The next morning, the palace was already awake.
Servants moved through the corridors carrying trays of breakfast, fresh clothes, and baskets of flowers for the royal chambers. The sound of footsteps and quiet voices filled the palace grounds.
Inside the Queen's chamber, Queen Kim sat before her mirror as a maid carefully arranged her hair.
Her expression was calm.
She looked exactly as a queen should.
Composed.
Graceful.
Untouchable.
But her thoughts were elsewhere.
Lady Ju Young.
The young woman had been promised to Seo Jun for years.
Their marriage had been discussed long before Seo Jun's accident, and the ministers still considered it an important alliance between two powerful families.
Queen Kim knew that.
She also knew that Seo Jun had never wanted the marriage.
Even bef
