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

Prince Seong-Jin's fingers curled against the armrest of his seat.

Instead of getting trapped, he had turned the entire council's attention away from himself and onto the ministers—onto the corruption within the court itself.

The tension in the chamber was thick.

The Grand Chancellor cleared his throat. "Scholar Dan-Bi, are you suggesting that there has been financial misconduct?"

Dan-Bi gave a slow, deliberate nod. "I would not dare accuse without evidence, but the numbers speak for themselves."

Seong-Jin leaned forward slightly, his voice dangerously soft. "And you conveniently discovered this just now?"

Dan-Bi met his gaze with a knowing smirk. "Your Highness ordered scholars to present their research. I merely complied."

The council chamber erupted into discussion—some ministers demanding further investigation, others calling Dan-Bi reckless for making such claims.

The prince, however, did not take his eyes off him.

And for the first time, Seong-Jin was not sure if he wanted to put him in his place—

Later that evening, as Dan-Bi left the court, he sensed a presence following him.

He quickened his pace, only to be yanked into an alcove.

Dan-Bi's back hit the wall as the prince loomed over him, his gaze sharp with unspoken fury.

"You think you're clever?" Seong-Jin murmured, voice low but heated.

Dan-Bi tilted his head, his smirk barely concealed. "I think I did what was expected of me, Your Highness."

The prince's hand slammed into the wall beside him.

"If you're hiding something," Seong-Jin said, his voice quieter now, more dangerous, "I will find out."

Dan-Bi exhaled slowly, his pulse steady despite the proximity.

"Then search all you want," he whispered, "but be careful, Your Highness. Sometimes, when you dig too deep—" He leaned in just slightly, just enough to tip the balance between defiance and something else.

"—you may not like what you find."

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Then, with a sharp intake of breath, Seong-Jin stepped back.

Dan-Bi took his chance and walked away.

But as he disappeared into the night, he knew one thing for certain.

Chapter Forty-Six: The Spark That Ignites the Fire