Shadows of Pale Sunlight

Ch 4: Rhododendron Leucaspis

Xhael woke up to an empty space beside him. Glancing around, he found the room vacant. A sigh escaped his lips, but memories of the previous night flooded back, lifting his spirits. Rising from the cushion and stretching, Xhael straightened the pillows before leaving the room. He wandered through the palace, yet found no sign of the emperor.

Deciding to venture beyond the palace walls, Xhael entered the surrounding mansion grounds. Maybe I could ask someone, he thought. As he walked through corridors and hallways, he finally encountered a maid.

"Uhm, may I ask where My Lord is?"

The maid appeared startled at the title, but then smiled thereafter.

"Your Majesty is resting in his chambers,"

Upon hearing this, Xhael couldn't help but ponder whether the emperor had slept poorly the previous night. Until the maid added further.

"Your Majesty frequently remains in slumber until the late morning, Sometimes he wakes around noon or in the afternoon; at other times, he rises at night. One could say Your Majesty is quite fond of sleeping."

Xhael chuckled at this, "and where is My Lord's chamber?"

The maid appeared flustered at this, stammering slightly. "W-well, Your Majesty becomes quite displeased if anyone mentions his resting place or disturbs him while he is asleep, s-so I believe it would be best to wait for him to inform you himself," she explained nervously.

Xhael seemed disappointed, but he respected the emperor's privacy for now, After all later on, he will be able to spend some more time with his majesty.

The maid then offered, "Would you like to have some breakfast while you wait for His Majesty, Your Excellency?"

Xhael raised a brow at the title "Nahh, would ‘ya mind leading me to a library instead? Or perhaps a quiet place where I can read and write?"

"Of course,"

Then the maid lead him the way.

Meanwhile, the emperor stirred from his sleep, remembering the incident from yesterday as he opened his eyes. He lay on his side, nestled between his fluffy blankets, and caught a whiff of musk and sandalwood. Alban frowned at the scent and curled up, rubbing his scent glands at the nape of his neck.

He nearly had the audacity to mark me with his scent while asleep.

Then the Alpha stirred, rolling onto his back and sitting up before rising to his feet.

If I hadn't left, what might have happened?

The emperor thought as he marched towards the door, opening it to be greeted by an empty hallway, as it always was, a comforting familiarity. Pondering this, he realized he was venturing out more than usual. Descending some grand stairs, all the maidens present bowed their heads in respect.

"Has anyone among you seen Xhael Koroushi?"

Then one brunette maid raised her palm, "I have, Your Majesty. He requested to visit the library, so I escorted him to the largest one on the second story as our honored guest. He wished to write and learn Korean to better understand your language, Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded at this, ignoring the funny feeling in his stomach. Before he could turn around to head to the second story, the maidens seemed to look at each other nervously. Quirking a brow at their strange behavior, he shrugged it off, thinking perhaps they weren't used to seeing him. He then headed to the second story to look for the man. Walking down the hallway, a large oak door came into view. He strode towards it and silently opened it with a low creak.