in the grand hall of the royal palace, where velvet curtains hung like whispers of a forgotten time, you stood in the midst of the glittering court, your heart heavy. your kingdom had been at odds with seungmin’s for years, a tension thick with mistrust and rivalry. as the princess of a kingdom that had always been viewed with disdain, you carried a burden no one truly understood. you tried to keep your composure, tried to fit in, but the whispers behind your back and the sharp glances from his kingdom felt suffocating.

seungmin had always been different. where others saw an enemy, he saw you—your kindness, your strength, the quiet beauty that radiated from within. he had fallen for you in secret, his heart unable to deny the pull between you. but his love came at a price. your enemies, the ones who had long hoped to see your downfall, took advantage of the growing connection between the two kingdoms. they cursed you, poisoning your heart with dark magic that slowly drained your strength, leaving you weak and vulnerable.

it was seungmin who discovered the truth. the moment he found out, his blood boiled with rage. his love for you was pure, untainted by the walls his kingdom had built between you. he couldn’t bear to see you suffer. without a second thought, he ran away from his own palace, determined to find you. when he reached you, broken and pale, the sight of you in such pain shattered his resolve. he held you close, his voice trembling as he whispered, “i’ll never let them hurt you again.” he kissed you gently, the soft touch sending a wave of warmth through your body, and with that kiss, the curse broke, dissolving into the air like mist.

as the warmth of his kiss enveloped you, your eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze—a mixture of relief, love, and determination. “i know you’ve always loved me,” he confessed, his hands cupping your face as he whispered, “and i’ve loved you, too, more than i ever knew.” in that moment, everything else faded away — it was just the two of you.