Chapter Twenty-Five: Shadows of Doubt
Jin-Seok paced in his chamber, irritation brewing beneath his calm facade.
The man he had sent to investigate had yet to return.
The delay was unusual.
And Jin-Seok did not like unusual.
Dan-Bi was many things—sharp-tongued, proud, secretive—but he was not careless.
Yet for the past few days, his movements had changed.
His usual boldness had been tempered with caution.
A subtle shift.
One that only someone watching closely would notice.
Jin-Seok had.
And it unsettled him.
His informant should have returned by now.
Yet there was nothing.
Only silence.
Jin-Seok exhaled sharply.
If no answers were coming to him—
Then he would get them himself.
---
That night, Jin-Seok left the royal wing of the palace unnoticed.
His robes were plain.
His posture relaxed.
Just another noble son, wandering where he shouldn't.
He moved carefully.
With purpose.
Dan-Bi was intelligent—if someone was following him, he would have left clues.
Jin-Seok just had to find them.
The first stop: the scholars' quarters.
It was late, but light still flickered from Dan-Bi's room.
Jin-Seok hesitated.
Dan-Bi would not appreciate being questioned outright.
If he was in trouble, he would rather suffer in silence than ask for help.
A frustrating trait.
One Jin-Seok would deal with later.
For now—
He needed a different approach.
He turned, slipping away before he could be seen.
If Dan-Bi wouldn't speak—
Then Jin-Seok would find someone who would.
And if no one did?
Then he would follow Dan-Bi himself.
---
Meanwhile…
Dan-Bi sat by his desk, fingers resting lightly against his chin.
He had received another message.
A folded slip of paper, placed beneath his tea cup when he wasn't looking.
A single sentence.
"Some games are not meant to be played."
Dan-Bi's grip tightened around the parchment.
A warning.
A taunt.
Or both.
He glanced at the closed window.
At the flickering candlelight.
Someone was watching.
Waiting.
He could feel it.
And if he made a single mistake—
Everything would come crashing down.