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

The Imperial audience hall was colder than I expected.

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

Seriously, I think every room in this palace looked the sa, 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 was screaming that sowhere, sohow, 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 . 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 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 regi. Even their bodies seed to unconsciously gravitate to him, whether they wanted to or not.

I, on the other hand, was sothing else entirely. I was sothing new, sothing that hadn’t yet been labeled—and that made 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 shimred each ti I moved. It obscured my features just enough to make the ministers whisper, like my appearance would determine everything they needed to know about .

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 lifeti. 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 welco. "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 ant for .

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

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’ ti. A celebration to honor your union, of course—but also a statent 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 newcor.

Zhu Lianhua arrived with the sa 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 ant 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 .

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? Co on... it’s .

He blinked, caught off guard by the tone.

"Funny," I continued. "I could’ve sworn I heard that you ca 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 misinford," he replied calmly. "I’ve always been fortunate with my health."

"Mmm," I humd. "Then you must introduce 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 ti 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 out of my house and ho, then he definitely wouldn’t see coming.

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

Zhu Mingyu didn’t react. He didn’t have to. He was a mountain beside , 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 ti I was done with them, they’d look like Swiss cheese.

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

Zhu Lianhua was hiding sothing.

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 complinted 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 sideways. "You’re going to start a war."

I scoffed at his statent 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 , but then shook his head. "Remind not to stand between you and whatever chaos you’re planning."

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

That statent, at least, earned 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 ga?

The ga was mine.