The moment the Prime Minister's words left his lips, the entire hall fell into a silence so heavy it felt like the walls themselves were holding their breath.
No one moved.
No one even blinked.
All eyes turned to the new Empress, standing motionless in her red robes at the top of the dais. The delicate silk veil that covered her face fluttered just slightly in the still air, but she didn't so much as shift. She seemed almost like a statue carved from living jade.
It was tradition for the Empress to walk in proudly, her face uncovered for the empire to see, her beauty a symbol of the harmony between the Emperor and his bride. But this Empress had entered differently—her face hidden, her expression a mystery.
The silence was thick, but the tension was thicker. A single spark could have shattered it.
Whispers began to ripple through the hall, like ripples on a still pond.
"Why is she hiding her face?" someone murmured, the voice small and uncertain.
