The moon was pale and bright above the quiet palace courtyard.
Shu Min stood beside her window, unable to sleep, staring out at the night sky that never seemed to calm her thoughts.
Then—
a shadow moved.
A tall figure leaned lightly against a tree near her quarters, half-hidden in the moonlight, mask glinting faintly.
Her heart jumped.
The same masked man from the marketplace.
She narrowed her eyes, leaning closer to the window.
"What is he doing here…?"
Instead of panicking, she lifted her hand and made a sharp, annoyed gesture—
"Wait."
The masked man straightened immediately, almost like he recognized the command and didn't dare disobey.
He didn't move, didn't speak, only stood silently under the tree, the moonlight outlining his tall, composed figure.
Shu Min muttered under her breath,
"Unbelievable… Does he live in trees now?"
She grabbed her outer robe and quietly slipped out of her room, hurried down the small path, and marched straight toward him.
Shu Min narrowed her eyes the moment she saw the masked man step out from behind the tree.
"YOU again?" she whispered harshly, rushing forward before anyone noticed anything.
"Why are you here? Why are you haunting every corner I go?!"
Li Zhan blinked behind the mask, startled.
"I...I am not haunting anyone. You told me to wait."
"I didn't tell you to stand outside my window!" she hissed, pointing her finger at him.
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
She glared harder.
"Fine! Before anything..give my scarf back."
Li Zhan stood frozen.
He forgot the scarf in his own room.
"I… don't have it right now," he said stiffly.
Shu Min looked offended, then gasped dramatically,
"So you barged into my room that night, stole my scarf, refused to thank me for help you, and now you show up like some ghost lurking under the moon!"
"I didn't steal anything, you gave me , i didn't ask for" he muttered. "And I came here to ....give.."
He pulled the small pendant
from inside his sleeve.
Shu Min's eyes widened.
"Th..that star pendant… How did you—did you follow me?!"
Li Zhan immediately shook his head violently.
"No!"
She instantly said
"Yes!"
"No. I simply…" he straightened his back, trying to regain composure, "…noticed you looking at it earlier. So I bought it. That is all."
"So you were following me!"
"I was NOT."
"You were!"
"I was NOT following you,"
he insisted, voice lowering into that heavy, commanding tone he usually used in court except now he was trying not to scare her.
"I was in the market for work. I saw you at the stall. That is all."
Shu Min squinted at him.
"What kind of work does a masked man have in market and also at night?"
"Inspection."
He immediately regretted the honesty.
"Inspection? At night ?"
She leaned forward.
"Are you some secret guard or something?"
He answered slowly
"…Something like that."
She hummed, still suspicious.
Then, more quietly:
"You… saw them too, didn't you? Those malnourished people. Those children. You saw how bad their condition is."
For the first time, Li Zhan's expression softened visibly behind the mask.
"…Yes."
"It hurt me to look at them," she whispered, clutching her own hands.
"I want to help them. But if I go alone, I might get caught. I need…"
She paused, embarrassed, "…help."
Li Zhan blinked.
"From me?"
"Yes," she said firmly.
Then added,
"You look strong."
"…I am." he said proudly with little smile under his masked
"And also suspicious enough to scare away trouble."
Lizhan replied with husky voice
"…I try not to be."
"Good. Then it balances out."
Li Zhan stared at her, slowly losing every piece of imperial pride he had left.
"Why do you talk like helping starving villagers ?"
"Because someone must help them! And if the king won't, then at least we should."
Li Zhan stiffened.
"…The king?"
"Yes! ..hmm.. Whoever he is, he clearly doesn't know what's happening. Or he knows and doesn't care."
She folded her arms.
"Either way, useless."
Li Zhan nearly choked behind the mask.
"…Useless?"
She replied little dramatically
"Yes. Useless."
He took a deep breath, silently counting to ten so he didn't reveal himself.
Shu Min tilted her head.
"So? Will you help me?"
He wanted to refuse.
He really, really wanted to refuse.
But the way she was looking at him stubborn, fiery, completely unaware she was insulting the king directly to the king...
"…Fine."
Her face brightened instantly.
"Really?"
"Yes. But only because you… deserve proper thanks."
She blinked.
"So the pendant is a thank-you gift?"
"Yes."
"That's too small."
"…Too small?"
"Yes,"
she said confidently.
"If you really want to thank me, then help me fix what's happening in that market. Protect me when I go there secretly."
Li Zhan slowly dragged a hand across his face.
"What have I gotten myself into…" he muttered under his breath..
Shu Min crossed her arms.
"So… since you apparently know how to walk on roofs, jump from trees, and appear out of nowhere..when can you go with me?"
Li Zhan hesitated. "Go?"
"To the village," she reminded him, as if talking to a slow child.
"Tomorrow. After dinner."
He opened his mouth to reject instantly
He was the Emperor, he had a court meeting, three documents waiting, and an entire kingdom watching him.
But instead, what came out was:
"…Okay."
He almost winced at himself.
Shu Min blinked, surprised. "You agreed? That fast?"
Li Zhan's voice dropped, softer than he intended,
"It's important."
She watched him for a moment. Something in her expression softened like she finally saw a human behind that mask.
Then she suddenly asked,
"And your name?"
Li Zhan froze.
"My… name isn't important."
"Yes it is," she insisted. "What should I call you? 'Hey you'? 'Tree-lurker'? 'Creepy roof man'?"
"…Call me anything you want."
She squinted suspiciously. "Anything?"
He nodded once.
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Fine. Then I'll call you… Masked Man."
Li Zhan internally: Out of all names in the world…
But aloud he only said, "…As you wish."
She hid a small laugh behind her hand.
"Okay then, Masked Man. See you tomorrow night."
She turned to leave, but paused under the moonlight and glanced back.
"Good night."