Cheongdo was a great country that ruled under the heavens

And its imperial palace, Cheongdo Palace, was a very large palace filled with numerous buildings.

As if to ensure it didn't stray from being the perfect setting for a romance fantasy novel, the scenery of Cheongdo Palace was brimming with romance.

Everywhere you looked, the beautiful natural scenery harmonized with the luxurious palace, sparking a sense of romance that seemed to emerge from nowhere.

It is often said that the environment shapes a person.

Occasionally, I witnessed military officers scaling the walls of the concubines' quarters (inner palace) to rendezvous with the maids. It was clear that the beautiful scenery had some kind of aura that made people romantic.

Even so, the act of trespassing into the concubines' quarters was a grave offense, one that typically resulted in immediate expulsion and could warrant severe punishment.

Securing a position within the military ranks of Cheongdo Palace was no easy feat. Yet, it seemed that love and romance had a way of easily clouding one's judgment.

In this regard, I could perhaps claim to be somewhat more intelligent.

The reason being, I had essentially built a wall between myself and notions of romance and love.

Though I'm not sure if I should say this in the middle of the imperial palace in a romantic fantasy world, it seemed that what one might call my "love cells" had withered away a long time ago.

Bang!

"Ah, Tae Pyeong! I heard the news. Are you hurt anywhere?"

When I entered the White Immortal Palace's kitchen and laid down the butchered wild boar carcass, the old Eunuch hurried over with a look of concern on his face.

He called me Tae Pyeong.

Yes, Seol Tae Pyeong was my name.

The "Heavenly Dragon Love Story" was an Eastern-style romance fantasy novel that I read halfway through because it wasn't really to my taste.

In that story, there was "Seol Ran" the female protagonist.

As for me, I have arrived in this world as the younger brother of that girl that pretty much didn't exist in the original story… it had already been nearly 10 years since then.

"Oh, please don't worry too much. Have you ever seen the White Immortal Elder making unreasonable demands? They must have assigned such tasks to me because they believe I can handle them. Right?"

It was natural for him to be concerned, given that I had appeared covered in blood. I sat down on the porch next to the kitchen and dusted off my robe.

The wrinkly old man was horrified to see the carcass of the boar.

"Is this… Did you catch this all by yourself, Tae Pyeong?"

"I found it wandering behind the stone wall in the forest. Had it encountered any of the maids or court ladies, there could have been a disaster. It's a good thing I caught it when I did, really…"

"Oh my… You… you should go see the physician first. I'll report this to the White Immortal Elder"

"Ah… this…"

It was easy to misunderstand when considering that I was drenched in dark red blood.

"This is all pig's blood. There are some minor scratches, but nothing that serious."

The old Eunuch seemed incredulous at the fact that I had single-handedly taken down a wild boar the size of a grown man and he shifted his gaze between me and the boar carcass with a bewildered expression on his face.

The boar was as large as a robust man. Regardless of my mental state, my physical age was still quite young… so it was much bigger than my body size.

Even for someone who is known to be sturdy and strong, there are limits.

The news that an apprentice warrior who had just arrived at White Immortal Palace had alone captured a wild boar as big as a person would have had even the Warrior Commander at Red Palace gaping in disbelief.

Indeed, even Jang Rae, the person involved, looked on as if he couldn't believe what had happened…

"By the way, have the preparations I asked for been made?"

"Yes… I've had someone prepare everything. You'll need to start the fire yourself, though…"

"Thank you, old Eunuch! I'm always in your debt."

I bowed politely and then checked the pots and simple ingredients that were set aside in a corner of the kitchen.

"I cannot visit the White Immortal Elder in such a disheveled state, so please report that the wild boar issue has been resolved. I need to clean up in the meantime."

"Alright. You should rest for now, Tae Pyeong."

"There's no need for such concern. I'll take my leave now."

***

The White Immortal Palace to which I belong is located within the imperial palace and serves as the residence for Taoist priests who solve problems related to Taoist magic and Zen techniques.

A Taoist priest who is somewhat proficient in Taoism or Zen and is appointed to the imperial palace is called a White Immortal.

While they sometimes solve various problems at the emperor's command, their main duty is to maintain and repair the palace's protective charms.

As a military officer assisting such esteemed White Immortal Elder… frankly, it's a rather odd job.

Most of the time, my duties consisted of running errands or standing guard, so for a military officer in the imperial palace, they were relatively easy.

Personally, I find the position highly satisfying. The salary is decent for a military officer, and the workload is light—what more could I ask for?

Doing as little work as possible while earning as much money as I could was my motto.

Swoosh

Hiss!

As I stood at the well, taking off my blood-stained shirt to wash away the stains with cold water, I heard a strange rustling in the nearby bushes.

When I looked in that direction quickly, someone quickly got out of the bushes and ran away.

I caught a glimpse of a garment that seemed to belong to a maid from the inner palace.

"..."

I shook off the water and sniffled for a moment, then decided to finish my ablutions without giving it much further thought.

***

After drying off with a cloth, I returned to the White Immortal Palace kitchen only to find an unexpected guest had arrived.

It was a maid with her hands on her hips and a serious expression on her face.

Her name… had already been mentioned once.

"…Ran-noonim."

"Tae Pyeong! Where have you been! I was worried!"

It seemed she had rushed to the White Immortal Palace immediately after finishing her duties.

Seeing her only brother covered in blood, it was only natural that her face would turn pale.

"You always need to be careful not to get hurt! Here, I asked the herbalist for some medicine. It's a high-quality product used even by Her Highness."

Seol Ran quickly grabbed my arm, made me sit down on the porch, and began to apply the medicine.

It seemed like she even checked the scratches on my forearm during the brief encounter we had on the back wall.

"…Isn't it dangerous for a maid from the inner palace to freely enter the White Immortal Palace? Why didn't the guards stop you?"

"If you're so concerned about my well-being, you should have been more careful yourself! Seeing your sibling drenched in blood, do you think I would care about mere rules? As your elder sister, it's only right that I came running!"

Such a thought was indeed risky.

In the imperial palace, where discipline is valued, such a way of thinking could easily invite trouble.

However, I wasn't particularly worried.

Including such a temperament, it was likely laying the groundwork for her eventual ascent to the position of the Heavenly Maiden.

"…I told the guards I was out on an errand ordered by her highness."

After looking at this girl named Seol Ran for a long time, a thought occurred to me.

Indeed, becoming a romance fantasy heroine is not something everyone can do.

The story is long if laid out in detail, but Seol Ran and I come from the Hwayongseol clan which faced extermination under the accusation of plotting a rebellion.

Fortunately, the two of us siblings managed to escape the purge.

Though we were of the Hwayongseol lineage, we were the illegitimate children born from the union between the head of our clan, Seol Lee Moon, and a cosmetics merchant from the Western Continent.

Essentially, we were the blemishes that even our own clan wished to conceal. That was the first reason.

Despite this, when the sword of purge loomed over us, the current Heavenly Maiden, Ah Hyeon, showed mercy. This was the second reason.

Princess Ah Hyeon, the maiden of the heavenly dragon, argued that there was no need to extend the blame to these illegitimate children for the crimes of their family.

Why the Heavenly Maiden showed mercy to the illegitimate offspring of a treacherous clan remains a mystery.

I'm not sure if the original work revealed the details, but I never read that far. There must have been some reason.

In the end, according to the will of the Heavenly Maiden, those two illegitimate children were made to enter the palace as the lowest-ranking servants tasked with menial chores.

The intention was for the two children to serve the imperial palace for life. From my perspective, life in the palace was more comfortable for sustenance, so in a way, it was a stroke of luck.

Thus, the boy was taken in as an apprentice warrior in the White Immortal Palace.

The girl, on the other hand, became an apprentice maid in the service of the concubines.

…However, it would be mistaken to consider theirs a blessed life.

Especially the female protagonist, Seol Ran, could not even in empty words be said to have lived a blessed life.

At the age of seven, Seol Ran vividly witnessed her family members being swept away by the sword of purge.

At the age of nine, she had to wander while holding her young sibling's hand and beg on the streets of Cheongdo.

By the age of twelve, she was caught by the military and nearly executed.

At thirteen, she had to stand on her own as an apprentice maid in the palace.

And until she reached sixteen, she was subjected to bullying among the maids due to being a descendant of a treacherous clan.

The bullying was so sneaky that one couldn't help but wonder if all the maids serving in the concubines' quarters (inner palace) were demons.

Typically, a child subjected to such an environment becomes endlessly spiteful.

Misfortune has a way of corrupting people. Loss and deprivation are the true harbingers of temptation.

That's why, in reality, it was often the wealthy who were more benevolent.

Yet, this girl named Seol Ran never abandoned her inherent kindness.

She has an amazingly confident and good temperament, which makes you wonder if she really has to be this good to be a heroine.

"Tae Pyeong, you are now the only family I have left."

Seol Ran jumped down from the porch and once again placed her hands on her waist and stood on tiptoes.

She wanted to act like an authoritative older sister in front of me. So she was trying to muster a solemn expression while clearing her throat.

However, as for me, I was a completely rotten old man on the inside.

I came to this world in my late twenties and lived for another ten years… I may be fifteen physically, but my head is in my mid-thirties.

The notions of romance and love had long since faded from my head. The romantic scenery of the Cheongdo Palace evoked no feeling inside me.

So observing a child barely two decades old attempting to act mature only appeared cute to me.

"Life as a warrior in White Immortal Palace is no easy feat, is it? So, whenever you're troubled, feel free to confide in me, your sister. Should Tae Pyeong face any difficulty, I'll be there to support you, whatever it takes. Hm-hm."

Seol Ran puffed her chest with pride and tapped it with her fist as if to say that I could count on her.

This girl's wish was to be a reliable older sister to her younger brother.

"Ah, yes… Noonim."

I couldn't help but smile bitterly at her words. It was astonishing that after such a rough childhood, she could still smile so innocently.

"As expected, you're truly reliable, Ran-noonim."

"Really… it's as if there's no spirit in your words… Tae Pyeong."

Indeed, not just anyone can be the heroine of a romance fantasy novel.

***

"That's right. The Red Palace warrior commander wants to see you."

Perhaps Seol Ran had really run all that distance just to apply the salve since she hurried to return to the inner palace as soon as her task was completed.

After quickly straightening her clothes and standing up, Seol Ran opened the kitchen door and informed me.

"You are to visit the Red Palace at dawn tomorrow."

"… Jang Rae-nim wants to see me?"

"…. Seeing you drag that wild boar's corpse must have been quite the shock."

It was really an order from the White Immortal Elder, but it was still careless of me.

The Red Palace was where the military officers tasked with the internal security of Cheongdo Palace gathered. It was a place that every military officer had to go through at least once to achieve success.

The warrior commander Jang Rae there was certainly a reliable and trustworthy person.

"The atmosphere between you and Commander Jang Rae behind the palace seemed quite nice, noonim."

At my words, Seol Ran was taken aback and her face flushed with surprise.

"Goodness! Tae Pyeong, you're speaking dangerously! That person is a high official responsible for the Red Palace!"

Jang Rae… He might not be a bad choice as a brother-in-law, but Seol Ran was a devilish woman who could potentially charm even the Crown Prince in the future.

Saying it this way makes it sound like she was the villainess … but I don't mean it in a bad way.

"Anyway, I'm too busy trying to do my part as a court lady! So don't worry about me. Tae Pyeong, when you find a good partner, you must tell your noonim!"

"…A partner…"

"It's common to come upon chance encounters while working in such a beautiful palace, isn't it?"

I think I grasped the meaning behind Seol Ran's words.

Indeed, Cheongdo Palace, where every corner unfolds like a picturesque scene, is the perfect backdrop for young people brimming with romantic feelings to stir up a bit of drama.

"…Noonim, after all this time together, do you still not understand me?"

"…How could I not? Still, I wish for your happiness, Tae Pyeong."

"I am happy as it is, Noonim. Living comfortably with a decent salary in a minor position."

"Did you know? The court ladies and maids often blush at the sight of the military officers. It seems that when working in the gardens of the palace, it's not uncommon for them to long for a handsome and gallant man."

Even though she was a court lady herself, Seol Ran talked as if she was discussing someone else's life.

From the beginning, she was a girl with hardly any yearning for men so it seemed she couldn't quite grasp that mindset.

She lived most of her life in an environment where survival was always her first priority, so in a way, it was only natural.

"That's why I'm saying, Tae Pyeong, you're bound to have your share of chance encounters too."

"…Ran-noonim."

"…Alright, I'll be honest. Even if there were someone, it's hard to imagine you harboring romantic feelings."

Seol Ran clasped her head and let out a deep sigh.

"Really, how did my one and only precious brother end up becoming someone so old at heart…"

It was highly unlikely that anyone would develop romantic feelings for someone who roamed the palace in broad daylight while drenched in wild boar blood.

…It would be a relief if I was not mistaken for a murderer.