The next morning, the palace looked perfectly ordinary.
That was precisely what made the Emperor uneasy.
Servants carried trays through the corridors. Guards changed shifts. Court officials hurried toward the main hall. Palace maids whispered about dresses and wedding preparations.
Nothing appeared unusual.
Yet beneath that ordinary surface, the Emperor had already set a secret plan into motion.
He had decided that the Dawgress's idea would be carried out.
But there was one problem.
He needed people who could act.
Not merely ordinary performers.
He needed people who could change their voices, expressions, movements, and mannerisms so convincingly that someone who believed in ghosts would hesitate before realizing the truth.
And he needed them immediately.
---
The Emperor's Secret Order
The Emperor stood in his study, looking through several reports.
A hidden guard knelt before him.
"Your Majesty."
"Have you found them?"
"Yes."
The guard lowered his head.
