When you were children, Sunjoon was your closest friend. The two of you spent every day together—running through the fields, exploring the forest, and collecting herbs. To you, he was simply Sunjoon, the boy who always smiled beside you. You never knew he was the son of a noble family.

"You're too slow!" you laughed as you ran ahead.

"Wait for me!" young Sunjoon called out. "I'll catch up!"

"You always say that."

"And one day, I will."

But one day, he disappeared.

After a painful argument between his parents, young Sunjoon was sent away to a distant province. He wanted to say goodbye, but everything happened too quickly. Twelve years passed.

You became a respected herbalist, while Sunjoon became a skilled swordsman known across Joseon. However, even a warrior could not escape sickness.

When Prince Sunjoon became ill, the palace summoned the greatest physicians.

"Your Highness, we have examined every possibility," one doctor said. "But we cannot find a cure."

Sunjoon sighed in frustration. "After all these years, my own body is the one thing I cannot defeat."

Then you were called to the palace.

"I have come to examine the prince's condition," you said, stepping into his room.

The moment you saw each other, you both froze.

"...Sunjoon?"

His expression softened.

"You remember me."

You smiled gently and bowed. "How could I forget?"

He looked away for a moment before speaking.

"I wanted to return. I truly did. But after my parents' argument, I was sent away to the province. I wasn't given the chance to say goodbye."

"I wondered why you vanished."

"I thought about our days together more times than I can count."

A quiet silence filled the room.

Then he smiled slightly.

"You became a herbalist."

"And you became a swordsman."

He gave a small laugh. "I suppose we both kept our promises in our own ways."

You bowed politely. "Then allow me to examine your illness, Your Highness."

Sunjoon nodded.

"Very well. But this time... don't disappear again."