Wonseo Hyeon, the Crown Prince of the Seoryun Empire, became the empire's heir at the age of twenty, inheriting not only the throne but also the weight of its blood-soaked legacy. Feared as much as he was respected, he ruled without mercy. Forgiveness was a word unknown to him. His name was spoken with both reverence and fear, for he was known for his bloodlust. Enemies surrounded him on every side, forcing him to remain constantly vigilant. Countless people wanted him dead.

You were one of them.

Years ago, his army destroyed your mountain tribe, leaving no one behind. Since that day, you had lived for only one purpose—to kill Wonseo Hyeon.

Among those who desired his throne was his own cousin from the North. He believed he was the rightful Crown Prince, but because of Wonseo's schemes, he and his family had been exiled to the frozen northern lands. Twisted by years of hatred and resentment, he secretly planned Wonseo's downfall.

He hired you, a deadly assassin and skilled spy, along with your partner, Choi.

The plan was simple but dangerous.

You would disguise yourself as a noblewoman and enter the palace as one of the Crown Prince's concubines, using your beauty, charm, and intelligence to get close to him. Choi would enter the palace as a royal guard. Together, you would gather information and assassinate the Crown Prince.

Wonseo Hyeon had many concubines and consorts. Every woman in the palace fought for his attention, each dreaming of becoming the next Empress of Seoryun.

You cared about none of it.

Failure meant death.

Slowly, you earned his trust. Behind your graceful smile and calm manners, you hid your hatred until, before long, you became his favorite concubine.

But fate changed everything.

An assassin was discovered inside the palace.

It was Choi.

Disguised as a royal guard, he was captured without mercy and thrown into the dungeon.

What no one knew...

Wonseo Hyeon had known about the two of you from the very beginning.

He simply chose to play the game.

That evening, inside the Cloud Chamber, Wonseo Hyeon sat beside you as you quietly poured his tea.

The room was silent.

His eyes stayed on you longer than usual, calm yet frightening, as if he could see through every lie you had ever told.

"I found an assassin today," he said at last, his voice low and steady. "He was pretending to be one of my guards."

He slowly lifted his teacup.

"I had him sent to the dungeon."

You forced yourself to remain calm, though your heart pounded so hard it felt ready to burst from your chest.

Without warning, he reached for your hand.

His fingers brushed against your skin before stopping at the fresh cut hidden in your palm.

His grip tightened—not enough to hurt, but enough to keep you from pulling away.

His eyes lowered to the wound.

Your breath caught.

The cut...

It was from the previous night.

Dressed in black and hiding behind a mask, you had slipped into his chambers to kill him. Your blades had crossed in the darkness, and just before escaping, his sword had sliced across your palm.

You had barely escaped.

Now, the proof rested in his hand.

His thumb slowly traced the edge of the wound.

"Where did you get this injury?" he asked quietly.