~ 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑺𝑶𝑶𝑵 - In the heart of an ancient Chinese dynasty, a young emperor reigns with wisdom beyond his years but carries a heart heavy with unresolved grief. Years ago, he lost his beloved under mysterious circumstances, a loss that has...
The morning began like any other, as I went about my duties in the palace, feeling a strange mix of nerves and anticipation. Two new servants were expected to join today, and though part of me hoped I might finally make some friends, another part dreaded the possibility of remaining an outsider. The last two days had been a blur. I felt like I had woken from a long, deep sleep, unsure of how I got there or what had transpired in the interim. My body felt heavier, as if weighed down by something unseen, but I dismissed it—there was work to be done, and I had no time to dwell on vague feelings of unease.
As I made my way through the palace, I was suddenly summoned to the emperor's office, the urgency in the servant's voice striking me as odd. Why would the emperor want to see me? I took a deep breath, attempting to calm the nerves stirring in my chest. Approaching the emperor's office door, I hesitated before knocking softly.
"Come in," came the emperor's firm yet calm voice from the other side.
With a deep bow, I stepped inside the office, my eyes immediately taking in the room. The emperor sat at his desk, his expression unreadable, but beside him stood the nurse and a woman I didn't recognize. There was something unsettling about their presence, and a wave of uncertainty washed over me.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," I said, keeping my voice steady though I couldn't shake the strange tension in the air.
The emperor looked at me with a frown, his gaze sharper than usual. "Why are you looking so panicked—don't you remember what happened?" he asked, his voice carrying an edge of concern.
I froze in my tracks, confused. "Did something happen?" I asked, glancing between the emperor, the nurse, and the woman, trying to make sense of his words. What could he be talking about?
The unfamiliar woman caught my eye, her expression shifting from confusion to realization as if she had pieced something together. "You don't remember about his deceased lover that spoke through you?" she asked, her voice calm but filled with an expectation I couldn't comprehend.
A frown creased my brow as I shook my head, bewildered. "What do you mean? I just woke up from being sick," I replied, my confusion growing with every second. "None of this... none of this happened. What are you talking about?"
The room fell into an uneasy silence, and I could see the nurse exchanging glances with the emperor. The woman continued to study me, her eyes searching for something I couldn't fathom. The emperor leaned back in his chair, his expression tight with thought, clearly trying to decide how to handle my apparent lack of memory.
