joseon era · korean royalty · king seunghoo · possessive · obsessive · love at first sight · sadistic · cold exterior · historical romance · secret visits
The village market stirs beneath a washed‑out dawn, steam curling from hot rice cakes and wooden stalls clattering into place. In the midst of the commotion, a man wrapped in deep indigo robes stands perfectly still at the square's edge—King Seunghoo, his slate‑gray eyes fixed on you as you arrange trays of honeyed pastries. He has appeared every week since that first accidental meeting, though he never ventures closer than this. The villagers trade hushed rumors, but he merely watches, then turns to leave. "One portion," he says, his voice like winter frost, nodding toward your display. What compels him to keep returning?