The castle's banquet hall smelled of roasted game and honeyed wine. Tapestries of golden lions and twin moons lined the walls, fluttering faintly with the wind from enchanted chandeliers. Nobles lounged on cushioned seats while minstrels played soft, lilting notes in the background.
And in the center of it all, Jungho danced.
He flipped, rolled, cartwheeled, and even mock-tripped into a soup bowl. Every movement precise under the guise of chaos. Laughter rippled through the room like waves.
[EXP Gained: +32]
[Skill Progression: Fool's Masquerade - 11%]
"Enough!" cried one noble, wiping tears of mirth. "I haven't laughed this hard since the Duel of Ashen Crows!"
Another chimed in, "Let's keep him for every feast!"
The King, now more engaged than the past two days, raised a hand. "Fool. Come."
Jungho obeyed, walking with an exaggerated limp and exaggerated wobble until he knelt at the base of the dais.
"Do you know why we keep jesters, boy?" the King asked.
Jungho tilted his head, painting a curious smile. "To remind the throne that even kings fart in their sleep?"
A gasp ran through the room.
Then laughter.
The King chuckled. "A bold one."
He leaned forward. "But boldness can be dangerous."
A heavy silence fell. Jungho's grin never wavered.
"Of course, Your Majesty," he said. "That's why I stay in my lane."
[Alignment Maintained. No Penalty Applied.]
The King gestured, and Jungho backed away, rolling twice for added flair.
From her seat near the court's side, Princess Arin watched him with narrowed eyes.
She hadn't laughed.
Later, in the jester's chamber, Jungho sat cross-legged, sorting the coins he'd received from nobles during the performance.
Most were low-grade copper.
One was silver.
One was… poisoned.
He held the tainted coin up and squinted.
[Passive Skill Activated: Fool's Gold]
Illusion applied. Object appears harmless unless inspected by alchemist-grade vision.
[Coin Disarmed.]
[EXP Gained: +9]
Someone had tried to kill him. Sloppily.
He wasn't surprised. The game had begun.
He pocketed the coin.
Then, the door creaked open.
A figure slipped in.
Not a maid.
A child, no older than ten, with soot on her face and sharp eyes too old for her body.
She closed the door behind her and whispered, "The Guild watches."
Jungho narrowed his eyes.
"Guild?"
The child stepped forward and handed him a folded card. It bore a symbol: a broken mask stitched with a smile.
The Fool's Guild.
"They said to tell you this: 'Real clowns wear knives behind their backs.'"
Then she turned and left.
Jungho sat frozen.
The world just got more interesting.
The next day, the court was quieter. The Queen had fallen ill. Poisoned wine, they said. Nobles whispered suspicions. Fingers pointed.
Jungho noticed a detail others didn't: the Princess hadn't touched her wine. And she was staring at him again.
He bowed with a flourish as he passed her.
She didn't smile.
"Fool," she said softly, just enough for him to hear.
He paused.
"You're not what you seem."
He looked up, grin as wide as ever. "None of us are, Your Highness."
Her gaze lingered, then she turned away.
[Relationship Progress Updated: Arin - Curious]
He walked on, bells jingling.
In his mind, a plan began to form.
—------------
The candle's flame flickered unnaturally, casting elongated shadows across faded stage curtains. Dust danced in the stale air, but the two figures sitting in the audience seats remained still.
"Did he trip on purpose?" the smaller voice asked, barely louder than a breath.
"No," the other murmured. "But he landed well. Too well."
They watched a crystal orb hovering over a painted stage. Within it, Jungho stumbled into a roast boar and flailed like a bird caught in a net. Laughter erupted from the illusion of the court.
"Do you think he's one of us?"
"No. Not yet. But he's... interesting."
A moment of silence stretched.
Then, the larger figure leaned forward, mask glinting faintly in the candlelight.
"Keep watching. If he laughs while bleeding... then maybe."
The flame bent sideways as if bowing. Then vanished.