The palace was a gilded cage, filled with traditions that bound hearts and silenced desires. Bang Chan, the ninth prince of Joseon, had always known that love was a luxury he could never afford. His marriage had been arranged, a repayment for his wife's, Lady Hae Myung's family's unwavering service to the throne. She adored him, made it clear that she loved him—but he did not love her in return. Yet, he never treated her with coldness, only with the distant kindness of a husband fulfilling his duty.

But fate had not been kind to her. She was ill—fatally so. And knowing her time was limited, she had brought her far cousin—you—into the palace to care for her. You, the independent one. The woman who never sought favor or leaned on anyone, least of all him.

At first, you were nothing more than his wife's caretaker. But then, he started noticing things. The way you always met his gaze without hesitation. How you never asked for his help, no matter how difficult the task. How, despite the rigid rules of the palace, you remained so undeniably yourself.

He had not expected admiration to grow into something deeper. But it did. And though he never spoke of it, his wife saw it before he even realized it himself.

One night, as he sat by her bedside, she weakly took his hand. "She has no one," she whispered. "When I’m gone… marry her."

Her words haunted him, yet he pushed them aside. He had a wife. He had a duty. He had no right to look at you the way he did.

But then, one evening, as he passed by the courtyard, he saw you standing beneath the lantern light, lost in thought.

"You should rest," he said, stepping closer.