Once, when he was only eleven, he had been practicing swordsmanship with the other students. By then, Uncle Hwang had already taken him in and taught him the ways of a Hwachon soldier. During a sparring match with a boy a year older than him, his opponent resorted to dirty tricks.

Their swords were wooden, yet for some reason, the other boys' felt sharper than Dohyun's.

The intent had been clear:
He doesn't belong here. Let's show him his place.

Dohyun knew he was being bullied. He didn't care.

He gave it everything he had.

Uncle Hwang was watching. Dohyun had to prove he was capable.

Despite the tricks and the cuts that followed, Dohyun didn't give up. He lunged forward and attacked. In the end, he won.

Unable to accept defeat, the boy and his friends ganged up on him after the match. They beat him until he bled. They crushed his lungs and struck him repeatedly with an iron rod - his back, his head, his stomach.

Pain stabbed through every inch of his body.

Dohyun didn't make a sound.

Why?

Because he knew the truth. No one would side with him. And Uncle Hwang could not be troubled over such matters again and again. He had to endure it. Endure it now, and repay it all once he grows stronger than them all.

When they finally tired of his unresponsive body, they discarded him like trash on the street, tossing the bloodied iron rod into the river.

As the sun set, its fading rays reflected off the trickling saltwater that dripped from Dohyun's swollen, bloodied eye.

Finally, it was over.

But… how do I go back?
I can't move…

And so he lay there, soaked in blood and dust, quietly enduring the pain as he slipped into sleep… or perhaps into death.

Back then, he had survived because of Uncle Hwang.

Now, the same scene repeated itself.

But this time, who would save him? Was there anyone he could call his own here?

No.

No one would come. No one would save him.

So he had to endure. Endure and endure and endure. Don't worry. It will end soon. Just bite your tongue and endure it. No one's going to-

"What is the meaning of this?"

An icy voice rang through the court.

It was androgynous, yet stern enough to crush pride and force even the boldest to their knees. Everyone turned and immediately bowed, fear and reverence etched onto their faces.

The figure before them radiated a gentle glow, yet beneath that radiance lay a bone-deep coldness that sent shivers down their spines. Long, wide sleeves brushed against the floor as the figure moved.

"Your Highness! We have awaited your presence. Please do justice!"

One of the women spoke as though she herself had been wronged. While attempting to comfort the sobbing girl, she hurriedly explained the situation, her wrinkled face twisting with agitation.

Hwa Miye remained silent.

His gaze landed on the beaten, curled-up figure on the floor, who now looked like a crushed pill bug. His brows furrowed, anger and disgust flickering in his eyes.

"Do you enjoy causing trouble," he asked sharply, "or does trouble simply follow you?"

Then his gaze shifted to the crying girl.

"Why do you accuse him of taking your mother?"

"M-My lady! I saw those same eyes back then. They were exactly like his!"

"Did you see his face?"

"No… he was veiled."

"Then how can you be certain it was him?"

"I… I-"

"You are young, and therefore a poor judge of character. Worse still, all of you chose to side with her without discerning truth from falsehood. You assaulted someone without evidence and declared him guilty. If this is not impudence displayed in my court, then what is?"

Each word was laced with cold authority.

His long lashes fluttered as his brows narrowed, his gaze shifting between the crowd and Dohyun. His straight nose twitched with clear disdain. It was obvious: the Flower Princess was furious.

The courtroom fell silent.

The people realized their fault and stood speechless, unable to defend themselves.

Yet the girl remained resolute.

She stepped forward and dropped to her knees, sobbing anew. "Your Highness, please… find my mother… I beg you…"

"And the boy you injured?" Hwa Miye asked coldly. "Is his life of no importance to you?"

"M-My lady…?"

Is the Princess truly siding with a man?

The Princess who despised men, who had only ever accepted Prince Yugwon into her life?

Surely she would rather side with the wrong than with a man!

That was what they had believed. That was how the flower princess had always been.

But this time, she was not biased.

She really sought justice.

The girl sniffled. For the first time, disdain crossed the Princess's face, along with a prideful hatred directed not at the girl, but at her own subjects. The very people for whom she worked tirelessly, even while sick. The people for whom she penned countless petitions to resolve the smallest grievances.

Why was she different this time?

"Your mother will be found," Hwa Miye said coolly. "That is certain, if she is still within my province of Hwachon."

His gaze darkened.

"But how will you repay what you did to that boy?"

"My lady! You cannot side with him without evidence!" the girl cried desperately. "I recognized his eyes but what about you?! On what basis are you siding with him?!"

The words slipped from her tongue. Regret was etched onto her skin completely.

She knew she shouldn't have said it... But grief had overtaken reason.

Gasps rippled through the court. Those who had supported the girl once now immediately stepped back in regret.

"Evidence, you ask?" Hwa Miye's voice turned chilling.

"He slept under my roof last night and did not move an inch from his place. Witnesses?" His eyes sharpened. "I am the witness. Do you require more?"

The hall erupted in shock.

A man… sleeping under the Flower Princess's roof?
And she had observed him closely enough to vouch for him? How can that be...? It's truly....

The girl was left utterly speechless.

Hwa Miye scoffed. "Your mother will be found. If this boy is guilty, I will punish him personally. If not..."

His gaze swept across the room.

"...be prepared to answer for your actions. All of you."

He stepped toward the battered body on the floor, then glanced over his shoulder. Two servant women dressed in dull white and pale blue rushed forward, lifting the unconscious boy. His bloodied feet dragged against the ground as they carried him toward the door.

"Today's court is dismissed."

The order was absolute, and the people dispersed at once.