The once-busy halls had grown calm, wrapped in deep silence.
Outside—
Cold wind brushed against the tall windows, carrying the stillness of winter.
Inside the palace corridors, a few servants still moved about.
But even among them—
Whispers continued.
"I heard he's staying again tonight…"
"With His Highness?"
"Yes… in the same room."
"…So the rumors might actually be true."
Soft giggles.
Curious glances.
Speculation that refused to fade.
Unaware—or perhaps choosing to ignore it—
Joon-Woo walked beside Leon in silence.
The two of them returned to the prince's chamber once more.
Neither spoke.
But the air between them felt different from before.
Not tense—
But not comfortable either.
Something had changed.
Something neither of them had addressed.
Inside the room—
A quiet sense of privacy surrounded them.
Not long after, a maid entered, pushing a small dining cart.
"Your dinner, Your Highness."
She bowed respectfully before placing the dishes on the table.
The food was simple, yet refined.
Carefully prepared.
Elegant.
Joon-Woo sat across from Leon.
For a moment—
They just ate in silence.
The only sound in the room was the faint clink of utensils.
Leon occasionally glanced at him—
Only for a second—
Before looking away again.
Joon-Woo noticed.
But said nothing.
"…You should eat more," Leon said suddenly.
His voice calm.
Normal.
As if trying to return things to how they were.
Joon-Woo blinked slightly.
"…I am."
Leon didn't reply.
But he still placed a small portion of food onto Joon-Woo's plate.
A quiet gesture.
Unspoken.
Joon-Woo hesitated—
Then continued eating.
After dinner—
The maid quietly cleaned the table and left.
Silence returned once again.
Joon-Woo stood near the bed for a moment.
Then—
A soft silver glow surrounded his body.
His form shrank—
Smoothly shifting.
Until—
A small white fox sat where he had been.
Purple eyes faintly visible in the dark.
Joon-Woo had returned to his fox form.
Without a word—
He jumped onto the bed.
Curled up quietly.
Leon watched him for a brief moment.
Something unreadable passed through his eyes.
Then—
Without saying anything—
He lay down beside him.
The distance between them was small.
Too small.
But neither of them moved away.
The room grew quiet.
The night deepened.
Leon's breathing slowly became steady.
He had fallen asleep.
But—
Joon-Woo hadn't.
His eyes slowly opened.
Purple.
Sharp.
Awake.
He remained still, pretending to sleep.
Then—
A faint blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[System Activated]
Joon-Woo focused.
And the notification appeared.
[New Mission Detected]
Objective:
Survive the approaching danger
Identify the source of the threat
Eliminate the hostile force
Threat Level: Unknown (High Risk)
Time Limit: Not specified
Joon-Woo's eyes narrowed slightly.
So it wasn't just a coincidence…
The system continued—
[Reward Upon Completion]:
500 Points
Nature Element (New Attribute Unlocked)
Random S-Rank Fire Skill
For a brief moment—
Silence filled his mind.
Then—
A faint smile appeared in his eyes.
"…Nature element…"
But his expression soon turned serious again.
High risk.
Unknown enemies.
And no time limit.
Which meant—
The danger could come at any moment.
Joon-Woo slowly turned his head.
His gaze shifted toward Leon—
Still sleeping beside him.
For a brief second—
His eyes softened.
"…Troublesome."
He muttered quietly.
Because now—
This wasn't just about him anymore.
If something happened here—
Leon could get involved too.
And that—
Was something Joon-Woo didn't want.
The system screen slowly faded.
Darkness returned.
But the night no longer felt calm.
Outside—
Far beyond the castle walls—
Something was moving.
Something watching.
Something waiting.
And inside the quiet room—
A small white fox remained awake.