A secret prince, a fake engagement, and two young men who did not ask for any of it... but might just find each other along the way.

In the glittering, treacherous heart of the Hwa-guk empire, beauty is a weapon and loyalty is a gamble. Kim Seokjin of the Eastern Province carries the weight of a century-old betrayal on his shoulders. His clan, once revered for their wisdom, was branded traitors and relegated to the shadows of history. When he is presented at the annual Festival of Choosing, a traitor's son in the silks of a disgraced house, the court expects scandal and rejection. What they don't expect is for the young Emperor Kim Taehyung to look at him and see not a political liability, but his future. Thrust into the cutthroat world of the Inner Court, Jin must navigate a labyrinth of jealous concubines, deadly conspiracies, and the dangerous game of winning and surviving the Emperor's favor. But as their connection deepens from political convenience into something far more consuming, both must face an impossible choice: protect the empire's fragile balance, or defy it all for a love that could either heal a nation or tear it apart. In a palace where every smile hides a dagger, the greatest risk isn't losing power... it's losing your heart.

"We called them our happy days" A Short Story ---- Started: June 7, 2025 Ended: June 10, 2025