As Jade turned sharply around the corner, the rain swallowed him whole. When Hanan followed moments later, an umbrella angled against the downpour, the street ahead was already empty—only strangers rushing by, their faces blurred by mist and shadow.
Hanan froze, scanning left, then right. The steady hammering of the rain seemed louder in his ears, mocking his failure. He grimaced, frustration tightening his jaw.
"I lost him…" he muttered under his breath, his gaze darting between the clusters of umbrellas vanishing into alleys.
But his thoughts churned faster than the storm.
'Where is Minister Jade going at this hour? Could it be tied to his past as a spy for the Ash Kingdom… or is this something the Queen herself entrusted to him?'
His suspicions hung heavy in the damp air as he lingered, the image of Jade's steady, determined stride burning in his mind.
Meanwhile, Jade slipped quietly through the labyrinth of rain-slick streets, unseen and unhindered. At last, he stopped before a small, unassuming house with a black roof at the end of the block. The structure looked worn by time, its wooden beams darkened by years of storms. Few would give it a second glance, but Jade knew this was the place.
The rain cascaded off the edge of his umbrella as he approached the door and knocked firmly, the sound muffled by the downpour.
A long silence stretched. Then, with a faint creak, the door slid open.
A middle-aged man stepped into view, his long beard damp at the tips, eyes sharp despite his weathered face. He studied Jade in silence, his voice low and muffled when it finally came.
"Who are you?"
Jade straightened, his cloak dripping at his sides. His voice was calm, steady against the storm.
"You are Private Detective Bong, are you not?"
At Jade's words, Bong's eyes flickered, betraying the faintest tremor before his expression shuttered again.
"Sorry," Bong said quickly, his tone firm but evasive. "You've found the wrong man. I'm just a merchant, selling—"
Jade's low voice cut through the rain like a blade.
"I know of your past works. You traveled as a merchant across every corner of Hana Kingdom, your network vast enough to reach both palace and village. You reunited families torn apart by war. You tracked the missing, the vanished, the forgotten—especially during the battles."
Bong's lips tightened, quivering just slightly, the memory of those days flashing in his eyes before he looked away.
"I don't know who you are," he muttered, his voice softer now, wearier. "But those days are gone. I've quit that work. No amount of money will change it. I'm retired."
For a moment, the only sound was the rain pounding against the roof. Jade's gaze, sharp and unrelenting, never left him. Then, without a word, Jade reached into the fold of his red silk top.
He pulled out a small silk pouch and carefully unfolded it—revealing the minister's insignia of the military, stamped with the Queen's seal.
The faint red wax gleamed under the lantern light.
Bong's eyes widened, his breath catching.
"I am Jade, Minister of the Military," Jade said in a firm, unwavering tone. He placed the insignia forward, every syllable heavy with authority. "This is a special order from the throne. Can you find the person I seek?"
Bong's gaze darted, his mind racing. The flicker of fear, of recognition, of obligation—all passed swiftly across his features before he bowed deeply, rain dripping from his beard to the wooden floor.
"…Very well, Minister. Please, come in."
Jade followed Bong into the house and, unlike how simple it had looked from the outside, the inside room was huge, and the yard beyond it was also large with many decorations.
From the outside, it had been hard to guess that there was another vast yard and a building across from the room that faced the street.
'So he probably earned a lot of money from his work as a private detective in the past,' Jade thought as he crossed the room and stepped out into the yard on the other side.
Bong entered the roof-tiled building in the middle.
"Please come in," Bong said.
Following him, Jade went inside, and it turned out to be a study room filled with books and a big table.
The candles on the table lit the place in the dark night.
"Please have a seat here, sir," Bong said as he gestured toward the chair.
Jade sat down and looked around.
Bong also sat down, placing his hands on the table.
"So, as the Minister of the Military, who were you looking for?" Bong asked in a low voice.
Jade looked at Bong with composed eyes and said, "Before I say it, I'll have to make sure that you don't repeat any of this to anyone."
Bong looked at Jade with thoughtful eyes and nodded slowly.
"I assume it was related to court matters?" he asked in a small voice.
Jade met his gaze with the same composed eyes.
Bong nodded again and brushed his beard with his hand.
"Very well. I won't expose this to anyone," he said.
"I am requesting you to find Her Majesty's elder brother," Jade said in a low but firm voice.
Bong's eyebrows furrowed at once.
"Her Majesty's… elder brother? That means Queen Genie's elder brother…" he muttered, a little confused. "But wasn't the prince dead?"
"That is what everyone in the kingdom believes," Jade replied, "and that is why you must keep this confidential."
Bong studied Jade for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
"Alright. I understand. And is this request perhaps coming from…"
Jade gave a single nod.
"It is a direct order from Her Majesty."
Bong's eyes grew a little more resolute.
"I see," he said. "No wonder the supreme commander of the entire military of our kingdom came all the way here at night."
Jade held Bong's gaze.
"I have long known of your wide network and your persistent investigations that brought near-perfect results in finding people. Can you do this?" he asked in a firm voice.
Bong pursed his lips and let out a small sigh.
"It's true, but that was in the past," he admitted. "I am older now, and most of my focus is on merchant work."
Jade regarded him with the same composed eyes.
"But if this is Her Majesty's order…" Bong's eyes hardened, "…then I must do it."
Jade allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"Thank you. Any funds you require during the investigation, let me know," he said. "I will visit this place twice a week from now on, so keep me updated on the search."
Bong nodded slowly. He felt the weight of the mission pressing on him—finding the Queen's elder brother, and doing so in absolute secrecy. Yet, recalling the breadth of his network and the success of his past investigations, he did not feel entirely without confidence.
"And regarding compensation," Jade continued, "once you complete the mission, Her Majesty will grant you a reward likely beyond your expectations."
Bong let out a dry, almost weary laugh, the sound echoing faintly in the candlelit study.
"I'm in my fifties now," he said, stroking his beard with deliberate calm. "And as you can see, I already have enough possessions. I have little desire for money—though no doubt Her Majesty would shower me with wealth once this mission is complete." His eyes sharpened as his voice lowered. "But before I begin any investigation, I must know certain things about Her Majesty's elder brother."
He rose slowly, his robe rustling against the wooden floorboards. Walking to the shelves stacked high with old volumes, he drew out a thick, timeworn notebook, its edges frayed with years of use. The weight of it seemed to anchor the air as he returned to the table. Setting it down, he uncapped the ink and dipped a slender brush, his hand steady in the glow of the flickering candles.
"Tell me," Bong murmured, eyes fixed on Jade. "How old is Her Majesty's elder brother?"
"He is three years older than Her Majesty," Jade replied without flinching.
Bong's gaze darkened, his brow furrowing deeply.
"Then why did the late King Gen announce to the kingdom that the prince had died of illness—when in fact, he still lives?"
The question hung heavy in the air. Jade's lips parted, but no words came at first. He inhaled slowly, his face tightening in the candlelight, shadows sharpening the lines of his jaw. Even he could not pierce the truth of that mystery.
"I'm not certain," he said at last, his voice low, almost reluctant.
Bong's brush hovered above the paper, a droplet of ink swelling at the tip before falling, staining the page like a dark omen. His brows knit further, eyes narrowing with the precision of a hunter.
"I must apologize, Minister," he said firmly, "but I require the exact truth if I am to conduct an exact investigation. Then tell me this—does anyone else know?"
The room seemed to tighten with silence. The patter of rain outside pressed faintly against the tiled roof. Jade's eyes dropped for a brief moment, thoughts flickering behind his composed expression. Finally, he shook his head.
"Other than Her Majesty, no."