Morning light spilled into the chamber, soft and golden.
Himeka blinked awake, the sheets warm around her. As always, his side of the bed was already empty. She turned her head, staring at the faint impression his body had left on the mattress.
Her hand moved without thinking, tracing the hollow space where he had slept. The sheets were still faintly cool.
"…Good morning," she whispered, though he wasn't there to hear it.
Her lips curved into a helpless smile. "How ridiculous… talking to someone who never answers."
But even so, she couldn't stop herself.
---
Later that day, she sat in the garden pavilion, watching the koi swim lazily in the pond. Lira stood nearby, holding a tray of tea. The summer air was heavy with the scent of blooming jasmine.
Himeka wrapped her hands around the porcelain cup but didn't drink. Her thoughts were elsewhere.
"…Lira," she said suddenly.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Do you think… it's possible to fall in love with someone who's never spoken to you? Someone who never even looks at you?"
Lira blinked, startled. "Love…?"
Himeka gave a small laugh, though it sounded more like a sigh. "It sounds foolish, doesn't it? But… every time I see him, my chest tightens. Every time I hear his footsteps, I can't breathe. And when he's near, I…" She pressed a hand against her heart. "…I feel alive. And it hurts. So much."
Lira hesitated, her expression conflicted. "Your Majesty… that sounds like love indeed."
Himeka's smile wavered. "It's dangerous, isn't it? To love someone who doesn't even notice me."
"Dangerous to your heart," Lira admitted softly.
"Yes." Himeka closed her eyes, letting the breeze brush against her cheeks. "But even knowing that… I can't stop."
Her voice trembled. "I don't want to stop."
---
That evening, Himeka sat at the vanity in her chamber, brushing her hair. She caught her own reflection in the mirror—her cheeks flushed, her lips parted as if she were holding back words.
She imagined saying them aloud to him. I love you.
Her pulse quickened. She laughed quietly at herself. "He would just stare at me blankly, wouldn't he? Not a single reaction…"
But even that blank stare was enough to make her heart ache.
She placed the brush down and whispered to her reflection:
"…I've fallen for him. Completely."
Her reflection stared back at her with the same longing in its eyes.
---
That night, she entered the chamber late. He was at the desk, as always, his hand moving steadily over parchment. The candlelight carved shadows across his sharp features, making him look even more distant, more untouchable.
Himeka's throat tightened. She wanted to speak, to say it, but the words tangled inside her.
Instead, she crossed the room slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him.
"…Do you know," she said softly, "that I look forward to seeing you every day?"
No response.
"I tell myself not to," she continued, her voice fragile, "because I know it hurts… but my heart doesn't listen."
The quill scratched against parchment.
Her lips trembled, but she forced a small smile. "…It's hopeless, isn't it? Falling for someone who might as well be a stone statue."
For a brief instant, she thought she saw him pause—just a fraction of a second, but enough to make her heart skip.
But then, as always, he continued as though she hadn't spoken at all.
Himeka lowered her gaze, her chest heavy. She whispered under her breath, so quiet that only the moonlight might hear:
"…Still, even if you never love me back… I can't help loving you."
---
And so, with the summer night pressing in around her, Himeka finally embraced the truth she had tried to deny.
Her heart belonged to the Moonlit Emperor.
And though she knew it was dangerous, though she knew it might one day shatter her, she could not turn away.
Because love, once born, cannot be silenced.
---
End of Chapter 7
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