Lantern light.
Incense.
Cold air against silk.
My eyes opened.
Eastern Palace.
Ancient world active.
For a second, everything felt disoriented.
Then—
Voices outside my chamber.
"…Her Highness must greet Lady Hae before noon…"
"…His Royal Highness visited her residence at dawn…"
Lady Hae.
There it is.
White moonlight, ancient edition.
I sat up slowly.
The golden interface shimmered faintly.
ANCIENT WORLD STATUS: ACTIVE
MISSION PROGRESS: 4%
THREAT ALERT: Internal Palace Rival
So she's already moving.
Good.
I stood, allowing the maids to dress me in deep sapphire robes today instead of bridal red. If I'm going to war, I'm not wearing wedding colors.
"Tell me about Lady Hae," I said casually.
The maids hesitated.
"She… grew up with His Royal Highness," one whispered.
"The Empress Dowager favors her."
"She was meant to be… chosen."
Chosen.
Before I appeared.
Interesting.
"And now?" I asked calmly.
"She remains in the Inner Court."
Of course she does.
Waiting.
Watching.
I walked toward the main courtyard.
Palace servants bowed deeply as I passed.
I could feel eyes on me.
Judging.
Measuring.
The Crown Princess who appeared out of nowhere.
The political bride.
Temporary.
Disposable.
Not if I can help it.
—
The Inner Court garden was quiet.
Cherry blossoms drifted in soft pink waves.
And beneath one of the trees—
She stood.
Lady Hae.
Elegant.
Delicate.
White silk hanbok.
Long black hair cascading like ink.
She turned slowly when she sensed my presence.
Her smile was gentle.
Too gentle.
"Your Highness," she said softly, bowing just enough to be polite.
But not enough to submit.
I stopped a few steps away.
"Lady Hae," I greeted calmly.
Her eyes flickered subtly.
She was studying me.
Assessing whether I was threat or decoration.
"I hope Your Highness slept well," she said sweetly.
"I did," I replied. "Though I imagine others did not."
A faint pause.
She recovered instantly.
"His Royal Highness carries many burdens," she said softly. "He finds comfort where he can."
Ah.
Territory claim.
I smiled faintly.
"As his wife, I will make sure he no longer needs to look elsewhere."
Her smile tightened.
Just slightly.
"He has known me since childhood," she replied. "Some bonds cannot be replaced overnight."
There it is.
History card.
Classic move.
I stepped closer.
Not aggressive.
Measured.
"And some titles," I said gently, "cannot be challenged at all."
Silence.
Cherry blossoms drifted between us.
Her expression remained composed, but her fingers tightened within her sleeves.
"Of course," she said smoothly. "I would never disrespect Your Highness."
Good.
Because you can't afford to.
Footsteps approached behind me.
Heavy.
Measured.
I didn't turn.
I already knew.
Ji-hoon.
Or rather—
The Crown Prince.
He stopped beside us.
His presence changed the air.
"Why are you both here?" he asked calmly.
Neutral tone.
But his eyes flickered between us carefully.
Lady Hae bowed gracefully.
"I was only welcoming Her Highness."
Welcoming?
Interesting word.
I didn't contradict her.
Instead, I glanced at him.
"Lady Hae was just reminding me how much she knows you," I said evenly.
A dangerous sentence.
He understood immediately.
His gaze shifted to her.
Sharp.
Cold.
"Is that so?" he asked quietly.
For the first time—
Lady Hae hesitated.
"Your Highness," she said softly, "I only meant—"
"You forget your position," he interrupted calmly.
Not loud.
Not angry.
Worse.
Controlled.
She lowered her gaze instantly.
"I apologize."
Good.
Very good.
He turned slightly toward me.
"And you?" he asked.
"What about me?" I replied calmly.
"Do you intend to wage war on your first week?"
I held his gaze.
"If I don't establish ground now, I'll be trampled later."
Silence.
His eyes studied mine carefully.
Then—
The faintest nod.
Approval.
The interface flickered faintly.
ANCIENT WORLD MISSION UPDATE:
Authority Secured +2%
Internal Threat Stability +1%
GLOBAL PROGRESS: 7%
Interesting.
Public unity increases progress here too.
Lady Hae excused herself shortly after.
But before leaving, she glanced back at me.
The softness in her eyes was gone.
Now it was calculation.
Good.
At least she's honest about it internally.
—
When we were alone in the garden, he spoke quietly.
"You escalated that quickly."
"She started it," I replied.
"She has powerful backing."
"So do I."
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
"Yes," I said calmly. "You."
A dangerous statement.
He stepped closer.
Close enough that I could feel his breath.
"And if I choose not to support you?" he asked softly.
A test.
Again.
I didn't look away.
"Then we both lose."
The wind shifted.
Cherry blossoms scattered between us.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"You assume I care about your survival."
"I assume you care about stability."
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Then—
A faint curve touched his lips.
"You are not what I expected."
"Neither are you."
For a moment—
The tension wasn't rivalry.
It wasn't strategy.
It was something else.
Recognition.
Shared secret.
Shared death.
Shared mission.
He stepped back slowly.
"There will be a council meeting tonight," he said. "Attend."
"As your wife?"
"As my ally."
The word lingered.
Ally.
Not burden.
Not pawn.
Ally.
The interface shimmered again.
ANCIENT WORLD STATUS:
Political Alignment Strengthened
Progress ticked up slightly.
8%.
Slow.
But steady.
He turned to leave.
Then paused.
Without looking back, he said quietly—
"She will not stop."
"Neither will I," I replied.
And for the first time—
He sounded almost amused.
"Good."
He walked away.
I stood beneath the falling blossoms.
Ancient palace battlefield activated.
Modern corporate war waiting.
Two white moonlights.
Two power struggles.
And the same man in both worlds—
Watching.
Testing.
Measuring.
Fine.
If this is a trial—
Then let it begin.