颂梨眼神一冷，手里的玉佩突然传来一阵莫名的震动。
她修长的手指微微颤抖，指尖泛起一层淡淡的白雾。这是她第一次感知到自己体内那股奇特的能量波动，像是某种异能，又不完全确定到底是什么。
"小姐， Your Majesty's command."
宫女轻声禀报道。颂梨的目光落在自己的玉佩上，那是一块血红色的玉璧，上面雕刻着繁复的纹路——那是她父亲临终前留给她的唯一信物。
她伸手触碰玉璧，指尖传来一阵温热的感觉。那种触感熟悉得令人牙酸，仿佛是在很久很久以前，她还是一名 young girl的时候。
"Your Majesty needs to find a suitor for herself."
宫女退后一步，声音有些发颤。颂梨的目光落在自己的手掌上，那里有一道暗红色的纹路，像是在皮肤下深深埋藏的一道伤疤。
"Your Majesty is not allowed to do that."她轻声说，语气中带着几分不情愿。
但那双眼睛却带着某种不属于人的锐利光芒。颂梨知道，在这个世界上，她是被安排好的棋子——
"Open the ballroom."
她听见自己的声音突然响起，像是有人按下了暂停键。颂梨下意识地抬手遮住嘴巴，一股刺鼻的血腥气涌入她的鼻子。
"Your Majesty's secret has been exposed."一个冰冷的声音在耳边响起。
颂梨猛地回头，看见一张棱角分明的脸——那是她旧爱温沉所化身。他的眼神冷得像是一块寒铁，嘴角挂着一丝令人作呕的笑容。
"Ah, mybeloved," his voice was softer now, tinged with something... sweet.
颂梨感觉心脏不受控制地狂跳起来，后背已经被冷汗浸透。她强迫自己保持镇定——作为 crownprincess's handmaiden, she had to be disciplined at all costs.
But her mind wasn't listening. The taste of his blood on her fingers was still lingering in her mouth, and her stomach churned involuntarily.
"Your Majesty," the first thing that came out of her lips was a low whistle, then a softer voice said, "Let me see who needs me most."
She turned to leave immediately, but before she could take more than two steps back, a hand had wrapped around her arm and pulled her into a tight hug. The force was so immense, it knocked the wind out of her lungs.
"Run with me," came the urgent whisper between their lips.
Her body didn't have time to think; she blindly followed the stranger's lead until she reached an empty ballroom.
Once there, the stranger laid her down on a low bed and pulled back the covers. The air was cold, and her skin was burning hot from the contact of that man's strong hands.
But more importantly, she couldn't ignore the fact that her own mind was screaming at her to run away now—she had no idea where she was, who she was, or what she was supposed to do. All she knew was that this stranger had pulled her into some kind of trap, and she needed to find a way out.
The stranger stood over her, his eyes cold and calculating. "You are not who I expected," he said simply before turning and walking away without another word.
But when she finally recovered enough to look at him again, she found that he wasn't gone. Instead, he was standing in front of the grand ballroom door, smirking faintly as he watched her with a cold, calculating gaze.
She had no choice but to follow him—she couldn't let her own mind escape into chaos and confusion anymore. This stranger was far too cunning, and she knew that whatever fate awaited her, it would be better than facing it alone
