Ghost in the palace

By sunrise, the secret discovered beneath the Empress’s meditation chamber was no longer a secret.

It had become a rumor.

And by midday—

It had become a story.

By evening—

The entire capital was talking about it.

The news spread through the city faster than anyone could have imagined.

It began inside the palace.

A maid whispered it to another maid.

A guard mentioned it to a servant.

A servant carried it to a relative outside the palace.

A merchant heard it while delivering goods.

And once the rumor escaped the palace gates—

There was no stopping it.

---

At the eastern market, two vegetable sellers stood beside their stalls, speaking in hushed voices.

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"The palace."

The older woman leaned closer.

"They found a black altar beneath the Empress’s chamber."

The younger seller’s eyes widened.

"A black altar?"

She quickly lowered her voice.

"Don’t speak so loudly!"

"Why?"

"Because they say it was used for forbidden magic."

The younger woman looked toward the palace walls.

"By whom?"

The older woman hesitated.

Then whispered,

"The Empress."

The younger seller’s mouth fell open.

"No..."

"Yes."

"They say there were strange symbols everywhere."

"And black candles."

"And—"

The older woman leaned closer.

"Someone died."

The younger woman’s face paled.

"Died?"

"That isn’t all."

The older woman looked around before continuing.

"They say a hooded figure has been seen inside the palace at night."

"A hooded figure?"

"Yes."

"Some people say it walks through walls."

The younger woman shivered.

"That’s impossible."

"Is it?"

The older woman gave her a meaningful look.

"People also said the Empress was dead once."

"She woke up."

The younger seller swallowed.

Neither woman noticed the man standing at the nearby tea stall listening carefully to every word.

Within another hour—

He would carry the story somewhere else.

And there—

It would become even darker.

---

The Tea House

The capital’s largest tea house was packed.

Normally, people came to discuss business, trade, politics, marriages, and court rumors.

Today, there was only one subject.

The palace.

A merchant slapped his palm against the table.

"I heard they found an altar beneath the Empress’s meditation room!"

Another man shook his head.

"No, no. That’s not what I heard."

"What did you hear?"

"They found a ritual chamber."

"A ritual chamber?"

"Yes."

"With black candles."

"And bones."

A third man immediately interrupted.

"There were no bones."

"You weren’t there."

"Neither were you!"

"But my cousin’s brother works near the palace!"

The table became noisy.

Everyone suddenly had a relative who supposedly knew the truth.

One man lowered his voice dramatically.

"My cousin told me the guards saw a hooded person leaving the Empress’s courtyard."

Another gasped.

"When?"

"Three nights ago."

"That means..."

Everyone looked at one another.

Nobody finished the sentence.

But they were thinking the same thing.

The hooded figure.

The altar.

The strange incidents.

The Empress’s mysterious illness.

The lake.

The deaths.

The attack outside the palace.

Everything was being connected.

Whether it truly belonged together no longer mattered.

Rumors rarely needed truth.

They only needed imagination.

---

The Hooded Shadow

By afternoon, another story had appeared.

This one was more frightening.

A palace servant claimed she had seen a shadow moving through the corridor late at night.

The figure had worn a long black hood.

Its face had been impossible to see.

She said she watched it approach a guard.

Then—

The shadow seemed to pass straight through him.

The guard collapsed.

Dead.

The servant had screamed and run away.

Nobody knew whether the story was true.

But by sunset, the story had changed.

According to one version—

The hooded figure had touched the guard.

According to another—

The figure had possessed him.

According to another—

The guard had been dead for three days before anyone found him.

By evening—

People were saying the hooded figure was the servant of a dark spirit.

And somehow—

The Empress’s name had become attached to it.

---

Outside the Palace

A group of women gathered near a fountain.

One of them whispered,

"Maybe the Empress has been practicing forbidden magic all along."

Another immediately frowned.

"Don’t say that."

"Why not?"

"She nearly died."

"That could have been part of the ritual."

The second woman stared at her.

"You’re saying she tried to kill herself for magic?"

"I don’t know!"

"Then don’t accuse her!"

"But what about the altar?"

Silence.

That question stopped the argument.

Because nobody had an answer.

The altar had been real.

The strange symbols had been real.

And it had been found beneath the Empress’s chamber.

That was enough for doubt to spread.

---

The Imperial Palace

Inside the palace, the rumors were even worse.

Servants whispered while carrying trays.

Guards exchanged glances during patrol.

Even experienced officials spoke more carefully than usual.

"The capital is talking."

General Wei stood before the Emperor.

"I know."

The Emperor’s expression remained cold.

"How far has the rumor spread?"

"Every major district."

"And the story?"

General Wei hesitated.

"It has changed."

"Changed how?"

"They are no longer simply saying an altar was discovered."

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

"What are they saying?"

General Wei lowered his voice.

"They are saying the Empress practices forbidden magic."

Silence.

The Emperor’s expression became colder.

"And?"

"They are saying a hooded figure has been seen near her residence."

The Emperor’s hand slowly tightened.

"And the death?"

General Wei looked uncomfortable.

"They claim someone was killed by a shadow."

The Emperor stared at him.

"Was anyone killed?"

"No."

"Then find out who started that rumor."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor’s voice became sharp.

"And find out why the Empress’s name is being connected to every strange incident in the kingdom."

General Wei bowed.

"Yes."

He turned to leave.

"General."

Wei stopped.

The Emperor’s voice softened slightly.

"Do not allow anyone to approach the Empress’s residence without authorization."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After the General left—

The Emperor remained alone.

He looked toward the window.

The palace appeared peaceful.

But outside those walls—

People were already turning the Empress into a monster in their imagination.

He remembered her lying motionless in bed.

He remembered believing she had died.

He remembered holding her hand.

And now—

The same people who had cried when she nearly died were whispering that she practiced forbidden magic.

His expression hardened.

"No."

The word escaped quietly.

"I won’t allow this."

---

At the Duke Residence

The news reached the Duke family before dinner.

A messenger arrived breathlessly.

"The capital is spreading rumors about Her Majesty."

The Duke immediately stood.

"What rumors?"

The messenger swallowed.

"They say the altar beneath her chamber belonged to her."

The Duchess’s expression changed.

"What?"

"They are also saying a hooded figure was seen near the Empress’s residence."

The Grandmother’s face hardened.

"Lies."

The messenger continued nervously.

"And some people claim..."

He hesitated.

The Duke’s eyes sharpened.

"Speak."

"They claim the Empress summoned a shadow that killed a palace guard."

The room fell silent.

Lian Hua looked horrified.

"But that’s impossible!"

Lian Rou’s expression became cold.

"Who started this?"

"We don’t know."

The Duke’s fist tightened.

"That is precisely the problem."

He looked toward the others.

"This isn’t ordinary gossip."

The Duchess nodded.

"It is being deliberately spread."

---

The Empress Hears the Rumor

When Lian An finally heard what was being said outside the palace, she didn’t react immediately.

She simply sat quietly.

Her three ghosts floated around her.

Fen Yu was furious.

"They’re calling you a dark sorceress!"

General Wei Rong’s face was grim.

"The rumor has spread remarkably quickly."

Li Shen looked thoughtful.

"Too quickly."

Lian An slowly raised her eyes.

"Yes."

Fen Yu frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"The timing."

Lian An placed her teacup down.

"The altar was discovered yesterday."

"By today, the entire capital knows."

"And the story has already changed three times."

Li Shen nodded.

"Someone is feeding the rumor."

"Exactly."

General Wei Rong’s expression darkened.

"They’re building a narrative."

Lian An looked toward the palace gates.

"First, they want people to question me."

"Then they’ll connect every strange event to me."

"The hooded figure."

"The deaths."

"The black magic."

"The lake."

"The illness."

"The attack."

She paused.

"And eventually..."

Her voice became quiet.

"They’ll make people believe I’m the source of everything."

Fen Yu clenched her fists.

"But why?"

Lian An’s eyes became cold.

"To isolate me."

Li Shen looked at her.

"From whom?"

"The Emperor."

"My family."

"Princess Zhi."

"My friends."

"Everyone."

The courtyard fell silent.

Lian An continued,

"If everyone believes I’m dangerous..."

"...then anyone who stands beside me becomes suspicious too."

General Wei Rong nodded slowly.

"And once you are isolated..."

Lian An finished,

"They can strike without anyone protecting me."

Fen Yu’s expression changed.

"So Shin Gu isn’t trying to kill you immediately."

"No."

Lian An looked toward the palace.

"She is preparing the entire kingdom to hate me first."

---

Meanwhile...

Far away—

Inside Shin Gu’s courtyard—

A servant rushed in.

"Lady Shin Gu."

Shin Gu looked up calmly.

"What is it?"

"The rumors have spread through the capital."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"What are they saying?"

The servant hesitated.

"They believe the Empress is connected to the forbidden altar."

Shin Gu lowered her eyes.

"And?"

"They say she may be practicing black magic."

A tiny smile touched Shin Gu’s face.

"And the hooded figure?"

The servant nodded.

"People are talking about it too."

Shin Gu looked toward the window.

Outside, the palace was peaceful.

She whispered,

"Good."

The servant didn’t understand.

"Lady?"

Shin Gu turned back with her usual gentle expression.

"Nothing."

She picked up her tea.

"Let people talk."

Her eyes gleamed.

"Rumors are powerful."

She took a slow sip.

"Once people begin believing something..."

"They stop asking whether it is true."

---

But Shin Gu didn’t know—

Three invisible figures were already watching her courtyard from above.

And somewhere else—

Lian An was quietly putting the pieces together.

The rumor had spread too quickly.

The hooded figure had appeared too conveniently.

The supposed death had never happened.

Everything was designed.

Someone wanted the capital frightened.

Someone wanted the Empress blamed.

And someone was preparing the next move.

The capital thought it was witnessing the rise of a dark Empress.

But the truth was very different.

The darkness wasn’t coming from the Empress.

It was hiding among those who smiled at her every day.

And soon—

The shadows would have to reveal themselves.