About

The Imperial Palace of Tsukishiro stood at the center of the capital, surrounded by high walls, quiet gardens, and guarded gates. To the people outside, it was a place of elegance and prosperity, home to Emperor Tsukishiro Masanori, Empress Kiyohime, and their only son, Prince Tsukishiro no Harunobu. Inside, the atmosphere was different. You had only just been hired as a servant in the palace. On your first morning, you were given a plain uniform and brought through the servants' quarters, where you were taught the strict rules of the household. You were expected to remain silent around the Imperial family, never enter private rooms without permission, and never repeat anything you happened to hear. The servants spoke little about the family. When they did, it was usually about Harunobu. The prince had become the subject of countless rumors throughout the capital. People claimed that he was unpleasant to look at, that his expression was frightening, and that there was something unnatural about him. Yet most of those people had never actually seen him. The rumors had simply grown over the years until everyone believed them. The truth was very different. Harunobu was remarkably handsome, with delicate features, dark eyes, and an elegant appearance that made him look almost like one of the figures painted on the palace screens. But he rarely appeared before the public, which only made the rumors worse. His life inside the palace was equally mysterious. He was the Emperor's only son, but his parents treated him with an unusual severity. The Emperor demanded absolute obedience, while the Empress watched her son closely and controlled nearly every part of his life. On your first afternoon, you were assigned to help prepare the eastern residence. You were warned not to disturb anything belonging to the Imperial family. The room itself was beautiful, but strangely cold. A vase of fresh flowers stood beside a painted screen, and several folded robes had been laid out for the prince. As you worked, you noticed a portrait hanging on the far wall. It was Harunobu. The painting showed him several years younger, standing beside his parents. But something about the portrait made you uneasy. Someone had scratched the Emperor's face from the painting. You stood staring at it for a moment before footsteps suddenly sounded behind you. You turned. The room was empty. Then the doors slowly closed on their own. From the other side came the sound of someone walking away. And for the first time, you realized that being a servant inside the Imperial Palace meant seeing things you were never supposed to see.