Liliana floated around aimlessly. No one could see her anyway. It was strange though. As a ghost, she wasn't afraid of sunlight at all. Guess those horror movies she'd watched before weren't so accurate.
She had been sticking close to that brat these past few days. Except for the beginning, she hadn't really gone anywhere else.
She wandered around without purpose and made a big discovery. She couldn't float outside the palace.
Yes, she had just tried floating to the palace wall, thinking she could pass through like usual. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get through.
Then she tried following behind some palace servants who were exiting through a small gate, but it was like there was an invisible wall. She still couldn't get out.
Forget it. No use thinking about it. The palace was big enough anyway, and in her past life, she never had a chance to visit the Forbidden City.
Now in this life, she had the chance to enjoy a free royal tour.
Since no one could see her, Liliana followed a group of young eunuchs and wandered around freely. In modern terms, it was just a "city walk."
The eunuchs entered the imperial garden, then scattered off in different directions to do their own tasks.
Liliana looked at the garden in front of her, with its pavilions, exotic flowers, old cypress trees, winding stone paths, koi fish swimming lazily, and scattered rockeries around a calm pond. She couldn't help but sigh. It really was beautiful. The royals sure knew how to enjoy life.
She stood by a pond, staring at the plump koi fish in the water, lost in thought.
Far away, someone was watching her with a sharp gaze. He wore a golden robe, his face handsome and calm, eyebrows slanted sharply, a high nose bridge, and pale thin lips. He carried the aura of someone in a high position.
Cassian had just finished his lunch and unexpectedly decided to take a walk in the imperial garden. But then, he saw something strange.
He realized that only he seemed to notice the odd sight. The eunuchs around him didn't react at all.
Looking carefully, he saw the figure of a woman. From afar, she appeared slender and delicate, her waist so thin it could be held in one hand. She wore odd clothes that exposed her pale ankles, and her pinkish round feet were off the ground.
Liliana was still watching the fish, unaware of the intense gaze locked on her. If she couldn't feel that sharp, cutting stare, she might have just floated off again.
Wait, wasn't the young prince still in the hall? Could it be... someone else could see her too?
She turned toward the person with a bit of excitement. What a handsome man. His aura was a bit overwhelming though. She wasn't stupid. Based on his clothes and the people around him, he must be the emperor.
It was one thing to scare a teenage boy, but this was the emperor. What if he called a priest to get rid of her?
Cassian's brows tightened. He had just observed her closely. Her figure was more beautiful than any woman in the empire. Every part of her looked perfect. But when she turned her face, he couldn't make out her features.
This young emperor, who had just come of age, suddenly felt annoyed. He wanted to blow away that mist and see what the ghost girl really looked like. She wasn't afraid of the royal energy of the palace, and she wasn't afraid of sunlight either.
Eunuch Kerian, who had served beside the emperor for years, sensed that something was strange today. The emperor had come to the garden and kept staring at the pond.
But there was nothing in that pond except fish.
Cassian waved his hand and dismissed the attendants.
Even though Eunuch Kerian was puzzled inside, he didn't dare question the emperor. He bowed low and quietly stepped back.
As the people around slowly left, Liliana suddenly felt her right eyelid twitch twice.
She was still stuck in the palace. If the emperor saw her as some evil spirit and had her exorcised, that would be bad.
She still wanted to be reincarnated in her next life, maybe as a cat or a dog. Even a turtle would be fine. Anything was better than being completely destroyed.
Sensing something wasn't right, she decided to turn and float away.
"Stop." The emperor's voice was deep and commanding, filled with authority. The pressure from someone in power made Liliana freeze on the spot.
Forget it. Whether you face the blade now or later, it's the same.
"Come here." Cassian noticed she was trying to leave. She was afraid of him. His mood worsened even more.
Liliana floated slower than a turtle crawling in a pond, moving lazily toward Emperor Cassian.
On the way, she had already imagined over a hundred terrible ways she might die and disappear forever.
As she got closer, Cassian smelled a mix of cedarwood and sunlight. It was strange, but the two scents somehow matched well.
"What are you?" The floating figure in front of him was shorter than him by a head. If she stood on the ground, she would probably only reach his shoulder.
"Your Majesty, I think I'm a ghost."
Cassian didn't expect her to admit it so directly.
"Do you know the punishment for dealing with ghosts and spirits in the palace?"
Liliana felt a chill down her back. She had seen enough TV dramas to know that even playing with a voodoo doll in the palace could get your entire family killed. She was a real ghost. Even though she had no family, she was terrified of being destroyed.
"Your Majesty, I really don't know why I ended up like this. When I woke up, I was already like this. I don't know who I am. I can't remember anything. Your Majesty, I am a good ghost. I've never done anything evil. You are wise and fair. I believe you will treat me justly and not punish me without reason."
Survival Rule One: pretend to have lost your memory.
Survival Rule Two: praise like your life depends on it.
After a round of compliments and acting innocent, Liliana felt that Cassian seemed to be in a better mood.
Cassian looked at the little ghost in front of him. He couldn't see her face clearly, but her voice was clear and light, and her body was slim. She seemed to be very young, probably around twenty. Her little mouth was good at talking, putting a crown of praise right on his head.
"Do you know that lying to the emperor is a serious crime? The Grand Seer of this empire doesn't just read stars and predict fate. He also knows how to catch ghosts."
Cassian thought this little ghost was kind of interesting and decided to play with her a little.
Hearing that she might be caught, Liliana panicked. What if she got taken away and destroyed? That couldn't happen.
She got so scared that she forgot she was a ghost. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm. "Please, Your Majesty, don't let the Seer take me. I... I... I can give you a wish."
Trying to save her ghost life, she spoke without thinking. Then she noticed something shocking. She was holding something real.
She had tried many times with Prince Allennon before. Usually, her hands went right through people and objects. But now, she could actually touch something solid.
There was no time to think about why this happened. The most important thing now was staying alive.
Cassian didn't expect her to touch him. If she were really brave, her pale fingers wouldn't be shaking.
"You can give me one wish?"
"Yes." She lied. She wasn't some kind of magic lamp genie. But she had to say something. She needed to get through this moment, escape later, and figure things out afterward.
"You think I'm the emperor and don't already have everything I want?"
That was true. He ruled the empire. What could he possibly need?
"But people always want something they can't have. Maybe not now, but one day you might." Even the First Emperor wanted to live forever. People always have desires. She didn't believe this cold and serious man had no wishes.
"Your Majesty, please spare me. Maybe one day I'll be useful to you. I swear, if I ever do anything bad, may lightning strike me and may I stay single forever." She looked up at him, begging for mercy.
Cassian imagined her little mouth moving as she talked, her expression both flattering and serious.
"What is your name?"
When she heard that he was finally softening, Liliana finally felt a bit of relief.
"My name is Liliana. I don't remember anything else." Being in the palace meant being careful with every word. She wasn't lying. Her nickname really was Liliana.
"Don't even think about running. Besides the Grand Seer, the palace also has many skilled people."
"Unbelievable. Whether it's TV or real life, emperors always have a hundred tricks up their sleeve." She couldn't even leave. It was exactly what he wanted.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I won't run." When you're stuck under someone else's roof, you have no choice but to obey.