The maid guided Cixi through a quieter part of the Palace and stopped in front of a private lift hidden behind a wall panel, carrying Cixi’s bag. This entrance was not something any guest would find by mistake. When the doors opened, Cixi stepped inside and saw that only one number on the panel was lit for the highest floor. She looked at it for a moment and then turned to the maid.

"The entire floor belongs to Cassian Crown?"

The maid lowered her eyes politely, neither agreeing nor denying it, and the silence that followed only made the answer feel obvious.

The lift rose smoothly without a sound until it reached the top floor. When the doors slid apart, they revealed a polished corridor lit in soft gold.

There was something neatly written on a metal board hanging on the wall, and the moment Cixi read it, her brows pulled together.

RETURN OR ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.

She stood there for a moment and let out a disbelieving breath. "What sort of person would put this outside his own floor? Was he trying to scare everyone who wanted to enter?"

Still, the maid said nothing, walking further, and Cixi followed her. They passed one corridor, then another turn, then yet another, until they finally stopped before a huge wooden door dark enough to look ancient. The maid opened it, handed Cixi her suitcase, and then stopped at the threshold.

"No one is allowed beyond this point, Miss. Sir Michael Crown instructed me to bring you here, but after this, we are forbidden to enter."

Cixi took the handle from her as she nodded once. She looked beyond the doorway before asking, "Is this floor haunted?" Cixi would not have been surprised if the maid had said yes. Now that she thought more about it, the signboard hanging in front of the lift would have made sense...

At first, Cixi brushed it off as Cassian being Cassian. However, when the palace maid informed her that she could not enter, she could not shake the feeling of nervousness. Her brain reached for the word ghost out of nowhere, and she began to wonder if there was a greater danger lurking here than Cassian himself.

She decided to ask the maid if she should expect any haunting activity, especially at night. After all, why else would the maid say she could not enter after coming so far in Cassian’s absence if it was not to protect her from something supernatural? It was possible... She had once seen in horror movies how maids knew a lot about the places they worked in and avoided certain places.

Although she would not have felt anything if her soul had left her body due to the curse, Cixi would not have wanted to wake up floating on the ceiling, staring down at her bed like some sort of ghostly tourist.

It was strange. Despite forty people living in this palace, it always felt empty and silent everywhere.

What was wrong with these people? Couldn’t they keep this place alive, busy, and noisy?

The maid almost smiled, but thought better of it. "Sir Cassian has his own people to look after this floor, and he had strictly forbidden anyone from entering. There was one guard who entered once in Sir Cassian Crown’s absence, and the next thing anyone knew was that he was sent away somewhere immediately, and no one has seen him since."

Cixi felt relief...

Once her job was done, the maid bowed faintly and walked away, leaving Cixi standing alone. Cixi pulled the suitcase inside and closed the door behind her with a slow, weighty push that made the place feel even larger.

Standing near the door, she quickly took in the room with an appraising look.

The living room was enormous, larger than the one downstairs where Michael and Tamara had taken tea. A striking blend of black and white dominated the space.

As Cixi stepped inside, her eyes widened at the white sofa that seemed to demand to be touched and sat on for a comfortable experience.

She reached out, letting her fingers glide over the soft surface, imagining Cassian sprawled out on it, exuding confidence, giving commands, and making important decisions, or perhaps... her mind took her to the scene which she never wanted to visit ever again — a woman giving him a blowjob while he was simply sitting on the couch and his expression had felt empty, as if he was thinking about something else... and that image soured her mood for no reason... She instantly shook away that image of him and started to wander. Her attention flicked to the minimalist artwork on the walls; it was black-and-white pieces. They were beautiful, yet they did not invite her in. It was as if Cassian had created a sanctuary that was powerful but distant, a space that did not welcome just anyone.

"This is not a living room. This is a kingdom with art and authority."

She then looked to her left and then to her right. At the far end of the room stood a door on either side. She dragged her suitcase forward a little, then abandoned it near one of the windows and went first to the door on the right.

The moment she pushed it open, her steps slowed and her eyes sparkled.

Books.

Shelves rose from floor to ceiling, filled with bindings and expensive editions. The room was a library. Cixi walked farther in, her eyes moving from one shelf to the next.

"You actually read," she murmured, half to herself and half to the invisible man whose presence seemed to live in every corner of the floor. "And here I thought threatening people and ruining my peace were your only interests."

She trailed her fingers lightly across the spine of one book, then looked around again.

Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the aromatic blend of rich leather and the musty scent of aged paper that filled the room.

Once she felt satisfied after going through each corner, she stepped back into the living room and crossed to the door on the left.

This room had a huge desk that dominated the space, and papers were still stacked so neatly that even from a distance she could tell nothing there had ever been handled carelessly.

Cabinets lined one wall, shelves another.

It was his personal office.