Minsoo stayed perfectly still beneath him, too stunned to move and too overwhelmed to understand what was truly happening.
His lips were warm… softer than she had ever imagined.
For a brief, suspended moment, the noisy world inside the palace disappeared, leaving only the quiet sound of his breathing and the frantic rhythm of her own heart.
She did not push him away.
Not because she wanted this…
but because something inside her refused to let the moment break.
So she remained there, allowing the kiss to linger until his strength slowly faded and sleep claimed him completely.
His body relaxed against hers, heavy and trusting, like a child who had finally found peace after a long battle.
The faint scent of wine and sandalwood clung to his robes, surrounding her in unfamiliar warmth.
Her heart would not calm.
It raced wildly, beating so loudly she feared the guards might hear it echo through the silent corridor.
This feeling…
was not fear.
And that truth frightened her more than anything else.
Because deep inside, where she dared not look—
it felt like the beginning of love.
⸻
The palace guards soon arrived and carefully lifted the unconscious king from her arms.
They bowed politely, pretending not to notice the strange closeness they had just witnessed, and carried him back to his royal chamber.
Minsoo remained standing alone in the hallway.
Her fingers slowly rose to her lips, trembling slightly, as if she needed proof that the moment had truly happened… and was not just a dream created by moonlight and loneliness.
But the warmth was still there.
And so was the confusion.
⸻
There was only one man in the entire palace bold enough to tease the king and live to tell the story—
Insu.
He had stood beside the king since childhood, serving him with a loyalty deeper than blood and a care gentler than most fathers.
Because of that bond, he saw things others did not dare to see.
And unfortunately for the king…
Insu had seen everything.
⸻
The next morning, sunlight slipped quietly through the royal curtains as Insu entered the chamber with a suspicious smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Your Majesty slept well?" he asked in a tone far too innocent to be trusted.
The king stretched lazily across the bed, wincing slightly from the dull ache of wine.
"Why do you ask?"
Insu walked slowly around the room, hands folded behind his back.
"Oh… no reason," he said lightly.
"I was only wondering if anything… memorable happened last night."
The king frowned in confusion.
"Memorable?"
Insu hummed thoughtfully.
"A certain… chef, perhaps?"
The king searched his memory but found only darkness and fragments of laughter drowned in wine.
"I drank too much," he muttered.
"I remember nothing."
Insu almost burst into laughter.
So the king truly did not know he had kissed her.
Fate, it seemed, was preparing a very interesting storm.
⸻
At that exact moment, Minsoo entered the chamber carrying the king's morning meal.
Her steps were careful, slower than usual.
Her eyes lifted cautiously toward his face, searching… waiting… hoping.
Will he speak?
Will he remember?
But the king simply reached for the food with calm indifference, as though the night before had never existed.
Something inside her chest tightened painfully.
She set the tray down a little too hard.
Still nothing.
Silence stretched between them until it became unbearable.
Her patience shattered.
"How could you not remember what happened last night?" she burst out, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound strong.
The king froze.
"What happened?" he asked honestly.
"You kissed me!" she shouted.
The single word filled the chamber like thunder.
"Kiss?" he repeated in disbelief.
Minsoo's eyes flashed with wounded pride.
"Even if you are the king, you have no right to touch me whenever you want," she said, her voice shaking now with emotion she could not hide.
"And listen carefully… you are not my kind of man. I would never fall for someone like you."
For one fragile heartbeat, silence ruled the room.
Then—
the king laughed.
Not cruelly.
Not kindly.
Just carelessly.
"Do you know why I made you the head palace chef?" he said.
"You don't feel like a woman to me. You're more like… a fellow man."
Her world stopped.
"What… did you just say?"
Pain flashed across her face before anger quickly covered it.
Without another word, she turned and stormed out, her footsteps sharp against the stone floor.
The door slammed shut behind her like a breaking heart.
⸻
The king's laughter faded sooner than he expected.
An unfamiliar emptiness followed.
Insu crossed his arms.
"You should apologize."
"For what?" the king muttered.
"For hurting someone who did nothing but care whether you remembered her," Insu replied quietly.
The king looked troubled.
"I should give her a gift," he admitted after a long pause.
"But what could she possibly want?"
Insu smiled knowingly.
"The bag you shot off the cliff."
Realization struck instantly.
"Send the guards," the king ordered.
"Search the mountain. Find it—no matter what."
⸻
By sunset, the guards returned carrying the worn but precious bag.
It had been caught on a lonely branch below the cliff, as if fate itself had protected it.
The king held it gently, his fingers brushing the rough fabric with unexpected care.
"Bring Minsoo to the palace garden," he said softly.
⸻
When Minsoo arrived, she intended to remain cold and distant.
But the moment she stepped inside—
she froze.
Lantern light shimmered across blooming flowers of every color.
Soft wind carried the sweet scent of petals through the quiet evening.
The garden looked almost unreal… like a dream waiting to be believed.
Her anger weakened with every step.
Then she saw them.
Bright red.
Familiar.
"Chili peppers…" she whispered, her eyes shining with childlike joy.
She ran forward instinctively, but the king quickly caught her wrist.
"Don't touch it. Villagers say it's dangerous."
She stared at him—then laughed, clear and warm.
"Your Majesty… this is chili pepper."
She plucked one, bit into it, and turned back smiling despite the burning heat.
"See? Chili pepper."
The king watched her quietly, something soft moving inside his chest.
"Are you truly this happy over a plant?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered gently.
"Because it reminds me… that somewhere beyond this palace, life is simple and real."
Her words lingered in the air between them.
Then he spoke again, more quietly than before.
"What if I give you something you've been searching for?"
Her breath stopped.
He revealed the bag.
Joy exploded across her face.
She ran forward and jumped onto him without thinking, and they both fell to the ground.
For a moment, time held them there.
Close.
Breathing the same air.
Sharing the same silence.
The king's heart fluttered strangely as he looked at her—really looked this time.
Minsoo suddenly realized their closeness and scrambled away, cheeks burning.
"I'm sorry!"
He sat up slowly.
"This… is my apology," he said.
"For hurting you earlier."
She blinked in surprise.
"You're apologizing?"
"Yes."
Warmth replaced the pain in her chest.
She hugged him gently.
"Thank you… Your Majesty."
Without even checking the bag, she ran happily back to her room.
⸻
But happiness can be cruel.
Inside the bag—
there was no book.
Her smile vanished.
Her hands trembled.
"That book… it was my way home…"
Tears filled her eyes as hope quietly shattered.
She rushed back to the king in panic.
"My belongings are missing!"
The guards swore nothing had been taken.
Yet the truth remained.
The book had disappeared.
The king watched her trembling and felt a strange ache he could not explain.
"I will find it," he promised softly.
"No matter what it takes."
She nodded weakly and left.
⸻
The next day arrived heavy with tension.
The king would meet his uncle—
a man feared behind polite smiles and whispered rumors of cruelty.
Minsoo prepared the royal meal carefully.
Then suddenly, a message from Miya arrived.
No one should cook.
She would prepare the king's meal herself.
Minsoo's heart sank… yet she continued cooking quietly.
"The king did not tell me this," she murmured.
Just as the dish was ready—
Miya appeared.
Without warning, she struck the plate from Minsoo's hands.
Food crashed onto the floor.
Miya laughed… cold and satisfied… before walking away.
Minsoo stood frozen among the ruins of her effort, her fists slowly tightening.
And for the first time—
something fierce awakened in her eyes.
⸻