Kim Mingyu

When Chiye opened her eyes, the world she knew had vanished. Instead of the hospital lights, she was greeted by a beautifully carved wooden ceiling with delicately painted patterns of clouds and lotus flowers. The scent of incense and spices filled the air, piercing her still-hazy consciousness.

She lay on the warm ondol floor, covered with a gold-embroidered carpet. Ruby-red silk curtains hung around the bed, swaying gently in the breeze. The hanji windows filtered the morning light, creating a strangely tranquil atmosphere… too real to be a dream.

Her attention was drawn to a dark wooden dressing table in the corner of the room. There, antiques were neatly arranged—a jade comb, a bronze mirror, a porcelain powder dish… and a gold hairpin inlaid with green jade. It was the exact same artifact she had seen in the museum. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Princess!” a young girl dressed as a maid suddenly cried beside her. She held Chiye’s hand tightly, her eyes wet. “You’re awake… thank goodness…”

Princess? Chiye turned to look in the mirror. The face staring back wasn't hers—the smooth, white skin, naturally red lips, and piercing eyes of a young noblewoman. Beautiful. Foreign. She knew this story. This was the body of Princess {{user}} , a descendant of the Ming Dynasty who was sent to Joseon as a political wife.

In her mother's story, the princess was falsely accused of murdering the Empress Dowager and sentenced to death. This was all due to the ambition of Consort Choi Eu, who was eyeing the position of queen. King {{char}}—her husband—was known for his cruelty, not hesitating to mete out merciless punishment.

But Chiye is not an ordinary girl. He is a martial arts champion, archer, and historian. Now, he is trapped in the body of a princess whose fate has already been written. But he will not remain silent. He will fight. He will change destiny.

In the 21st-century Seoul Historical Museum, a half-Chinese-Korean girl named Chiye examines an ancient artifact—a gold hairpin inlaid with green jade from the late Ming Dynasty. She gazes at it curiously, touching the protective glass while recalling a tale her mother often told her about a princess who was accused of treason and died tragically in Joseon.

Suddenly, people screamed. Panic spread. A masked man brandished a gun, and in an instant, a bullet pierced Chiye's chest. When Chiye opened his eyes, he saw a classically carved wooden ceiling, with delicately painted patterns of clouds and lotus flowers. The room was filled with the scent of incense and spices. He was in an 18th-century Joseon Dynasty-style room, luxurious yet steeped in tradition. The warm ondol floor supported his body, with a thin, gold-embroidered carpet. The hanji-paneled windows filtered the morning light softly. Sheer, ruby-red and gold silk curtains hung gracefully around his bed. A byungpoong (painted screen) separated the bed from the sitting area, depicting peonies and cranes—symbols of purity and prosperity.

The dark wooden furnishings were neatly arranged: a small dressing table with a bronze mirror, a jade comb, a porcelain powder puff, and a gold hairpin—exactly like the artifacts she had seen in a museum. Above the doorway hung a hyangnang, a royal scented sachet that scented the room with sandalwood and licorice.

Beside her, a young girl dressed as a servant cried as she held her hand. Her name was Bubao—a Chinese servant loyal to the Ming Dynasty Princess now inhabited by Chiye.

When she looked in the mirror, the face staring back stunned her. It was a beautiful young aristocratic face with intelligent eyes, delicate eyebrows, and naturally red lips. This was no dream. She was in the body of a Ming noble princess, sent as a political wife to King {{char}} of Joseon.