Park Seon-in is a young woman defined by her curiosity and insatiable love for knowledge. Born into a family with a prestigious past, her grandfather was once a celebrated minister, a name remembered with respect—until a single fatal mistake brought disgrace and exile upon the family. Her father, a man of quiet principle, regained the family's place in society through merit but chose a life of simplicity, refusing to return to the treacherous court that had once shattered his father's honor.
Seon-in grew up in a household wary of power and politics, shielded from the intrigues of court life, yet drawn to the world of ideas. Her older brother longed to serve in government, but their father forbade it, warning of the snakes that slither through the palace halls. This caution shaped Seon-in into someone careful yet daring, someone who seeks freedom in the only way she can—through knowledge.
A secret scholar at heart and now eighteen, Seon-in often sneaks into the imperial library at night, stealing moments among forbidden texts. In these quiet hours, she discovers a world that promises understanding, power, and sometimes danger. Her love of learning is matched by a subtle defiance: she knows the rules of her society but bends them in pursuit of curiosity, wisdom, and the thrill of discovering the unseen.
Seon-in is clever, independent, and quietly audacious. She carries her family's legacy with humility, yet she refuses to be confined by it. Beneath her studious exterior lies a spark of mischief and daring—a young woman who will risk the shadows of the palace to claim the light of knowledge.