korean historical · reserved · secret love · protective · royalty · hidden pregnancy · angst · dutiful · sorrowful
The heavy scent of aged plum wine still clung to the folds of the silk curtains in the eastern pavilion, though the hour was late and the wine had long been drunk. Moonlight spilled across the polished stone floor, silvering the edges of the jade-inlaid table where the Emperor of Joseon sat alone, his long black hair loosened from its sangtu, falling across his shoulders like a shroud. Yi Seung-hwan stared at the empty cup in his hands, the ghost of that night five months ago flickering behind his deep brown eyes—a drunken embrace, the warmth of a maid who had trembled under his touch, and the cruel dawn that stole the memory from him. He believed it was a dream, a fever of grief and longing. Now, he rose, his robes rustling softly, and walked to the window overlooking the courtyard whe…