"Your Highness the Crown Prince! Please forgive my stupid son's vulgar mouth!"
My father's voice and expression were equally filled with gravity. The person I had unknowingly insulted was none other than the Crown Prince, Ki Jongmu, better known by the nickname *The Demon of the Palace*.
Rumors said that he was cruel and twisted. He was the sharp blade beside the king, doing all the dirty work no one else wanted to do. He had once been tasked with executing the entire family of a traitor, and he had done so without hesitation. He spared neither women nor children. Some even said he had worn a bloodthirsty grin while carrying out the massacre.
There were many such rumors throughout the kingdom. One might not know all the great heroes and sages, but everyone knew of Ki Jongmu, and that if you crossed paths with him, you would probably end up dead.
For such a man to arrive at our family home was, frankly speaking, half a death sentence. It was not a good thing at all.
I recovered from my shock and finally knelt down as well. "Your Highness, please forgive me!" I bowed deeply until my head touched the ground. What I had just done was a serious crime. Insulting royalty could, in some cases, end in banishment or even death.
The Prince remained silent for a long time before approaching me. I sensed him standing before me, staring intently. Cold sweat ran down my back.
"Lift your head."
His voice was deep but soothing. Even though it was layered with coldness, it sounded pleasant to the ear. I subconsciously relaxed a little.
As ordered, I lifted my head and looked at him. This time, I saw his face more clearly. It was beautiful, as if sculpted from the finest jade by the gods.
His snake-like eyes looked intimidating as they stared me down. He was tall. Very tall. I would have to look up at him even if I were standing on my feet.
"Hah." He let out a chuckle, as if amused by me. I unconsciously raised a brow and frowned.
It was only then that I noticed he was wearing makeup. Red-painted lips and glittering eyeshadow. Strangely, it suited him and highlighted his delicate features without making him look overly feminine.
"Is my face to your liking?" Ki Jongmu's voice still carried amusement.
At those words, I finally snapped out of my trance and panicked a little. "Forgive me for staring. You are just so... handsome." Fuck it. Why did I say that? Something must be wrong with my head. To think only about his looks. He must think I'm a joke. I immediately regretted my words.
Jongmu chuckled once again. He laughed quite a lot. Then he returned to a neutral expression and simply stared at me. Beside me, my father painfully poked my waist with his finger to remind me not to say any more nonsense.
After a while, the Prince smiled. He approached my father and helped him stand up. He also beckoned for everyone else except me to stop kneeling. It was humiliating. My face flushed red in shame.
"Lord Baek, do not worry. It was indeed rude of me to visit on such short notice. I will overlook today's incident, as I can see your clan's sincerity." Jongmu then smiled broadly and snapped his fingers.
Maids and servants appeared from behind him carrying countless boxes in their hands. "Here is a small token of thoughtfulness from my side. Please accept them."
As my father saw the countless gifts presented before him, he finally began to relax. Everyone else also breathed a sigh of relief. If he had brought presents, then they probably would not die tonight.
My father accepted the gifts with a wide smile and motioned for our servants to show Ki Jongmu to his seat.
The only problem was that I was still kneeling in the middle of the banquet hall. Noticing this, my sister looked helplessly at our father, but he only shook his head. He couldn't risk angering the Crown Prince.
Just when I thought I would have to spend the entire banquet kneeling on the ground, footsteps halted in front of me. It was Jongmu once again.
He lifted my flushed face with his index finger and smirked. "Young Master Baek's face is also to my liking."
He then grabbed me under the arms and lifted me to my feet. That was when I truly realized how tall he really was. I froze at his unexpected actions.
Once I was standing steadily, he let go of me. "Young Master, it seems we are quite fated. We even sit next to each other."
The way he said it was clearly mocking me. He was blatantly making fun of me. That had to be it, because otherwise I couldn't explain the strange glint of laughter crossing his eyes.
My flushed face didn't calm down, but this time it wasn't from embarrassment. It was anger.
Once everyone, including the Prince and me, had finally taken our seats, the banquet began. My father shamelessly flattered that rude jerk of a prince throughout the entire banquet.
When things slowly began to come to an end, the Prince finally mentioned the reason for his arrival.
"Lord Baek, actually I have come here with a request. A very important one, I might add."
My father turned serious immediately. His bright, smiling expression became attentive. "Please speak freely, Your Highness. It would be an honor for the Baek Clan to be of assistance to you."
Jongmu nodded, seemingly satisfied by those words. "As you know, I am well past marriageable age, yet I still do not have a wife." He paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words. "To be honest, there is a good reason why I am not married yet. It is because I have a fated mark on my skin."
He pulled up his sleeve, revealing the star-shaped symbol marked on his forearm.
At those words, everyone and I widened our eyes in surprise. Having a fated mark meant one was destined for another person.
For this reason, the fated mark was also called *The Lovers' Kiss*.
This myth dated back to ancient times. It was said that a farmer girl named Sun-ok once reached enlightenment after seeing the statue of the White Tiger in the forest. She became a supreme martial artist and began teaching the villagers.
Now great, strong, beautiful, and admirable, Sun-ok became one of the most respected people in the village. Yet she felt lonely. She possessed wisdom and strength unlike anyone else, so there was no one who could truly match her. She felt as though she belonged nowhere.
So every night, Sun-ok would look up at the sky and pray to the stars.
"Great heroes, sages, and gods, please send me someone like-minded. Please send me someone who can understand me, who does not fear me. Send me someone bound heart to heart, soul to soul."
Then one day, a young scholar named Kwan arrived in the village. He was tall and handsome. His eloquence, virtue, and strong mind were all impressive, and Sun-ok fell in love with him.
After years of studying, Kwan proposed marriage to Sun-ok.
"I will go to the capital to become an official. Then I will return and marry you."
So Sun-ok waited and waited, but the scholar never returned. Later, she found out he had died. He had drowned to death.
Sorrowful, she cried every night, praying to meet her beloved again in the next life. The gods favored her and fulfilled her wish. The next day, Sun-ok woke up with a mark on her body.
The gods spoke to her:
"You shall be bound heart to heart, soul to soul. Find his reincarnation. You and he share this mark, and when you have found the right one, it will bloom into a flower."
That was how the myth went.
Very few people possessed this mark. Some saw it as a blessing, even romantic, while others viewed it as a shackle or a burden.
Especially among nobles, it was not considered a good thing. If they were lucky, their fated partner would come from another prestigious clan or at least possess great wealth. But if they were unfortunate, their partner could be a commoner. That would ruin their reputation and social standing. Families were also reluctant to marry their sons and daughters into households with marked individuals.
Marriage was often political and centered around alliances. Love was rarely the reason for it. Baek Hana and Seong Jubok were exceptions, not the norm.
That was why many families kept the fact that one of their children carried the mark hidden. This was even more true for members of the imperial family. So for Jongmu to reveal such information so openly was strange.
If fate paired him with someone from a respectable noble family, then everything would be fine, and it could even become a great love story recorded in history books for future generations to read. But if the match was unsuitable—or worse, if the person turned out to be a commoner—then that person was as good as dead.
The Prince's intentions were easy to guess, making the situation all the more horrifying.
Did he genuinely want us to help him find them?
And just as I feared, Jongmu spoke the words I desperately did not want to hear.
"As you know, having such a mark is quite the hassle." He spoke slowly, pronouncing each syllable clearly. "Finding them myself would alarm too many people, making things awkward. So I am here today to request a person from the Baek Clan."
At the Prince's words, my father, sister, Jubok, and I immediately cupped our hands politely.
"Of course we will accept!" my father answered willingly. "Who is it that you want for this task? I presume you already have someone in mind, since you came all the way here."
Although it was unfortunate for our clan to be chosen, it was not particularly strange either. Aside from being a merchant family, the Baek Clan had also produced capable martial artists in every generation, especially when it came to tracking and illusion techniques, for which the clan was famous.
"I do indeed have someone in mind. It is someone I am quite fated with." The Prince spoke in his usual well-enunciated tone. He lifted the cup in his right hand and took a sip. His manners were perfect. He made even the simplest movements appear elegant.
"I came here to borrow your son, the Young Master Baek Hwi."
Silence.
My father's smiling expression could no longer be maintained. His lips twitched slightly.
"...Hwi? Him? W—" My father stopped himself from cursing. "Your Highness, frankly speaking, my son is quite useless. His fighting skills are merely average, and his tracking skills are even worse."
At those words, I couldn't help snapping my head away from Jongmu and toward my father in disbelief. That was pure slander. My tracking skills were superb—the very best. It was a field in which I even surpassed my sister.
But I held myself back. I knew Father was doing this for my own good. I simply lowered my head as if ashamed and remained silent.
My sister and Jongmu, who sat opposite me, smirked. Jongmu's eyes even seemed to carry mockery. He was clearly enjoying himself immensely while watching me squirm.
"Oh? Lord Baek, you must be joking. I have heard nothing but praise regarding your son's abilities. He is very well-known."
My father deflected the words with an awkward smile and uncomfortable silence. He swallowed the wine in his mouth.
"They are merely pretty tricks, not real abilities. And flattery is always exaggerated."
It was now obvious that my father was rejecting the Prince's request for me specifically to carry out the task.
The atmosphere turned tense once again—not that it had ever truly been calm from the beginning.
"You must be joking." The Prince's amicable expression cooled. "I regret it, but I must insist."
This time, Jongmu's voice carried more force behind it.
"My father... also hopes for the Young Master's assistance."
It was now clearly an imperial order, not merely a prince's request.
This time, my father cupped his hands and bowed. "We dare not object."
Having to bow as well was irritating. I had never bowed so much to anyone before. It felt uncomfortable, especially because no one even considered asking for my opinion. The entire conversation concerned me, yet I was not allowed to participate in it.
"No need to bow. We are here to enjoy fine wine and food, after all."
Jongmu's words relieved everyone. No one showed it outwardly, but they were afraid of him. After all, rumors claimed he had such a terrible temper that blood was spilled wherever he went.
He then turned to me, smiling beautifully. It was a truly charming smile. His eyes curved like crescent moons and shone like stars. Striking.
"Young Master Hwi." His index finger touched my chin, raising my lowered head slightly. His thumb nearly brushed against my lips. "I am truly delighted to have you by my side... in the quest to find my fated partner."
I merely gulped nervously. His gaze and the way he spoke felt somewhat strange. It was so intense that I felt as if I were about to be devoured.
"The pleasure is mine."
I wanted to lower my head, but he was still holding my chin up with his finger, so I could only lower my eyes.
"Quite nice to the touch," the Prince whispered so quietly that only I could hear him.
His hand wandered from my chin to my cheek, as if cupping it gently, before finally letting me go.