Still in Disguise (Inside the Palace

Chris's POV – )

The room was silent but not still. It breathed. Shadows danced faintly on the marble floor as torches flickered against the gilded walls. Chris leaned against the cool stone, arms folded, the hood of his plain cloak drawn low over his face. In this quiet corner, no one suspected he was the very ruler they bowed to. Not the guards strolling past. Not the maid humming to herself while dusting. Not even the senior servant who had brought him this far.

He wasn't just playing a role anymore—he was the commoner tonight. Watching. Listening. Judging.

From this vantage point, the cracks were clearer. Whispers of disloyalty. Complaints about the inner circle. Doubts about Christiana's rule. Even mutterings about the execution of Baron Elias.

His jaw clenched. That one still burned inside him. He hadn't wanted to be that brutal. But betrayal demanded justice. And no one—even a fiancé—was above the law of Blackwood.

A pair of guards marched past, discussing the lavish preparations being made for the state council's upcoming gathering. They spoke freely, not realizing the man leaning nearby was the Blackwood himself.

> "Heard they're planning to crown her officially as the Supreme Dictator next month. Word is, she'll even have her own ceremonial sword—custom forged."

> "Yeah, but not everyone's on board. Some of the older houses aren't thrilled. They say she's too young to hold such power... even with her father backing her."

Chris's brow furrowed. He didn't flinch. He didn't make a sound. But inside, every word registered.

He stayed longer. Long enough to witness a servant being brushed aside too harshly by a noble. Long enough to see a staff member pocketing something from a supply room. Long enough to hear a low-ranking officer grumbling about being overlooked for promotion despite his loyalty.

> Good, he thought. This is why I came. They think no one's watching. But I always am.

His communicator buzzed faintly in his sleeve—one of the few pieces of high-tech gear he kept even in disguise. It was encrypted, invisible to the eye, and he barely moved as he tapped once to open the channel.

Agent Sarah's voice came through in a whisper:

> "Your Majesty, your location has been tracked by Commander Henry. We've kept the outer perimeter clear. No one suspects. But... I have an update."

Chris tapped twice. Continue.

> "We've intercepted three unauthorized communications from inside the palace. Internal. One of them links to a council member. The other... is from someone inside your own chamber. We're digging."

Chris's eyes narrowed beneath the hood.

Inside my chamber?

The words echoed in his mind.

> So even there... I'm being watched?

Used?

Played?

He exhaled slowly, regaining focus.

That was fine. Let them plot. Let them think he was losing grip.

This little trip had given him more intel than a dozen briefings. And the real work hadn't even begun yet.

He left the corner of the hall and moved again—this time deeper into the palace kitchens, then through the servant tunnels that led toward the east wing. Everything was still familiar. His empire had grown, but the bones of it remained the same.

He'd built this place with ruthless hands. And if he had to burn parts of it to preserve the core?

So be it.

Before the night was over, Chris planned to return to his private quarters—undetected. He'd resume his role as the all-knowing, all-powerful Emperor of the Blackwood Union. But tonight, in this silence, he was something far more dangerous.

A ghost.

A god in shadows.

A man with eyes everywhere.

And soon... they'd all feel the consequences of forgetting that.