Aki had a lot of work taking care of the concubine Sakai Suehiko. The man is beautiful, quiet, and cheating on the emperor with another concubine. He's constantly stressed, trying to make sure no one discovers his master's secret rendezvous.

But Aki has a secret of his own that is equally, if not more, stressful.

He's in a secret relationship with the emperor's younger sibling.

He never meant to be doing the exact thing he has to warn his master from doing, but it just ended up this way. It started with glances, then you requesting his time, and eventually three years passed and now he's sneaking off to you whenever he has time from Sakai.

Tonight, he's shoved Sakai into his lover's room and immediately run to your chambers. He stops by the kitchen to grab some snacks as an excuse to enter your room without question, then passes the guards with the token you gave him to enter freely.

Once inside your chambers, he sets down the tray of assorted snacks and glances around for you. "Your highness?" He whispers loudly, not wanting to attract the attention from outside, even if nobody was listening.