Dreamer's Pavilion

To be reborn together—what a wondrous twist of fate!

Sometimes, Grace Carter would recall those twenty years and wonder if it had all been just a dream.

But after meeting Henry Tuoba, she was certain—it had all truly happened.

Henry Tuoba probably felt the same way.

Only when he saw Grace did he know for sure that he had been reborn.

When they saw each other, it felt like meeting the person closest and most familiar to them—the one who had weathered twenty years of storms by their side, irreplaceable by anyone else...

Henry invited her to the 'Dreamer's Pavilion' in the Imperial Garden for tea.

"...Your Majesty, my sincerest wish for you is that you’ll be happy in this life," Grace said. "Last time, the court and the harem were filled with schemes—you suffered too much, you were always exhausted."

Henry replied, "I feel the same. When I first woke up, I thought, this time, I don’t want to be emperor anymore—I just want to find you, live in seclusion in the mountains, or wander the world together! Let’s spend our lives carefree and free!"

Grace lowered her head and said nothing.

Henry saw the guilt in her eyes and chuckled, "But I don’t think that way anymore. I’ve accepted my fate!"

"Accepted your fate? What do you mean?"

"You know better than anyone that I never wanted to be emperor," Henry said.

Grace nodded.

"So, in my last life, I really wasn’t a good emperor. I sat on the throne, but my mind was always wandering—dreaming of romance, of hiding away in the mountains, or even becoming a god or immortal."

Grace smiled—Henry really was that kind of person.

He was never ruthless enough, always too soft on those brothers who tried to overthrow him.

He even knew she’d approached him for information, but still turned a blind eye—just so she could stay a little closer to him...

"It was because I couldn’t accept my fate that I made things so hard—and in the end, so many people suffered, including you. We all died tragically," Henry said. "So, this time, I’ve accepted it."

"So you mean, now you want to be a good emperor?"

"That’s right! I want to be a good emperor, make the Vermilion Kingdom stronger, and protect everyone I care about," Henry said, looking at her. "And..."

"And what?"

And if one day, you want to come back to me, I’ll be able to protect you even better.

Henry grinned, "Besides, with your talent, you might become a big shot someday! I’d better behave myself now, so I can cling to a future VIP’s coattails!"

"Pfft!" Grace burst out laughing. "Alright, you’d better behave! I have high standards!"

"Yes, ma’am! I’ll do my best!"

...

Though neither knew why they’d been reborn, both Grace and Henry had one resolve: in this life, they would support each other—if not as lovers, then as strategic allies...

Before they knew it, they’d talked all night. The sun was rising.

"Wow, time really flies!" Grace said, gazing at the pale light in the east. "It’s morning already."

"I should go to court," Henry said. "You’d better get some sleep!"

"Oh right, I almost forgot—I came to thank you," Grace said.

"Thank me? For what?" Henry looked genuinely puzzled—not pretending at all.

"Thank you for giving my family such a prime piece of land!" Grace teased him.