The doors of the Dowager Empress’s palace hall slowly closed behind them.

The warm laughter from inside faded away, replaced once again by the cold silence of the imperial palace corridors.

The atmosphere changed almost instantly.

Gone was the warmth of old memories.

Gone was the brief feeling of family.

Now—

Only unease remained.

—

The Emperor walked slowly through the stone corridor, his hands clasped behind his back.

Beside him walked Prince Liang, unusually quiet for once.

The palace lanterns flickered softly against the night wind.

Long shadows stretched across the marble floor.

Neither brother spoke immediately.

Because both of them understood the same thing.

The peace they just experienced—

Would not last.

Not with everything happening inside the kingdom.

Not with the strange incidents surrounding the palace.

Finally—

Prince Liang broke the silence.

"...Things are getting worse."

The Emperor’s expression darkened slightly.

"Yes."

His voice was calm.

But heavy.

Prince Liang exhaled slowly.

"First Princess Zhi’s miscarriage."

"Then the Empress nearly dying."

"The attack outside the palace."

"The strange incidents in the provinces."

He frowned deeply.

"...None of this feels natural."

The Emperor didn’t respond immediately.

His eyes remained fixed ahead.

Cold.

Thoughtful.

Prince Liang continued quietly,

"And the worst part..."

"...every incident is connected somehow."

The Emperor finally glanced at him.

"What are you trying to say?"

Prince Liang stopped walking.

The Emperor slowed as well.

For a moment, only the sound of wind echoed through the corridor.

Then Prince Liang spoke softly.

"Princess Zhi."

"The Empress."

"And Lady Chen."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"They all have something in common."

The Emperor frowned.

"...What?"

Prince Liang looked directly at him.

"They are all close to us."

Silence.

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Prince Liang continued slowly,

"The incidents are not random."

"Someone is targeting people connected to the imperial family."

"Not ordinary officials."

"Not ministers."

"Not nobles."

"Only people emotionally connected to us."

The Emperor’s expression slowly darkened.

Because once spoken aloud—

The pattern became impossible to ignore.

Princess Zhi.

His sister.

The Empress.

His wife.

Lady Chen.

Someone he once protected closely.

Prince Liang lowered his voice further.

"...Whoever is behind this..."

"...is close enough to observe all of us."

The cold night air suddenly felt heavier.

The Emperor turned slightly toward the dark courtyard outside.

His mind replayed everything again.

Princess Zhi’s miscarriage.

The strange energy around the lake.

The Empress walking unconsciously toward death.

The ambush.

The ghost incidents.

The reports from the provinces.

Everything overlapping like invisible threads.

Prince Liang spoke again.

"When Princess Zhi lost the baby..."

"...you suspected Shin Gu."

The Emperor’s gaze hardened faintly.

"Yes."

At that time—

The situation had pointed directly toward her.

The rituals.

The strange atmosphere around her residence.

The unusual spiritual practices.

Prince Liang crossed his arms.

"But nothing was found."

The Emperor remained silent.

Because that was true.

They searched carefully.

Watched closely.

Questioned servants.

But no evidence appeared.

Nothing concrete.

Nothing enough to accuse her.

Prince Liang sighed softly.

"Shin Gu may be strange..."

"...but I don’t think she can do this."

The Emperor looked at him quietly.

Prince Liang continued,

"She’s spiritual."

"She studies rituals."

"Talismans."

"Meditation."

"But these incidents..."

His voice lowered slightly.

"...feel darker."

The corridor became silent again.

The Emperor’s expression remained unreadable.

But inside—

Something unsettled him.

Because unlike Prince Liang—

He was no longer certain.

No evidence existed.

Yet his instincts refused to settle.

Shin Gu appeared calm.

Too calm.

Every time chaos happened—

She remained untouched.

Unbothered.

Watching from a distance.

The Emperor remembered the monk’s warning.

"Something dark already lives within the palace."

His fingers tightened slightly behind his back.

Prince Liang looked toward him.

"You still suspect her."

It wasn’t a question.

The Emperor didn’t answer immediately.

Then finally—

"...I don’t know."

Which was worse than certainty.

Prince Liang frowned slightly.

"You truly think she could be involved?"

The Emperor’s gaze darkened.

"I think..."

He paused.

"...someone inside the palace knows more than they should."

The wind passed through the corridor again.

Cold.

Sharp.

Prince Liang looked thoughtful now.

"...If it really is someone close to us..."

"...then we’re already being watched."

The Emperor nodded once.

"Yes."

"And whoever it is..."

"...has been preparing for a long time."

Silence settled once more.

Far in the distance, palace bells echoed softly through the night.

Prince Liang leaned slightly against a stone pillar.

"...Do you ever think about Father?"

The sudden question caught the Emperor slightly off guard.

But his expression softened faintly.

"...Sometimes."

Prince Liang looked up toward the night sky.

"If he were here..."

"...he probably would’ve solved this already."

The Emperor gave a faint humorless smile.

"Father would’ve beaten answers out of half the court by now."

Prince Liang laughed quietly.

"That’s true."

Then his smile faded. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"...Brother."

The Emperor looked at him.

"For the first time in years..."

Prince Liang’s voice grew serious.

"...I’m afraid."

The Emperor fell silent.

Because he understood.

This was no longer palace politics.

No longer ordinary schemes for power.

Something else was moving beneath the surface.

Something ancient.

Something hidden.

And neither of them could fully see it yet.

The Emperor looked toward the endless palace corridors stretching into darkness.

His voice became low.

Firm.

"...Until we find the truth..."

"...trust no one completely."

Prince Liang slowly nodded.

For once—

No jokes.

No teasing.

Only understanding.

Because deep down—

Both brothers felt the same thing.

The palace they grew up in...

Was no longer safe.

Night had completely swallowed the palace.

The once lively imperial corridors now stood silent beneath rows of dim lanterns. Cold wind swept through the stone paths, carrying with it the distant sound of rustling leaves.

Inside the Emperor’s chamber—

Only one lamp remained lit.

Its faint golden glow illuminated scattered memorials, unfinished reports, and stacks of documents left untouched across the table.

The Emperor sat alone.

Still wearing his dark robes.

But his posture—

Heavy.

Tired.

Far more tired than anyone in the court would ever imagine.

—

Moments earlier, he had been speaking with Prince Liang.

Discussing the recent attack.

The strange incidents.

The hidden enemy they still could not identify.

But now—

Silence remained.

And for the first time that night—

His thoughts drifted away from politics.

Toward her.

—

The Empress.

—

His gaze moved unconsciously toward the empty side of the chamber.

The side where she once slept.

The side untouched for days now.

—

A strange ache settled in his chest.

He missed her.

—

Not simply her presence.

Not simply her voice.

—

Everything.

—

The way she argued with him calmly.

The way she rolled her eyes when annoyed.

The warmth of her laughter around her family.

The way she looked completely alive outside the palace.

—

He closed his eyes briefly.

And immediately—

That memory returned.

—

Her red cheeks.

Her lowered gaze.

That night at the Duke residence.

When he kissed her forehead.

When she turned away nervously and buried herself under the blanket like she could hide from him.

—

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

Then disappeared just as quickly.

—

Because reality returned.

Harsh.

Cold.

Complicated.

—

"...Divorce."

He murmured the word quietly.

It still felt unreal.

—

The woman he loved—

Wanted to leave him.

—

His fingers tightened slowly against the armrest.

Not because he blamed her.

No.

Deep down—

He understood why.

—

He had hurt her too many times.

Ignored her.

Mistrusted her.

Allowed others to humiliate her.

—

Even now—

When she looked at him kindly—

There was still distance in her eyes.

Carefulness.

As if part of her still feared him.

—

And the worst part—

Was that he couldn’t deny she had reason to.

—

He leaned back slowly.

Exhaustion visible in every movement now.

—

"...When did everything become such a mess..."

—

Outside—

The wind howled softly.

—

Inside—

His thoughts became heavier.

—

The lake incident.

The dark energy.

The attack outside the city.

The hidden enemy moving in shadows.

—

Every clue—

Led nowhere.

—

Every answer—

Created more questions.

—

Who was behind it?

Why target her?

What exactly was happening inside the kingdom?

—

And beneath all of that—

One terrifying realization remained.

—

He could protect an empire.

But he still might lose the woman he loved.

—

A bitter laugh escaped him quietly.

"...Pathetic."

—

An Emperor feared by thousands.

Yet helpless in front of one woman’s heart.

—

He stood slowly and walked toward the window.

The palace grounds stretched endlessly beneath the moonlight.

Magnificent.

Cold.

Lonely.

—

For years—

This palace had been his entire world.

Duty.

Responsibility.

Power.

—

He had accepted it without question.

Because he was raised to.

Because there was no other choice.

—

But lately—

For the first time in his life—

He felt tired of it.

Truly tired.

—

The endless court politics.

The hidden schemes.

The masks everyone wore.

—

He suddenly thought—

"...What if I simply stopped?"

—

The thought shocked even himself.

—

Step away from court.

Leave the throne to someone else.

Disappear from this exhausting cycle.

—

For one dangerous moment—

The idea felt tempting.

—

To leave everything behind.

To breathe freely.

To live somewhere quiet.

Without conspiracies.

Without blood.

Without people constantly trying to manipulate or destroy each other.

—

And strangely—

The first image that appeared in his mind...

Was not the palace.

—

It was her.

Standing in her restaurant.

Laughing with her family.

Alive.

Warm.

Human.

—

His chest tightened painfully.

—

"...Could I really leave all this behind..."

—

The answer came quickly.

No.

He couldn’t.

—

Because even if he wanted to run—

There were still people depending on him.

—

His younger brother.

Prince Liang.

—

Still young compared to him.

Still carrying too much responsibility already.

—

And his mother—

The Dowager Empress.

For all her flaws...

She was still his mother.

—

If he stepped away—

Who would protect them?

Who would stabilize the empire?

Who would stop the nobles from tearing each other apart for power?

—

The empire needed an Emperor.

Even if that Emperor was exhausted.

—

He lowered his gaze slowly.

"...I don’t have the right to be selfish."

—

But another voice inside him whispered quietly—

"...Then what about your happiness?"

—

Silence.

—

He didn’t answer himself.

Because he didn’t know.

—

For years—

He had buried personal feelings beneath duty.

Ignored loneliness.

Ignored exhaustion.

Ignored himself.

—

Until she appeared.

—

And now—

Everything he ignored came crashing back at once.

—

Love.

Fear.

Regret.

Hope.

—

He hated how vulnerable it made him feel.

—

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.

—

"Your Majesty."

—

It was the chief eunuch.

—

The Emperor straightened slightly.

"...Enter."

—

The eunuch stepped inside carefully.

Holding fresh reports.

But the moment he saw the Emperor’s expression—

He hesitated.

—

"...Your Majesty should rest."

—

The Emperor gave a faint humorless smile.

"Rest?"

—

The eunuch lowered his head.

"...You have not slept properly for days."

—

The Emperor took the reports slowly.

But instead of opening them—

He spoke quietly.

"...Tell me."

—

The eunuch looked confused.

"Yes?"

—

"...Do you think..."

The Emperor paused.

Then finished quietly.

"...someone like me deserves happiness?"

—

The eunuch froze completely.

Shocked.

Because emperors did not ask questions like that.

—

After a long silence, the eunuch answered carefully.

"...Your Majesty carries the empire."

"But even emperors are still human."

—

The Emperor looked at him quietly.

—

Human.

—

Such a simple word.

Yet one he rarely allowed himself to feel.

—

The eunuch lowered his head further.

"...And humans deserve to be loved."

—

Silence filled the chamber again.

—

The Emperor looked toward the distant night sky beyond the window.

Toward the direction of the Duke residence.

Toward her.

—

And quietly—

Almost helplessly—

He admitted something to himself for the first time.

—

"...I don’t know how to let her go."