This prince's estate was even more desolate than I'd imagined.
Its carved beams and painted rafters only made the lifeless air feel more oppressive. I held up my skirt as I walked, yet didn't encounter a single maid. The only response to my unease was the crunch of gravel beneath my feet.
"Miss Chu, we've arrived." Nanny Li stopped. Her wizened face gave nothing away, but her cloudy eyes examined me from head to toe as if I were a piece of merchandise. I took a quiet breath and told myself, Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it.
Nanny Li led me to a remote courtyard and pointed at a wooden door with peeling paint. Her tone was cold. "The prince has ordered that Miss Chu rest here after her long journey. You are not to leave without being summoned."
What a lovely way of saying "rest well." This was obviously house arrest! I sneered inwardly, but kept my expression calm and obediently nodded. Seeing how sensible I was, Nanny Li seemed to let the faintest smile tug at the corner of her mouth.
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.
