The royal court slowly began to disperse.
Nobles whispered among themselves as they left, their curious gazes still lingering on Joon-Woo.
Even as he stood there—
He could feel it.
Attention.
Suspicion.
Interest.
Beside him, Leon remained silent.
Composed as ever.
But—
Something about him felt different.
Distant.
Cold in a way that hadn't been there before.
"Come," Leon said at last.
Joon-Woo nodded and followed.
They walked through the long palace corridors once more.
This time—
No whispers.
No interruptions.
Only silence.
Heavy.
Unspoken.
Joon-Woo glanced at Leon from the corner of his eyes.
He's still avoiding me…
That realization settled quietly in his chest.
And for some reason—
It bothered him more than it should.
---
After a while—
They reached a quiet balcony overlooking the palace gardens.
Snow still covered the ground below, shimmering under the pale daylight.
Leon stopped.
Joon-Woo halted a step behind him.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
The cold wind passed between them.
Then—
Leon finally broke the silence.
"You refused the King."
His voice was calm.
But firm.
Joon-Woo blinked slightly.
"…Yes."
"You understand what that means?"
Joon-Woo looked at him.
For a brief moment, he hesitated—
Then spoke quietly,
"You already know… I am a messenger of the gods."
Leon's gaze sharpened slightly.
"I was sent here… for a mission."
The words were calm—
But carried a weight far beyond their simplicity.
Leon turned slightly.
His blue eyes finally met Joon-Woo's.
Sharp.
Searching.
"And if that mission takes you away from here?"
The question was simple.
But the meaning behind it—
Wasn't.
Joon-Woo hesitated.
For the first time—
He didn't have an immediate answer.
"I…"
He stopped.
Because the truth was—
He didn't know.
His mission.
His purpose.
This world.
Everything was uncertain.
Leon watched him closely.
Then—
He looked away again.
"…I see."
That was all he said.
But something in his expression dimmed.
---
"Brother!"
A soft voice suddenly broke the silence.
Both of them turned.
Princess Lyra had arrived.
She walked toward them quickly, her expression bright, yet slightly nervous. Despite her young age, there was a natural elegance in her movements.
Her eyes immediately found Joon-Woo.
"You're here…"
She stepped closer, stopping just in front of him.
For a moment, she seemed unsure—
Then she bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you… for saving me."
Her voice was sincere.
Joon-Woo looked a little surprised.
"You don't need to—"
"I do," she interrupted softly.
"If you hadn't been there… I might not be standing here today."
Her hands tightened slightly at her sides.
"I was really scared…"
Joon-Woo's expression softened slightly.
"…You're safe now. That's enough."
Lyra looked up at him again.
There was admiration in her eyes.
"And you fought all those people alone…" she said quietly. "You're really strong."
Joon-Woo gave a small, awkward smile.
"It wasn't a big deal."
Lyra shook her head gently.
"It is."
Then she hesitated before asking,
"Are you going to stay in the palace?"
Joon-Woo paused.
"…I'm not sure yet."
For a brief moment—
A hint of disappointment flickered across her face.
"Oh…"
Leon, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"That's enough, Lyra."
His tone wasn't harsh—
But it was firm.
Lyra blinked, then smiled lightly.
"Alright."
But before leaving, she looked at Joon-Woo one last time.
"If you ever need anything… please come to me."
Joon-Woo nodded.
"…Thank you, Princess."
With that, she turned and left, her steps quiet as she disappeared down the corridor.
---
Silence returned once again.
The cold wind passed through the balcony.
But this time—
It felt heavier.
---
At the same time—
Far from the palace.
Deep within the shadows of the forest—
A group of cloaked figures stood in silence.
Dark energy pulsed faintly in the air around them.
"The target has appeared," one of them said.
His voice was low.
Cold.
"We've confirmed it."
Another figure stepped forward.
"The one with dual elements… and unknown origin."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
A quiet command.
"Eliminate him."