The shrine residence had finally grown quiet.

Lanterns dimmed one by one across the long corridors, and the lively laughter from earlier slowly faded into the calm silence of midnight.

Inside the Empress’s temporary chamber—

Soft candlelight flickered gently.

The curtains swayed lightly with the cold night breeze.

And on the bed—

The Empress slept peacefully.

—

At least...

That was how it appeared.

—

Because surrounding her room—

Three ghosts floated restlessly.

And not one of them intended to stay quiet.

—

"I’m telling you," Fen Yu declared dramatically while floating upside down in the air, "after the divorce, we should travel south."

—

General Wei Rong crossed his arms immediately.

"South is boring."

—

Fen Yu gasped.

"BORING?!"

—

"Yes."

"It’s humid."

"It smells like fish."

—

Li Shen, the scholar ghost, calmly sipped invisible tea that technically did not exist.

"...You’re both wrong."

—

Fen Yu turned instantly.

"Oh? Then where should we go?"

—

Li Shen adjusted his sleeves with dignity.

"To the mountain regions."

"Peaceful scenery."

"Quiet temples."

"Ancient libraries."

—

Wei Rong stared at him blankly.

"...That sounds terrible."

—

Fen Yu nodded seriously.

"Too much reading."

—

Li Shen looked offended.

"Knowledge enriches the soul."

—

Wei Rong snorted.

"We’re already dead."

—

"...That is not the point."

—

On the bed—

The Empress’s eyelashes twitched slightly.

Clearly—

They were too loud.

—

Fen Yu floated lower dramatically.

"No, listen to me."

"After the divorce, we leave the palace forever."

—

Wei Rong nodded.

"That part I agree with."

—

Li Shen sighed softly.

"You both speak as if the divorce is already decided."

—

Fen Yu froze.

Then blinked.

"...Isn’t it?"

—

Li Shen glanced toward the sleeping Empress.

"...I’m no longer certain."

—

The room fell briefly silent.

—

Because lately—

Things had changed.

—

The Emperor staying at the Duke residence.

His gaze softening.

The way he looked at her.

Protected her.

Waited for her.

—

Even ghosts noticed such things.

—

Wei Rong frowned slightly.

"...I still don’t trust him."

—

Fen Yu crossed her arms.

"Me neither."

"He strangled her before."

—

Li Shen nodded quietly.

"That is true."

—

The atmosphere turned heavier for a moment.

—

Then Fen Yu suddenly brightened again.

"But still!"

"IF she divorces him—"

—

"She will open restaurants everywhere!"

"We’ll travel across the kingdom!"

—

Wei Rong smirked slightly.

"That part sounds acceptable."

—

Fen Yu became excited again immediately.

"We can go to snow mountains!"

"And lakes!"

"And festivals!"

"And eat food from every city!"

—

Wei Rong raised an eyebrow.

"You can’t eat."

—

Fen Yu looked offended.

"I can spiritually enjoy food."

—

"That’s not eating."

—

"It counts emotionally."

—

Li Shen quietly rubbed his forehead.

"...I regret haunting both of you."

—

Fen Yu ignored him completely.

"We should buy a giant mansion."

—

"With what money?" Wei Rong asked.

—

"The Empress’s money."

—

"...You mean HER money."

—

"Our money," Fen Yu corrected confidently.

—

Li Shen sighed again.

"You’re already spending wealth that doesn’t belong to you."

—

Fen Yu pointed dramatically toward the sleeping Empress.

"She loves us."

—

Wei Rong nodded seriously.

"That’s true."

—

Li Shen stared at both of them.

"...You two have no shame."

—

"Correct," they replied together.

—

On the bed—

The Empress finally opened one eye slightly.

"...Why are you still awake?"

—

All three ghosts froze.

—

Fen Yu floated down instantly.

"We were making future plans."

—

"...At midnight?"

—

"Yes."

—

The Empress sighed softly and sat up slightly.

"What future plans?"

—

Fen Yu immediately became excited again.

"Travel plans after your divorce."

—

Silence.

—

The Empress blinked slowly.

"...My what?"

—

"Divorce," Wei Rong repeated calmly.

"You’ll eventually leave the Emperor."

—

The Empress stared at all three of them.

"...And when exactly did you decide this?"

—

Fen Yu floated closer.

"Well..."

"You said before you wanted freedom."

—

Li Shen added carefully,

"And you did once plan to leave palace life."

—

The Empress paused.

That...

Was true.

—

Before.

—

Before things became complicated.

—

Before the Emperor started changing.

—

Before his gaze began affecting her strangely.

—

Fen Yu continued dramatically,

"And then we’ll all travel together!"

"You’ll cook!"

"We’ll sightsee!"

"We’ll become legends!"

—

Wei Rong nodded.

"And open branches of Whisper Bowl everywhere."

—

Li Shen added thoughtfully,

"That actually sounds profitable."

—

The Empress couldn’t help laughing softly.

"You three already planned my entire future."

—

"Yes," Fen Yu replied proudly.

—

"...Without asking me."

—

"Yes."

—

The Empress shook her head helplessly.

"You’re unbelievable."

—

Fen Yu leaned closer curiously.

"...So?"

—

"So what?"

—

"Will you divorce him?"

—

Silence filled the room again.

—

The Empress lowered her gaze slightly.

For a brief moment—

The Emperor’s face appeared in her mind.

The forehead kiss.

The way he said—

"I’ll wait."

—

Her heartbeat became slightly uneven again.

—

Fen Yu narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"...Why are you blushing?"

—

"I’m not."

—

"You are."

—

Wei Rong stared carefully.

"...You are."

—

Even Li Shen looked surprised.

"...Interesting."

—

The Empress immediately pulled the blanket higher.

"Go away."

—

Fen Yu gasped dramatically.

"You like him now?!"

—

"No!"

—

"You do!"

—

"I don’t!"

—

Wei Rong crossed his arms.

"...This is troublesome."

—

Li Shen nodded thoughtfully.

"Very troublesome."

—

The Empress glared at all three of them.

"You ghosts talk too much."

—

Fen Yu floated around excitedly.

"Our travel plans are collapsing!"

—

"We haven’t even divorced him yet!" the Empress snapped.

—

"...Yet?" Fen Yu repeated slowly.

—

The room became silent again.

—

The Empress froze.

Realizing what she just said.

—

All three ghosts stared at her.

—

Fen Yu whispered dramatically,

"She said ’yet.’"

—

Wei Rong looked deeply disappointed.

"...We’re losing her."

—

Li Shen sighed toward the heavens.

"Human emotions truly complicate everything."

—

The Empress buried her face into the blanket.

"I’m sleeping."

—

Fen Yu floated closer mischievously.

"She definitely likes him."

—

"I DO NOT."

—

The ghosts burst into laughter.

Their voices filling the quiet room warmly.

—

And beneath the soft candlelight—

For the first time in a long while—

The Empress laughed too.

The Emperor’s Sleepless Heart

The palace residence had finally fallen silent.

The lively laughter from the day had faded.

The servants had long finished cleaning the courtyards.

Lanterns swayed softly beneath the cold night breeze, casting faint golden shadows across the stone paths.

Inside the guest chamber prepared for him—

The Emperor sat alone.

Awake.

—

The candle beside him had already burned halfway down.

Yet he had not moved from his seat.

Not even once.

—

His robe hung loosely around his shoulders.

His hair remained untied after bathing.

The room was warm.

Quiet.

Comfortable.

But his heart—

Was anything but calm.

—

His thoughts kept returning to one sentence.

Again.

And again.

And again.

—

"I want a divorce."

—

The Empress’s voice replayed endlessly in his mind.

Soft.

Calm.

But firm.

—

At the time—

He had thought she was angry.

Emotional.

Trying to provoke him.

—

But now—

He understood.

—

She had meant it.

—

The Emperor closed his eyes slowly.

His fingers tightened slightly against the table beside him.

—

"...Why?"

—

The question escaped quietly into the silence.

—

Why had she reached the point of wanting to leave him?

—

The answer should have been obvious.

Yet his chest still felt heavy when he thought about it.

—

Because deep down—

He already knew.

—

The beginning of their marriage...

Had been terrible.

—

No.

Not terrible.

Cruel.

—

He leaned back slowly, staring at the ceiling.

And for the first time in years—

He allowed himself to remember honestly.

—

The coldness.

The neglect.

The sharp words.

The punishments he never stopped.

The loneliness he forced her to endure inside the palace.

—

He remembered the way she used to stand quietly during gatherings.

Never complaining.

Never defending herself.

—

Even when others mocked her.

Even when his mother targeted her.

Even when rumors spread.

—

And him?

—

He had done nothing.

—

Because at that time—

He believed she was only a political marriage.

A responsibility.

An unwanted burden forced onto him by the court.

—

So he kept distance.

Ignored her.

Rejected her kindness.

—

And slowly—

She stopped trying.

—

The Emperor lowered his gaze.

Something sharp twisted painfully inside his chest.

—

"...I was truly awful to her."

—

The words tasted bitter.

Because they were true.

—

He remembered the first months after marriage.

She would wait for him.

Prepare meals.

Try speaking to him carefully.

—

And every time—

He answered coldly.

Or not at all.

—

Sometimes—

He intentionally avoided her courtyard.

—

Sometimes—

He spent time with Lady Chen instead.

Not because he loved Lady Chen deeply—

But because it was easier.

Comfortable.

Familiar.

—

And now—

Thinking about it—

He realized how cruel it must have looked.

—

To the entire palace.

To her.

—

The Emperor closed his eyes again.

The memory of the lake resurfaced.

—

Her pale face.

Cold body.

Weak heartbeat.

—

The fear he felt that night—

Still haunted him.

—

For the first time in his life—

He had been truly terrified.

—

Not for the throne.

Not for war.

Not for power.

—

For her.

—

Because when he thought she might die—

Something inside him shattered.

—

And only then—

Did he understand. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

—

At some point—

Without realizing it—

His feelings had changed.

—

The hatred disappeared.

The indifference faded.

—

And in their place—

Something else quietly grew.

—

Love.

—

The Emperor let out a slow breath.

His gaze drifted toward the window.

Moonlight spilled faintly across the floor.

—

"...I love her."

—

The words came easier now.

Simpler.

Clearer.

—

He loved the way she argued with him without fear.

Loved the warmth she brought into cold spaces.

Loved the way she treated servants kindly.

Loved how she made even this Duke residence feel alive.

—

Loved the way she laughed with her family.

—

Loved the way she looked tonight under lantern light.

—

And strangely—

He even loved the way she still kept distance from him.

Because he knew—

He deserved it.

—

The Emperor lowered his head slightly.

A bitter smile appeared.

—

"...But she doesn’t trust me."

—

How could she?

—

Not after everything.

—

Even now—

When he stayed beside her.

When he tried.

When he protected her—

There was still hesitation in her eyes sometimes.

—

Not fear anymore.

But caution.

—

As if she still expected him to hurt her again.

—

And honestly—

Could he blame her?

—

No.

—

The room fell silent once more.

—

Then—

The Emperor remembered her expression earlier tonight.

When he kissed her forehead.

—

Her widened eyes.

Red cheeks.

The way she immediately hid beneath the blanket.

—

A faint warmth appeared in his chest despite himself.

—

"...Cute."

—

Then he froze slightly.

—

Since when had he started thinking like this?

—

The Emperor rubbed his forehead slowly.

—

Everything had changed too quickly.

—

And yet—

At the same time—

It felt natural.

—

Because now when he looked at her—

He no longer saw obligation.

—

He saw someone precious.

—

Someone he wanted beside him.

Not because of politics.

Not because of duty.

—

Because he genuinely wanted her there.

—

The Emperor stood slowly and walked toward the window.

Outside—

The Duke residence slept peacefully.

—

Somewhere nearby—

She was sleeping too.

—

Safe.

Alive.

Warm.

—

And suddenly—

The thought of divorce felt unbearable.

—

No.

—

Impossible.

—

He tightened his jaw slightly.

—

"...I won’t let her leave."

—

But not through force.

Not through authority.

—

He had already learned that lesson.

—

If he wanted her to stay—

Then he had to earn it.

—

Earn her trust.

Earn her forgiveness.

Earn her heart.

—

The Emperor leaned one hand against the wooden window frame.

His gaze darkened slightly.

—

"...Someone tried to take her from me."

—

The ambush.

The lake.

The strange attacks.

—

Every time she nearly disappeared—

His heart felt like it stopped.

—

And now—

He understood clearly.

—

He could no longer imagine a future without her.

—

The realization terrified him slightly.

Because love—

Was dangerous.

—

Especially for an Emperor.

—

But despite that—

He didn’t want to let it go.

—

Not anymore.

—

The cold wind brushed lightly through the open window.

—

The Emperor closed his eyes briefly.

Then spoke softly into the quiet night.

—

"...I know I hurt you."

—

"I know I failed you."

—

"But now..."

—

"...I’ll protect you."

—

"No matter what."

—

"And even if it takes years..."

—

"I’ll make you trust me again."

—

The candle flame flickered gently beside him.

—

And somewhere in the stillness of the night—

The Emperor finally accepted the truth completely.

—

He had fallen deeply in love with his Empress.

—

Far too deeply—

To ever let her go.