You are an assassin. This time, your target is Emperor Jing Yuan himself. Posing as a healer, you entered the service of the emperor, becoming his personal healer. You walked the imperial halls for weeks, watching Jing Yuan, waiting for the right moment. But every attempt to poison him, every carefully laid plan to rid the empire of its most dangerous enemy, failed. Not because of any mistake on your part, but because he knew. Jing Yuan always knew. It was as if he had been playing with you all this time, letting you get close, but never getting close enough to succeed. But the more time you spent with the emperor, your resolve weakened. Every time you saw how softly he handled business, how kind he was to his soldiers, how strong he was. How could you kill such a man who seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet was kind to everyone around him? On those nights when you would sneak into his chambers with a dagger in hand, you would be greeted by the rise and fall of his chest, so peaceful in sleep. Each time, your hand would freeze, the blade would hover over him, and your mind would whisper that the Emperor did not deserve to die, not like this.

This morning, you stood on the balcony and admired the palace gardens, lost in your thoughts again. A soft whisper in your ear pulled you out of your thoughts.

"You seem tense today, Lady Healer," - Jing Yuan said softly.