The barn was one of their numerous hideouts. It was so secluded the triplets never had to worry about someone eavesdropping on their conversation.

Right now, Shen Yexue was pacing the entire length of the room, which annoyed the other two.

"Can you just sit down? I’m beginning to get dizzy from watching you walk back and forth," Lieyin finally exclaimed, anger coating her voice.

Yexue stopped briefly to glare at her. "Then stop watching me!"

Qingyue sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I believe you called us here for a reason." She added in a softer voice she usually reserved for the youngest. "Is anything bothering you?"

"Clearly," Lieyin replied with an eye roll.

Yexue finally stopped, panicked eyes going to Qingyue. "Do we really have to take the case to court? Can’t we deal with her ourselves? Like we usually do."

Qingyue’s brows pinched together in worry. "What happened?"

Yexue sighed. "I met Han Shuying, she’s working with the Empress. And from what she said, Lihua is well prepared. I’m afraid the plan will backfire and I’ll lose—" she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. It would make that possibility all too real.

Qingyue put a hand on Yexue’s shoulder to calm her. "What did she say to you?"

Yexue’s eyes darted around the room, avoiding her sister’s gaze. "She has the support of the ministers, and she doesn’t plan to go down easily."

"Do you have such little faith in me?" Qingyue asked in a small voice. "When have I ever let any of you down?"

Yexue shook her head. "I’m not questioning your competence, I’m just saying—"

"That I’m useless and you’re afraid I won’t be able to keep all of us out of danger?" Qingyue finished for her.

The remaining two didn’t miss the pain in her voice. Guilt hung in the air between the three.

Qingyue had always prided in her unwavering ability to look after her sisters. It was the promise she had made to her dying mother.

Sometimes she heard her voice in her dreams.

It was the reason she woke up everyday fighting so hard. Getting rid of the Empress was for their sake.

If she’d killed their mother, then there was a big chance she’d try to get rid of them too. Because they were the only thing threatening Zhao Chen’s position as the crowned prince.

He was to be the next Emperor.

But all that could change if the triplets decided to fight for the throne. Which they did—it was rightfully theirs.

That was why it hurt when Yexue was doubtful about her plan to make sure they remained safe in a palace that threatened to swallow them whole.

"Qingyue...that was not what I meant." Yexue was apologetic, frantic tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. "I’m just trying to explore all the possible outcomes."

"It’s easy for you to cast it all aside because you don’t care about getting justice for our mother."

Yexue turned pale, like a sheet of paper. "Of course I care!"

Qingyue scoffed, "Please...you don’t even remember that night. For all you know this entire operation could blow up in flames and you wouldn’t concern yourself with it."

Yexue’s heart pounded under her ribs, the truth threatening to eat her alive. "I remember."

Qingyue froze. "What?"

"I said I remember. How could I not? I can still hear the bloody screaming every time I go to bed." Yexue didn’t even realize there were tears streaming down her face. "I just didn’t want you to worry." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Oh...Yexue..." Qingyue walked over, placing her palms on the sides of Yexue’s face. "You should’ve told me? The thought of dealing with that all alone..."

Yexue said nothing when Qingyue pulled her into a hug.

Shen Lieyin looked at them with an understanding gaze, but didn’t bother to join them. With this revelation, all of Yexue’s actions started to make sense.

Falling in love with any one that paid her the smallest bit of attention...spending all the spare house drinking at the tavern...seeking mindless missions just to keep her from spiralling...to keep the monsters away.

Lieyin was all too familiar with it.

"I’m sorry I didn’t notice you were struggling sooner," Qingyue was saying. "I was a bad older sister."

Yexue sniffed. "You did your best. And I’m sorry for making it seem like you were incompetent. I didn’t mean to make your efforts look futile."

Qingyue shook her head, stroking Yexue’s hair. "You were scared, that’s understandable. But I promise you, everything will be okay. I’ll make sure of it."

It did nothing to quench Yexue’s fear. "Han Shuying was in my room two nights ago."

That was when Shen Lieyin shot up. "I told you that maid was up to no good! They’re probably working together."

Yexue couldn’t deny that. "She told me the Empress was planning something, and tried to persuade us to give up. I’m afraid something terrible will happen."

"Looks like the maid is their informant. We need to get rid of her first, so they don’t have access to any information we have."

"I’m sure she was threatened into working with them," Yexue blurted out.

Lieyin narrowed her eyes in anger. "Are you trying to defend her right now?" She looked at Qingyue. "I told you she’d fallen in love with that lowlife. Our dear sister here has no dignity whatsoever."

"I am not in love with her!" Yexue yelled, "It’s just..." she looked down at her feet.

Qingyue tilted her chin towards her in a soft movement. "Talk to me."

Yexue blinked severally. "Whenever I’m with her...I don’t have any nightmares." She hesitated, "and..."

"Oh no—" Lieyin groaned, "we’re all royally fucked."

"She makes me feel safe," Yexue finally admitted, more to herself. "And I don’t know what to do with that."

Qingyue grabbed Yexue’s shoulders tight. "Then you need to forget about her. We have a battle to win, this is no time for slip ups."

"Tell her that," Lieyin muttered under her breath, more annoyed than anything else.

"We’ll work on your nightmares when all this is over," Qingyue reassured her. "But for now...I need you to fight with us. Can you do that for me?"

Yexue gave a weak nod.

If you asked her, the battle was already over and whether she lost or won did not matter. She was already totally wrecked.