Moonsen rose and offered a deep bow.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I shall take my leave. May the rest of your day be peaceful."
The Queen responded with a warm, practiced smile, watching as he left the chamber with footsteps lighter than when he had arrived.
When the doors closed and silence settled over the room, Genie's smile faded. She leaned back slightly, her fingers absentmindedly brushing the smooth armrest of her chair.
'Why did I say I haven't decided…?'
In truth, there was no decision to be made. Since the day she had ascended the throne, traveling with Jade had been as natural as breathing. His presence at her side—steady, unshakable, reassuring—had always been a given, especially when venturing beyond the palace.
Yet, when Moonsen had asked, those familiar words had not come. Instead, she had spoken of indecision, as though something deep within her had rebelled against instinct.
She closed her eyes briefly.
Her mind wandered unbidden to the image she had seen that very afternoon in the Martial Hall garden—Jade and Enna standing together, speaking in that quiet, almost intimate way.
"No…" she whispered to herself, shaking her head sharply as though to banish the thought.
'Not for such a childish reason…' Genie thought.
Late at night, when the palace had fallen into quiet slumber and only the chirping of crickets stirred the silence, Queen Genie walked along the lantern-lit path leading to the Third Library. The soft glow cast long shadows behind her, trailing over Lady Park and the single guard who accompanied them.
"Your Majesty," Lady Park said, breaking the stillness, "you rarely visit the Third Library, do you not?"
Genie's steps remained steady. "I am looking for a book on military strategy," she replied, her voice calm, almost casual.
Lady Park's brows rose slightly, then she nodded. "Ah, so that is why you are visiting the one frequented by the officers." Her tone carried no judgment—only curiosity. "But why take only me and one guard tonight…?"
Genie abruptly halted, her skirts whispering against the stone path. Lady Park and the guard stopped in sync, glancing at each other.
"I simply wanted to read quietly tonight," the Queen said, her eyes fixed ahead.
Lady Park tilted her head, pressing her lips together to stifle a laugh.
"Yes, Your Majesty," she said smoothly, but her eyes twinkled.
Because she knew. She knew exactly why her Queen had chosen the Third Library—and why she had chosen to come so late at night. Minister Jade often comes here…
Lady Park's amusement only deepened, though she kept it discreet, stepping aside to follow her Queen without another word.
Soon, the pale silhouette of the Third Library appeared ahead, its grand columns cutting through the darkness, the heavy double doors framed by ivy.
"We'll wait for you out here, Your Majesty," Lady Park said with a knowing smile, giving a small curtsy.
"I'll only be a moment. Just one book," Genie replied, a faint flush touching her cheeks as she caught Park's expression. She quickly turned away, ascending the stone steps with more haste than grace.
The iron handle was cool against her hand as she pulled the door open. It creaked softly, the sound echoing in the cavernous, silent interior.
Inside, the Third Library was empty—rows of books like soldiers standing in perfect formation beneath the moonlight filtering through high windows.
Genie paused on the threshold, her heart giving a small, inexplicable flutter.
'He's not here tonight…'
For reasons she could not entirely name, disappointment pricked at her—sharp and fleeting, yet undeniably there.
She could have summoned Jade to her office whenever she wished—her position gave her that authority—but lately, she had avoided doing so. Especially after witnessing him earlier, speaking so warmly, almost tenderly, with Enna.
A sigh touched her lips. She had hoped to meet him by chance tonight, just as she used to in the earlier days when conversation came naturally between them. But apparently, he hadn't come at all.
Oh well.
Determined to finish her task quickly, she strode toward the back of the library, her footsteps light but brisk against the polished floor. The air carried the faint scent of old parchment and ink, a nostalgic heaviness that filled the quiet space.
"Where is it…?" she murmured, scanning each title with quick, focused eyes.
Her gaze halted near the top row. "Was it not here…?"
She tilted her head back and spotted it—the book she was searching for—resting on the highest shelf. Just out of easy reach.
Rising on her tiptoes, she stretched her right arm as far as she could, her fingers straining, barely brushing the spine.
At that moment—
"Huh…?"
A hand reached past her effortlessly, plucking the book from the shelf.
When she turned, startled, it was him.
"Jade?"
Genie's eyes widened slightly as she met his calm, steady gaze.
The Queen's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, breaking the heavy silence of the midnight library.
Genie turned slowly, her eyes meeting Jade's with a quiet intensity. Around them, darkness wrapped the shelves in shadow, save for the soft, flickering light of a single lantern. That faint glow traced the sharp planes of Jade's face, highlighting the calm strength in his deep, lake-like eyes that now held her gaze with unwavering focus.
After a pause, Jade spoke gently, his voice low and steady. "Your Majesty, regarding the secret mission to the Ash Kingdom you mentioned before—when might I expect the schedule? I must arrange the officers' duties in advance."
As the head of the military, Jade's mind was always preparing for the battles ahead, seeking order even in secrecy. Yet Queen Genie hesitated, a fleeting weight crossing her expression as she recalled the conversation she'd had with Moonsen just moments before.
Jade waited patiently, his eyes never leaving hers.
Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper but resolute. "There is something I have yet to tell you, Jade."
His brows lifted, curiosity piqued.
"You will not need to accompany me on this mission."
The words hung in the air like a delicate fracture.
Startled, Jade's body tensed for a fraction of a heartbeat before he masked his surprise with practiced calm.
"Is Your Majesty traveling with another, then?"
Genie nodded slightly, serene and unshaken.
"Yes. That is so."
For a fleeting heartbeat, a shadow of disappointment flickered across Jade's eyes—brief but unmistakable. It was as if the weight of unspoken longing pressed quietly behind his calm facade.
Sensing the shift in the air, Genie's voice broke the stillness with gentle explanation.
"I believe I have asked too much of you before, sending you on arduous journeys that demanded more than I should have." Her words held a tender regret, softening the space between them. "This time, I intend to travel with someone else."
Jade masked the sudden sting in his chest with a composed nod, hiding the disappointment that threatened to surface.
"If that is Your Majesty's wish, I understand."
Words faltered, and silence settled like a thin veil. Genie turned away, stepping lightly down the narrow aisle of the third library. Her footsteps echoed softly, a delicate whisper against the heavy quiet of midnight.
Her hand reached slowly for the door handle, the cool metal steady beneath her fingers. In that suspended moment before she pushed the door open, a flicker of doubt crept in—would Jade call her back? Would he voice what neither had dared to say?
Just as she summoned the strength to pull the door, a voice stopped her—a voice that carried across the length of the aisle.
"Your Majesty."
She turned, almost as if she had been waiting for this call.
Jade's voice was low, cautious, edged with vulnerability that made the silence hum. "Have I… made some mistake toward Your Majesty?"
Her eyes searched his wavering gaze, and a small, genuine smile curved her lips—a smile that felt like warmth melting through the cold, guarded space within her heart.
Suppressing the fuller smile that threatened to bloom, she said softly, "No, not at all."
Only then did Jade's tense, rigid expression soften. The deep worry that the Queen might be pulling away dissolved in the light of her smile, leaving behind quiet relief.
A delicate, almost awkward stillness lingered between them, heavy with things unsaid.
"Then, I shall take my leave," Jade said quietly.
With that, Queen Genie opened the door and stepped into the night beyond.
The door creaked softly as it closed behind her, and Jade stood motionless, eyes fixed on the empty space she had just left—haunted by the echo of footsteps fading into darkness.
In the pale, biting light of early morning, when the frost still clung to every surface like a silver shroud, Danjin, the Vice Commander, moved swiftly through the palace corridors. The cold seeped through his heavy cloak, chilling him to the bone, but urgency drove his steps—he dared not delay.
Reaching the Queen's office, he announced with steady resolve, "Your Majesty, the Vice Commander has arrived."
A soft yet commanding voice invited him in.
"Enter."
Danjin bowed deeply as he stepped inside, his breath visible in the frigid air. Queen Genie sat poised at the long, rectangular table, her calm presence a stark contrast to the sharp chill surrounding them.