* * *
The whole thing was so unexpected that I had to figure out what happened.
Turned out we were caught on video purely by accident.
Someone was filming their family at the beach, and we ended up in the background.
Once the commotion started, they stopped filming the ocean and focused on us—and only later realized it was the Emperor and his Concubine.
But seriously, how can people just upload videos of strangers like that?
Joo Minhyuk was busy dealing with the mess alongside his secretary and aides, while I secretly checked the comments spreading across social media before the video was fully erased.
From what I saw, my face only showed clearly in one scene.
Most of the time, I was hidden behind the crowd, but there was a brief moment when I asked for the hat—that scene got captured and spread all over social media.
Just once, my face showed up clearly—and people didn’t miss it.
The speed of the internet is terrifying. Seriously, is there anything our country can’t do?
Because of that, I got to see people’s reactions to me in almost real time.
“…So that’s the Grand Concubine everyone talks about. Damn, he’s pretty. Like, the perfect omega? Ugh, so embarrassing.”
What?
The perfect omega?
And a super pretty one at that?
I almost passed out from secondhand embarrassment.
It was so cringe I couldn’t keep reading.
But I was curious how people viewed Minhyuk, so I forced myself to keep going, eyelids trembling.
@asdf% Look at the Emperor taking care of his Concubine. Eyes went crazy. He’s so whipped.
@tiramisuCake0 Why hide a face like that in this day and age? That kind of beauty should be shared.
@apple16 Is the Emperor really with that omega just because he’s the Emperor? Guess you need to be that stunning to become the Emperor’s Concubine. Lucky guy.
@samsung24 Did you see the guards sprinting after the Emperor? Why even have them if they can’t protect a single Concubine?
There were too many to list, but the general vibe was about the same—and reading them had my face red the entire time.
Apparently, I came across as someone deeply loved by the Emperor.
It was chaos.
Total chaos.
Embarrassing and cringey as the comments were, I couldn’t stop reading.
A good number of them were fascinated by how Minhyuk had handled the guy who harassed me.
The scene where he grabbed the guy’s face and snatched the hat got the most explosive reactions.
@khkxnnpt Whoa, is that seriously the Emperor?
@kimChulGeun-k5x Man, the world’s crazy now. I’m just lying at home watching the Emperor run on video.
@jkw5567 The Emperor is insanely cool. How big are his hands to grab a dude’s face like that in one go? Should’ve just popped it like a balloon.
@iilliil – Getting blocked by the palace lord’s back like that, lol. How wide is it that I can’t even see? Hide me too, please.
@bhclove – Damn, he’s cool. I didn’t expect him to grab the guy’s face like that the second he ran up, lol. And he runs so fast—like he’s got motors in his legs. Who runs that well on sand?
@sodke867 – Wow, so that’s how he acts around his omega. Kinda amazing. But… aren’t those guys who harassed him in the Daebin Palace gonna die? Isn’t that, like, a crime against the royal family or something?
…But honestly, these people are hopeless.
How can their judgment be this bad?
What’s so attractive or sexy about that aggressive side of Joo Minhyuk?
People should value kindness and warmth—that’s what matters most.
The face isn’t everything, and they clearly don’t get that.
“Wait… what do they mean by him running well on sand?”
When I wondered what they were talking about, I realized the video actually captured the moment Joo Minhyuk ran toward me.
Unlike what I saw in the heat of the moment, the video was shot from a wider angle, making it easier for others to see the whole picture.
“…He really can run.”
He started sprinting the second that guy messed around, hiding my hat behind his back.
His eyes didn’t waver—he ran straight for me.
Damn, he’s fast.
Oh—whoops, his knee did buckle once.
Well, yeah, running on sand is hard.
Still, Minhyuk charged forward without hesitation, grabbed that guy by the face, and snatched my hat away.
Watching it again, it actually looked… cool.
Like a scene straight out of a commercial.
He ran without a single second of doubt.
And watching that, I felt something strange.
Even though I lived it, I couldn’t quite believe it happened—for me.
So I kept watching it.
Over and over, until the video was taken down by the royal household.
No matter what his reason or intention was, the fact that he ran to me without thinking of anything else—it just made me feel good.
I’d been so focused on how things should go based on the novel before I came here, that I hadn’t been living in the present.
Even though the Yeonghwa Palace did eventually show up, the timing and everything else is completely different from what I knew.
Even the way Minhyuk treats me lately proves that. He said he wanted to help, and I believed him.
I asked for help, and he actually followed through.
Whenever I was sick, he stayed by my side.
He made time for me.
So maybe… maybe I don’t need to worry so much about Yeonghwa Palace anymore.
Seeing Minhyuk like that in the video—it’s clear the story is changing.
“Yeah. At the very least, Minhyuk doesn’t hate me anymore. So maybe… I can start seeing things a bit more positively. As for Yeonghwa Palace… whatever. I’ll figure it out. Right now, what matters is that my brother and I stay safe.”
Thanks to the royal family’s quick response, the video was wiped from every platform.
The people who messed with my hat were summoned and given a light investigation.
They even tracked down the original uploader and wrapped up the incident quickly.
The clip went viral, not just on SNS and local sites, but even overseas on major gossip platforms.
Because of that, anywhere Minhyuk went during his schedule, crowds gathered.
People were cheering like crazy.
Something about showing a “softer, family-oriented” side of the Emperor suddenly made him seem more relatable or something.
Honestly, I don’t get it. People are so simple.
And because of that video, I had one less task to worry about.
I was supposed to meet with the market head and have a private meal with Minhyuk—without press coverage—but that was canceled.
Since my face got exposed, they said it was a safety issue.
Of course, that meant Minhyuk wouldn’t stop nagging me.
He kept repeating himself like a broken record.
“Once you’re back in Seoul, you need to stay inside the palace. Got it? It’s unavoidable, so please cooperate.”
“Yes, but… Your Majesty. I have a pheromone test scheduled. I have to go to the hospital in person for that…”
“I’ll assign extra security vehicles and guards. Go to the hospital and return straight to the palace. Now that your face is out there, we need to be more careful. I feel uneasy that I can’t go back with you.”
Apparently, Minhyuk suddenly had to leave for a business trip to New Zealand.
So I had to return to Seoul and enter the palace on my own.
It must’ve been important—he looked really stressed and even closed his eyes in frustration while talking.
‘What could it be?’
With no other option, he sent me off like a parent seeing their child off on a long trip, fussing over every little thing.
“The Empress Dowager won’t be upset, right?”
“About what? The incident? She won’t say anything. But if she does, clap back. You’re good at that, aren’t you?”
‘Is he insane? I’ll get slapped if I try that.’
“I’ll be careful. I’ll stay in the palace. Safe trip.”
“…I’ve already explained everything to Her Majesty, so don’t worry. I’ll see you when I get back.”
Minhyuk seemed weirdly preoccupied.
I should probably just stay in my room and avoid causing any trouble.
I don’t get how one video leaking online could be such a security risk, but I returned to the palace under what felt like a full-blown spy operation.
And just like that, Minhyuk blocked all access to the Daebin Palace to keep people from bothering me—including even the Empress Dowager.
That alone tells you a lot about his personality.
“Haejoo.”
I was resting on the sofa, too exhausted to keep my eyes open, when I heard someone call me softly.
“Huh? Kang Hyunwook! When did you get here? Aren’t you my personal bodyguard? You weren’t there earlier—do you know how terrifying it was out at sea!”
“Sorry. I saw the video too. I was shocked. I’m just relieved you’re okay. It’s been chaos here too, because of that.”
“…Whatever. It’s over now. But hey, aren’t you busy anymore?”
Hyunwook sat down in front of me, falling silent, like he had something serious to say but kept hesitating.
“Can you spare a little time to go outside with me?”
His expression was serious.
Immediately, I thought of Minhyuk warning me not to leave the palace.
‘Uh-oh. What do I do?’
This time, I really feel like I should stay put.
But Hyunwook looked genuinely troubled.
“Didn’t His Majesty tell you not to go out?”
Hyunwook asked, already expecting that response.
“Yeah. It’s probably best to lay low right now. But why do you suddenly want to go out?”
The way he was fidgeting with his hands looked… off.
Did something happen?
Did he get into trouble? Does he need help?
“What’s going on? If it’s something serious, just tell me. The sooner I know, the sooner I can help. It’s not, like, some huge disaster, right?”
“Haejoo… Listen. I—”
What is it? Just say it already.
“I actually found Seojoo.”
…?
“I saw him before I even met you. I already knew. I was the first one to find Seojoo. But…”
‘Wait… what? What the hell is he saying? Seojoo—our Seojoo—is here? He’s been here this whole time? So like me… like us?’
My hands started trembling, and I couldn’t stop. I gripped them together, staring at Hyunwook’s lips, desperate for him to say the next words.
‘Seojoo is here?’
I’ve been searching all this time, but actually hearing it was a shock.
Why are we all meeting again in this place? It was too much to process.
But how did Hyunwook know about Seojoo beforehand?
Why hadn’t he said anything until now?
He knew how desperately I was searching for him.
How could he keep it a secret all this time?
“Hey… Kang Hyunwook. What the hell? What are you doing? You knew how badly I was looking for Seojoo—and you found him and said nothing? So that’s what you were busy with…?”
“It’s not that what kept me busy had nothing to do with that… I really did want to tell you sooner. But there was a reason I couldn’t. …Because I thought you’d be really upset, Haejoo. That’s why I kept putting it off.”
“Upset? Why would I be upset about you meeting Seojoo? I’m not mad. I’m fine, so just tell me already.”
Right. Hyunwook’s not the kind of guy who would hide something from me for no reason.
He’s been desperate to find Seojoo, more than anyone else.
There’s no way he would’ve stayed quiet on purpose.
Unless Seojoo’s sick? Or maybe… possessed by some weird character?
A gangster? A junkie or something…?
“Seojoo didn’t recognize me. He didn’t know who I was. He doesn’t remember us at all, Haejoo. We don’t exist in his memories.”
“…What?”
He doesn’t remember us.
I stared blankly at Hyunwook’s face, like someone who couldn’t understand what he was saying.
* * *
Don’t tell me minhyuk is seojoo