Chapter 127: Fortune Telling

The hallway outside the room was quiet. Ru Yi stood in front of the door for a moment, one hand resting against the wooden tray the innkeeper had pressed into her arms.

It had been a simple request to ask the triplets what they’d like for dinner.

But the moment she heard Yexue’s voice from inside, steady and unmistakable, she froze before her knuckles could touch the wood.

"I’m serious about her."

Ru Yi’s breath caught, her body going still as if the words had reached out and physically held her in place.

She told herself to leave, that she had no right to listen...that the words were not meant for her. But her feet refused to move, her hand hovering uselessly in the air as Lieyin’s voice followed. It cut through the space between them.

"What happens when you have to choose?" The doubt in Qingyue’s voice was clear.

There was a pause, long enough that Ru Yi’s heartbeat began to pound in her ears. Each second stretched painfully as she waited for Yexue’s response.

"Then I’ll find a way where I don’t have to." Yexue’s voice was firm, like the answer had been obvious from the start.

"And if you can’t?" Qingyue pressed further.

The silence that followed this time was heavier, pressing down on Ru Yi’s chest until it was difficult to breathe.

She did not realize how much she needed the answer to be different until Yexue finally spoke again.

"Then I’ll choose the throne." Her voice was calm and resolute in a way that left no room for hesitation.

Something inside Ru Yi seemed to give way without making a sound, her grip loosening just enough for the porcelain on the tray to clink softly.

The noise was small but jarring in the stillness.

She stepped back slowly, her movements careful and deliberate as if she were afraid anything sudden might shatter the fragile composure she was trying to hold together.

Of course Yexue would choose the throne, she told herself. It was the most logical option. The thought came with a strange, hollow clarity that left no room for argument.

The throne was not just a goal but a purpose, a duty, one that existed long before her and would continue long after her.

There was no anger in the realization, no sharp edge of resentment—only a quiet, sinking feeling that spread through her like cold water, numbing and inescapable.

She lowered her hand and turned away from the door before she could hear anything else.

Don’t let her know.

The thought was firm despite the ache that accompanied it. Because Yexue had not said anything wrong, had not betrayed her in the real sense. And she refused to become something that made her path more difficult than it already was.

That was what a good lover would do. Right?

Ru Yi inhaled slowly, steadying herself as best as she could before walking down the hallway. She needed a breath of fresh air to forget what she’d just heard.

Outside, Emberfall was alive with light and movement. The vibrant colors reflected the magic that seemed to pulse through the city itself.

Ru Yi moved through it all without really seeing it, her gaze unfocused as she passed vendors calling out to passing crowds.

Performers weaved small illusions that shimmered with magic in the air, and travelers seemed entirely at peace in a place that now felt strangely distant to her.

The magicules drifted around her like dust caught in sunlight. In a different circumstance she would’ve been captivated by the beauty of it.

She walked without direction, her steps guided more by instinct than intention. She moved faster than she realized as if she could outrun the thoughts beginning to take shape in her mind.

The quiet ache in her chest grew heavier with each passing moment.

Then suddenly, a hand seized her wrist.

The grip was cold and unyielding, drawing a piercing scream from her. She instinctively tried to pull away before looking up and meeting the gaze of the old woman who had grabbed her.

Her appearance was so striking that Ru Yi almost recoiled.

The woman looked impossibly old, her skin thin and lined as though time itself had worn her down piece by piece. Her hand was tangled and adorned with beads and small pieces of bone and dull jewels that clicked softly when she moved.

Her eyes, sharp and unsettling, seemed to look straight through Ru Yi rather than at her.

"You carry a storm in your chest," the woman said, her voice rough but uncertain.

Ru Yi felt her breath falter as the words struck closer than she wanted them to.

"I don’t—" she began, but the woman only hummed softly, tightening her grip just slightly as if dismissing her denial.

"And a fracture in your heart," the old woman added, her gaze unwavering. A sad smile touched her lips. "This is a burden you must carry in this lifetime."

The woman moved closer. "I can read your fortune for you," she whispered, tilting her head slightly as the ornaments in her hair shifted with a faint clatter.

Despite herself Ru Yi hesitated, every instinct telling her to pull away and leave. But the ache in her chest pulsed again, heavy and unresolved,

For a moment she wanted to understand it, to make sense of the hollow feeling that had taken root inside her. And if the woman really was a fortune teller, she might be able to help her understand the shadow that seemed to be haunting her in every waking moment.

"Come," the woman said, sensing the moment Ru Yi had made her decision. "There’s so much that you don’t know."

She released Ru Yi’s wrist only to turn and walk away without waiting. Her movements were surprisingly quick despite her age.

After only a brief pause, Ru Yi found herself following the woman.

The hut the woman led her to was small and tucked between brighter buildings. Its crooked frame and half-hanging door made it seem almost forgotten compared to the lively streets around it.

Ru Yi stepped inside, immediately feeling the atmosphere become heavier in a way that made her skin prickle faintly.