Epilogue - The Spring Palace0

At some point, a cat began to make its home in the imperial palace. Its fur was as white as freshly fallen snow. Known simply as the palace cat, it belonged to no one—not even the Emperor could claim ownership. No maid was assigned to care for it, and neither the Emperor, the five empresses, nor anyone else fed it.0

There was no particular preferred spot for the cat where it could always be found. It could be found in the audience chamber, yawning on the Emperor’s lap, or being carried by the Archmage during a stroll around the palace, or even napping on the regent’s desk. It had even once been discovered atop the chandelier in the main hall of the central palace, though no one knew how it managed to get there.3

It roamed about freely, appearing throughout the whole compound, including within the other four seasonal palaces, like the Spring Palace. This cat seemed to consider the entire imperial compound its home.0

While the cat seemed to enjoy the unique privilege of sitting on the Emperor’s lap whenever it pleased, whether the Emperor actually owned the cat was a matter of debate. The Emperor never issued any instructions regarding the cat’s care. In fact, the cat appeared so infrequently that it was difficult to claim it was a pet at all.0

It could not be argued that this cat lived in the palace, but its appearances were sporadic. It might be glimpsed here and there for a few days, only for it to then vanish for months on end.1

Given the vastness of the imperial palace compound, everyone assumed the cat was somewhere within its walls and did not bother searching for it. Eventually, it would always reappear, perhaps once every few months or even just once a year.0

Neither the Emperor nor the empresses went looking...0