Chapter 8: A Place for Me?

Not far away, the Maharani was holding Arjun’s right hand, saying something. Though far away, I could see the smile on Arjun’s face—very faint, but a smile nonetheless. At the Maharani.

His posture was deferential, but the smile was real—soft, as if a burden had been lifted. The sight twisted something in my chest.

It’s hard to describe what I felt. I just thought that the tulsi tea I’d drunk earlier seemed to churn in my stomach, making me uncomfortable. I stared at the two of them. Unconsciously, my nails dug into my palm, and beads of blood welled up.

I pressed my hand to my heart, the sting grounding me in the present. Jealousy, fear, longing—they all mixed together, impossible to separate, like spices in a masala dabba.

They tugged back and forth a few times. In the end, the Maharani won. She shoved a handkerchief into Arjun’s hand, not giving him a chance to refuse. Afraid he’d throw it away, she wrapped it tightly several times. Arjun did not refuse.

The gesture was intimate—too intimate. My breath caught as I watched her fingers linger on his, her smile triumphant. The handkerchief was white silk, embroidered with a single emerald—everyone in the palace knew it as her signature.

The barrage was full of blessings:

[A personal handkerchief is basically a token of love. Spread the word, the leads are getting married!]

[In front of the Maharani, the male lead is like a pure-hearted college boy, her one and only.]

[The fire kindled by the supporting girl is extinguished by a few words from the Maharani. The male lead loves her too much~]

[I bet the male lead will sleep with the Maharani’s handkerchief tonight… hehe.]

As the two of them tugged, their figures disappeared into the grove. But the vigorous movement made the leaves rustle and fall.

The hush of dusk settled, broken only by the shiver of the peepal leaves overhead and the distant call of a hawker at the palace gate. Alone in the corridor, I pressed my fist to my mouth, wondering if even the gods remembered my name.