The Su residence didn't stay quiet for long.
At dawn the next morning—before Iris had even fully woken—the front gates were pounded open.
No reward came.
Instead, a squad of soldiers in black xuan-iron armor stormed in. Their blades bore the imperial crest, their presence soaked in something metallic and suffocating.
"Su Mo," the commander barked without looking at her,"receive the summons. His Highness Prince Chen orders your immediate audience."
Prince Chen.
Iris's mind stalled for half a breath.
Oh. Right.
That Prince Chen.
The Seventh Prince.The system's final objective.Her assigned nightmare.
Her stomach dropped.
I haven't even gone looking for him yet—why is he coming for me?
Had the original Su Mo offended him before?Or—
A terrible thought surfaced.
Did that white-robed noble go tattling after I stole his fan?
Judging from the soldiers' expressions—this was not a tea invitation.
She didn't resist.
She was shoved into a sealed black carriage and taken away like contraband.
…
Half an hour later.
The carriage stopped before one of the capital's most secretive royal residences.
Three steps, one guard. Five steps, one sentry. Even birds flying overhead seemed like they'd be shot on sight.
Iris was escorted into a vast golden hall.
It was terrifyingly silent.
Her footsteps echoed alone. Every guard stood with head lowered, breath restrained.
"Kneel," the eunuch shrilled.
Iris complied instantly.
She knelt, staring at the polished gold tiles beneath her knees.
She had skills.But skills didn't outrank imperial power.
"Look up."
The voice came from above.
Low. Smooth. Lazy.
Familiar.
Iris froze.
Why does that sound—
She lifted her head.
Her pupils contracted violently.
Seated high upon the throne was a man clad in black-and-gold dragon robes—four-clawed insignia of princely rank. A violet-gold crown, jade belt, authority dripping from every line of his posture.
And that face.
That infuriatingly handsome face.
Smiling.
Looking down at her.
It was him.
The white-robed noble.The man whose fan she'd stolen.The one she'd insulted, frightened, and—collided with in a carriage.
At that exact moment, her system went berserk.
[DING! TARGET LOCKED][TARGET: Seventh Prince — Prince Chen][STATUS: Mission Objective / Authority over life and death][CURRENT AFFECTION: -10 (He remembers your rudeness vividly)][SYSTEM WARNING: Gain his trust immediately! Execution = Mission Failure!]
Iris's world cracked.
You've got to be kidding me.
That dramatic, squeamish, rich pretty boy—
—was Prince Chen?
Which meant everything she'd said.Everything she'd done—
"I seem to recall," Prince Chen drawled, idly twirling the same fan she'd so thoroughly violated,"that you were rather bold at the morgue."
His gaze drifted lazily over her.
"Ordering this prince to tear clothing. Mocking my courage. And even—"
His eyes flicked briefly to his jade belt.
"Attempting to shatter it."
Iris reacted instantly.
She slammed her forehead to the floor.
"THIS COMMONER DESERVES DEATH!"
The kowtow was perfect.The volume thunderous.
"I was blind! Blind beyond redemption! I offended Your Highness while possessed by pig fat and madness—please show mercy!"
Dignity?
She abandoned it on the spot.
If he was her mission target and her potential executioner, she would kneel until her knees disintegrated.
Prince Chen stared.
The woman who had lectured coroners, barked orders, and treated nobles like furniture—
—was now folded neatly on the floor.
"…Get up," he said finally, tossing the fan aside."If I wanted you dead, you'd never have left the morgue."
Iris exhaled like a drowning survivor.
She stood carefully."Thank you for sparing my worthless life, Your Highness."
His expression sharpened.
"Since you know how to examine corpses," he said coolly,"I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."
With a flick of his hand, guards carried in a body under white cloth.
Blood lingered faintly in the air.
"Girls have been disappearing in the city," Prince Chen said."This one was found at dawn."
His voice hardened.
"The coroner's office is useless. If you uncover a lead, I'll forget your previous offenses."
He leaned forward.
"But if you are a fraud—"
His eyes locked onto hers.
"I will personally throw you into prison for deceiving the throne."
Iris glanced at the corpse.
Then at the man above her.
The system panel pulsed:ASSIST PRINCE CHEN TO ASCEND.
Whether to live.Or to go home.
She had no choice.
Iris straightened.
The panic vanished.The submission fell away.
What remained was cold, professional focus.
"I accept," she said.
She wrapped cloth around her hands and stepped toward the body.
"As long as it's a corpse," Iris said calmly,"the truth will come out."