Cinderella's Fate | 🤍 seongjoong 🤍

Chapter 51

Narrator's POV 

     Yunho pulled up in front of the palace gates, the car coming to a gentle stop. Mingi was in the passenger seat and got out with him. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink.

As they stepped out, a palace guard quickly approached them.

"You can't park here," the guard said firmly. "This area is for nobles only. There's a proper spot for cars around the side. A valet will park it for you."

But the moment the guard saw who was stepping out, he froze.

"Secretary Yunho," the guard said. His voice shifted as he gave a respectful bow.

Mingi came to stand beside Yunho and the guard bowed to him too.

They both nodded in return, not wasting time. They had something important to do.

"We need to get to the library," Yunho said calmly.

The guard stepped aside without another word.

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    The queen's face was still showing up everywhere. Shop displays, magic mirrors in homes, crystal speakers at the market. Even the enchanted posters updated in real time, so her message was impossible to miss.

Her voice had gone cold.

"To the citizens of the realm," she said. "The culprit of the ball has been found. He broke into the sacred library without permission. He will face trial. My son was the one to find him. And he will face the consequences."

She didn't stop there.

"Anyone protecting him knowingly or not will also be punished."

It wasn't just an announcement. It was a warning. A threat.

    Yunho clenched his jaw as they moved deeper into the eastern wing of the palace. His wand buzzed faintly in his hand, reacting to the last traces of magical energy still floating in the air.

"She really went all out," he muttered, mostly to himself.

Mingi shot him a glance. "She basically just made Seonghwa public enemy number one."

"Which means we can't use status or favours to pull him out. He's locked in now." Yunho stopped walking. His eyes began to glow faintly as he focused on a strange shimmer on the wall ahead. "But someone else was here."

Mingi's brow furrowed. "You think the dark magic we felt came through here?"

Yunho nodded. "It's faint but strong. Too old. Too sharp. Whoever it is might be a master of their craft."

They made a sharp turn and slipped into the prince's office to access the secret path.

Inside the hidden library, they needed to reach the very top to find what they were looking for.

     Yunho's wings burst out with a soft rush of wind. Feathers dark and sleek like the sky before a storm.

"I'll take us up," he said, wrapping an arm around Mingi's waist.

Mingi nodded without hesitation. He trusted him completely.

     With one powerful leap, they glided up through the open space of the library. Flying silently until they landed on the top balcony. Their landing was light and smooth. The air felt colder up there and the silence was deeper.

     Yunho folded his wings. There wasn't much space and they needed to move quickly. At the far end of the platform, a floating crystal sphere shimmered softly. It reflected the faint outlines of an old book behind it. The whole thing gave off strange shifting patterns like water under moonlight.

They both stepped closer.

     Mingi pressed his hands against the side of the crystal, while Yunho pulled out his wand and slowly dipped it into the surface. The sphere reacted instantly, turning into a thick glowing liquid that sucked the wand in like quicksand.

Then it lit up.

     A swirl of colours danced inside, spinning and shifting until an image appeared. It looked like a magical CCTV feed.

     It showed the previous night. The footage played in silence. The hum of magic echoed softly in the room.

They saw the guards. And then Seonghwa being held by one of them. He wasn't struggling.

Mingi leaned in. His eyes narrowed. "Why isn't he fighting back?"

Yunho shook his head. "He looks dazed. Like he's under a spell."

     Then one of the guards turned, muttering something too quiet to hear. A dark portal opened beside him, swirling like black smoke.

The guard stepped into it with Seonghwa and vanished.

Mingi quickly tapped the side of the sphere. "Play it again."

The image rewound. He paused it at the moment the guard whispered the strange words.

"Slow it down," Mingi said quietly.

    The crystal responded, playing the scene at half speed. They focused on the guard's mouth, trying to catch every syllable.

Yunho frowned. "That's not standard portal magic. That's something older."

Mingi nodded slowly. "Yeah. And it means someone else was involved. Someone feeding magic to the guards. Maybe the real mastermind."

The room stayed quiet. The only sound was the soft hum of the crystal.

     But now they had proof. Someone had taken Seonghwa on purpose. And they were using magic no palace guard should have had access to.