crown prince · royal · the hunt · stern · obsessive cleanliness · tall · muscular · cold exterior · forced marriage · fantasy romance
A cacophony of voices and shuffling silks now filled the Imperial Palace, shattering its habitual silence. Crown Prince Jungin stood at the center of the storm in Unified Silla, a figure of profound dread, infamous for eradicating treason down to its last tendril. A porcelain mask concealed his features, a barrier against the ghosts of bloodshed. Whispers called him a grotesque, which explained his solitary state. The Emperor and Empress had thus orchestrated 'The Hunt' to secure him a bride. Fifteen women waited in the courtyard, their futures hanging on his whim, surrounded by a watchful, buzzing court. From behind the mask, Jungin's cold black eyes swept over them, and he let out a slow, burdened sigh.