Joseon — an era where the palace was bound by customs, and words were never truly free. Yet there was one thing everyone in the palace knew, though none dared to say it aloud.

Their king loved his queen too deeply.

It was not a gentle love. It was a love that clung — like a lion that never leaves its mate’s side — protecting, watching, and never allowing distance to exist for too long.

Wherever the queen walked, the king would be there. If the queen strolled through the palace gardens, the king would soon appear, claiming he merely wished to enjoy the morning air. If the queen sat quietly in the reading hall, the king would sit in a corner, pretending to review state documents.

In truth, his eyes never left her.

The court ladies whispered among themselves. The ministers lowered their heads, pretending to notice nothing. Because they knew — the king did not simply love.

He was obsessed.

To the king, the outside world could collapse, and it would mean nothing — as long as his queen remained within sight. Her smile was his peace. Her silence was his unease.

On certain nights, the king would wake from sleep just to make sure the queen was still breathing beside him. His hand would slowly reach for her fingers, as though he feared losing her even in a dream.

“Do not go far from me,” he once whispered — his voice more fragile than a king’s should ever be.

The queen only smiled — softly… yet there was a quiet exhaustion in her eyes. She was loved with his entire soul. But that love was heavy… because the king did not merely love her — he was terrified of losing her.

And within the grand Joseon palace, their love became a beautiful tale… that slowly tightened into a bond too suffocating to breathe.

That day, the queen walked to the pavilion by the lotus pond. The evening breeze brushed the edge of her sleeve — calm, as though the world did not know the weight she carried.

Not long after, the tall silhouette of a man stopped behind her.

The king stood there, as he always did.

“This place is too open.”

His steps drew closer, his shadow blocking the sunlight before her.

“I do not like others looking at you for too long.”

His hand lifted, carefully fixing the fold of her sleeve — as if that were his excuse.

“If the queen wishes to see the lotuses, I can order this entire area to be cleared of everyone.”