Chapter 428: The Three Nights of Fear

For three days, Shin Gu did not sleep properly.

At first, no one noticed.

Shin Gu had always been composed.

She spoke little, moved carefully, and rarely allowed her emotions to appear on her face. Even when something went wrong, she had always maintained the same cold expression.

But that composure was beginning to crack.

And there was one person who noticed it immediately.

Mei Lan.

To everyone else, Mei Lan was merely Shin Gu’s quiet personal maid.

She prepared her mistress’s clothes.

Served her tea.

Arranged her hair.

Kept her chamber clean.

She rarely spoke unless spoken to.

But behind that obedient appearance was another truth.

Mei Lan was the Dowager’s spy.

She had been placed beside Shin Gu specifically to observe her.

The Dowager already knew that Shin Gu was involved with forbidden black magic.

She also knew that directly accusing Shin Gu without evidence would be dangerous.

So the Dowager had chosen another path.

Let Shin Gu expose herself.

And Mei Lan had been watching.

Every movement.

Every strange object.

Every whispered conversation.

Every suspicious visitor.

For months, Mei Lan had quietly collected information.

But she had never seen Shin Gu like this.

Not until the ghosts began appearing.

---

The First Night

The first night had been almost harmless.

A shadow.

A voice.

A few strange sounds.

Shin Gu had tried to convince herself that someone was playing a trick on her.

She had eventually returned to her bed.

But she hadn’t slept.

Mei Lan had noticed.

From outside the chamber, she had heard Shin Gu moving repeatedly.

The bed creaked.

Then footsteps.

Then silence.

Then footsteps again.

At one point, Shin Gu had opened the door and walked into the courtyard.

Mei Lan had pretended to be asleep in the servants’ quarters.

But she had secretly watched.

Shin Gu had stood beneath the moonlight for nearly an hour.

She kept looking toward the trees.

Toward the walls.

Toward the shadows.

As if expecting something to appear.

Nothing had.

Eventually, Shin Gu returned inside.

But she didn’t sleep.

---

The Second Night

The second night was worse.

Shin Gu had started talking to herself.

Mei Lan had been arranging clothes when she heard her mistress whispering from inside the chamber.

"You’re not real."

Silence.

Then—

"You aren’t real."

Mei Lan stopped folding the robe.

She listened.

Shin Gu continued.

"I know what you’re doing."

A pause.

"Who sent you?"

Mei Lan’s fingers tightened around the fabric.

There was nobody else inside.

At least—

Nobody visible.

Then Shin Gu suddenly shouted.

"Get out!"

Mei Lan nearly dropped the robe.

She rushed inside.

"My lady?"

Shin Gu stood beside the window.

Her hair had come loose.

Several strands were hanging across her face.

Her breathing was uneven.

"Did you see her?"

Mei Lan lowered her eyes.

"See whom, my lady?"

"The woman."

Shin Gu pointed toward the corner.

"There."

Mei Lan looked.

Nothing.

"My lady, there is nobody there."

Shin Gu stared at the corner.

Her expression became strange.

Then she whispered,

"She was standing there."

Mei Lan carefully approached.

"There is no one."

Shin Gu suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Don’t lie to me."

Mei Lan lowered her head.

"I’m not lying."

Shin Gu released her.

For several moments she remained silent.

Then she whispered,

"Leave."

Mei Lan bowed.

"Yes, my lady."

She stepped outside.

But she did not go far.

She stood behind the door.

Listening.

A few moments later—

Shin Gu began speaking again.

"You think I don’t know?"

Her voice trembled.

"You think you can frighten me?"

A pause.

Then—

"Stop laughing!"

Mei Lan’s eyes widened.

She heard nothing.

No laughter.

Only Shin Gu’s voice.

Mei Lan slowly looked toward the corridor.

Her expression remained calm.

Inside her mind, however, she understood something important.

The plan was working.

---

The Third Day

By the third day, Shin Gu was no longer herself.

Her hair was frequently left loose.

Her clothes were not arranged with the same care.

She forgot meals.

She rejected tea.

She snapped at servants over the smallest things.

And sometimes—

She simply stood in the middle of her chamber staring at empty space.

Mei Lan watched from the side.

"My lady, shall I bring your breakfast?"

"No."

"You haven’t eaten since last night."

"I said no!"

Mei Lan immediately lowered her head.

"Yes, my lady."

Shin Gu paced across the room.

Then suddenly stopped.

"Did you hear that?"

Mei Lan looked around.

"Hear what?"

"The footsteps."

Mei Lan listened.

There was nothing.

Shin Gu’s eyes narrowed.

"Someone is walking outside."

Mei Lan opened the door.

The corridor was empty.

"No one is there."

Shin Gu rushed toward the doorway.

She looked left.

Then right.

Nothing.

Her breathing became heavier.

She closed the door herself.

Then locked it.

Mei Lan remained silent.

Shin Gu turned toward her.

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

The question came so suddenly that Mei Lan almost reacted.

But she maintained her calm expression.

"Ghosts?"

"Yes."

Mei Lan lowered her eyes.

"I don’t know, my lady."

Shin Gu stared at her.

"You should."

Mei Lan waited.

Shin Gu whispered,

"They are everywhere."

Mei Lan’s heart tightened.

She had heard rumors from the palace servants.

The Empress could supposedly see ghosts.

Most people dismissed such stories as superstition.

But Mei Lan had been around the Empress enough to know that strange things sometimes happened near her.

And now—

Shin Gu was terrified of them.

---

Mei Lan’s Secret

That evening, Mei Lan left Shin Gu’s chamber carrying an empty tray.

She walked normally.

She greeted another maid.

She passed two guards.

Only after turning into a quiet corridor did her expression change.

She stopped.

A hidden message had to reach the Dowager.

But Mei Lan could not simply walk into the Dowager’s courtyard and announce everything.

She needed to be careful.

Shin Gu was suspicious of everyone now.

So Mei Lan waited until nightfall.

Then she quietly approached a servant who worked near the Dowager’s residence.

She passed him a folded piece of paper.

"Give this to the person who usually receives messages."

The servant nodded.

He did not ask questions.

Mei Lan turned away.

The message contained only a few words.

She is losing her composure. She is seeing things that are not there. She has begun speaking to herself and believes someone is sending ghosts after her.

That was enough.

---

The Dowager Receives the Message

The Dowager read the note beneath the light of a lamp.

Her expression remained calm.

Beside her stood a trusted attendant.

"How is she?"

The Dowager folded the paper.

"Exactly as expected."

The attendant hesitated.

"Do you think the illusion will continue working?"

The Dowager looked toward the dark window.

"It doesn’t need to continue forever."

Her voice was quiet.

"It only needs to make Shin Gu reveal herself."

The attendant nodded.

The Dowager continued,

"Everyone already suspects her involvement in black magic."

"Yes."

"But suspicion is not proof."

She placed the message on the table.

"We need her to make a mistake."

---

Back in Shin Gu’s Courtyard

Shin Gu sat before the mirror.

Her hair was completely loose.

She stared at her own reflection.

For several minutes, she didn’t move.

Then—

She whispered,

"You’re still there."

Mei Lan stood behind her.

She looked at the mirror.

There was only Shin Gu.

"My lady?"

Shin Gu slowly raised her eyes.

"The woman."

Mei Lan said nothing.

"She’s behind me."

Mei Lan looked again.

Nothing.

Shin Gu suddenly turned around.

Empty room.

Her face became pale.

She looked back at the mirror.

For an instant—

She thought she saw another figure standing behind her reflection.

A woman with long hair.

Shin Gu froze.

The image disappeared.

She slammed her hand against the table.

"Enough!"

Mei Lan lowered her eyes.

Shin Gu stood.

"Everyone is lying."

"My lady—"

"The servants."

"The guards."

"The palace."

"Everyone."

Her voice rose.

"Someone is doing this to me!"

Mei Lan quietly answered,

"Perhaps you should rest."

"Rest?"

Shin Gu laughed bitterly.

"How can I rest when they keep coming?"

Mei Lan said nothing.

Shin Gu began pacing.

"They want me frightened."

She stopped.

"They want me to make a mistake."

Mei Lan’s eyes remained lowered.

That sentence was important.

Shin Gu understood that someone was targeting her.

But she still didn’t know who.

---

The Palace Watches

Elsewhere, the people involved in the Dowager’s plan continued watching.

Nobody celebrated.

Nobody considered Shin Gu defeated.

They knew better.

A frightened enemy could become more dangerous than a confident one.

The Dowager had given one strict order:

Do not let Shin Gu know who is behind the illusion.

And Mei Lan had an even more important role.

She had to remain close.

She had to continue behaving like an ordinary maid.

She had to listen.

Observe.

Remember.

And wait.

---

Shin Gu Breaks Down

That night, another strange sound came from the courtyard.

A soft knock.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Shin Gu sat upright.

Her eyes opened.

She stared at the door.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

She got out of bed.

Her hair fell over her shoulders.

"Who is there?"

Silence.

She walked closer.

"Answer me."

Nothing.

Her hand reached toward the door.

Before she could touch it—

A woman’s voice whispered from the other side.

"You cannot hide forever."

Shin Gu froze.

Her fingers trembled.

Then anger replaced fear.

She pulled the door open.

Nobody.

The corridor was empty.

Shin Gu stepped outside.

"Come out!"

Nothing.

She walked into the courtyard.

"Come out!"

Her voice echoed.

Mei Lan appeared behind her.

"My lady?"

Shin Gu turned.

"Did you hear her?"

Mei Lan shook her head.

"No."

Shin Gu stared at her.

"You really heard nothing?"

"No, my lady."

Shin Gu’s breathing became uneven.

Then she laughed.

It wasn’t her usual laugh.

It was nervous.

Unstable.

"If I am imagining everything..."

She looked around.

"...then why do I keep hearing them?"

Mei Lan lowered her eyes.

"I don’t know."

Shin Gu suddenly shouted toward the darkness.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!"

Nothing answered.

The silence was almost worse than a reply.

---

Mei Lan’s Hope

Later that night, Mei Lan stood alone in the servants’ corridor.

For the first time, she allowed herself to breathe freely.

The Dowager’s plan was working.

Shin Gu was no longer calm.

She was no longer able to hide everything behind a composed face.

But Mei Lan knew they had to be patient.

The goal wasn’t merely to frighten Shin Gu.

It was to discover what she was hiding.

What rituals had she performed?

Who had supplied her?

Who had taught her?

And most importantly—

Was Lady Chen involved?

Mei Lan looked toward Shin Gu’s closed chamber.

The palace was quiet.

But behind that door, Shin Gu was still awake.

Still watching shadows.

Still hearing voices.

Still wondering who had sent them.

Mei Lan quietly whispered,

"Keep watching."

Then she turned away.

She would continue playing the obedient maid.

Because Shin Gu still believed Mei Lan was simply her servant.

She didn’t know that every word she spoke—

Every strange reaction—

Every secret she revealed—

Was being carried straight to the Dowager.

And the longer Shin Gu remained frightened...

the harder it would become for her to keep her secrets hidden.