When I entered the palace, I was only fourteen years old. My uncle asked me if I wanted to become the Princess Consort of the new king. "Who's the new king?" I asked, curious. My uncle smiled kindly and said, "The new king is naturally the former Crown Prince." "Crown Prince?" I widened my eyes and nodded, "Then I'll do it." So I moved into Aurora Palace and became Princess Consort Sh. I was an unpopular Princess Consort, but that was nothing new as none of the Princess Consorts in the palace were favored. It was rumored that the king was afflicted with a mysterious illness. It wasn't a big deal, really, he just didn't like women equally. The king never summoned anyone to his chambers, preferring to read dossiers instead. However, he was handsome and kind-hearted. I found myself becoming fond of the king, but I had only seen him three times during my two years in the palace. One time was during the selection process, another was during a banquet, and the third was in the palace gardens when I saw him discussing matters with his ministers from afar. He had shown only a gentle profile, but I thought he looked incredibly attractive. The king was kind-hearted in all other aspects except for his aversion to women and men. It would have been great if he liked me, but he probably didn't even know my name, let alone remember me. It was frustrating. How could I make the king notice me? I rubbed my stomach and realized it was time for dinner. After filling my stomach, I decided to take a proactive approach. There weren't many Princess Consorts in the palace, and they hadn't been favored before, but what if the king fell for someone else? I had to act fast. I clenched the shuttlecock in my hand and gave myself a pep talk. However, I was too dense to come up with any reasons to approach the king. Falling down? That tactic had already been used by Princess Consort De, and the king had only asked the guards to help her up and left. Sending soup? That wouldn't work either, as the medicine Princess Consort LI sent was spilled by the eunuchs. Most importantly, the king didn't like to visit the imperial harem. If I waited for him to come on his own, I wouldn't know how long I'd have to wait. My head ached from thinking too much, so I buried it in my arm and sighed. Trying to win over the king was really difficult. I don't know how, but my luck suddenly became incredibly good. Whenever I wanted to see the king, I could never seem to find him, but when I was carrying my shuttlecock and wandering around with the maid, I bumped into him. This time, the king was alone in the garden gazebo with no ministers or guards around. I tugged at the feathers on the shuttlecock and wondered if this was what people called a chance encounter. Regardless, I had to seize this opportunity. Who knew when the king would visit the garden again? As they say, strike while the iron is hot. I asked my maid, Claire, to stay quiet and walked up to the king by myself. Since Princess Consort De and Princess Consort LI's tactics didn't work, I suspected the king was an honest person. Perhaps I could follow Claire's advice and greet him boldly. I approached him, lowered my head in respect, and spoke with a gentle tone, "I pay my respects to the king." The king helped me up and asked, "And you are?" "I am Princess Consort Sh, residing in Aurora Palace. I pay my respects to the king," I said. It was a perfect meeting and a perfect conversation, something I had rehearsed in my mind countless times. However, the moment I stood in front of the king, the breath I had been holding escaped me, and my heart pounded in my chest. The king looked at me, his eyes full of unfamiliarity and surprise. I felt my face flush and my eyes stuck to him, unwilling to look away. Eventually, the king spoke first, "…Are you Princess Consort Sh who lives in Aurora Palace?" I let out a light "Ah," unable to think about why the king knew me and eagerly nodded, "Yes, I am Princess Consort Sh, no, no, no, I mean I am a humble servant, Princess Consort Sh living in Aurora Palace." What a mess. I was annoyed with myself as I realized I hadn't even given my respects to the king yet. But before I could, the king laughed softly, covering his mouth with a fist. I felt embarrassed but also pleased. The king was smiling at me! Over the years, I had only seen him a few times, and though he always had a gentle manner, he never smiled before. Seeing him laughing was a first for me. The king… did he not dislike me? This chance encounter brought me joy. If the king didn't dislike me, it meant that he could possibly like me. I gazed at him as he smiled down at me, then he reached out and gently touched my head. It tickled, but it also felt comfortable. This was a strange experience for me.

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