Night had settled quietly over the palace empress cotyard

The lanterns outside swayed gently under the cool breeze, casting warm golden shadows across the courtyard.

Inside the Empress’s chamber—

Peace finally returned after the exhausting day.

The invitation cards had been written.

The sweets prepared.

The betrothal gifts arranged.

Even the servants had gone to rest early after running around the entire residence all day.

—

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

—

The Empress sat near the window in loose night robes, slowly brushing her damp hair after bathing.

For once—

Her mind felt calm.

No politics.

No assassination attempts.

No palace arguments.

Just silence.

—

Then—

A voice suddenly whispered beside her ear.

"...Your hair looks like seaweed."

—

The Empress nearly jumped.

"AH—!"

She turned sharply.

And there—

Floating upside down from the ceiling—

Was the female ghost, Fen Yu, grinning mischievously.

—

"You scared me!"

—

Fen Yu burst into laughter.

"That was the point!"

—

The Empress pressed her hand against her chest.

"You ghost!"

— 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I literally am," Fen Yu replied proudly.

—

From the other side of the room, the scholar ghost sighed while reading a book.

"She lacks intelligence but compensates with enthusiasm."

—

Fen Yu gasped dramatically.

"You insult me every day!"

—

The general ghost crossed his arms nearby.

"Because every day you deserve it."

—

The Empress stared at the three of them in disbelief.

"...Why are all of you here?"

—

Fen Yu floated down beside her immediately.

"Because we were bored."

—

"You don’t sleep?"

—

"We’re dead," the general ghost replied flatly.

"We already completed sleeping forever."

—

The Empress choked slightly.

"...That’s terrifying."

—

The scholar ghost calmly turned a page.

"It’s technically accurate."

—

Fen Yu suddenly grabbed the Empress’s sleeve dramatically.

"Anyway!"

"We came to discuss something important."

—

The Empress narrowed her eyes.

"...That expression means trouble."

—

Fen Yu grinned brightly.

"Correct."

—

The Empress sighed deeply.

"I already regret asking."

—

Before she could react—

Fen Yu suddenly disappeared.

Then—

A second later—

All the candles in the room blew out at once.

—

Darkness swallowed the chamber.

—

"...Fen Yu."

—

No response.

—

The Empress’s eye twitched.

"...Fen Yu."

—

Suddenly—

A pale ghost face appeared directly in front of her.

"BOO!"

—

"AHHH!"

The Empress grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it instinctively.

The pillow passed directly through Fen Yu’s face.

—

The female ghost burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Hahahahaha!"

"You should have seen your face!"

—

Even the scholar ghost covered his mouth slightly to hide a smile.

The general ghost turned away, though his shoulders clearly shook once.

—

"You all are insane!"

The Empress glared furiously while relighting the candles.

—

Fen Yu wiped imaginary tears dramatically.

"That was the funniest thing I’ve seen in fifty years."

—

"You’ve been dead fifty years and this is your entertainment?"

—

"Yes."

—

The Empress looked exhausted already.

—

Then suddenly—

The scholar ghost spoke calmly.

"...Someone’s coming."

—

The Empress blinked.

"What?"

—

Before she could react—

The door outside creaked slightly.

—

A maid’s voice came softly from outside.

"Your Majesty? Do you need anything before sleeping?"

—

Fen Yu’s eyes sparkled instantly.

"Oh this will be fun."

—

"No."

—

Too late.

—

The moment the maid opened the door—

A cold wind suddenly rushed through the room.

The curtains flew upward violently.

The lantern flickered wildly.

And Fen Yu floated silently behind the maid—

Hair hanging down.

White face expressionless.

—

The maid froze.

Slowly turned.

Saw her.

—

"...GHOST—!"

—

She screamed so loudly the entire courtyard probably heard it.

Then ran away crying.

—

The chamber fell silent.

—

Then—

The three ghosts exploded into laughter.

—

The general ghost actually sat down from laughing too hard.

The scholar ghost removed his glasses, shaking slightly.

Fen Yu rolled across the floor dramatically.

"Hahahaha! Her face!"

—

The Empress stared at them in horror.

"...You traumatized her."

—

"She’ll survive."

—

"She fainted halfway down the corridor!"

—

Fen Yu waved dismissively.

"Minor detail."

—

The Empress pressed her forehead tiredly.

"One day all of you will send me to the grave."

—

The scholar ghost looked at her calmly.

"You already visited once."

—

"...That is not comforting."

—

Suddenly the general ghost looked toward the table.

"...What’s that?"

—

The Empress blinked.

"What?"

—

He pointed toward the leftover sweets from earlier.

Fen Yu gasped dramatically.

"Sweets!"

—

Before the Empress could react—

The three ghosts gathered around the tray like children.

—

"We can’t eat physically," the scholar ghost muttered sadly.

—

Fen Yu stared at the sweets emotionally.

"...Cruel world."

—

The general ghost looked offended.

"Why would humans invent food after we died?"

—

The Empress burst into laughter despite herself.

"You three are unbelievable."

—

Fen Yu pointed accusingly.

"You eat in front of us every day!"

—

"You’re ghosts!"

—

"And?"

—

The Empress laughed harder.

For the first time in days—

Really laughed.

Freely.

Warmly.

—

The ghosts paused slightly seeing her smile.

Then Fen Yu grinned softly.

"...That’s better."

—

The Empress blinked.

"What?"

—

"You’ve looked sad lately."

Fen Yu spoke more quietly now.

"So we fixed it."

—

The room became softer suddenly.

Gentler.

—

The Empress looked at them silently for a moment.

Then smiled faintly.

"...Thank you."

—

The scholar ghost adjusted his sleeves calmly.

"Our methods are excellent."

—

"You scared my maid unconscious."

—

"A successful operation," the general ghost agreed seriously.

—

The Empress laughed again.

And soon—

The room once again filled with teasing, arguments, and endless ghost nonsense.

—

Outside the chamber—

The night remained quiet.

Peaceful.

—

But inside—

For one rare moment—

There was no darkness.

No danger.

No fear.

—

Only laughter.

And the strange little family fate had given her.

The Imperial Palace was quiet.

Far quieter than the lively Duke residence.

The massive palace halls stood cold beneath the moonlight, endless corridors stretching into silence while lantern flames flickered softly against carved golden pillars.

Outside, guards patrolled carefully.

Inside—

The Emperor could not sleep.

—

He sat alone in his study chamber, still dressed in dark inner robes after returning from the Duke residence.

Stacks of memorials lay untouched on the table.

The ink in his brushstone had already dried.

But his mind—

Was nowhere near court matters.

—

Instead—

Every thought circled around one person.

—

The Empress.

—

He leaned back slowly in his chair, closing his eyes briefly.

And immediately—

Her face appeared in his mind again.

—

The way she smiled at dinner.

The way she laughed softly when Lian Hua caused trouble.

The way she blushed last night when he kissed her forehead.

—

A faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

Then—

It disappeared just as quickly.

—

Because another memory followed.

—

"Divorce."

—

His brows furrowed instantly.

That word again.

That terrifying word.

—

The Emperor opened his eyes slowly.

"...Absolutely not."

His voice echoed softly through the empty chamber.

—

How could she still think about divorce after everything now?

He had already realized his feelings.

He had already decided to treat her well.

He was trying.

Actually trying.

—

Yet—

Every time he remembered the calm way she once spoke about leaving him—

His chest tightened painfully.

—

The Emperor stood up and walked toward the open window.

Cold night wind brushed against his face.

But it did nothing to cool the restlessness inside him.

—

"...How do I make her forget about it..."

He muttered quietly.

—

He had conquered battlefields.

Suppressed rebellions.

Outplayed ministers.

—

But this—

This was impossible.

—

Women truly were more difficult than politics.

—

The Emperor sighed deeply.

Then paused.

—

"...No."

—

Not women.

—

Just her.

Only her.

—

Because no one else had ever made him think this much.

No one else had ever affected his emotions this deeply.

—

He lowered his gaze slightly.

Thinking carefully.

—

What did she actually like?

—

Jewelry?

He already sent her jewelry.

—

Silk dresses?

She accepted them politely but never became particularly excited.

—

Power?

Status?

—

No.

She already had those.

And she never cared much about them anyway.

—

Then—

Food?

—

The Emperor blinked slightly.

—

She liked cooking.

Liked feeding people.

Liked sitting together with family around one table.

—

A strange expression crossed his face.

"...Should I learn cooking?"

—

Silence.

—

Then he immediately rejected the thought.

"...Ridiculous."

The Emperor of an empire standing in a kitchen?

Impossible.

—

But then—

He imagined her laughing happily if he tried.

—

The rejection weakened slightly.

"...Maybe not entirely impossible."

—

He rubbed his forehead.

This was becoming dangerous.

—

The Emperor walked slowly back toward the table and sat down again.

His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.

—

He remembered how natural she looked at the Duke residence.

Warm.

Alive.

Loved.

—

And then he remembered the palace.

Cold halls.

Schemes.

Loneliness.

—

A shadow crossed his eyes.

—

He had placed her inside that palace—

Yet never truly protected her.

—

Instead—

He became one of the reasons she suffered.

—

The Emperor closed his eyes again.

The memory of her unconscious body flashed through his mind.

Pale.

Weak.

Not breathing properly.

—

His chest tightened instantly.

—

That fear—

Still lingered inside him.

—

"...I nearly lost her."

—

And if she had truly died—

He knew now—

He would never forgive himself.

Never.

—

A long silence followed.

Then slowly—

His expression changed.

From regret—

To determination.

—

"...Fine."

—

If she did not trust words—

Then he would use actions.

—

Not for one day.

Not temporarily.

—

Consistently.

Slowly.

Patiently.

—

Until she believed him.

—

Until she stopped thinking about leaving.

—

The Emperor’s eyes darkened slightly.

Because despite everything—

There was one thing he had become absolutely certain about.

—

He could not let her go.

—

Not anymore.

—

He thought carefully again.

What could he actually do?

—

Protect her better?

Yes.

—

Spend more time with her?

Definitely.

—

Support her restaurant openly?

That too.

—

Visit her more often?

—

The Emperor paused.

Then frowned slightly.

"...Would that annoy her?"

—

He genuinely did not know anymore.

—

Before, she always chased after him.

Now—

She treated him politely.

Calmly.

Even kindly sometimes.

—

But there was still distance.

A carefulness in her eyes.

—

As if she still expected him to hurt her eventually.

—

The thought made his expression darken.

—

"...I really was terrible."

—

He leaned back again, staring upward.

Then suddenly remembered something.

—

At the Duke residence—

Her grandmother had looked at him strangely.

Almost knowingly.

—

And the way the family treated him now...

It was different.

Less guarded.

—

Because they had noticed.

—

They knew he loved her now.

—

A faint bitterness rose inside him.

—

"...Too late."

—

If only he had realized earlier.

Before the lake incident.

Before the suffering.

Before she stopped loving him openly.

—

The Emperor let out a quiet breath.

—

But regret alone changed nothing.

—

He needed action.

—

Suddenly—

A thought appeared.

—

Tomorrow.

—

The Gua Da Li preparations.

The marriage banquet.

—

She had worked hard preparing everything.

—

Maybe...

He should help.

—

The Emperor froze slightly.

—

"...Help?"

—

A terrifying concept.

—

If ministers heard this, they would collapse.

—

But strangely—

The more he thought about it—

The less ridiculous it seemed.

—

Not as an Emperor.

—

As her husband.

—

The word settled strangely warm inside him.

Husband.

—

Not ruler.

Not emperor.

—

Husband.

—

The Emperor lowered his gaze slowly.

And for the first time—

He realized something clearly.

—

He did not want her obedience anymore.

—

He wanted her affection.

Her trust.

Her genuine smile.

—

Only his.

—

A faint smile appeared unconsciously again.

Soft.

Almost helpless.

—

"...I’m completely finished."

—

The mighty Emperor of the empire—

Hopelessly thinking about how to impress his wife in the middle of the night.

—

Outside—

Moonlight bathed the palace in silver.

Cold.

Silent.

—

But inside the Emperor’s chest—

Something warm continued to grow quietly.

—

And though he did not know it yet—

That warmth—

Would soon change everything.