“Miss!”  

Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, the hidden guard materialized with a whoosh, swiftly intercepting Sui Tan with his scabbard:  

“Please reconsider!”  

The shrieks of the matrons and maids—”How could there be an outsider man in the mansion?!”—rose and fell around them. Sui Tan was forced to halt her steps.  

Her almond-shaped eyes flicked up, meeting the disapproval in the hidden guard’s gaze. With practiced ease, she pouted and conjured up a pitiful, heart-wrenching expression.  

“Lin Qi, even you won’t stand by me?”  

The hidden guard froze, instinctively protesting, “This subordinate naturally stands with you—”  

Before he could choke out the “but” lingering in his throat, Sui Tan, having secured half a promise, ducked under the scabbard and dashed forward.  

Her movements were so agile, so swift, that the guard’s outstretched hand only grazed the hem of her verdant skirt. By the time he turned, all that remained was the sight of her furious figure charging ahead.  

Sui Tan’s target was clear: she made a beeline for her half-sister and, with ruthless efficiency, yanked at the extravagant hairpins and jewels that flouted propriety.  

The pampered noble ladies of the capital had never encountered such a scene.  

The poor half-sister, still basking in her earlier arrogance, was caught off guard. Her hair was seized, her ornaments torn away, reducing the refined young lady to a sobbing, snot-covered mess, howling like a slaughtered pig.  

The prized hairpins and jewelry she had flaunted scattered across the ground, her delicate face now bruised and swollen…  

Neither masters nor servants of the Duke’s residence had ever witnessed such a spectacle. Even the wronged legitimate sister, who had been wallowing in self-pity, gaped in astonishment at the drama of the younger legitimate sister returning home and immediately beating up the half-sister.  

And behind them, unnoticed, the “outsider man” who had appeared and vanished abruptly now stood tall at the courtyard gate, using his sword to block the only entrance with resigned determination.  

The courtyard was in chaos, the mansion’s halls deep and silent. The spring breeze swept through, lifting the faint golden embroidery on his black robes.  

“What disgraceful behavior!” Such a commotion naturally drew the attention of the head of the household.  

In the ancestral hall at dusk, the Duke sat in the master’s seat, glaring at his second legitimate daughter kneeling below. His chest heaved with rage, looking as though he wished to hurl a teacup at her.  

“On your very first day back, you cause such a scene! What did your grandfather teach you? Have all your manners and propriety gone to the dogs? Disgraceful!”  

“My lord, please calm your anger.”  

The understanding concubine hurried forward, her delicate, well-maintained hands gently soothing his chest. With each stroke, her eyes gleamed brighter, unable to suppress her smugness. Finally, she shot a meaningful glance at the half-sister weeping at her father’s feet.  

Then, the Duke continued:  

“Moreover, I’ve given it some thought. Your sister isn’t entirely wrong. Zheng’er has just been jilted—it truly isn’t suitable for her to appear in public. Let her sister attend the spring hunt in her stead.”  

The legitimate sister kneeling beside them lowered her tearful eyes and acquiesced, swallowing her grievances while cautiously tugging at Sui Tan’s sleeve, silently urging her not to provoke their father further.  

Sui Tan clasped her sister’s trembling fingers and straightened her back even more, meeting the Duke’s gaze head-on.  

“So, Father intends to let this household disregard hierarchy and propriety, allowing a concubine-born daughter to usurp the legitimate daughter’s invitation to the Empress’s spring hunt—an event meant for the daughters of noble families?”  

“Outrageous!”  

The Duke slammed his hand on the armrest, his face alternating between pale and red. “How dare you speak to your elders like this!”  

Sui Tan refused to back down. “Elder Sister’s broken engagement was the fault of a fickle man. By indulging the concubine’s daughter in stealing her invitation, Father is not only unreasonable but also disloyal and unjust.”  

The Duke shot to his feet, shoving the concubine aside, and stormed toward Sui Tan, his eyes blazing with fury. “You rebellious—”  

“My Lord.”  

The descending slap was abruptly intercepted by a scabbard. A black-clad man appeared out of nowhere, shielding Sui Tan, his expression icy. “Forgive my offense.”  

“Who are you?!”  

The Duke staggered back, his eyes bulging with a rage even greater than when his daughter had defied him, and roared in terror.

Sui Tan scrambled to her feet and rushed in front of Lin Qi, addressing her father first:  

“He’s not an outsider! He’s the hidden guard personally sent by my unconscious fiancé to protect me!”  

The golden embroidery on the man’s black robes—proof of his status—flickered faintly at just the right moment. The Duke’s unsettled gaze swept over it, and his expression immediately turned peculiar.  

“…You’re the imperial hidden guard of the Third Prince.”  

As he uttered this fact, his expression grew increasingly complicated, his gaze at Sui Tan gradually deepening.  

This daughter of his, abandoned at birth and exiled to a separate courtyard, stood before him now seemingly alone. Yet he knew—she was not alone at all.  

“My lord, please calm your anger.”  

With the master of the house unexpectedly backing down, the concubine rolled her eyes and swayed gracefully to his side. Her plump, jade-like hand rested on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze—whether to soothe or provoke was unclear.  

“The Second Young Lady has just returned to the capital, after all—”  

Here we go again. Sui Tan understood perfectly. Narrowing her eyes, she traced an invisible circle in the air with her finger, a faint golden light flickering at her fingertip.  

The concubine’s voice abruptly cut off, her gentle composure instantly shattering.  

She seemed unable to believe it, her fingers trembling as she nervously squeezed the Duke’s shoulder again, then descended into unmistakable panic.  

Irritated by the repeated touches, the Duke frowned in displeasure.  

This time, no subtlety was needed to sense his anger. The concubine’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees, unable to maintain her facade any longer.  

Beside her, her daughter – who had been waiting for her mother’s silver tongue to work its magic – was also terrified, trembling so violently that she pressed her forehead to the ground, not daring to look up.

“Enough.”  

With the prince’s hidden guard present, the Duke weighed his options before finally waving his hand, deciding to let the matter drop.  

“Today’s incident was Lan’er’s fault for disrespecting her elder sister first. She will be confined to her quarters for three days as punishment. The invitation will remain with Zheng’er.”  

“As for you, Sui Tan.”  

He shot a meaningful glance at the hidden guard. “The Third Prince can protect you for a time, but not forever. You’d best watch your step.”  

With that, he flicked his sleeves and strode away.  

The concubine hurried after him, and the concubine’s daughter, her face still scratched, naturally didn’t dare linger, scrambling to follow.  

“Little Sister…”  

With the others gone, only Sui Tan, the hidden guard, and her elder sister remained in the ancestral hall. The elder sister, still uneasy, glanced around before whispering anxiously:  

“I don’t mind about the spring hunt, but you’ve just returned from the separate courtyard. Starting conflicts with Father, his concubine, and our half-sister like this—I fear it won’t end well for you.”  

“Don’t worry. The Third Prince will protect me.”  

She turned, smiling brightly at Lin Qi:  

“In life, I belong to the Third Prince. In death, I’ll be his widow. Lin Qi, tell me—since His Highness is so deeply devoted, would he ever allow his person to be bullied?”  

The named hidden guard sighed silently before finally relenting. “…No.”  

From the moment he was assigned to her side, there was never any question of her being mistreated.  

….

Despite failing to snatch the spring hunt invitation from the legitimate daughter, the concubine, having spent years whispering in the Duke’s ear, still managed to secure permission for her daughter to attend as an attendant.  

Sui Tan wasn’t surprised to see them at the hunt. She had never expected to overturn years of favoritism in one stroke. Her elder sister, however, silently reddened at the sight.  

In this dynasty, strict boundaries separated men and women. Aside from grand events like the spring hunt—where eligible youths of the capital could discreetly meet—there were few such opportunities.  

Sui Tan knew exactly why her half-sister had schemed so desperately to attend. But as long as it didn’t involve her elder sister, she was willing to turn a blind eye and maintain superficial peace.  

Yet while she could guard against the concubine and half-sister’s schemes, she couldn’t silence the whispers of others.

With her elder sister excusing herself due to “illness” and refusing to leave the tent, Sui Tan went to the banquet alone, accompanied by her hidden guard. Along the way, whispers about the Duke of Qin’s household followed them like a persistent shadow.  

“The eldest daughter of the Duke of Qin was actually jilted by the son of a mere second-rank minister—how laughable!”

“The second daughter, Sui Tan, is only lucky. Raised outside the estate all these years, how else would she have gotten engaged to royalty? Though with the Third Prince in a coma, even that enviable match has turned into a cursed one.”

The gossip was endless. And unbearably loud.  

Sui Tan devoured three plum blossom cakes in quick succession amidst the murmurs before slamming her hand on the table and standing abruptly.  

“My betrothed, the Third Prince, took to the battlefield at thirteen, earned countless military merits, and is a young hero of the nation—a pillar of the Great Liang, radiant as the sun and moon. He is the empire’s brightest jewel.”  

She yanked the hidden guard, who had been trying to discreetly vanish into the shadows, back into full view.  

“Moreover, my husband is devoted—so loyal that even while poisoned and unconscious, his last thought was of my safety. He sent His Majesty’s own imperial hidden guard to protect me, ensuring I need never endure slander. If I dislike someone, I can hit them. If I hear foul words, I can curse them. It’s my nature—and he adores me precisely for this arrogance. My fate is simply this good. None of you could ever hope to match it.”  

Her words sent shockwaves through the banquet hall. The nobles erupted into chaos. Unfazed, Sui Tan sat back down and resumed eating with gusto.  

Lin Qi silently returned to his place behind her.  

The once-imposing hidden guard now covered his face with one hand, his head bowed so low it might as well have been buried in the ground. A faint, inexplicable blush crept up his cheeks.  

With the Second Lady of Qin displaying such unbridled audacity, no one dared speak ill of the Duke’s household anymore—at least, not openly.  

The conversation eventually returned to the spring hunt. Bored, Sui Tan rested her chin on her hand and pestered Lin Qi until he agreed to take her hunting.  

A royal hidden guard’s skills were wasted on mere hunting, but Sui Tan’s excitement was infectious—her cheeks flushed pink as she bounded through the woods, chasing rabbits with unbridled glee. Lin Qi could only sigh and indulge her, following dutifully until dusk forced their return.  

As they rode back, the camp ahead was eerily silent, as if under a curse of muteness. The only sound in the world seemed to be Sui Tan’s cheerful chatter.  

A strange unease prickled at Lin Qi’s instincts, growing stronger with every step toward camp.  

The entrance was crowded, yet unnervingly quiet.  

A small group of imperial guards passed by in grim silence. Just as Lin Qi turned to warn Sui Tan, a shrill scream shattered the illusion of peace—like a blade slicing through silk to reveal the gore beneath.  

“Dead! Someone’s dead!”

The carefree smile vanished from Sui Tan’s face. Without waiting for Lin Qi’s instruction, she swung off her horse and pushed through the guards, seizing the eunuch who had screamed.  

“Who died?!”  

The eunuch seemed out of his mind, trembling and repeating “dead, dead” like a broken record. Before Sui Tan could press further, the guards finally snapped out of their shock.  

“Lady Qin.” The captain frowned, blocking her with his arm. His voice was colder than his actions. “The imperial guard is tasked with protecting the witness. Kindly step back.”  

Sui Tan met his undisguised displeasure head-on—then decisively turned and held out her hand behind her.  

Lin Qi sighed. There was no escaping now.  

He stepped out of the shadows, his expression resigned as the captain’s face cycled through suspicion, shock, and disbelief.  

“Miss,” Lin Qi murmured.  

Sui Tan turned back. “Captain, I ask again—who died?”  

The captain’s gaze darted between them, his expression a mix of terror and incredulity, as if he’d stumbled upon some scandalous secret. He swallowed hard, sneaking a glance at Lin Qi, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.  

Finally, the captain spoke hesitantly.  

“Lady Qin… the deceased is a commoner woman secretly brought into the hunt by her lover.”  

He paused, then forced out the rest.  

“The man who brought her in… is the son of Minister Sun.”  

“The same man who broke off his engagement with… your elder sister.”  

“And the woman—she was the reason he called off the betrothal.”