Days went by, and Xiao Zhi still hadn't seen Ruhan.
At first, she told herself it hadn't been that long. But with each day and night passing by, his absence felt heavier.
What happened to him?
The question surfaced whenever her mind was idle. When she sat nervously, anticipating whether Kabil would burst through her door, her mind always wandered back to Ruhan.
Was he in trouble?
Had the Khan sent him away on some errand she hadn't been told about?
Or...
Her thoughts wandered too far. She shook her head, forcing the image of the worst scenario away.
No. Don't think like that.
She refused to imagine the worst. Ruhan had always been careful. He didn't draw attention to himself, not unnecessarily at least. If he had been sent away, there would be a reason. If he hadn't come, there would be a reason.
He must be fine. He had to be.
So she continued her days as always, facing the cruel palace as a way to distract herself.
Physically, she was surviving better than she had during those first weeks.
The reason lay hidden in the small bottle tucked carefully in her chamber. Hidden enough to be overlooked, but close enough for her to reach every time Kabil visited her. She checked it every night, making sure they were still there, then crushed the pills into a fine powder for easy use.
The bottle didn't guarantee her safety. But it was something.
Although he didn't come every night, Kabil's visits always came without warning. Sometimes it was late into the night, sometimes just after sunset, when she had barely finished her duties. She learned to listen for the sound of uneven footsteps, for the faint scent of wine that preceded him even before the door opened. Her nose was trained like a K9 dog as of now.
He would enter her room already irritated, already looking for something to be displeased with.
"Why are you staring?" he snapped.
"I wasn't," she answered softly, lowering her eyes at once. "I was waiting for you."
That usually pleased him.
She learned what pleased him quickly. Silence. Submission. The lack of resistance. She learned to stand just close enough when pouring his drink, close enough to be useful but not so close as to invite suspicion. Her hands never trembled as she tipped the cup, letting the trace of powder disappear into the wine.
Not enough to make him notice.
Not enough to work immediately.
Just enough.
"Your drink," she said each time, her voice calm as ever. Nothing scared her now.
He would snort, sometimes amused, sometimes dismissive. "You're learning."
Before lifting the cup, he caught her wrist. His fingers closed around it abruptly, pressing into her skin hard enough that her breath caught.
"Don't forget who you belong to," he muttered, his grip tightening.
"I won't," she said, because that was what he wanted to hear.
He drank.
The powder did not save her completely. Some nights were still heavy with hands that reminded her of their strength. There were nights he shoved her against the table simply because she happened to be standing too close, nights when his temper flared for no reason at all.
But soon, always soon, his movements slowed. His voice faded down, and his words blurred together into something even Xiao Zhi couldn't understand. His grip loosened, and his knees fumbled.
Then he collapsed onto the bed before the cruelty went too far, cursing under his breath as sleep dragged him down. Then he would slump forward. Consciousness gone.
The prolonged torture lessened.
The days, however, were another matter entirely.
Public humiliation never stopped. It became so routine that no one pretended it was unusual anymore. Slaps came casually, delivered with bright smiles and annoying laughter.
During one feast, as she poured wine with aching arms, a concubine struck her without warning.
"Careful," the woman said lightly, as if offering advice rather than punishment. "You almost spilled it."
The sting bloomed across Xiao Zhi's cheek. She turned instinctively toward Kabil. Hoping somehow, even just a little bit, Kabil would defend her. After all, Kabil didn't like it when someone else played with his toy.
But he didn't.
Kabil laughed, amused. "Why are you looking at me?" He waved a hand dismissively. "If one isn't enough, then let another teach you."
Another concubine stepped forward eagerly. Her palm landed against Xiao Zhi's face, sharp and stinging. Laughter rippled around the table.
However, girls' hands hurt less than his.
The pain still stings, of course. But it did not shatter her senses the way Kabil's blows did. It did not leave her gasping for air or struggling to remain upright. These, she told herself quietly, she could endure.
What wore her down more was the labor.
Recently, Kabil had ordered the maids to treat her as one of their own, or worse. Her princess consort status vanished overnight. She washed clothes from dawn until her fingers cracked and bled. The cold water numbed her hands until she could no longer feel the fabric. She hauled heavy buckets across courtyards. Steps fumbled from the weight and water sloshing over while servants watched with open amusement.
She felt so much like Cinderella now.
No.
Cinderella had it better.
Cinderella had only a stepmother and 2 stepsisters to torture her. And as for Xiao Zhi? She had the whole palace against her.
No.
Judging by the way people threw stones at her during the bride parade, the entire country was against her.
"Hurry up," one of the maids snapped when Xiao Zhi slowed, her arms trembling under the weight. "Do you think you're still a princess here?"
Another laughed. "If you drop it, you'll just have to carry it again."
She did not answer. She kept walking.
By midday, her muscles screamed in protest. By evening, the pain settled into her bones. Constant ache followed her no matter how she moved.
By nightfall, exhaustion wrapped around her so tightly she barely had the strength to stand. Even the medicine Ruhan had left her, the small comfort she clung to, seemed less effective now.
"I could kill for a night in a spa now."
Yes, expert hands tending her sore muscles, and a soak in a hot spring is what she needed right now.
There were moments when she wanted it all to end. She didn't need this Cinderella story anymore.
She wanted someone to come and rescue her.
At least Cinderella has her Prince Charming.
Speaking of Prince Charming, where is Shen Han? The supposed Prince Charming of this story.
Isn't he supposed to save her? like a knight in shining armor, sweeping her out of this misery.
The thought of the letter came again. She had sent the letter weeks ago, her words careful but honest, not hiding her desperation. She had waited, counting days, but there was no reply.
Not a word.
Nothing.
Did he even receive it?
Did he choose not to answer?
Or worse…did he no longer care?