The blue brick floor of the royal study was so cold that my kneecaps ached.
I knelt there with my hands on the ground, my forehead almost touching the cold ground. The hem of the dragon robe was scattered around me, and the five-clawed golden dragon on it was crumpled by my body, like a dying insect.
"Sister Huang, what are you doing?"
Huo Zhao's voice came from above his head, with deliberate surprise and pride that Zangdu couldn't hide.
He stood in front of me, the toes of his boots almost touching my fingers. The candlelight in the royal study danced behind him, stretching his shadow to an extremely long length, like a poisonous snake waiting for an opportunity.
"Brother-in-law... No, Your Highness the Crown Prince..." I deliberately made my voice tremble, "I know I was wrong, please forgive me this time."
I heard him laugh.
I can imagine how much contempt there is in that smile with my eyes closed. He must have squinted his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, like a cat looking at a mouse struggling under its paws.
"Sister Huang, what you said is ridiculous," Huo Zhao said slowly, "You will be the empress in a few days, how can you kneel to a useless prince like me?"
When he said the words "deposed prince", he bit hard.
I fell on the ground, my shoulders were shaking, and I squeezed out a choked sob from my throat: "Your Highness... I really don't dare anymore, please, for the sake of the late Emperor..."
