The palace did not sleep that night.
News of Shin Gu's death had spread through every corridor.
But this time, the whispers were different.
People were no longer asking whether dark magic existed.
They had seen it.
They had witnessed strange incidents with their own eyes.
They had seen Shin Gu involved.
And yet—
Shin Gu was dead.
Before anyone could question her.
Before anyone could force her to reveal who had ordered her.
Before anyone could discover who stood behind her.
She was gone.
And that made everything worse.
---
The Emperor sat in the main investigation hall.
Prince Liang stood beside him.
The Empress Dowager, Lady Chen, Princess Zhi, Mei Lan, and General Wei were also present.
Nobody spoke for several moments.
Finally, Prince Liang broke the silence.
"Shin Gu is dead."
His voice was quiet.
"After everything we discovered, she dies before we can interrogate her."
The Emperor's fingers tightened around the armrest.
"She was never the mastermind."
