In the Joseon Kingdom, power is won with blood, and secrets are buried with the dead.
When Queen Sim dies under suspicious circumstances, the truth is silenced before it can be spoken. Soon after, the Cho family is destroyed. Cho Hyun is executed for crimes he never committed, and his wife Hye-yun meets a tragic end after giving birth to the King’s child.
Only one survivor remains.
Cho Ye-seo.
Raised in secret by Baek Hwi-gyeom, her father’s loyal bodyguard, Ye-seo grows into a deadly assassin within Cheongun, a powerful underground merchant organization that controls trade routes between Joseon and Qing. For years, she lives for one purpose alone: revenge.
Disguised as Yun Ga-hyeon, the adopted daughter of Chief Secretary Yun Sang-jae, she infiltrates the palace as the Crown Prince’s new concubine.
But Crown Prince Lee Kang is pursuing a secret of his own.
Determined to uncover the conspiracy behind his mother’s death, he finds himself drawn to the mysterious woman who has entered his court under a false name. Suspicion turns into an uneasy alliance. An alliance slowly transformed by trust, desire, and a love neither of them can afford.
Yet the deeper they dig, the more dangerous the truth becomes.
A forgotten royal bloodline erased from history.
A hidden prince with a claim to the throne.
The Baekgeomdan, Joseon’s first secret assassination order, emerging from the shadows.
As rival factions move to shake the kingdom in the name of the “true heir,” Lee Kang must protect the throne, while Ye-seo must decide whether revenge is worth the cost of everything she has come to love.
Love and vengeance.
Loyalty and betrayal.
Assassin and Crown Prince.
As their fates become entwined, Joseon is drawn once more into a storm of blood, ambition, and war.
A sweeping historical fantasy romance filled with court intrigue, deadly conspiracies, forbidden love, and the struggle for a kingdom’s future.
Ye Ju.
This novel blends the intricate storytelling of Korean historical fantasy with the emotional depth of a powerful romance. An epic tale of revenge and love intertwined by fate, it unfolds amid fierce struggles for the throne, hidden truths, and deadly court intrigue at the heart of a kingdom on the brink of upheaval. As wounded souls confront their destiny, the future of the kingdom hangs in the balance. For readers who enjoy K-drama style narratives, high-stakes political conflict, and immersive Asian-inspired fantasy worlds, this is an unforgettable journey.
