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1180 Words
Introducing new home
The royal banquet ended late into the evening.
As nobles and princes gradually departed from the grand hall, palace servants approached Yuri and Jing.
"This way, please."
Yuri bowed respectfully and followed.
Beside her, Jing struggled to stay awake. The excitement of the day had exhausted the little girl.
The servants led them through winding corridors illuminated by lantern light.
For the first time in three years, neither of them had to worry about where they would sleep.
The thought alone felt almost unreal.
After some time, the servants stopped before a peaceful courtyard.
One of them smiled.
"Lady Yuri, these quarters have been prepared for you."
Yuri stared in surprise.
The small residence was simple compared to the luxurious buildings of the palace, yet it was far more comfortable than any place she had stayed in during the past three years.
She bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
The servant nodded.
"His Majesty has also assigned your duties."
"My duties?"
"Yes. Beginning tomorrow, you will serve in the Palace of the Empress Dowager."
Yuri froze.
The Empress Dowager?
That position was far beyond what she had expected.
Over the next few days, Yuri gradually settled into her new duties.
As she familiarized herself with the palace and its customs, she also learned more about the kingdom that had taken them in.
Xuanhe was unlike any land she had ever known.
From conversations with servants, officials, and elderly attendants, Yuri discovered that the kingdom rested within a vast valley surrounded by towering mountains and ancient forests. Dangerous terrain and wild beasts protected its borders, making it difficult for outsiders to enter.
Many merchants and travelers had heard stories of a prosperous kingdom hidden beyond the wilderness.
Most dismissed such tales as legends.
Yet Xuanhe was very real.
Its people had lived peacefully within the valley for generations, protected by both nature and formidable defenses.
The more Yuri learned, the more astonished she became.
No wonder they had never encountered travelers speaking of routes leading here.
No wonder they had wandered for weeks through the desert without finding a road.
It was as though the kingdom had deliberately hidden itself from the outside world.
More than once, Yuri found herself wondering how she and Jing had managed to discover such a place when so many others could not.
Whenever the thought arose, her eyes would unconsciously drift toward the celestial locket resting against Jing's chest.
The strange artifact had guided them onward throughout their journey, always drawing them toward an unknown destination.
Could it truly be a coincidence?
Yuri did not know.
What she did know was that somehow, against all odds, it had led them safely to Xuanhe.
Soon, the day arrived for Yuri to begin her duties within the Empress Dowager's palace.
The palace was quiet and elegant.
Ancient trees shaded the walkways while attendants moved silently through the halls.
Soon, Yuri was brought before the elderly matriarch of the imperial family.
The Empress Dowager sat comfortably beside a window overlooking a flower garden.
Though advanced in age, her eyes remained sharp and intelligent.
Yuri immediately knelt.
"This servant greets Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager studied her calmly.
"So you are the maid His Majesty spoke of."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
At first, the Empress Dowager expected nothing unusual.
However, as the conversation continued, she quickly realized Yuri was different from ordinary servants.
Yuri spoke with refinement.
Her manners were impeccable.
She was well-read and knowledgeable about literature, history, etiquette, and palace affairs.
Unknowingly, Yuri revealed traces of the education she had received while serving the Great Empress of her former kingdom as a trusted secretary.
The Empress Dowager grew increasingly interested.
"You have seen much for someone so young."
Yuri lowered her head.
"I have merely been fortunate enough to learn from wise people."
The answer pleased the elderly woman.
As the days passed, Yuri often spent time reading documents, organizing correspondence, and keeping the Empress Dowager company.
More importantly, she told stories.
Stories of distant mountains.
Stories of wandering travelers.
Stories of brave heroes and ancient legends.
The Empress Dowager listened to every one of them with great interest.
Before long, the lonely old woman found herself looking forward to Yuri's visits each day.
Meanwhile, Jing had become an unexpected source of joy within the palace.
The Empress Dowager was delighted to discover that her youngest granddaughter, Princess Meiling, had finally found a friend her own age.
The two girls quickly became inseparable.
Whenever Meiling visited, laughter filled the halls.
The Empress Dowager often watched them play together with a smile.
"It seems the palace has become much livelier."
Even the Empress herself was pleased by the friendship.
For years, the Eighth Princess had complained that all her brothers were too old and too serious.
Now she finally had someone to share her adventures with.
However, not everyone within the palace was completely convinced by Yuri's story.
Late one evening, after the banquet had ended, the Emperor sat alone in his study.
The more he thought about Yuri's explanation, the more something felt unusual.
The story itself was believable.
Yet her expression had not been.
He remembered the hesitation in her eyes.
The careful choice of words.
The way she had avoided certain details.
It was the expression of someone hiding a truth rather than telling a lie.
The Emperor tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the table.
Finally, he looked toward a trusted palace servant standing nearby.
"Assign someone to watch them."
The servant immediately bowed.
"Your Majesty?"
"Discreetly."
The Emperor's voice remained calm.
"I do not believe they mean any harm."
"Then why investigate them, Your Majesty?"
The Emperor looked toward the moonlit courtyard beyond his window.
"Because there is more to their story than they are willing to tell."
The servant nodded.
"As you command."
Neither Yuri nor Jing knew that from that day onward, a pair of unseen eyes would quietly observe them within the palace.
As for Jing, she was given a residence of her own within the inner palace.
Though modest compared to those of the princes and princesses, it was beautiful in her eyes.
She now had a soft bed.
Clean clothes.
Warm meals.
And attendants who helped care for her.
That first night, Jing lay beneath a silk blanket staring at the ceiling.
Everything felt strange.
Only a few days ago she had been sleeping beneath the stars.
Now she lived inside a palace.
Her fingers instinctively found the silver locket hidden beneath her robes.
The familiar touch comforted her.
For a moment, she thought of Yuri.
Then of Princess Meiling.
And finally of the boy who had accidentally fallen on top of her during the banquet.
Jing's face immediately turned red.
"What a strange prince..."
Far away in another palace courtyard, the Seventh Prince sneezed unexpectedly.
Confused, he looked around.
"Why do I suddenly feel like someone is talking about me?"
And so, beneath the same moonlit sky, two children settled into a new chapter of their lives—unaware that fate had already begun weaving their paths together.
- Writer
