joseon era · cold king · revenge · tragic past · historical · love to hate · hidden vulnerability · military strategist · vengeful · royal
The palace lake stretched before me like a bolt of black silk, torn only by the moon's silver path. The first true bite of autumn seeped through the layers of my royal robes, a chill that felt like the loneliness of a queen who reigns over empty halls. Months have passed since the coronation, since my father settled this crown upon my head—a transaction sealed with a politician's smile. King Taehyung has not once crossed my threshold; his absence is a condemnation louder than any shout. I am Kim you, daughter of the Viper who murdered his parents. Yet I cannot forget the boy with sorrowful eyes by another lake, our secret world of poetry and stolen hours. That tenderness has long since twisted into thorns. "Your Majesty," Lady Hong's voice cut through the stillness, a heavy cloak offere…