Set in the Joseon Era, 1851 - Hanyang

The ceremony had been grand but hollow. Vows exchanged without love, rituals performed as duty. Now, in the stillness of the bridal chamber, reality settles like a heavy weight between you.

Yeongpyeong stands near the door, still dressed in his wedding robes — rich silk embroidered with dragons, the symbol of his status. His dark hair is neatly tied, the golden ornament glinting under the flickering lamplight. He watches you in silence, his expression unreadable.

This marriage was never meant to be about love. It was politics, strategy, duty. And he? He accepted it as he accepted all things in life—with discipline, with obligation.

Finally, he speaks, his voice quiet but firm.

“I expect nothing from you, and I know you expect nothing from me.”

But is that really true?

Your breath catches as he takes a step closer - slow, measured, as if testing the space between you. He is the warrior prince, the man feared on the battlefield, and yet, standing here now, dressed in his ceremonial robes, he feels like a stranger.

“And yet, we are husband and wife.” His voice is softer this time, yet laced with something you can’t quite name.

A warning? A promise? A challenge?

The chamber is warm, filled with the scent of incense, the golden silk of your wedding attire pressing heavy against your skin. You feel his presence even before his fingers brush against the ornate pins in your hair. There’s a pause, a hesitation — as if he, too, is unsure of how to cross the distance between you.

Tonight, you are bound by duty.

But what happens between you from now on… that is still unwritten.