Days passed, and nothing changed in the Empire of Elyandra except someone’s routine.
Empress Selene would often select Fourth Concubine Neron’s name for nightly duty, almost four days a week.
For the past three weeks, everyone in the palace had noticed this change in the Empress’s schedule.
The Empress would visit Moonveil Palace.
She would arrive at the entrance of the front yard at the exact time when Elias was out playing badminton with Keiro.
She would simply stand there watching until Elias noticed her.
Initially, Elias would notice her a few moments later, but now he immediately sensed her presence.
He no longer asked for permission.
He would simply walk toward her and hand her a bat.
She would remove her outer robe and step onto the field to begin the match.
They played without any grand formalities, so she never felt as though she needed an invitation to join.
They would play for an hour or two before stopping whenever Elias became tired.
He would occasionally smile at her, and she would simply nod in return.
No grand words were exchanged between them—only a game.
He never asked why she came there, nor did she ask him anything else.
Elias never invited her inside his palace, nor did the Empress express any desire to be invited.
Afterward, the Empress would leave Moonveil Palace and visit Neron’s residence for dinner.
Concubine Neron saw the Empress’s visits to Moonveil Palace but never questioned them.
The guards knew better than to share news of their games with others.
That evening, as usual, Selene’s steps carried her toward Moonveil Palace.
Yet the moment she reached its gates, she paused.
Moonveil Palace looked different.
The abandoned silence she had grown accustomed to was gone.
Simple white lanterns hung from the branches of the fruit trees, their soft glow swaying gently in the evening breeze.
A few strands of pale silk ribbons fluttered between the trees, catching the moonlight like silver threads.
There were no extravagant decorations, no golden ornaments, no musicians, and no grand banquet arrangements—only a quiet warmth that made the once-forgotten palace feel alive.
Curiosity stirred within her.
As she stepped further inside, the source of the celebration revealed itself.
A long wooden table had been arranged beneath the flowering trees in the garden.
Princess Lynera sat beside her consorts, while the Master Eryn occupied another seat nearby and Keiro stood respectfully at the side, their expressions unusually cheerful. Read the latest chapters at novelping dot com.
At the center of it all sat Elias.
His appearance stole her attention before she could stop herself.
He wore simple robes of soft ivory and pale blue, free of embroidery, jewels, or ceremonial ornaments.
His hair fell in loose waves past his waist, framing his face naturally.
His loose strands of hairs were safely tucked behind his ears.
Without makeup, hairpins, or expensive accessories, he looked unexpectedly breathtaking beneath the lantern light.
Even barefoot.
Even dressed more plainly than everyone else.
Somehow, he stood out the most.
Lynera lifted her wine glass with a bright grin.
“Happy Longevity Day, Brother-in-Law!”
Laughter followed immediately.
Elias rolled his eyes before raising his own cup.
“Thank you for reminding me that I’m getting older.”
“You are very stingy, Brother-in-Law.
You never celebrated your longevity day or invited us to a banquet,” Lynera teased.
The smile disappeared from Elias’s face.
He looked at Keiro for a moment before turning back to Lynera.
“No one remembered it or asked about it, so there was never a banquet to arrange.”
Silence fell over the table.
Everyone stared at Elias, baffled and unsure of what to say.
“Anyway, it’s probably a good thing there was never a banquet,” Elias added with a grin.
“Most people would still think I’m a sweet sixteen-year-old young man.”
He laughed at his own joke.
A moment later, the small gathering erupted into laughter once more.
And for the first time, Selene realized something she had never bothered to ask.
Why did Elyas always beg to see her on the full moon of this month every year?
Why was he so desperate?
For six years, no one had celebrated his longevity day.
Not his wife.
Not his family.
Not even the palace.
Never received any gift from her unless he asked for anything in particular
Every year he had prepared gifts for her on her own longevity day.
Every year he had attended her celebrations despite not being welcome.
His gifts were probably still lying in some forgotten corner of the palace storage.
She did not know.
She had never opened them.
Before anyone noticed her presence, she quietly stepped back.
She did not want to attend his longevity day uninvited.
Or perhaps…
She did not know how to face it.
Turning away, she left Moonveil Palace.
By the time she arrived at Neron’s residence, the music had already begun.
Neron welcomed her warmly and played his finest melodies.
Usually, she would have enjoyed them.
Tonight, every note sounded distant.
Her thoughts lingered elsewhere.
Beneath white lanterns.
Around a wooden table.
Around a man laughing among people who genuinely wished him happiness.
A man she had once believed she knew.
The melody ended.
Selene did not notice.
For the first time in six years, she found herself wondering—
Perhaps there were many things she did not know about her noble consort.