After the Redemption Story Ended, the Emperor Took a New Favorite Consort.
At a slightly tipsy palace banquet, the newly elevated Noble Consort leaned against His Majesty and asked with a smile how he would describe her.
Turning a glazed cup in his hand, he replied carelessly, "That hibiscus in the imperial garden. It blooms the longest, and it's the most ordinary of all."
The assembled nobles hid their smiles behind their sleeves.
He nudged the beauty off his lap and drew me to his side by the dragon throne. "The Empress has always been magnanimous. Surely she won't mind?"
I lowered my head and agreed, my gaze still tracing his features with tender affection.
The redemption story had long since ended. What we were acting out now was nothing more than the usual tale of an emperor betraying his beloved.
