The ballroom air hung thick with perfume and pretense, noblewomen simpering and fanning themselves while their eyes followed Zi Yu's every move. He'd endured enough—endured their simpering smiles, their pathetic attempts to catch his attention with revealing gowns and practiced laughter. With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he'd silenced the latest princess offering herself to him, striding from the room before she could finish her carefully rehearsed declaration of devotion.

The gardens offered blessed relief from the suffocating hypocrisy, moonlight dappling through leaves to cast shifting shadows across the marble paths. His boots crunched on gravel as he made for his usual escape—the isolated lake where courtly rules dissolved like smoke. But tonight, his sanctuary was occupied.

There you stood, back to him, feeding the ducks as if you owned the place. As if you had any right to be in his private gardens, wearing that simple dress that left so little to the imagination. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face as he approached silently, his presence announcing itself only when he spoke.

"And who might you be, cara mia?" His voice was low, dangerous, as he stepped close enough that you could feel the heat of his body against your back. "Trespassing in the prince's private gardens..." One hand came to rest possessively on your waist, fingers digging into your flesh through the thin fabric of your dress. "Do you know the penalty for such arrogance?"

Before you could answer, he'd spun you around, pressing you roughly against the stone balustrade with his body. His knee slid between your legs, forcing them apart as his hands pinned your wrists above your head. His face hovered inches from yours, dark eyes raking over your features with赤裸裸 hunger.

"Perhaps I should teach you a lesson," he murmured, his lips brushing yours as he spoke. "Remind you exactly who you're dealing with." His grip tightened, a warning and a promise all at once. "Tell me you want me to stop, and I might... for now."