The officials bowed their heads in understanding.
Jade turned to her in that moment—quietly, almost cautiously.
His name had been cleared. The truth had triumphed. Relief should have filled his chest.
But as he watched the Queen—so regal, so measured—he felt only one thing.
Distance.
Had she spoken these words for justice? Or for politics?
Was she relieved that he had been vindicated… or had her heart already moved on, assigning another man to the role that could've been his?
His eyes lingered on her a moment longer.
'Was it Moonsen?' he wondered. 'Had her heart already chosen another—even while fighting for his name?'
The Queen turned, her expression unreadable.
And Jade—noble, steady, still uncertain—was left longing to know what she truly felt.
On the way to the military quarters, Jade glanced at Danjin and asked quietly, "How did you come to know to testify about that night?"
Danjin chuckled softly, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Foreign Affairs Official Moonsen visited me personally to investigate.
He inquired about your whereabouts on the last evening of October and requested that I provide testimony. He also made me promise not to tell you until the assembly."
"Moonsen...?" Jade murmured, surprise flickering across his features. "Regardless, I am truly grateful for your testimony."
His gratitude was sincere—Danjin had spoken the truth without hesitation, unafraid of the influence wielded by powerful nobles.
"Not at all, Minister," Danjin replied firmly. "I did only what was right."
After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, Jade said with quiet resolve, "I must go somewhere for a while."
Without waiting for a response, he turned sharply and strode off with purpose.
"Minister! Where are you going all of a sudden?"
"I have a question."
Jade's familiar baritone voice stopped Moonsen just as he was nearing the Foreign Affairs building.
"Yes?" Moonsen turned to face him.
Without hesitation, Jade asked, "Why did you help me?"
A faint smile curved Moonsen's lips.
"Because you were wronged. I simply did what I could."
Jade's brow furrowed with curiosity. "How did you know I was wronged?"
Moonsen paused with a grin.
"Now that the truth has been revealed, I suppose I can tell you. Her Majesty asked me to investigate. In fact, she had already laid much of the groundwork. I merely added the finishing touch."
Jade's expression shifted to one of stunned realization.
Moonsen's smile softened as he looked at him.
"Even though we are rivals for the royal consort, I could never refuse the Queen's request."
Jade's heart quickened in his chest.
'She requsted this…?'
Until now, he had believed she did not trust him. But he had been wrong. She had believed in him from the very beginning.
Steeling himself, Jade bowed respectfully.
"Thank you. I will thank you properly later."
Without another word, he turned and dashed swiftly across the palace grounds.
Moonsen watched him disappear into the distance and smiled quietly before turning away.
As Jade raced toward the Queen's chamber, his heartbeat thundered in his ears.
'Your Majesty...!'
Queen Genie, who had been making her way toward the former king's chamber, suddenly halted in her tracks. The attendants trailing behind her immediately stopped as well, sensing the unspoken pause.
Genie lifted her gaze to the sky, where the autumn sun was sinking low, casting a breathtaking glow across the horizon. The sunset seemed more vibrant than ever—fiery golds melting into soft purples, a fleeting masterpiece painted just for this moment.
"Han."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Chief Han replied attentively.
"I wish to see my father."
A gentle smile touched Chief Han's lips. "Shall I have your dinner prepared there as well?"
Genie nodded without diverting her eyes from the twilight canvas.
"Yes, please do."
Moments later, Jade arrived at the Queen's quarters, slightly out of breath from his hurried steps.
No attendants were in sight—only the silent presence of royal guards, a subtle sign of the queen's absence.
One guard stepped forward, voice calm but respectful. "Minister, Her Majesty is currently elsewhere."
Concealing his disappointment behind a composed expression, Jade replied softly, "I'll wait."
He stood quietly where the queen had paused moments before, lifting his eyes to the fading sun.
The golden warmth of dusk seeped into the crisp winter air—and quietly into his heart as well.
King Gen, lying in his chamber, sat up coughing as Queen Genie entered.
"You can stay lying down, Father."
Genie gently took her father's frail hand.
To allow for a private conversation, the maids and guards waited outside.
King Gen shook his head with a kind smile.
"I've been lying down all day. It's time I sat up."
Genie looked at her increasingly frail father with sorrow.
She felt sorry she hadn't been able to visit more often since becoming queen and handling state affairs.
"I'm sorry I haven't been visiting you lately, Father…"
"Don't say that. I know you've been busy with matters of the state. I've heard a little about what's been happening from the eunuch."
King Gen gazed at his daughter with warm eyes.
"So, how is your heart?"
"What do you mean, Father…?"
As if he already knew, King Gen chuckled gently.
"I mean your heart regarding the royal consort appointment. I know you've already made your decision. I just wonder how your heart truly feels."
"How do you always know what I'm thinking, Father… Yes, you're right. My heart is already with someone. But…"
She trailed off.
King Gen waited patiently with warm eyes.
"I don't know how he feels…"
He gently patted the back of Genie's hand.
"You wish to know his heart."
Genie found it amazing how her father always understood her so well.
"Yes, Father. I don't know if I'm the only one who feels this way… Or if he might have feelings for me, too… I really want to know his heart."
"Then why not ask him honestly?" King Gen asked gently.
Genie hesitated. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I'm still afraid to…"
The old king nodded, his expression full of understanding. He didn't push, didn't try to dispel her fear with platitudes.
"Still, I'm proud of you."
"Why are you proud of me, Father?"
He looked at her with eyes that held years of wisdom and unwavering love.
"Because even as a Queen," he said, "you haven't tried to bend his will or chain him with duty. You could have ordered him into the role of consort, used law or tradition to bind him to you. But instead… you're waiting. You're listening. You're honoring his heart as a person, not just a subject. That purity in you—it's rare. And beautiful. You're doing well, my daughter."
The words pierced Genie's heart, soft and fierce all at once. Her eyes filled with tears, the weight of unspoken fears breaking through.
"But Father…" she said, her voice trembling. "Do you really think I could be with him?"
She looked down at her hands, her thumb nervously brushing across her father's knuckles.
"If I didn't care this much, I could've just appointed him. He's everything the court could ask for—honorable, capable, wise."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"But because I do care… It frightens me. If his heart doesn't feel the same, and I appoint him anyway… I might trap him in a life he never wanted. That thought terrifies me."
King Gen reached out and gently patted his daughter's shoulder, his hand resting there like a blessing.
"My dear daughter… Genie," he said softly. "When I met your mother—the queen who has passed—I felt just as you do now. The fear, the uncertainty…"
Genie looked up, her tears still shimmering in her eyes.
"As Crown Prince," he continued, "I was terrified. Naming your mother—then a humble court physician—as my Crown Princess felt impossible. The court was against it. The ministers whispered. But my heart… it knew." His voice was quiet, steady, as though speaking from the still, sacred memory of the past. "When you truly love someone, nothing comes easily. The path of love is never smooth—but it is always worth walking."
Genie raised her head, her fingertips brushing the tears from her cheeks. Her eyes met his, searching them for the truth she needed to hear.
King Gen smiled, the warmth of old love lighting his face.
"I prayed to God for wisdom every day," he said. "And in time, I found the strength to choose her. To stand by her. And though she passed too soon—leaving you so young—never once have I regretted that choice."
He leaned back slightly, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling as if seeing her mother's face there.
"No matter how often the ministers urged me to remarry, to name another queen, their words never reached me. My heart was spoken for. And every time I look at you… I thank God again for guiding me to her."
"Father…" Genie breathed, her voice thick with emotion.
"So listen to your heart, my daughter," he said gently, his hand still resting on her shoulder. "But don't rely on it alone. Above all, pray to God for wisdom. He gave it to me, and He will surely grant it to you."
He paused, letting the moment settle.
"For your sake. For him. And for the future of our Hana Kingdom. He will show you the best path—so do not be afraid."
Something within Genie stirred—like a weight beginning to lift. She closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in a slow, steady breath. Then she opened them, new resolve glimmering behind the sadness.
"Thank you, Father," she whispered. "I don't want to be afraid anymore."
Leaving her father's chamber, Queen Genie stepped into the quiet corridor, her footsteps echoing faintly against the stone. The palace had settled into its nighttime stillness, the murmurs of court life fading into the hush of twilight.
She made her way to a quiet balcony just beyond the hallway, drawn by instinct more than intent. There, she looked up.
The sun had long since set, and the heavens had unveiled a sea of stars—brilliant, eternal, and silent. The moon hung low and tender, casting a silver glow over the palace grounds below.
Genie stood still beneath the vast sky, her breath misting slightly in the cool air. Slowly, she closed her eyes.
'You know where my heart lies…' she prayed silently. 'Please… if it is Your will, may no pain come to him. I earnestly seek wisdom—true wisdom—for what I should do.'
The breeze stirred her hair gently, as if the night itself had heard her plea. A quiet peace settled over her—not certainty, not yet, but the beginning of courage.
She opened her eyes once more, her gaze steady now, fixed on the stars above.