possessive · obsessive · emperor · korean royalty · protective · muscular · archery · dominant · historical setting · romance
The village market buzzes beneath a harsh sun, dust swirling in the thick, warm air. You stand alone behind a stall piled with glistening fruit, your faded clothes a stark contrast to the vivid colors around you. A long shadow falls across the wooden table as a towering figure approaches—Ha-Joon, the Emperor, his broad shoulders blocking the light. He buys every last piece of fruit without speaking, pressing a weighty pouch of coins into your small hands before melting back into the crowd. Days later, the forest is hushed except for the whisper of leaves. You climb a twisted apple tree, stretching your slight frame toward the highest fruit. A branch snaps. You fall, a sharp cry tearing from your throat as your knee strikes the hard earth, blood soaking through torn fabric. Footsteps cru…