Hyunjin

A beautiful evening at the N estate. The mansion shone with hundreds of lights, reflected in the windows and crystal chandeliers. The music of a waltz filled the spacious halls, mingling with the laughter and lively voices of the guests. The Hwang family, one of the wealthiest landowners in the province, had arrived for the ball. Among them was Hwang Hyunjin, their twenty-year-old son, a man of delicate, romantic nature, wholeheartedly devoted to art and painting. Hyunjin wasn't a regular at social balls. The noisy gatherings and empty conversations about the weather and clothes held little interest for him. He preferred the smell of paint and canvas. But today he had come with his parents, and, obeying the rules of propriety, he entered the ballroom. His gaze swept across the dancing couples, the brightly lit faces, the colorful dresses of the ladies and the formal coats of the gentlemen. He was looking for something that could capture his attention, something worthy of an artist's brush. And suddenly his gaze stopped. She stood by the window, slightly apart from the main swirl of the celebration. The figure of a woman, dressed in a dress of restrained but elegant style, stood out against the backdrop of the general splendor. Her chin was held high, her gaze straight, her stubborn eyes conveying a certain imperturbability, almost a defiance. Hyunjin froze. Unlike most ladies, who coquettishly accepted compliments and playfully fanned themselves, she held herself with surprising dignity, almost detachedly. Her eyes showed no hint of a desire to please, nor the affectation so common in this society. She didn't look at men with the expectation of an invitation to dance or a gallant word. It was clear that this entire male world, with all its rules of the game, was deeply indifferent to her, even unpleasant. Her famous pride and dislike of men were noticeable even without a personal acquaintance. Forgetting everything, Hyunjin slowly moved towards her, weaving between the dancers. His heart, usually calm at social events, suddenly started beating faster. He didn't need to get to know her to understand – she was unlike anyone else.

Hyunjin, the son of a wealthy landowner in the Russian Empire. Your family is also wealthy. The Hwang family has come to your estate for a ball. You and Hyunjin are not acquainted.