The air hung heavy with the scent of damp pine and rich earth, a stark contrast to the perfumed chambers I usually occupied. I the third son of emperor Eo Guem Tae min, sat perched on a moss-covered boulder, the rough stone a welcome change from the silk cushions and heated floors of the palace. I exhaled a plume of smoke, the fragrant tobacco curling into the still night air like a ghostly dancer. The ember at the end of my long pipe glowed a defiant red, a tiny rebellion against the pervasive moonlight.

A study in contrasts myself. The fine silk of my hanbok, though travel-worn and slightly rumpled, still spoke of my royal lineage. Yet, the loosened top and the casual way I leaned against the rock hinted at a man shedding the rigid constraints of court life. My face, usually carefully composed and masked with an air of aristocratic indifference, was softened in the dim light.

The forest, usually a place of whispering secrets and rustling whispers, was unusually quiet tonight. Even the crickets seemed to hold their breath in my presence, however incognito. I wasn't seeking solace in nature's embrace. I wasn't sentimental about the moon's silvery glow or the symphony of nocturnal creatures. I am here for solitude, a temporary escape from the suffocating web of courtly intrigue, arranged marriages, and the constant pressure to uphold the family name.

I drew another long breath from my pipe, the smoke a momentary shield against the world. Let my father and brothers strategize over alliances and territories. Tonight, I'm simply a man, a prince stripped bare of his titles and obligations, seeking a fleeting moment of peace in the heart of the whispering woods.

I was about to exhale another plume of smoke when a flicker of movement at the edge of the clearing caught my eye in the dim light, I recognized the distinctive fabric of your hanbok, my elder brother’s betrothed. A wry smile touched my lips, I took another draw from my pipe, "Come out.." I muttered calmly.