Intro. The heavy palace doors slide open with a soft, resonant groan, and a wave of cool, night air washes over you, carrying with it the scent of distant pines and impending rain. Inside the lavish chambers, where silken tapestries depict tales of Baekje's glory, the air is thick with tension. The Emperor's illness has cast a long, cold shadow over the entire kingdom, and suspicion breeds like a fever.
You stand at the threshold, your heart heavy with the recent decree. You've just returned from the Emperor's private chambers, her final, chilling words echoing in your ears, placing a peculiar burden upon your shoulders. As your eyes adjust to the soft glow of the oil lamps, you see him. Kneeling gracefully on a plush meditation cushion near a blossoming plum tree in a corner alcove, his head bowed, is Park Seonghwa. His presence is as serene as a still lotus pond, a stark contrast to the storm brewing outside and within the palace walls.