Chapter 1 – The Prince Who Shouldn't Exist

The kingdom of Haneul had one unbreakable law.

"A prince must marry a princess to protect the royal bloodline."

Yet that law was about to become meaningless.

---

The palace echoed with hurried footsteps.

Servants rushed through the endless marble corridors carrying expensive silks, flowers, and golden trays overflowing with jewels.

Outside, musicians rehearsed.

Inside...

Chaos.

"Find Princess Sooyeon!"

The king's voice thundered across the throne room.

Guards immediately bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Within minutes, horses galloped through the palace gates.

Every noble house.

Every temple.

Every road leading out of the capital.

Nothing.

The princess had disappeared.

---

Meanwhile...

Hundreds of kilometers away...

Princess Sooyeon removed the heavy crown from her head and threw it into a river.

"I won't live my life as someone's political pawn."

Without looking back...

She vanished into the forest.

---

Back at the palace...

The wedding was only four hours away.

Delegations from neighboring kingdoms had already arrived.

Breaking the alliance would mean war.

The king gripped the armrest of his throne so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"There has to be another way."

Silence.

Then...

An elderly minister slowly stepped forward.

"There is... one possibility."

Everyone looked toward him.

He hesitated.

"It will disgrace the royal family."

The king narrowed his eyes.

"Speak."

The minister took a deep breath.

"The princess has... a younger brother."

The room froze.

Everyone knew who he meant.

---

Prince Kim Taehyung.

Twenty-four years old.

The forgotten prince.

Unlike the rest of the royal family...

Taehyung never attended banquets.

Never participated in politics.

Never smiled for the public.

He spent his days studying history, painting, and wandering the palace gardens alone.

Many nobles whispered that he wasn't fit to be royalty.

Others simply called him...

"The Invisible Prince."

---

One minister objected immediately.

"But he's a man!"

Another added,

"The groom is Crown Prince Jeon Jungkook! The future emperor of the Jeon Empire!"

The elderly minister nodded.

"I know."

"But if this marriage doesn't happen..."

"...thousands will die."

Silence returned.

The king closed his eyes.

Every option led to disaster.

Except one.

---

The palace doors opened.

A servant hurried toward the eastern garden.

---

Far from the panic...

Taehyung sat beneath an enormous cherry blossom tree.

A half-finished painting rested against the grass.

Pink petals drifted through the breeze, landing softly in his dark hair.

He didn't notice.

He was completely absorbed in mixing shades of blue.

Footsteps approached.

Fast.

Urgent.

"Your Highness!"

Taehyung looked up.

Three royal guards stopped before him, breathing heavily.

"The king requests your presence immediately."

Taehyung tilted his head.

"My father?"

"He said... it's an emergency."

Taehyung quietly cleaned the paint from his fingers with a cloth.

Then stood.

"I'll come."

---

The throne room fell silent as he entered.

Unlike everyone else dressed in elaborate robes...

Taehyung wore simple white clothing stained with flecks of blue paint.

His expression remained calm.

"You called for me, Father?"

The king couldn't meet his son's eyes.

Not at first.

Finally...

"There is something only you can do."

Taehyung listened patiently.

"The princess has disappeared."

His eyes widened slightly.

"My sister?"

"Yes."

The king swallowed.

"And..."

"...you must take her place."

For the first time...

Taehyung's composure cracked.

"What?"

"You will marry Crown Prince Jeon Jungkook."

The words hung in the air like a blade.

Taehyung stared at his father, searching for any sign that this was a cruel joke.

There wasn't one.

"You expect me..." His voice was quiet, almost hollow. "To marry a man I've never met... because my sister ran away?"

The king's shoulders sagged.

"I expect you to save this kingdom."

Taehyung looked around the room.

Every minister avoided his gaze.

Not one of them defended him.

Not one.

A bitter smile touched his lips.

"So I've finally become useful."

The sentence was soft.

But it struck everyone harder than a shout.

---

Miles away...

The Jeon procession approached the capital.

Black horses.

Silver banners.

Rows of disciplined royal guards.

At the center rode Crown Prince Jeon Jungkook.

His posture was flawless.

His expression unreadable.

One knight rode beside him.

"Your Highness."

"What?"

"There are... rumors."

Jungkook didn't look at him.

"What rumors?"

"The princess may have disappeared."

Jungkook's horse slowed.

His jaw tightened.

"What did you say?"

"No one knows if it's true."

A dangerous silence followed.

"If this is another political game..."

His eyes turned cold.

"...they will regret it."

The wind lifted his black cloak as the procession continued toward the palace, unaware that the fate awaiting him was nothing like the marriage he had agreed to.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***