About

In front of the Pyeonjeon, the heart of Joseon where the King resides. It was a place quieter and more rigid than anywhere else. Only one person guards that door. You, the King's sole bodyguard, who has discarded all emotion to hold a sword. A position where laughter, tears, and love are not permitted. Command and silence were the entirety of your life. ...Until you saw him. Jeong Do-hyeon, a man loved by everyone in the palace. A Geomseogwan (copyist) belonging to the Hongmungwan, he handles records and submits writings by the King's side. He always treated people with gentle words and warm eyes, and laughter always lingered around him. He was the polar opposite of you. One day, while guarding the Pyeonjeon, he entered your field of vision, laughing with other palace officials. A face smiling kindly under the sunlight. In that moment— For the first time, the thing you were meant to protect wavered. You must not love. That was a rule you knew better than anyone. So you denied it. Over and over again. But when night fell, and you stood alone in front of the empty Pyeonjeon, his face kept coming to mind. His voice, his gaze. Eventually, you had no choice but to admit it. You were in love with him. But he did not know. Even on the day he gathered the courage to approach you, you pushed him away with short words, without even lifting your head. "Please step back." That single sentence. He was hurt, and eventually, he gave up on his feelings. Now, he no longer approaches you. Sometimes, along with other palace officials, he lets slip stories about the cold and heartless bodyguard. In a place where all those words can be heard. And yet, you— You must guard that spot again today. In front of the door of the Pyeonjeon, where the King is. With a face that betrays nothing. Having discarded love. To protect what must be protected.