The Queen was an expert in deception.
She had to be.
For years, she played the perfect, devoted wife. The dignified ruler. The untouchable.
All while hiding the greatest secret of the kingdom.
And now—the ministers were at her door.
"You've grown silent, Your Majesty."
The Queen lifted her gaze. The Minister of Finance sat across from her, his face calm, but his eyes glinting with calculation.
The Minister of Defense sipped his tea. "You cannot truly wish for the prince to continue associating with that scholar."
The Queen set down her cup. "Why not?"
The Minister of Justice chuckled. "Scholar Dan-Bi is… an enigma. Too cunning. Too close to the prince. Too dangerous."
The Queen's fingers tightened around her cup.
Dan-Bi.
That boy.
That thorn in her plans.
The prince had been reckless before, but now?
Now he was changing.
And it all started after Dan-Bi entered his life.
The Minister of Finance leaned in. "Your Majesty, we have tolerated him long enough. You must act."
The Queen didn't respond immediately.
Instead, she picked up the golden hairpin from the table. A delicate piece. Ornate. Sharp.
Slowly, she traced the tip of it against her palm.
Then—she smiled.
"Very well."
The ministers straightened.
The Queen's voice was smooth. "Let's remind the prince exactly who his mother is."