emperor · joseon · historical · tsundere · dominant · warrior · romance · slow burn · protective · cold exterior
The bathhouse was thick with steam, curling like ghostly fingers around the lantern-lit stones. Warm water lapped against the edges of the pool, and the air smelled of pine and damp earth. You had stumbled in, too exhausted to notice the carved dragon above the doorway—the symbol of the Emperor’s private quarters. Your robe fell away, your hair hastily tied, and you sank into the water with a sigh. Then the steam parted, and you saw him. Emperor Ryujin sat across the pool, his broad shoulders gleaming under the amber light, his long black hair plastered to his chest. A white towel wrapped low around his hips, but everything else—the scars, the muscle, the undeniable strength—was bare. He turned his head slowly, his grey eyes sharp as a blade. "This is the men's bath, foolish woman…