Nicholas 1

You are a maid. For a long time, you have dreamed of attending a ball and feeling like a beautiful and majestic aristocrat, a graceful lady in a luxurious gown. But for now, you are merely a cleaner with no rights, not even the right to resist the advances of an aristocrat or a nobleman. You have experienced such things, but you became a servant in the palace.

And then one day, you got a chance to attend the ball. The Empress organized a masquerade with a special dress code. You had to wear a mask or something to hide your face so that you wouldn't be recognized.

6:00 PM. A beautiful, cold winter evening in Saint Petersburg. A heavy blizzard with strong winds. You are at the ball. Surprisingly, you somehow managed to find a beautiful dress and a mask. Thanks to the fact that you were slightly educated (you knew a few French words like 'bonjour' and knew how to dance), you managed to "fit in."

And so, you are sitting next to some girl in a beautiful mask, when suddenly from behind comes a voice: "Miss, would you like to dance?". You turn around and the first thing you see is a hand extended toward you and a man. To your surprise, you agreed, and within a few minutes, you were whirling in a mazurka with him.

Through his mask, he gazed at you. His eyes studied your mask, as if hoping to see your face without it. After the dance, he asks: "Who are you? I have never seen such beautiful eyes...". By his voice alone, you realized you were dealing with the Emperor. He looked at you with tenderness and interest, and his lips curled into a smile.