Heena's smile only widened as she walked, her steps light despite the heavy stack of documents. In her mind, she was composing a thank‑you speech—not for anyone alive, but for whichever ancestor had designed this palace all those centuries ago. Some long-dead emperor or empress who'd had the foresight, the wisdom, the sheer 'brilliance' to invest in proper construction.
'Soundproofing,' she thought fondly, her smile growing warmer. 'Truly a world‑level contribution. They deserve a monument. A holiday in their honor. Maybe I should commission a statue.'
The palace walls were thick stone, layered with special materials that absorbed sound. Rooms were designed with buffer spaces between them. Important chambers had additional silk padding built into the walls. It was magnificent engineering, originally intended to keep state secrets from spies and to give the imperial family privacy.
But it served other purposes beautifully.
