The door to the meeting hall burst open. Kyeongseon Joon rushed in. Seong, who was in discussion with Kyeongseon Ung and Norahn, shifted his gaze to Joon. Joon, seemingly expecting Seong to be alone, stopped in surprise, forgetting to offer his greetings. His eyes darted back and forth between his father and Norahn.

  Seong spoke to Joon, "Tell me."

  Joon hesitated for a moment longer before opening his mouth. "Guardian, the three soldiers I sent with the High Councilor haven't returned," he reported.

  Ung and Norahn, unaware of the circumstances, simultaneously turned to Seong. Ung asked, "What's this about?"

  Seong confessed, "I secretly sent them as escorts when the High Councilor returned to Nahmgyo."

  Norahn echoed, "Secretly?"

  "He adamantly refused," Seong explained, "saying they might be followed by the Dahnians."

  Seong asked Joon, "Has it been past the time they were supposed to return?"

  "Long past. I instructed them to return immediately after confirming that the High Councilor had safely entered the city."

  Ung asked, "Have you searched for them?"

  "I couldn't send out many people," Joon replied, "but I've been sending them out little by little to search for them. However, we haven't found any significant traces around Wicheong."

  Joon finished his report and glanced at Seong, who was visibly lost in thought. It was unusual for soldiers to disobey the return time, so it was clear that something had happened. However, those present, except for Seong, couldn't grasp the gravity of Joon's brief report. Only Seong, who had been sensing Hwan's presence lurking around Wicheong Palace for days, was gripped by a sense of foreboding.

  Amidst the uneasy silence, the soldier guarding the door entered and announced, "Guardian, the Third Emissary Divine requests an urgent audience."

  Norahn frowned. "Shouldn't she be in Nahmgyo right now?"

  Before the soldier could answer, Sobi barged in and bowed to Seong. More than her intrusion, it was her unprecedented attire that surprised everyone present. Without giving them time to ask what was going on, Sobi hurriedly spoke,

  "Guardian, the High Councilor has gone missing."

  Seong's upper body swayed as he sat. Ung, his eyes wide with surprise, pressed Sobi for answers.

  "What do you mean?! The High Councilor is missing?!"

  "When I arrived at Nahmgyo, the High Councilor wasn't there," Sobi reported. "Lady Myeonghyeon had no idea that he had left a day earlier or that I was scheduled to arrive."

  "Did you search the city? What about the Lady of Nahmgyo? Did she have no idea of his whereabouts either?"

  Instead of answering Ung, Sobi took out a letter and held it out to Seong, whose face had drained of color.

  "Here, a letter from Lady Myeonghyeon."

  Seong was frozen in place. Norahn took the letter and handed it to him. With trembling hands, Seong broke the seal. The scent of Sobi's sweat, a testament to her frantic journey, clung to the paper. Even as he unfolded the letter, he couldn't feel the thinness of the paper between his fingers. The letter crumpled in his hand as he read each line, filled with Seon's fear and distrust. After reading the last sentence, he slammed the letter onto the desk. Ung, watching cautiously, took the letter from under Seong's clenched fist and read it. The letter passed from Ung to Norahn, and then to Joon. Seong remained silent as everyone present learned of the events that had unfolded at House Myeonghyeon. No one spoke.

  It was Norahn who broke the silence. "Lady Myeonghyeon has made a grave mistake."

  Ung countered, "Isn't the High Councilor's safety a more pressing issue?"

  "The fact that the Dahnian forces have occupied House Myeonghyeon and discovered the secret passage is just as critical as the High Councilor's safety. Can we be certain that the Princess didn't capture the High Councilor? What if she's holding him captive and causing this commotion as a deception? If we rush out to find him and fall into a trap, we'll all die."

  Joon interjected, "Wouldn't Seon have considered that? She must have concluded that it wasn't the Princess's doing for a reason."

  Norahn retorted coldly, "If she had such good judgment, would she have allowed the Dahnian forces back into Nahmgyo and her own house to be occupied? It was Lady Myeonghyeon who acted rashly and worsened the situation. Just look at the Third Emissary. What has she made an Emissary who serves Sahngjon wear?"

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Eyes turned to Sobi, who hurriedly lowered her head. Joon raised his voice slightly towards Norahn.

  "Is this the time to be concerned about a mere Emissary's attire? The High Councilor’s gone missing! The missing soldiers must also be related to this! Do you think these two situations are mere coincidences?!"

  "A mere Emissary?" Norahn retorted. "To the one who assists me from my right side?"

  At Norahn's cold voice, Joon bit his lip and turned to Seong, who was unusually quiet. Joon pressed him, "Guardian, say something."

  Despite Joon's urging, Seong's eyes only wandered through the air. Sensing something amiss, Joon urged him again, "You do know something, don't you? It was strange from the moment you insisted on secretly sending escorts."

  Seong squeezed his eyes shut.

  'Who will you give up this time?'

  Hwan's chilling voice from the previous night echoed in his mind. His desperate hope that Hwan might offer a chance outweighed his certainty that he was holding Ryang's life in his hands. Seong clenched his fists until his palms throbbed. The determination he had shown in front of his brother, claiming that he couldn't give up anyone, now seemed like a ridiculous joke. The shadow of Hwan, which had enveloped him for days, was now fainter, but still lingered. Regret gnawed at him, but it was too late to turn back.

  Seong said, "It's Hwan."

  The air froze instantly. Joon asked again, "Guardian, what did you say? Who?"

  "It must be Hwan’s doing."

  Ung shook his head in denial and asked, "His life and death have been uncertain for the past four years. What makes you suspect him?"

  Seong confessed, "I met him a few days ago."

  Now, only Norahn, with his head bowed, wasn't looking at Seong with a shocked expression. Joon was bewildered.

  "What?! How...? How did you know he was alive?! Don't tell me you've been meeting him all this time?!"

  Seong remained silent. Ung sternly pressed him, "Guardian, if you've been hiding anything from us, tell us everything."

  After a long pause to gather his chaotic thoughts, Seong spoke, "I only recently learned that Hwan was alive. I heard it from the Guardian Crimson. Hwan left Wicheong and lived as a pirate. The Guardian Crimson told me where his ship was anchored. On the day the star fell, the Emissaries said it disappeared above the southeastern coast of Wi. The first person the Guardian Crimson met when he came down was Hwan. And..."

  Ung interrupted, "It was him who killed the Emissaries."

  Seong nodded weakly. Ung asked, "Why did the Guardian Crimson keep her mouth shut about him?"

  "She said she was only watching, just as Sahngjon watches over us."

  Ung countered, "Guardian, that means she helped Cheon Hwan. Perhaps..."

  "I know what you're worried about. There's no need for concern."

  Ung wanted to ask more, but he held back. He reproached Seong in a low voice, "Why are you telling us this only now?"

  "...I wanted to believe in him."

  "Believe in who?! In the one who beheaded your uncle and massacred the Emissaries?!"

  As Ung's voice grew louder, Joon grabbed his father's arm and tried to calm him down. "Father."

  Ung calmed himself and asked again, "So what's the plan now?"

  Seong only shook his head weakly. Joon answered on his behalf, "We're not sure where or how the High Councilor disappeared. It's only a guess that Hwan harmed him."

  Sobi, who had been watching, stepped forward and said, "If we wait until we're certain, the High Councilor will return dead. Lady Myeonghyeon is trapped in Nahmgyo, waiting for her brother to return. Wicheong needs to give her some kind of answer."

  Norahn rebuked her, "Did you not hear what I said earlier? It was Lady Myeonghyeon who tied our hands."

  Joon confronted Norahn, "So you're saying we should do nothing? Just sit back and wait?"

  With Joon's words, no one offered any further solutions. Joon anxiously looked at Seong again, but seeing his lifeless expression, he couldn't press him further. A sense of helplessness weighed down the atmosphere. Sobi broke the prolonged silence.

  "I will return to Nahmgyo."

  Norahn tried to dissuade her. "You've been traveling all night; haven't you had a chance to rest properly? Besides, your attire..."

  "It's safer for me to return in this attire. I need to inform Lady Myeonghyeon of the situation quickly."

  "Inform her of what? There's nothing Wicheong can do. What are you going to tell her?"

  "At least we need to let her know that Cheon Hwan is alive. He infiltrated House Myeonghyeon four years ago. If we can't find the High Councilor and suspect Cheon Hwan might have captured him, we need to warn Lady Myeonghyeon so she can prepare."

  Ung, his brow furrowed with worry, asked Seong, "Would it be wise to tell Seon about Cheon Hwan? She's already caused enough trouble. If she thinks Cheon Hwan has taken her brother as well, she won't stay still, given her temperament."

  Seong replied, "She'll be even more upset if she finds out we hid it from her. I've already made enough mistakes by hiding things from her. If Seon is angry, I deserve her anger."

  Seong then spoke to Sobi, "Third Emissary, I know you're exhausted, but I must ask this of you."

  Sobi bowed her head respectfully, her hands clasped together. She slightly lifted her cumbersome clothes and backed out of the room. After she left, Norahn briefly bowed to Seong and followed her out. As Ung was about to question Seong further, Joon tactfully led his father out of the meeting hall.

  Seong was left alone, his head bowed and his eyes closed. Should I have abandoned Hwan? Should I have treated him as an enemy, informed everyone that he is alive and targeting Wicheong, and found his base to eliminate him? Is that what the strong Guardian of the Azure Scripture that Sahngjon desired would have done? He wanted to ask Ryang. He wanted to confess all the secrets he had been hiding and ask what the right thing to do was, what the Guardian of the Azure Scripture would choose. He wanted to ask how he could save his brother, the blood son of Myeonghyeon Seung, whom he had failed to protect. Seong, a lonely and incompetent lord, desperately needed Ryang, who could be somewhere under the sky.