The morning sun spilled into the chamber, soft and golden.
Himeka stirred awake, her body aching from the night before, but her heart… her heart was glowing.
She turned her head. The Emperor was already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed, fastening his robe. His face was as it always was: cold, unreadable, untouchable.
For a moment, her chest tightened. Was last night only a dream to me?
She sat up slowly, hugging the sheets to her chest. "…Good morning."
He didn't answer. His gaze remained fixed on the window, crimson eyes distant.
Himeka's lips trembled, but she forced a smile. "…You're always looking outside. Always at the sky, the moon, the horizon. Never at me."
Still silence.
Her heart ached, but instead of despair, determination rose inside her. Then I'll make you see me.
---
Later that day, she wandered into the archives with Lira. Dusty tomes, ancient scrolls—records of the Empire's bloody history.
Her fingers brushed a weathered book: The Campaign of Black Winter.
She froze. The sketches showed battlefields drenched in snow, corpses piled high, fire against ice. The dates… the Emperor's childhood.
Her breath caught. He was there. He grew up in this nightmare.
Closing the book, she whispered, "…No wonder."
A plan took shape in her mind.
---
That night, when the Emperor entered their chamber, he found it transformed.
The window where he always sat was draped with white fabric, soft and flowing like snow. Candles flickered gently, their glow warm against the dark.
And in the center, Himeka knelt with a small plate of food she had arranged herself—simple, steaming soup, its scent filling the air.
She looked up at him, her eyes bright and trembling. "I read about the Black Winter Campaign today."
His crimson eyes sharpened slightly, a flicker of something behind them.
She swallowed, her voice soft. "…Back then, you must have starved. Frozen. Surrounded by death. I can't erase those memories. But tonight—just tonight—will you let me give you warmth?"
Her hands trembled as she lifted the spoon, offering it to him. "Please… just one bite."
The chamber was silent, suffocating. He didn't move for a long time.
But then—slowly, he lowered himself onto the seat across from her.
His pale hand reached out, steady, and he accepted the spoon.
Himeka's breath caught as he ate the bite she'd made for him.
It was the smallest thing. Nothing grand. Nothing dramatic.
But when he set the spoon down, his lips curved—barely, faintly, almost imperceptibly.
A smile.
Her eyes widened, tears springing instantly. "…Y-You… You smiled."
He looked away, his voice flat. "…It was nothing."
But Himeka shook her head fiercely, tears rolling down her cheeks. "No… it was everything. You don't have to pretend. I saw it. You smiled."
For a moment, his crimson eyes lingered on her face—her tears, her trembling joy.
Then he turned back toward the window, the expression gone, as though it had never existed.
But for Himeka, that faint smile was enough to ignite her whole world.
And deep inside, she knew: his past was the key. The reason he was stone. The reason he buried himself in silence.
And she would uncover it—no matter what it cost her.
---
End of Chapter 19