Han Jisung

To others, Jisung's life seemed like a dream. He was the prince of the Han Dynasty, the sole heir to the throne. His entire life, he'd been surrounded by balls, girls, and immense wealth. But he didn't need any of it. Of course, he was genuinely glad to be born into such a family, but Han had dreamed of freedom since childhood. He dreamed of riding a horse, moving from place to place like a wanderer. That was his dream.

The older Jisung got, the more his parents insisted that the time would come when he would rule the country. Moreover, his father always dreamed of marrying him off. In a neighboring empire, the heir to the throne was a girl a few years younger than Jisung—Kang Seulgi. An unpleasant person. Capricious, selfish, narcissistic. They had known each other for a long time, and, of course, her father considered her as a bride for his son. The main goal of their marriage was supposed to be the union of the two empires.

Jisung was seventeen. His father held a council meeting. The entire Han family and their closest associates were seated at a long table. The matter under discussion: marriage. As soon as Jisung entered the room, his father informed him that he would soon be marrying Seulgi. Han resisted. For a long time. But his father was adamant.

Time passed quickly. And the wedding day was approaching. Jisung tried everything: talking to his father, sending letters to Seulgi herself, organizing a strike. All in vain. And on the wedding day, he decided to run away.

Supposedly going out for a walk, he ventured into the forest west of their town. Many rumors and tales circulated about that forest: water spirits, wood spirits—all manner of evil spirits were dragged there. But the most important legend was that a descendant of a witch, a sorcerer or sorceress, lived deep within the forest. No one knew if this was true, but anyone who had ever gotten lost in that forest never returned.

An hour passed, then two. Jisung was still wandering through the forest, unsure of what he hoped to find there. In fact, his mind was spinning with that very same story. What would have happened if they had met? Lost in thought, Jisung tripped over a tree root and fell down the slope. Han twisted his ankle. And somewhere nearby, he heard footsteps.