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

Dan-Bi moved swiftly through the palace corridors, his mind calculating his next step. The Minister of Rites had intervened at the perfect moment, but nothing in court was ever done for free.

And Dan-Bi needed to find out what it was before it became a weakness.

As he reached the scholar's quarters, a shadow detached from the stone pillars.

Dan-Bi turned, already knowing who it was.

Unlike in the council chamber, his expression now held none of the formal restraint. His sharp eyes studied Dan-Bi with something close to amusement.

"You handled yourself well," he said casually. "But I assume you already know that."

Dan-Bi gave a respectful bow. "I am grateful for your intervention, Minister."

"You should be," the minister said smoothly. "Though I did not do it for you."

The minister stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Because there are forces at work that you do not yet see, Scholar Dan-Bi. The Grand Chancellor's move against you was not simply to eliminate a rival—it was a test."

Dan-Bi's eyes narrowed. "A test for what?"

The minister exhaled, gaze flicking down the corridor before returning to him.

A chill ran through Dan-Bi's spine.

So this wasn't just about him. It was about finding out who opposed the Grand Chancellor.

And the Minister of Rites had just revealed himself as a threat to the chancellor's faction.

Dan-Bi's voice was measured. "And why take that risk, Minister?"

The minister smirked. "Because, Dan-Bi, you are much more than you appear to be." His gaze sharpened. "The question is—will you survive long enough to prove it?"

Dan-Bi met his eyes, heart pounding.

A warning. A challenge. A subtle alliance.

Whatever the minister's true intentions were, one thing was clear—

Dan-Bi was no longer just a hidden royal fighting for survival.

He had become a symbol in a war far larger than himself.

Chapter Forty-One: The Price of an Ally