Chapter 1

The early autumn wind was cold.

With every step, fallen leaves scattered.

It seemed that autumn had fully arrived even on the back wall path of Baekseon Palace, which had been gloomy.

Jang Rae walked along the quiet stone wall path.

While walking, he brushed off a few maple leaves that had settled on his shoulder, and the cool autumn air seemed to refresh his lungs.

As he walked like this, he felt anew that the long, hot summer had ended and it was truly autumn.

Jang Rae, the captain of the guards of the Akgung (Red Palace), who was in charge of the security of this imperial palace, was a man respected by all the palace guards.

"He is a man of upright thoughts and deep loyalty, a role model for all the guards."

He was praised to such an extent by Emperor Yunseong himself. He was a man without fault, except for his unusually young age of success.

Even if he was a model of diligence, there were times when he wanted to put down the heavy burden and rest.

To escape the gaze of the important figures within the palace, strolling alone in the Qingdao Palace was this diligent warrior's way of resting.

The stone wall path behind Baekseon Palace was one of Jang Rae's favorite walking paths.

It was usually a dense and dark place with a gloomy atmosphere, but when autumn came and the leaves changed color, it transformed into a completely different place with a bright and cheerful atmosphere.

It was a walking path known only to Jang Rae in this vast imperial palace.

However, today there was a visitor.

It was a scene like a painting. As he entered the path covered with maple leaves, Jang Rae thought.

A young man was sitting on a stone near the stone wall, catching his breath.

From his neatly tied hair and rolled-up sleeves, he exuded a strong vitality.

A wooden water jug was placed near his feet, suggesting that he had stopped to rest after fetching water.

There was no trace of artificial adornment on the young man sitting on the stone.

On his innocent face, without even a touch of makeup, fatigue and a sense of relief could be felt. How old was he? Perhaps a few years younger than Jang Rae.

Among the colorful maple leaves, he was resting in the cool autumn breeze... What was it?

Jang Rae felt as if time was flowing slowly.

For a moment, he couldn't help but lose himself in the sight of the young man.

"Ah!"

Then, the time that had stopped flowed again.

The young man, recognizing Jang Rae, jumped off the stone and bowed in surprise.

"I am ashamed. I was fetching clean water on the order of the head of the inner palace, but I was tired and took a short rest."

"..."

"I greet Captain Jang Rae of the Akgung."

Thinking that he had been caught playing around, the young man's embarrassment was evident.

Even if Jang Rae was a strict warrior in training, it was not right to scold a young man who was resting after physical labor.

On the contrary, the weight of the water jug seemed too heavy for the young man to carry alone. While enthusiasm was good, taking on a task beyond one's capacity would only harm oneself.

Without changing his expression, Jang Rae lifted the water jug the young man was holding.

"Ah, no! Captain Jang Rae! I will carry it myself."

"Next time, carry the load in several trips, only as much as you can handle."

"Ah, yes... I am ashamed..."

When Jang Rae spoke in his low, calm voice, the young man bowed his head with a meek expression.

"..."

It seemed the young man thought he had been scolded. Jang Rae had no such intention.

Usually, Jang Rae would have gone about his business, but for some reason, his heart softened towards this young man.

Feeling guilty for making him feel meek, Jang Rae chose words to ease the atmosphere.

"Still, it's good to have enthusiasm. You seem to have a diligent nature, and that diligence will surely benefit you in the future."

"Thank you... for your kind words."

Receiving the message that Jang Rae was not upset, the young man's expression seemed to soften.

"What is your name?"

Jang Rae asked the young man's name, which was irrelevant. Even he found it strange.

"Seolran. I am Seolran, an apprentice servant of Cheongnyeonjae."

It meant a winter orchid.

Indeed, despite his humble status as a servant, he exuded a unique sense of integrity. His name matched his appearance, he thought to himself.

After that, an awkward silence fell. It was only natural.

The captain of the Akgung and an apprentice servant.

The difference in their status was so vast that it could not be described even with the metaphor of heaven and earth.

What common topic could they have, and how could they have a heartfelt conversation?

However, Jang Rae just stared blankly at the young man's face.

Seolran, who introduced himself, seemed uncomfortable with Jang Rae's gaze and hesitated for a moment.

Then, with the determination to break the awkwardness, he finally managed to smile, trembling his lips.

It might have been a desperate attempt to improve the uncomfortable atmosphere from the young man's perspective.

But for Jang Rae, it was a scene that made his eyes widen in surprise.

Amidst the gently falling autumn leaves,

Looking at Seolran's faint smile, Jang Rae instinctively wanted to say something.

You are truly beautiful.

He was a man who had devoted his life to training, regarding frivolous pursuits as unnecessary and building a wall around himself.

It was astonishing that such flowery words could come from a man as stoic as himself. It was a sensation he had never felt before.

However, what reason was there not to say it?

Regardless of how it might sound to the young man's ears, it was simply the truth.

Just as Jang Rae's mouth opened and such words were about to escape—

"Quack! Quack! Oink! Oink!"

"Oink! Oink! Oink!"

"Roar!"

The sound of a pig being slaughtered echoed.

"..."

"..."

Turning his gaze to the forest, he saw a young apprentice guard fighting a wild boar.

The fight seemed to be in its final stages, as both were covered in blood.

The sword at his waist seemed to be for show, as the guard stood in a fighting stance, breathing heavily. His upper body, torn and tattered from the fight, barely served its function as clothing.

The guard's heavy breathing sounded like a wild animal growling.

A fierce spirit and a bold demeanor emanated from his red eyes.

"Hehehe...! It's been a while since I've met a proper match!"

"Oink! Oink! Oink!"

"Right, you're just struggling to survive, aren't you! I admire your spirit! At the boundary of life and death, let's fight to the end...! To take your life, I must also be willing to risk mine, that's only fair!"

Bang! Bang! Thud! Thud!

Jang Rae couldn't believe what he was seeing. A young, almost childlike apprentice guard was engaging in a physical battle with a wild boar larger than a man.

One hit from those tusks would critically injure a strong man, yet the guard stood with a smile, raising his guard.

Raising his guard, he swayed to the left, readied for a body blow, and then countered with a punch.

The wild boar's counterattack. A charging attack, sweeping through the maple leaves. The man, not trying to dodge, took the hit head-on, shouted, and lifted the boar, throwing it backward. A suplex.

The boar, groaning, fell but tried to get up again. The man didn't give him a chance. He rushed in, wrapped his legs around the boar's neck, and twisted its center of gravity, throwing it down again.

The fierce physical battle continued.

Piledriver, choke slam, back drop, one-inch punch, elbow drop.

Watching the intense physical battle for a while, Jang Rae snapped out of his trance.

No matter what, a Qingdao Palace apprentice guard was fighting a wild boar. As a captain, he couldn't just stand by. He had to help before the guard was seriously injured.

Just as he was about to steady himself and reach for his sword—

"Crack!"

The boar's neck broke, and a final scream echoed.

Slowly rising and turning his head, the boy's aura was intense from the fight. His heavy breathing was audible.

The faint light in his eyes was almost as wild as a beast. Blood dripped from his fingertips.

The moment he met Jang Rae's eyes—

"...Oh... It's already... this time of year...!"

What did he mean by "this time of year"?

Before Jang Rae could form the obvious question, the boy quickly emerged from the bushes and bowed to him.

"I greet Captain Jang Rae of the Akgung. I apologize for my disheveled appearance. I was ordered by Baekseon to catch a wild boar that had sneaked into the palace grounds. It almost injured the delicate servants."

Upon revealing that he was an apprentice guard of Baekseon, Jang Rae sighed deeply and relaxed his grip on his sword.

Indeed, the attire was that of a guard.

"Is that so..."

"I should properly bow, but as you can see, my appearance is a mess. If the blood stains you, it would be a big problem, so I'll leave quickly. Then...!"

"Go ahead..."

"Ah...!"

Just as the boy was about to leave with a swift movement, he suddenly turned his head, clenched his fist, and said,

"Of course, I'll take the secret of your meeting here to my grave! I'm very good at keeping my mouth shut, so don't worry!"

"It's not a... meeting...!"

"I know everything. Don't worry, Miss! I have that much consideration!"

The boy, dragging the wild boar's corpse, said. He seemed to have extraordinary strength.

A wild boar of that size would require four strong men to carry. Jang Rae couldn't understand what he was seeing. What was the source of that incredible strength?

Moreover, a young apprentice guard, who looked no older than his late teens, had subdued such a large wild boar alone.

Feeling as if he was seeing something extraordinary, Jang Rae couldn't even muster a rebuttal.

"Sorry for ruining the mood. Please pretend nothing happened and continue what you were doing! Just keep talking, okay!"

"That's a... misunderstanding..."

"Ah, yes! Then I'll take it as a misunderstanding! I misunderstood! Misunderstanding!"

With that, the boy marched forward, dragging the bloodied wild boar's corpse.

The forest floor was soaked with dark red blood. The boar, still breathing, occasionally made a gasping sound, as if cursing the world.

"..."

"..."

It was a scene that had killed all romance and atmosphere.

*

While dragging the dismembered wild boar's corpse into the palace, the colorful maple leaves caught my eye. It was already autumn.

It was the time when the protagonist, 'Seolran,' and the Akgung captain, 'Jang Rae,' would meet for the first time.

It was a scene I had seen by chance... but indeed, they were a fine pair.

I had already known that Seolran, the female protagonist, was beautiful, but this was the first time I had seen Jang Rae in person.

He was a man so handsome that even another man would say, "He's really good-looking," without hesitation.

Diligent, handsome, fit, and kind... with such qualities, he would surely have a line of admirers. It was truly a pity that he was a 'secondary male lead.'

There was no helping it. That's how the world works.

Seolran, the protagonist, was a spirited and lively yet considerate character who would reject many handsome men and advance to the center of palace power.

And she would eventually rise to the position of 'Heavenly Palace Lady' and rule the palace.

From my perspective, it was a fortunate turn of events.

"...Still, you didn't acknowledge him in that tense situation."

It wasn't a situation where he could openly speak about it...

"...Sister Seolran."

The female protagonist of the romance fantasy novel 'Cheongnyeonjae.'

The Heavenly Palace Lady, Seolran, was my sister.

Seol Taepyeong (1)

In the great nation of Cheongdo, which commands the world,

The Qingdao Palace, its imperial palace, was a vast complex filled with numerous buildings.

To ensure it wasn't lacking in romance, the scenery of this Qingdao Palace was brimming with romance.

Seeing the beautiful mountains and rivers harmonizing with the luxurious palace, one couldn't help but feel a sense of romance.

The environment shapes a person, they say.

Seeing guards occasionally scaling the walls of the harem to meet maids, it was clear that the beautiful scenery had a certain romantic aura.

Even though scaling the harem walls was a serious offense that would result in immediate expulsion if caught,

It was not easy to become a guard in this Qingdao Palace. Love and romance could easily cloud one's judgment.

I might be a bit more sensible in that regard.

The reason being... I was a person who had built a wall around romance and romanticism.

I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to say this in the middle of a romance fantasy world, but it seemed my romantic cells had long since died.

"Ah, Taepyeong! I heard the news. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Entering the kitchen of Baekseon Palace and placing the dismembered wild boar's corpse, the head eunuch rushed over with a worried expression.

He called me Taepyeong.

That's right, my name was Seol Taepyeong.

I had been in this world as the younger brother of the female protagonist 'Seolran' from the Eastern romance fantasy novel 'Cheongnyeonjae,' which I had only read halfway through, for ten years.

"Don't worry too much. Have you ever seen the head of Baekseon make unreasonable demands? It must be a manageable task, so he assigned it to me. Isn't that right?"

It was natural for him to be worried, seeing me covered in blood. I sat on the veranda next to the kitchen and brushed off my clothes.

The head eunuch, with his wrinkled face, was taken aback at the sight of the wild boar's corpse.

"Is this... something you caught alone, Taepyeong?"

"I was patrolling the forest behind the stone wall. If I had met any servants or maids, it could have caused a big problem. Fortunately, I caught it in time, indeed..."

"Goodness... Go see a doctor first. I'll report to the head of Baekseon."

"Ah... This..."

Covered in dark red blood, it was understandable for him to be suspicious.

"This is all boar blood. I have a few minor scratches, but nothing that requires special treatment."

The head eunuch looked back and forth between me and the wild boar's corpse, clearly disbelieving that I had caught a boar the size of a man alone.

A wild boar as large as a strong man. Despite my young physical age, it was much larger than my body.

Even a strong and muscular person has limits.

If an apprentice guard who had just entered Baekseon Palace had caught a boar the size of a man alone, even the captain of the Akgung would be amazed.

Indeed, Captain Jang Rae had looked at me in disbelief.

"By the way, is the preparation I mentioned ready?"

"Yes... I had someone prepare it. You'll have to light the fire yourself, though..."

"Thank you, Head Eunuch! I always owe you."

I bowed respectfully and checked the pot and simple ingredients in the corner of the kitchen.

"Since I can't go see the head of Baekseon in this state, please report that the wild boar problem is resolved. I need to clean up a bit."

"Alright. You should rest for a while, Taepyeong."

"I'm not in a state that requires much worry. I'll be on my way."

*

Baekseon Palace (白仙宮) was a place where Taoist priests who resolved issues related to alchemy lived within the imperial palace.

A Taoist priest skilled in alchemy and Taoist arts, who was appointed to the palace, was called a Baekseon.

Sometimes they would resolve various issues on the emperor's orders, but their main job was to maintain the palace's protective formations.

As a guard assisting such a Baekseon... to put it bluntly, it was a leisurely position.

Most of the time, I only did odd jobs and stood guard, making it one of the most relaxed positions among the palace guards.

Personally, it was a highly satisfying position. I received a decent salary as a guard, but the workload was minimal, making it an excellent job.

The less work