The grand prince's carriage finally arrived at his residence.
Night had already settled across the capital, lanterns flickering softly along the entrance as servants hurried forward to welcome him.
"Welcome back, Your Highness."
The young royal stepped down from the carriage, still wearing the faint smile he had carried since leaving the palace.
Minsoo's cooking had been extraordinary.
Even now the flavors lingered in his mouth — the warmth of ginger, the delicate balance of spices, the tenderness of the meat. It had been unlike anything he had tasted before.
He chuckled softly.
"No wonder cousin values that chef so much."
He began walking toward the main hall of his residence.
But after only a few steps—
A sharp pain twisted violently through his stomach.
His brows furrowed.
"What…?"
Another wave of pain struck, far worse than the first.
His body suddenly trembled.
"Your Highness?" a servant asked nervously.
The grand prince staggered.
His vision blurred.
Then suddenly—
He collapsed.
"Your Highness!"
Panic erupted instantly.
Servants rushed forward, lifting him from the ground as his body convulsed violently.
Dark blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
"Call the physician!" someone screamed.
Another servant shouted in horror.
"Poison! His Highness has been poisoned!"
The words spread through the residence like wildfire.
Within moments, the news reached the grand prince's mother.
⸻
She rose from her seat the moment the report was delivered.
"What did you say?"
Her voice was dangerously calm.
"The grand prince collapsed shortly after returning home," the trembling servant said. "The royal physician suspects poison."
The noblewoman's eyes darkened.
"What did he eat tonight?"
"He dined at the palace… with His Majesty."
Silence filled the room.
Then her expression turned icy.
"And who prepared the food?"
The servant hesitated before answering.
"The palace chef… Minsoo."
The noblewoman's fury exploded.
"Guards!"
Armored soldiers rushed into the room.
"Go to the palace immediately," she ordered coldly. "Bring that woman to me."
⸻
Back at the palace, the kitchens had begun to quiet as the night deepened.
Minsoo wiped her hands gently on a cloth, finishing the last of the evening's tasks.
The kitchen doors suddenly burst open.
Heavy footsteps filled the room.
Before Minsoo could react, two guards grabbed her arms.
"What—? What is happening?" she cried.
But no one answered her.
The guards dragged her out of the kitchen and across the palace courtyard.
Minsoo struggled as they pulled her along.
"Wait! What did I do?"
Still no answer.
Moments later she was thrown violently onto the cold stone floor.
She gasped as pain shot through her body.
When she looked up—
A furious noblewoman stood before her.
The grand prince's mother.
Her eyes burned with rage.
"You dare poison my son?"
Minsoo froze in shock.
"I didn't—"
SLAP!
The sound echoed across the courtyard as the noblewoman struck her across the face.
Minsoo collapsed sideways from the force.
"You still dare lie to me?" the noblewoman hissed.
Minsoo struggled to lift herself up, her cheek burning.
"I didn't poison him!"
The noblewoman's expression hardened.
"Beat her."
The command fell like thunder.
The guards stepped forward immediately.
A whip cracked through the night air.
Pain exploded across Minsoo's back as the first strike landed.
She cried out, collapsing onto the ground.
"Confess!" the noblewoman demanded.
"I didn't poison him!" Minsoo gasped.
Another strike landed.
Then another.
Each blow tore through her strength as the guards continued beating her.
Blood stained her clothes as bruises spread across her body.
"Confess your crime!" the noblewoman shouted.
But Minsoo only shook her head weakly.
"I… didn't poison him…"
Her refusal only fueled the noblewoman's fury.
Finally she raised her hand.
"Enough."
The guards stepped back.
The noblewoman looked down at Minsoo coldly.
"You will live," she said slowly.
"But until you confess…"
Her gaze turned icy.
"You will rot in prison."
She turned toward the guards.
"Throw her in the dungeon."
The guards dragged Minsoo away, her body barely able to move.
At that very moment, in a quiet garden within the palace—
The king was waiting.
Moonlight spilled across the garden pond as he stood beside the blooming flowers.
His usually composed expression carried an unfamiliar tension.
Tonight he had intended to speak words he had long kept hidden.
He had asked Minsoo to meet him here.
Yet she had not come.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
A faint frown appeared on his face.
What was taking her so long?
Suddenly—
Footsteps rushed toward him.
A palace guard dropped to his knees before the king, breathless.
"Your Majesty!"
The king's eyes sharpened.
"What is it?"
The guard hesitated before speaking.
"The grand prince collapsed after returning home… he was poisoned."
The king stiffened.
"What?"
"They believe the food prepared by Minsoo was responsible," the guard continued nervously. "The grand prince's mother has already arrested her."
For a split second, the king's expression turned deadly.
Then he moved.
Without another word, he ran.
Servants scattered out of his path as he rushed through the palace corridors.
By the time he reached the courtyard, Minsoo had already been dragged away.
But the grand prince's mother was still there.
"Release her immediately," the king commanded sharply.
The noblewoman turned slowly toward him.
"She poisoned my son."
The king's gaze hardened.
"I ate the same food," he replied. "And I am perfectly fine."
A tense silence fell over the courtyard.
But the noblewoman did not back down.
"You may be the king," she said coldly, "but I am also of royal blood."
She stepped forward.
"My son lies near death because of her cooking."
The guards hesitated, uncertain whom to obey.
The king's voice grew colder.
"There is no proof she poisoned anything."
The noblewoman's eyes burned with fury.
"Then let her prove her innocence."
Her words fell like iron.
"Until she does," she continued coldly, "she will remain in prison."
For the first time that night, the king realized something terrible.
She had the authority to challenge him.
If he forced the matter without evidence, the court would erupt into chaos.
His fists clenched slowly.
Minsoo was innocent.
He knew it.
But knowing was not enough.
He needed proof.
The noblewoman gave a satisfied smile.
"Until evidence is presented," she said coldly, "that woman remains a criminal."
The king watched helplessly as the guards disappeared into the darkness with Minsoo.
The night felt colder than before.
Somewhere deep beneath the palace—
Minsoo lay in chains within the prison, her body covered in wounds.
And above ground, the king stood beneath the cold moonlight with a single burning thought.
Someone had poisoned the grand prince.
And they had framed Minsoo for it.
The real culprit was still inside the palace.
Watching.
Waiting.
And if he did not uncover the truth soon—
Minsoo might never leave that prison alive.
The dungeon beneath the palace was dark and damp.
Torches flickered weakly against the stone walls as guards stood watch outside the iron cells.
Inside one of them, Minsoo lay weakly against the cold floor, her breathing uneven from the injuries she had suffered.
Every movement sent pain through her body.
Footsteps suddenly echoed through the corridor.
The guards straightened immediately.
"Your Majesty."
The king stepped forward, his expression darker than anyone had ever seen it.
"Leave us."
The guards hesitated only briefly before bowing and stepping away from the cell.
The king approached the iron bars slowly.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Minsoo lifted her head weakly when she sensed someone standing there.
Her eyes widened when she saw him.
"Your… Majesty…"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
The king's jaw tightened when he saw the injuries covering her body.
His fists clenched.
"They dared to do this to you…" he muttered quietly.
Minsoo shook her head faintly.
"I didn't poison him," she said weakly. "I swear it."
"I know."
The answer came immediately.
His voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it.
"I know you didn't."
Minsoo stared at him, surprised.
For a moment the king looked away, his gaze dark with anger and frustration.
"They have placed you in a trap," he said quietly. "And without proof… even I cannot release you yet."
The words hung heavily in the air.
Minsoo lowered her eyes.
"So this is how it ends for me," she whispered.
The king suddenly stepped closer to the bars.
"No."
His voice was firm.
Minsoo looked up again.
The king's gaze burned with determination.
"I will find the truth," he said slowly.
"Whoever poisoned the grand prince… whoever framed you…"
His eyes hardened.
"I will expose them."
Minsoo's chest tightened as she listened.
The king gripped the iron bars.
"And when I do," he continued quietly, "I will prove your innocence before the entire court."
Silence filled the dungeon.
Then he spoke the words that made Minsoo's heart tremble.
"I promise you this."
His voice lowered, steady and unshakable.
"I will get you out of here."
The torchlight flickered across his face, casting long shadows across the stone walls.
"Even if I must turn the entire palace upside down to do it."
For the first time since the nightmare had begun, a small spark of hope appeared in Minsoo's eyes.
But somewhere above them—
Hidden within the palace walls—
The real culprit was still watching.
And the game they had started was far from over.
The king turned slowly and walked away from the cell, his steps echoing through the dark corridor.
Behind him, the dungeon door slammed shut.
And in the silent palace above—
The hunt for the truth had finally begun.