Prologue: Their Broken Hearts
The palace gardens of Shinsei were quiet beneath the afternoon sun.
Rows of vibrant flowers stretched across the courtyard, their colors bright against the polished stone walkways. A gentle breeze carried the scent of blooming jasmine as Princess Ji-Ah moved between the flowerbeds, humming softly while watering the plants.
Unaware she was being watched.
Alexei moved through the gardens with practiced stealth, keeping low behind hedges and marble pillars. A grin tugged at his lips as he closed the distance.
Three more steps.
Two.
One.
“Got you!”
Ji-Ah squealed as Alexei wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“What are you doing?” she laughed, trying—and failing—to push him away. “My grandfather might see us.”
Alexei frowned dramatically.
“Then let him see, da.”
He straightened and drew a breath.
“High Eld—”
“Mmff!”
Ji-Ah’s hands immediately clamped over his mouth.
“Are you crazy?” she whispered fiercely. “What if someone hears?”
Alexei gently pulled her hands away.
“I love you, Princess.”
The words were simple.
Honest.
He leaned forward and kissed her softly.
Ji-Ah’s cheeks turned pink, but her smile only widened.
“I love you too, Lieutenant.”
Alexei grinned.
“Not lieutenant forever.”
“Oh?”
He puffed out his chest.
“When this peace treaty is signed, maybe they make me Master General, da.”
Ji-Ah laughed.
“Oh my. So you do know how to brag.”
“Only when audience is beautiful.”
She rolled her eyes, though her smile never faded.
For a while, neither spoke.
They simply stood together beneath the warm sunlight.
Far from politics.
Far from duty.
Far from the burdens waiting for them.
Eventually Alexei broke the silence.
“You ready for tonight, da?”
For the first time, nervousness crept into his voice.
Ji-Ah rested her head against his chest.
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“Take me away.”
Alexei wrapped his arms around her.
“Anywhere?”
“Anywhere.”
A comfortable silence followed.
Neither noticed the figure watching from above.
High upon a palace balcony, Hiroshi stood motionless.
His eyes never left them.
His jaw tightened.
His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.
And when Alexei kissed her forehead, something dark flickered behind his gaze.
That night, a violent storm rolled across Shinsei.
Thunder rattled the palace windows while rain lashed against the rooftops.
Alexei sat alone in his quarters when a knock sounded at the door.
Before he could answer, it opened.
His eyes widened.
“Master General?”
Alexei immediately stood and saluted.
“I thought you were in Volchya.”
The older man stepped inside.
“No need for formalities, Private.”
His expression was unreadable.
“I’m here to deliver a mission personally.”
He produced a sealed scroll.
Alexei accepted it.
The moment he broke the seal and began reading, the smile vanished from his face.
Elsewhere in the palace, Ji-Ah sat with her mother and several servant maidens.
Though she tried to appear calm, she found herself glancing repeatedly toward the window.
Toward the storm.
Toward the darkness beyond.
A sudden commotion echoed through the hallway.
The doors burst open.
A palace guard stumbled inside, drenched from the rain and struggling to catch his breath.
“Princess!”
Ji-Ah and her mother immediately rose.
“What is it?” Princess Ji-Soo asked.
The guard swallowed hard.
His face had gone pale.
“The formula for the healing elixirs...”
He hesitated.
Then forced the words out.
“It’s been stolen.”
