"Excuse me! Are you by any chance… the Lady Kogane?" Maihima stopped in her tracks. Her brow arched as she turned around slowly, the fan lowering just enough to flash a glare.
Standing several paces away was a woman of striking beauty. Her robes shimmered with rich embroidery, her hair pinned in a tall, intricate bun secured with a delicate pearl hairpin that glittered under the light. She held a fan with golden tracings, moving it with practiced grace but as she began to approach, it became painfully clear she was struggling. Each step was a careful drag, the heavy silk skirts clearly unfamiliar to her. Her movements were stiff, almost comically delicate, like a man mimicking a lady.
Maihima's eyes narrowed. That pearl hairpin… it looked very familiar.
"Yes, I am," she said sharply, folding her fan halfway. "Why did you stop me?"
The lady came to a stop in front of her, drawing in a deep breath and clearing her throat as she tried to compose herself. Her high-pitched voice softened ever so slightly, noting the skeptical glances thrown her way.
"Well… I stopped you to say… I'm here to thank you."
Maihima raised a perfectly shaped brow, folding her arms beneath the flowing sleeves of her gown. "Alright… but may I ask who you are? And what exactly did I do to earn your thanks?"
The woman before her flicked open her fan with a graceful snap. "Oh… I am Lady Suzuran," she said, fluttering her lashes, "renowned as a teller of fates and fortunes."
Maihima's gaze sharpened, but the woman continued undeterred, now gesturing lightly to the pearl hairpin. "And I must thank you because… this piece this exquisite treasure I heard it was you who traded your first-place badge for it, yes?"
Maihima narrowed her eyes in thought before replying. "So… those s men that day, they were after this? For you?" She paused, realization dawning. "Then… you're someone from the sect?"
Lady Suzuran's face lit up in a bright, almost overly enthusiastic smile. "Exactly! You guessed right, Lady Kogane. Those men were sent on my behalf. You see, I needed this hairpin…it's a rare, unique edition, almost impossible to acquire even in the capital. You've done me quite the favor." She bowed her head slightly, the motion sending her already-tilting bun swaying.
Maihima's eyes swept over her again, subtle and calculating. There was something… off.
Suzuran shifted slightly, fanning herself with a nervous little flutter.
"And since you say you're from the capital," Maihima said, voice smooth as silk, "I assume you're of noble birth? And from which sect, exactly, are you affiliated, Lady Suzuran?"
Suzuran hesitated for a brief moment before answering, "I'm from the… Manari Sect."
Behind Maihima, the twin girls, Meimei and Miaomiao, exchanged startled glances, their expressions shifting quickly. They widened their eyes, instinctively glancing toward Maihima, whose own expression remained perfectly composed, unreadable as she studied the woman before her. Tilting her head slightly, Maihima smiled politely and asked, "May I see your identity mask, if you're truly from the sect?"
A nervous twitch flickered across Lady Suzuran's face. Maihima caught it instantly her eyes sharp and unblinking like a hawk spotting the faintest rustle in the grass.
"My mask…?" Suzuran muttered nervously.
"Don't you have it with you?" Maihima pressed, folding her arms and stepping closer. Her sharp eyes didn't miss the faint panic flickering across Suzuran's face. "I heard that members of the Manari Sect are required to wear their identity masks, with their rank engraved on it. But if you're truly from the sect, it seems like… not only are you not wearing it, you're not even carrying it, are you?" Maihima leaned in slightly, voice cool and probing. "And I don't know why, but you're giving me an odd vibe—"
Before she could finish, Suzuran abruptly laughed, hiding her face behind her fan.
"Lady Kogane, you ask and answer everything all by yourself!" she said, voice slightly high-pitched. "Of course I have my mask with me."
Maihima tilted her head, stepping back slightly, her gaze unblinking as she watched Suzuran fumble through her sleeves. A moment later, the woman pulled out a golden mask and proudly held it out.
"See? I do carry it with me."
Maihima's gaze dropped to the mask and for a brief moment, her eyes widened in shock.
Behind her, Meimei and Miaomiao leaned forward to get a better look, their curiosity piqued by Maihima's sudden silence. And when they finally caught sight of the carving engraved on the mask, they gasped in perfect unison.
"You're a Third Ranker?!"
Seeing their reaction, Lady Suzuran—who was in fact Zuzu in disguise smiled broadly, a glint of mischief flashing in his eyes as he thought internally,
Good thing is that I was the one carrying all the Seventh Prince's belongings today. Then he proudly thought, smiling even more widely, "I bet even the Seventh Prince didn't see this situation coming. He just shoved the badge at me and kicked me out!"
Maihima, who had gone unusually quiet, suddenly cleared her throat. Her voice softened, and she avoided direct eye contact.
"…Ignore my earlier tone, Lady Suzuran. I was simply… curious to know your rank. I didn't expect you to be a Third Ranker. It seems you've been truly blessed with immense spiritual power."
At that, Suzuran waved her sleeves and blinked slowly "You can say that. After all, I'm blessed with the power to predict future and past by reading the fate of the one in front of me."
Maihima blinked, her brow faintly furrowing as she processed those words. "You can predict the future? And… know what's written in someone's fate?"
Suzuran smiled behind her fan and gave a soft nod. "Yes," she said simply, voice full of mystery.
Maihima paused for a moment, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, then quickly added, "Ignore my curiosity again but exactly how can you tell that."
At that, Suzuran leaned closer slightly, her voice lowering to a honeyed tone."Curiosity suits you, Lady Kogane. After all, those with sharp minds are always drawn to the unknown… and you, clearly, are no ordinary noble lady."
Maihima blinked, caught off guard for a moment, her posture straightening subtly. "You speak too highly."
"But it's the truth," Suzuran replied smoothly, waving her golden-traced fan lazily. "Your presence alone draws attention without effort. Even here, among all these nobles, it's impossible not to notice you."
Maihima, despite herself, found the corners of her lips twitching slightly upward. She coughed into her sleeve, trying to compose herself. "You're quite good with words, Lady Suzuran."
Suzuran giggled softly, then lowered her fan just enough to show a mischievous glint in her eye.
"I only speak what I see. And speaking of what I see… your future holds everything you desire."
Maihima tilted her head slightly, curious despite her earlier words.
Suzuran's voice grew even softer, as if sharing a precious secret. "When the rare diamond comes into your life… the one that matches your brilliance… it's coming closer even now."
Maihima froze for a moment, blinking at Suzuran, her mind racing to process those words. Her fingers gripped her fan a little tighter before she quickly lowered her gaze. A soft red tint began to creep up her cheeks.
Suzuran, despite the clear struggle under the heavy robes, began to slowly circle around Maihima, her fan flicking open and closed dramatically. "I can see it…" she said, voice drawing out like a spell.
Maihima shifted awkwardly, avoiding Suzuran's sharp gaze. "See what?"
"The man…" Suzuran breathed, her tone heavy with meaning.
"T-the man…?" Maihima stammered, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes," Suzuran said, dragging her steps with exaggerated grace. "The man who has stepped into your life… the one who has already sparked something deep inside you."
Behind them, Meimei and Miaomiao exchanged a horrified look, their mouths slightly open as they pieced together where this conversation was headed.
Maihima's eyes widened as she quickly turned toward Suzuran, nervously clutching the folds of her sleeve. "L-Lady Suzuran, what are you talking about? I'm sure you're mistaken! No one has sparked anything in me!"
Suzuran let out a low, chuckle behind her golden-traced fan, taking another slow, deliberate step closer. "My words cannot be wrong, Lady Kogane. If the man's arrival into your life is true, then so is everything else I see. You are simply… not being honest about it."
Maihima flushed, stepping back a little, but stubbornly insisted, "It's not like what you think, Lady Suzuran… I don't think it's true!"
Suzuran's eyes gleamed mischievously as she tilted her head, fan waving gently.
"He is the lucky charm in your life," she said, voice dipping into a near whisper, "and if he is by your side, it will be as if wealth itself has found you. His entry into your life was unexpected… yet it was fated. He is the one who can lead you to your true destiny. And with him beside you… whatever you desire will be yours."
Maihima stood stiffly, listening to every word in stunned silence, her hands unconsciously fidgeting with her sleeves, eyes wide and unblinking. Meanwhile, deep inside the heavy robes and makeup, Zuzu was fighting for dear life to keep a straight face thinking,
Oh heavens, what am I even saying? Hope I'm not overdoing it… please fall for it, don't doubt anything!
Maihima hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper as she asked, "Is it really true… was his arrival into my life… fated?"
Suzuran closed her fan with a snap, smiling serenely. "Of course it was. As I said, my words cannot be wrong. It was fated for him to be beside you."She paused, her lashes lowering slightly. "But—"
Maihima leaned in unconsciously, almost desperate. "B-But what?"
Suzuran's voice softened, turning almost mournful. "I can see… there is a wall between you two. A wall that isn't letting you come together, a wall that slowly pulls his gaze away from you. He is going to become captivated by the beautiful painting on that wall, forgetting to even notice you."
She let out a slow breath. "It was thin at first… but with each passing moment, it will thicken—brick by brick. That wall will not only block you from him but will slowly… snatch your destiny away."
Maihima lip's parted wanting to ask something, nervousness was clear On her face. Meanwhile, Zuzu was smugly thinking to himself,
Good thing I have the habit of reading 'Celestial Divinations of Fate and Flow' and 'Words Woven by the Stars.' And spending most of my time with His Highness taught me well how to create these dramatic tales at a moment's notice. Hehe!
Before Maihima could respond, Miaomiao suddenly stomped forward, fire flashing in her eyes.
"Huh?! Which is that wall that dares to snatch our Lady's destiny?! Tell me, Lady Suzuran! I'll crack it and destroy it with a hammer!"
Suzuran turned her head slowly toward Miaomiao, giving her a pitying look. "It's not that easy," she said, voice soft but heavy with meaning. "That wall has already been built… and someone else is helping to build it even higher and stronger."
She stepped closer to Maihima, her robes dragging slightly as she lowered her voice, her fan hiding her mouth like she was sharing a secret.
"If you want to break that wall, you must first deal with the builder. Because even if you shatter the wall once…That builder will build it again. Stronger. Taller."
Maihima's face paled slightly, heart racing as Suzuran added, "And I can see it clearly… the wall and the builder… are both very close to you."