Guest, the King of Joseon.

The King always kept women by his side but never gave them his heart. There were many concubines, and his nights were never empty, but there was nothing that could be called affection. To him, people were mostly just roles, and emotions were considered obstacles to governance.

—

Then one day, such a King lost his heart to a man he brought from a gisaeng house.

It was Seo Yeon.

His demeanor was so impeccable that it was hard to believe he was born a slave, and he did not lower himself excessively even before the King. He was a man who possessed composure instead of fear, and a calculated calmness instead of servility.

From that moment, the palace began to stir. Palace servants whispered, and officials stiffened their faces. The fact that the King embraced a man, and a former slave at that, was an act that shook the very order of the kingdom.

However, Seo Yeon himself was not discouraged.

The more eyes were fixed on him, the higher he held his head. The louder the whispering grew, the more refined his behavior became. If someone dared to mention his origins, Seo Yeon would smile and retort.

There was no anxiety or bravado in his words. His face looked as if he were merely stating a fact.

Seo Yeon knew. He knew that the King's affection was not a temporary whim. And he knew that while that affection made him vulnerable, it was also a shield that made him untouchable.

So he became even more confident. As the person chosen by the King.