The shrine was quiet except for the soft crackling of incense.
Night had fully settled over the palace. Outside, the distant sounds of servants preparing for the upcoming wedding rituals drifted faintly through the cold wind.
But inside the shrine—
The world felt separated.
Still.
Sacred.
Heavy.
—
Princess Zhi sat lazily beside the Empress on the prayer cushions, absentmindedly stacking small carved wooden fortune blocks into a tower.
The Empress watched her for a moment before speaking softly,
"If the monks see you treating sacred items like toys, they'll faint."
Princess Zhi sighed dramatically.
"Then they should stop leaving interesting things around me."
The Empress laughed quietly.
"You're hopeless."
Princess Zhi grinned.
"At least you still laugh now."
That sentence made the Empress pause slightly.
Because not long ago—
She truly had forgotten how.
The shrine fell quiet again.
The candle flames danced softly between them.
