The ministry office had finally settled into a rare moment of peace.
The puppies lay scattered across the floor, exhausted from their "training," their tiny chests rising and falling as they slept.
One had curled up near Tara's seat.
Another rested beside Kavya's desk.
The third had somehow claimed Satyadhara's foot as its pillow.
No one had the energy to move it.
Aryav leaned back in his chair with a long sigh.
Aryav:"I believe… we have accomplished enough for one day."
Kavya nodded tiredly.
Kavya:"Yes… more than enough."
Tara sat quietly, watching the puppies with a small, satisfied expression.
Satyadhara stood still as always, though his foot remained trapped under a sleeping puppy.
Satyadhara:"…This one refuses to move."
Before anyone could respond—
Knock.
The room froze.
No one moved.
Another knock.
This time, firmer.
Satyadhara gently moved his foot, freeing it from the puppy, and walked toward the door.
He opened it.
A palace servant stood outside, straight-backed and formal.
Servant:"By order of the emperor."
The words alone were enough to change the air in the room.
Servant:"All those who discovered the hidden pavilion are to present themselves immediately."
Silence.
The servant bowed slightly and stepped aside.
Servant:"You are expected at once."
Satyadhara nodded calmly.
Satyadhara:"We will come."
He closed the door.
The moment it shut—
The entire room exploded.
Tara:"THE EMPEROR?!"
Aryav:"Why are we being called?!"
Kavya:"Did someone report us?!"
The messenger boy nearly jumped.
Messenger Boy:"Are we being punished?!"
Tara stood up in panic.
Tara:"We didn't even go inside properly!"
Aryav pointed at her.
Aryav:"We still went there!"
Kavya held her head.
Kavya:"We were not supposed to be there in the first place…"
The messenger boy looked like he was about to cry.
Messenger Boy:"I knew this would happen…"
Amidst the chaos—
Satyadhara remained completely calm.
Satyadhara:"If we were to be punished, we would not be summoned. We would be arrested."
The room went quiet.
Everyone looked at him.
Aryav:"…That does not make me feel better."
Kavya suddenly gasped.
Kavya:"The puppies!"
Everyone turned.
The three puppies were still peacefully sleeping, completely unaware of the crisis.
Kavya looked horrified.
Kavya:"We brought them from that area…"
Tara's eyes widened.
Tara:"…Are they going to take them away?"
The room fell silent again.
The puppies shifted slightly in their sleep.
One let out a tiny yawn.
Aryav looked conflicted.
Aryav:"…We cannot let that happen."
Tara immediately walked toward them and picked one up.
Tara:"They are staying with us."
Satyadhara sighed.
Satyadhara:"This is not the time to be making emotional decisions."
Tara held the puppy closer.
Tara:"I am not giving them away."
Kavya nodded quickly.
Kavya:"Yes. We will not."
The messenger boy looked between all of them nervously.
Messenger Boy:"…Should we… hide them?"
Everyone paused.
They looked at each other.
Then slowly—
They all turned toward the puppies again.
The palace corridors stretched long and quiet as the group walked toward the emperor's chamber.
Their footsteps echoed softly against the polished stone floors.
But something was… off.
All of them walked in a strange formation—slightly stiff, slightly awkward.
Aryav avoided looking straight ahead, his face tilted downward as if studying the floor very intensely.
Kavya held her scrolls a little too high, almost covering half her face.
The messenger boy walked behind them, trying his best to stay hidden between the others.
Tara walked in front, unusually silent, her expression calm—but her eyes occasionally darted sideways.
Every single one of them looked like they were hiding something.
Only Satyadhara walked upright.
But even that was… wrong.
His steps were uneven.
His shoulders twitched slightly.
His body shifted in small, unnatural jerks as if something inside his clothes was moving on its own.
He clenched his jaw tightly.
Satyadhara (low, frustrated):"Why… am I the one who always has to do this…"
Tara didn't even look at him.
Tara (calmly):"You are my guard. You are meant to protect me at all costs."
Satyadhara stopped for a brief second.
His eye twitched.
Satyadhara (angry whisper):"NOT. THIS. WAY."
He resumed walking.
His movements became even more awkward.
Something shifted near his shoulder.
Another small movement near his waist.
Then—
A tiny sound.
"…woof?"
Satyadhara froze.
Everyone froze.
Slowly—
A small puppy head popped out from the folds near his neck, right below his collar.
It looked around curiously.
Then happily—
"Woof! Woof!"
Silence.
Aryav turned his head very slowly.
Kavya's eyes widened in horror.
The messenger boy covered his mouth.
Tara blinked.
Satyadhara closed his eyes in pure frustration.
Satyadhara:"…This is exactly what I was talking about."
The puppy tried to climb further out, placing its tiny paws on his shoulder.
Another small movement came from inside his robe.
A second puppy shifted near his waist.
Satyadhara's entire body jerked slightly again.
Kavya whispered urgently:
Kavya:"Satyadhara! Keep them inside!"
Satyadhara (through clenched teeth):"They refuse to remain still."
Tara leaned slightly closer, completely unbothered.
Tara:"They are comfortable with you."
Satyadhara glared at her.
Satyadhara:"I am not a shelter."
Another soft sound came from inside his turban.
"…woof."
Everyone looked up.
A tiny bump moved under the fabric.
Aryav whispered in disbelief:
Aryav:"…There is one in your turban?"
Satyadhara didn't respond.
He simply kept walking forward with the dignity of a man whose life had gone terribly wrong.
The puppy near his neck happily licked his cheek.
Satyadhara's expression remained completely dead.
Satyadhara:"I will resign after today."
Tara spoke calmly:
Tara:"No, you won't."
They continued walking toward the emperor's chamber—
A group of ministers trying to look composed…
While their guard carried three hidden, wriggling puppies inside his clothes like a moving battlefield.
The path to the hidden pavilion felt longer than before.
No one spoke.
Even the usual palace sounds seemed distant, as if the entire place had grown quieter.
The group finally reached the outer edge of the garden.
And then—they saw him.
Chandraveer stood at the entrance of the hidden pavilion, right where the narrow path opened into the garden.
Still. Composed.
Waiting.
Guards stood at a distance behind him, maintaining a clear space around the entrance.
The moment Tara and the others stopped, all of them instinctively lowered their heads.
Tara:"Your Majesty…"
Aryav and Kavya followed quickly.
The messenger boy nearly bowed too low.
Satyadhara stood firm, though his posture was unusually stiff.
Chandraveer's gaze moved across each of them.
Calm.
Unreadable.
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Tara felt her heartbeat rise.
Aryav swallowed.
Kavya tightened her grip on her scrolls.
The messenger boy looked like he might faint.
Then—
Chandraveer spoke.
Chandraveer:"You were the ones who discovered this place."
It wasn't a question.
Tara nodded carefully.
Tara:"Yes, Your Majesty."
A short silence followed.
Then, to their surprise—
Chandraveer simply turned slightly and gestured toward the inside.
Chandraveer:"Good. Then you will assist in its investigation."
The group blinked.
Aryav looked up in confusion.
Kavya's tense shoulders loosened slightly.
The messenger boy let out a quiet breath of relief.
Tara straightened.
Tara:"…We are not being punished?"
Chandraveer glanced at her.
Chandraveer:"You found something hidden within my own palace."
A pause.
Chandraveer:"That is not a crime."
Then, without another word, he stepped aside.
Chandraveer:"Come."
The group exchanged quick looks before following him inside.
As they entered the garden—
Everything had changed.
What once felt like a quiet, forgotten place was now alive with movement.
Officials stood in groups, examining the area.
Investigators moved carefully through the garden, observing every detail.
Servants carried tools, scrolls, and lanterns.
Guards were stationed along the edges, ensuring no one entered or left without notice.
The peaceful silence Tara remembered was gone.
Replaced by order.
By control.
By authority.
Tara slowed her steps slightly.
Her eyes moved across the garden.
The trees.
The water.
The pavilion.
Everything felt smaller now.
Exposed.
Kavya leaned slightly closer and whispered:
Kavya:"…It doesn't feel the same anymore."
Aryav nodded faintly.
Aryav:"It's no longer hidden."
Behind them—
Satyadhara walked carefully, his movements still slightly unnatural.
A faint shift came from beneath his robe.
"…woof."
He froze for a fraction of a second.
Then continued walking.
Completely expressionless.
Ahead, Chandraveer had already begun observing the area.
Chandraveer:"You will tell my officials exactly how you found this place."
He glanced back at them briefly.
Chandraveer:"And everything you saw."
Tara looked toward the pavilion.
Her expression slowly shifted.
Chandraveer's gaze moved across the group once more.
Careful. Observant.
Chandraveer:"So… is that all of you who were here?"
Tara straightened immediately.
Tara:"Yes, Your Majesty. Me, Kavya, Aryav… and Satyadhara."
A brief silence followed.
The air felt still.
Too still.
Then—
"Woof!"
The sound was louder this time.
Clear.
Unmistakable.
Everyone froze.
Aryav's eyes widened.
Kavya's grip tightened around her scrolls.
The messenger boy looked like his soul had left his body.
Satyadhara closed his eyes slowly.
Chandraveer blinked once.
Then turned his head slightly toward Tara.
Chandraveer:"…Did I just hear a 'woof'?"
Tara's entire body stiffened.
For a split second, she looked completely blank.
Then she shook her head rapidly.
Tara:"No—No, Your Majesty! I-It sounded more like… someone's hiccup."
Silence.
Aryav slowly turned his face away.
Kavya lowered her head, pretending to examine her scroll.
The messenger boy looked at the ground as if it held all the answers of the universe.
Satyadhara stood like a statue.
Completely still.
Too still.
Another tiny movement came from inside his robe.
He clenched his jaw.
Chandraveer's eyes lingered on Tara for a moment longer.
Unreadable.
Then—
He shifted his gaze away.
Chandraveer:"…I see."
A pause.
Just enough to make everyone uncomfortable.
Then he continued walking forward.
Chandraveer:"Focus on the matter at hand."
The group collectively exhaled—very quietly.
As they began to move again, Aryav leaned slightly toward Tara and whispered under his breath:
Aryav:"That was not a hiccup."
Tara whispered back calmly:
Tara:"It was close enough."
Behind them—
Satyadhara took a careful step forward.
A small head tried to push out again near his collar.
He immediately pressed it back inside.
Satyadhara (low, threatening whisper):"If you make another sound… I will personally exile you."
A soft, confused "mrrf" came from inside.
Kavya whispered urgently:
Kavya:"We are not going to survive this."
Satyadhara replied flatly:
Satyadhara:"I am not surviving this."
Ahead—
Chandraveer continued walking.
But for a brief moment—
A very faint hint of amusement crossed his expression.
Gone as quickly as it came.
Chandraveer led the group deeper into the garden.
The noise of officials and investigators grew louder as they approached the pavilion.
Near the center, a young officer stood among a few others, carefully reading from a scroll. His posture was straight, but his focus seemed almost too intense—like he was trying very hard not to make a mistake.
Chandraveer stopped.
The officer noticed immediately.
He straightened even more and stepped forward, bowing firmly.
Yashodhan:"Your Majesty."
His voice was steady—
But just barely.
Chandraveer spoke without wasting time.
Chandraveer:"Meet the people who first discovered this hidden pavilion."
He gestured slightly toward Tara and her group.
Chandraveer:"This is Tara—one of the ministers of my royal court. And her group."
Yashodhan's eyes widened just a little.
He quickly lowered his head again.
Yashodhan:"I-It is an honor to meet you."
Tara observed him quietly.
Her fear from earlier began to fade.
Her eyes narrowed slightly—not in suspicion, but in calculation.
He looks nervous… young too… definitely new.
A faint, almost mischievous thought crossed her mind.
I can easily dodge his questions… mhm. >:)
Behind her, Aryav glanced at her expression and immediately knew—
This was going to go wrong.
Chandraveer continued.
Chandraveer:"You are responsible for investigating the secrets of this pavilion."
Yashodhan straightened.
Yashodhan:"Yes, Your Majesty."
Chandraveer:"Then you will begin by investigating them."
He looked toward Tara and the others.
Chandraveer:"Their first observations. Their experience here."
A pause.
Chandraveer's gaze returned to Yashodhan.
Chandraveer:"I expect you to do your duty well."
Yashodhan nodded quickly.
Yashodhan:"Yes, Your Majesty."
Then—
Chandraveer turned toward Tara.
His tone did not change.
But the weight of his words did.
Chandraveer:"You are one of my noble ministers."
Tara straightened instinctively.
Chandraveer:"You will answer him truthfully."
A brief pause.
Chandraveer:"And with loyalty to me."
Silence.
Tara's earlier confidence flickered for just a second.
She lowered her head.
Tara:"…Yes, Your Majesty."
Chandraveer looked at both of them once more.
Chandraveer stepped aside.
Just two steps.
Not far enough to be ignored.
He remained there, watching—with a faint, unreadable smile.
Yashodhan stiffened.
He's… staying?
His grip tightened around his notebook.
I didn't expect this… I didn't prepare any questions…
His eyes dropped to the blank page.
What should I ask…?
A flicker of panic.
Should I ask how they came here? No… too simple.What if I say something wrong…?What if His Majesty thinks I'm incompetent…?
He swallowed.
Opened his mouth—
No words came.
Before the silence stretched further—
Tara stepped forward.
Calm. Composed.
Tara:"Greetings. My name is Tara. I am the Head Minister of Cultural and Events Affairs."
She gestured slightly.
Tara:"These two are my deputy ministers."
A brief pause.
Tara:"And this is a messenger boy who came with us."
Then—
She looked toward Satyadhara.
Tara:"And this person is—"
Satyadhara stood rigid.
His shoulders twitched.
Something moved under his robe.
Then suddenly—
Satyadhara (shouting):"I AM SATYADHARA! HEAD GUARD OF DEVI TARA!"
Everyone flinched.
And then—
"Woof!"
Silence.
Aryav froze.
Kavya lowered her head instantly.
The messenger boy stopped breathing.
Yashodhan blinked rapidly.
Chandraveer slowly turned his head.
Chandraveer (low):"…Huh?"
Panic.
Immediate.
Satyadhara forced an awkward expression—
"Hic—!"
"Hic—wo—hic—!"
A strange mix of hiccups.
He bowed stiffly.
Satyadhara:"Forgive me, Your Majesty."
A pause.
Satyadhara:"It seems I ate… something unusual today."
Silence lingered.
Tara's face remained perfectly straight.
Yashodhan slowly looked down…
…and wrote something in his notebook.
Yashodhan looked at his notes for a brief moment.
Then straightened.
He took a small breath and stepped forward, trying to regain composure.
Yashodhan:"My name is Yashodhan… I am a mid-ranking officer of the Intelligence and Investigation Ministry."
A slight pause.
Yashodhan:"I have been assigned as the lead officer to investigate this hidden pavilion."
His grip tightened slightly on his notebook.
Yashodhan:"Please coordinate with me… truthfully."
Tara tilted her head slightly.
Then, with a casual tone—
Tara:"Hm? Your name sounds a bit long…"
A small pause.
Tara:"Let us call you Yash instead."
Yashodhan blinked.
Once.
Twice.
…What is she talking about?
For a moment, he just stared at her, slightly confused.
Then quickly corrected himself.
Yashodhan:"You… may call me by any name."
A small hesitation.
Yashodhan:"But our purpose here is investigation… and to find answers."
Aryav looked away, holding back a smile.
Kavya remained composed, though her eyes softened slightly.
The messenger boy glanced between them, unsure whether to relax or stay tense.
A few steps away—
Chandraveer watched silently.
That faint smile still present.