A Night of Masks
The palace glowed under the soft golden hue of lanterns.
The masquerade ball had begun.
Dan-Bi stood at the edge of the grand hall, watching the swirling figures of nobility dance in the center. The air was thick with laughter, whispers, and political undertones hidden beneath the elegance.
He shouldn't be here.
But this was the perfect place for secrets to unravel.
Disguises did not only hide faces.
They revealed intentions.
Dan-Bi adjusted his mask and stepped forward—
And then—
A gloved hand caught his wrist.
"Shall we dance?"
Dan-Bi turned sharply.
A man in a dark blue robe, wearing a fox-shaped mask, stood before him.
Dan-Bi knew that voice.
Seong-Jin.
His grip was light, almost playful, but there was a knowing weight in his gaze.
Dan-Bi hesitated.
Seong-Jin had never asked him to dance before.
…But refusing would draw suspicion.
"…As you wish."
They stepped onto the polished floor.
Music swelled.
And they danced.
A Game of Subtlety
Dan-Bi kept his movements measured, careful.
Seong-Jin, however, was anything but.
His hand pressed firmly against Dan-Bi's waist—lingering.
Fingers curled ever so slightly over his own.
A barely-there touch at his shoulder.
Their faces hovered close.
Seong-Jin's voice was too low.
"Fascinating."
Dan-Bi stiffened.
"What is?"
Seong-Jin tilted his head, mask hiding whatever expression lay beneath.
"I've danced with many tonight. Yet, I recognized you in an instant."
Dan-Bi exhaled, his heart pounding.
A test.
Seong-Jin was testing him.
Dan-Bi forced a smirk. "Perhaps Your Highness is simply used to having me around."
Seong-Jin hummed.
"…Perhaps."
They twirled, and just as Dan-Bi was about to step back—
Seong-Jin's hand tightened around his.
A whisper.
"But tell me, Dan-Bi…"
His breath ghosted over Dan-Bi's ear.
"If I were to remove your mask… would I find a truth I wasn't meant to see?"
Dan-Bi's throat tightened.
This was dangerous.
But he refused to be the first to retreat.
So he leaned in—
Close enough to watch Seong-Jin's breath hitch.
"Do you fear what you may find, Your Highness?"
A moment.
A sharp inhale.
And then—
Seong-Jin laughed.
A genuine, amused laugh.
And yet—
There was something charged in his gaze.
Something unsettling.
Something Dan-Bi did not have the time to analyze.
Because before he could take another step—
A whisper reached his ears.
"The Queen is looking for you."
Dan-Bi snapped his head to the side.
The old scholar, his informant, had slipped through the crowd.
"The Queen?" he muttered.
"She set a bait." The scholar's voice was urgent. "And I believe she expects you to take it."
Dan-Bi clenched his jaw.
So it had begun.
He had no choice but to step into the Queen's trap.
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