Chapter 5

Chapter 5

By dawn, the Royal Palace looked as if nothing had happened.

Palace maids brought me new clothes. The fox-fur cloak was as light as mist, yet its inner lining felt as soft as a cloud. Standing before the bronze mirror, I saw myself bundled up until only a pale face remained, making my eyes appear even darker. In the reflection, I looked like a wild child who had snuck into a fairy tale-one who, if not careful, would be discovered with the mud from under the bridge still clinging to the soles of her feet.

I skipped breakfast and, taking advantage of the shift change among the eunuchs delivering medicine, slipped out through a side gate.

I had to find Ming Yinxing.

That girl was two years younger than me. We used to sell matches together at the base of the clock tower. she had a sweet tongue and was a fast runner, often saying that once she saved enough money, she’d buy a pair of sheepskin boots so her toes wouldn’t rot anymore. Before I was taken away by the palace carriage last night, she had hidden behind a pillar and made a face at me, telling me not to forget to bring her a bowl of hot soup once I became the prince’s consort.

A crowd stood before the gates of the Warmhouse Yard. They were all paupers, clutching sick children or elderly relatives suffering from frostbite, waiting for the porridge and medicine being distributed inside. The plaque above the gate was obscured by snow, leaving only two strings of red lanterns visible on either side. Their flames were steady, completely undisturbed by the wind.

I followed the side wall to the back and, just after scaling the low wall, caught the heavy scent of flowers.

Inside was a massive glass Greenhouse.

While Baili City was a world of ice and snow outside, it was as humid as spring in here. Grapevines climbed the iron frames to cover the domed ceiling, and thick rugs lined the floor. Dozens of small beds were arranged in neat rows, each occupied by a sleeping child. Their faces were flushed and their breathing steady, as if they had finally found a better life.

But as I drew closer, I saw that their hands were all wrapped in white cloth.

Small hands, bound tightly, with the tips of the fingers visibly sunken.

One child stirred fitfully, his hand sliding out from under the blanket. I lifted a corner of the cloth, and my entire body froze.

He was missing three fingers on his right hand.

Footsteps suddenly echoed behind me. I spun around instantly.

A woman draped in silver fox fur stood beneath the shadows of the vines, looking as if she had slowly grown out of the warmth itself. She was beautiful-so beautiful she hardly seemed alive. Her skin was white, her lips pale, and a slender ice-crystal hairpin was tucked into her hair. The slight smile at the corners of her eyes was so soft it bordered on maternal.

“Little girl, it is quite impolite to go around lifting other people’s blankets.”

Her voice was gentle, yet it made my skin crawl.

“Where is Ming Yinxing?” I asked bluntly.

The woman watched me for a moment, as if finally matching an old memory to the person standing before her.

“So, you are Yi Yinchun’s daughter.” Her lips curved. “You don’t look like her, but your eyes are the same.”

My palms suddenly clenched. “You knew my mother?”

“Naturally.” She stepped closer, bringing with her a scent of ice, snow, and fragrant pomade. “She used to be just like you-bursting into my Greenhouse, lifting these children’s blankets, and asking me if they were in pain. But look, they are sleeping quite soundly, aren’t they?”

I stared at her fixedly. “Where is Ming Yinxing?”

She raised a hand, pointing casually toward the beds at the very back.

“That sweet-talking child who arrived last night? She was too thin; her blood wasn’t warm enough to survive the first round. She has already been sent below.”

My mind roared. I practically lunged at her. “What did you say?”

The woman caught my shoulder with a light touch. She looked delicate, but her strength was terrifying; with a mere press of her fingertips, half my body went numb.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she said, her tone remaining gentle. “Glimmersnow Palace gave them food and a place to sleep. It allowed their dreams to become the fire that warms this entire city. Children of the poor are destined to freeze to death on the streets anyway. Isn’t it better for their deaths to have some value?”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Mo Yaoshuang.” She gave a soft smile. “You may call me the Queen.”

As soon as she spoke, a bell chimed at the far end of the Greenhouse. Two matrons approached pushing a small cart, which was stacked with neat rows of white candles and wooden boxes. On the corners of the boxes, there were still traces of blood that hadn’t been wiped clean.

I suddenly understood where Ming Yinxing had gone.

And I suddenly understood why these children in the Greenhouse were sleeping so deeply.

It wasn’t because of the warmth.

It was because they were in too much pain to ever wake up again.