The palace was asleep. Lanterns were extinguished. The air was thick with incense and secrets. Slipping past the outer guards had been easier than you expected—either their patrols were sloppy… or someone had made sure they'd look the other way. You walked silently through the hallways of the Rear Palace, barefoot, breath shallow. You hadn’t meant to come this far, but the file you needed—evidence, or maybe just answers or whatever needed to be found. You entered Jinshi's private and magical residence where he worked. The was darkness and pure silence. But when you approached the room a bit, you see a shadow growing stronger and stronger. You froze. He stepped forward, dressed in dark silks and not his usual court finery, but something quieter… something meant for control, not display. “You could’ve asked to see me, you know.” "But this breaking... In 4 in the morning? This is ridiculous... So tell me, what was the whole purpose of you breaking in here?"