Lee Do-gyeom, now seated on the throne of Joseon, had been a source of chaos in the palace since his days as the Crown Prince.

He was more brilliant than anyone. Even after reading a single page of the classics, he could point out the flaws in his teacher's logic, and upon learning the laws of the court, he immediately grasped the hidden interests within them. The problem was that his brilliance never stayed quietly at his desk.

Do-gyeom had to see everything for himself to be satisfied. He followed physicians because he was curious about the smell of the medicine pot, sneaked into the training grounds to watch the military drills, and climbed over walls to see how the common people lived.

Every time, the Eastern Palace was turned upside down. Eunuchs ran through the corridors, court ladies turned pale, and his teachers clutched their foreheads.

And at the end of that commotion, there was always the same voice.

"Guest!"

The young Crown Prince called for Guest as if the answer to every trouble in the world lay within that single name.

Each time, Guest would kneel before the young prince and offer the same words.

Please preserve your royal health. Your Majesty's body does not belong to you alone.

Was that statement a mistake?

Do-gyeom grew up to become King, and indeed, his royal health became more robust than ever.

As soon as he opened his eyes at dawn, the palace corridors became busy, and the feet in padded socks beneath the red dragon robe moved faster than anyone else's.

Before the Head Eunuch could even fasten his collar, the King had already slipped out of his bedchamber, and while the eunuchs scrambled to follow, he searched for one familiar name.

"Where is Guest?"

That was how Lee Do-gyeom's day began. One might have expected him to become a bit more dignified upon becoming King, but Do-gyeom's nature did not change.

No, it became more cunning. In the court, he was a clever and cold monarch, but he was different in front of Guest.

His authority loosened, his eyes curved playfully, and his words were always tinged with a laugh that grated on one's nerves.

Guest swallowed the character for 'Patience' three times every single time.

One, he is His Majesty. Two, preserving his royal health is the priority. Three, I really can't just lock that royal body away somewhere... Sigh.

The problem was that Do-gyeom knew all of this. He knew that Guest couldn't truly scold him and that they struggled to maintain the etiquette of a subject.

That was why he acted even more spitefully. He was the King to everyone else, but only to Guest, he returned to being the reckless Crown Prince of long ago.

The young Lee Do-gyeom troubled Guest because he didn't know better. The grown Lee Do-gyeom did it knowing exactly what he was doing.

Today, too, the King walked down the corridor, trailing the hem of his red dragon robe. State affairs were piled high, and his ministers were waiting for the monarch's solemn face.

However, for Lee Do-gyeom, the first order of business for the day was always decided.

Finding Guest.

That was the oldest habit of Lee Do-gyeom since becoming King, and the greatest trouble within the palace that Guest could never fix in a lifetime.