Vaid6

"We can’t go back now, can we?" the Prince asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Dan-Bi stared at him, feeling the magnetic pull between them, the unspeakable truth that had been buried deep inside both of them for so long. The unspoken bond.

He didn’t reply immediately. There was nothing to say. He just stepped closer, and in that moment, all the walls they had built came crashing down.

Without thinking, the Prince reached out, his hand brushing against Dan-Bi’s. It was subtle—an accidental touch—but it was enough to spark something neither could ignore.

Dan-Bi’s breath caught, and for a brief moment, he wanted to pull away, to push the Prince out of his life before it went any further. But he couldn't.

Instead, he leaned in, his lips brushing against the Prince’s in a kiss that was soft at first. But then, the kiss deepened, and everything that had been left unsaid, everything that had been buried under the surface for so long, came to life in that one moment.

It wasn’t just a kiss; it was a declaration. Of something neither of them had been ready to admit, but something they both knew was inevitable.

UNHIDDEN BLOSSOM

The tension in the chamber was thick enough to choke on.

Dan-Bi remained perfectly still, his fingers still trailing the false document, his expression a portrait of calm. But inside—

He had shaken them, but not enough.

The Grand Chancellor leaned back in his seat, his gaze sharp. "You seem very confident, Scholar Dan-Bi."

Dan-Bi's lips quirked. "Confidence is a necessity in court, Chancellor. But I believe what you are seeing is merely truth."

Before the chancellor could respond, a new voice echoed through the chamber.

A ripple of movement. Ministers straightened.

Dan-Bi turned toward the doorway—

A man respected for his neutrality. A man who rarely spoke in political disputes—unless it concerned matters of justice.

A man who, until now, had never once stepped forward on his behalf.

An expected ally, but one whose presence meant only one thing—

This had become bigger than just a power struggle.

The Minister of Rites strode into the room with slow, deliberate steps. His sharp eyes flicked to the Grand Chancellor. "I was informed of this inquiry only moments ago. Am I to understand that an accusation of treason has been placed against a scholar without sufficient proof?"

The Grand Chancellor's expression darkened. "Minister—"

"The last time false accusations of treason were made," the Minister of Rites interrupted smoothly, "entire families were erased."

Dan-Bi barely resisted the urge to exhale.

The minister was sending a warning.

One that even the Grand Chancellor could not ignore.

The chancellor's jaw tightened. "I assure you, Minister, this is no baseless claim—"

"Then provide indisputable evidence," the Minister of Rites challenged. "Not mere ink on a page. You know as well as I do that forged documents have been used as weapons before."

Dan-Bi watched carefully, noting how the other ministers shifted uneasily. Some of them had clearly not expected this intervention.

Finally, after a long pause, the Grand Chancellor exhaled.

"…Very well," he said smoothly. "We shall investigate further before making a final judgment."

Dan-Bi's muscles relaxed fractionally.

The Minister of Rites turned to Dan-Bi, his voice unreadable. "Scholar Dan-Bi, you are dismissed."

Dan-Bi gave a deep bow. "I am grateful, Minister."

He stepped out of the chamber, head held high—

But as soon as he was alone, he exhaled slowly, his pulse still thrumming in his ears.

Because in a place where alliances were as fragile as glass—

An ally today could be an enemy tomorrow.

Chapter Forty: Un Expected Ally