only someone had told her the very same words before she jumped headfirst into the uncharted waters of court politics, Rin might have been alive today.

  The Emperor raised a hand once more, and the murmurs ceased. His voice, calm and authoritative, echoed through the hall. “Minister Kang, do you have proof to substantiate such a grave accusation?”

  It was the same question the man asked her that day when she had been the one begging for justice.

  Minister Kang bowed, though his movements were stiff. “Your Majesty, who else could have orchestrated this? Lady Qing holds a grudge against my son for his alleged crimes. Is it really so hard to believe that she would harm him?”

  “But this is not about belief, is it, Minister Kang?” Samaya spoke up, the sound of clothes rustling echoed in the hall as the ministers turned to her. “This is about proof. You are accusing a Virtuous Lady of the Imperial Harem, you better have some proof.”

  Minister Kang did not dignify her with an answer. He turned to the Emperor and bowed deeply. “Your Majesty, my son has been harmed beyond imagination. Our physician can tell you what he has suffered! It pains me to speak of it, it … it would taint the honor of the Kang family, but this is too grave a crime to not demand justice.”

  At a signal from the Emperor, the hunched form of a middle-aged man emerged from the crowd. He bowed deeply before addressing the court. “Your Majesty, honorable ministers,” he began, his voice heavy with hesitation, “the injuries sustained by Young Master Kang include multiple fractures, severe bruising, and… irreversible mutilation of his reproductive organs.” The physician faltered, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “There are also signs of… multiple forced penetrations.”

  The court erupted in a cacophony of shocked exclamations and furious whispers. Some nobles averted their eyes, while others leaned in, eager to dissect every salacious detail.

  This time, Samaya could not stop her eyes from crinkling ever so slightly, lips pursing. How long had it been since she had felt this happy?

  Unfortunately, it seemed that Minister Kang noticed the slight shift in her expression.

  “You dare smile?” He asked in a low, angry voice. “Your Majesty, my son has been mutilated and violated beyond measure and she smiles! Is it not enough to suspect that she had a hand in it.”

  “Forgive me if I do not have sympathy for a lecherous creature who violates innocent girls.”

  The murmurs in the court intensified. Minister Kang turned purple in the face.

  “You dare-”

  The Emperor’s hand slammed down on the armrest of his throne, the sharp sound cutting through the noise. “Enough,” he commanded, his voice cold. “Lady Qing, you stand accused of this grave offense. What do you have to say in your defense?”

  Samaya stepped forward and bowed. “I do not know what to say, Your Majesty, except that I know nothing of this.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Lies!”

  Samaya tilted her head. “How are you so sure, Minister Kang? Did you see me? Did your son see me?”

  There was a pause. And then the man spoke. “No.”

  “Then why do you insist it was me?”

  “Because he panics whenever my wife or daughter comes close.”

  She blinked at the man. “What?”

  “He panics when my wife or daughter comes close,” the man repeated and then added, “covers his nose and hides, shields his loins.”

  She kept her face carefully blank even as her mind desperately tried to connect the dots.

  “Minister Kang,” the Emperor called impatiently. “We do not have all day. Stop running circles with your words.”

  The ministers bowed in acquiescence before speaking. “My wife and daughter, as any lady of the High Noble families, usually have a pleasant scent around them, agarwood from the incense in their rooms and whichever floral nectar they decided to wear that day. Both of which are luxury items used by only High Noble families and …” he looked towards Samaya, “the Imperial Concubines.”

  Fuck. Fuck. Goddamnit. Had she worn scent that day? She might have. She had attended tea after all, she did not remember. Her maids took care of everything when she got ready and she had not washed herself before leaving. And agarwood … yes, the incense in her room was made of agarwood powder. It wasn’t too mild or too strong, and it helped her relax. She had gotten so used to it that she hadn’t even thought that the scent might have lingered on her. She resisted the urge to sniff her own body, which would only give her away.

  “It means.” Minister Kang continued, “that at least one of the persons who hurt him, probably the one who mutilated him, was a woman of high status who wore such perfumes.”

  “That does not prove anything,” Samaya said softly.

  The man turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me you do not use agarwood incense or floral scent?”

  “Of course not,” she replied. Denying it would make things worse, the Emperor himself knew that she used them. “But it does not prove that I am the one who did it. There are hundreds of noblewomen who use the same combination.”

  “But you are the only one who wishes to see him harmed!”

  She tried to keep herself nonchalant, scoffing. “You underestimate your son’s ability to anger women,” she replied. “Do you truly believe in all these years of debauchery, he would not have tried to dishonor young maidens of high status?”

  “Insult my son again and I’ll-”

  “Silence!” The Emperor’s voice. “Minister Kang, this is going nowhere. It might help to start from the beginning.”

  Minister Kang seemed to be visibly trying to calm down. “About a week ago, on the night of the 9th moon of this month, my son disappeared once he left the Purple-”

  He was interrupted by Samaya. “The 9th moon of the month, you say?”

  The man’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.

  “How unfortunate for your claims, Minister Kang.”

  The room grew still, every eye fixed on her as she continued. “I was in confinement under the Empress’s orders during that time. My punishment began after an altercation with your daughter, Kang Yuxin, and ended only yesterday. The Empress herself can verify this, as can the maids and attendants who oversaw my confinement. Should you wish, they can be summoned for questioning.”

  Minister Kang’s jaw clenched, his fury barely restrained. “You could have hired someone to do your bidding. Such an act does not require your presence.”

  Samaya tilted her head, feigning incredulity. “And with what resources, Minister Kang? As a concubine, my allowance is modest and carefully monitored. Every coin I spend is accounted for. Furthermore, you contradict your own words. Just now, you have tried to assert that I was the one who mutilated your son which would, in fact, require my presence.”

  The man’s face turned pale. Gotcha. Samaya suppressed yet another smirk.

  She gestured toward the court, her voice steady and firm. “Accusations are not evidence. Without proof, your claims are nothing but baseless slander, tarnishing both your reputation and this court’s dignity.”

  The silence that followed was deafening. Even the most vocal ministers seemed reluctant to meet anyone’s gaze, their discomfort palpable.

  The Emperor’s voice broke the stillness, his tone sharp. “Minister Kang, while Lady Qing’s alibi is compelling, we will not dismiss your concerns lightly. You are granted a few more days to present irrefutable evidence. Should you fail, this matter will be considered resolved.”

  Minister Kang bowed stiffly, though his fists remained clenched. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “It might be best to bring your son.” Samaya stilled ever so slightly. “If your son can speak or somehow is able to communicate proof, we will consider opening an investigation and, if Lady Qing is proven guilty, she shall be punished.”

  She resisted the urge to scowl.

  “In that case, I would like to request a private trial,” the Minister said. “I have no wish for my son, who has already been harmed so much, to be paraded in front of the entire court.”

  The Emperor tilted his head, as if giving it thought, before nodding. “A reasonable request. Granted. But of course, the Prime Minister and the State Preceptor, along with …” the Emperor shot off a few more names and titles that Samaya could not be bothered to register, “will be there. We need witnesses to the trial.”

  Minister Kang pursed his lips, clearly not pleased with the arrangement. But he had no choice but to agree after the Emperor agreed to a private trial without the ministers of the court, which was extremely rare.

  The Emperor’s gaze shifted to Samaya. “You are dismissed.”

  Samaya bowed deeply, taking a few steps back before turning and leaving the Court.

  If the fragrance you didn’t notice on your body is what gets you caught and killed, then you deserve it, you idiot!

  Author's Note: "I wILl TRy tO gEt anOThEr cHApTeR oUt iN a DaY or tWO." Urmie is a lying liar who lies, apparently. I am just gonna stop making promises ugh.

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