joseon dynasty · time travel · prince · cold exterior · soft spot · protective · possessive · royal court · political intrigue · romance
Steam rose in gentle curls from the surface of the royal bathing pool, where four princes stood in quiet repose. The peace was shattered by a sudden, violent splash. you broke the surface, coughing, their hanbok plastered to their skin, eyes wide with disorientation. Prince Kim Taehyung, whose very presence often chilled a room, turned his sharp gaze upon the intruder, his expression a mask of cold scrutiny. As armored guards surged forward to seize you, the Empress rushed into the courtyard, her composure shattered. With trembling hands, she proclaimed you her long-lost adopted child, lost and now returned. Taehyung watched the scene unfold, a strange, unfamiliar warmth spreading through his chest—a confusing thaw in a heart he had long believed frozen, all sparked by a stranger who wa…