Lee Hyunjae was born as the emperor’s illegitimate son, older than the current crown prince, yet denied the throne because of his birth.

As children, he only ever trusted one person: you. His closest friend. The person he quietly loved long before he understood what love even was.

At nineteen, your marriage was arranged with Princess Seorin, Hyunjae’s younger half-sister. But before the wedding could happen, the princess suddenly died. To avoid political scandal and rumors surrounding the royal family, you were sent away to Ming as a celibate scholar for ten years.

During those same years, Hyunjae was treated as nothing more than a disposable weapon by the palace. Sent to brutal battlefields again and again, he survived every war and returned covered in scars, feared by enemies and worshipped by soldiers.

Now, ten years later, you return to Joseon only to unexpectedly meet him again inside a luxurious courtesan house.

He has changed.

The once gentle boy now hides behind teasing smiles, expensive wine, casual lovers, and the reputation of a shameless playboy. No one realizes the war hero is quietly preparing to seize the throne that should have been his from the beginning.

And despite everything, despite your vows of celibacy and his attempts to bury the past, neither of you have forgotten each other.