Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Move in the Dark

Dan-Bi sat in his chamber, the lone candle flickering as he traced a finger over the edge of the warning note.

"Some games are not meant to be played."

He smirked.

But he had never been one to follow rules.

The hooded figure's words echoed in his mind.

"The ministers may have erased her from the records, but some of us remember."

This meant one thing—his mother's exile was not just a punishment.

It was unfinished business.

And unfinished business always had loose ends.

Dan-Bi leaned back, his mind sharpening.

If the ministers wanted to forget her, it meant they had something to lose if she—or her bloodline—came back into power.

And if they feared her return, then there had to be proof that she had never truly committed treason.

He needed to find that proof.

But first—

He needed to know exactly who wanted him gone.

---

The next morning, Dan-Bi moved carefully through the palace archives, his scholar's robes giving him easy access to the endless scrolls and records.

The old court scribe barely glanced up from his work as Dan-Bi approached.

"Scholar Dan-Bi?" the man asked, his voice gruff from years of reading.

Dan-Bi offered a polite bow.

"I wish to study the records of past treason cases," he said smoothly.

The scribe raised an eyebrow.

"A strange topic."

Dan-Bi smiled faintly.

"A strange scholar."

The old man huffed but motioned for him to follow.

As Dan-Bi stepped into the rows of old records, he carefully chose his words.

"I hear the past holds many forgotten truths," he said casually.

The scribe hummed in agreement.

"Some truths should remain buried."

Dan-Bi glanced at him.

The man did not elaborate.

Dan-Bi's gaze flickered to the faded scrolls before him.

Then he smiled.

Some truths may be buried—

But they could be unearthed.

And Dan-Bi was about to dig deep.