The room was silent, save for the sound of the magistrate's desperate pleas. It was as though the very air had frozen around them, each word from Genie carrying the weight of a thousand judgments.
"We... we are truly sorry, Your Highness," the magistrate finally muttered, his voice barely audible as he bowed his head even lower, a tremor running through his body. "Please, show us mercy... we beg for your forgiveness."
The magistrate and the other officials, their faces drawn with fear and guilt, lowered their heads further, trembling as they begged for mercy. Their voices quivered, almost drowned out by the silence of the room.
"Please, Your Highness… forgive us! We are truly sorry for our actions!" the magistrate pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. The officials echoed his words, their desperate apologies hanging in the air.
But Genie remained calm, her expression unwavering.
"I will give you one more chance," she said, her tone firm but not unkind. "For the next year, under the supervision of a new magistrate, you must actively work for the villagers and take care of the village's needs, especially its most pressing issues. If you show true effort and dedication, I will arrange for you to be transferred to other villages where you can continue to serve. But only if you prove yourselves worthy of that chance."
The magistrate and the officials looked up in surprise, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had expected punishment, perhaps even the loss of their positions, but instead, they had been offered a second chance.
Without hesitation, they fell to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in deep reverence.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" the magistrate cried out, his voice thick with gratitude. "Thank you so much for giving us another opportunity without punishing us! We won't fail you again!"
Genie's gaze remained stern, her posture unyielding as she surveyed them.
"You, the highest officials in this village, should have been serving the villagers from the very beginning, not exploiting them," she said, her words cutting through the tension. "I expect you to learn from this and practice true humility and diligence from now on."
There was a brief, heavy silence as the officials remained on their knees, absorbing the full force of her words.
Jade, standing beside Princess Genie, watched the scene unfold. He couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for her wisdom and grace. Her authority was unquestionable, yet there was a certain compassion in her decision that left a deep impression on him.
He leaned slightly toward her, his voice low but filled with respect.
"Hana will be truly fortunate to have you as its next queen," Jade said, his eyes reflecting the genuine admiration he felt. "You will lead Hana with more wisdom and strength than anyone else. I have no doubt about it."
Genie glanced at him, her expression softening just a fraction. Though her duties as a princess often required her to be firm and commanding, there was something in Jade's words that touched her deeply.
"Thank you, Jade," she replied quietly, her voice filled with a subtle warmth. "But this is just the beginning. The true work will come when I take the throne. I only hope that I can live up to the expectations of those who place their trust in me."
Jade offered her a small, encouraging smile.
"You already have, Your Highness," he said with quiet confidence.
As the officials slowly rose to their feet, still filled with gratitude, Genie and Jade exchanged a brief but meaningful glance. The road ahead was uncertain, but with the strength and resolve they shared, they both knew that Hana's future was in capable hands.
At the entrance of Canin village, the air was thick with excitement and movement. Princess Genie, regal on horseback, surveyed the bustling scene. The villagers, the magistrate, and the local officials all stood gathered, eager to bid her farewell.
At the forefront of the crowd, the innkeeper's wife stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with warmth as she stepped toward Princess Genie.
"Please, come back to our village soon, Your Highness. Or should I be calling you 'Your Majesty' now?" she said with a soft chuckle, her voice carrying the fondness she had for the princess.
Genie smiled warmly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd of villagers who had shown her nothing but kindness throughout her stay. She spoke with the poise of someone who had already seen the weight of leadership, but also with a touch of personal affection for the people who had welcomed her.
"I will definitely return to Canin village," she replied, her voice calm and reassuring. "Until then, may you all stay healthy, and may peace continue to bless this village."
The villagers nodded, murmuring their thanks and blessings in return. They cheered and waved, their faces bright with gratitude and respect. Genie's words had struck a chord with them, and there was a sense of hope in the air—hope that their struggles would finally be acknowledged and addressed.
With a final glance at the village, Genie gave a slight nod to Jade, who was already mounted beside her, his expression stoic yet respectful. Together, they turned their horses, ready to continue their journey.
As they rode down the road, the villagers' warm farewells echoed behind them. The rhythmic clop of hooves on the dirt path blended with the fading sounds of the crowd, creating a sense of calm after the bustle.
But not all eyes were filled with gratitude. Among the crowd, two men dressed in dark, inconspicuous clothing stood at the edge, watching silently. They exchanged a quick, hushed conversation, their movements careful and deliberate. Without drawing attention, they slipped away from the crowd, disappearing into the shadows of the nearby forest.
Their departure went unnoticed by Princess Genie and Jade, but the quiet shift in the air hinted that not all was as peaceful as it seemed.
Before they realized it, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a blanket of darkness over the winding mountain path. The air had grown cooler, shadows stretching long across the trail as the last remnants of daylight faded. Once they crossed this mountain, the palace would not be far.
Around the midpoint of the climb, where thick trees clustered tightly on either side of the narrow path, Jade suddenly reined in his horse.
"Your Highness," he said quietly, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
Genie pulled her horse to a stop beside him, her brow furrowing in concern. "What is it?"
"Shh." Jade held a finger to his lips, his eyes scanning the darkness.
Tap, tap.
A faint sound—barely audible over the rustle of leaves—echoed from the path behind them. Footsteps.
Jade's right hand instinctively went to the hilt of his blade. Genie felt her entire body tense, her heartbeat quickening.
Then, from the gloom behind them, a figure on horseback burst forward with sudden violence, lunging straight at Jade.
Steel hissed in the air.
Jade reacted in a heartbeat. His blade flashed in a clean arc, slicing through the dark. The attacker let out a short, strangled cry before collapsing to the ground with a thud.
Startled, Genie spun around in her saddle, eyes wide. "Are you all right, Jade?!"
But Jade didn't answer. His gaze had already shifted—keen and alert. Just beyond the trees, half-hidden in the shadows, he spotted a second assassin crouched low behind a trunk, a bow raised and an arrow already drawn—aimed directly at Princess Genie.
"Your Highness!!!" he shouted, moving without thinking.
"Jade!!!" Genie screamed in shock.
In a blur, Jade threw himself off his horse, placing himself between Genie and the assassin's arrow.
Suddenly, a second arrow whistled through the air.
Jade, though bloodied and still reeling from the wound in his shoulder, reacted with lightning speed. With a sharp clang, he deflected the arrow mid-flight with the flat of his blade, gritting his teeth through the searing pain.
The second assassin, realizing he had no more arrows left in his quiver, cursed under his breath. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted into the shadows of the forest, vanishing into the darkness like a ghost.
Jade made a move to go after him, but the pain in his shoulder forced him to stop. He clenched his jaw, watching the retreating figure disappear into the trees.
Blood soaked his left shoulder, but Jade quickly subdued the assassin and held a sharp blade to his neck.
The first assassin that Jade had already captured dropped to his knees, trembling as he stared at the blade so close to his throat.
"Who are you," Jade scolded him.
The assassin only trembled, unable to speak.
"I asked who you are. Who ordered you to kill the Princess?"
The assassin continued to shake in terror.
"I... I can't tell that to... you..."
Seeing the assassin still not opening his mouth, Jade raised his blade high in the air.
"If you don't speak right now, I'll cut off your head!"