Chapter Seven: The Crown’s Shadow
Dan-Bi did not seek trouble.
But trouble had a way of finding her.
Ever since the strategy match, whispers followed her wherever she went.
"The commoner scholar is too bold."
"He dares challenge the prince openly?"
"Perhaps he thinks himself more than he is."
Dan-Bi ignored them.
Words could not kill.
But actions could.
And soon, someone decided that words were not enough.
---
The attack came at dusk.
She had just left the study hall when she felt it—
A presence.
Too many footsteps, too controlled to be accidental.
She did not turn around.
She kept walking.
A dark alley. A calculated risk.
She took it.
And as soon as she did, they struck.
---
A fist aimed at her ribs—she twisted, dodging.
A second attacker lunged—she grabbed his arm, used his momentum against him.
A third—no, a fourth—too many.
A punch landed at her shoulder, forcing her to stumble.
Dan-Bi gritted her teeth.
They weren't just students.
They were trained.
This was not a simple rivalry.
Someone wanted to make sure she never challenged the prince again.
---
But Dan-Bi had not spent years surviving in hiding just to fall here.
She fought back.
Not recklessly—calculated.
A strike to the throat, a kick to the knee, a well-placed dodge that sent one attacker crashing into another.
It wasn't enough to win.
But it was enough to last.
Enough to—
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The attackers froze.
Dan-Bi turned, breathless.
And there, at the entrance of the alley, stood the Crown Prince.
His expression unreadable.
His voice dangerously calm.
"I was not aware my scholars had become street thugs."
The attackers immediately bowed, paling. "Your Highness—"
"Leave," he commanded.
They fled without hesitation.
Dan-Bi exhaled, pushing herself upright.
The prince's gaze flicked to her bruises. "You're injured."
Dan-Bi straightened, ignoring the pain. "I've had worse."
His lips curled slightly. "So have I."
Silence.
Then, amusement glinted in his eyes.
"You fight like a soldier."
Dan-Bi froze.
A test.
A trap.
She forced a smirk. "And you provoke like a tyrant."
The prince laughed.
A genuine, unrestrained sound.
For the first time, Dan-Bi saw it—
Not just arrogance.
But something else.
Something dangerous.
Something lonely.
---
That night, as she cleaned her wounds, Dan-Bi knew one thing for certain—
The Crown Prince was watching her.
And this time, he would not look away.
---