Hee-chan carefully unfurled the small piece of parchment attached to the crow's leg. The message was concise, yet its implications were vast and shocking: Minjun was dead. The weight of the words bore down on him like a ton of bricks. They had just met a week prior, discussing the intricacies of palace politics and their shared future ambitions. Now, the same person was reported dead? How had this tragedy unfolded?
Questions plagued Hee-chan's mind, rendering him almost breathless. How was Minjun killed? Who could have wanted him dead? The natural inclination was to suspect Yujin. But Hee-chan, who had observed their dynamic from the shadows of the palace corridors, knew better. Yujin, for all his cunning and ambition, didn't seem to possess the raw audacity to commit such an act, at least not without a powerful motive.
