"I'll reveal everything, Your Majesty," Jihoon mentioned while Jimin and Jeongguk nodded.

The air thickened with tension, the King sat upon his gilded throne, his brow furrowed as he regarded the intruders with a mixture of intrigue, suspicion and anticipation.

"We made a pact with In Gyeop for gold and power." Jihoon declared while Yoongi silently listened, his head hung low.

"It all started when one day in the royal garden, the Crown Prince was taking lessons from His Majesty. In Gyeop was supposed to take the signatures of His Majesty on a document sent by the Head of the Defence Department. The pact was on, and it turned out to be a great opportunity to learn new information. He eavesdropped the conversation and learned about the human who saved the injured King from dying in childhood."

"LEE HAE JUN." Jeongguk suddenly announced with glee and eagerness.

"And then it was an easy task for us to gain information about this certain human. But during our inquiry, we found a very important connecting link, that he was–"

Before finishing his sentence Jihoon's gaze slowly travelled towards Y/n before he announced.

"Y/N's GREAT GRANDFATHER."

The king's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze. The court held its breath, teetering on the edge of chaos and revelation. Eyes went wide and gasps echoed in the hall as Jihoon lowered his head and gestured for Jimin to continue further.

Y/n could not believe what her ears had just heard, but it was soon enough when the youngin finally realised, and in that instant, it became clear to her: why she was meant to be here, if not in a way she was sent here then in most spar way possible. She continued to remain in shock as her mind ventured through traumatizing blurry flashbacks. Her eyes remained wide, and her tinted lips parted.

"And then we sent Jihoon on a mission to become closer to Y/n by joining her university, " Jimin spoke.

"How do you think abducting Y/n would've helped you?" The King curiously asked.

"We planned to lure Y/n to the forest with the help of Jihoon but her accidental swallowing of a gumiho's bead gave us an easier opportunity. We wanted to either use her directly as a bait in front of His Majesty or as a seductress for His Royal Highness Taehyung," Jeongguk explained.

Taehyung briefly glanced at Y/n, albeit he thought of her as a cute human being, but the mere thought of seduction gave him disgust.

Everyone except Y/n and Hoseok who haven't closely seen the working of the King, realised why the King won't ignore the descendant of the human who once saved his life. It would've been a cunning move if played to action.

Jeong Ho arched his brow which soon turned into a frown, and a question coated with anger arose in his mind, "If the bead belonged to Namjoon, then why did you all involved and brutally injure my younger son?!" Since the trial began, this was the first instant when Jeong Ho exclaimed.

The gloomy air that flew across Taehyung and the cold, hollow expression on his features finally softened as he gazed towards his father and witnessed a change in his demeanor which was likely due to the concern over his younger son.

"It was a mere misunderstanding, Your Majesty, albeit our plan from the start was to assassinate the younger Prince. We were unaware of the existence of the elder Prince," Jimin dreadfully mumbled, his already plump lips swollen from the constant biting.

"During the night, Hoseok went to the woods quite often, once a week, for prey. However, he started visiting the forest more frequently. Which made me curious, and I decided to secretly follow him from behind. That night, I witnessed a silhouette talking to him, he then bid goodbye to Hoseok and transformed into a fox before leaving. The next day I found a brooch on Hoseok's desk, which I guess the said person astrayed. It was the official brooch of the Kim clan, only used by officials and ministers. And–" Jihoon was cut off in the middle of his sentence when his cousin finally spoke.

"Then he informed me that someone from inside the royal court of the Kim clan was in touch with Hoseok, and as per Y/n's telling, the silver bead justified my dumb brother's assumption, and we concluded that the mysterious silhouette constantly meeting Hoseok is the Crown Prince."

Yoongi gave the final word of confession, and Namjoon wanted to grimace at Yoongi's face, but all he saw was fabricated valour, which was soon leading towards its end.

"Guess the silhouette was still a prince, right, Prince Taehyung?" The wrecking nerve inside Yoongi's mind was not helping him keep his tongue still as he half chuckled in a way that mocked Taehyung and Namjoon at the same passing second.

Taehyung groaned and gritted his teeth, but decided to control the wrath gushing inside his royal blood as he knew he couldn't afford causing anymore disputes with Yoongi infront of his father.

A scoff escaped from Yoongi's mouth before his attention turned towards the King, and he daringly added, "You've got your answers. Now you'll answer me, Uncle Jeong Ho. "

"HOW DARE YOU ORDER THE KING, YOU FILTHY BUGGER!" SeokJin, who was struggling to keep his mind calm for too long, finally lost it.

"You've got some gut to speak to me like that, errand cub," Yoongi mockingly retaliated.

SeokJin's eyes transitioned to a shade of dark perilous red at the mention of the disgusting name forcefully labelled onto him. He stood up from his seat and juggled towards the black King, but before chaos could ensue inside the royal court, Namjoon quickly teleported himself in front of SeokJin, shielding a subtly terrified Yoongi.

"Hyung, No! Calm–"

"Move aside!"

"Hyung, please listen to–"

"ENOUGH!!" The King frustratingly exclaimed before silence fell over the royal court.

"Guards!" He ordered and the sentries marching the hallways quickly walked inside.

"Leaving the King of Min clan, take them back to the Spell Cells," Jeong Ho directed and the guards followed.

"Before the final verdict, I'd appreciate if everyone could leave the royal court for some time. I'd like to converse with Yoongi privately... till then we'll take a recess."

"I object, Your Majesty! This man is baleful, he can't be trusted," Taehyung stated and moved forward on the aisle towards the throne.

"I agree with His Royal Highness. We can't leave you alone with a criminal, Your Majesty," Namjoon spoke as he was trailing discreetly behind Taehyung.

"Okay then, for your assurance let's ask the accused himself," Jeong Ho said before he darted his attention towards the black King, "Yoongi, will you try to harm a King and are willing to bear the consequences?"

The half-brothers turned over and glared at Yoongi, anticipating a vicious response from his viper-like tongue. Yoongi's eyes remained on both the sons before they shifted to the man sitting on an elevated seat.

"How I wish I could, because who cares about the consequences? But with these shackles," he pushed forward his wrists, "I can't. "

"Do I have to say any further?" The King questioned.

Namjoon and Taehyung's shoulders slumped down in defeat, and along with everyone standing inside the hall, they finally exited the courtroom.

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

In the hallway outside the royal court

Namjoon smoothly slid the door closed, leaving Jeong Ho and Yoongi behind. His expression was tensed as he turned around and faced the group standing behind him. His orbs intentionally avoided gazing in Taehyung's direction when he spoke, "Your Highness, I'll escort them to the guest hall. Would you like to join us?"

Taehyung slid his hands inside his velvety trouser pockets; his eyes pierced Namjoon's direction as he slightly raised his head upward and pursed his lips together, "Sure," he deliberately agreed as he noticed how tense and awkward Namjoon was when they were together.

On the other hand, SeokJin was handling double trouble, facing Y/n along with witnessing the tension between his supposed brothers. He exhaled, a heavy one that caused Hoseok's insides to fire up in mere confusion as he stood beside him. But he asked nothing and decided to follow SeokJin towards the guest hall.

While meandering through the hallways Y/n's step echoed softly against the polished stone floors, resonating with the footsteps of the two Princes walking forward.

The hallways stretched before her like the long, winding paths of a forgotten dream, their wooden beams darkened by centuries of history.

A pair of lady workers in their hanboks glides past Y/n, bowing to the Crown Prince and other royal brooch holders. Amazed by their overalls, Y/n turned over to steal one last glance and found the young ladies squealing about the ethereal handsomeness they witnessed, their less audible laughter echoing softly in Y/n's ears.

"Is there a library in the castle?" Y/n asked cluelessly, which brought the four males' steps to a halt.

"Yes, there is. But I think you're mistaken because the royal palace is not a place for sightseeing," Taehyung snarled as he turned over.

Namjoon and SeokJin, who were walking just behind him, darted their gazes towards him, their orbs carrying a look of disappointment.

Taehyung's gaze slowly shifted from Y/n to Namjoon. Their eyes now pierced into each other's souls, and everyone around them felt the fiery intensity as they continued to glare at each other for a few seconds.

"Come on Y/n, I'll take you to the royal library." Namjoon finally spoke, his tone dominating yet assuring, his gaze still glaring at the glistening honey-skinned Crown Prince as he gestured for Y/n to take his hand.

Taehyung scoffed on Namjoon's face, raised his eyebrows and lined his lips together in pretentious amusement. He then gestured his palm forward in the direction of the hallway signaling Namjoon to leave.

Namjoon soon entangled his fingers with Y/n, potentially drifting her forward as she walked with hesitation.

It was for the nth time that, in a matter of few hours, SeokJin huffed a long sigh yet again.

He looked troubled that the youngest had to go against the elder brother. It wasn't his fault that everything turned out like this.

However, as the eldest, he blamed himself for not being able to harmonise things between the two princes. Nonetheless, he was also dithering in stepping into the royal's affairs.

"Hyung, I need some time in solitude," Taehyung stated before he left SeokJin and Hoseok in the hallway.

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Inside the Royal Library

After ambling through different hallways of the castle Y/n and Namjoon finally stepped inside the royal library. The royal library was among those parts of the palace which did not go through renovations of any sort. The structure remained untouched through the passage of time.

Gaining a few stares from the one or two scholars on the way they walked forward, their hands still entangled with each other.

Namjoon was silent during the whole venture, Y/n wanted to ask him what was on his mind, but when she entered the library, the thought got mixed in thin air.

The air was cool and still, infused with the faint aroma of ink and parchment.

Astounded with the huge rows upon rows of wooden shelves, each crafted from the finest cherry wood, Y/n's eyes searched every section of the bookshelves from thinnest books to tomes that were meticulously arranged. Each one told the tales of dynasties/rivalries past, philosophies that shaped the land of fox spirits, and poetries, specifically about humans that danced through the hearts of scholars.

"The reading area is that way," Namjoon said, his voice a mere whisper.

The reading hall was right next to the bookshelves hall, containing small mahogany tables distributed at small distances, huddled by four intricately crafted chairs.

Aside from that, there were cushioned golden chairs for the royals, depicting wealth and the social difference between the royals and the non-royals.

Y/n's eyes landed on a young scholar, almost in his post-teenage, sitting in one corner, dressed in an overall that looked like a uniform of some kind. He carefully read the book opened in front of him, unfazed by the two unknown presence as if the words written on the page were flowing like water over smooth stones.

Y/n stepped closer and it partially overwhelmed the boy. His head perched upward and when he saw the Head of the Defence Department standing in front of him, he quickly started packing the scattered books on the table and soon ambled out of the reading hall.

"What was that?" Y/n asked, confused.

"The palace sponsors the higher education of selective children; he's one of them. He's a timid one," Namjoon spoke, this time with a voice higher than before making Y/n nod in agreement.

No more presence inside the hall gave Y/n a chance to dwell inside Namjoon's mind and understand the reason behind his sudden drop in expressions. She took a step closer and gently grasped the gumiho's fingers, almost brushing his rough textured skin with her soft one.

Her orbs stared into his eyes, trying to figure out the deepest sorrow behind his silence.

"Namjoon, tell me what's on your mind."

"Huh? About what?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Don't repress it. Ever since you faced the King, you looked tensed. Maybe you can talk, and it will ease your mind," Y/n spoke, ever so softly as if a lullaby to Namjoon's ears.

He didn't wanted to talk, let alone be here in the first place. Yet he forced his lips to speak, to assure Y/n, "Don't worry about me too much," Namjoon mumbled as he came even closer and cupped Y/n's small face with his huge hands.

For a few moments, the pair got lost among themselves. Her eyes sparkled with the colours of twilight, while his gaze was deep and unwavering as if he could see through the very fabric of her soul.

Y/n managed to free her face from Namjoon's grasp. She tilted her head slightly, allowing her ponytail to cascade like a waterfall around her shoulder, "If not me, then who will?" She said while crossing her arms.

Namjoon couldn’t help any further as he lost himself in the depths of her loving gaze. His urge for her touch and warmth grew as if it were the need of the moment, and within milliseconds, he leaned closer and embraced the human in front of him. Y/n immediately responded by curling her arms around his back.

The human essence on Y/n's nape spellbound Namjoon as he closed his eyes to deeply inhale her scent.

"I don't want to keep any royal status, it'll only cause more problems with Taehyung," he whispered in the crook of her neck. Y/n tightened her grip on him, "Let the time take control and everything will fit in its place," she replied and a wave of relief washed over  Namjoon agitated form.

After some more moments of comforting silence, they partially shifted themselves away, now staring at each other once again. The space between them charged with unuttered words, he traced the outline of her cheek with a gentle thumb, his touch both tender and reverent.

Y/n closed her eyes, savouring the moment as if it were a rare treasure. Their foreheads touched, creating a space just for them.

"I think I'll have to keep you only for myself," Namjoon whispered with a sluggish smile, making Y/n giggle in response.

✧

A/N: as the story is progressing towards the end (yes, we're more than half way through already) my brain keeps on getting fried while writing the next chapters 〒.〒