The morning sky stretched out in soft shades of grey, as if it too felt the unease that gripped Gojin Palace. Areum stood by the window, watching the quiet palace garden. Her fingers clutched a small note found on her door the night before. The message was brief yet threatening: "Stop before you burn with your idealistic prince."
A gentle knock on the door broke her thoughts. Lady-in-waiting Yu Jin stepped in with a tense expression. She placed a tray of herbal tea before approaching Areum.
"No one saw you last night?" Areum asked, still holding the note.
Yu Jin shook her head. "No. But I heard Lord Baek will arrive in two days. They're planning something. And I'm afraid you're now on their list."
Areum crumpled the note in her hand. "If they think I'll back down, they're wrong."
In the main pavilion, Prince Wang Joon sat alone. Before him lay scrolls of secret information gathered by his spies. His face clearly showed fatigue and worry. Since the spread of rumors, his trust in those around him had been eroding.
Areum arrived quietly, but this time, Wang Joon didn't look at her as he usually did. He simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"Is something troubling you?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied curtly. "Just too much to think about."
Areum noticed how distant they felt, even while sitting side by side. But she didn't press him. Sometimes, silence felt safer than words.
Meanwhile, Yu Jin disguised herself as a medical attendant, carrying a jar of medicine to the palace's western wing. With bold steps, she walked through a corridor reserved for high-ranking officials. She paused near a storage room where two officers were conversing.
"Do Kyung shouldn't still be alive. If he speaks, everything we planned will collapse," one said.
"He's isolated in the dungeon. Lord Baek made sure he stays put."
Yu Jin held her breath, her heart pounding. Do Kyung. The name they had been searching for. She slowly backed away, but her movement nearly gave her away.
"Who's there?"
Swiftly, Yu Jin adjusted her robes and bowed. "A medical attendant, sent to deliver medicine to Lady Hae's chambers. Forgive me."
The two officers nodded slightly, not pressing further. Yu Jin quickly walked away, cold sweat trailing down her neck.
At the same time, Areum and Yu Jin met in a hidden room beneath the old pavilion. Areum listened quietly to Yu Jin's report on Do Kyung.
"If he truly knows something about the false accusations against Wang Joon, we must reach him soon. But if he's under Lord Baek's control, we can't act recklessly."
"I'll try to sneak in again tonight. We need a plan. And time is running out."
Areum nodded. "If Lord Baek arrives in two days, that means whatever they've planned will begin then. We only have one night to move."
In the main hall, King Gojin sat composed yet sharp-eyed, observing the ministers in session. Subtle remarks were made about Prince Wang Joon's absence from state affairs. There were calls for the power of governance to be shared equally.
The King remained silent, watching each face before him. His eyes locked onto an old minister who had always been quiet — yet today, he spoke more than usual.
After the meeting, King Gojin retired to his chamber. Inside, he opened an old chest containing letters and secret documents.
"They think I'm old and weak," he whispered. "But they forget the blood I spilled to reach this throne."
Night fell over the palace. Areum stood at the edge of Wang Joon's pavilion, watching from afar. Wang Joon sat inside, staring at a candle whose flame was nearly out. His face was somber, as if hiding something heavy.
Areum took a step forward, then stopped herself. She knew that time would decide whether this distance between them would grow... or draw them close once more.
And far in the palace's dark wing, Lord Baek received a letter from outside the capital. A thin smile formed on his lips.
"Everything begins in two days. And when the fire starts, no one will be spared."
To Be Continued…