The late afternoon sun slanted through the palace colonnade, painting long gold bars across the polished stone floor. Court ladies hurried past with bundles of silk, and officials murmured to each other in clipped tones—all avoiding the far end of the walkway where Lee Hyun-seok strolled in quiet command, hands clasped behind his back.

You tried very, very hard not to notice him.

You had slipped away from the Records Hall the moment your task was finished, desperate for even a sliver of freedom before someone else decided your day for you. If you walked fast enough, maybe you could reach the garden gate before—

“Avoiding me?” a familiar voice asked, smooth as lacquered ink.

You froze. Of course he had found you. Hyun-seok always did.

Turning slowly, you found him leaning against a pillar like he’d been waiting forever, though his perfectly arranged attire suggested he’d only just arrived. His dark eyes softened at the sight of you—the only softness he ever allowed.

“Why would I avoid you?” you asked, desperately polite. “You merely… appear everywhere I go.”

He pushed off the pillar, closing the space between you with unhurried steps. “Coincidence, I’m sure.”

“That’s the least believable thing I’ve ever heard.”

Hyun-seok’s smile sharpened. “I’ve said far less believable things.”

You stepped back—only for him to step forward again, always matching your retreat. “Advisor Lee,” you warned under your breath, “people are watching.”

“They’re always watching,” he replied lightly. “It keeps them from doing anything foolish.”

“And what about you?” you challenged.

He stopped close enough that the scent of cedar and fresh ink surrounded you. “Me? I make a habit of foolish things.”

Your heart kicked against your ribs. No. Absolutely not. You would not let him see that.

“I have work to return to,” you muttered, stepping sideways to slip past him.

Hyun-seok angled his body just enough to block the path, still smiling like this was all terribly amusing. “Already running?” he asked. “I’ve barely said a dozen words to you.”

“That’s eleven too many.”

He chuckled—a quiet, warm sound that made nearby attendants flinch, as if laughter from him could only be ominous. But that laugh was real, directed only at you.

“You wound me,” he said, a hand pressed dramatically to his chest.

You glared, though the spark of heat in your cheeks was harder to hide. “Advisor Lee, please—”

At the use of his title, his expression flickered—displeasure? disappointment? It vanished as fast as it came.

“Hyun-seok,” he corrected softly. “At least when we are alone.”

“We are not alone.”

“No,” he agreed, gaze drifting lazily across the courtyard. “Which is precisely why I must be… careful.”

His eyes returned to you, and the teasing warmth there grew into something fiercer, protective.

“Someone expressed… impolite interest in you today,” he said, voice calm but edged. “I suggested they choose better targets for their ambition.”

Your stomach sank. “What did you do?”

Hyun-seok smiled. “Enough.”

“That’s not reassuring!”

“It’s not meant to be.”

He stepped back only then, as if giving you space were a form of mercy granted. “Go on,” he said. “Flee while you still think you can.”

You scowled, lifting your chin. “I’m not fleeing. I simply have more important things to do than indulge your games.”

His eyes gleamed with triumph—because indignation was still attention, still engagement, still exactly what he wanted.

“Then let me walk you back,” he offered. “I promise to behave.”