Chapter 166
Sniff sniff. Berrick circled around Xiaosi, repeatedly sniffing the air. Was it the ragged clothes? Or the fact that Xiaosi hadn’t properly washed? Xiaosi stared silently at his pitch-black hands.
Just then, Ian entered the room, clicking his tongue.
“Not a dog, and yet you sniff like one.”
“There’s the scent of raw meat. Fresh meat. I like it.”
Mini followed behind, setting down a clean set of clothes—plain black from head to toe. Perfect for blending into the darkness.
“The bathwater is ready.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“If you need anything else, just call.”
If Xiaosi were caught as an assassin, they’d strip him bare without question. He couldn’t afford to look like a filthy slave. Ian sat down in front of him and unfolded a piece of paper.
“Can you read?”
“No.”
“Me neither!”
“Then memorize this well.”
Ian sat down and spread the paper before him. Even ordinary people often get lost the first time they enter the palace. For someone who’d spent half his life behind bars, reaching the imperial palace—and all the way to Gale’s chambers—was no small feat.
“This is the entrance. You’ll be let off here. Keep the wall on your left and follow the corridor straight ahead. Pass through the largest door, then after the garden, the third room down the second hallway. That’s the reception room closest to the target.”
Berrick, listening nearby, wore a look of utter disbelief, as if he’d just been handed a complex chemistry formula he couldn’t begin to understand. At first, he’d said Xiaosi could do it, but now he looked like he’d given up completely.
“No way. You can’t do this.”
“Berrick, I know. That’s why I chose someone else.”
“Xia, can you really do this? Seriously?”
Xiaosi glanced at Berrick with a blank expression, then nodded.
“I understand.”
“Repeat what I said.”
Without a single mistake, Xiaosi recited everything perfectly. A satisfied smile crept onto Ian’s lips, and Berrick applauded as if impressed by something trivial. Xiaosi felt embarrassed and lowered his gaze.
“Now, remember what I’m about to say.”
Xiaosi secured his mask tightly. It was the night when the full moon was waning. The palace scenery, unfamiliar to him, was breathtaking—too beautiful to be hidden by darkness.
There really was a world like this. But the admiration was brief. He recalled his master’s words and kept the wall to his left, moving silently.
Tap tap tap!
His footsteps seemed unnaturally loud, but that was just his imagination. Instinctively, he knew he was caught up in something huge. Not only was his life about to change, but he was standing at a turning point in history.
‘But what’s the problem with that?’
He understood but didn’t care. Completing the given orders was a slave’s fate. Invisible shackles weighed heavier than visible ones. The slave’s mark, branded from his parents’ time—or even before—seemed etched into his very soul, though he was unaware.
Creak.
Xiaosi slowly pushed open the largest door. Though there was a latch, it wasn’t fastened. The only sign of life in the vast space was himself. It was late at night, so servants might be elsewhere, but not a single guard was in sight.
‘Everything’s been arranged. Walk on without worry.’
His master’s words gave him the courage to move forward. Passing through the garden and into the corridor, he walked openly, no longer hiding his presence. Yet, he met no one. It was as if the intruder was welcome.
Swoosh.
“Gasp!”
As he entered the corridor, a servant spotted him from afar. Xiaosi instinctively drew his sword, but she, as if having seen something she shouldn’t, hushed herself and vanished into the shadows.
A small laugh escaped him. He’d thought this mission strange, but not this much. Now he understood why his master had chosen him.
“The third room. From the reception room, open the window-side door—that’s the target’s bedroom. Go in and stab the pillow with the knife.”
Xiaosi relaxed his killing intent and simply walked toward his destination. Something gleamed in the pitch-black darkness. He turned his head without thinking and came face to face with a child.
‘A child? Here?’
Silver hair, blue eyes glowing faintly. The child stared at Xiaosi in the dark, showing no sign of fleeing like the servant had.
What should he do in this situation? Could this be the target’s son? Or the target himself? No, the man in the bedroom was supposed to have black hair.
‘No violence. Avoid, ignore, and move forward. Even if you run, no one will come after you. Xiaosi, your capture is already planned.’
The child’s piercing gaze bore into him. Xiaosi deliberately looked away and turned his body. It gave him chills. He’d been through every kind of hardship as a slave, but he’d never seen a child with eyes like those.
Tap tap tap!
Wanting to finish quickly, Xiaosi entered the room without hesitation. Reception room, window-side door, bedroom, and—
“You’re late.”
“…!”
A black-haired man lay leisurely on the bed, waiting.
“I almost fell asleep.”
“…”
“Did Ian cut out your tongue? Wise move.”
He gestured for Xiaosi to come closer. Xiaosi drew his sword from its sheath and walked slowly forward. The pillow beside him—that was the target.
“I don’t know what words might come from your mouth.”
Xiaosi said nothing, raising his sword.
He didn’t care if the man was a prince or a noble. His only goal was to pierce the pillow and mark the night’s end.
Swish.
“Ah, wait.”
But the sword stopped midair, like when he’d hesitated aiming for an animal’s vital spot. Gale reached out and grabbed the blade.
“An assassin who won’t even draw blood?”
“…”
“That’s a shame. The palace isn’t so easy. A little sacrifice justifies the cause. Now, hurry.”
This was different from his master’s orders. His master had said not to shed a drop of blood, but the target was telling him to draw blood.
“What are you waiting for? Just standing there? How rude, putting your feet on the bed.”
Gale laughed playfully. As expected, Ian must have ordered no physical harm.
This was a tacit agreement, but if Gale changed his mind later, it could become a weakness. No unspoken deals here—if Ian had tried to kill Gale, it would be known.
“…”
Xiaosi bit his lip and looked at Gale. What was he supposed to do now? His master hadn’t said anything about this.
“If you don’t show blood, I won’t call anyone. Stay there until dawn.”
At Gale’s words, Xiaosi sighed and stepped off the bed. Without hesitation, he slashed his left arm.
Ssshhh!
A diagonal cut ran from shoulder to wrist. Blood dripped steadily, staining the marble floor. The sticky, warm sensation made Xiaosi feel nauseous, but he steadied his breath and kept his composure. Slowly, he approached Gale.
“…Unbelievable.”
How did Ian end up with people like this? He’d heard rumors of a mad dog in the arrest squad, and the magic department’s operatives weren’t exactly sane either.
Ssshhh.
Xiaosi smeared blood on the bed as he leaned over Gale, then without hesitation, plunged the knife into the pillow. The mission was complete. He sat back, dazed, waiting for what came next.
“…”
Did he really cut out his tongue? Gale opened his mouth to check, but it was intact. Impossible to understand. Gale reached out to the table to end the charade.
Ding—ding ding—
The golden bedroom bell rang sweetly. Soon, the palace, which had been dark, brightened. The sounds of servants and guards rushing in, still hiding their presence, echoed. Then the door burst open.
Bang!
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“An intruder! Arrest him!”
The servants hesitated at the pool of blood on the floor but relaxed when they realized it wasn’t Gale’s. The guards bound Xiaosi, and just as the servants moved to tidy the room—
“Your Highness?”
The head servant called out softly. Gale frowned in confusion and turned his head. The other servants and guards flinched in surprise.
“Your Highness!”
“Gale, Your Highness!”
“What is this—”
“Bring a doctor! A doctor!”
What was all this fuss? Gale was about to speak when he felt something unpleasant running down his face. Blood flowed from every orifice—eyes, nose, mouth, ears. It wasn’t just flowing; it was pouring.
“Cough—!”
“Your Highness!”
He felt no pain, but the blood flooding his airways made breathing agonizing. As Gale collapsed forward, chaos erupted. Even the guard holding Xiaosi ran to check on Gale.
“You! What have you done?”
“…I did nothing.”
“You devil!”
“I did nothing.”
Ssshhh!
The guard slapped Xiao Xi across the cheek. His head snapped sharply to the side, but his posture remained unbroken. Gale raised his hand to hold back his men, but with blood pouring from his throat, no command came out.
Shhhk! Shhhk!
Xiao Xi silently endured the blows, eyes fixed on Gale.
So he was a prince. The emperor’s son. Now that the lights were on, he didn’t look old enough to have a child. Well, those highborn types often entered into political marriages from a young age.
“Your Highness Gale! The doctor has arrived!”
“Oh my, what on earth is going on here?”
“An assassin has infiltrated. Hurry, stop the bleeding—”
“Your Highness, please lift your head! Are there any wounds?”
“It started bleeding suddenly.”
“It could be poison. Step aside for a moment! Chamberlain! Bring warm water and clean cloths!”
Despite everything, Gale seemed lucid enough to follow the doctor’s instructions and slowly raised his head. When his eyes caught the glittering chandelier overhead, Ian’s blonde hair flashed through his mind.
…Did Ian do this?
Sudden bleeding without any warning signs. This wasn’t something ordinary—it had to be poison, some kind of curse, or magic. And yet, there was no pain, only blood. This was no normal injury.
Besides, if I were truly in danger right now, Ian would be the one in the worst trouble. That can’t be.
Ian was not the type to take reckless risks, even at his own expense. He was a master at walking the line between Marib and Gale. There was no benefit for him in drawing blood from me.
“Your Highness, can you speak?”
“…Inform them.”
“Pardon?”
Whatever was happening, well, this was good. I wanted to bleed—it’s perfect. Every performance needs its dramatic moments.
“Tell them an assassin has entered the palace. Spread the word throughout the entire imperial residence.”
“Understood!”
We’ll figure out this strange phenomenon soon enough. But for now, the signal flare has been fired—we must move quickly. The sooner we act, the more ground we gain on the enemy.
“Also, inform my followers.”
“Your orders?”
“There is someone in the palace who means to harm me. Arm everyone and secure the palace immediately.”