Chapter 35
“Isn’t it night already?”
Haon always wondered.
Why on earth did they always go looking for places at night? It was dark, making it hard to see, and the fear made it feel even more dangerous.
Wouldn’t it be better to search during the day? Bright, easy to see, safe—wasn’t that preferable?
“Besides, this is where someone died… do we really have to go there at night?”
Whether it was suicide or murder, this was a place where a corpse had been. Haon wasn’t exactly thrilled at the idea of going there in the pitch dark.
“It’s actually better for avoiding the attention of others, don’t you think?”
Prince Shi had a point. Their investigation into Prince Bui’s death had to remain a secret.
It was officially recorded as a suicide, and everyone had kept quiet. Digging up that past could only cause trouble if discovered.
And if the real culprit were still out there? They couldn’t afford to be seen.
“That may be true…”
“You’re not thinking of backing out now, are you?”
“No!”
At the prince’s suspicion, Haon jumped up and headed straight toward the corridor.
“Let’s go! Right now! Let’s just go!”
Haon’s voice grew louder, partly to shake off her fear by repeating her words.
“Good.”
Prince Shi didn’t notice Haon’s unease at all. Or perhaps he did but chose to ignore it.
Regardless, with Prince Shi’s clean agreement, the journey to the First Palace was decided.
Prince Shi walked with unwavering steps, while following him was pure misery for Haon.
“Why, why do we have to move at night?”
Haon’s question remained unanswered. Despite her reluctance, she was now going to the First Palace at night.
“Guess it’s an unavoidable rule of investigation,” she muttered.
Crying wouldn’t help. Haon had no choice but to follow Prince Shi.
When night fell, the palace servants lit lamps throughout the royal grounds, allowing one to walk safely anywhere.
But the moment they entered the First Palace, all light vanished.
It was as if the First Palace had been cut off entirely from the rest of the palace—a place untouched by anyone.
Even Prince Shi’s steps grew cautious, and Haon came to a full stop.
“It really has been abandoned.”
Haon’s first impression of the First Palace.
The dark structure of the palace hid in the shadows, concealing something darker than the night itself.
A sharp, indescribable emotion washed over her—loneliness, emptiness, sorrow.
But above all, the most striking, real sensation that enveloped Haon was:
“Don’t you need a light?”
“If light leaks out, it could be a problem.”
“That may be true… but will we even be able to see anything?”
“Your eyes will soon adjust to the darkness.”
Without hesitation, Prince Shi entered the First Palace. Afraid of being left alone in the dark, Haon quickly followed.
The empty palace felt cold, even though it was spring. It made her realize just how vital human warmth could be.
“Oh… I guess they didn’t clean this place at all.”
Unlike the immaculate palace where not a speck of dust could settle, the First Palace was thick with a pale layer of dust, so that footprints could clearly leave marks.
“It was the empress’s order,” Prince Shi recalled.
“The day after that incident, the First Palace was immediately sealed. No one was allowed to touch it. All the servants left at once, and the First Palace was erased from everyone’s memory.”
He corrected himself briefly.
“No… it had to be erased.”
Haon, who had been paralyzed with fear, felt sympathy for Prince Shi’s somber voice. She cautiously moved closer to his side.
Sliding her hand into Prince Shi’s side, Haon lightly looped her arm around his and added an excuse.
“I’m scared… I’ll just borrow you for a moment.”
Prince Shi looked down at her for a moment.
“You’re not afraid to touch the prince, I see.”
Haon stiffened against Prince Shi so much that he could feel it. She raised her head awkwardly and tried a forced smile.
“Ha… ha, just joking.”
But Prince Shi stared at her without a hint of amusement. Haon’s uneasy smile began to falter.
As she attempted to withdraw her hand, Prince Shi pressed his arm closer to his body, trapping her hand.
“I’ll consider myself your heater, then.”
Just those words brightened Haon’s face.
“It is a little chilly here, isn’t it?”
Prince Shi remained silent.
Still, Haon was delighted to be able to loop her arm around him.
“Let’s start with the study.”
Prince Shi changed the subject.
Following him, Haon’s heart pounded—was it fear or excitement? She couldn’t tell.
They couldn’t turn on any lights, so their pace slowed as they tried to navigate through darkness, and climbing stairs made it even trickier.
Step by step, Haon carefully watched her footing.
“Huh?”
Haon flinched as she stepped onto a stair. She moved her foot away from where she had almost stepped.
Her balance wavered, and Prince Shi caught her.
“Are you alright?”
His strong arm wrapped around her waist, and Haon found herself half in his embrace.
‘Good thing it’s dark.’
Her face was burning, probably bright red, and she didn’t want to show that embarrassing side.
“I-I’m fine.”
Even her voice trembled.
“Be careful, it’s dark underfoot.”
At her assurance, Prince Shi withdrew his hand. Haon watched him with a hint of disappointment.
“Then be careful going up.”
As Prince Shi moved forward, Haon quickly grabbed him.
“Wait a moment.”
She crouched slightly.
“Look at this.”
“What is it?”
“Footprints.”
Haon pointed to the stairs.
Prince Shi furrowed his brows and leaned closer.
In the disturbed dust, bare stair treads revealed footprints. Someone had definitely been here.
“Did you step in these just now?”
“No. I was trying to step carefully, and they were already there.”
Haon’s gaze slowly shifted upward. Every step ahead of them already bore footprints.
“Someone’s been here… recently, too.”
The footprints had wiped away the half-year accumulation of dust, making them clearly visible.
Haon and Prince Shi bent over, following them. The footprints led straight to a specific destination.
They vanished into a door, which clearly showed signs of being opened and closed.
“Where is this?”
Haon looked at Prince Shi, who was staring at the door with a serious expression.
“…The study.”
“The study…?”
The place of the incident. Where Prince Bui’s body had been found.
Prince Shi scanned the room with a fierce gaze. The footprints led nowhere else.
In the abandoned First Palace, the only person who would have reason to come here—was for the study.
Haon and Prince Shi looked at each other simultaneously.
“The culprit.”
Both said the same thing.
“Really… it’s real. The culprit returns to the scene!”
Haon shouted in excitement.
“Oh my… Prince Bui really…”
She covered her mouth.
Seeing the culprit’s traces firsthand made Prince Shi’s suspicions feel real.
A chill ran over Haon’s entire body.
“A murder…”
A reality she had never imagined. Her heart pounded heavily.
While Haon was still panicked, Prince Shi pressed down his cold anger, analyzing the evidence rather than showing excitement.
“One culprit. At least, alone when returning.”
“How can you tell?”
“Though there may be overlapping prints, these footprints show only one round trip.”
Haon examined the footprints again. He was right—there weren’t enough to suggest more than one person.
“Why return?”
Prince Shi scrutinized the traces.
“After several months…”
Haon guessed.
“Maybe they thought everyone would have forgotten by now.”
“The reason for returning?”
“Well… to check something? Or to retrieve what was left behind?”
A simple guess.
Prince Shi rubbed the footprints with his fingertips. No dust came off.
“They haven’t been gone long.”
“No way…”
A ridiculous thought crossed Haon’s mind.
“They’re not still inside, are they?”
Though she spoke jokingly, her fear was palpable. Prince Shi, watching her hesitate, stood abruptly.
He reached out decisively. Haon silently gasped. Before she could stop him, he swung the door open.
Creak.
The study door swung wide. Haon reflexively squeezed her eyes shut.
It was silent. Peeking through slightly, she saw that Prince Shi had already entered the study.
“No one’s here.”
Haon followed, pretending calm.
“No sounds. The footprints back out were clear.”
“True. Coming at the same day, same time, would be too coincidental.”
Prince Shi surveyed the room. The traces of that day’s memory unfolded before him.
“Your Highness!”
“Bring the prince down immediately!”
“Call a doctor!”
“Don’t touch anything!”
Screams and shouts intertwined.
Purple hair draped from the chandelier, long enough to nearly touch the floor.
Even if eyes were closed or ears covered, the memories repeated, voices echoing.
“Shi.”
A gentle voice calling him.
Something tapped Prince Shi’s shoulder. He flinched, swinging his arm.
Thump. He roughly brushed off the contact. In his eyes, Haon appeared, startled.
“Are you alright?”
Haon held the hand he had swatted away. Though shocked, she looked at him with concern.
“You suddenly went silent, staring into nothing.”
“Ah… sorry.”
Prince Shi shook his head briefly.
“I think it’s because of this.”
“Because of this?”
“The culprit. The reason they returned.”
Haon pointed somewhere.
