(Jeon Jungkook’s POV)

The palace never truly slept.

Even in the quiet hours of dawn, whispers crawled beneath the paper doors—servants murmuring, guards shuffling their feet, courtiers rehearsing lies before sunrise.

From his throne room, Crown Prince Jeon Jungkook sat in perfect stillness. His fingers tapped against the armrest carved with dragons, his dark eyes tracing the faint light that seeped through the windows.

He hated mornings like this—the calm before the storm. It always meant something unpleasant awaited.

“Your Highness,” his chief attendant bowed low, voice careful. “The new personal guard has arrived, as requested by the Royal Council.”

Jungkook’s jaw tightened.

Another one.

The last guard had betrayed him—sold palace secrets for gold, and paid for it with his head. Trust was a luxury Jungkook no longer afforded.“Send him in,” he ordered.

The doors slid open with a sigh.

A man stepped inside. He was tall, dressed in black uniformed armor, yet carried himself with quiet grace. His gaze was lowered, but even from where Jungkook sat, the aura around him felt… different.

Kim Taehyung.

“Bow,” the attendant instructed.

Taehyung knelt wordlessly. His hair, dark as ink, brushed his cheek; his sword rested at his side, sheathed yet heavy with presence.

Jungkook studied him with the same scrutiny he used for weapons.

Too calm. Too still. Like a blade hidden beneath silk.

“You served at the northern border,” Jungkook said finally. “Why did you return?”

Taehyung lifted his gaze—slow, deliberate. Their eyes met.

For a heartbeat, Jungkook forgot how to breathe.There was nothing submissive in that stare. It wasn’t rebellion either—something in between, something unreadable.

“I was ordered to protect Your Highness,” Taehyung said, voice low and steady. “Until death.”

Jungkook tilted his head. “So easily sworn?”

“I don’t speak what I can’t keep.”

A dangerous answer. Jungkook felt a flicker of something sharp in his chest—not anger, but curiosity.

“Stand,” Jungkook commanded.

Taehyung rose silently. The morning light fell across his face, outlining the faint scar near his jaw. There was beauty there—cold, precise, almost cruel.

The prince stood and descended the dais, each step echoing between them. “If you are to guard me, you must obey without question.”“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Then why do your eyes disobey?”

Taehyung’s lips curved, just barely—a ghost of a smile. “Perhaps they were not trained well enough.”

The air thickened. Jungkook’s pulse betrayed him, beating faster than it should.

“You are insolent,” he murmured.

“Forgive me.” But Taehyung didn’t look away.

Jungkook turned sharply, cloak brushing past him. “You’ll begin today. I don’t tolerate hesitation, or weakness.”

“I understand.”

“And if you ever lie to me—” Jungkook paused, glancing over his shoulder, “—you won’t live long enough to regret it.”Taehyung’s reply came quiet, almost soft. “Then I suppose I should stay honest.”

Something unspoken passed between them—like the edge of a blade grazing skin, not deep enough to wound, but enough to draw blood if either of them moved closer.Later that evening, Jungkook walked through the lantern-lit corridors leading to his private quarters. The night air was cool; the scent of pine drifted from the gardens.

Behind him, footsteps followed—measured, steady.

He didn’t need to look back to know.

“You follow closely,” Jungkook said, eyes forward.

“That is my duty.”

“And if I told you to leave me?”

“Then I would disobey,” Taehyung replied simply.

Jungkook halted. He turned to face him, the soft orange glow catching the guard’s profile.

“Careful, Taehyung. Defiance has its price.”Taehyung met his gaze again—unflinching. “So does loneliness, Your Highness.”

The words hit deeper than Jungkook expected. For a moment, the walls of the palace seemed too quiet, the air too heavy.

He stepped closer, close enough to see the reflection of candlelight in Taehyung’s eyes.

“Do you always speak so boldly to your prince?”

“Only when I think he’s forgotten how to be human.”

Silence. The kind that hummed between them, neither tender nor hostile—just charged.

Jungkook’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You think you know me?”

“No,” Taehyung answered. “But I will.”That night, long after the corridors emptied and the candles died, Jungkook lay awake.

He told himself he was thinking about politics—the council, the rebels, the looming war. But the truth was simpler and more dangerous.

He was thinking about his new bodyguard.

About the way Taehyung moved—silent, certain.

About that one defiant glimmer in his eyes.

Jungkook pressed his palm over his heart, annoyed at its uneven rhythm.

He didn’t like this.

He didn’t like him.

And yet, as the moonlight poured through the window, Jungkook found himself whispering the name he wasn’t supposed to remember.

“Taehyung.”

Outside, somewhere beyond the walls, a lone lotus bloomed in the dark pond—its petals the color of blood.

👑 Jeon Jungkook (전정국)

Role: Crown Prince of Joseon (Main Character)

Age: 22

Position: Heir to the throne; trained in royal diplomacy, military strategy, and swordsmanship.

Personality:

Cold, proud, and disciplined — Jungkook was raised to rule, not to feel. He is sharp-tongued and brilliant, with a mind that sees through deceit instantly. But beneath the armor of perfection lies loneliness and suppressed emotion. He hides pain behind arrogance, and fear behind control.

Appearance:

Tall and commanding with sharp features and dark expressive eyes that reveal both strength and exhaustion. Long dark hair often tied neatly in royal style, dressed in deep crimson robes symbolizing authority and bloodline.

Strengths:

Exceptional tactician and swordsman

Fearless under pressure

Ruthless when betrayed

Weaknesses:

Trust issues due to palace betrayals

Emotionally repressed; struggles to express vulnerability

His growing attraction to Taehyung threatens his self-control

Notable Quote:

> “The throne demands loyalty, not love… and yet, you make me forget which I want more.”

🗡️ Kim Taehyung (김태형)

Role: Royal Bodyguard to the Crown Prince (Deuteragonist)

Age: 23

Position: Elite palace warrior, appointed as the Prince’s personal protector

Personality:

Calm, loyal, and mysterious. Taehyung rarely speaks more than needed, but when he does, his words cut deep. He carries the aura of someone who’s lived through too much — disciplined, deadly, but strangely gentle in moments of quiet. Behind his calm is a heart burdened by guilt, secrets, and forbidden longing.

Appearance:

Graceful yet strong — pale skin, soft brown eyes with a hint of melancholy, long lashes, and hair that falls messily when not tied. His beauty often contrasts the armor he wears, making him seem like a living contradiction: danger wrapped in serenity.

Strengths:

Exceptional swordsmanship and stealth

Deep sense of duty and silent emotional endurance

Intuitive — can sense danger and deceit before others do

Weaknesses:

Haunted by his past as a soldier in a rebellion

Tendency to sacrifice himself for others

His heart — especially when it comes to Jungkook

Notable Quote:

> “You may command the kingdom, Your Highness. But you’ll never command my heart.”

🐉 Lord Min Yoongi – Jungkook’s royal advisor; cunning and loyal, but hides his own agenda.

🕊️ Lady Jisoo – Noblewoman betrothed to Jungkook for political alliance; secretly spies for the rebels.

⚔️ Captain Park Jimin – Taehyung’s former comrade; knows Taehyung’s true past.

🔥 General Namjoon – Leader of the royal army; loyal to the throne but questions Jungkook’s growing emotions for his guard.

BTW.....

All this pictures are not mine so, credit to the owner

So....hi readers...this my second book eventhough the first one not complete yet, but I will finish it......soon

Before that, I will not be able to write everyday, as I'm still studying also my exams is near....

Maybe I will write 2 to 3 chapters a day...or if I'm free, I will write 4 to 6 chapters a day....

This story is kinda dramatic and there's also angst, but not much....maybe

I love dramas btw, i mean...k-drama

Also.....people's drama

Hahahah...

Well....enjoy reading...

(Jeon Jungkook’s POV)

The palace had never been this silent.

Even the whisper of the wind through the paper doors felt like it feared to be heard.

Jeon Jungkook sat behind his desk, his quill hovering over a half-written decree. He wasn’t reading, not really. His eyes wandered to the far end of the chamber—to the dark figure standing just beyond the lantern’s reach.

Kim Taehyung.

The new bodyguard. The man who had already disrupted the rhythm of the palace without saying a single word.

Jungkook tried not to glance at him, but his gaze betrayed him. Taehyung stood still, hands clasped behind his back, head slightly bowed. His black uniform traced clean, graceful lines down his body. The faint gleam of his sword’s hilt shimmered in the dim light.He was quiet. Too quiet.

Jungkook set the quill down and leaned back in his chair.

“You’ve been standing there for an hour. Don’t you tire of shadows?”

Taehyung’s gaze lifted, calm and unflinching. “Your safety is within them, Your Highness.”

The answer was simple, respectful—but something in it stirred irritation and curiosity at once. Jungkook wasn’t used to such composure, not from someone ranked below him.

Most guards bowed, fumbled, obeyed.

Taehyung watched. Measured.

“Then tell me,” Jungkook said, resting his chin on his palm, “if danger walked through that door right now, what would you do first?”

Taehyung’s eyes flickered to the door, then back to Jungkook. “I would move before you could finish that question.”

The words struck through the quiet like the edge of a blade.

And for a fleeting moment, Jungkook felt something dangerous—a rush of admiration.He looked away quickly, feigning disinterest. “Confident, aren’t you?”

“Prepared,” Taehyung corrected softly.

Later that night, the crown prince walked the palace halls, escorted by his guards. Rain had begun to fall, soft and steady, turning the courtyard into a mirror of ripples and moonlight.

Taehyung followed behind, his footsteps nearly soundless.

They were halfway to the eastern library when a faint whistle split the air—sharp, deadly.

Jungkook froze. Taehyung didn’t.

In an instant, steel flashed. A knife clattered to the ground mere inches from Jungkook’s feet. The guard who had been closest was too slow—but Taehyung had already moved, standing between the prince and the direction of the attack, his blade drawn, his stance steady.“Your Highness, down.”

The command came low and firm. Jungkook obeyed before he could think. The world narrowed to the rain, the sound of Taehyung’s sword meeting another’s, the brief hiss of steel and breath.

Within seconds, the courtyard was still again.

The would-be assassin lay face-down on the wet tiles.

Jungkook’s pulse thundered in his ears. “You—”

“I’m not hurt,” Taehyung said quickly, as though reading his thoughts. His voice was calm, but a thin line of red marked his arm, just below the sleeve.

Jungkook stepped forward before reason could stop him. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s nothing.”

But Jungkook was already pulling a strip of cloth from his robe, reaching for the wound. The distance between them vanished; the rain seemed to slow. When his fingers brushed Taehyung’s skin, warm and solid under his touch, Jungkook’s breath caught.Their eyes met.

The prince saw no fear there—only stillness, deep and unreadable, like the sea before a storm.

“You risked your life,” Jungkook murmured, voice low.

“It’s my duty.”

“You didn’t hesitate.”

“Neither did you, Your Highness.”

The faintest trace of a smile curved Taehyung’s lips, gone before Jungkook could decide if he’d imagined it.

Hours later, Jungkook lay awake in his chamber.

Outside, the rain had stopped, but he could still hear its echo in his head—along with the sound of Taehyung’s blade slicing through air, the sharp inhale when their hands touched.

He turned on his side, staring at the faint outline of the guard stationed beyond the screen. Taehyung hadn’t left his post, even after the attack.“Still awake?” Jungkook asked quietly.

A pause. Then a calm, “Yes, Your Highness.”

“You should rest.”

“I’ll rest when you do.”

Something inside Jungkook tightened. He turned away, pulling the blanket up to his shoulder. “You’re insufferable.”

A soft breath—almost a laugh—answered him. “I’ve been called worse.”

Jungkook didn’t reply. But as sleep finally began to pull him under, he thought he saw, just before the lantern went out, the faintest glimmer of light in Taehyung’s eyes—gentle, protective… and something he couldn’t name.