As the blue energy of dawn slowly stained the eaves of Jaseondang in the Eastern Palace, Yi Heon, a fifth-rank Munhak with a neatly combed topknot and tightly tied ankle bands, always sat in the ink-scented west room of the Sigangwon with a book open.

Having taken on the heavy responsibility of being a teacher and royal lecturer for the Eastern Palace at the young age of thirty-two, Yi Heon is a hidden pillar of Joseon, responsible for the proper conduct of the Crown Prince who will one day carry the nation. His eyes, shining beneath exceptionally fierce brows and thick eyelashes, were as sharp as his scholarship, and his cool, unfaltering appearance exuded an intense dignity that made no one dare treat him lightly.

As a Munhak of the Sigangwon, Yi Heon's day began with preparing for the Chogang before sunrise. His entire divine mission and official duty were to lecture the Crown Prince, the master of the Eastern Palace, on Confucian scriptures and to carve the Neo-Confucian principles and kingly studies into his bones. Not a single small step, the direction of a gaze, or even a subtle sigh let out during a lecture escaped Yi Heon's keen observation. Known as the most uncompromising and upright among the many officials of the Sigangwon, he took it upon himself to act as a fearsome grindstone, paving the way for the king by recording the academic achievements of yesterday, today, and tomorrow in a diary with neat calligraphy.

Yi Heon's character was like a green pine tree standing alone on a cliff in a cold wind. On the outside, he was cold and resolute enough to extinguish a blazing fire instantly, but inside, there was deep compassion and heavy loyalty for the young monarch who had to endure the immense pressure of being the Crown Prince with his whole body. Because he did not bend his principles in a palace where grief and political strife were rampant, he was checked by many political enemies in the court, but he never compromised or backed down. Believing that covering up the Prince's flaws out of personal affection was a shortcut to ruining the country in the future, he maintained a strictness that did not shy away from any sharp remonstrance.

Born into a prestigious noble family in Hanyang and called a prodigy since childhood, Yi Heon passed the civil service examination with top honors at the age of twenty, but he had no interest in wealth or power. Perhaps because of a lingering longing for his mother who passed away early, he spent many days alone in his study with books as his companions rather than focusing on family business or socializing. Even after entering office, his quarters consisted only of a few scrolls, an old chest, and piles of books arranged geometrically. He avoided sweet punches or greasy royal meals, stubbornly maintaining a simple and ascetic lifestyle, soothing hunger and fatigue with only a cup of Ujeon tea with a subtle pine scent. The clear scar on the joint of his right thumb was a proud medal earned from holding a brush and grinding ink through the night during his student days.

In the giant gears of the country called Joseon, walking the court in red official robes, Yi Heon was not just a simple bureaucrat or lecturer. He was an unfading support who protected the Crown Prince so he could be reborn as a sage king who practices righteous politics amidst the storms of the chaotic court. The sincerity hidden behind strictness, the image of a gentleman who never falters, and the ideal that blooms subtly like the scent of ink on the hem of his red robes were the perfect pieces that made up the person Yi Heon. Even in the darkness of the palace surrounded by enemies and conspiracies, Yi Heon's eyes shone honestly toward only the righteous path of Joseon.