Chapter 5: The Blindfold

"A wolf's head in a dead man's sleeve," the Regent said. "How careless of the Hu family."

They were in his bed chamber, the second night after the poisoned cup.

The Regent sat on the edge of the bed with his cap off and the guard's scrap of silk spread on his knee.

"You don't believe it," Linyuan said.

"I believe the Hu brothers would poison me. I do not believe they would sew their own crest into the murderer."

"So someone wants you to blame them."

"Someone wants me to do something loud and stupid." The Regent folded the silk. "So I will do nothing, and be annoyed."

He looked up.

Linyuan stood by the door in his under-robe with his hair still wet from the bath, and he felt his face heat.

"Come here," the Regent said.

Linyuan went.

The Regent took a long black silk sash from the bedpost, the kind used to tie back a curtain.

"What is that for?"

"You taste for the whole palace," Duan Shiyan said. "I thought you might like to be on the other side of the spoon."

Linyuan's pulse jumped in his throat.

"Sit," the Regent said, and Linyuan sat on the bed.

The Regent folded the sash and laid it across his eyes, and the room went black.

His fingers knotted it gently behind Linyuan's head, and then his thumb stroked along Linyuan's cheek.

"It's a scarf," Linyuan said.

"Then be quiet."

Cloth rustled.

A cup clinked softly against a plate.

"Open."

Linyuan opened his mouth, and something cold and sweet pressed against his tongue.

He bit down, and bright, tart juice ran over his teeth.

"Plum."

"Yes."

"Early plum, from the south wall. The skin is bitter."

"Good," the Regent murmured. "Again."

Linyuan opened again, and this time it was the Regent's fingers, wet with something thick and golden that coated his tongue.

His whole body went tight.

"That's honey," he said hoarsely.

"I tasted it myself first, before you came."

The Regent had tasted it himself.

Linyuan had to stop and swallow, and he felt the Regent's thumb brush his lip.

"I am sorry," the Regent said, very quietly. "I wanted you to have one that was clean."

Linyuan sucked the honey from his fingers slowly, on purpose, and heard the Regent breathe out through his teeth.

The Regent fed him a slice of salted lemon that made his eyes water under the cloth.

Keep reading free with an account. Start The Taster Who Caught the Regent's Poison from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.