Chapter 17 – The Truth Revealed
The dim torchlight in the corridor slipped through a small crack in the stone wall. The damp air cut to the bone, and the metallic scent of rusted bars mixed with the stench of mold and decay. The room was narrow, cold, offering not a shred of comfort to anyone inside.
Kim Hyunwoo sat with his back against the wall, arms folded over his knees. His clothes were wrinkled, stained with dust from the floor and bruises from the guards who had dragged him in. His eyes stared blankly ahead, but his mind was alert, analyzing.
"Cramped room. Thick walls. But the ventilation... maybe," he muttered under his breath. "The lock? No chance. But if…"
"Thinking too hard'll just make you go crazy faster, you know?" A rough, gravelly voice spoke from across the cell.
Hyunwoo turned. The man leaned against the wall, hair short and messy, his body marked with scars. A long one slashed down from his left brow to his cheek, crossing a tired but sharp eye.
"I'm Hyunwoo," Hyunwoo said quietly.
"Marvin," the man replied flatly. "Marvin Drezhart."
"Drezhart? A noble family?"
"Used to be," Marvin chuckled bitterly, as if mocking himself. "Now? Just trash thrown in here for refusing to kneel to that idiot king."
Hyunwoo looked at him, intrigued. "Were you... someone important?"
"Commander. Eastern main forces. Until I found out who really pulls the strings in this kingdom."
"Who?" Hyunwoo asked.
Marvin nodded slowly. "The ones behind the king. A rotten cult disguised as royal advisors. I refused to be their pawn. And here I am. This scar—" he pointed at it, "—was their warning not to talk too much."
Silence fell for a moment. Hyunwoo lowered his head, then spoke softly, "I'm fighting them too. But in my own way."
Marvin turned to him. "You? The kid who flipped the king off?"
Hyunwoo just gave a faint smirk. "See, that wasn't just impulsive. It was on purpose. I wanted to seem like a crazy hero in their eyes. So they'd underestimate me… and stop watching Jaehyun."
"You know the new Duke Jaehyun?"
Hyunwoo nodded. "He's my ally. We never came here just for a peace meeting. We came to take something."
Marvin narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"Documents. Proof of the king's betrayal of your family… and his crimes against the people. And… we almost have it."
Another pause. This time, Marvin stared at Hyunwoo longer. Then he let out a low chuckle. "You're insane. But I like the way you think."
Hyunwoo grinned. "Want revenge? Then help me get out of here. I can't do it alone."
"And you think I can?"
"You know this castle inside out. I know how the guards think. And Vanessa's out there. She's starting to take my side."
"Vanessa Valemont?" Marvin snorted. "That cold girl's still alive?"
"And stronger than you think."
Meanwhile, far outside the prison, a horse-drawn carriage rolled slowly. Inside sat Yerin and Jaehyun.
"Do you think his plan will work?" Yerin asked anxiously.
Jaehyun stared out the window. "I've always trusted him."
They weren't actually headed to Andora. It was all part of the deception. Hyunwoo's earlier conversation had been an act. There were spies in Jaehyun's mansion, so he staged it all to make it look like he was alone—so Thalveran's leaders would lower their guard and believe he had no allies.
The carriage stopped near the castle, far enough from the prison to avoid suspicion, but close enough for an extraction.
Back in the cell, Kaelion appeared with a smug grin. He mocked, insulted, and called Hyunwoo trash. Marvin just kept his head down, silent, watching without stirring trouble.
But Hyunwoo knew Vanessa was eavesdropping from the dark corridor. He used the moment. In a voice both pained and defiant, he spoke as if defending the Valemont family's honor. He accused Thalveran of betrayal, mocked the puppet king, and praised Vanessa's legacy.
Kaelion laughed and left with sneers. But the act worked. Vanessa emerged not long after.
"Y-you… you're seriously bold," she said coldly, a little flustered, but her gaze had softened. She nodded. "I'll help you. We'll bring them down."
Another voice spoke. Marvin stood. "Count me in, too."
Vanessa was stunned—her former mentor, Commander Marvin, wanted to fight for justice again.
Hours passed...
The guards changed shifts. Vanessa appeared in the corridor with her usual indifferent expression, greeting the guards politely but stiffly, then sent them to check the upper stairs, claiming she heard something.
Once they were gone, she approached the cell.
"It's time," she whispered.
"The key?" Marvin asked.
"There isn't one. But I found a ventilation gap under the next cell's floor. Old and narrow, but it should work."
Hyunwoo nodded. He and Marvin started shifting the cracked floor stones. After a struggle, they cleared enough space to crawl through. The underground passage was dark, dusty, and tight—but just wide enough for two grown men to slip out one at a time.
Once they emerged from the prison's hidden tunnel, Vanessa led Hyunwoo and Marvin through the palace gardens toward an old building connected to the eastern wing of the castle. The place was rarely used, dull and dim, but Vanessa was puzzled why Hyunwoo had asked to come here.
"We're here because inside… is what we're looking for," Hyunwoo said.
It was the place where the king had hidden his secret documents. Vanessa and Marvin both questioned how he knew.
Hyunwoo spoke with excitement, "That's Jaehyun's job. He worked hard to get this info."
Inside were tall shelves filled with scrolls, old books, and documents wrapped in cloth. The room was silent, only the sound of their heartbeats filling the air.
Hyunwoo moved fast, scanning through documents labeled with royal seals.
"Look for ones related to missing noble families, vanished villages, or… hidden castle expenses," he whispered.
Marvin found a wooden folder sealed with a nearly-broken crest. He opened it and skimmed quickly. "This… mass execution report in Luthen village. Signed by the king. The reason? Just 'treason'. But that village was known to be peaceful."
Hyunwoo nodded. "That's the one. Take it. And this—" he pulled out a small journal from the top shelf. "The Grand Advisor's personal notes before he disappeared. Kaelion's name is in here."
Vanessa grabbed a thick folder. "And this… a report on illegal funds funneled to a shadow military group. Signed by Thalveran himself."
They exchanged glances.
"That's enough. If this gets out, it could topple the whole system," said Marvin.
Footsteps echoed from above.
"Quick! We need to go—now!" Vanessa whispered.
With everything in hand, they ran through the night's shadows, slipping into Jaehyun's hidden storage building on the edge of the noble district.
Inside, gold and documents were ready—including one thick file with the royal emblem.
"You actually brought them, huh, Hyunwoo," Jaehyun said with a smile.
"You really planned all this," Vanessa whispered, amazed.
"Not just me," Hyunwoo replied, smiling. "Us."