"By just loving you, how did I.. become this miserable?"

The crimson color of his blood that was on his thumb softly touched my lips. The male lead bent down, a delicate kiss brushed my forehead.

'Li Han..'

My troubled eyes fluttered closed. A traitorous tear rolled down.

"My lady!"

"Your Highness!"

Urgent shouts and several footsteps came. The scene in front of the guards came as terrifying shock to them.

The kiss.. the blood.. the lady..

I think General Ming and Jin'er were the first one to moved. I opened my eyes when they tried to pull me away from Li Han.

"Call the imperial physician!"

"Your Highness!"

And I.. I didn't noticed that I was gripping the male lead's injured shoulders or.. the fact that I was crying.

Cold fear spiraled through me. My world was growing hazy. I don't remember much of what happened next. My vision was too blurry due to the unending tears.

"Go! Find the assassin! Arrest her no matter what!"

It was chaos. My memories was swept and dusted by the bloody scene. My reality seemed to be distorted. I lost myself dwelling on the sensation of disquietude.

"Save.. him. Please." My voice weak.

The imperial physician came. Li Han who have already fainted was transferred to the bed by the guards. They tried to send me away but I insisted on staying.

I was leaning my head on Jin'er's shoulder, sobbing. When the physician was done with his job, he glanced at me and sighed.

And I.. couldn't t bring myself to ask.

"My lady, the person who poisoned His Highness must have a deep grudge. I'm afraid.. This servant advised you my lady to prepare for the worse."

With a deep breath, I walked towards the bed. A chair on the bedside was prepared by Jin'er for me to sit on. I sat down, my hands hesitated to touch Li Han's.

I do not see how the male lead can ever die; because he can't.. he mustn't! This must be just a nightmare.

'A nightmare.'

'Someone please.. save him.'

I did not know if how many hours have already passed or when did my tears finally dried. I'm still wearing the same bloodstained dress. My face pale, my hands were cold and my lips was cracked. Jin'er tried to convince me to change, to eat or drink.

But how can I..

If I take away my eyes from Li Han, even its for just a second; I'm afraid that something.. some accident might happen. And.. I'll lose him.

'This is all my fault.'

"Her Highness Concubine Zhi has come."

Startled from the announcement of the eunuch, I hastily fixed myself. I rubbed my skirt with my sweaty hands, trying to smoothed the wrinkled fabric. Considering the years of me currying favour to people; I always presented myself as dignified and as noble as possible especially infront of the royals, and perhaps it became.. so natural to me.

"Greetings to Her Highness Concubine Zhi." I put my hands to one side of my waist. Sticking my right foot back, I gently lowered my body to show respect to the royal.

"Lady Bai, what a sight." I can feel her contemptuous eyes all over me. "You look.. awful."

My eyes followed the hem of her vermilion red dress to the bedroom of Li Han. However, Concubine Zhi only stood in the male lead's bedside for two to three seconds before she casually turned away.

The foxy concubine chose a seat by the window, the farthest seat from the bed of the male lead; I heard her sighed comfortably as she sat down.

"Bring me tea."

"Yes, Your Highness."

One of the servant immediately poured the royal concubine a cup of hot tea. She blew from it and stopped momentarily as if she just remembered something. "Ah. After your visit, my recovering son suddenly.. got poisoned. What do you say, Lady Bai? Do coincidences really exist?"

I stood near her. My hands won't stopped trembling.

"I'm not an idiot. I have three speculations of what really happened here."

"One; you poisoned my son to frame that Chu girl. After the removal of your rival, you'll give him the antidote, saving him."

I bit my lips.

"Two; you poisoned him.. with an intent to kill, just to help the Duke of Hebei to seize the throne." She slowly sipped her tea. Enjoying her drink.

"And lastly, three; you framed the Chu girl, tried to murder my son and choose Li Nian to be the next emperor and then what.. ah, you want to be his wife."

I knelt at the woman's feet.

"So care to tell this grieving mother which one is your plan? Lady Bai, do you even have the antidote?" Putting the cup down, Concubine Zhi smiled brightly.

I crawled into my knees, begging her. "I don't have it."

'I don't have a choice. And I just want to.. go home. I really.. don't want anyone to die.'

I clutched the hem of her dress. "Your Highness, can you please save him? Please, save him."

The concubine was silent for a while. "Save him?"

Bewildered, she asked: "Don't tell me you.."

Suddenly, a giggle escaped from her ruby-colored lips. "Did you know that I am not allowed–Ha! That my own son forbid me to enter his palace? That ungrateful brat. I can't believe that I, Zhi Ruo carefully carried a bastard for nine months inside me."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I was thrown to the Cold Palace for ten years and when I was released, did you know what he said to his biological mother, to me?

She laughed. "Don't touch him? Don't come near him? Or else he will have me killed? That stupid boy. Unfilial son! Bastard!"

Concubine Zhi looked at me with a mischievous twinkle in her gaze, "Long, long time ago, Li Han was a cute obedient boy. I remember how he cried to sleep. Curled up on his bed, clutching his stomach in pain whenever I fed him poisons. And when he can't endure it anymore, he would beg this concubine for the antidote. Ha!"

"That child should've died back then. What a pity?"