"Um... Minister Jade...!" Enna's voice trembled slightly as she hurried after him, her steps quick but tentative through the corridor just beyond the warriors' dining hall.
Jade glanced over his shoulder, his expression calm yet attentive, as he slowed to face her.
"I forgot to tell you earlier... Thank you so much for what you did last time, Minister Jade..." Enna's cheeks flushed with a delicate rose, her eyes lowered in a mixture of gratitude and shyness.
Jade's mind flickered to that moment not long ago—the narrow palace path where he had intervened to save her from harm. It was a memory he didn't often dwell upon, yet it lingered with quiet significance.
"No need to mention it," Jade replied succinctly, his voice low but sincere.
For a heartbeat, Enna hesitated, gathering courage. Then, shyly, she extended her hand, offering something carefully wrapped in fine cloth. Jade's eyes followed her motion.
Unfolding the cloth, he saw a black warrior's headband, intricately embroidered with gleaming gold thread—a symbol of honor and protection.
"When I saw you last time," Enna murmured, "the headband you wore outside the palace looked a bit worn. So when I came in today, I bought the finest one I could find in the marketplace..."
Jade reached out and accepted the gift, the weight of it more than just fabric—it was care, respect, and a quiet bond unspoken between them.
"You didn't have to go to such trouble... Thank you," he said softly, a rare warmth touching his usually reserved tone.
At that precise moment, the soft echo of footsteps came from the entrance of the warriors' hall. Queen Genie appeared, her presence commanding yet serene. The footsteps of her attendants who followed her came to a natural halt, as if the air itself acknowledged the gravity of her arrival.
In the middle of the vast garden of the Military Hall, two figures stood beneath the summer sunlight, their silhouettes outlined against the trimmed hedges and broad stone paths. To Queen Genie, approaching from the shaded colonnade, it almost looked as though they were sharing a moment of gentle intimacy—soft-spoken words exchanged with a warmth that did not belong to mere acquaintances.
Her steps slowed. Behind her, attendants hushed their chatter, sensing the shift in the Queen's demeanor as her gaze fixed on the pair—Enna, the newcomer to the palace, and Jade, the stoic officer who rarely betrayed his thoughts.
The distance between them closed with the inevitable weight of formality.
"Your Majesty…"
It was the first time Enna had seen the Queen face to face since her entrance into palace service. Her eyes widened, and in a flurry of etiquette, she bent low, bowing so deeply that her hair nearly brushed the gravel.
Jade, ever steady, inclined his head in greeting.
Genie's expression softened faintly as she regarded Enna.
"Though your time within these walls has been brief, I am grateful for the diligence you have shown to those under our care."
Enna's cheeks flushed, and she clasped her hands before her.
"I have only done what is expected of me, Your Majesty."
But Genie's attention had already shifted. Her eyes met Jade's—unblinking, measured—and for reasons she did not bother to untangle in that moment, irritation pricked at her like an unseen thorn.
"And you," she said, her tone deceptively even, "were returning from tasting the master cook's newest creations?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Jade replied, posture perfect, expression unreadable.
A strange silence hovered before Genie allowed herself a faint nod. "By chance, I found a rare moment of freedom today, so I thought to inspect the palace grounds. I would like to taste the head cook's work myself."
Enna brightened slightly.
"Then, Your Majesty, I shall have a royal meal prepared in your chambers—"
"No." Genie's interruption cut through the air, sharper than she intended. "I wish to dine directly at the Military Hall dining hall, with the officers."
A pause.
Enna quickly recovered, lowering her arms and motioning toward the hall with a quiet, "This way, Your Majesty."
Genie swept forward, not sparing Jade a second glance. Her attendants followed in tight formation, whispers dying on their tongues as they felt the sudden chill trailing in their Queen's wake.
Jade remained behind, his eyes fixed on her retreating figure. She moved with her usual grace, yet there was something different—something colder, sharper—like a winter wind cutting through the warmth of summer.
For the first time in a long while, Jade could not read her expression, and that troubled him more than he cared to admit.
After a long day spent inspecting every corner of the palace grounds—from the bustling kitchens to the quiet, incense-scented shrines—Queen Genie finally returned to her private office in the Queen's Hall. The setting sun bled through the tall windows, casting warm amber light across the polished floor and the round table at the center of the chamber.
She had barely settled into her chair, exhaling the day's weariness, when footsteps echoed outside.
A voice called softly through the half-open door.
"Your Majesty, it is Moonsen of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
"Enter," Genie replied, her tone calm but edged with intent.
The door opened to reveal Moonsen, his robes immaculate as always, his expression one of cautious curiosity. He stepped inside with a bow.
"You summoned me, Your Majesty?"
"Please, sit," Genie gestured to the chair opposite her.
Moonsen obeyed, his movements deliberate and measured, like one accustomed to court politics. Genie studied him for a moment before speaking, her voice steady, carrying the weight of finality.
"I would like you, Moonsen, to lead this year's annual cultural envoy to the Ash Kingdom."
Moonsen blinked, the faintest trace of surprise breaking his otherwise composed demeanor. It lasted only a heartbeat before he smiled politely, inclining his head.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I shall obey your command."
But Genie's sharp eyes did not miss the flicker of hesitation. She leaned forward slightly, her hands folded on the table.
"Are you certain about this? At the last state council meeting, you voiced regret over sending an envoy to the Ash Kingdom this year."
Moonsen allowed himself a faint, diplomatic smile.
"Since Your Majesty has made the decision, it is my duty as your vassal to uphold it. I will lead this year's cultural envoy as you have ordered."
Genie held his gaze for a lingering moment, as though trying to peer past the polite words to the man's true thoughts. Then, at last, her expression softened into a smile.
"But tell me, Your Majesty," Moonsen said at last, tilting his head slightly, "why choose me out of all the officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? It is tradition for one of us to handle the envoy, yes, but still…"
Genie leaned back slightly in her chair, a playful glint in her eyes.
"I thought someone who had shown the greatest skepticism about the mission might, in the end, lead it most neutrally. After all, a man doubtful of the purpose is less likely to wield it for his own agenda." Her tone softened into a teasing lilt. "Why? Are you unhappy with it?"
Moonsen let out an easy laugh, bowing his head with just the right balance of humility and charm.
"No, no, Your Majesty. Unhappy? How could I be? If Your Majesty entrusts such responsibility to me, it is not displeasure I feel—but rather a heavier sense of duty. Knowing your reasoning only strengthens my resolve to carry it out well."
Genie's lips curved into a small, approving smile.
"Good. For the next two months, I expect you to devote yourself wholly to selecting and leading the cultural envoy. This mission will represent our kingdom to the Ash court, after all."
Moonsen's reply was immediate and spirited. "Yes, Your Majesty! I will devote myself fully to your command."
She was about to dismiss him, her expression softening into one of rare warmth, when his voice came again, hesitant but edged with curiosity.
"Your Majesty… about the secret trip you mentioned during the last council meeting… Are you truly going?"
Genie's eyes did not waver.
"Yes. I am."
Moonsen hesitated, his fingers brushing the edge of the table before he folded them together.
"A secret trip means few guards, perhaps only one or two at most… Who will accompany you?"
For a fleeting moment, something like amusement flickered in Genie's gaze. Moonsen, however, masked his own thoughts behind a polite expression.
'Probably Minister Jade, as always…'
"I have not decided yet," the Queen replied simply, though there was a quiet firmness beneath her words, as if the matter was already settled in her heart.
Her unexpected answer seemed to catch Moonsen off guard. For a fleeting moment, his carefully composed expression slipped.
'The Queen… not traveling with Minister Jade?'
It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but in the brief pause before his bow, a flicker of joy and relief danced across Moonsen's face. For years, he had watched the Queen's every diplomatic journey accompanied by the best warrior of the kingdom, their partnership unquestioned, their mutual trust unshaken. And for reasons he rarely admitted even to himself, it had always unsettled him.
"Let us continue discussing the envoy's details at another time," Genie said, her voice calm, hiding her own thoughts. "You may go for today."