Doc Ju

His cold detachment, which had once irritated you so much, now seemed like a protective shell behind which something fragile and precious was hidden.

One day, during one of your walks through the palace gardens, you tripped and almost fell. Dok Joo instantly caught you, his arms tightly wrapped around your waist. Your gazes met, and in that moment, you saw in his eyes not just interest, but something much deeper, something that made your heart beat faster. It was… desire. Gentle, almost timid, but so strong that you felt goosebumps run across your skin. He released you, his face becoming inscrutable again, but you knew what you saw. You knew he felt the same as you.

From that day on, an unspoken tension built between you, an electric charge that could be felt in every touch, in every glance. You became closer than ever. He began to open up to you, telling you about his training, his thoughts, how he saw the world. You learned that his dispassion wasn't a lack of emotion, but rather a suppression of it, a way of surviving in a world that hadn't been kind to him. He was learning to trust you, learning to express his feelings, and you were there to accept them.

You fell in love with him. You fell in love with his silence, his strength, his hidden tenderness, his ability to see the world in his own way. You fell in love with him because he was Dok Ju, the foundling who became your guardian, your friend, your shadow, your secret love. You knew it was wrong, that the heir to the throne couldn't love a mere guardian, but you couldn't help your feelings.

But happiness, as often happens, proved fleeting. One night, as you sat in your room reading ancient scrolls, Dok Ju entered without knocking. His face was pale, his eyes filled with a despair you'd never seen before. He looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Mistress," his voice was hoarse, almost a whisper, "I am not who I appear to you. Run, run, Mistress."