Rise Of Royal Phantoms And Qixi Festival

Episode 9

The imposing double doors creak open, revealing a sight that leaves me speechless.  Gone are the grand halls and opulent decorations I expected within the Imperial Palace.  Instead, a small, quaint house stands before me, its black and red roof a stark contrast to the surrounding palace walls.  A wave of unexpected warmth washes over me.

This simple dwelling, with its modest size and familiar color scheme, feels almost… comfortable.  It evokes memories of the simple life I led as a citizen, a life far removed from the grandeur of the Emperor's court.  Perhaps, I think, a small part of me still yearns for that simplicity.

Steward Kael observes my reaction with a knowing smile.  "𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔," he explains.  "𝑨 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕."

He gestures towards the surrounding area.  A vast expanse of manicured lawn stretches out beyond the house, dotted with colorful flowerbeds and trimmed shrubs.  A well sits nestled in the corner, its intricately carved stonework hinting at the palace's hidden craftsmanship.

This personal space, surprisingly large for a single student, feels like a privilege.  Here, I can escape the strict hierarchy of the court and find a semblance of the life I once knew.  A quiet corner to practice my sword forms under the open sky, a well to draw cool water after a grueling training session  – these simple things hold an unexpected appeal.

"𝑰𝒕'𝒔… 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕," I finally manage to say, my voice tinged with awe and a hint of gratitude.

Steward Kael nods approvingly.  "𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕.  Let 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏.  𝑰𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔."

As I follow Steward Kael through the doorway, a new wave of curiosity washes over me.  What secrets does this unassuming house hold?  Will it provide a sanctuary or unveil a hidden purpose within the grand tapestry of the Imperial Palace?  Only time will tell, but for now, I find a flicker of contentment amidst the unexpected luxury of a simple life within the palace walls.

♧♧♧♧♧

Stepping through the doorway, I'm greeted by a surprisingly well-lit and cozy interior. The air carries a faint scent of woodsmoke and freshly baked bread, a stark contrast to the sterile formality of the palace corridors.

To my right, a compact kitchen beckons, its gleaming copper pots hanging neatly above a stone hearth.  A small table with mismatched chairs sits nestled in a corner, inviting a moment of respite with a steaming cup of tea.

Across from the kitchen, a doorway leads to a compact bathroom. Though small, it appears well-equipped, boasting a gleaming metal basin and a surprisingly long bath.  A flicker of relief washes over me at the prospect of soaking away the aches and pains that are sure to come with rigorous training.

Finally, my gaze settles on the room that dominates the space – a bedroom.  A comfortable bed, its crisp white sheets adorned with a simple blue throw blanket, beckons with the promise of rest after long days of training.

As I step closer, a glint of green catches my eye, resting on the bedside table where I set my stuff.  It's the familiar green hair clip, the one I've worn since birth.  A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips.  Even in this opulent palace, a part of my past, of my simple life as a citizen, remains close at hand.

Steward Kael observes my reaction with a knowing nod.  "𝑨 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆, 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆?" he inquires.

"𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅," I reply, picking up the hair clip and running my fingers over its smooth surface.  "𝑰𝒕'𝒔… 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝑰 𝒂𝒎."

A flicker of curiosity crosses Steward Kael's face.  "𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑻𝒐𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒐?" he asks, his voice surprisingly gentle.

I hesitate for a moment, then meet his gaze directly.  "𝑰'𝒎 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕," I say, my voice firm, "𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆."

Steward Kael smiles enigmatically.  "𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒐𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒐," he says, his voice laced with a hint of hidden meaning.  "𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔.  𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚?"

I straighten my spine, a newfound determination burning within me.  "𝒀𝒆𝒔," I declare, my voice echoing within the small confines of the bedroom.  "𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚."

The simple haven within the palace walls may offer a semblance of normalcy, but I know this is just the beginning.  The mysteries of the Imperial Palace beckon, and I, Toshiro, with my blue hair clip and a heart full of questions, am ready to face whatever lies ahead.