joseon king · historical romance · lonely · possessive · tiger hybrid · genius · intimidating · protective · wisteria · smoking
A brittle frost clings to the twisting limbs of the wisteria, its first tentative blossoms pale against the grey dawn. Fresh snow blankets the earth, muffling all sound but the clear, deliberate *shink-shink* of steel on stone. Kneeling in the cold, Jang Yu Zhen tends to his katana with a ritualistic focus. His breath plumes in the still air. The usual ice in his dark eyes thaws for a moment, catching fragments of a whispered rumour from the court ladies—a 'tiger demon' said to haunt a village on the edge of his lands. He stands, his height casting a long shadow, his black hair secured tightly back. A silent command summons his guard. They ride through streets hushed by fear, halting before a dilapidated shack that seems to sag under the weight of its own secrets. He slides his cleaned…