Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Somehow, my luck suddenly took a turn for the better. Usually, I could never see the Emperor no matter how much I wanted to, but while I was wandering around with my shuttlecock and my palace maid, I actually ran into him.

This time, the Emperor was alone in the pavilion, with no ministers or Little Eunuchs by his side.

I plucked at the parrot feathers on the shuttlecock. Could this be a so-called heaven-sent opportunity? Regardless, I had to seize this chance. Who knew when the Emperor would next stroll through the gardens?

As the saying goes, if you want to snatch the Emperor’s heart, you have to start early.

I told Doukou to stay quiet behind me and walked toward the Emperor alone. Since the roundabout tactics used by Consort De and the Kind Consort hadn’t worked, the Emperor was likely a straightforward man. Perhaps I could just greet him openly, just as Doukou had taught me.

I would walk over, curtsy, and say in a gentle, calm voice: “May the Emperor enjoy eternal peace and health.”

Then the Emperor would help me up and ask, “And you are?”

“This concubine is Consort Shu of White Deer Terrace. May the Emperor enjoy eternal peace and health.”

A perfect encounter, a perfect conversation-it was all perfect. Unfortunately, that was only the scene I had rehearsed countless times in my head. In reality, the moment I stepped in front of the Emperor, the courage I had puffed up vanished without a trace.

The Emperor looked at me, his eyes filled with nothing but unfamiliarity and surprise. I felt my face burning, yet my eyes remained glued to him, refusing to look away.

In the end, it was the Emperor who spoke first. “…Are you Consort Shu, who lives at White Deer Terrace?”

I let out a startled “Ah!” and, without stopping to wonder how he knew who I was, I nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, yes, I am Consort Shu-oh, no-this concubine, this concubine is Consort Shu. The one from White Deer Terrace…”

What a mess. I felt a surge of annoyance at myself, then suddenly remembered I hadn’t even greeted him yet. I scrambled to speak. “May-may the Emperor enjoy eternal peace and health…”

My voice grew smaller and my breath shorter, not because I had forgotten to bow, but because I saw the Emperor press a fist to his mouth and let out a low chuckle.

I felt a bit embarrassed, yet I couldn’t help the pride swelling in my heart. The Emperor smiled at me!

In the few times I had seen him over the years, his expression had always been gentle, yet there was never a smile on his face. This was the first time I had ever heard him laugh out loud.

The Emperor… he doesn’t seem to dislike me.

This realization filled me with joy. If the Emperor didn’t dislike me, it meant it was possible for him to like me. I watched as his smile slowly softened. He reached out and very tenderly patted my head.

It tickled a little, but it also felt quite nice.

For me, this kind of wonderful experience was a first.