Brand of the Desert

Peaceful Supporters

Over the imperial annex’s quiet, secluded veranda, warm, golden afternoon sunlight was spilling down in abundance, softly filtering through the cherry tree branches blooming thickly overhead. A light, flexible breeze lazily drifted in through the open stone archway, carrying the sweet, vivid scent of fresh flowers and the damp smell of earth, and creating the gentle tremor of an unbelievably serene stillness that had come after the dark, heavy years of the past. Today, within these castle walls, neither the heavy thud of soldiers marching in formation nor the clatter of leather straps against iron plates echoed loudly. The capital was utterly peaceful, and the throne was perfectly safe without even the slightest trace of danger.

I was sitting comfortably on a low wooden chair placed beneath the shade of a fully bloomed plum tree, wearing a simple, unadorned travel hanbok that let me move freely without a single rustling sound.

Hyunjin moved in and settled tightly into the secluded space right beside me, his tall, massive frame fully relaxed as he pressed his broad shoulder firmly against my sturdy one. For this afternoon, he had cast aside the heavy, ornate imperial gold robes and crown entirely, and sat comfortably in nothing but loose, soft white undergarments that held the bright spring sunlight. His long black hair swayed gently with the remaining breeze, and his sharp, dark eyes were fixed completely on the small bundle of cloth safely cradled within the space of his arms.

Our daughter, Yunseo, was now several months past birth, and the baby’s small body was becoming visibly firmer day by day, filling with curiosity toward the world around her. Wearing loose, simple white cotton underclothes, she was lazily wriggling her small feet over the thick fur blanket while staring straight at her father with wide, dark eyes that perfectly reflected the clear sky.

Hyunjin looked down at the baby’s perfect face, and a deep dimple quietly woke on his handsome cheekbones along with a soft, unbelievably beautiful smile. The emperor’s ferocious, commanding mask—the one he used when crushing and purging the capital’s corrupt factions without mercy—vanished without a trace in an instant. His large, warm fingers moved lightly and carefully, gently tickling along the baby’s small palm in slow, firm circles until the tiny fingers wrapped tightly around his knuckle joints and fully caught hold of his hand.

"Whenever the child moves her eyes chasing the light, she really looks exactly like you." Hyunjin whispered deeply, and his rich, resonant voice carried a languid, sleepy warmth that I could feel directly through his chest right beside my shoulder. He lowered his head a little more, and a rare, faintly flustered pink flush burst up across his high cheekbones as he pressed a long-lasting, quiet kiss onto the baby’s soft forehead. Then he turned his gaze back and fixed it firmly on my eyes. "A genius strategist who can flawlessly outpace and bring down an entire corrupt faction, and yet you still willingly let this little princess completely rule your whole afternoon schedule."

I let out a low, soft laugh and lazily leaned my head back against his broad, solid shoulder. Reaching out, I firmly grasped the back of his large hand with my fingers, adding a reassuring, clasping pressure to his hold around the baby’s cotton cloth.

"I’m simply selecting the fronts I have to fight with care, Your Majesty." I whispered smoothly, deliberately shaping my lips clearly in the warm morning sunlight so that he could read every syllable without difficulty. "And right now, preserving this peace intact under this roof is the greatest and most important blueprint of strategy I possess."

A soft, full sigh of satisfaction slipped from between Hyunjin’s lips. The grip of the thumb holding my fingers shifted into something endlessly tender, and he pulled my small frame even closer to his side beneath the falling cherry blossom petals, trapping me in the deep closeness of his chest. It was a solid seal that shut out the rest of the empire’s world completely. And so, sharing the warmth of our joined fingertips, we quietly watched our child sink peacefully down into the depths of sleep.