The Diamond Mask

Chapter 3: Tying Up Loose Ends

"Oh my god, Su-Bin, look at this. Mr. Yu is actually dead!"

Bora lay completely sprawled across her unmade bed, her eyes glued to her smartphone as her thumb frantically scrolled through the top trending topics in the kingdom. Su-Bin didn't even look up. She sat perched on a stool in front of their cracked vanity mirror, casually smoothing lotion over her arms. Their tiny apartment was cramped, drafty, and smelled faintly of old radiator steam, but it was theirs—the only true sanctuary they possessed in the city.

"Who exactly is Mr. Yu again?" Su-Bin asked, tossing a stray strand of her vibrant pink hair over her shoulder with a careless flick of her wrist.

Bora gasped loudly, sitting up so fast her spine popped. "Are you kidding me? He’s the treasonous bastard who planted a military-grade bomb under the Dowager Queen's limousine a few months ago!"

Su-Bin’s memory finally sparked, and she offered a thoroughly indifferent shrug. "Oh, right. That guy. But why did the palace have to behead him? The state spends billions on a judicial system. They should have just handed him over to the high courts like civilized human beings."

Bora let out a nervous giggle, a slight shiver running down her arms. "The royal family doesn't play by the public's rules, silly. And do you want to know the craziest part? Prince Yeon executed him personally right in the middle of the throne room. Dammit, that man is terrifyingly bloody."

Su-Bin stopped what she was doing and turned around, a deep, disapproving scowl settling onto her features. "Him again? Honestly, the guy is a total psychopath. He isn't even the crowned king yet, but he acts like he owns everyone's lives. His older brother isn't anything like that."

"Prince Duri is just a playboy tycoon, everyone knows that," Bora said, rolling her eyes.

"I’d choose a playboy billionaire over a ruthless masked killer any day of the week," Su-Bin muttered, turning back to face her reflection.

"Aw, but that’s exactly what makes Prince Yeon so incredibly cool!" Bora sighed dramatically, collapsing backward onto her pillows and staring at the ceiling with a dreamy blush. "He's mysterious. Legend says that if you dare to look him directly in the eyes, you'll drop dead on the spot."

"Oh, come on, Bora," Su-Bin scoffed, standing up to pluck a sleek outfit from a plastic hanger. "Don't tell me you're crushing on a guy who hides behind a literal piece of metal. For all we know, he's incredibly ugly, and the mask is just a massive cover-up for a broken nose or a weak chin."

"No way. He's definitely gorgeous," Bora insisted, kicking her legs in the air.

"And how exactly would you know that?"

"I just feel it in my soul! Besides, he's only my second-choice crush anyway."

Su-Bin slipped into a form-fitting top and a short skirt, arching an eyebrow as she zipped up her boots. "Then who on earth is your first?"

Bora grinned like she had been waiting for the question all morning. She scrambled off the mattress, lunging forward to thrust her glowing phone screen directly into Su-Bin’s face. It was a high-resolution paparazzi shot of Lee, the Prince’s personal guard, looking impossibly sharp in his tailored tactical uniform.

Su-Bin wrinkled her nose, pushing the phone away. "You are completely out of your mind. What makes you think his lapdog is any different from his monstrous boss?"

Bora rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy, suffering sigh. "Who cares? Look at his lips. Just staring at him makes me melt into a puddle."

"The guy looks basic," Su-Bin teased, her lips twitching into a sarcastic smirk.

Bora huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "No wonder you don't have a boyfriend."

Su-Bin froze mid-motion, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "What did you just say?"

"I said," Bora challenged, boldly stepping forward with a playful, teasing grin, "that’s the exact reason you're single. You have absolutely zero taste in men!"

Su-Bin didn't bother arguing. Instead, a slow, incredibly predatory smile spread across her lips. Bora’s eyes widened in instant horror as she realized the fatal line she had just crossed.

"No, no, no, Su-Bin, wait—!" Bora squealed, turning on her heel to bolt for the bathroom, but Su-Bin lunged forward like a tiger springing from the brush.

Twenty Minutes Later

"Somebody help me!" Bora wailed, dangling upside down in the exact center of the living room.

Her ankles were securely and professionally lashed to a heavy-duty structural pipe near the ceiling, and her hands were bound tightly behind her back with an intricate series of knots.

Su-Bin dusted off her palms, admiring her handiwork with a look of deep, artistic satisfaction. She grabbed her leather jacket and her purse from the counter, stepping casually toward the front door.

"Jebal, Su-Bin! Idaelo nal tteonaji mal-ayo. Jug-eul geos gat-a!" (Please, Su-Bin! Don't leave me like this. I'm going to die!) Bora wailed, her face turning bright red from the rush of blood to her head.

Su-Bin paused at the threshold, turning back to blow her best friend a mocking, theatrical kiss. "Geogjeonghaji masibsio. Salang-ui jug-eum-eun god dangsin-ege oji anh-eul geos-ibnida." (Don't worry, my love. Death won't be coming for you anytime soon.)

"Su-Bin, please! I'm sorry! I take it back! Your taste in men is immaculate! It's flawless!" Bora screamed at the top of her lungs.

Su-Bin merely winked, stepped out into the biting winter air, and slammed the apartment door shut behind her, leaving Bora’s distant yelps echoing uselessly inside.