The days following the wedding passed in a whirl of ceremonies and expectations. The
palace walls, once familiar to Crown Prince Younghae, now seemed to echo differently.
Wherever he walked, eyes followed him—not only as the heir to the throne but as the
husband of the new Crown Princess.
Lady Saha, radiant and playful even under the heavy crown, had become the center of
gossip. Ministers praised her beauty and grace, the servants adored her warm laughter, and even the king seemed relieved that his son had finally secured a match.
But behind the golden silk curtains of the East Palace, life was not as carefree as she had
once imagined.
One morning, as the sun spilled across the veranda, Saha leaned lazily against the wooden railing, nibbling on a rice cake. Younghae sat beside her, scrolling through reports sent by the ministers.
"Do you ever tire of all this?" Saha asked suddenly, waving a hand toward the pile of
documents. "Endless petitions, endless complaints. If I were king, I'd send them all to sleep for a year just to silence their whining."
Younghae chuckled despite himself. "If you were king, the kingdom would collapse in a
week."
"Or perhaps," she teased, poking his arm with a sweet smile, "it would thrive, because
everyone would finally learn how to laug".
Her carefree spirit was like spring wind in his ordered world. Yet even as he smiled at her
words, Younghae's gaze turned distant.
But laughter did not erase the burdens.
Only a few days into her role, the palace began to close in on Saha. She could no longer run
freely in the gardens or sneak into the kitchens as she had when visiting her father.
Attendants hovered around her every step, and courtiers measured her every word.
One evening, she burst into their chambers, throwing her jeweled hairpin on the floor.
"I can't breathe, Younghae! They follow me everywhere. Every smile I give, every sip of tea I take—they judge it as if it were law. Is this the life you promised me?, I don't want this!!!"
Younghae closed the scroll in his hands and stood, gently lifting her face so she would meet
his eyes.
"Saha, endure it a little longer. Once I ascend the throne, I will have the power to change
these suffocating rules. Until then… bear with me. I swore to you, did I not? When I am king,
you will be free again, you will become the bird you've always dreamed of, and you will fly so high that no one will be able to reach you."
Saha searched his eyes, seeing the sincerity there. She nodded reluctantly, though her heart still felt caged.
Meanwhile, unseen to them both, shadows deepened within the palace.
Lady Hanuel visited Saha in the East Palace, watching her with quiet concern.
"You hide it well," she said softly as Saha poured tea for her. "But I see the weight of the royals pressing on you."
Saha smiled faintly. "Do not worry, Lady Hanuel. I chose this path. Besides…" she hesitated, glancing toward the door where no one could hear, "…I am only a bridge. This marriage was never about me. One day, he will find his true happiness. And I will be free... I just hope this is the right way, I don't want to hurt the person he loves but this is the way he chose as well."
Hanuel's gaze darkened with unspoken understanding. She knew who Saha meant. She also knew the pain it brought her sister, Seorin.
Hanuel wanted Lady Saha to leave the palace as soon as possible but she was scared that if Lady Saha leaves, the ministers will turn on the prince and Seorin will again begin her fantasy of having the prince to herself. She clearly know that it's impossible for a deity and a human not just any human but a prince to have a happy ending. With that Lady Hanuel kept quiet.
And so, though the palace halls glittered with golden light, the foundation beneath was already trembling.