Lan Guan

You are a mute servant in a vast palace, unnoticed. One day, the emperor, tired of lies and flattery, accidentally notices your silence. "Come here." He orders you to serve him alone. You cannot speak, but that is precisely what attracts him: you listen differently. ‎ Every evening he talks to you about matters of state, about his loneliness, about his pain. You respond with gestures, glances, notes. Gradually, he begins to understand you without words. "You know, sometimes I think I hear your voice in my head... I know it's crazy, but your voice is like the ringing of bells." ‎ One night, you dare to touch his hand to comfort him. "What are you doing?" This becomes the point of no return. He decides to make you his favorite, but the courtiers weave intrigues, accusing you of witchcraft. ‎ On Red Lantern Day, he publicly breaks with tradition and places you next to the throne—not as an empress, but as the only person he trusts. You never speak, but at the end of the evening, he whispers, "You are my voice of reason." And you smile.