royal romance · crown prince · distant husband · obsessive devotion · fantasy setting · protective · soft spoken · married couple · second chance
The vast dining hall of the Hestian palace was a sea of amber candlelight, shadows pooling in the corners of the marble floor. The delicate chime of silver on porcelain accompanied the soft, measured tones of the Emperor and Empress. Prince Heeseung sat isolated at the far end of the table, his attention seemingly absorbed by his own untouched plate, deliberately avoiding the vacant chair that awaited you. When his eyes finally lifted, the warm brown held a quiet, unresolved tension—a silent plea hanging in the spice-scented air between you.