The world was cruel-a place where ambition ruled and kindness was seen as a weakness. It was a game of survival, where manipulation was the sharpest weapon, and trust was something you gave only to be broken. The streets echoed with the hurried steps of those chasing power, their faces hardened by deceit and their hearts as cold as the stone beneath their feet. The rich played their games behind velvet curtains, while the poor struggled in silence, swallowed by the very system they were born into. Lies were a currency, and loyalty, a rare commodity. In this world, there was no room for innocence or warmth.

And then, there was Yesol.

The only princess of Kim empire, a stark contrast to the world she lived in. She was the girl who had every reason to close herself off, to harden her heart. But she didn't. Yesol believed in the kindness that still existed in the world, even if it was rare. She had learned that people could be cruel, but she refused to let their darkness taint her light. She had seen the worst of humanity and still believed in the best of it. She was the spark in the night, a delicate warmth in a world that had long forgotten how to love.

Yesol wasn't naïve. She knew how the world worked. But she chose to face it with the same hope that had always guided her, no matter how many times life tried to knock it out of her. In a place full of shadows, she was the one who still believed in the possibility of dawn.

She was a sunshine, desperately trying to stay bright in a place that only seemed to grow darker by the day.

"Oh, Unnie!" Yesol called out brightly, waving her hands excitedly as she spotted her sister, Queen Ara, making her way toward her, two court ladies trailing behind her.

Yesol bounced on her feet, arms spread wide in anticipation, longing to embrace her eldest sister after such a long time.

"Yesol, I might die if you squeeze me any tighter," Ara gasped, struggling for air in Yesol's unrelenting grip.

Yesol let out a soft chuckle, loosening her hold. "Your arms are stronger than I remember," Ara said with an amused smile, gently touching Yesol's arms. "Are you that happy to see me?"

"Six months, Unnie!" Yesol said, exaggerating her frustration with a playful hint of anger. "I almost forgot what your face looked like!"

Ara rolled her eyes, laughing softly at her sister's dramatics. As they began strolling through the garden, Ara wrapped her arm around Yesol's shoulder.

"So, tell me about your husband, the King," Yesol asked teasingly, her voice light. "He must be treating you so well if it took him six months to let you visit your own family!"

Ara sighed dramatically, her gaze shifting to the sky as if searching for an answer among the clouds. "Special?" she muttered, the sadness in her tone unmistakable. "I don't even remember the last time we spent a night together." Her words hung heavy in the air, a quiet sadness beneath her playful exterior.

"Why? Does he not love you?!" Yesol asked, her voice filled with concern for her cousin.

"No! No, that's not what I mean!" Ara quickly interrupted, not wanting Yesol to misunderstand. "The thing is, Kings spend most of their time with their first Queens," she explained with a small, somewhat bittersweet smile.

"You're lucky, though!" Ara added, giving Yesol a playful pat on the back.

"Why? Why am I lucky?" Yesol asked, her voice full of curiosity.

Ara raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "Now don't act all innocent as if you don't know that you'll be the eldest Queen of King Kim Seokjin," she snapped, her tone light but pointed.

"I know, but what do eldest Queens even get?" Yesol asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Ara's expression softened, her voice tinged with both pride and a hint of envy. "Well, as the eldest Queen, you'll have more privileges. Since you're the first Queen, you'll spend more time with the King. You'll even have a throne similar to his, and you'll make decisions when the King isn't around." They settled onto the garden chairs, continuing their conversation as the soft breeze rustled the leaves around them.

"And," Ara added, her voice teasing, "everything in the castle will go according to your decisions. You'll get to attend balls with the King, and most importantly, you'll have the privilege of spending most of your nights with him." She smirked, watching Yesol's cheeks flush with a rosy hue.

"And...?" Yesol prompted, her curiosity piqued but her heart racing from Ara's teasing.

"And the eldest Queen's son gets to become the next King. So, aren't you lucky?!" Ara teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Yesol blinked, her curiosity piqued. "And what about your son? Can he never become King, then?"

Ara paused for a moment before responding, her tone slightly more serious. "Well, for example, take your father, His Majesty. He has four Queens-Namjoon's mother, Taehyung's mother, Jimin's mother, and your mother," Ara began, watching Yesol nod in understanding. "Namjoon is the only son of the King's eldest Queen, so, according to tradition, he has a stronger chance of becoming King than your other brothers."

"If conditions are favorable, then His Majesty might test your brothers to determine the next King. Or, Namjoon will likely be chosen since he's the eldest son," Ara explained, delivering the information with a matter-of-fact tone.

Yesol nodded thoughtfully but soon became intrigued again as Ara continued. "King Kim Seokjin is the only son of King Jinmoon, right?"

"Yes," Yesol replied, her interest growing.

"But you're the youngest daughter of your father," Ara remarked, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Yesol. "Why would he choose you to be the eldest Queen?"

"What do you mean? Why can't he choose me?" Yesol blinked, offended by the insinuation.

Ara tapped her chin thoughtfully, her gaze becoming teasing. "Well, usually, Kings choose the eldest daughters of the reigning King to become the Queen of their eldest son when they're both born. But King Seokjin's proposal came only a few months after you turned 18. Considering King Jinmoon's nature, he would have never chosen the youngest daughter for his son. Maybe Seokjin himself chose you. I think he likes you, Yesol!" Ara said, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she raised her brows and wiggled them playfully.

Yesol's eyes widened at the thought. "You think he likes me?!" she asked, her voice filled with shock. She grabbed Ara's hands in excitement, her heart racing.

"Hey, hey!!" Ara laughed, trying to pull her hands back. "Do you like him, huh?" she asked, her voice filled with teasing curiosity.

Yesol's heart skipped a beat at the question. She could feel her cheeks flushing with a deep red, and she looked away shyly, her mind spinning with thoughts of Seokjin.

"Hey, Yesol, have you already seen him?!" Ara gasped, her jaw dropping in disbelief.

"No!" Yesol immediately shook her head, her voice firm.

"Then how did you develop feelings for him?" Ara asked, her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Unnie, I swear, I've never seen him. But do we really need to see someone, to like them?" Yesol replied, her voice taking on a poetic tone as she tried to make her point. "But tell me, do you really think King Seokjin likes me?" she asked, giving Ara her best puppy-dog eyes.

Ara chuckled, though her mind was still clearly working. "Have you seen his unique brown eyes? It's as if love itself was born in them. He looks at everything like he's in love with it. You know, he's dangerously beautiful-his beauty never fades, and even the ladies are jealous of him," she said, her voice filled with admiration as she spoke about Seokjin's aura.

Yesol was already lost in her own thoughts, caught in the dreamlike image of Seokjin painted by Ara's words.

"You know, he's so kind," Ara continued, caught up in her excitement. "The people of his kingdom adore him. He has broad shoulders, tall like a vampire, fair skin, and a voice as sweet as sugar. His body and his polite tone show just how warm he must be. You're truly lucky, Yesol-la!!" She gave Yesol a playful pat on the shoulder, feeling genuinely happy for her.

But Yesol wasn't listening anymore. Her thoughts were consumed by the idea of Kim Seokjin, as she imagined his every feature-his eyes, his voice, his presence. The world around her seemed to blur as she drifted into her own little fantasy.

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