The palace didn't return to normal.
Even after a full day had passed.
Even after guards doubled.
Even after the corridors were checked again and again.
Something remained… off.
Not loud.
Not obvious.
Just enough to be felt.
Morning came quietly.
The winter sun slipped through the narrow window slits again, pale and weak. It didn't warm the room it just made the cold visible.
Rudura was already awake.
He hadn't slept deeply.
Not properly.
His eyes opened before the light reached him.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Just lay there.
Listening.
Silence.
Then
Distant footsteps.
Tap… tap… tap…
Normal.
Servants.
Routine.
But his mind didn't relax.
Still nothing…
He exhaled slowly and sat up.
His fingers brushed against the small metal piece lying beside him the broken lockpick.
Cold.
Sharp.
Real.
Not a dream.
He picked it up again, staring at it.
"…Who are you?"
No answer.
Only the faint sound of wind outside.
Hweeee…
The corridor felt different today.
More guards.
But less movement.
That kind of balance only happens when something is being hidden.
Tap… tap…
Rudura walked through slowly.
Every step felt louder than usual.
Servants bowed deeper.
Spoke less.
Avoided eye contact faster.
That confirmed it.
They know something.
They just weren't saying it.
When he passed near the private library
He slowed.
Just a little.
Six guards now.
Not five.
Six.
Two more had been added at the far end.
Weapons ready.
Eyes sharp.
One of them met Rudura's gaze then immediately looked down.
Too quickly.
Rudura's eyes narrowed slightly.
Fear…?
Or guilt?
He moved on.
But his mind stayed there.
Training grounds.
Empty.
Cold air cut through the open courtyard.
Hoooosh…
Rudura stood still for a moment.
Then
He didn't pick up his sword.
Not immediately.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
Listened.
Wind direction.
Footstep echoes.
Distant metal sounds.
Cloth shifting.
For the first time
He wasn't focusing on strength.
He was focusing on presence.
Malavatas watched from a distance.
Silent.
Arms crossed.
After a while, he spoke.
"You've started noticing."
Rudura opened his eyes.
"…There's something wrong."
Malavatas didn't deny it.
"Good."
That single word carried weight.
Rudura turned toward him.
"You knew."
"Of course I knew."
Malavatas stepped closer.
"But knowing is not the same as understanding."
Rudura's jaw tightened slightly.
"Someone tried to break into the library."
"Yes."
"Someone who isn't from the palace."
"Yes."
"Then why is nothing being said?"
Malavatas stopped in front of him.
Because of something bigger.
But he didn't say that directly.
Instead
"Because panic spreads faster than truth."
Silence.
Cold wind passed between them.
Hoooo…
Rudura looked toward the palace again.
"…What's inside that book?"
Malavatas's gaze sharpened.
For a moment
It almost felt like he would answer.
But then
"You'll earn that answer."
Same as before.
Rudura exhaled slightly through his nose.
Annoyed.
But controlled.
Later that day
Rudura walked through a side corridor near the inner court.
That's when he saw him.
A man.
Not a guard.
Not a servant.
Not a noble he recognized.
Standing near a pillar.
Still.
Observing.
His clothing was simple but not local.
His posture…
Too steady.
Too aware.
For a brief second
Their eyes met.
Rudura felt it instantly.
That sharp feeling again.
The same one from last night.
The man didn't react.
Didn't bow.
Didn't move.
Just watched.
Then
He turned.
And walked away.
Calmly.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just… controlled.
Rudura stopped.
"…Wait."
But he didn't follow immediately.
Because something inside him said
Don't chase blindly.
So he stayed.
Watched.
Until the man disappeared beyond the corridor.
Evening came.
The palace grew quieter again.
But this time
Rudura didn't stay in his room immediately.
He moved.
Carefully.
Through a different corridor.
Not the main one.
The side routes.
The ones servants used.
Less guarded.
Less watched.
His steps were lighter now.
More controlled than yesterday.
…tap… …tap…
He reached a point where he could see the library corridor from a distance.
He stopped behind a pillar.
Observed.
Guards still there.
No movement.
No disturbance.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Then
Something shifted.
One of the guards moved slightly.
Just a small adjustment.
But it created a blind spot.
A gap.
For just a moment.
And in that moment
A shadow slipped past.
Fast.
Silent.
Not through the door.
Not through the guards.
But across the wall.
Toward another corridor.
Rudura's eyes widened slightly.
Again…
He moved instantly.
No hesitation this time.
He followed.
Faster.
But controlled.
The shadow moved ahead.
Not visible
But felt.
He turned the same corner.
Empty.
Then another.
Empty again.
Then
He stopped.
Because this time
There was something left behind.
Not metal.
Not a tool.
A small piece of cloth.
Dark.
Rough.
Not palace fabric.
Rudura picked it up.
Ran his fingers across it.
Different weave.
Different material.
Foreign.
His grip tightened.
"…You're leaving traces."
A mistake.
Or a message.
Behind him
A sound.
Step.
Rudura froze.
Slowly turned.
And there
At the far end of the corridor
Someone stood.
Not moving.
Not hiding.
Watching.
Same presence.
Same feeling.
The man.
The one from earlier.
No hood.
No mask.
But still unclear in the dim light.
Rudura didn't move.
Neither did the man.
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
Cold.
Then
The man spoke.
Calm.
Low.
"You notice more than expected."
Rudura's eyes sharpened.
"…You were in the library."
Not a question.
The man tilted his head slightly.
Not denying it.
Not confirming it.
"…And you're the one leaving clues."
Still calm.
Still controlled.
Rudura tightened his grip on the cloth piece.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled faintly.
Not friendly.
Not hostile.
Just… knowing.
"Someone who reads the board."
Rudura's breath slowed.
"…Échecs Humains."
The man's eyes flickered.
Just for a second.
That was enough.
Confirmation.
Rudura stepped forward.
One step.
"Why that book?"
The man didn't answer directly.
Instead
"Because the game has already begun."
A pause.
Then
"You just don't see the pieces yet."
Rudura's jaw tightened.
"…Then show me."
The man shook his head slightly.
"No."
Another pause.
Then
"You're not ready to play."
Rudura's eyes hardened.
"…Then I'll catch up."
Silence again.
The man studied him for a moment.
Then
A small nod.
Almost approving.
Then
He stepped back.
And disappeared into the darkness.
Not running.
Not rushing.
Just… gone.
Rudura stood there.
Still.
Cold air brushing past him.
The piece of cloth in one hand.
The broken lockpick memory in his mind.
"…The board…"
His eyes lifted slightly.
"…So this is a game."
Not a simple break-in.
Not a random intruder.
Something bigger.
Something planned.
Something already in motion.
And for the first time
Rudura felt it clearly.
Not curiosity.
Not confusion.
But something sharper.
Excitement.
Far away
Unseen
The man stopped in another corridor.
Looked back once.
"…Interesting."
Then continued walking.
Disappearing deeper into the palace.
Rudura turned back slowly.
Walking toward his room.
Mind racing.
Heartbeat steady.
"…Then I'll learn the rules."
The wind whispered again through the palace walls.
Hweeeee…
And somewhere within that sound
The first real crack had formed.
(Continued in Chapter 48)