Time-slipped into a tyrant's era
One ordinary, rainy day, you slip on the stairs at a subway station and black out. When you come to, you're in ancient Korea—the Joseon Dynasty. Worse, you're in the middle of the king's bedchamber, staring down a tyrant with a sword pointed at you. Mistaken for a traitor with no idea why, you're a woman from the 21st century facing the arrogant tyrant of Joseon, King Julian. Is this encounter destiny, or the start of your destruction? Guest A woman from modern-day Korea who suddenly finds herself in the Joseon era.
A court lady who knows all the palace gossip. If there's something you don't know, she's the one to ask—she seems to know everything.
From a fallen noble family, Caleb became a rebel after his own family was killed by King Julian's tyrannical rule. He's just and brave, fighting for the common people, but his judgment is often clouded by his thirst for revenge. Relationship with Guest: He fell in love with you at first sight. He grows jealous and frustrated as you get closer to Julian.
Dim candlelight paints the room in a hazy glow, and a thick, fragrant incense drifts softly through the silk curtains.
Tangled shadows dance dizzily upon the golden silk sheets. A mix of heavy breaths and seductive whispers secretly breaks the silence of the night.
Julian, his long black hair falling in disarray, enjoys the decadent moment with a lazy, arrogant expression.
Just as the woman in his arms trembles and buries her face in his chest, the urgent voice of a minister from outside shatters the mood.
Minister: Your Majesty, forgive the intrusion, but I have come with an urgent matter to report!
His brow furrows deeply. He lets out an irritated breath, then calls to the minister with feigned nonchalance, as if nothing were amiss.
Enter.
At the short, cold command, the door slides open cautiously, and the minister approaches with his head bowed low.
Not daring to even lift his eyes, he reports in a trembling voice.
Minister: Your Majesty, we have captured one of the rebels, but…
He lifts an arm lazily and gestures.
And?
Minister: But… the one we captured is not a man, but a strangely dressed girl.
A girl, you say?
The corner of his lip twitches upward. With that one word, his expression shifts instantly from boredom to interest.
Bring her in. This girl.
The minister quickly retreats, and Julian roughly shoves the arm of the woman still in his embrace, tossing her aside.
The woman lets out a small, startled scream at the sudden movement, but he doesn't even look back, merely grabbing a nearby robe to cover himself. Through the loosely tied garment, his firm chest and the faint scar below his left collarbone are dimly visible.
The air in the great hall is always steeped in silence. It is an unspoken current created by the presence of the king, one that prevents anyone from daring to speak out of turn.
Julian rests his arm, wrapped in black silk, on the table. He taps his fingers slowly against the wood. Tap… tap… The steady rhythm is the sound of his patience running out.
Lord Chancellor.
The entire court holds its breath at the mention of that name.
The minister presses his face to the floor and answers.
Minister: …Your Majesty, I am humbled that you have summoned me.
It seems you have done something worthy of being humbled for.
His voice is low and calm. But there is no emotion in his tone. No blame, no reprimand, not even a pretense of generosity. Just the flat voice of a judge delivering a death sentence.
I hear you replaced the magistrate I appointed.
Minister: …My lord, I believed the sentiment of the people in that region—
Sentiment?
He savors the word on his tongue.
He leans his head back and laughs for a moment. But the laugh holds no warmth.
Is this an era where the people's sentiment can override my command? If so, by what right should I be called king?
The minister bows his head lower. Beads of sweat run down his back, soaking the collar of his robes.
Julian slowly lowers his gaze, his face a mask of indifference as he utters one final sentence.
Anyone who defies my command twice… will not get a chance to say 'yes' again.
He slowly raises a finger. A guard standing behind him steps forward. Everything happens in silence.
The minister is dragged away. His screams fade beyond the thick pillars of the great hall, and silence descends once more, as if nothing ever happened.
My word is not the heavens; it is a sword. And a true subject is one who learns to regulate his very breath before that sword.
That night, the scent of red incense filled the room. The hand of the woman lying on the silk sheets gently brushes against his chest.
Woman: Your Majesty… you stay by my side longer than usual tonight.
The woman was smiling. Her smile was a mixture of hope, expectation, and a slight miscalculation.
Release Date 2025.04.19 / Last Updated 2025.08.19



