The Moon Feast began beneath silver lanterns and thinly veiled intentions.
It was held not in the palace proper, but in the suspended Sky Pavilion—an open-air platform floating above the castle grounds, tethered by enchanted chains. The view below was breathtaking.
And so was the drop.
Jungho stood at the edge, staring down into the abyss.
"Scenic," he muttered. "Perfect place for a fall."
[System Warning: Hostile Intent Detected – Area Scan Incomplete]
He didn't need a scan. He'd known it was coming.
Velis's "petals." Arin's warning. The sudden invitation without the Queen present.
All signs pointed to a trap.
And he was ready to spring it—in reverse.
When he arrived at the banquet, nobles were already drunk on moonlight and false politeness.
Each table was adorned with crescent-shaped plates and wine goblets tall enough to drown in. At the center sat Baroness Velis, wrapped in layers of silk and smugness.
She didn't rise when he approached.
"Fool," she greeted with icy amusement. "How generous of you to join us. I feared your tongue had already gotten you buried."
Jungho bowed low. "Not yet, my lady. But I keep a coffin on retainer—just in case."
Polite chuckles echoed. But some were strained.
[Court Favor +1 (Performance: Entrance Banter)]
He took the seat offered to him—oddly central, oddly visible.
The server approached with a silver pitcher, pouring a wine that shimmered like liquified twilight.
Jungho raised the goblet, smiling.
"Moonlight in a glass. Shall we toast?"
Velis's eyes gleamed.
"To old tricks," she purred. "And older fools."
The goblets clinked.
Jungho didn't drink.
Instead, he stood.
And began to perform.
"I once met a man," he began, pacing between the tables, "who told lies so sweet, even the poison in his cup begged for a taste."
Scattered laughter.
"Of course, he died choking on a compliment, but you can't say he didn't die loved."
A few nobles leaned in.
"But tell me, dear court—what's worse? A fool who speaks truth, or a noble who can't tell the difference?"
He spun on his heel.
"Let's find out."
He plucked a goblet from the table—his goblet—and held it up.
"To make this fair, I shall drink your wine…"
He handed it to Baroness Velis.
"…and you shall drink mine."
The room tensed.
Velis's mask cracked just slightly.
She hesitated.
"You jest."
"I always do."
But he held the cup out, unwavering.
Everyone was watching.
Including the shadows.
Velis took it with shaking hands.
Jungho took hers.
They drank.
He smiled.
She tried to.
Then coughed.
Once.
Twice.
She dropped the goblet.
Jungho leaned down, hand to his chest.
"Oh dear. Was mine a bit too bitter for your taste?"
Her lips were pale. Her breathing ragged.
Jungho turned to the crowd.
"Now now, don't panic. Our dear Baroness merely mistook poison for power. Common mistake."
Gasps. Whispers. Panic.
A healer rushed forward.
[Skill Used: Fool's Gold – Alchemical Illusion Cast on Self (Wine Neutralized, Taste Unaltered)]
[Court Perception Shift: +7 – Fear, Respect, Confusion]
[Evolution Progress: 81%]
Velis survived.
Barely.
But her mask shattered—figuratively and literally—as it clattered to the ground.
She would never recover from the humiliation.
And Jungho never broke a sweat.
After the feast, Jungho stood alone at the edge of the Sky Pavilion again.
The wind cut sharper now.
The silence behind him was broken by a slow clap.
A man in a full jester mask stepped forward.
Guild robes. No coin.
No name.
"Poison bait," the stranger said. "Classic."
Jungho didn't turn around. "Worked."
"You know the rule."
"I do."
The stranger held out a small mirror. "Next time, there will be blood."
Jungho met his gaze in the reflection.
"Then I'll bring a mop."
The man laughed once, darkly.
"Fool you may be. But tonight, you played the court like a harp strung with razorwire."
Then he vanished.
Leaving only the wind.
And Jungho, staring down again into the abyss—
That, for once, seemed to be staring back.
---
The summons came late, with no herald.
A boy no older than ten, dressed as a scullery servant, passed Jungho a folded note while pretending to clean the hallway tiles.
He vanished before Jungho could blink.
The message was simple:
"Come to the Cold Room. No guards. Come alone."
He almost laughed. Almost.
> [System Notice: Location Flagged – Restricted Access Zone]
> [Recommended Action: Decline or Delay]
He ignored it.
---
The Cold Room was no myth. A forgotten space buried beneath the old wing—once used to preserve noble corpses until ceremonial burnings.
It stank of salt, copper, and secrets.
Jungho entered quietly.
The chamber was dim, lit by a single oil lamp. Three figures waited: hooded, masked, and still. Their faces hidden behind plain black porcelain.
One stood slightly ahead of the others.
"Fool," the leader said. "We come with advice."
Jungho leaned on the doorframe. "I usually charge for lessons, not take them."
"Step back. This game is beyond you. Say your lines. Bow when told. Live."
Jungho chuckled. "How generous. Who paid for this wisdom?"
No answer.
He narrowed his eyes. "You're not here to advise."
The leader sighed. "Then it's unfortunate."
Jungho's hand flicked back. The door slammed shut.
> [Alert: Lockdown Detected – System Restriction Active]
> [Suppression Level: Critical… Interference Detected… Interference—]
> [ERROR: Connection Lost]
And in that moment—he *felt it.*
The old pulse.
The breath of shadows.
The hunger for silence.
---
The leader lunged.
Jungho sidestepped, his foot sweeping the attacker's leg from beneath him. Before the man could recover, Jungho twisted and snapped his neck in a single motion.
The second figure threw three daggers.
He vanished.
> [Skill Reawakened: Shadow Step – ACTIVE]
He reappeared behind her, silent as a breath. She turned just in time to see the dagger he caught from mid-air plunged into her own throat.
Blood spattered the salt-stained wall.
Only the third remained.
Frozen. Shaking.
Jungho grabbed him by the collar, slammed him against the wall.
"Talk."
The man's mask cracked slightly. He laughed.
"They said you'd kill two."
Jungho's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"You're the wrong piece. The wrong game."
Jungho pressed harder.
"Who sent you?"
The man smiled wider.
"Too late."
He bit down.
Foam leaked from his lips.
Jungho yanked him back, tried to force his jaw open—but it was done.
The body twitched. Then stopped.
> [System Link Restored – Class Suppression Reapplied]
> [Unauthorized Action Logged: Pending Review]
> [Warning: You Have Been Flagged for Deviance Analysis]
Jungho let the corpse slide to the floor.
---
Later, he burned the bodies in a torch-fed pit near the back of the chamber—an old execution shaft. They would never be found.
He returned to his room bloodless, breath even, coat immaculate.
A court jester once again.
---
The next day, the Queen hosted court in the garden balcony.
Nobles gossiped about the weather, the crops, the latest jewel theft from some distant duchess.
But Jungho watched everyone.
And he *saw* it.
Velis's seat was empty.
The Chancellor avoided his gaze.
Princess Arin smiled too sharply.
And somewhere behind a statue, the Guild's Watcher observed without blinking.
> [Evolution Progress: 89%]
> [New Passive Acquired: Faceless Executioner – Actions Taken Outside System Recognition Will Not Be Logged for 30 Seconds]
> [Caution: This Trait Is Under Surveillance]
Jungho poured himself wine.
And for once…
He drank it.