The council chamber dissolved into chaos.
Ministers shouted over one another, papers rustled, guards rushed in, and the once-controlled atmosphere cracked wide open. In the center of it all, the tiny black mask-shaped pin lay gleaming on the polished floor—so small, yet powerful enough to shake the palace.
Minister Kim's face drained of color as he stared at the pin as though it were a serpent ready to bite him.
Woojin didn't move.
He couldn't.
His gaze remained locked on Hana—this woman who, with one calculated lie and one bold truth, had just thrown herself into the storm with him.
Hana finally lowered her head, letting her hood fall forward to obscure her expression. "This pin was left behind by the assassins after the attack," she said, voice clear and steady. "It belongs to the Black Parade."
Murmurs erupted instantly.
"The Black Parade?"
"But they're only a rumor—"
"I heard they serve the highest bidder—"
Minister Kim slammed his palm onto the table. "Silence!"
The room hushed, though tension still shimmered beneath the surface like a blade.
Kim pointed a trembling finger at Hana. "You claim assassins attacked a scholar. Yet you bring no witness, no injured bodies, no tracks, no weapons."
Hana knelt, retrieving the pin. She held it up between two fingers. "I bring the one thing assassins never leave behind unless someone interfered."
"And who," Kim demanded, "are you to speak of assassins?"
She paused.
Then lifted her face—just enough.
Hana's eyes, cold as winter steel, met his.
"Someone who knows their methods."
A few ministers leaned back in fear. Others leaned forward with dark interest.
Woojin's breath caught.
Minister Kim narrowed his eyes. "And tell me, girl… what interest do you have in Scholar Woojin?"
The question cut through the room.
Hana didn't flinch. "None."
Woojin almost laughed—soft, bitter, relieved.
Of course she wouldn't expose him. Not even now.
"I only came forward," Hana continued, "because the council was being misled."
"Misled?" Kim scoffed. "By whom?"
"By whoever cleaned the blood before the guards arrived."
Every minister turned to him.
Kim stiffened. "How dare you accuse palace officials of such actions—"
"I didn't," Hana said smoothly. "But you seem nervous, Minister."
A blade of silence dropped between them.
Kim's expression tightened with barely contained rage. "Seize her. She has no right to stand in this chamber."
Several guards rushed toward Hana.
Woojin stepped forward sharply. "Wait—"
Too late.
Hana moved before a single hand touched her.
Her sleeve flicked.
Three guards hit the floor with groans—disarmed, but not seriously harmed.
The entire council froze.
Woojin's heart nearly stopped.
Hana straightened slowly. Her hood fell back just enough to reveal her jawline, sharp and determined.
She wasn't hiding anymore.
Kim's voice shook with fury. "She is a threat—arrest—"
"Enough," a new voice commanded coldly.
Every person in the room turned toward the tall doors.
The Crown Prince himself stepped inside.
Elegant. Sharp-eyed. Impossible to read.
Hana felt a flicker of something she hadn't felt in years—danger she could not anticipate.
The prince walked calmly into the center of the chamber. The room bowed.
Even Hana lowered her head.
The prince's gaze skimmed the room before landing on the fallen guards. Then on Hana. Then on Woojin.
"What is the meaning of this disturbance?" he asked.
Minister Kim stepped forward quickly. "Your Highness, this… woman infiltrated the chamber and—"
"She revealed evidence of assassins," Woojin interrupted quietly.
The prince raised a brow. "Is that so?"
Hana held out the black pin.
The prince took it, studied it, and his expression shifted almost imperceptibly.
"Black Parade," he murmured. "So the rumors have reached our palace as well."
"Your Highness," Minister Kim began, "she is lying—"
"She is not," the prince said without looking at him.
Kim's mouth snapped shut.
The prince returned his attention to Hana. "You. What role do you play in this?"
"I was the first to see the body," Hana said simply. "And the first to notice it was no accident."
"And the scholar?" The prince turned to Woojin. "Why were you near the courtyard?"
Woojin bowed with flawless control. "I heard strange noises and went to investigate."
"Alone? At night?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
The prince's eyes sharpened ever so slightly.
He didn't believe him.
But he didn't call it out, either.
Instead, he said, "Until further notice, both of you are under palace observation."
Woojin stiffened. "Your Highness—"
"This is for your protection, Scholar Woojin," the prince said evenly. "And for the girl's… evaluation."
Hana didn't like the sound of that at all.
"Guards," the prince continued, "do not touch her. Escort both of them to separate waiting rooms. I will speak to them privately."
Kim's face darkened.
The prince added, "And Minister Kim… your eagerness to silence witnesses is noted."
The room erupted with whispers.
Kim bowed stiffly, his jaw clenched in fury.
Hana met his eyes one last time.
He looked at her the way one looked at a threat that couldn't be ignored.
Good.
She wanted him to fear her.
Two guards approached her, respectfully this time. She let them walk behind her, not touching her, but watching every move.
Woojin was guided the opposite direction.
Their eyes met across the chamber before the doors closed between them.
Just for a heartbeat.
Just long enough.
THE PRINCE'S QUESTIONSThe private chamber was small, windowless, and quiet. Hana sat at a simple table while the prince stood by the doorway, arms folded.
"You're not a servant," he said. Not a question.
"No," Hana replied calmly.
"Nor a noble."
"No."
He studied her with a calculating expression. "Who trained you?"
She remained silent.
The prince's eyes glinted. "You're protecting someone."
Hana still didn't answer.
"Perhaps the scholar?"
Her gut tightened.
She forced her face to remain blank. "Scholar Woojin and I hardly know each other."
The prince gave a faint, knowing smile. "Then why risk yourself for him?"
She didn't speak.
Because there was nothing safe to say.
He took a step closer, lowering his voice. "I can protect him. But not if you lie to me."
The room suddenly felt too small.
"I do not fear the Black Parade," the prince said softly. "But I do fear what happens when loyalty forms in secret places. It breaks kingdoms."
Hana finally spoke. "I acted because a minister was manipulating the investigation."
"And why would he do that?"
"Because he has something to hide."
"Or because you know something about him," the prince countered.
She felt a flicker in her chest.
He knew.
Not everything—but enough.
"Do not mistake me," the prince said. "I admire your courage. And your skill. But courage without allegiance is dangerous."
Hana swallowed.
Then he asked the question she feared most:
"Where does your loyalty lie?"
She didn't answer.
Because she didn't know anymore.
The prince nodded once. "I will speak with the scholar next."
He turned toward the door.
But paused.
Then glanced over his shoulder.
"And Hana," he said—calling her name for the first time—
"You should decide quickly. Because someone in this palace is already hunting both of you."
And with that, he left.
Hana's hands curled into fists.
Someone.
Not the Black Parade.
Not Minister Kim.
Someone worse.
Someone unseen.
She had only one thought:
I need to warn Woojin