23 years ago, Late summer, the night before the Annual Hunt.

"Your Highness, what would you like to wear to the Annual Hunt tomorrow?" Governess Hsu's younger self, Court Maid Hsu, asked the Empress enthusiastically as she flipped through the outfits that were laid out in the Empress's private chambers.

This was the young Court Maid Hsu's first time accompanying a member of the royal family to the Annual Hunt. That meant that she would finally be able to witness what went on in the actual hunt instead of just watching the opening ceremony like the rest of the public.

"It doesn't matter. He won't be there anyway." The Empress replied forlornly.

Sensing the Empress's turbulent emotions, Court Maid Hsu turned to the Empress in concern. "Who?"

The Empress' eyes turned melancholic as she stared out of the open window. "The headstrong man that I love.."

"His Imperial Majesty? But he's participating in the hunt, isn't he?" Court Maid Hsu was puzzled.

The Empress only smiled sadly without even glancing at Court Maid Hsu. She had dark circles under her eyes and her usually glowing complexion had turned sullen. Even though she was pregnant for approximately three months now, the Empress was looking thinner than ever.

Court Maid Hsu merely watched the Empress and sighed. "Why don't I prepare a bath for you, Your Highness? You can think about it after that."

"That's a great idea, Yi Ting." The Empress finally looked at the court maid to give her a weak smile.

The Empress's personal bath was almost as large and grand as the Empress's private chambers. Court Maid Hsu was scrubbing and massaging the Empress' hands while the Empress soaked in the enormous wooden bathtub. The Empress had her eyes closed and Court Maid Hsu couldn't help but noticed how exhausted she looked. The area beneath her eyes was sunken and her cheekbones were jutting out prominently which added to the gauntness that was perpetually on the Empress's face these days. The Empress was miles away from the lively person who had swooped in to introduce herself to Court Maid Hsu early that year.

"Yi Ting, could you ask the rest of them to leave us?" The Empress requested quietly as she fluttered her eyes open.

"Yes of course, Your Highness." Court Maid Hsu answered before ordering the other court maids to leave the bathhouse.

After a while, the Empress took a deep breath before she called out to Court Maid Hsu again. "Yi Ting.."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

Court Maid Hsu waited for the Empress to speak, but she only gave out a quiet sigh and the long bath eventually ended in silence. After she was dressed, the Empress asked Court Maid Hsu to accompany her to the Forbidden Garden.

"A-are you sure, Your Highness? I thought it is forbidden for servants to enter the garden? Even distant relatives of the imperial family are not allowed in the Forbidden Garden, isn't it?"

"It's forbidden for... a certain reason. But the reason isn't here anymore. So it doesn't matter. Come, Yi Ting."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

When Court Maid Hsu first entered the garden, her sense of smell was instantly assaulted by the sudden surge of floral scent emanating from the night-blooming jasmines that covered all over the gardens.

"Is the smell a bit too much?" The Empress asked apologetically.

"No, not at all, Your Highness. I'm just not used to it." Court Maid Hsu replied kindly when she saw how apologetic the Empress was towards her who was only a mere court maid.

"I couldn't get used to it at first either but I've come to love it." The Empress said as she caressed the delicate flowers.

Court Maid Hsu hesitated before plucking the courage to ask the Empress. "Why did you call me here, Your Highness?"

The Empress looked away from Court Maid Hsu before replying. "I need to make a confession and you're the only person I could trust with this secret."

"I'm honored, Your Highness. But I'm merely a regular court maid." The Empress's request to confide in her was not a small matter to the court maid. She didn't think she was worthy enough of the Empress's confidence in her.

The Empress turned abruptly to face Court Maid Hsu. "Don't discredit yourself, Yi Ting. You've been such a great help to me these past few months. I didn't want to burden you further but these heavy thoughts are eating me from the inside out." The Empress pleaded.

Court Maid Hsu knew something was constantly weighing on the Empress' mind these days and she wanted to help her as much as she could. "Of course I'll help, Your Highness. Let me share your burden."

"Thank you, Yi Ting." The Empress smiled in relief.

"I.." The Empress took a deep breath before continuing. "This place means a lot to me. I met him for the first time here. And we had so many good times together in this garden."

Court Maid Hsu automatically assumed the Empress was talking about Emperor Lee Hwi. "But didn't you meet His Imperial Majesty for the first time during your marriage ceremony?"

The Empress turned to look at Court Maid Hsu and smiled wistfully. "Not him. His twin brother, Lee Han."

"I don't unders-" As far as Court Maid Hsu knew, Emperor Lee Hwi didn't have any siblings.

"You're confused, aren't you? I don't blame you. I thought he was Emperor Lee Hwi too when I saw him for the first time. But there was something different." The Empress mused, her eyes clouded with her memories as she spoke. "Something in his eyes and the way he carried himself. I knew it couldn't have been Emperor Lee Hwi."

The Empress gave a sad smile before continuing. "And I was instantly infatuated with him and have been so ever since then."

The Empress took another deep breath. "On the night when he left, we- We laid together as man and woman. A-and I got pregnant. This baby that I'm carrying right now is his. Not Emperor Lee Hwi's.."

The last sentence was left hanging in the silence of the air. There wasn't even a wisp of wind to break the stillness of the night. Court Maid Hsu was dumbfounded by the Empress's shocking revelation.

"But.. Your Highness, How could you be sure?"

The Empress let out a small humorless laugh. "Do you remember the time when I was constantly nauseous in the mornings? That started a few days after Han left. I just brushed it off as me being upset about him leaving. But I've been doing some thinking lately.. And I remember that my body had already started to change a few weeks before Emperor Lee Hwi's scheduled visit to my private chambers."

The Empress let out another humorless laughter. "His Imperial Majesty even commented on the changes himself during his visit."

"You might not know this, Yi Ting. But I entered the Empress selection just to please my parents. I never thought that I was qualified enough for the position. If there was a ranking of noble families, our family would be at the very bottom. We had been losing both power and money over the years. There were leaks in our roofs and weeds in our courtyard since I could remember because we didn't have the money to hire people to attend to them. That was also the reason why I entered the selection. Just so we could maintain our family's meager image to the public. But somehow- Somehow I was chosen."

"I still remember the day of the result announcement. My parents and I were ecstatic. Me marrying into the royal family would instantly solve all of the problems that we've faced for years. I was extremely thankful and was ready to devote myself to the emperor to show my gratitude. But, who knew that there were two emperors?" The Empress sighed.

Court Maid Hsu barely processed the previous information about Emperor Lee Hwi having an identical brother who was hidden to the public before being thrown into more confusion. "Your Highness, what do you mean two emperors?"

"Yi Ting, Lee Han isn't just Emperor Lee Hwi's hidden brother. He is, or was, a shadow emperor. They were both switching places all the time. Emperor Lee Hwi and Lee Han are identical brothers, but they have very different temperaments and personalities. Emperor Lee Hwi is more book smart and logical. He's a soft-spoken man but could always hold himself steadily in any debate." The Empress praised admiringly.

But her tone and demeanor shifted when she mentioned Lee Han. Her voice was softer and imbued with tenderness when she spoke about him. "Lee Han on the other hand was hotheaded and impulsive but he was much more talented in martial arts and weaponry. That was their, or should I say the Empress Mother's, strategy for maintaining power. When I married into the family, they had me sign an agreement. To ensure that I won't leak any information of the imperial family out, not even to my own family back home. What I didn't know at the time was that "information" was actually this huge royal secret." The Empress scoffed weakly.

Court Maid Hsu was trying her best to digest all of the sudden information she knew she didn't have any place knowing. Never in a million years would she think the Empress's confession to be something like this. This was scandalous. And what's bizarre was that the scandal of the royal love triangle paled in comparison to the royal secret of the hidden emperor.

"Emperor Lee Hwi is a good man. I don't think he had any inkling about Han and I. And even though I don't love him, I don't want him to get hurt. All I'm feeling for him now is guilt and it's causing a fissure in our relationship. What should I do, Yi Ting? Should I tell him the truth?" The Empress asked helplessly.

Court Maid Hsu hesitated before opening her mouth. "You mentioned that this identical brother of the emperor has left? As in, he's no longer in the Imperial Palace?"

"Yes."

"Then, you need to keep it a secret. Pardon me for saying this, Your Highness, but it isn't only about you and your feelings anymore. You need to protect the baby that you're carrying. Nothing good would come from word spreading about the baby not being His Imperial Majesty's legitimate child."

The Empress thought it over as she held a hand over the small bump on her stomach protectively and said, "You're right, Yi Ting."

*******

At first, Ye An doubted her ears. Then, the ground started caving in beneath her. She could only hear the sudden gushing and pounding of the blood in her ears all the while tasting the metallic tang of blood in her mouth as teeth pierced the inside of her lips.

Ye An was suddenly caught in a limbo of not knowing what to feel or how to react. Yes, she was unprepared for the information that she wasn't actually Emperor Lee Hwi's daughter. But the impact of that information paled in comparison to the small detail that she was actually Lee Han's daughter. Lee Han. Someone she didn't even know existed until a while ago.

Trying to collect her jumbled emotions, Ye An suddenly had a terrifying thought. "Was Lee Han the one who orchestrated the entire rebellion?"

+*Thanks for reading! Please vote, comment, and follow if you like what you've read <3*+