Ghost in the palace

The palace had barely recovered from the death of Shin Gu.

Yet another message arrived.

And this time—

It came from far beyond the imperial borders.

The Emperor was seated in the study, reviewing the investigation reports concerning Shin Gu when a palace guard hurried inside.

The man’s expression was unusually serious.

"Your Majesty."

The Emperor looked up.

"What happened?"

"A messenger from the western kingdom has arrived."

The Emperor’s brows drew together.

"Which kingdom?"

"Shin Gu’s kingdom."

The room instantly became quiet.

Lian An, who had been sitting nearby, slowly lifted her head.

Shin Gu’s kingdom.

Even after her death, that name continued to appear before them.

The Emperor placed the document in his hand on the table.

"Bring the messenger in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The guard bowed and left.

Lian An exchanged a glance with the Emperor.

"Do you think this is related to Shin Gu?"

"I don’t know."

His voice was calm.

"But given everything that has happened, I doubt it is a coincidence."

Lian An nodded.

Fen Yu floated behind her chair.

Wei Rong stood near the window with his arms crossed.

Li Shen was reading quietly.

Even the three ghosts had become unusually attentive whenever Shin Gu’s name was mentioned.

A moment later, the doors opened.

A foreign messenger entered.

He wore the formal robes of Shin Gu’s kingdom.

He bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty."

The Emperor nodded.

"Rise."

The messenger stood.

His face looked exhausted.

He had clearly traveled for several days.

The Emperor studied him.

"What message have you brought?"

The messenger swallowed.

"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to deliver this report personally."

He removed a sealed letter from inside his robe.

The seal belonged to the royal court of Shin Gu’s kingdom.

The Emperor accepted it.

For a moment, he simply stared at the seal.

Then he broke it.

Lian An watched silently.

The Emperor’s eyes moved across the first few lines.

His expression changed.

Not dramatically.

But enough for Lian An to notice.

His brows slowly tightened.

He continued reading.

Then—

He stopped.

"What?"

Lian An asked quietly.

The Emperor did not answer immediately.

He read the document again.

Then once more.

Finally, he lowered it.

"Something has happened in Shin Gu’s kingdom."

The messenger lowered his head.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"What?"

The messenger took a breath.

"The former king and queen are gone."

Lian An’s eyes widened.

"Gone?"

"Yes."

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

"Explain."

The messenger hesitated.

"They... left the capital."

"Why?"

"We do not know."

The Emperor leaned forward.

"Where are they?"

"No one knows."

Silence filled the room.

The Emperor’s fingers tightened around the letter.

"And the royal family?"

The messenger looked uncomfortable.

"Your Majesty..."

"Speak."

"The former king and queen did not leave alone."

He paused.

"Their daughter left with them."

Lian An slowly sat straighter.

"Their daughter?"

"Yes."

The Emperor looked toward him.

"Shin Gu?"

"No, Your Majesty."

The messenger shook his head.

"Shin Gu’s sister."

The room became completely silent.

Even Fen Yu stopped moving.

Wei Rong’s arms slowly fell from their crossed position.

Li Shen closed his book.

The Emperor stared at the messenger.

"Shin Gu had a sister?"

The messenger nodded.

"Yes."

The Emperor’s expression became unreadable.

"Why was I never informed?"

The messenger lowered his gaze.

"I do not know, Your Majesty."

Lian An looked at the Emperor.

He looked equally confused.

Shin Gu had never once mentioned having a sister.

Not when she entered the palace.

Not when she spoke about her homeland.

Not when anyone asked about her family.

Nothing.

Not one word.

The Emperor looked back at the messenger.

"Continue."

The messenger took a breath.

"After the royal family disappeared, the palace remained without a ruler for several days."

"Then?"

"Someone appeared."

"Who?"

The messenger’s voice lowered.

"A man."

"What man?"

"He claimed to be the late king’s relative."

The Emperor frowned.

"What relative?"

"He said he was Shin Gu’s cousin."

Lian An’s eyes narrowed.

"Her cousin?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And where was he before this?"

"We don’t know."

"His name?"

The messenger answered.

"Prince—"

He hesitated.

Then corrected himself.

"King now."

The Emperor’s expression hardened.

"His name."

"King Shen Luo."

The name lingered in the room.

Lian An frowned.

"Did Shin Gu ever mention him?"

The Emperor slowly shook his head.

"No."

Li Shen finally spoke.

"That is strange."

Everyone looked at him.

He continued calmly.

"If this man truly belongs to the royal family, why was his existence unknown to neighboring courts?"

The messenger lowered his head.

"That is one of the questions troubling our officials."

The Emperor looked at him.

"What happened to the previous king’s ministers?"

"Some remained."

"And they accepted this man?"

"Not all."

"What do you mean?"

The messenger hesitated.

"Several ministers questioned his identity."

The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.

"And?"

"They disappeared."

Silence.

Lian An’s expression changed.

"Disappeared?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"At least six senior officials."

The Emperor stood.

"How long ago?"

"Three weeks."

Lian An looked at him.

Three weeks.

That meant this had begun before Shin Gu’s death.

The Emperor seemed to reach the same conclusion.

"Why are you bringing this message to me now?"

The messenger lowered his head.

"Because the situation has become unstable."

"Explain."

"The new king has taken control of the royal court."

"And the previous royal family?"

"Still missing."

The Emperor’s voice became colder.

"You said they eloped."

The messenger nodded.

"That is what the public was told."

"But you don’t believe it."

The messenger remained silent.

That silence was answer enough.

The Emperor slowly returned to his seat.

"Tell me everything."

The messenger took a deep breath.

"The previous king and queen were seen leaving the capital at night."

"With their daughter."

"Yes."

"Did they take soldiers?"

"No."

"Servants?"

"Only two."

"Guards?"

"None that we know of."

The Emperor frowned.

"Why would a king and queen abandon their palace without protection?"

"We don’t know."

"Did they leave a letter?"

"Yes."

"What did it say?"

The messenger hesitated.

"It said they were leaving voluntarily."

Lian An immediately noticed his hesitation.

"But?"

The messenger lowered his voice.

"The handwriting looked strange."

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

"Strange how?"

"The royal secretary believed the letter had been written under pressure."

"Did he say that publicly?"

"No."

"Why?"

"He disappeared two days later."

Lian An’s expression became serious.

Fen Yu whispered,

"This is getting worse."

Wei Rong nodded.

"Much worse."

Li Shen’s eyes remained fixed on the messenger.

"Did anyone examine the royal family’s chambers after their departure?"

The messenger nodded.

"Yes."

"What was found?"

"Almost nothing."

The Emperor frowned.

"Nothing?"

"The king’s personal sword was missing."

"The queen’s jewelry was missing."

"Several private documents were missing."

"And the princess’s belongings?"

The messenger hesitated.

"Almost everything remained."

That made everyone silent.

Lian An slowly looked at the Emperor.

"If they truly intended to flee..."

She paused.

"Why would the daughter leave most of her belongings behind?"

The Emperor’s eyes darkened.

"Exactly."

The messenger lowered his head.

"That question is also being asked."

Li Shen quietly said,

"It may not have been an escape."

The Emperor looked at him.

"Explain."

"If they had planned to leave willingly, they would likely have prepared."

Li Shen glanced at the messenger.

"But according to his account, they left suddenly."

"Yes."

"With very few possessions."

"Yes."

Li Shen’s gaze became thoughtful.

"Then perhaps someone wanted the palace to believe they had fled."

The room went silent.

Lian An’s heart tightened.

A false disappearance.

A missing royal family.

A mysterious cousin.

And Shin Gu—

A woman who had never spoken about her family.

Everything seemed connected.

But they still didn’t know how.

The Emperor turned to the messenger.

"One more question."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Did Shin Gu know about this cousin?"

The messenger looked startled.

"We don’t know."

"Think carefully."

The messenger lowered his head.

"Before Shin Gu came to your empire, she sent several letters to our kingdom."

"About what?"

"Mostly personal matters."

"Did she mention her cousin?"

"No."

"Did she mention her parents?"

"Very rarely."

"Her sister?"

The messenger hesitated.

"She mentioned her once."

Lian An immediately leaned forward.

"What did she say?"

The messenger looked toward her.

"She wrote that her sister was not safe."

The room fell silent.

The Emperor’s expression changed.

"When?"

"Several months before Shin Gu entered your empire."

Lian An felt a chill run through her.

"What did she mean by ’not safe’?"

"We don’t know."

"Did she explain?"

"No."

The Emperor stared at the messenger.

"Why wasn’t this information reported to us earlier?"

"We did not know it would become important."

The Emperor’s gaze hardened.

"It is important now."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The messenger bowed.

The Emperor waved his hand.

"You may leave."

The messenger bowed again.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He slowly backed away.

When the doors closed—

Silence remained.

For several moments, nobody spoke.

Then Fen Yu floated directly in front of Lian An.

"I don’t like this."

Lian An nodded.

"Neither do I."

Wei Rong looked toward the Emperor.

"That man calling himself Shin Gu’s cousin could be lying."

Li Shen nodded.

"Possible."

"Or he could truly be her cousin."

"Also possible."

Fen Yu frowned.

"Then why hide?"

Li Shen answered calmly.

"That is the question."

The Emperor stood beside the window.

His hands were clasped behind his back.

His expression was deeply thoughtful.

Lian An walked toward him.

"Your Majesty."

He turned.

"This changes things."

"Yes."

"Shin Gu never mentioned a cousin."

"Not once."

"And she never spoke about her sister."

"Not openly."

Lian An looked down.

"Maybe she knew something."

The Emperor nodded.

"Perhaps."

"Something about her family."

"Perhaps."

"Or about the person now ruling her kingdom."

The Emperor’s eyes darkened.

"That is what concerns me."

Li Shen stepped closer.

"Your Majesty."

The Emperor looked at him.

"I suggest investigating the new king before accepting any official claims."

The Emperor nodded.

"I agree."

Wei Rong frowned.

"How?"

The Emperor looked toward him.

"Spies."

Wei Rong smiled faintly.

"Now you’re thinking like a ruler."

Fen Yu rolled her eyes.

"He already is a ruler."

"I know."

"Then why did you say that?"

"I was complimenting him."

"You don’t sound like it."

"Ghosts are impossible."

Lian An sighed.

"Enough."

The two immediately stopped.

Li Shen quietly returned to his book.

But this time—

He wasn’t reading.

His mind was elsewhere.

The palace had been dealing with Shin Gu’s dark magic.

Now a missing royal family had appeared.

And a mysterious man had taken control of an entire kingdom.

It was too much to dismiss as coincidence.

Lian An looked toward the Emperor.

"What are you going to do?"

He answered immediately.

"Find out what happened."

"And if the new king is legitimate?"

"Then we will know."

"And if he isn’t?"

The Emperor’s gaze became cold.

"Then we will know that too."

Outside the chamber—

The palace bells began to ring.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Lian An looked toward the window.

Somewhere far away—

Beyond the mountains—

A kingdom was being ruled by a man whose identity nobody could explain.

And somewhere else—

A missing king, queen, and princess were still alive...

Or perhaps—

Someone wanted the world to believe they were.

The mystery had only just begun.