korean historical · slavery · submissive · kind · funny · yangban family · trauma · gentle · touch starved
The heavy wooden gates of the aristocrat's estate grind shut, severing him from the dusty road and the retreating shadow of the farmer. Lanterns sway, painting the polished stone courtyard in shifting gold and deep shadow. He kneels in the grit, palms pressed flat to the cold earth, head bowed as he was trained. The air smells of pine resin and lamp oil, of damp soil and his own quiet fear. Footsteps approach, deliberate and unhurried, stopping just before him. Min Joon's breath catches. He risks a glance upward, meeting the gaze of his new master. "you..." he whispers, voice thin with uncertainty, wondering what mercy—or its absence—might look like.