Ghost in the palace Chapter 282: — The Silence That Should Not Exist

Chapter 282: — The Silence That Should Not Exist

The capital had returned to its usual rhythm.

Markets were lively again.

Tea houses buzzed with gossip.

Noble families resud banquets, visits, and celebrations as if nothing unusual had ever happened.

And yet—

Sothing was wrong.

Terribly wrong.

—

Inside the palace, the Emperor stood by the window of his study, staring at the city beyond.

A week ago—

The entire palace had been shaken by the news of a young noble girl’s "suicide."

Rumors had spread like wildfire.

Whispers filled every corridor.

Questions had been asked.

Doubts had ford.

—

But now?

Nothing.

—

No one spoke about it anymore.

Not the servants.

Not the nobles.

Not even the families.

—

As if—

It had never happened.

—

"...Impossible."

The Emperor murmured under his breath.

—

A week was not enough ti for sothing like that to disappear.

Not in the capital.

Not among nobles.

—

And yet—

It had.

—

Before he could think further—

A palace guard rushed in.

"Your Majesty!"

—

The Emperor turned sharply.

"What is it?"

—

The guard knelt.

"There has been another incident."

—

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

"...Speak."

—

"Three noblen were found dead."

—

Silence.

—

"...How?"

—

The guard hesitated.

"...Suicide, Your Majesty."

—

The Emperor’s gaze hardened instantly.

—

"Prepare the carriage."

—

The Scene

The Shin Chan Lu residence was surrounded.

Guards stood at every corner.

Servants whispered in fear.

Family mbers cried openly.

—

The mont the Emperor arrived—

Everyone dropped to their knees.

"Your Majesty!"

—

He didn’t respond.

—

He walked straight inside.

—

The sll hit him first.

—

Rot.

Decay.

—

The bodies—

Had already begun decomposing.

—

Which ant—

They had not died recently.

—

The Emperor’s expression darkened.

"...When were they found?"

—

"Just this morning, Your Majesty."

—

"...And no one noticed earlier?"

—

The servant trembled.

"No... no, Your Majesty..."

—

Impossible.

—

These were nobles.

Living in a large household.

—

How could no one notice?

—

The Emperor stepped closer.

—

The bodies—

Were in separate rooms.

—

Each one—

In the sa condition.

—

Still.

Expressionless.

—

But the decay—

Didn’t match the tiline.

—

It was as if—

Ti itself had twisted.

—

"Bring

the notes."

—

A servant hurried forward, holding trembling hands.

—

Three papers.

—

Each written in the sa style.

—

The Emperor took one.

Read.

—

"I am tired of living."

"There is nothing left."

"This world has no aning."

—

His fingers tightened.

—

"...The sa."

—

The sa tone.

The sa structure.

The sa emptiness.

—

Just like—

That girl.

—

He read the second.

The third.

—

Identical.

—

Too identical.

—

"...Who found them?"

—

"Their family, Your Majesty..."

—

The Emperor turned.

The family stood nearby.

Crying.

Shaking.

—

One of them spoke through tears,

"He... he was fine..."

—

"He was laughing yesterday..."

—

"He said he was going to travel..."

—

The Emperor froze.

"...Travel?"

—

"Yes..."

"He was happy..."

—

The Emperor’s gaze darkened.

—

"...Happy."

—

Just like—

Before.

—

Return to the Palace

The atmosphere in the palace was heavy.

—

Inside a private chamber—

The Emperor sat with:

Prince Liang

Lady Chen

The Dowager Empress

—

The suicide notes lay on the table.

—

Silence filled the room.

—

Prince Liang was the first to speak.

"...This doesn’t make sense."

—

The Emperor didn’t respond.

—

Prince Liang continued,

"I saw these n yesterday."

—

"They were completely normal."

—

"They even told

about their travel plans."

—

"They were excited."

—

Lady Chen nodded slightly.

"That is strange..."

—

The Dowager frowned.

"...People can hide their feelings."

—

Prince Liang shook his head.

"No."

—

"This is not hidden sadness."

—

"This is..."

He paused.

"...Sothing else."

—

The Emperor finally spoke.

"...It’s the sa."

—

All eyes turned to him.

—

"The girl."

—

"The one who ’committed suicide.’"

—

"The note was the sa."

—

Lady Chen blinked.

"...What girl?"

—

The Emperor looked at her.

—

Silence.

—

Then—

He realized.

—

She didn’t rember.

—

"...You don’t recall?"

—

Lady Chen frowned slightly.

"No..."

—

The Dowager spoke,

"There was no such incident."

—

The Emperor’s heart dropped.

—

"...There was."

—

"A week ago."

—

"A noble girl."

—

"Sa note."

—

Prince Liang’s expression changed.

"...I... vaguely rember sothing..."

—

Then he frowned.

"...Or do I?"

—

Confusion filled his face.

—

Lady Chen shook her head.

"No, Your Majesty."

—

"There was no such news."

—

The Dowager nodded.

"If sothing like that happened, we would know."

—

The Emperor leaned back slowly.

—

Cold realization creeping in.

—

"...So I am the only one who rembers."

—

Silence.

—

Heavy.

—

Unnatural.

—

He picked up the notes again.

—

"...This is not suicide."

—

Prince Liang nodded.

"Yes."

—

"These n were not depressed."

—

"They were planning their future."

—

Lady Chen spoke softly,

"...Then what is it?"

—

The Emperor didn’t answer imdiately.

—

Because he already knew.

—

But he had no proof.

—

And without proof—

No one would believe him.

—

The Truth No One Sees

The Emperor stood by the window again later that night.

—

His mind replaying everything.

—

The girl.

The notes.

The forgotten mory.

—

Now—

Three more deaths.

Sa pattern.

Sa words.

Sa disappearance of truth.

—

"...Soone is controlling this."

—

Not just death.

—

But mory.

—

Reality itself.

—

His gaze turned cold.

—

"...And they are inside the palace."

—

Because only soone close—

Could erase sothing so completely.

—

Outside—

The palace stood silent.

—

Peaceful.

Unaware.

—

But inside—

Sothing was spreading.

—

Quietly.

—

Erasing truth.

Replacing reality.

—

And the most terrifying part—

—

No one rembered.

—

Except him.

Whisper in the Shrine

The palace shrine stood quiet beneath the soft glow of oil lamps.

Incense smoke curled slowly into the air, carrying a faint, calming fragrance. Outside, the world continued its usual rhythm—but inside this sacred space, ti felt slower, heavier... as if sothing unseen lingered.

—

Lian An (the Empress) stood before the altar, her hands folded calmly.

But her eyes—

Were not at peace.

—

Footsteps echoed softly behind her.

Two figures entered.

Her friends from the north.

Han Wei and Mu Jian.

—

They bowed slightly out of habit.

"hello lian an ."

—

Lian An turned.

"No need for formalities."

Her voice was quiet.

"We are not in court."

—

Han Wei exhaled softly.

"Good."

Mu Jian glanced around the shrine, then spoke in a low voice,

"We heard the news."

—

Lian An didn’t ask which news.

She already knew.

—

"The noblen," Mu Jian continued.

"...They say the bodies were rotten."

—

Han Wei frowned deeply.

"...That part caught our attention."

—

Silence settled between them.

—

Lian An stepped aside, gesturing toward the inner area.

"Co."

—

They moved deeper into the shrine.

Far from wandering ears.

Far from curious eyes.

—

The lamps flickered slightly.

—

Then—

Lian An spoke.

"...This is not the first ti."

—

Both n looked at her.

—

"There was a girl."

"A noble family."

—

Han Wei frowned.

"...When?"

—

"...A week ago."

—

Mu Jian exchanged a look with him.

"...We didn’t hear about it."

—

Lian An gave a faint, bitter smile.

"No one did."

—

"...Because no one rembers."

—

Silence.

—

Heavy.

Unsettling.

—

Han Wei stepped closer.

"...Explain."

—

Lian An’s gaze lowered slightly.

"The girl died the sa way."

"Sa note."

"Sa... emptiness."

—

Mu Jian’s expression hardened.

"...And now she’s forgotten?"

—

"Yes."

—

Han Wei slowly turned his head, scanning the shrine as if expecting sothing to appear from the shadows.

"...That’s not natural."

—

Mu Jian spoke next, his tone lower,

"In the north..."

—

Both n instinctively glanced around again.

—

"...We’ve seen sothing like this."

—

Lian An’s eyes lifted slightly.

—

Han Wei continued,

"Villages... where people died suddenly."

"No wounds."

"No illness."

—

Mu Jian finished,

"...But their bodies—"

"...rotted faster than they should."

—

Silence.

—

The sa detail.

—

Lian An didn’t interrupt.

—

Han Wei’s voice dropped further,

"...We were told those cases were linked to sothing forbidden."

—

Mu Jian’s eyes darkened.

"...Black magic."

—

The word seed to echo unnaturally in the shrine.

—

Even the flas flickered.

—

Lian An didn’t react outwardly.

—

But inside—

Her thoughts aligned.

—

The lake.

The sleepwalking.

The invisible force pulling her.

—

Princess Zhi.

Her loss.

Her strange state.

—

And now—

These deaths.

—

She didn’t say it aloud.

—

But she knew.

—

"...It’s connected."

—

Mu Jian watched her carefully.

"You’ve experienced sothing, haven’t you?"

—

Lian An remained silent.

—

Han Wei stepped closer.

"...Your accident."

"...That wasn’t normal."

—

Still—

She didn’t answer.

—

But her silence—

Was enough.

—

Mu Jian exhaled slowly.

"...Then it’s here."

—

"In the capital."

—

"In the palace."

—

Han Wei clenched his jaw.

"...That ans whoever is doing this..."

"...is powerful."

—

"And close."

—

The shrine felt colder.

—

Lian An finally spoke.

"...Don’t say this outside."

—

Both n nodded imdiately.

—

"Until we have proof..."

"...no one will believe us."

—

Mu Jian added quietly,

"And worse—"

"...it will alert them."

—

Han Wei’s gaze sharpened.

"...Whoever they are."

—

Silence returned.

—

The three of them stood there.

Bound by the sa realization.

—

This was no longer isolated.

—

This was spreading.

—

Quietly.

—

Systematically.

—

Lian An turned back toward the altar.

Her expression calm again.

But her eyes—

Determined.

—

"...We watch."

—

"We don’t act blindly."

—

Han Wei nodded.

"...Agreed."

—

Mu Jian added,

"...And we prepare."

—

Because whatever was happening—

Was only beginning.

—

Outside the shrine—

The palace remained peaceful.

—

Unaware.

—

That sothing dark—

Had already taken root within it.

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