Chapter 1 — The Secret Revealed
«"Some secrets survive for years. Others change the world the moment they are uncovered."»
---
Three days after ALPhaaXX's sold-out concert...
The world woke to breaking news.
At exactly 7:00 a.m. KST, every major Korean news outlet interrupted its regular programming.
A headline appeared on television screens.
On mobile phones.
On laptops.
Across every social media platform.
BREAKING NEWS
CONFIDENTIAL HOUSE LEE DOCUMENTS LEAKED
---
The leak spread with terrifying speed.
Thousands...
Then millions...
Downloaded the files before anyone could remove them.
Inside were ancient House Lee records.
Official succession documents.
Family registries.
Letters bearing the HouseLord's seal.
And...
Photographs.
Old photographs.
One showed Christopher Lee holding a little girl in his arms.
Another showed the same girl standing beside Takako, smiling with Daiki and Masamune.
Another showed Christopher placing the silver crest of House Lee into the little girl's hands during a private family ceremony.
Every document carried the same name.
LEE QIXIA
Then...
The final page.
A recent photograph.
Sara Lee leaving House Lee Estate.
The caption beneath it read:
"Lee Qixia, First Daughter of HouseLord Christopher Lee. Official Heir to House Lee."
---
Within minutes...
The internet exploded.
#SaraLee
#LeeQixia
#HiddenHeir
#HouseLee
Occupied the top four worldwide trends.
Television stations cancelled scheduled programs.
Reporters rushed toward GOLD Entertainment.
House Lee Estate became surrounded by media helicopters.
Fans gathered outside ALPhaaXX Estate.
Not to protest.
To understand.
---
Inside ALPhaaXX Estate...
Silence filled the dining room.
Every television showed the same images.
Old family photographs.
House Lee documents.
News anchors repeating the same sentence.
"The identity of House Lee's hidden heir has apparently been confirmed."
Sara quietly stared at the screen.
No one spoke.
Finally...
Nine looked at her.
"Are you alright?"
Sara slowly nodded.
"I knew this day would come."
---
Manager Kang entered the room.
His expression was unusually serious.
"The company is preparing a statement."
He looked at Sara.
"But..."
He stopped.
"This decision belongs to you."
Sara took a deep breath.
Then stood.
"No."
"I'll tell them myself."
---
At House Lee Estate...
Christopher calmly watched the live news.
Director Kim stood nearby.
"The leak has been confirmed."
Christopher nodded.
"The documents are genuine."
Takako entered quietly.
"The Council?"
Director Kim answered.
"They're already gathering."
Christopher remained calm.
"They're too late."
Takako looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Christopher smiled faintly.
"For years..."
"They believed they controlled the timing."
He looked toward the television.
"Today..."
"My daughter will."
---
By noon...
GOLD Entertainment announced an emergency press conference.
The entire nation watched.
Every news channel broadcast it live.
International media joined the coverage.
Fans waited anxiously.
---
The conference hall was completely silent.
Hundreds of journalists filled every seat.
The stage lights turned on.
Manager Kang walked onto the stage first.
He bowed politely.
"Thank you for coming."
He stepped aside.
Then...
Sara walked onto the stage.
Alone.
Not because her members had abandoned her.
But because she had asked for this moment.
Behind the curtain...
Eight familiar figures watched quietly.
Nine.
Yona.
P.
Hushhh.
Gunn.
Sway.
YUI.
T.
If she needed them...
They were only a few steps away.
---
Camera flashes exploded across the room.
No one spoke.
Sara stood calmly behind the microphone.
She looked across the sea of reporters.
Then...
She smiled.
A small.
Peaceful.
Confident smile.
---
"I believe..."
"You all deserve the truth."
The room became perfectly still.
Sara continued.
"My name is Sara Lee."
She paused.
"And..."
"My name is also..."
"Lee Qixia."
The entire hall gasped.
---
She bowed respectfully.
"Yes."
"I am Christopher Lee's eldest daughter."
"I am the heir to House Lee."
"I have never denied who I am."
"I simply wasn't ready to speak about it."
---
Questions immediately erupted.
"Sara!"
"Why hide your identity?"
"Were the leaked documents real?"
"Does this mean you're leaving ALPhaaXX?"
"Will you become HouseLord?"
The room became chaotic.
Sara quietly raised one hand.
The hall fell silent again.
---
She smiled gently.
"For years..."
"People believed I had two different lives."
"They were wrong."
"I've only ever had one."
She placed a hand over her heart.
"Sara Lee..."
"...and Lee Qixia..."
"...have always been the same person."
---
Another reporter stood.
"Then..."
"Which life will you choose?"
The question echoed through the hall.
Sara looked down for a brief moment.
Then raised her head.
Her answer was calm.
Certain.
Without hesitation.
"I choose both."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
---
"I chose music."
"I chose my family."
"I chose ALPhaaXX."
"And..."
"I chose House Lee."
She smiled warmly.
"I refuse to abandon one dream to fulfill another."
"If becoming HouseLord means protecting the people I love..."
"I will accept that responsibility."
She looked directly into the cameras.
"And if standing on stage allows me to inspire people..."
"I'll keep singing."
---
Behind the curtain...
Nine smiled proudly.
P quietly folded her arms.
Yona nodded.
Hushhh wiped away a tear.
Gunn whispered,
"That's our Sara."
Sway smiled.
"I knew she'd say that."
YUI closed her eyes with relief.
T signed quietly.
"She is finally free."
---
Across Korea...
Millions watched in complete silence.
Some cried.
Some applauded.
Some simply stared at their screens in disbelief.
The truth that had been hidden for decades...
Was finally spoken.
By the only person who truly had the right to reveal it.
«"The truth was no longer hidden. Now the world had to decide what it meant."»
---
Sara's words echoed through the conference hall.
"I choose both."
For several seconds...
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The journalists simply stared at the young woman standing before them.
Not as a celebrity.
Not as an heir.
But as someone who had just changed the future of both worlds.
---
Then...
The questions began again.
A reporter from the front row stood.
"Miss Sara..."
"No."
He corrected himself.
"Miss Lee Qixia..."
Sara smiled politely.
"You may call me Sara."
The reporter nodded.
"Do you regret hiding your identity?"
Sara answered honestly.
"I never hid who I was."
"I protected my family's privacy."
"And..."
"I protected my own dream."
---
Another reporter stood.
"Were your fellow ALPhaaXX members aware of your identity?"
Sara nodded.
"Yes."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
---
At that moment...
The side door of the conference hall quietly opened.
Eight familiar figures walked onto the stage.
Nine.
Yona.
P.
Hushhh.
Gunn.
Sway.
YUI.
T.
No announcement.
No dramatic entrance.
They simply walked to Sara's side.
Exactly as they always had.
The room filled with camera flashes.
---
Nine stepped to the microphone.
"We weren't invited to speak."
She smiled.
"But today..."
"We believe the world deserves to know the whole truth."
The reporters immediately leaned forward.
Nine looked toward Sara before facing the cameras again.
"My family is the Ji Family."
"For hundreds of years..."
"The Ji Family has stood beside House Lee."
"My ancestors swore an oath to protect every HouseLord."
"My grandfather protected House Lee."
"My father protected House Lee."
"And now..."
"I protect Lee Qixia."
She smiled proudly.
"This isn't my duty alone."
"It is my family's promise, passed down from generation to generation."
---
Yona stepped forward.
"My family has been one of House Lee's oldest allied families."
"For generations..."
"We have answered House Lee's call whenever they needed us."
"Our loyalty has never belonged to power."
"It belongs to trust."
He looked at Sara.
"To the world she is Sara Lee."
"To us..."
"She is also our future HouseLord."
"And we will never abandon her."
---
P calmly stepped forward.
"My family is known as the Sword Family."
"For centuries..."
"We forged the swords carried by House Lee."
"We trained the warriors who defended them."
"Our family's oath has never changed."
She looked directly into the cameras.
"My ancestors protected Christopher Lee."
"I now protect Lee Qixia."
"My sword..."
"My strength..."
"My life..."
"Will always stand beside House Lee."
---
Hushhh smiled gently.
"My family has served House Lee for generations."
"Not through titles."
"But through unwavering loyalty."
"We have always believed..."
"A HouseLord should never walk alone."
She looked at Sara.
"So neither will she."
---
Gunn grinned.
"My family has marched beside House Lee for hundreds of years."
"My grandparents."
"My parents."
"And now me."
She folded her arms proudly.
"If anyone threatens House Lee..."
"They threaten my family too."
"And Sara..."
"Is family."
---
Sway adjusted her glasses before speaking.
"My family served House Lee as scholars, strategists and historians."
"For generation after generation..."
"We preserved the history of House Lee."
"We protected their knowledge."
"We advised every HouseLord."
She smiled softly.
"History remembers those who stand beside greatness."
"My family intends to continue doing exactly that."
---
YUI stepped forward.
"My family has remained one of House Lee's closest allies for centuries."
"We preserved traditions."
"We taught discipline."
"We reminded every generation that compassion is stronger than fear."
She bowed respectfully toward Sara.
"My ancestors served the HouseLord."
"So will I."
---
Finally...
T stepped forward.
The conference hall became completely silent.
He slowly raised his hands.
His interpreter stood beside him.
T signed with calm confidence.
The interpreter translated.
"T says..."
"My voice has always been silent."
"But my loyalty has never been."
T continued signing.
"My parents carried that oath."
"Now..."
"I carry it."
He turned toward Sara.
"My oath is unchanged."
"I will protect my HouseLord."
---
The conference hall was utterly silent.
Even the reporters had stopped writing.
Nine stepped forward once more.
"The world believes ALPhaaXX is only a K-rock band."
She smiled.
"They're right."
"We are musicians."
"We are performers."
"We are a family."
She looked at each member beside her.
"But what the world didn't know..."
"...is that each of our families has protected, served, or stood beside House Lee for hundreds of years."
"Our ancestors fought together."
"They lived together."
"They bled together."
"And generation after generation..."
"They entrusted that promise to us."
---
Without speaking to one another...
The eight members stepped forward together.
They stood shoulder to shoulder beside Sara.
Each placed a hand over their heart.
Nine spoke first.
The others joined her.
Together...
Their voices echoed throughout the conference hall.
«"From generation to generation...
We stand beside House Lee.
In peace.
In war.
In light.
In darkness.
Our loyalty shall never falter.
Our oath shall never break.
Until our final breath...
We shall protect our HouseLord."»
Silence followed.
Not the silence of uncertainty.
The silence of history.
For the first time in modern history...
The Eight Guardian Families had revealed themselves to the world.
---
Sara looked at her eight friends.
A tear escaped despite her smile.
She wasn't standing alone anymore.
She never had been.
She bowed deeply to them.
"Thank you..."
"My family."
The eight members smiled back.
Always.
---
Back at House Lee Estate...
Christopher watched the broadcast in silence.
Takako stood beside him.
Han Soo Hee and Khayati quietly entered the room.
Christopher's eyes never left the screen.
He whispered softly...
"They kept the oath..."
Takako smiled.
"As their ancestors always did."
Christopher nodded proudly.
"The Guardian Families still stand."
---
Far beneath the mountains...
The Council Chamber erupted.
"The Eight Families have revealed themselves!"
"They've declared their loyalty publicly!"
"They've acknowledged the heir before the Council!"
Several Elders shouted over one another.
Only Elder Han remained seated.
He slowly closed his eyes.
"So..."
"The Guardian Families have made their choice."
Another Elder asked quietly,
"What do we do now?"
Elder Han answered,
"We cannot divide them anymore."
He opened his eyes.
"Then..."
"We test them all."
The chamber fell silent.
"No crown..."
"...is accepted without thorns."
---
Outside GOLD Entertainment...
Thousands of Axis watched the broadcast on giant screens.
Many cried as the Guardian Families swore their ancient oath.
Soon...
The entire street echoed with one chant.
"ALP-HAA-XX!"
"ALP-HAA-XX!"
"ALP-HAA-XX!"
Inside the building...
Sara heard every voice.
She walked toward the window.
Looking down at the sea of black and silver lightsticks.
Nine stood beside her.
"They're waiting."
Sara smiled.
"They're not waiting for Lee Qixia."
She placed a hand over her heart.
"They're waiting for Sara."
Nine smiled.
"They're waiting..."
"...for both."
For the first time in her life...
Sara no longer felt divided.
She was Sara Lee.
She was Lee Qixia.
Lead Vocalist of ALPhaaXX.
Future HouseLord of House Lee.
And beside her stood not only her band...
But the descendants of the Eight Guardian Families, whose oath had endured for centuries.
The truth had finally been revealed.
Now...
The true trial of the future HouseLord...
Was about to begin.
