Jade paused only briefly, his tall figure framed by the pale morning light.
"I'm stepping outside the palace. I will return quickly," he replied, his tone steady but carrying an undertone that hinted at a purpose unspoken.
Danjin's brows furrowed, but he inclined his head slowly.
"As you will, Minister. May I dare to ask where you are going?"
At that, Jade allowed one corner of his lips to curve, a faint smile that concealed more than it revealed. He shook his head, the gesture firm yet gentle.
"Do not trouble yourself. I'll be back shortly. Go and have your meal," he said, laying a hand on Danjin's shoulder with quiet camaraderie before turning on his heel.
His robe shifted like a flowing shadow as he strode toward the gates. The sound of his boots against the stone yard echoed with swift determination, and in a moment, his figure slipped beyond the archway.
Danjin remained standing, his gaze lingering on the departing form. The minister's back seemed more secretive than ever, as though burdened by something greater than military matters.
With a soft murmur, Danjin mused, "At the hour of breakfast, where could Minister Jade be hastening to?" Then, with a small shake of his head and a chuckle at his own speculation, he turned away. "Ah, enough of such thoughts. To breakfast, then!"
The village outside the palace was already alive with the rhythm of morning. Merchants called out their wares, children darted between stalls, and the fragrance of grilled rice cakes and spiced broth mingled with the sharper scents of herbs and fresh fish. Jade moved swiftly through the crowd, his tall figure cutting a straight path as his eyes skimmed past baskets of fruit, steaming food stalls, rows of embroidered shoes, and racks of women's silk garments.
His steps slowed when a glimmer caught his gaze. On a wooden table, beneath the rising sun, a jade bracelet gleamed softly, its pale green surface glowing as though it had captured the morning light itself.
The merchant, a broad-shouldered man with a genial face, noticed Jade's gaze and stepped forward with an eager smile.
"Sir, your eyes have found the finest piece. Are you looking at this one?"
He gestured toward the bracelet.
"Yes," Jade replied simply, though his voice carried an uncommon weight.
His eyes did not move from the bracelet, as if he already imagined it resting against a slender wrist.
'This will suit her… it will glow against Her Majesty's pure and gentle features,' he thought, the corners of his lips curving faintly, betraying a rare softness.
"How much is this?" Jade asked.
"Ninety cents," the merchant answered promptly, his smile widening as he reached for a small lacquered box.
Jade nodded once.
"I'll take it."
The merchant carefully placed the bracelet into the box, then glanced up at Jade with a knowing grin.
"Is this for your wife, sir?"
Jade froze for the briefest moment, his composure cracking.
Sensing his hesitation, the merchant leaned closer with a chuckle.
"Ah, perhaps… someone you admire deeply?"
Jade's eyes lowered, and a flicker of color touched his face. After a moment, he gave a small, reluctant nod.
"Yes," he admitted, the word leaving him almost reluctantly, as though exposed.
The merchant laughed heartily, his voice carrying above the din of the market.
"Well then," the merchant asked mischievously, tilting his head, "does the lady also know you adore her, sir?"
At that question, Jade's hand froze over the box. The sound of the bustling market seemed to fade for an instant. Kim Jin's voice from the day before rose in his mind, echoing with uncanny similarity.
'Does Queen Genie also know that you love her?'
The words struck him twice now—once from a trusted comrade, and now from a stranger. Jade's lips parted, but his voice was low, almost reluctant.
"No. She doesn't know."
The merchant's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed with playful mischief.
"Why not confess, sir? You're tall, commanding, and—let me say without shame—the most handsome man I've seen pass through this market in years."
Jade smirked faintly, shaking his head as if brushing away the man's flattery.
"It's… not that simple."
The merchant looked at Jade and said with quiet conviction, "Sometimes you must go beyond your boundary to deliver your heart."
Jade's gaze flickered, his eyes quivering as though struck by the truth of the words.
The merchant smiled, calm and assured, as if he had spoken this wisdom many times before.
"Sir, don't hide your feelings. Time is precious. Perhaps that lady is waiting for you to show her your heart."
Jade's chest tightened, and for the first time in years, his heart trembled—not from battle, not from fear, but from love left unspoken.
The merchant slipped the lacquered box into Jade's hands. The weight of the jade bracelet pressed down on his palm like a secret.
Jade blinked, returning to the present, and pulled out the ninety cents from inside his black top.
"Here. Thank you," he said quietly.
The merchant bowed with a genial smile.
"And thank you, sir. May your day be blessed—and may the lady cherish your gift."
Jade managed a faint smile before turning to leave.
Yet he halted mid-step, his hand tightening around the box. He lowered his eyes to it, his thoughts whispering louder than the market's din.
'I only meant to give this as a late birthday gift to Her Majesty…' His breath caught, lingering on the jade's cool surface. 'But why does it feel… as if I must deliver my heart first?'
Jade looked down at the small lacquered box in his hand, the jade bracelet gleaming faintly through its slit as if it carried a light of its own.
As he walked back toward the palace, weaving through the busy morning streets, his steps slowed. Thought pressed upon thought, heavy as iron upon his chest. With every pace, his heart whispered the same question, yet no answer came.
At last, when the crowds thinned and the path opened toward the mountains beyond the city wall, Jade stopped. The spring sky spread clear and vast above him, the morning sun rising with a brilliance that bathed the world in gold.
He lifted his face to it, his jaw taut, his breath unsteady. The light struck his eyes, yet he did not look away.
"Lord…" His voice was low, trembling yet resolute. "What should I do?"
He pressed the box to his chest as though it were his very heart, and closed his eyes.
"Lord, what should I do… Please tell me," Jade prayed with an earnestness drawn from the very depths of his heart.
That afternoon, Genie presided over an exhausting series of meetings with the Ministry of Administration. Scrolls of records and ink-brushed reports lay stacked high on the long table, the officials seated around her glancing at one another nervously as she spoke.
"I want the promotion system changed," Genie said firmly, her voice steady and resolute in the hush of the chamber. "No longer should advancement come from ties and attachments. From now on, it must be rooted in performance, in merit. The Hana Kingdom deserves leaders who serve the people—not their own circles of power."
Her words carried with the sharpness of steel. Some of the officials bowed their heads in agreement, others shifted uneasily in their seats, yet none dared oppose her.
Genie's gaze swept over them, her eyes calm yet penetrating.
"You all understand what this means? The court must adapt. Favoritism will no longer rule our systems."
The weight of her charisma pressed into the room. Even the flickering lamps seemed to burn more steadily beneath her presence. One by one, the officials murmured their assent, though the unease in the air remained palpable.
The meeting stretched long into the afternoon, arguments raised and settled, details written into scrolls, until at last the golden light of sunset poured across the floor. Genie dismissed the officials with a graceful nod and rose to her feet.
Outside, the air was cool, touched by the faint fragrance of blossoms drifting from the gardens. Genie walked with measured steps toward her chamber, Chief Han and Lady Park leading the way while the court ladies followed in respectful silence.
Chief Han finally broke it with a careful tone.
"Your Majesty, would you like to go directly to dinner?"
Genie paused mid-step, her silk robes whispering against the stone path as she turned to look at him. Her eyes, though weary, still held a quiet strength.
"No," she said softly. "I was thinking of going to the library. I want some time alone… to read, to study."
Lady Park and Chief Han exchanged a fleeting glance—hesitation passing silently between them.
Genie's brow lifted faintly.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice neither harsh nor indulgent, but carrying a gentle command that demanded honesty.
Chief Han hesitated, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
"Dinner is waiting for you, Your Majesty. Before it grows cold, perhaps you should have a meal first."
Lady Park quickly added with a warm, coaxing smile.
"Yes, Your Majesty. You worked so hard today. Why not take your dinner first and then move to the library afterward, if that pleases you?"
Genie stopped, her gaze sliding from one to the other. Their smiles seemed just a little too careful, their tones just a little too deliberate.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, though her lips remained curved in a faint, graceful smile.
"I see," she said in a serene voice.
Inside, her thoughts stirred.
'They rarely object to my plans. Why now? Why with such insistence?'