"I don't have a choice?"
"None, Young Miss Yura. It's an order from the palace."
"WHY?! DO YOU EVEN HAVE DUE PROCESS HERE?!"
Six maids started dressing her—simultaneously, like an F4 pit crew. One for the hair, one for the eyebrows, one for the blush, one for the robe ribbon, and two for the feet. It felt like Seoryu wasn't a person but a demon's doll.
"I can't be added to some random Crown Prince's harem—I didn't give consent! I have no dignity! And I don't have a bra!"
"You don't really need a bra, Miss…"
"But I need boundaries, girl!!"
Still, no one listened. Before she could fight back, BOOM—she was placed inside the palanquin of doom. Super fancy. Red velvet cushions. Gold-painted wood. Even smelled like cinnamon. Like she was on her way to the MET Gala.
'FUCK THIS SERVICE IS SO EXTRA. SANA ALL,' she(he) said in her(his) head and let out a huff.
She was in a blush pink hanbok with soft layers, complete with hairpins that looked like Sailor Moon cosplay accessories. She felt like an NPC from Genshin Impact.
———
While the palanquin rolled, Seoryu peeked out from the small curtain.
"There's an escort? Horses? Drums? Royal guards? WHY DO I HAVE SO MANY BODYGUARDS, I THOUGHT I WAS A PRISONER?!"
She could hear whispers on the street:
"Who's that?"
"That's Han Yura… the daughter of the royal doctor who went crazy?"
"Didn't she strip and say she had a junior?"
"Ahhh... so she's really crazy."
Seoryu closed her eyes. 'Lord, if this is a prank, give me a skip button. Like, I'm done. I'm logging out.'
.
.
.
After hours of head-shaking and internal screaming, the palanquin stopped in front of the Grand Courtyard of the Crown Prince's Inner Palace.
She was greeted by two eunuchs, three royal guards, and an elder lady who clearly wasn't ordinary.
"Miss Han Yura," the elder lady said, monotone, "Please behave. The Crown Prince will see you now. In private."
Seoryu blinked.
"Private?! NO WITNESSES?! NO CCTV?!"
"Huh?"
"I DON'T HAVE AN ADVOCATE OR ATTORNEY—is this okay with human rights?!"
The elder lady frowned at her. "Walk."
And like a queen with no dignity left, Seoryu stood with all the grace of a madwoman trapped in ancient Korea. Upon entering the private hall, the massive door opened. It felt like there was a personal soundtrack inside.
He was there.
Sitting. Tall. Regal. Long dark hair tied in a royal knot. Wearing a blue and gold dragon robe.
Cold. Untouchable.
And most importantly:HE LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE THE CEO WHO DIED DURING HER(HIS) OPERATION.
"Fuck your concubin—..," Seoryu whispered.
"...I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD?!"
SHE SAID IT. OUT LOUD.
Everyone around—disappeared from the background. Silence. Dead silence.
The Crown Prince's eyes slowly narrowed.
"...Excuse me?"
"NOTHING—NOTHING. NEVERMIND. JUST A JOKE. KOREAN HUMOR. GEN-Z THING. THE UNIVERSE IS CRAZY."
She pointed at the Prince.
"But SERIOUSLY—WHY DOES YOUR FACE LOOK LIKE THAT?! You look like the CEO I operated on—wait, you won't get it. Never mind. TIME TRAVEL. MULTIVERSE. Maybe you're his reincarnation. Or a clone. Did you sign a consent form for this?!"
The Prince slowly stood. His presence?
Heavy. Like every step had a THX intro sound. Terrifying, intimidating, but handsome.
'LIKE—FUCK. WHY ARE VILLAINS ALWAYS HOT?!'
"You speak nonsense," the Crown Prince said. "Are you trying to amuse me?"
"No! I'm trying to process this entire fever dream! Like—hello?! One second I'm in the OR, next second I'm in a hanbok! I need a therapist! Or ramen!"
The eunuchs gasped. One maid fainted.
"WHAT IS RAMYUN?"
Seoryu blinked.
"...You poor, deprived creature."
"I see," the Prince said after a long pause. "You are either mad… or pretending to be mad."
"Actually I'm just stressed, overwhelmed, possibly suffering from concussion, and stuck in what appears to be a BL manhwa."
The Prince turned to the elder lady. "Assign her to my private garden residence. Under surveillance. No contact with outsiders."
"P-Pardon, Your Highness?"
"I want to observe her."
Seoryu: "Wait, what now—OBSERVER?? THIS GUY IS WORSE THAN A MLBB STALKER! What kind of Tinder match is this?! I don't want you! I just want to make kimbap!"
But no one listened.
She was gently but firmly dragged to her new 'room.' It had silk curtains. Rose-scented floor mats. Flowers. Servants.
But all she could do was sit there in shock.
'Fuck… they mistook me for a concubine of a CEO look-alike royal freak… stuck in an ancient K-drama… and now a hot villain wants to "observe" me like an experiment?!'
Pause.
"...Why do I feel like I kinda like him? oh no I'm turning gay. DELULU MOMENT. DELULU!"