Scene – Emperor's Office
The royal office remained quiet.
Too quiet.
Only the faint scratching sound of Chandraveer's brush against paper echoed softly through the large chamber.
Golden afternoon light poured through the tall palace windows, illuminating the countless scrolls, reports, and unfinished documents stacked across his desk.
Yet despite sitting directly before them—
His attention was nowhere near his work.
Chandraveer stared at the same sentence for nearly an entire minute.
Then slowly blinked.
Chandraveer: …
He reread the line again.
Still nothing entered his mind.
A slight irritation appeared on his face.
Chandraveer: Wonderful.
He quietly placed the scroll down.
Chandraveer: I have apparently become incapable of reading now.
Leaning slightly back into his chair, he rubbed the side of his forehead in frustration.
Unfortunately—
The moment his thoughts wandered freely again—
His mind immediately returned to THAT moment.
The hidden pavilion.
Tara suddenly slipping toward him.
Her body crashing tightly against his chest.
The warmth.
The softness.
And most dangerously—
His own arms instinctively pulling her even closer instead of pushing her away.
A faint smile unconsciously formed on his lips.
Chandraveer: …
Then immediately—
He snapped back to reality.
Chandraveer: Ugh.
He straightened himself instantly.
Chandraveer: What exactly is wrong with me lately…
He picked the scroll back up again in an attempt to force himself back into work.
Chandraveer: It was merely an accident.
A pause.
Chandraveer: Any normal person would have reacted similarly in that situation.
Another pause.
Chandraveer: Though perhaps tightly pulling her against myself was slightly unnecessary—
The office doors suddenly opened.
Chandraveer immediately fixed his expression back into complete imperial calm.
Mira casually stepped inside the office.
One glance at her face already revealed she was in a terrible mood as usual.
Mira: Why do you look like you were smiling to yourself just now?
Chandraveer answered instantly.
Far too instantly.
Chandraveer: I was not.
Mira narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Mira: You definitely were.
Chandraveer calmly picked up another document.
Chandraveer: Your imagination worsens daily.
Mira scoffed while walking further inside.
Mira: Hm. Interesting.
She dropped herself lazily into a nearby seat while staring directly at him.
Mira: You seem distracted these days.
Chandraveer continued pretending to read.
Chandraveer: I govern an empire. Distraction is part of the occupation.
Mira immediately smirked.
Mira: No. This looks different.
Chandraveer silently ignored her.
Though unfortunately—
She was not entirely wrong.
Ever since that pavilion incident—
His thoughts had become unusually restless.
Which itself annoyed him greatly.
As a child he had been taught absolute control.
Absolute discipline.
Absolute restraint.
His mother had shaped him into a perfect future ruler.
No unnecessary emotions.
No attachments.
No distractions.
Even basic human interaction had been controlled around him.
Children his age were forbidden from approaching him freely.
Servants feared speaking casually to him.
Anyone growing "too familiar" with the prince was immediately removed from his surroundings.
At first—
He had not understood why.
But eventually—
Isolation simply became normal.
Which was exactly why this situation frustrated him so much now.
Because somehow—
One woman had managed to disturb the order of his thoughts within only a few days.
Mira suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Mira: I visited one of the ministry offices today.
For the first time—
Chandraveer's eyes slightly lifted from the document.
A very small reaction.
But Mira noticed immediately.
Mira: …
A slow smirk appeared on her face.
Mira: Ah.
Interesting.
Chandraveer immediately realized he reacted too quickly.
Chandraveer: Why were you wandering around ministry offices?
Mira leaned comfortably back into her chair.
Mira: I was curious about someone.
Silence.
Chandraveer did not respond immediately this time.
But his attention had already shifted completely toward the conversation.
Mira noticed that too.
Mira: That girl seems unusually close to Arin.
The moment those words left her mouth—
Chandraveer's expression changed slightly.
His fingers slowly stopped moving against the paper.
Then immediately—
He asked seriously.
Chandraveer: …How close?
Silence filled the room.
Mira blinked once.
Then slowly tilted her head.
Mira: …
A very dangerous smile appeared on her face.
Mira: How exactly do you already know which girl I am referring to?
For the first time during the conversation—
Chandraveer got caught off guard.
Chandraveer: I—
A brief pause.
Then he quickly regained composure.
Chandraveer: Because you recently questioned her office.
Mira kept staring at him.
Clearly unconvinced.
Chandraveer: And there are not many female officials within the palace administration.
Mira's smile widened further.
Mira: Mhm.
That single response somehow felt more irritating than direct teasing.
Chandraveer slightly frowned.
Chandraveer: Stop looking at me like that.
Mira: Like what?
Chandraveer ignored the question completely.
Instead—
He placed the document down entirely now.
Giving her his full attention.
Chandraveer: Answer my question properly.
His tone became calmer.
Sharper.
Far more emperor-like.
Chandraveer: Arin does not casually associate himself with people inside the palace.
A pause.
Chandraveer: Especially not repeatedly.
His brows slightly furrowed in thought.
Chandraveer: What exactly did they tell you?
Mira quietly observed him for another moment.
Almost studying him.
Then finally answered.
Mira: Apparently they meet regularly within the royal gardens.
A pause.
Mira: The people in her office made it sound like they are rather close.
Chandraveer's eyes lowered slightly in thought.
Arin.
A man feared by half the empire.
A man who commanded absolute loyalty from the cavalry.
A man many nobles once suspected would overthrow the throne after the previous emperor's death.
And somehow—
Tara was regularly meeting him alone within the gardens.
For reasons he himself could not fully explain—
That thought irritated him deeply.
Mira however noticed every small change in his expression.
Mira: Your reaction is far more interesting than theirs.
Chandraveer calmly leaned back into his chair.
Trying to reorganize his thoughts rationally.
Chandraveer: Arin is not an ordinary individual.
His voice remained composed.
Controlled.
Chandraveer: A palace official being repeatedly associated with the Military Chief could easily create political misunderstandings.
Mira raised one eyebrow.
Mira: Is that truly what concerns you?
A brief silence followed.
Chandraveer: …
Honestly—
Even he himself was beginning to question that.
Because the discomfort inside him did not feel entirely political.
Which was ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
He barely even knew Tara properly.
Yet somehow—
The image of her casually standing beside Arin bothered him far more than it should have.
Mira slowly smiled to herself.
A knowing smile.
Mira: I see.
Chandraveer slightly frowned.
Chandraveer: What exactly do you think you see?
Mira immediately stood up from her seat.
Mira: Nothing at all.
Which obviously meant the complete opposite.
She slowly walked toward the office doors.
Then paused midway.
Mira: Though if you ask me…
She slightly turned her head.
Mira: That Tara girl did not seem manipulative.
A pause.
Mira: Surprisingly normal actually.
For some reason—
That statement alone caused a very small feeling of relief inside Chandraveer.
And that only irritated him further.
Mira however absolutely noticed it.
Mira: Hm.
Her smile widened slightly again.
Mira: You really are easy to read lately.
Chandraveer immediately frowned harder.
Chandraveer: I am not.
Mira lightly laughed.
Mira: Right.
Then she finally opened the office doors.
Mira: Anyway, I have delivered the information you wanted.
Chandraveer immediately looked up.
Chandraveer: I never said—
Mira cut him off instantly.
Mira: Mhm.
Then she walked out.
The doors slowly closed behind her.
Silence filled the office once more.
Chandraveer remained seated quietly for several moments.
His eyes lowered toward the documents before him—
Yet he no longer saw a single word written on them.
Instead—
His thoughts continued circling around the same thing.
Tara.
Arin.
The gardens.
His fingers slowly tapped against the wooden desk.
Chandraveer: …
Then suddenly—
Another thought surfaced within him.
Tara laughing beside Arin.
Speaking casually with him.
Looking comfortable around him.
For some reason—
That image irritated him even more.
Chandraveer immediately frowned at himself.
Chandraveer: Ridiculous.
He slowly stood from his chair and walked toward the large palace windows.
The distant northern mountains barely visible beyond the horizon.
His eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
Chandraveer: Arin's influence is already too large within the empire…
A pause.
Then quietly—
Almost unconsciously—
He muttered to himself.
Chandraveer: I need to do something about this.
Scene Shift – Northern Campaign
Scene – Burned Rebel Camp
The battlefield had finally begun settling into silence.
The fires still burned across the ruined rebel camp while imperial soldiers moved through the darkness collecting weapons, dragging corpses, and searching the remaining tents for supplies.
The cold mountain wind only made the smell of smoke and blood stronger.
Near the center of the destroyed camp—
Several terrified surviving rebel soldiers remained tied together beneath heavy guard.
Every single one of them looked pale with fear.
Especially after hearing Arin's earlier orders.
Meanwhile—
Arin sat casually beside one of the burning fires with the female commander standing nearby with crossed arms.
Still visibly disturbed.
Commander: You are genuinely insane.
Arin looked up at her innocently.
Arin: You have said that seven times tonight already.
Commander: Because you KEEP SAYING INSANE THINGS.
Arin quietly chuckled to himself before tearing another piece of cooked meat from a wooden skewer.
Commander: …
Her eyes slowly lowered toward the meat in his hands.
Then immediately narrowed suspiciously.
Commander: What exactly are you eating?
Arin casually looked at the skewer.
Arin: Food.
Commander: Arin.
A small grin appeared on his face.
Arin: Horse meat.
The commander immediately relaxed slightly.
Commander: Thank the gods.
Arin: Probably.
Commander: What do you mean probably!?
Arin suddenly looked completely serious.
His expression cold.
Unreadable.
Arin: I did not personally ask the horse before cooking it.
The commander froze in horror.
Then suddenly—
Arin burst out laughing quietly.
Arin: Relax. I am joking.
Commander: YOU ABSOLUTE PIECE OF SHIT—
Nearby soldiers awkwardly avoided eye contact while trying not to laugh.
Clearly this was not the first time Arin had done something like this.
Meanwhile—
Behind them several soldiers butchered dead horses recovered from the battlefield while others cooked the remaining livestock found within the rebel camp.
However—
Arin had intentionally ordered the cooking fires placed disturbingly close to the piles of human corpses.
The surviving prisoners were forced to watch everything.
And from their terrified perspective—
It genuinely looked like the imperial army was preparing human flesh.
One surviving rebel suddenly began trembling violently.
Prisoner: Monsters…
Another prisoner whispered shakily:
Prisoner: They are actually going to eat us…
Arin overheard them.
A faint mischievous smile appeared on his face.
Then he suddenly stood up and slowly walked toward the prisoners.
Immediately all of them began panicking.
Several tried crawling backward despite their tied limbs.
Arin crouched down in front of one of them calmly.
Arin: Why are you all so nervous?
The prisoner looked absolutely horrified.
Prisoner: P-Please… please spare us…
Arin tilted his head slightly.
Arin: Hm…
Then he casually pointed toward the cooking fires nearby.
Arin: You should be honored honestly.
The prisoners stared at him in complete terror.
Arin: Most armies leave corpses to rot.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Arin: We at least ensure nothing goes to waste.
Several prisoners immediately started crying.
One even threw up beside himself.
The female commander stared at Arin in disbelief.
Commander: You are enjoying this far too much.
Arin stood back up.
Arin: Fear is important.
Then his smile slowly faded.
His tone becoming calmer.
Sharper.
More serious.
Arin: By tomorrow morning every northern rebel camp will hear stories about tonight.
A pause.
Arin: Some stories true.
Some exaggerated.
Some completely false.
He looked toward the terrified prisoners.
Arin: But fear does not care about truth.
The commander quietly watched him.
Still disturbed.
Yet annoyingly—
His logic kept working.
Hours slowly passed.
The fires continued burning beneath the cold night sky.
And eventually—
Hoofbeats suddenly echoed from outside the ruined camp.
Several imperial soldiers immediately turned alert.
Hands reaching toward weapons.
Then a voice shouted from the darkness:
Messenger: MESSENGERS FROM THE NORTHERN REBEL LORDS!
The commander frowned in surprise.
Commander: Already?
Arin however looked completely unsurprised.
Almost bored.
Three exhausted messengers were quickly brought into the camp.
Each carrying white surrender cloths tied around their arms.
The moment they entered—
Their eyes immediately widened in horror after seeing:
the corpse piles the blood everywhere terrified prisoners soldiers eating beside burning fires
One messenger visibly turned pale.
Messenger: …
Arin casually sat back down near the fire.
Arin: So?
The messengers nervously bowed.
Messenger: Our lords… wish to surrender themselves and their territories to the Empire peacefully.
Another quickly added:
Messenger: They swear loyalty to the throne and request mercy for their people.
The female commander looked genuinely shocked.
Commander: They surrendered this quickly…?
Arin calmly continued eating.
Arin: Mhm.
A pause.
Arin: Fear travels quickly at night.
The messengers nervously avoided looking toward the corpse piles nearby.
Clearly the rumors had already begun spreading far worse than expected.
Then one of the messengers hesitated.
Messenger: However…
Arin slowly looked up.
Messenger: Lord Rudradev refuses surrender.
The atmosphere slightly changed.
The commander frowned immediately.
Commander: The mountain lord?
Messenger nodded nervously.
Messenger: He claims your fear tactics are meaningless against fortified walls.
Another messenger added quietly:
Messenger: He says mountain stone does not tremble from ghost stories.
For the first time that night—
Arin became completely silent.
The playful expression on his face slowly disappeared.
Commander carefully looked toward him.
Already recognizing that change.
Whenever Arin became this quiet—
It usually meant he was thinking very seriously.
The cold northern wind blew across the burning battlefield.
Then finally—
A faint smile slowly appeared on Arin's face again.
But this time—
It looked different.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
Arin: Interesting.
He slowly stood up.
His eyes now fixed toward the distant northern mountains hidden beyond darkness.
Arin: Finally someone up there still has a spine.