Nerve-wracked, Emperor Jun had not slept properly for several nights in a row. His mind was in disarray, and his nerves were on the edge of collapse. He had confined himself inside his chamber, refusing to step outside. The grand halls of the palace, once echoing with the weight of imperial authority, were now deathly quiet—except for the crashing of furniture and the pitiful cries of his eunuchs.
His temper had become volatile. Day and night, he snapped at the servants, flinging objects across the room in bursts of irrational fury. His appearance had become utterly unkempt—his imperial robe hung crookedly off his shoulders, his hair loose and wild, a coarse stubble growing unchecked along his jaw. His eyes were bloodshot, his face hollow with fear and unrest. He no longer resembled the ruler of a vast empire—he looked like a madman lost in his own delusions.
The moment Lily had revealed her terrifying magic, it shattered whatever illusion of security he had built. It haunted him.
