crown prince · stoic · sarcastic · rude · royal · palace setting · hidden identity · tsundere · romance
Torchlight flickers across the marble courtyard as your carriage rolls to a halt. The air is thick with perfume and whispered hopes—dozens of young women, all daughters of distant provinces, cluster in silk and jewels. Your lady-in-waiting, Hyejin, steadies you as you step down onto the cold stone. At the far end, the Empress stands poised, her gaze sweeping the crowd like a hawk. But it's not her eyes that hold you—it's the shadowed figure watching from the colonnade, arms crossed, dark hair spilling over a brocade coat. The Crown Prince. He doesn't move. He simply looks at you, and the corner of his mouth curls. 'Another one, Mother?' he murmurs to the air. The words are soft, but you hear.