The residence of the Imperial Censor on the eastern side of the capital was completely silent.
"Someone, drag the body away." The man, graceful and elegant, wiped the blood off his fingertips with an embroidered handkerchief. Then he casually tossed the handkerchief onto the corpse at his feet.
"Take the head and send it to the Chief Eunuch."
"Yes!"
Arthur turned and walked into the residence. The spy had been hiding inside for quite some time. If it hadn't been for a tattoo showing at the ankle while cleaning, the servants wouldn't have noticed anything. He had been too careless lately.
Everyone in the capital knew that the Commander of the Embroidered Guards, Lord Zhao, had always been at odds with the Imperial Censor. They had gone against each other many times over the years.
"Go receive your punishment." Arthur's voice was cold and calm, his eyes indifferent.
The group of black-clothed men kneeling at the bottom of the steps trembled with fear. Once they heard the order, they quickly scattered.
The Imperial Censor seemed to be in a good mood lately. In the past, if they had caused any loss due to negligence, they'd have been dismembered and fed to the dogs. No one expected that today he'd only punish them lightly.
No matter what, they were grateful for their master's good mood.
Arthur walked inside. He thought about the cedar scent he often smelled around the little prince recently. It was very familiar, but he couldn't remember why.
The scent would grow stronger when he focused on teaching. But whenever he made any movement to investigate, it would suddenly disappear.
He also had the odd feeling that someone was watching him, but no matter what he did, he couldn't find anyone. It was as if the person were invisible.
Could it be some kind of supernatural being haunting the palace? But if so, why had it never entered his dreams before?
Whether it was a person or some monster, he would catch it.
Under Arthur's dark eyes, a mysterious glint flickered.
The next day in the imperial study, an old man with white hair and white clothes stood respectfully.
It wasn't a holiday, so unless something major happened, he'd never be summoned. This was the first time the emperor had personally called for him.
"Master Allennon, have you seen any strange signs in the heavens recently?" Cassian asked.
"Your Majesty, I have observed the stars every night. The North Star shines strong. Purple energy gathers in the east. Taurus confronts Sirius. All living things are at peace. There are no signs of disorder." The old man stroked his beard and tried to recall everything he had seen in the skies recently.
"Do you believe in supernatural beings?" Cassian asked, eyes dark.
The old man's calm expression changed slightly. "Your Majesty, all things in the world follow laws and cycles. They operate with order. The palace is full of strong spiritual energy. Evil things don't dare approach."
After speaking, the old man swallowed nervously. He thought about his age. He was just an old man who read the stars and predicted fortunes. Catching ghosts wasn't part of his job. Maybe it was time to retire and go back to the countryside.
Cassian paused, then said, "I have recently seen something that ordinary people cannot see."
The old man was shocked. His family had served the royal family for generations, but this was the first time something like this had happened during his service. He couldn't bluff his way out.
"How long has Your Majesty been able to see it?" the old man asked.
"Since the end of summer."
"Has it ever harmed you?"
"No."
"Your Majesty, all things follow natural laws. If it is not a demon or evil spirit, and not human, it may be something else. Perhaps this is a rare destiny, and it has come to you because of fate."
"Fate?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Like flowers meeting the rain, or birds riding the wind. It is all part of destiny."
"Romantic fate." Cassian lowered his eyes, deep in thought. Could this little ghost and he really be connected by destiny?
"Is there a way to break this fate?" Cassian asked.
"Your Majesty, even if it is fate, it is not unbreakable. But if it is forced apart, it may bring harm to both sides."
"How exactly is it harmful?"
"It could backfire on him. Either harming his body, his spirit, or even his fate."
Cassian's eyes flickered, the light in them dimming.
"Figure out a way to cut off this connection for me." It was clear he had made up his mind. His tightly clenched fist finally relaxed.
He shouldn't have developed feelings for a little ghost girl he'd never even seen.
The Grand Seer heard Cassian's order. His already wrinkled face stretched even longer.
He was only someone who observed celestial signs, and now they expected him to catch a ghost? Why was everyone else solving simple math while he was doing calculus?
"Your Majesty, catching a ghost isn't something that can be done in a day or two. I need time to prepare." He couldn't admit he couldn't do it, so he could only stall.
"You may leave," Cassian waved him off. It was almost night. The little ghost girl would be showing up soon.
Liliana had planned to visit Cassian early today. She usually didn't care about anything, but Cassian was the only one she had touched twice. For her future, for the chance to touch real things and eat real food, she decided to talk to him properly. At least, she wanted to touch him a few more times.
But as she floated to the study door, she overheard Cassian ordering someone to get rid of her.
I thought we were friends, and you want me dead?
Liliana trembled. As soon as that old man said he needed to prepare and turned to leave, she floated away fast.
She wasn't strong enough to fight head-on, so the only option was to run. Clearly, this palace wasn't safe for her anymore. She needed to find a way to escape.
"Allennon, didn't you find that puppy outside today?" Allennon looked happy when he saw Liliana come back so early.
"Yeah. We used to have fun together. I even got to pat its head. But today, it tried to bite me." Liliana remembered how she used going to Cassian's place as an excuse to Allennon, saying she went to play with a dog.
"That dog dared to bite you? Tell me where it is. I'll kill it and skin it for you."
Not necessary. That's your father!
"It's fine. Just a small dog. I won't go again."
"Allennon, I heard your father is getting married. The palace maids are sorting through portraits and records of the candidates."
"He's the emperor. Getting married is normal. He can't live his whole life with just you and your little brother," Liliana thought. That dog emperor gets to enjoy marriage and still wants to end my ghostly life.
"I'll never get married," Allennon said seriously as he looked at her.
"If you don't marry, then what? You're the crown prince." Her tone was calm.
Her calm response seemed to hurt him. His voice suddenly got louder.
"I won't marry. I'll just stay with you. When I die, I'll turn into a ghost, just like you. Then we can be together forever."
A young boy's feelings are always sudden, simple, and intense. His bright eyes sparkled. In the quiet room, it was easy to hear how hard his heart was beating.
Liliana turned her face away. "You're overthinking. Not everyone can turn into a ghost like me."
"Then I'll build temples. I'll donate to priests. I'll build lots and lots of temples and ask them to help me become a ghost. That way, I can be with you."
She thought, He's only thirteen. Just a kid. Probably hormones kicking in. Plus, in this world, there are so few girls, he's probably just projecting feelings onto me.
Give it some time. Once he meets a girl full of life and energy, he'll move on.
She patted his head and said casually, "Then we'll talk again after you've built all those temples."
But she knew, she wouldn't be around much longer.
Extra Scene
Allennon: I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming to snuggle with my wife.
Cassian: Woof woof woof woof!