Evening descended like a velvet curtain, thick and silent. The manor, once buzzing with the capital visitors' laughter, had grown strangely quiet. The scent of candle wax and old wood filled the halls, mingling with the soft hum of the night wind.
Seo Rin sat by the window of her chamber, the faint flicker of the candlelight brushing her face. She tried reading — a book lay open in her lap — but her eyes refused to focus. Every sound from the corridor made her heart jump.
"Do you trust me?"
His voice still echoed in her head.
Did she? Could she?
Just then, a sound — faint footsteps outside her door. But they didn't stop. They moved past, down the corridor. Seo Rin frowned. At this hour, no one should be wandering the west wing — it was reserved for the Duke and his personal guests.
Curiosity stirred. Quiet as a shadow, she slipped on her shawl and followed.
The candle she carried flickered as she turned the corner. The voices became clearer — low, tense, urgent.
She stopped when she saw light spilling from a half-open door.
> "You were warned, Min Jae," said a voice she recognized — Lord Han's. "The crown won't stay silent forever. You're protecting the wrong person."
"I don't take orders from snakes who whisper lies," came the Duke's voice, calm but edged with fury.
"Lies?" Lord Han's tone dripped mockery. "Tell me then — what will she do when she learns you signed the decree that exiled her father?"
Seo Rin froze.
Her candle nearly slipped from her hand.
You... signed the decree?
She pressed her back against the cold wall, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Inside, the Duke's voice was low. "You don't know what you're talking about."
> "Oh, I know plenty," Lord Han sneered. "The girl you're so desperate to protect... if she finds out that her family's ruin bears your signature, she won't just hate you — she'll destroy you."
Silence.
Seo Rin's heart felt like it had stopped beating altogether.
Then came the Duke's reply — quiet, sharp, and filled with something heavy.
"I already destroyed myself that day."
Lord Han chuckled. "Then perhaps history will finish what you started."
The door slammed. Seo Rin stepped back quickly, retreating into the shadows as Lord Han walked out, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
She waited until the silence returned before looking toward the closed door.
Her hand trembled as she whispered, "It can't be true… it can't."
But deep inside, something broke — a fragile thread of trust she had just begun to rebuild.
Without realizing it, tears welled in her eyes. The candle's flame flickered violently, as if the night itself shuddered with her pain.
Somewhere within that room, Min Jae stood alone — his head bowed, his hands gripping the edge of his desk. On the table before him lay a faded parchment sealed with the royal crest... and his own signature — the mark of betrayal he could never erase.
Outside, under the crimson-tinged moon, the roses in the garden swayed — as if mourning a truth long buried.
---
End of Chapter 9