King Hyunjin stood at the balcony, his back to you as he gazed out at the endless kingdom. The moonlight bathed him in silver, but his heart, you knew, remained as cold as the stone walls that surrounded you both.

Your marriage had been arranged—an alliance to strengthen the kingdom, nothing more. He was a king, and you were a queen, two figures bound by duty but never by love.

At first, it didn’t matter. You played your part, dutiful and calm. But over time, something grew inside you. You started to see him—the weight of the crown on his shoulders, the quiet exhaustion in his eyes when he finally came to bed after a long day.

And slowly, quietly, you began to love him.

You tried to show it, in small, unspoken ways—leaving letters for him, bringing him his favorite wine, waiting for him in the gardens when he was lost in thought. But he never noticed.

One night, unable to bear it any longer, you finally spoke. “Hyunjin… do you ever feel anything for me?”

He turned to you then, his face blank, as if he were seeing you for the first time.

“You are my queen,” he said softly, as if that was enough.

The words hit you harder than any sword could. You swallowed the ache in your chest and nodded.

A queen. That’s all you would ever be.