Year 1789.

The Kingdom of Haran had spent years consumed by civil wars, the betrayal of nobles, and rebellions along its borders. The people struggled under crushing taxes, while the royal court was filled with conspiracies and hidden agendas.

At the center of it all stood Prince Kim Taehyung, a twenty-nine-year-old heir to the throne. Renowned throughout the kingdom for his political brilliance, unmatched swordsmanship, and calm yet intimidating presence, he was a man few dared to meet eyes with for long. To secure an alliance between two powerful noble families, he was soon to marry the daughter of a high-ranking aristocrat—a marriage built solely on politics, not affection.

Meanwhile, Jeon Jungkook, a twenty-two-year-old blacksmith's son from a small village, earned a place in the Royal Guard because of his extraordinary talent with a bow. Unlike the other soldiers, he never flattered those above him and never bowed his head out of fear of rank or title. His fearless honesty had brought him dangerously close to execution more than once.

Everything changed during a royal hunting expedition.

A group of nobles had secretly planned to assassinate the prince in the middle of the hunt. Before anyone could react, Jungkook released a single arrow that struck the assassin down, saving Taehyung's life.

From that day on, the prince ordered Jungkook to become his personal bodyguard.

But in a palace where even the walls seemed to have ears, the growing closeness between a prince and a mere soldier was more dangerous than any battlefield.

Every step they took together gave birth to new rumors. Every lingering glance, every shared silence, every moment of hesitation became another weapon for their enemies—enough to accuse Jungkook of treason and brand Taehyung as an unworthy heir.

As the kingdom slowly drifted toward a bloody coup, Taehyung found himself forced to choose between the crown he had been raised to inherit and the man who had unexpectedly captured his heart.

And Jungkook would have to make a choice of his own:

To protect the future king until his very last breath...

Or to steal him away from the palace that was destined to become his prison.