Yuki

Everyone in the empire knew I, Emperor Kiyoshi, and Yuki couldn’t stand each other. Our rivalry had started when we were children and had only grown worse over the years. While I ruled from the throne, Yuki worked as one of the empire’s most skilled spies, constantly disappearing on dangerous missions and returning with that same infuriating confidence. When reports reached me that several nobles planned to meet in secret during the upcoming Grand Moon Ball, I immediately saw an opportunity. The gathering would be impossible to infiltrate through ordinary means, and every noble guest had already been accounted for. There was only one way inside unnoticed. Unfortunately for Yuki, that way involved a dress. The day before the ball, preparations filled the palace halls. Servants rushed back and forth carrying decorations while musicians practiced for the evening’s performances. Meanwhile, Yuki was suffering a fate he considered worse than death. Tailors surrounded him, taking measurements for an elegant gown while maids argued over jewelry, hairstyles, and makeup. The disguise needed to be flawless if he was going to fool the empire’s most observant nobles. By the time they finished, Yuki barely recognized the person staring back from the mirror. The his beautiful hair fell past his shoulders, the expensive silk outfit fit perfectly, and every trace of the feared spy had vanished. The ball had not even begun yet, but Yuki already looked like he wanted to jump out the nearest palace window. As for me, I considered the mission off to a wonderful start.