The early autumn breeze felt chilly.

With every step leaves scattered beneath the feet.

Autumn had fully arrived even in the back alleys of the once desolate White Immortal Palace.

Jang Rae walked along a deserted stone wall path.

As he walked while brushing off a few maple leaves that landed on the shoulders of his official robe, he felt the crisp autumn air refreshing his lungs.

He was struck anew by one realization in such moments. The long intense heat of summer had ended and autumn was truly here.

Jang Rae, the warrior commander of Red Palace tasked with guarding this imperial palace, was widely respected among the palace warriors.

—A man of straight thoughts and deep loyalty which makes him a role model for all warriors.

Even Emperor Woon Sung personally praised him with such words. Indeed, he was a man without fault, except for the fact that he had risen to success at a very young age.

Even those who were paragons of diligence sometimes wished to set aside their heavy burdens and rest.

Stepping away from the peering eyes of the court's key positions and wandering alone within the grounds of Cheongdo Palace was how this diligent warrior found his respite.

The stone path behind White Immortal Palace, on the outer edges of the Inner Palace, was one of his favorite walking routes.

Normally, it was a dense and shadowy place that gave off a damp and gloomy atmosphere, but it transformed into a place of vibrant beauty when autumn arrived and the leaves changed color.

This pathway was a secret known only to Jang Rae within the vast expanse of the palace.

However, today, there was another visitor.

As he stepped onto the path blanketed with autumn leaves, it seemed as if he had entered a painting, and such thoughts crossed Jang Rae's mind.

Near the stone wall path, a court lady was seated on a stepping stone while catching her breath.

(TN: A court lady, and specifically here, is a girl of lower rank serving and attending to noble women.)

Her neatly tied hair and snugly rolled-up sleeves gave off a strong sense of vitality.

Given the wooden water container placed near her feet, it appeared she was taking a brief rest after becoming weary from fetching water.

The court lady sitting atop the stepping stone bore no signs of artificial decoration.

Her innocent face without even a hint of makeup radiated both fatigue and a refreshing simplicity. One might wonder about her age, but she was likely a few years younger than Jang Rae.

Surrounded by the colorful tapestry of falling leaves and enjoying the cool autumn breeze, her resting figure was… indescribably peaceful.

Jang Rae felt as if time slowed in her presence.

For a while, he found himself captivated and unable to look away from the court lady.

"Ahh!"

And with that, the paused moment resumed its course.

This was because the court lady recognized Jang Rae before she leaped from the stone in surprise and bowed her head.

"I am ashamed. I was fetching clean water as instructed by the senior maid and took a moment to rest due to exhaustion."

"..."

"It's an honor to meet you, Jang Rae-nim, warrior commander of the Red Palace."

She seemed to be embarrassed and in her mind, she might have thought she was caught slacking off.

But even though Jang Rae was known to be strict in his training as a warrior, he was not one to reprimand a court lady simply for taking a brief rest from physical labor.

In fact, the water container seemed too heavy for the young court lady to carry on her own. While it was good to be enthusiastic, taking on more than one could handle often led to harm.

Jang Ra lifted the container that the court lady was holding without changing his expression.

"Ah, no! Jang Rae-nim! I shall carry it myself."

"Next time, make sure to carry a smaller weight, even if it means making several trips."

"Ah, yes… I am ashamed…"

When Jang Rae spoke in a low voice, the court lady bowed her head and looked even more dejected.

It seemed she took his words as a reprimand, even though that was not his intention.

Usually, Jang Rae would have moved on to his own affairs regardless, but for some reason, he found himself relenting in the face of this court lady.

Feeling somewhat guilty for having scared her, Jang Rae searched for words that might lighten the mood.

"Still, it's good to be motivated. It seems you have a natural diligence, which will serve you well in the future."

"Th-thank you…. for your kind words…"

Noticing that Jang Rae was not displeased, the court lady seemed to relax slightly.

"What is your name?"

Jang Rae unexpectedly inquired about the court lady's name, a question that held no particular significance to him. Even he found his own curiosity to be strange.

"Seol Ran. My name is Seol Ran and I am an apprentice court lady of the heavenly dragon hall."

The name meant "winter orchid", a flower that blooms in winter.

Indeed, despite her humble status as a court lady, her demeanor exuded a unique strength. Jang Rae mused inwardly that her name suited her appearance well.

An awkward silence followed which was perhaps to be expected.

He who was a warrior commander of Red Palace, and she who was an apprentice court lady.

It was a gap so wide that it could barely be bridged by the metaphor of heaven and earth.

What common topics could there possibly be between them and how freely could they exchange stories?

However, Jang Rae simply stared blankly at the court lady's face.

The court lady who introduced herself as Seol Ran seemed to be overwhelmed by Jang Rae's gaze and hesitated for a moment.

Then, as if determined to break the awkwardness, she finally managed to smile with trembling lips.

This might have been merely an attempt on the court lady's part to somehow alleviate the uncomfortable atmosphere.

Yet, for Jang Rae, it was an impressive sight that made his eyes widen.

Among the leaves gently falling like winter snow,

Seeing Seol Ran's softly smiling face, Jang Rae found himself almost reflexively about to blurt out something.

You are truly beautiful.

He is a warrior who has devoted his entire life to training and has built a wall around himself, considering flirting with women to be unnecessary.

And so It was astounding that such poetic words were on the verge of escaping from someone as stoic as him. It was a sensation he had never experienced before.

But then, what could possibly be the reason not to speak those words?

How his words would be perceived by the court lady was uncertain, but they were nothing more than the simple truth.

Just as Jang Rae's lips were about to part and such words were about to escape—

– Squeak! Squeeeeeak! Grunt! Squeeeeeak!

– Squeeeeeeeeak!

"Arghhhhh!"

A sound akin to the slaughtering of pigs reverberated through the air.

"..."

"…Huh!"

When he turned his gaze beyond the forest, Jang Rae saw a young apprentice warrior engaged in a fierce battle with a wild boar.

The fight seemed to be in its final stages as both of them were covered in blood.

It was unclear why the warrior had not yet drawn the sword at his waist and chose instead to fight with his bare fists while gasping for breath. His upper garment was torn and frayed from the fight and barely served its purpose as clothing.

The heavy breathing of the warrior, heaving in and out, sounded almost like the growling of a wild beast.

A spirited ferocity blossomed in the fiery glow of his eyes.

"Hahaha…! It's been a while since I've met a worthy opponent!"

– Squeal! Squeeeeeeak! Squeak!

"Yes, you too are just struggling because you want to live! I respect that spirit! Let's face off properly until the end, at the edge of life and death…! To claim your life, it's only fair that I must be willing to stake my own as well!"

Bang! Bang! Thud! Thud!

Jang Rae couldn't believe what he was seeing. An apprentice warrior who looked to be a boy, if not younger, was engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a wild boar larger than a person.

A single goring from those tusks could instantly deal a fatal blow to a sturdy man, yet the young warrior raised his guard with a pleased smile.

With his guard up, he swayed to the left, ducked in closer to anticipate the boar's movements, and landed a body blow.

The boar's counterattack was a charge that kicked up maple leaves, but the young man met it head-on. With a shout, he lifted the beast and threw it over his shoulder in a German suplex.

The boar was thrown off with a groan, but it attempted to regain its balance and rise again. The young man did not give his opponent a chance. He charged forward before wrapping his legs around the boar's neck and twisting its center of gravity to slam it to the ground once more.

And then after that, the intense hand-to-hand combat continued.

Piledriver, choke slam, backdrop, one-inch punch, elbow drop.

As this fierce battle unfolded, Jang Rae's eyes widened in shock, and he suddenly snapped back to reality.

Regardless of the situation, an apprentice warrior from Cheongdo Palace was locked in a deadly fight with a boar. As a warrior commander, he couldn't just stand by and watch. He had to intervene before any serious harm was done.

Just as he steeled his resolve and reached for the hilt of his sword, the fight was decided.

– Squeeak!

The boar's neck snapped and only its death throes echoed in the air.

When the boy slowly rose and turned his head, his body was emitting killing intent, perhaps because he had just fought a wild boar. His breaths were heavy and ragged.

The wild glint in his eyes could rival that of any wild beast. Drops of the boar's dark blood dripped from his fingertips.

And the moment Jang Rae locked eyes with the boy…

"…Oh dear… Has it already… reached that time…!"

What did he mean by "that time"?

Before Jang Rae could even begin to ponder this obvious question, the boy quickly emerged from the bushes and bowed respectfully to him.

"I am honored to meet you, Warrior Commander Jang Rae-nim. I apologize for my unsightly appearance. I was following the orders of the White Immortal Elder to hunt down a boar that had strayed near the palace, in the fear that it might harm the weak court ladies."

Once the boy revealed he was an apprentice warrior of White Immortal Palace, Jang Rae sighed deeply and relaxed his grip on his sword.

Indeed, the boy's attire was that of a warrior.

"I-Is that so…"

"I would pay my respects properly, but as you can see, I am in no state to do so. I would not want to taint you with the smell of blood, so I will take my leave now. Farewell…!"

"Go on, then…"

"Ah…!"

When the boy was about to leave with brisk movements, he suddenly turned his head, clenched his fist tightly, and added,

"Rest assured, I will take the secret of your romantic meeting here to my grave! You can count on me to keep it to myself!"

"R-Romantic … That's not what this is…!"

"I am a man who understands more than one might think. Please don't worry about it! I know how to be considerate!"

The boy said while dragging the wild boar carcass on the ground. Even at first glance, his strength seemed to be unusual.

Normally, it would take several strong men to move a boar of that size. Jang Rae was utterly baffled by what he was witnessing. What could possibly be the source of such monstrous strength?

Moreover, the apprentice warrior who appeared to be in his late teens at most had single-handedly subdued a boar of significant bulk.

Struck by the novelty of encountering such an exceptional being, Jang Rae found himself unable to argue any further.

"I'm sorry for interrupting what seemed like a nice moment and ruining the atmosphere. Please pretend as if nothing happened and continue with what you were doing! Yes, yes… carry on with your conversation!"

"But I told you, you're misunderstanding…"

"Ah, yes! We'll leave it as a misunderstanding then! It was all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!"

With those words, the boy confidently proceeded with the boar's bloodied corpse in tow.

The forest ground was sodden with dark crimson trails of blood. Amidst this, the boar seemed to gasp intermittently, as if wailing and cursing the world in its final throes.

– Squeal! Squeeak! Wail!

"....."

"....."

…The scene had completely lost any semblance of a romantic atmosphere.

***

While I was dragging the dismembered boar carcass into the palace, I couldn't help but notice the colorful autumn leaves that caught the eye. It dawned on me that autumn had arrived.

It was the time when the female protagonist, "Seol Ran" and the Red Palace's warrior commander, "Jang Rae" would first meet.

Although I stumbled upon the scene by chance… they truly were a pair of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

I had known of Seol Ran's beauty from long before, but it was my first time seeing Jang Rae in person.

Even from a man's perspective, I couldn't help but admit he was incredibly handsome.

Diligent, good-looking, well-built, and with a great personality… With such qualities, it's expected that women would flock to him… It's rather a shame that he's just a "second male lead".

But that's just how the world works, I suppose.

The confident and thoughtful heroine, Seol Ran, navigated through a sea of handsome men to ascend to a position of power within the imperial palace.

Ultimately, she would claim the title of "Heavenly Maiden" and command the palace with authority.

From my perspective, this was indeed a fortunate turn of events.

"…She chose not to acknowledge me even in such a critical situation."

Though there were reasons not to openly do that…

"…. Ran-noonim."

She was the protagonist of the fantasy romance novel "Heavenly Dragon Love Story".

The future Heavenly Maiden, Seol Ran, was my sister.

******