𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 | 정원

24

Ji-ah barely slept that night. Every creak of the old palace seemed louder, every gust of wind outside sharper and colder.

Her mind was full of questions-about the missing girl, the vampires she had just discovered, and Jungwon. Especially Jungwon.

When morning finally came, it brought little relief. The pale light filtering through the heavy curtains did nothing to ease the weight in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was fear or regret-or both.

Ji-ah sat across from Seo-yeon in the staff lounge, the air thick with unspoken tension. She hadn't seen her once at the ball last night.

Seo-yeon noticed Ji-ah staring and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Are you a vampire too?"

Seo-yeon's face went white. "What? No, of course not!"

"Then what else are you hiding from me?" Ji-ah pressed, crossing her arms. She needed the truth-if there was any left to find.

Seo-yeon glanced down, guilt flickering across her face. "Nothing more."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It was only that," Seo-yeon sighed.

Ji-ah shook her head. Her only friend in this entire place had been keeping secrets. Then again, it seemed like everyone in this palace had something to hide. "How long have you known about this?"

Seo-yeon glanced away, her fingers nervously tapping against the table. "I've known for a while," she admitted.

Ji-ah's eyes widened in disbelief. "A while? And you didn't think to tell me? You let me walk into this without saying anything?"

"It wasn't my place to tell you, Ji-ah," Seo-yeon said, her voice resigned. "You weren't supposed to know. I was afraid you'd react exactly like you are now."

"How am I supposed to react then?" Ji-ah said. "And you? You are fine with all this?"

Seo-yeon's gaze was steady. "They're not dangerous. At least not to us."

Ji-ah scoffed, her anger and disbelief palpable. "Not dangerous? I was in danger last night."

Seo-yeon's eyes widened in concern. "What happened?"

Ji-ah shook her head, dismissing the question. "Forget it. Who else is a vampire here? Is Mrs. Kim one of them?"

Seo-yeon shook her head. "She's not."

"And the princes? Are all of them vampires?"

"Yes," Seo-yeon confirmed quietly. "All of them."

She buried her face in her hands, the weight of the revelation pressing down on her. The situation was quite laughable, but Ji-ah chose to face it for now.

Vampires were real, they drank blood, and perhaps they have superpowers too. Ji-ah shook her head, trying to dispel the growing sense of disbelief. Maybe she was still dreaming, or perhaps she'd stumbled into a nightmare from which there was no waking.

Ji-ah left the lounge, now wandering through the grand halls. The grey skies outside were blurry heavy with clouds, not a trace of blue in sight.

What would Haeun think if she knew? This place was far from ordinary, and she had chosen to work here, after all. Maybe, on that day when Jungwon had been so eager to fire her, she should've just accepted it.

But it's not like she had anywhere to go, this palace had been her only option.

She continued down the hall when she spotted Sunoo walking in her direction, carrying Johnny in his arms. With the knowledge she now had about princes, his presence made her skin prickle with a new, unsettling awareness.