All Dohyun could blurt out at the moment was, "Wow…"
The Princess's chambers were magnificent, almost unreal in the evening light. The palace wasn't as big as the Prince's, but even so, it was breathtaking. The outer walls guarding the palace were draped with soft green creepers, some curling around and blooming with delicate pink roses. The stems were lined with thorns, clearly the plants were chosen not just for beauty, but to deter wandering hands.
But what truly stole one's breath was what lay inside those walls.
The mid-sized palace rose like a serene jewel in the fading light. Its rooftops curved elegantly like the wings of a crane, lacquered in a gentle shade of old rose that shimmered gold where the last rays of sunlight touched. Wooden pillars painted in muted jade held the structure in graceful harmony, each carved with patterns of clouds and peonies as if the palace itself breathed with quiet life.
A wide stone path led inward, but it did not lead to a courtyard.
It led to water.
Right at the center of the palace grounds lay a vast, mirror-still lake, its surface tinted with dusk. White waterlilies drifted like fallen stars, and between them, soft pink cherry blossoms floated lazily, carried by the evening breeze. The petals glided across the water as though guiding one's eyes toward a small pavilion built at the lake's heart, connected only by a narrow wooden bridge.
The pavilion lanterns were already lit, their warm glow reflecting in ripples of pink and gold. The entire scene looked like a painting come to life -- delicate, quiet, untouched by anything beyond these walls.
Dohyun swallowed, unable to look away.
He had never seen beauty crafted so gently… nor a place that felt so dreamlike.
Without even realizing it, Dohyun had already stepped past the gates. He was so absorbed by the palace's beauty that the carriage, his belongings, and even his sleeping friends slipped entirely from his mind. For a moment, the world had narrowed into nothing but petals on water and the soft glow of lanterns.
"Hey - how could you leave us like that --"
Minho's voice cracked through the stillness. Both boys stumbled up behind him, Minho clutching a small bundle wrapped in cloth, probably Dohyun's things, while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He paused mid-rub, hand frozen against his face as he finally looked up.
Kang didn't even speak. His jaw simply fell open.
"Hey… if you still don't like your position, just talk to Uncle Hwang and hand it over to me," Kang said, dead serious.
'No, thank you," Dohyun replied, still mesmerized.
The outer court of the palace was strangely unguarded -- quiet, almost trusting -- but the inner court told another story entirely. Women moved like soft shadows across polished stone, sweeping fallen petals even though the palace seemed incapable of looking anything but perfect. Two female royal guards stood at the entrance of the main chambers, lavender fabric peeking through their white uniforms. A golden emblem of Hwachon, carved with meticulous detail, gleamed on their chests.
Both women had sharp black eyes, their long hair tied into high ponytails. Identical swords rested at their hips, though they held shields and spears in their hands -- silent, alert, immovable.
"I think you guys should leave now," Dohyun murmured, finally remembering his companions.
"I'm not leaving till I see the princess," Minho said, stubbornness already settling in his voice.
"Suit yourself." Dohyun took his things from Minho and stepped toward the inner gate.
The gate itself was nothing more than a massive wooden door, yet even a simple slab of wood looked ethereal under the princess's domain -- engraved with delicate patterns, polished to a soft glow.
But the moment the three came close, the two guards moved as one. Their spears crossed in front of the entrance, metal ringing sharply in the quiet.
A clear signal.
Not allowed.
Or rather, men were not allowed.
"Oh, I'm appointed as the Princess's new Royal Guard."
The women exchanged looks -- sharp, suspicious, almost annoyed. Dohyun immediately reached into his sleeve and offered the sealed letter Uncle Hwang had given him. One of the guards accepted it with clear reluctance, unfolded it, and read silently.
"The Princess did not request a male guard…" she muttered, lifting her gaze to scan Dohyun from head to toe.
Her partner exhaled through her nose. "Hmph. But we cannot defy Lord Yu Gwon's orders. Very well, you may enter."
Their spears withdrew in perfect sync.
The wooden doors parted with a deep creak, letting warm, perfumed air escape from within.
Dohyun stepped inside.
A hard clung sounded behind him.
He turned in time to see his friends blocked by the crossed spears.
"Are you both also appointed by the Prince?" one guard asked coolly.
"Uh… no-" Kang began.
"They're my subordinates," Dohyun tried quickly. "They accompanied me all the way here, so-"
"Then that is precisely the end of their usefulness."
The woman's glare flicked to the boys. "You will not become a qualified guard of the Princess if you required protection to get here. Am I wrong?"
Her disapproval was palpable; they clearly despised having men this close to the Princess's inner court.
Dohyun met his friends' eyes; no words were needed. They understood -- withdraw or cause offence neither of them could afford.
"There are irkingly too many men around today," the quieter guard muttered under her breath.
Minho stepped forward suddenly, his face tightening as if he were preparing to sacrifice his life. The guards even braced, expecting some bold foolishness.
Instead, he pointed at Dohyun with burning seriousness.
"Do not forget our promise."
He jabbed a finger with each word, "Every. Detail. You promised."
"Uh…okay."
Only then did Minho and Kang retreat to the carriage, defeated yet strangely satisfied.
Dohyun turned toward the main hall and froze.
A familiar, unwelcome silhouette stood there.
Broad shoulders. Low bun. Ugly confidence.
Goram.
What is that stinky buffoon doing here?
Of all people, why must he be the first face Dohyun sees in this ethereal place?
Before Dohyun could slip away to avoid him, a voice thundered:
"You there!"
He pretended not to hear and quickened his pace, until a heavy weight slammed onto his shoulder. Fingers curled into his uniform and yanked him back. A hulking shadow swallowed him whole.
Dohyun looked up into a brown face split with jagged-toothed grin, like a wolf finding its favorite prey. The man's eyes were dark -- like polished blackwood, cold and unfeeling.
"Where d'you think yer running off to?" Goram smirked.
Dohyun swallowed his urge to punch that face straight into the lily pond.
"Oh… Senior!" He forced a smile so stiff it hurt. "Forgive me. I didn't notice you at all- such an unexpected meeting, haha…"
"Ye think ye can fool me, brat?" Goram leaned closer. "I know ye saw me and tried runnin' away without greetin' yer senior."
He held a red box against his chest -- ornate, gold imprints gleaming. A royal gift box. Behind him stood a small mountain of wooden crates.
"See all this?" Goram puffed up. "The Prince personally assigned me t'deliver these. A gift for the Princess."
He jerked his thumb toward the crates. "And that? Her food for a whole month. Why d'ye think I was chosen for these god-chosen tasks?"
Dohyun had no interest in the man's delusions. He averted his gaze, replying flatly, "Why, senior?"
Goram ignored Dohyun's clear disinterest and puffed up even more.
"I believe I'll be chosen as the next Royal Guard of the Prince. Unlike ye."
Silence. Dohyun refused to dignify that with a response.
Goram clicked his tongue and sneered.
"Well, ye wouldn't be chosen anyway. Yer the son of a traitor. And yer mother? hah! just some lowly bitch who ruined yer father's life."
Something inside Dohyun snapped.
He didn't mind insults aimed at him but his parents was something he could not overlook.
He straightened, a cold smirk curling his lips.
"Well, well," Dohyun said softly, "if it isn't a senior using playground insults to provoke his junior."
He leaned in just enough to let Goram see the disdain in his eyes.
"It is shameful that someone like you holds a senior title. My pride must have sensed it ahead of time, no wonder it refused to let me greet you at all."
It was as though boiling water had reached its final, furious peak.
The surface trembled, then burst.
Goram's fist shot forward and crashed into Dohyun's face.
A clean, merciless hit.
Dohyun staggered backward, vision jerking, and collapsed onto the ground. A warm wetness slid from his nose. He touched it; scarlet streaked his fingers.
Not enough.
He forced the pain down. He needed this.
He lifted his head, fury burning in his gaze.
Goram, unable to endure a shred of disrespect, snarled and drove his foot straight into Dohyun's chest. Again. And again. His heavy boots slammed into Dohyun's ribs, stomping with the weight of ego and cruelty.
Dohyun grit his teeth. He held it in. This was exactly the opportunity he had been waiting for.
He curled his fist tighter.
Endure. Let him take the fall.
Before the next hit could fall--
"What is this unsightly commotion?"
A voice smooth and clear, neither fully male nor female, cut through the courtyard like silk drawn over steel.
"You dare to disrespect my chambers like this?"
Dohyun blinked through half-open eyes.
An...Angel?
Had he died? Was this the threshold of heaven?
No.
Before him stood the ethereal Princess of Hwachon, the one and only Flower Princess.
Radiant skin pale as first snow, cheeks tinted with a dusting of petal-pink, and lips a natural rose hue. But most striking were the cognac eyes-- reddish-brown, warm and intoxicating, reflecting the sunset's orange glow as though the sky itself had fallen drunk under this person's beauty.
Long, silken hair flowed behind the Princess like liquid gold, shimmering beneath the fading sun. And the cream-gold robe draped over that slender frame only made the complexion glow even more.
"P-Princess!" Goram jolted into a bow.
"Forgive my impudence! I was merely teaching my junior proper manners- his disrespect and misbehavior-"
Miye didn't spare him a glance.
Those cognac eyes rested instead on the boy coughing on the ground.
"Stand. Up."
The command, soft yet absolute, made Dohyun rise at once, even as his legs trembled. He straightened, placing his hands behind his back, and stood at attention.
In the Princess's gaze, he was a striking sight:
A well-built youth with peach-tinted skin bronzed by sunlight, a defined jaw, thick brows, and grey-black eyes like a misty dusk-- eyes filled with stubborn resolve. Dust only sharpened the lines of his face. His lips, now scratched and bleeding, showed no hint of weakness.
Miye found himself pausing, caught off guard.
What a… presence.
"Who are you?" Miye asked, ignoring the ragged, hulking man kneeling beside him.
"I'm Lee Garom!" Goram burst out. "Senior to this dishonored boy. Please forgive us for causing a scene, Milady--"
"The Princess did not ask you," a firm voice cut in.
A tall woman stepped from behind Miye. Lean but lithe, clad in a maroon uniform and bearing a sword at her hip, she radiated authority. Her hair was short, tied back under a brown headband.
Miye's only Royal Guard, Shin Haerin.
In a low voice, she whispered, "Milady, that boy is the son of Han Dojin. He served the king twenty-one years ago before rumors claimed he betrayed the kingdom. The boy's name should be… Dohyun."
Miye's eyes returned to him.
"You there. Explain."
Dohyun bowed deeply.
"Forgive me, Princess, for letting you witness such an improper sight on our first meeting. I was appointed by the Prince to be your Royal Guard. My senior here confronted me for not greeting him. He insulted my parents, who lived with dignity. I replied in anger. Please forgive my impudence. I am prepared to accept any punishment you deem fit."
Miye looked at Goram. He looked ready to burst like an overripe fruit.
"Princess, yes, I picked on him, but only because he disrespected me first--"
"That is enough." Miye exhaled, "I will write to the Prince. Officials can resolve this."
For now, their eyes narrowed.
"Tell me why you both came here."
"Princess," Goram said quickly, offering the red chest, "I am delivering an important gift from His Highness, Prince Yugwon. He ordered that you must open it alone and only alone."
Miye took the box. A strange shiver, cold and sharp, ran up his spine.
What could Yugwon possibly…
He raised a hand. Haerin stepped back immediately.
Miye opened the chest.
A wave of pain, dark and suffocating, crushed straight into his heart.
He slammed the lid shut. His fingers trembled.
"Haerin," Miye said, voice suddenly hollow, "write a dismissal order for Lee Garom. I do not tolerate men with superiority complexes in my chambers."
"M-Milady? But I--"
"Do not object to the Princess," Haerin snapped, stepping forward.
Goram's face twisted. "Princess! It wasn't my fault-- this brat twisted everything in his favor-"
"I did not twist anything, senior," Dohyun replied calmly, "I already stated I will accept any punishment if proven guilty."
"Fuck-" Goram cursed, but a sword pressed cold against his throat.
Haerin's eyes narrowed, "Enough. Leave before you worsen your fate, Lee Garom."
Jaw clenched, pride shattered, Goram stormed away.
"...."
Miye looked at Dohyun. His expression, unreadable.
Then quietly, the Princess spoke:
"I do not need you. You may leave."