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The halls of Songrim stretched quiet under the waning sunlight, a hush of late afternoon pressing against the paper doors and stone paths. The usual hum of training mages and chattering scholars was absent—dispersed perhaps by rumor, or tension, or the ripples left behind by one boy’s rebellion.
Na-ra's footsteps echoed alongside Park Dang-gu's as they moved briskly through the corridor, their conversation a mix of disbelief and exasperation.
"So, let me get this straight," she said, her voice sharp with incredulity."My brother—Jang Uk—fled to Sari Village with Mu-deok after publicly declaring a duel with Go Won...the crown prince?"
She emphasized the title like it tasted bitter, and her eyes flicked toward Dang-gu for confirmation.
Dang-gu gave a reluctant nod, hands gesturing wildly as if hoping that motion might somehow soften the news."It was... bold. Idiotic, but bold. And the crown prince deserved it! He's always flaunting his title like it's a personality trait."
His voice lifted in a mock imitation of the prince's haughty tone, launching into a string of exaggerated accusations that Go Won was, in fact, possibly possessed by a very dramatic pigeon. It was absurd. And it worked—almost.
Na-ra's lips twitched, fighting a laugh that refused to surface.
But it froze in her throat the moment her gaze snagged on a figure up ahead.
He stood still, almost statuesque, with his back to them. Midnight-black hair fell in soft layers down his shoulders, perfectly composed. The kind of stillness that wasn't casual—it was waiting.
Na-ra barely gave him a glance at first, preoccupied with Dang-gu's ramblings. But the air shifted the moment they passed, and—
" Young Lady Jang Na-ra,"
Her name, spoken low and measured, cut clean through the corridor.
She turned slowly.
There he was. Kim Hyun-sik. The one person she hadn't expected—hadn't wanted—to see here, in Songrim of all places. The surprise slapped the air from her lungs. Her steps halted, her body half-turned as she stared at him.
"Young Master Kim Hyun-sik…?"
His name left her lips before she could think. It felt unreal. And worse—it felt dangerous.
Why was he here?
Did he come to expose her?
A nervous flicker crossed her face, subtle but visible. The weight of their last meeting—the accidental secrecy.
