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 palace had never known such chaos.

The king lay in his chambers, barely breathing.

His royal guards stood frozen, their faces grim. Physicians scrambled around him, pressing herbs to his lips, whispering frantic prayers.

The dagger was still embedded in his side.

The prince stood in the middle of the room, his robes soaked in blood. His sword was still clutched in his hand, his breath slow, measured—but his eyes burned.

Dan-Bi stepped forward cautiously. "Your Highness—"

Seong-Jin turned sharply. "Leave."

Dan-Bi's jaw clenched. "This is not the time—"

Seong-Jin's voice was low. "I said leave."

He could walk away. He should walk away.

But something in Seong-Jin's expression stopped him.

This wasn't just a prince who had almost lost his father.

This was a man standing at the edge of something dangerous.

Seong-Jin's eyes snapped back to him.

The guards and ministers stared in disbelief.

Dan-Bi stood firm. "You think storming around with blood on your hands will fix this? That anger alone will uncover who did this?"

Seong-Jin stepped forward, voice like steel. "You think I don't know that?"

Dan-Bi met his gaze. "Then act like it."

Then, to everyone's shock—he laughed.

Dan-Bi stiffened. "What's so funny?"

Seong-Jin wiped the blood off his hand, smirking. "You."

Seong-Jin took another step forward. "The way you stand there, lecturing me. As if you have nothing to hide."

Seong-Jin's smirk widened. "You know, it's curious. This assassin knew exactly how to infiltrate the palace." His gaze darkened. "Much like someone else I know."

Dan-Bi kept his voice steady. "Are you accusing me, Your Highness?"

Seong-Jin tilted his head. "Should I be?"

Then, suddenly, the prince leaned in, his voice a whisper.

"What are you hiding, Scholar Dan-Bi?"

Dan-Bi's heart slammed against his ribs.

For a second—just a second—he thought Seong-Jin knew.

Then the prince stepped back, as if letting the moment settle.

Dan-Bi swallowed hard. "If you have time to chase shadows, Your Highness, perhaps you should be hunting the real culprits."

Dan-Bi turned sharply, bowing once toward the king, then walked away, his pulse pounding in his ears.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Blood in the Palace