Alexander's tone was laced with a hint of gritted teeth.

“Hehe.” Tanya’s eyebrows arched playfully, her bright eyes sparkling with mirth. The candlelight illuminated her face, lending it a pure and ethereal quality.

“Huh?” Verdant let out a soft sigh from beside her.

This immediately drew the attention of two slightly surprised gazes.

“It just feels like… Her Highness and Alexander make quite a pair,” Verdant murmured thoughtfully.

And wasn’t that true?

Tanya’s eyes were like bright stars in the sky, their light rippling softly. Her cheeks were as delicate as cherry blossoms in full bloom.

As for Alexander, his thin lips were pressed together, and his gaze held the depth of a star-filled night. His thick eyebrows and the elegant curve of his nose seemed to be crafted by the divine itself.

One was like a celestial maiden untainted by the mortal world, the other, an aloof celestial prince adorned in silver armor.

With such thoughts, they did seem to share a certain resemblance.

Tanya raised her eyes and happened to meet Alexander’s gaze. Both of them quickly turned their heads in opposite directions.

“Who’s like this guy?” they both blurted out in unison.

Verdant chuckled softly, the sound as clear as the tinkling of silver bells. “Her Highness always seems more lively when Alexander is around.”

Tanya feigned annoyance. “Even daring to tease me now, have you forgotten the rules of Fragrance Hall?”

Alexander shifted the topic back.

“Heliam has ordered us to find the culprit within three days, but it’s also a show of force on his part.”

His voice was so captivating that it was almost soothing to listen to.

“A show of force?” Tanya asked curiously.

Alexander nodded slightly, his handsome face growing colder.

“He’s either backing Evelyn or… Southland is pressuring him.”

Tanya couldn’t quite grasp how such a chaotic and disorganized matter could be connected to Southland by Alexander so smoothly.

Since it concerned two nations, Tanya chose not to probe further.

“Let’s head back. There are no clues here.”

Alexander’s voice was calm and distant. Tanya didn’t understand—just a moment ago, he had been so focused, analyzing the undercurrents within the palace. Why had he suddenly shifted the topic and claimed that they couldn’t find any leads?

Could he be trying to send Verdant away?

Tanya lifted her gaze, meeting Alexander’s mischievous eyes.

This woman wasn’t too dim—she understood his intentions.

With a knowing look, Tanya sighed deeply. “It seems even the all-powerful Imperial Guards are unable to find any clues.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ll keep investigating and surely find a way out,” Verdant reassured, frowning as she tried to console her.

“Forget it. Let’s return to Fragrance Hall for now.” Tanya turned to leave, but the long, wide sleeve of her robe was gently held back by Alexander.

She paused mid-step.

Verdant glanced at Tanya and, seeing her distracted, took a step ahead to lead the way.

Taking advantage of the moment, Alexander slipped a small note into Tanya’s hand.

Tanya composed herself and, seizing a moment when Verdant wasn’t paying attention, unfolded the note in her palm.

“Tonight at nine, Imperial Garden.”

Tanya’s eyes widened, her long lashes trembling slightly as she looked at the butterflies fluttering around.

“Um… Verdant…”

Verdant paused and turned her head, puzzled.

“What time is it… at nine o’clock in the evening?”

The night deepened, carrying a faint floral fragrance. The sky over the Imperial Garden felt lonely and desolate, as if it had been stained entirely by thick ink, struggling to stretch out into the distance.

Tanya hid behind a rock formation. A gentle breeze blew, scattering her dark hair across her face. In the moonlit night, her slender, fair neck was revealed. Her dress trailed along the ground, and the light fabric fluttered softly in the wind, like a scene from a dream.

“If that Alexander doesn’t show up soon, I’m really leaving…”

She shivered slightly. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.

“Who’s there?” she asked softly.

Only silence answered her.

When she turned around, she bumped right into Alexander’s broad chest. The night wind swept by, carrying the faint sound of the breeze and the rapid thrum of her heartbeat—

Alexander pulled her closer, his forehead resting against the nape of her neck. One large hand cradled the back of her head.

“Don’t speak,” he whispered hoarsely.

Tanya froze.

Aside from the humming of her racing heart, she nodded, faint footsteps echoing softly in her ears.

As the sound receded into the distance, she slowly lifted her head from his chest.

“Who was it?”

Tanya peeked cautiously, her gaze following the shadowy figure of a woman dressed in black, lurking on the other side of the rock.

The moment the woman turned slightly, Tanya swiftly picked up a small stone and hurled it towards her face.

The black veil fell lightly to the ground.

The woman in black let out a startled cry.

Tanya’s excitement surged as she prepared to step forward, only to be unexpectedly pinned down to the ground by Alexander.

Startled, Tanya’s wide eyes brimmed with surprise.

Alexander’s lips pressed tightly together. In the moonlight, Tanya could clearly see his finely sculpted features.

Alexander seemed to be hesitating about something. Soon, another set of hurried footsteps drew closer, causing his brows to knit tightly together.

“Come in.” Alexander swept Tanya into his arms and ducked into the crevice of the rock formation, emerging on the other side.

Once certain no one was pursuing them, Alexander finally let out a sigh of relief, his brows relaxing.

“Why did you stop me!” Tanya pouted, her brows furrowed in displeasure as a soft fragrance wafted in the air.

“You would’ve alerted the Imperial Guards.”

Alexander’s brows remained furrowed, his eyes fixed intently on Tanya’s delicate face.

Tanya stuck out her tongue, then seemed to remember something. Her delicate brows arched as she regained her excitement.

“I saw that impostor’s face clearly!”

Her voice trembled slightly from excitement. Alexander raised his handsome brows, a faint, indecipherable smile curling at his lips.

“Not bad. Who do you think it is?”

“It’s Amber!” Tanya exclaimed in surprise.

Alexander followed up, “Why do you think it’s her?”

“I saw her!” Tanya’s slender hand hovered above Alexander’s broad palm. “The moment I knocked off her black veil, I saw her face!”

She frowned deeply after speaking. “But what’s her purpose for doing this? To tell everyone that Daisy was wrongly accused, and now she’s pretending to be Daisy again—what’s her reason for this?”

When Tanya was lost in thought, her mind would inexplicably drift away. Three shallow furrows appeared on her smooth forehead as she bit her rosy lips subconsciously.

Alexander turned his face away. Tanya suddenly caught onto something, and the hand holding Alexander’s arm tightened its grip.

“Is she trying to help Daisy seek revenge?”

Alexander’s smile remained faint, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Your reasoning isn’t too bad.”

Tanya took it as a compliment and mimicked Alexander’s demeanor, lifting her chin proudly.

“Except that everything you’ve reasoned out is completely wrong.”

He smiled, his tone inexplicably taunting.

Tanya’s eyes flashed with anger. “You know the truth?”

Alexander neither confirmed nor denied it.

The breeze gently swept around them. Alexander remained silent, and Tanya patiently waited for his response.

“I do,” he finally said after a long while.

A charming smile appeared on Tanya’s pretty face, her eyes shimmering with a soft light.

“Care to share?”

Alexander looked away into the distance.

Tanya knew that Alexander was unwilling to discuss it further.

He led her to a secluded spot amid the fake rock formations. Tanya had never known that within the overlapping rocks, there could be a hidden world.

That narrow gap, which required the two of them to huddle closely to pass through, had been their shared secret for a long time.

It was also a place they would marvel at whenever they reminisced years later.

Tanya chose not to think too much. Her body relaxed, and she leaned back, lying on the ground, gazing at the small patch of sky visible through the rocks.

“Why don’t you join me?” Tanya patted the spot beside her with a serious expression. The fresh scent of grass mixed with the earthy aroma slowly filled her senses.

Alexander frowned in disdain but ultimately lay down beside her obediently.

The two lay side by side, heads tilted up, the stars densely woven together, dividing the sky into several sections.

Alexander squinted his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

“Come to think of it, Heliam isn’t really out to get me.” Tanya’s eyes were clear and bright.

“If he truly wanted to make things difficult for me, he could have easily confined me like he did Evelyn. But he didn’t.”

Tanya’s expression was calm, her beautiful profile resembling a piece of exquisite jade carved by a master craftsman.

A smile curved at her lips. “Does that mean I still have a chance to complete my mission? Hahaha.”

Alexander’s barely-contained smile disappeared instantly. His thin lips tightened, and his gaze turned unfathomably deep.

“What is the outside world like?” Alexander’s voice was soft, as if he were asking an everyday question like, “Have you eaten?”

Only Tanya knew that the stars reflected in his eyes that night, along with the gentle breeze brushing past the rocks and whispering in their ears, would remain etched in her memory for a long, long time.

This man, so beautiful as if he had stepped out of a world beyond the cosmos, had a face like winter’s frost and eyes that shimmered like liquid light.

His thin lips were exceptionally attractive, yet held a subtle downward curve.

Tanya had seen him smile before—it was a kind of gentle warmth, like basking in the spring breeze. But it rarely reappeared.

Alexander... He must be quite lonely too.

Tanya turned her head, her gaze lingering on Alexander’s handsome face.

What kind of face was this? One that one could never tire of looking at.

“Are you falling for me?” he suddenly spoke, his voice particularly pleasant to the ear.

A faint, elusive smile appeared on Tanya’s lips, her voice as soft as a cicada’s wings.

“Who’s falling for you?”

Alexander chuckled deeply, his eyes reflecting a light as bright as the stars.

Then, after a moment, he returned to his calm demeanor.

“I hope you don’t fall for me.” His voice was extremely low, as if he were speaking to something he cherished dearly. Or perhaps he was murmuring quietly to himself.

Tanya’s eyelids grew heavy, a sense of drowsiness finally settling in. She shifted her body, finding the most comfortable position to curl up in.

In her dream, it felt like a cotton candy cloud covered her lips—sweet, soft, and accompanied by a warmth that surged with each thumping heartbeat, sending waves through her slender frame.