Morning sunlight filtered gently through the carved windows of Lady Chen’s courtyard.

Usually, this hour would find her carefully dressed, sitting before a mirror while maids arranged her hair and selected her jewelry.

But today—

She remained seated by the window.

Silent.

Frustrated.

—

Three days had passed since the attack on the Empress outside the palace.

Three days since Shin Gu assured her everything was under control.

Yet instead of feeling relieved—

Lady Chen felt increasingly uneasy.

—

Because something strange was happening.

Something she couldn’t explain.

—

She stared at the blooming flowers in her courtyard.

Her expression dark.

—

"I want to visit His Majesty."

The words left her mouth suddenly.

—

A maid immediately bowed.

"This servant will prepare your carriage."

—

Lady Chen nodded.

Finally.

It had been too long since she had seen the Emperor properly.

She needed to remind him of their relationship.

Needed to remind him who had always stood beside him.

—

Yet—

The moment she stood up—

Her vision blurred.

—

The room spun.

—

A strange weakness spread through her body.

—

Her knees nearly gave way.

—

"My Lady!"

The maids rushed forward.

Supporting her before she could fall.

—

Lady Chen grabbed the edge of a table.

Breathing heavily.

—

Again.

—

It was happening again.

—

The strange weakness.

—

Every time she tried to leave her courtyard.

Every single time.

—

The dizziness appeared.

The exhaustion followed.

And her body refused to cooperate.

—

But the moment she returned to her room—

The symptoms faded.

—

As though nothing had happened.

—

Lady Chen clenched her fists.

—

"What is wrong with me?"

—

No one could answer.

—

Because nobody knew.

—

Not even Lady Chen herself.

—

An hour later—

The Imperial Healer arrived.

—

An elderly man with decades of experience.

Respected throughout the palace.

—

He carefully checked her pulse.

Again.

And again.

—

His brows slowly furrowed.

—

Lady Chen watched him impatiently.

"Well?"

—

The healer looked confused.

Genuinely confused.

—

"My Lady..."

—

He hesitated.

—

"Your pulse is normal."

—

Lady Chen stared at him.

—

"What?"

—

The healer nodded.

"Very normal."

—

Silence.

—

Lady Chen almost laughed.

—

Normal?

—

Then why was she nearly collapsing every day?

—

The healer continued cautiously.

"Your body is healthy."

"No poison."

"No illness."

"No signs of injury."

—

Lady Chen’s expression darkened.

—

"Then explain why I can barely walk outside my courtyard."

—

The healer lowered his head.

—

"This servant cannot explain it."

—

The room fell silent.

—

Lady Chen felt irritation rising.

—

For years—

The Imperial Healers could identify the smallest imbalance.

The tiniest illness.

The slightest poisoning attempt.

—

Yet now—

They were telling her nothing was wrong.

—

How ridiculous.

—

The healer checked her pulse once more.

Then shook his head again.

—

"My Lady..."

—

"You truly appear healthy."

—

Those words only made her more frustrated.

—

After dismissing him—

Lady Chen sat alone.

Thinking.

—

Something wasn’t right.

—

She wasn’t imagining it.

—

The weakness was real.

The dizziness was real.

The exhaustion was real.

—

Yet no illness existed.

—

A chill slowly crawled down her spine.

—

For the first time—

A frightening possibility entered her mind.

—

Was this connected to Shin Gu?

—

The thought appeared suddenly.

Uninvited.

—

Lady Chen immediately shook her head.

—

No.

Impossible.

—

Shin Gu was helping her.

—

Wasn’t she?

—

Still—

The unease remained.

—

Outside the courtyard—

Several palace maids whispered quietly.

—

"Have you noticed?"

—

"What?"

—

"Lady Chen hasn’t left her courtyard in days."

—

The second maid nodded.

"I heard she becomes sick whenever she tries."

—

"Strange..."

—

"Very strange."

—

Neither noticed the old palace servant sweeping nearby.

—

The elderly servant listened silently.

Then slowly glanced toward Lady Chen’s residence.

—

His eyes lingered there for a moment.

—

Before he quietly resumed sweeping.

—

Far away—

In another section of the palace—

Shin Gu sat beneath a flowering tree.

Drinking tea.

—

Calm.

Composed.

—

As though she already knew exactly what was happening.

—

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

—

"Rest well."

She murmured softly.

—

"Stay inside."

—

The smile deepened.

—

"That is where you are most useful."

—

The wind rustled through the leaves.

—

And somewhere within the palace—

Unseen forces continued moving.

Quietly.

Patiently.

Like a spider weaving a web.

—

While Lady Chen remained trapped in her own courtyard—

Unable to understand why.

Unable to leave.

And completely unaware—

That she might not be the one controlling the game anymore.

The Imperial Palace was unusually peaceful that afternoon.

Sunlight poured over jade rooftops and marble pathways, illuminating the vast palace grounds.

Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor had just finished reviewing several memorials when he suddenly paused.

His brush hovered over the paper.

A thought surfaced.

Lady Chen.

—

His brows furrowed slightly.

Come to think of it—

He had not seen her for days.

No visits.

No messages.

No requests to accompany him for tea.

Nothing.

—

Strange.

Very strange.

—

In the past, Lady Chen frequently visited him.

Even if only briefly.

Yet recently—

Silence.

—

The Emperor put down his brush.

"Prepare my carriage."

The attendant immediately bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

—

Less than half an hour later—

The Emperor arrived at Lady Chen’s courtyard.

—

The moment the palace maids saw him, they immediately knelt.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

—

The Emperor nodded.

"Where is Lady Chen?"

—

"In the inner courtyard, Your Majesty."

—

He walked inside.

—

Lady Chen was sitting beneath a flowering tree.

A book rested in her lap.

But she wasn’t reading.

She looked troubled.

Distracted.

—

The moment she noticed him, surprise flashed across her face.

Then happiness followed.

—

"Your Majesty."

She quickly stood.

—

The Emperor studied her quietly.

—

She looked healthy.

Her complexion was good.

Her clothes neat.

Nothing seemed wrong.

—

Yet something about her expression felt strange.

—

"You have not visited recently."

The Emperor spoke calmly.

—

Lady Chen lowered her gaze.

—

A trace of embarrassment crossed her face.

—

"I..."

She hesitated.

"I couldn’t."

—

The Emperor frowned.

"Couldn’t?"

—

Lady Chen nodded.

—

The Emperor glanced at her carefully.

"Are you ill?"

—

"No."

—

"Then why?"

—

Lady Chen took a deep breath.

Then finally said—

"I can’t leave my courtyard."

—

Silence.

—

The Emperor blinked.

—

"...What?"

—

Lady Chen smiled bitterly.

"I know it sounds ridiculous."

—

"It does."

—

She sighed.

—

"Every time I try to leave..."

She paused.

"...something happens."

—

The Emperor folded his arms.

—

"What exactly happens?"

—

Lady Chen looked frustrated.

—

"I become weak."

"Dizzy."

"Nauseous."

—

The Emperor stared at her.

Then—

He shook his head slightly.

—

It sounded absurd.

—

How could someone suddenly become sick the moment they stepped outside a courtyard?

—

Impossible.

—

The Emperor spoke directly.

"Show me."

—

Lady Chen froze.

—

"What?"

—

"Show me."

—

The Emperor walked toward the courtyard entrance.

Then turned back.

—

"If what you say is true."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"...then I want to see it myself."

—

Lady Chen looked hesitant.

—

But eventually nodded.

"Very well."

—

The maids exchanged nervous glances.

—

Because they had witnessed this several times already.

—

And every time—

The result was the same.

—

The Emperor stood near the courtyard gate.

Watching carefully.

—

Lady Chen approached slowly.

One step.

Two steps.

Three.

—

Nothing happened.

—

The Emperor’s expression became increasingly skeptical.

—

Lady Chen noticed.

And her face reddened slightly.

—

Maybe it really was her imagination?

—

Maybe she was overthinking?

—

Then—

She crossed the courtyard boundary.

—

The moment her foot touched the pathway outside—

Everything changed.

—

Her face turned pale instantly.

—

The color drained from her cheeks.

—

Her body swayed.

—

The Emperor’s eyes widened slightly.

—

"Lady Chen?"

—

She took another step.

Then another.

—

Suddenly—

She bent over.

—

Violently.

—

And vomited.

—

The sound echoed through the courtyard.

—

The maids gasped.

—

The Emperor froze.

—

For a moment—

He simply stared.

—

Because what he had just witnessed—

Was impossible.

—

Lady Chen continued coughing.

Her breathing uneven.

Her body trembling.

—

The Emperor immediately stepped forward.

Supporting her.

—

"Take her back inside."

—

The maids rushed forward.

—

Together—

They guided her back.

—

The moment she crossed back into the courtyard—

The trembling gradually lessened.

—

Her breathing stabilized.

—

Within minutes—

She looked noticeably better.

—

The Emperor’s expression darkened.

—

He had seen it himself.

—

No deception.

No acting.

No exaggeration.

—

It was real.

—

Lady Chen slowly sat down again.

Still pale.

But no longer suffering.

—

The Emperor remained silent.

—

His mind raced.

—

This made no sense.

—

None at all.

—

Moments later—

The Imperial Healer arrived again.

Summoned immediately.

—

The elderly healer checked Lady Chen’s pulse.

Carefully.

Thoroughly.

—

Then—

He looked up.

—

Confused.

—

Exactly as before.

—

"Your Majesty."

He bowed respectfully.

—

"Well?"

The Emperor asked.

—

The healer swallowed.

—

"Lady Chen is healthy."

—

Silence.

—

The Emperor stared at him.

—

"...Healthy?"

—

The healer nodded nervously.

—

"Her pulse is completely normal."

"No poison."

"No illness."

"No internal injury."

—

The Emperor’s expression became colder.

—

"Then explain what I just witnessed."

—

The healer looked helpless.

—

"I cannot, Your Majesty."

—

The Emperor’s fingers tapped slowly against the armrest.

—

He had personally seen her vomit.

Seen her collapse.

Seen her recover.

—

Yet medically—

Nothing was wrong.

—

The room grew silent.

—

Lady Chen looked equally confused.

—

"What is happening to me?"

She whispered.

—

No one answered.

—

Because no one knew.

—

The Emperor rose slowly.

Walking toward the courtyard entrance.

—

Then—

He stopped.

—

His eyes moved across the surroundings.

The walls.

The trees.

The pathways.

—

Everything looked ordinary.

—

Yet something felt wrong.

—

Very wrong.

—

The memory of the Empress surfaced suddenly.

—

The lake incident.

The strange force controlling her body.

The impossible events surrounding her.

—

Then—

The recent ambush.

—

And now—

This.

—

The Emperor’s eyes darkened.

—

A cold realization slowly formed.

—

Perhaps—

These incidents were not separate.

—

Perhaps—

Something hidden was moving beneath the surface of the palace.

—

Something nobody could see.

—

Something that did not follow normal rules.

—

The Emperor turned back toward Lady Chen.

—

For the first time—

He looked genuinely serious.

—

"Until this is understood."

He spoke firmly.

—

"You will not leave this courtyard."

—

Lady Chen nodded weakly.

—

Truthfully—

She didn’t want to leave anymore.

—

Not after experiencing that horror repeatedly.

—

The Emperor glanced once more toward the courtyard gate.

—

His instincts screamed.

—

Something was watching.

—

Something was waiting.

—

And somehow—

This courtyard had become the center of another mystery.

—

One he intended to solve.

No matter what secrets the palace was hiding.