46- Happy Ending?

"Your majesty, the cottage and tunnel is done." Bai lu informs the emperor.

"Finally!" He smiles as he stands and get ready to go tell the empress about this good news.

He walks quickly as he is so excited. The emperor doesn't realize when he walks pass Consort Hua who also seems like she doesn't care. What a weird scene to watch, because they used to be so lovey dovey. Bai Lu who sees this only shakes his head. It been a long time since he saw the favorite consort.

When the emperor arrived at the Phoenix Palace, an eunuch quickly announces his arrival.

"Your majesty, what brings the dragon here at this time?" The empress asks, it's not very usual the emperor visit her during midday.

"This." The emperor handed her a stroll.

"What is this?" She doesn't understand. Why is that any more paperwork when they just finished the morning assembly.

"Just open it." The emperor instructs.

The empress obediently opens the stroll, and she sees drawing of a cottage, in Shan Mountains, next to a river.  She smiles as she touches the still-wet royal stamp, indicating that it's built.

"Y-you remember.." her voice shakes, there's tears on her eyes.

"Of course." The emperor smiles proudly. Finally he did something right.

The empress runs to gives him a hug. "Thank you." She whispers and buried her face in his well-built chest.

"I love you."

____

"Mumu, pack my stuff." The empress is so excited to tell Mumu.

"What for her majesty?"

"This empress is going to the Shan Mountains tomorrow." She answers, smiling happily.

"Shan Mountains?" Mumu always knows that the empress love the scenery there, but she doesn't understand why suddenly the empress want to spent the night out of nowhere.

"Yes!" The empress just couldn't stop smiling.

"And?" Mumu demands an explanation.

"Zhang Long gege had built a cottage there, and we are going to spent a night there!" She proudly tell Mumu while brushing her hair.

Mumu can only smile at her lady because the empress sounds like a teenager that wants to brag about her boyfriend.

"So what does her majesty want to bring? Should this servant packs lacy red undergarments? Or her majesty prefers this see-through hanfu?" Mumu teases her.

The empress's face turns red hearing that. "You are so perverted!" She punches her playfully. "It's not like that! We are only going to see the cottage!" The empress denies but keeps on blushing.

"Well her majesty, this servant is a hundred percent sure that's not what the emperor thinks." Mumu winks.

"You have such dirty mind!" The empress pouts.

"This servant is just.. being realistic."

"..."

"Don't worry her majesty, leave it to Mumu!" The servant says as she excuses herself to pack for the empress.

_______

Consort Hua is walking out of her palace, her long back hair is left untied. She doesn't even wear any of her hair pieces. Her white hanfu is made from the finest silk, yet it is so simple. Something that the 'Consort Hua' would never wore.

They walk happily around the inner palace, where all the important figures live. Consort Hua is too busy enjoying herself that she doesn't realize the emperor walks pass her.

"Where is my lady going?" Tutu asks because the consort walks outside the gate.

"The Peach Pavilion." She smiles.

It is not the grandest or the most beautiful building, it's just that she used to go here often.

"Tutu play the zither for me."

"Zhi"

Tutu starts to play the zither smoothly. And the consort dances gracefully. She spins and jump like she did it a thousand times already. Consort Hua is one of the best dancer in the whole continent. She can express her emotion through dancing. Her movement is smooth like water. But these years she had only danced seductive dances.

She dances and dances until the blue sky turns gray. And suddenly a strong wind blows and it starts to rain hard. Tutu who plays the zither stops.

"The weather is weird today my lady, we should go back now."

"Hm." The consort agrees, she also thinks that it's weird. She peeks out and sees the gray clouds on the sky. She is so tired because of dancing, but she feels good, she feels that she is back when she was young.

"This servant will go back to the palace and take an umbrella, please wait here my lady."

"No, let's go back together. I don't need any umbrella." A part of her wants to play under the rain.

"That is not a good idea, my lady. Just wait here, this servant will come back very soon." Tutu runs to the Hua Palace, covering her head with her hands.

"More rules.." The consort sighs.

She peeks again and raises her hand to feel the rain drops. Weird. How come she never did this before. Then she steps out from the pavilion. Letting her whole body to feels the rain drops. Weird. But she's happy, there's a sense of relief that she's alone, being herself. She dances under the rain, she spins and laugh.

Finally someone comes with an umbrella. But he doesn't move. Just standing there. The consort doesn't understand, so she calls out.

"I'm here!" She waves her hand.

The servant is still standing there.

There must be something wrong, she thought. So the consort walks there quickly to find out.

"What are you doing? I was calling you-" The consort slips and falls down. Her white hanfu is dirty because of the dirt.

"Is young miss okay?" A tender voice asks.

A guy?

"..." Consort Hua looks up to see a very handsome young guy. His brows are defined and beautifully carved. His worried face is very charming.

He quickly lends his hand to help the consort.

Thump

The sun shines through his hair, giving out-of-the-world vibes to his perfect face. His vibe and presence makes her heart beats faster.

"Is young lady okay?" His soft yet masculine voice asks.

"..." Consort Hua couldn't answer.

The guy smiles at her. His smile is as sweet as honey, she stops. The consort finally comes to realization. She never felt this way.

Her white robe is dirty, but she couldn't careless. She only stares at him.

"What is young lady's name?" He asks again, breaking the ice between them.

"M-my name is..is.." she even forgets her own name.

But someone reminds her of it, her servant who runs from the distance saw the consort standing in front of a guy calls her.

"Consort Hua! Sorry for the delay." She says, not able to see the disappointment at the consort's face.

"Consort.. Hua?" He says, more to himself. He looks at her meaningfully. Scared? Disgusted? Shocked? Consort Hua doesn't know which one is it.

This is the first time in her life that she hates to be called that way. Until now, she just realize how much she hates being a consort. Why did she works so hard to be someone that she hates.

The consort is too sad to reply, so she just sighs and leaves with Tutu.

_____

"Is my lady okay? You haven't say a word since coming back from the pavilion."

"Hm." The Consort scribbles random words to the scroll in front of her.

"Is that guy did anything to my lady?" Tutu is very worried seeing Consort Hua like this. Tutu afraid that the guy hurt her lady of disgrace her.

"No he didn't. And he won't, because I'm a consort." She answers shortly. and somehow sadly.

"That's good then!"

"This consort is tired, you are dismissed." The Consort says as she walks out of her study, going to her room.

"Zhi." Tutu bows as the consort leaves. She prepares to clean up the table when she reads the scroll.

Tutu is not a scholar but Consort Hua teaches her to read basic words.

And from the scroll she searches for words that she recognized,

Love 爱

Man 男

Eyes 眼

Just by this three words, Tutu realizes, the consort has fallen in love.

Can you guess who is the guy?

Hint: he is already a character in the story..

Hey everyone I'm going back from Japan in a week! Omg 😯

See you in next chapter~ please vote and follow me if you'd like. Have a nice day ☀️