Seven years ago, a catastrophic calamity ground her family to dust, staining her memories with the blood of her kin. Seven years later, she hides within the vermilion palace walls as a palace maid. The once-innocent girl has grown up, with a lingering hatred concealed in her eyes.
The palace is a deep tomb. Hiding there alone, she rounds a corner and runs straight into two princes. The Sixth Prince, Lu Zhaoyun, twirls the embroidered handkerchief she accidentally dropped around his fingers, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. The Seventh Prince, Lu Zhaoheng, looks at the old scar on her brow and instantly tears up. The warmth of their childhood friendship shatters in the startling moment of their reunion.
One is a royal scion holding the key to her revenge; the other, an old love harboring feelings from their youth. Standing in the palace’s shadow, she sees herself reflected in their eyes: Is she a pawn? An old friend? Or a lifeline she must cling to?
Love weighs heavy, hatred cuts deep, and every step in the palace treads on a knife’s edge. She grips the poison-coated silver hairpin in her sleeve and gazes at the light beyond the high walls. In the end, she does not let go of the hand quietly reaching for hers. What kind of person will she become?
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Please do not imitate.
