The world was still half-asleep when Hana reached the stone bridge behind the royal library. Morning mist floated above the water like thin silk, and the rising sun painted everything with a soft, golden glow. It would've been peaceful—if Hana's heart wasn't beating like a trapped bird against her ribs.
She arrived ten minutes early.
She hated that.
Assassins were not supposed to be early for anything except death.
She adjusted the scholar's robe she had stolen from the academy laundry. It hung loosely on her shoulders, the sleeves slightly too long, but it gave her just enough cover to blend in.
At least… that was the plan.
She sensed him before she heard him.
Footsteps—light but sure—approached the bridge. She didn't look back, but her shoulders stiffened.
Woojin.
His presence was like a change in air—calm, focused, but charged with quiet intensity.
"You came early," he said, stopping beside her.
"Could say the same for you."
He gave a small, tired smile. "I haven't slept."
She turned her head sharply. "Why not?"
"Because assassins tried to kill you last night. Forgive me if that kept me awake."
She almost flinched at the rawness in his tone.
Hana looked away. "You didn't have to worry."
Woojin exhaled, a breath full of disbelief. "I don't know how to not worry."
Those words shouldn't have shaken her.
But they did.
Before she could find a reply, Woojin leaned forward, lowering his voice. "The guards reported the attack to the palace council. Someone tried to twist the story—blaming the assassins on the Crown Prince."
"That makes no sense," she muttered.
"That's the point," Woojin replied. "It's meant to sow confusion."
Hana crossed her arms. "And where do I fit into this?"
His eyes locked onto hers—burning, determined.
"You've become the center of it."
She froze.
Woojin continued carefully, "Someone knows you saw something. Someone wants you silenced."
"And you," she said slowly, "are standing too close to me."
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he said, "I found something last night."
Her pulse quickened. "Where?"
"On the body you mentioned."
Hana stared. "You went back to the laundry courtyard?"
"Yes."
"Woojin—"
He raised a hand. "I know. But I found something the assassins missed."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small folded cloth. Inside it lay a tiny, black metal pin.
A mask-shaped insignia.
Her blood turned to ice.
"The Black Parade," she whispered.
Woojin studied her. "You recognized it immediately."
She cursed inwardly for slipping. "Anyone working in intelligence would."
"That's what you are?" he asked softly.
Her lips tightened. "You already knew I wasn't a mere court maid."
"I suspected," Woojin admitted. "But I didn't want it to be true."
"Why?"
He looked at her with eyes that made the air feel too warm.
"Because assassins don't get happy endings."
Her chest tightened painfully.
Before she could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed, and a young scholar hurried toward the bridge.
Woojin's expression shifted instantly—cool, controlled, unreadable.
"Master Woojin!" the young man called breathlessly. "Your presence is requested at the council chamber. Minister Kim specifically asked for you."
A muscle in Woojin's jaw jumped. "I understand."
The scholar hesitated, then glanced curiously at Hana. "And who is—"
"A junior scribe," Woojin answered smoothly. "I was providing directions."
Hana kept her head bowed, face hidden beneath her hood.
The young scholar nodded awkwardly and trotted away.
Once he was gone, Woojin turned back to her. "This is bad."
"How bad?" she asked.
"Minister Kim knows I was near the courtyard last night. If he ties me to you… you will be hunted openly."
"And you?" she whispered.
"Me?" Woojin smiled without humor. "I'll be framed for treason."
She felt her breath catch.
But Woojin stepped closer, lowering his voice to a whisper that brushed against her cheek. "Listen carefully. If the council asks about last night, stay away. Do not intervene. Do not follow me."
"And let them tear you apart politically?" she snapped softly.
"Yes," he said simply. "If that keeps you alive."
Her throat tightened. "Woojin, if they corner you—"
He reached up and brushed something off her shoulder, fingers grazing her lightly. The touch sent an unexpected shiver through her.
"Hana," he said quietly, "I can handle court politics. You handle assassins. That's our unspoken agreement."
"I never agreed to that."
His eyes softened. "You didn't have to."
She hated how that made her feel.
Woojin stepped back. "I must go. But—"
He paused, meeting her eyes with a seriousness that made her heart twist.
"Promise me you won't come to the council chamber."
She stared at him.
Then looked away.
"I can't promise that."
"Hana—"
A bell rang across the palace grounds.
Woojin swore under his breath. "This isn't over. Stay hidden."
He turned sharply and walked away, robes fluttering behind him, posture tense with the weight of politics he couldn't escape.
Hana watched him go.
Her instincts screamed at her:
Follow him. Don't let him face them alone.
Her logic countered:
This is not your fight.
Her heart whispered:
It became your fight the moment he pulled you down beneath that poisoned dart.
She didn't follow.
Not yet.
THE COUNCIL CONVENESThe council chamber was a cavernous room lined with tall windows and decorated with red lacquered panels. Ministers filed in one by one, their expressions sharp as knives.
Woojin bowed respectfully, expression calm—but Hana would've seen the tension beneath the surface.
Minister Kim, dressed in dark robes embroidered with golden cranes, watched Woojin like a hawk.
"Scholar Woojin," he said with a smile that wasn't a smile. "I understand you were near the east courtyard last night."
Woojin bowed again. "I was returning from the library."
"Ah." Minister Kim tapped the table. "And did you see anyone suspicious?"
Woojin kept his face perfectly neutral. "No, Minister."
"Are you certain?" Kim pressed. "There was an attack. Surely a keen mind like yours would notice something."
Woojin's eyes met his. "If I had, I would have reported it."
Kim leaned forward slightly. "And what of the strange young woman seen near the courtyard?"
Woojin's heartbeat remained steady. "I saw no such woman."
Kim's smile tightened. "How disappointing. I had hoped the kingdom's most brilliant scholar might be more observant."
Woojin bowed. "My apologies, Minister."
Kim narrowed his eyes.
Silence crackled.
Then—
A servant rushed in, bowing so deeply he almost fell. "Minister! There has been a discovery—blood, hidden beneath the stones in the courtyard!"
Gasps spread through the room.
Kim straightened sharply. "Impossible!"
Another servant ran in behind the first. "The blood was discovered by order of—Scholar Woojin."
The room froze.
Woojin shut his eyes for a fraction of a second.
Damn.
Minister Kim's expression turned lethal. "You withheld information?"
Woojin opened his mouth—
But the chamber doors slammed open.
Every head turned.
Hana stood in the doorway.
Not as a maid.
Not as a scholar.
But as something in between—hood up, eyes cold, posture firm.
The entire chamber stirred.
Minister Kim's face darkened. "Who are you to enter the council chamber unannounced?!"
Hana stepped forward, voice steady. "The one who can tell you what really happened last night."
Woojin's heart stopped.
Minister Kim sneered. "Then speak, girl."
Hana met his eyes without flinching.
"Three assassins attacked the courtyard. Their target was not a court maid. It was the scholar who found the body."
Gasps rippled through the room.
Woojin's eyes widened.
Minister Kim stilled. "And what evidence do you have for such a claim?"
Hana reached into her sleeve and dropped the black metal pin into the center of the room.
It clattered loudly.
All color drained from Minister Kim's face.
The council erupted in chaos.
Woojin stared at Hana, shock and something far deeper in his eyes.
Hana looked at him once, briefly.
She hadn't said his name.
She hadn't exposed his involvement.
She had only shifted the target entirely.
And yet—
Woojin felt something inside him break and heal all at once.
She had chosen not to let him stand alone.