Chapter Text
Nobody saw it coming. It happened fast—and killed even faster.
A rare disease struck the emperor down.
No one knew exactly how he had contracted it, and there was little to no information available. None of the doctors in the country of Li knew how to treat it. When they thought it was under control, his body gave out.
He died suddenly.
Jinshi had been in his office when he received the news.
As a member of the royal family, he was required to follow protocol, sign documents, and deal with all matters concerning the emperor’s sudden death.
But as his younger brother, he was devastated.
He recalled talking to him just a few days ago—he had looked better, like the medicine was working.
Jinshi truly believed he would recover.
But his fragile body couldn’t resist anymore.
A mourning period began throughout the palace and the entire country of Li.
Rumors had already been circulating, but now, they had come true.
There were many rituals and ceremonies for the emperor’s death.
Officials and high-ranking delegates from all over the regions surrounding Li came to the palace. Everyone wore a mourning gaze, offering their condolences to Empress Gyokuyou.
She looked distant, graceful as she accepted their words—but Jinshi knew she was hiding something.
Nobody dared say it aloud yet, but with the emperor gone and his young child unfit to reign, the only option left for the throne... was his little brother. Ka Zuitgetsu.
She knew that. But she had also worked hard to secure her own position and her children’s future in the line of succession.
Before the true battle over the throne could even begin, they still had to go through the formalities and bureaucratic processes.
The entire court was chaotic, with people coming and going nonstop for the funeral.
Jinshi’s mind was a storm.
Papers piled up. Consorts flooded his office, asking about their futures, desperate to know what would happen next.
Then, late at night, a short woman appeared at his door—
Someone he had dearly missed, but hadn’t been able to visit in a long time.
—"Master Jinshi, I’m sorry to interrupt your work. I know you must be overwhelmed… but I really wanted to speak with you. If you’ll let me, of course."
Jinshi could already imagine what she was about to ask.
Everyone was whispering about his duty to the throne. He was the only heir capable of ruling Li.
A large faction of the court—those aligned with his mother, Anshi—wanted him to claim his rightful place.
Another part of the court supported Gyokuyou’s son. But since he was too young, she would act as regent until he came of age.
Jinshi took a deep breath and motioned for Maomao to come closer.
—"Tell me, Maomao… what’s been troubling you enough to come all the way here from the Verdigris House?"
Maomao hesitated, partly hiding her face with her arm.
But she found the courage and began:
—"I believe you’re not in the dark about the rumors surrounding the line of succession."
There it was.
Jinshi looked down at his hands. He’d already expected this. He knew how much Maomao valued her freedom above all else.
And yet—deep down—he’d been hoping she might change her mind. That maybe… she would choose to stay. Even if it was only for a short while.
Just until his younger brother could take the throne.
It was selfish.
—"I’ve heard the rumors… and some of them are just speculation. I don’t know if I’ll take the throne. Maybe Empress Gyokuyou will become regent."
—"Still… it’s a difficult situation for both of us."
He looked up at her. She was watching him closely, carefully absorbing every word.
—"I… I don’t want to force you to stay here. I know it won’t be easy. So many things could happen... and I can’t promise you anything."
Maomao remained silent, listening.
She knew firsthand that living in the palace, now as the La Princess and known to have a close relationship to the Moon Prince, would bring her trouble.
Women inside the palace were ambitious—sometimes dangerously so.
Maomao looked at Jinshi. He couldn’t look back at her.
She knew that what he offered—or didn’t—would change everything between them.
—"Master Jinshi... we’ve come a long way together. We’ve been through so much. But this... this is different. I think that..."
—"You don’t even have to say it, Maomao. I understand."
He stood up and walked toward the window in his office.
Maomao felt a tug in her chest. She had to say what she felt, but the words were stuck.
She ran to him and grabbed his hand.
Jinshi turned quickly at her touch.
—"Maomao, please... don’t make this harder. It already is. I don’t want to make you feel trapped in this place. You deserve so much more— to travel the world, to discover new medicines…
so many things I can’t offer you, and I don’t know what will happen here."
Maomao gripped his hand tighter.
She had thought through every possible scenario.
The best: Gyokuyou becoming regent—unlikely, given her foreign origin.
But maybe, if it was the late emperor’s final wish…
The worst: Jinshi taking the throne.
Ruling wouldn’t be easy. He’d be expected to marry multiple women, follow the court’s every demand.
He might govern only temporarily and then pass the crown to his younger brother—but the court was already split.
A half-foreigner as heir was unacceptable to many. And Anshi’s faction was determined to see Jinshi on the throne.
Maomao’s head spun with possibilities. She knew what the future held, but something stronger kept pulling her toward him.
They looked at each other. Jinshi’s face was full of quiet defeat.
Maomao reached up and gently touched the scar he’d earned while saving her.
She brought him close—and kissed him.
At first, he wanted to pull away.
Not because he didn’t want to kiss her, but because he didn’t want to take away her choice. He didn’t want to trap her with a kiss that would seal her fate.
But the way her hand cupped his face… The way she kissed him, so deeply, so desperately— He couldn’t deny her.
He pulled her in, pressed their bodies close. Their kiss slowed, deepened—tender, aching, inevitable.
He had closed his eyes… So he didn’t notice the tears falling down Maomao’s cheeks.
But when he felt them—he pulled away instantly.
His body still burned from the kiss, but his chest hurt more.
He reached out and gently wiped away her tears.
—"This is exactly what I didn’t want… making you feel like you didn’t have a choice."
He held her in his arms, refusing to let go. Maomao returned the embrace, tightly.
—"You’re not pressuring me," she whispered. "I really do want to be by your side… But there are so many things I’ll have to give up."
The moonlight poured softly into the room. Their embrace felt both possessive— And like a goodbye.
In that quiet space, the two of them made their resolutions…
But neither of them knew—
who would have to give up first.