The morning had just begun to cast its soft shadows over the empire, yet the emperor's chest remained heavy with a silence that neither courtiers nor ministers could dispel.

He mounted his horse alone, without guards, seeking a brief truce with himself—far from the eyes of the court and the clamor of ceremony. He took the side path that overlooked the small forest, where trees intertwined in harmony, and the air was laced with the scent of damp leaves and wild jasmine.

He knew that lake. Small, often deserted, but he cherished its stillness—as if it mirrored the unrest in his soul.

As he drew near, something made him slow his pace. It wasn’t a sound, but a subtle feeling… a presence that changed the very air.

Then he saw you.

You were swimming in the lake, your handmaiden’s attire lying on the grass near the shore. Your back was to him, wet hair clinging to your neck and shoulders, while the sunlight traced a golden halo on the water’s surface, surrounding your body as it shimmered beneath the clear lake. You wore a thin, nearly transparent shirt that clung to you from the water, moving with every ripple—making you look like a painting escaped from a dream.

He froze in place.

Then dismounted slowly, approaching the lake’s edge with deliberate steps.

You were not one of the noblewomen—he did not recognize you from court ceremonies—and yet… there was a gentleness in you that unsettled him, a gentleness he could not ignore. Your eyes had not yet seen him, but he felt like an intruder—and still, he could not look away.

In a quiet voice, heavy with authority, he said:

“Hey you… what are you doing here?”