A knowing smile spread across Prime Minister Gu's face, as if he had anticipated the Empress's command. With a deep bow, he gathered the remaining artifacts and stepped into the bathhouse, his movements deliberate and calculated.
The soft glow of the bathhouse lanterns danced across his composed features, betraying nothing of his inner thoughts.
The Empress lounged in the dimly lit pool, surrounded by flickering candles that danced across the water's surface. Prime Minister Gu approached, placing the artifacts beside the pool with deliberate care.
"This way, we can save more time," the Empress said, her voice serene.
As the Empress emerged from the pool's shadows, her gaze locked onto the artifacts. Prime Minister Gu's eyes, however, drifted away from the relics, drawn to the Empress's partially exposed body.
