#and its only okay because he is the son of a servant

[trans-yllz]

obsessed w the scene where wei wuxian goes to jinlintai to ask about wen ning, because when he comes in, while he Has sort of crashed their party, he is still, Technically, following all of their social rules. he's polite, and courteous, and respectful. he tries to speak with jin zixun away from everyone else first, he's well spoken and appropriately vague, he doesn't say anything when everyone continues to insult him directly to his face. they all know what he Means but he is, technically, still behaving exactly as a respectable cultivator should. and then it sort of starts to go sideways, and you're like uh oh. we can still make it out of here unscathed tho I bet. he hasn't said anything crazy yet. but then wei wuxian looks jin guangshan in his face and says "please allow me to ask another question - does jin zongzhu think that without the qishan wen sect, lanling jin is supposed to take it's place naturally? so everything should be handed over to you, and everyone should follow your orders?", which is insane,

[inuiiwonderland]

Empire

Being crowned as empress of the Yuunkaedangon empire at the age of 17, you begin to start loving the new status and power. But it soon gets a bit boring and demanding the moment you turned 18. Harem? Heirs? Tf not!

Chapter 3

Words: 900 (I think)

-

You watched closely as azul walked around his new pavilion. He was adorned in the finest of silks and jewels. You watched as he paced through the room, curious.

“I hope it’s to your liking”

He turns around, beautiful blueish purple eyes staring right back at your own.

“It is ... .thank you” You smile. You notice that azul is the shy type.

You grab the small box near one of the tables before making your way up to him.

“A welcome gift” He looks at the box in your hands before gently picking it up. He opens it and is met with a gorgeous hair pin. Azul stood there, stunned.

“Call Atsushi if you need anything” You say before leaving.

Azul was indeed a very beautiful man. The first time you saw him, you were absolutely stunned. He was tall, well mannered, and beautiful. Mrs. Ashengrotto was, in fact, happy to meet you. She introduced herself and her husband all the while a nice pearly white smile graced her lips.

Azul was rather shy. He was quiet the whole time and only spoke when a question came to him. You assumed he was nervous, but nonetheless you had a nice time talking to him and his family.

On the way back, azul brought his two most trusting servants and friends.

The leech twins

You have heard about them, their family name has quite a reputation. But you didn’t mind.

You introduced Azul to Riddle and Leona. The three of them are getting along! (Not really, but kinda!)

Well at least you don’t have to hear more nagging from the higher ups. (For now)

-

“Have you heard?”

Rumors are spreading like wildfire lately in the empress palace lately. Something about an unknown traveler being spotted near the Yuunkaedangon empire. Rumor goes that they aren’t from here. No identification, family, home. Some even say they aren’t from here. A different world maybe? Who knows.

-

You quietly work on the papers that you pushed aside for the past couple of days before atsushi took away your chocolate privileges. He’s a very scary man when he wants to be…

As you worked, a knock on the door stopped you from what you were doing.

“Come in”

A worried Atsushi walks in. Breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath.

“I-it’s doctor yujiro”

-

Heavy and fast footsteps are heard throughout the small clinic as you make your way through. Everyone quickly got out of your way and bowed as you didn’t pay any of them any attention.

“He’s in there” The doors to the room open and you are met with the horrible sight of doctor yujiro bedridden and sick.

“Doctor yujiro”

“Is that my little empress?” His small and weak voice pierces right through your ears.

“What happened?”

“Smallpox”

“Smallpox? How? Doctor yujiro is always clean and healthy, how can-“ Yujiro lightly laughs at your ramble.

“I’m as human as you are my dear”

“But you’ll be okay….right?” You ask, a worried expression starting to make its way on your face.

Both the doctor and Atsushi go silent

“You’ll be okay, right?” You say again, but a little louder this time.

“I’ve been sick for weeks”

“Weeks?! And no one has told me?!” You turn to atsushi with a hurt look on your face. Shocked and upset that he didn’t tell you.

“Atsushi did you know-“

“He didn’t” Doctor yujiro weakly says.

“He was as clueless as you were, the only reason why I have asked for you was because I’m dying” Your eyes widened.

“No that-“

“Please ... .I know I am and I can feel it as every day passes. All I want before I go is for you to take in my son….please” He pleads. Eyes going glossy at the thought of his son having no one to take care of him.

“Grim, please take care of him for me”

The yujiro family has been working for your family for centuries. You met doctor yujiro after catching a fever when you were just 9 years old. Your father, previous emperor, was distraught about the fact that you wouldn’t make it. You were sickly pale and weak, it wasn’t until your grandmother immediately told him to go to doctor yujiro to help you with the fever.

And it took weeks but you still healed. Yujiro has been your doctor ever since and you two have grown closer as the years go by and he sees you as a child of his own.

So seeing grim, his 6 year old son crying his little heart out in your arms at his father’s funeral really shot a thousand arrows to your heart.

“My papa! I want my papa!”

You gently pat his hair as he cried on the crook of your neck. Riddle, Leona, and azul stood behind you as they also paid their respects to Doctor yujiro.

You continued to let grim cry in your arms as you spoke soft comforting words in his ear. The way back to the imperial palace was quiet except for the soft snores of grim in your arms. Atsushi volunteered to hold him on the way back but with a quick shake of your head made him back up.

Upon arriving at the imperial palace, Atsushi carefully tried to pry off grim from your arms but at the feeling of him leaving your warmth, tears quickly formed as he started to cry again.

“No! No ! I-Im sleeping with sissy!” He cries out. One of the servants tried to carefully take him but as he continued to cry and not let you go, you dismissed them.

“Are you sure my empress?”

“Yes it’s fine, the boy will sleep in my chambers with me tonight” With one last look, you turn around and head to your chambers but not before saying goodnight to riddle, Leona and azul.

The three men can’t help but stare in worry. Ever since the way back to the palace, you’ve been spacing out and staring into space.

Now azul isn’t as used to you than the others, so when he noticed riddle and Leona talking amongst themselves about how tired and stress you look, it made him worry too.

You are a nice person

When he first heard he was being put up as a concubine, he was honestly horrified.

He was expecting a scary and rough looking person with a gross obsession with lust but was rather shocked when he saw you walk into his family home.

You were absolutely, breathtaking. Different from what he had imagined.

Maybe being a concubine won’t be as bad as he thought.

-

Taglist!

@gl00muraaii

@ghostlysyntaxed

@zoukaposts

@twistedcece

@kisses2kanao

@s7-evermore

@c0ralrubi

@owl778

@rubyninja1

@roseapov

@soft-blue-clouds

@coffeedragonhobbyist

@sherryclover

@stormynightstorytime

@rory1939

@kikiarara

@cecil-the-crybaby

@fscomet101

@0tomefreak

@bluewolfangel01

Sorry for the very late update! Been pretty busy but like I said I’ll be updating every Friday! (Try)

[i-cant-sing]

IMAGINE THE KAMO CLAN WANTS AN ALLIANCE WITH THE ZENIN

so they offer that noritoshi (who is secretly in love with teen!fushiguro reader) marry her, the zenin and the kamo have made this type of alliance for years, it is totally normal for them

but definitely the kamo did not wait for naoya to come to his house shouting that no kamo spawn is going to sully his sweet daughter---- NIECE

when the others hear the news, toji, gojo, nanami, megumi, mai and maki arrive, ALSO SUKUNA WHO TOOK POSSESSION OF YUJI'S BODY

poor noritoshi

AHahaha yesss, I mean the elders just wanted to form an alliance, and neither clan really knew just how strong Fushiguro reader was as a toddler, so it was right to arrange a marriage for you.

As a child, Noritoshi didnt really care much for you, especially since he had battles of his own- being born to a mistress, being the heir of the clan because the head wife couldnt bear sons so, he has to deal with that.

But youre adorable and you grow on anyone, even the Zenin clan, so when toddler Fushiguro reader meets 9 year old Noritoshi, the latter only thinks of you as a spoiled brat at first. And why wouldnt he? Youre running around barefoot in the garden, dressed in sparkly pink hello kitty pjs with servants chasing after you, with Naoya screaming from the shed that he'll lock you up if he catches you grabbing his million dollar koi fish.

Noritoshi's disgust is quite understandable when you come upto him, hair disheveled, face sweaty, and you stick your muddy hand to his face.

"Hi! Im Y/n Fushiguro!" "ZENIN! Y/N ZENIN!" Naoya yells before dragging you away for training (Naoya didnt want you to meet your future husband).

As time goes on, Noritoshi would be sent to the Zenin estate on different errands (by this point, the Kamo clan has heard rumors of your powers and now want Noritoshi to go and woo you, which is a huge task since Noritoshi isnt someone who is able to express emotions, much less romantic ones). But even though he might not be able to express his emotions, doesnt mean his heart hasnt turned soft for you. Youre pollar opposite to him, loud, energetic, carefree- and yet Noritoshi cant help but feel that you... sort of complete him. Youre everything hes not and he likes that. Like 2 puzzle pieces that fit together, he completes you too. Hes quiet, calm, realistic- he brings peace to you, especially when youre mind gets overstimulated by- well, you.

How many times has it been that Noritoshi has stopped your panic attacks when you realised that your father Toji, wasnt coming back? How many times has Noristoshi had to pull you into his robes when your cursed energy started to lose control, risking himself just to calm you down and help you control it as his soft monotonous voice guided you through it?

And how many times has it been that Noritoshi would have his terrible day turned around with just you calling him "Nori!"? Or the times he'd be questioning his worth in the clan and all he needed was you to lean your head against his shoulder to feel like a million bucks? Noritoshi would be the type of man who people would think doesnt really care about love and marriage, when in reality, he just spent the entire night listening to you yap about your day, about Hello Kitty, about uncle Naoya, pausing in between to say "hmm, okay its getting late, we should sleep" only to suddenly remember a new topic to ramble on about. And youd think Noritoshi wanst listenting to you with the way hes staring at your face in awe, but really- he remembers every single word. You could quiz him. Its funny listening to man like him talk about Hello Kitty.

When the time comes for you two to actually get married, Naoya throws a fit, and surprisingly, the Zenin clan also doesnt want to marry you off to Kamo clan (or anyone). People opposing the marriage from your side would be the Zenin clan, the twins (who start telling you all the reasons why marriage is a trap and youd be dead in 2 days.), Gojo (he just chuckles and tells you not to worry because he wont let you be forced into marriage), Nanami (my man wholeheartedly believes youre being a victim of child marriage, BUT NOT ON HIS WATCH! GONNA KILL ANYONE WHO EVEN THINKS OF U LIKE THAT- just sit in his condo and eat the sandwhich he made for you. And dont argue.), Megumi (who doenst get why he wasnt ever informed that you, his baby sister, was in an arranged marriage, and why the hell didnt Noritoshi try to get his blessings/permission considering THAT HES YOUR CLOSEST FAMILY MEMBER??? Also, no- youre not marrying Kamo) and then... theres Sukuna (if you thought Naoya threw a fit, youre in for A WORLD OF TANTRUMS AS SUKUNA SCREAMS AND MOST LIKELY KILLS WHOEVER IS IN A MILE VICINITY, just to let off some steam and calm down before he talks to you and REMINDS YOU THAT YOU PROMISED TO MARRY HIM! HAVE YOU BEEN PROPOSING TO EVERY GUY YOU MET?)

People supporting this union would be all from Noritishi's side, including- the Kamo clan, Choso Kamo (cause ofc, youre just a precious baby like Yuji, and with you being part of the clan means he can protect u better), and surprise surprise Kenjaku (because youd be strong addition to the clan and then you and Nori will have babies with SUPER STRONG CURSED ENERGY AND HE'LL ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN FOR WORLD DOMINATION).

Anyways, its a sticky situation and it all comes down to you really. Do you want to marry Noritoshi or not?

[starrihan]

Masquerade (Leehan Fic)

Plot -> Your parent's 25th wedding anniversary is coming up and to celebrate, they are hosting a masquerade ball at your manor. You still have to prepare and learn the dances for the ball, so how do you end up falling for your dance partner's servant?

Genre -> fluff, smut, renaissance AU, dialogue heavy, servant! Leehan x Lady! Reader, older brother! Taesan, lord! Sungho, afab! reader, kissing, fingering, piv sex, no protection (wrap it up!)

Warnings -> mentions of dead family members

Word Count -> 14,075

Notes: This is my first fic on here and I didn't expect it to be 14k words long 😭I proofread this like 3 times but its long so there may still be some mistakes. This is historically inaccurate, I only use noble titles that were prominent during the renaissance era. I took inspo from this song and a some inspo from Bridgerton. I hope you guys enjoy this~

-> Here's a link to all my other masterlists!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hiding behind a disguise, can you feel me watching you?”

Awoken by the bright rays of sunshine that flooded your room, you remembered how tired you were that you forgot to shut the blinds and draw in the curtains before falling asleep last night. With the masquerade ball, in celebration of your parent’s 25th wedding anniversary, coming up in just about a week, preparations were brutal. 

This was the first masquerade ball that you would actually participate in. You’d attended many when you were younger, playing around with the other kids there that were your age but you were never expected to dance or had any role in them. Now that this ball was in celebration of your parents, your family, you were expected to be a great host. Not to mention that this was big for you, as wedding season was coming up. You had talked to your parents for a while about not wanting to be married so early so they never forced you, but being at that age, you knew that many families were looking to marry their sons. 

Your father, Lord L/N, had accomplished so much in the short time that he was one, giving your family a huge name in the town. You were sought after by many families. This ball would be your formal introduction to the town as an adult and would garner many suitors for you. You shrugged off the thought for now and went to brush your teeth and bathe, getting yourself ready for the day. 

You go downstairs and see a familiar figure sitting in the dining room, eating the breakfast that was prepared by the lovely maids that ran your parents’ manor. You take a seat across from him, grabbing a plate of freshly cut fruits. 

“You woke up late, you know,” he says, chuckling. 

You shoot him a mocking smile, taking a bite of an apple slice. 

“We had a busy day yesterday. The tailor used the wrong measurements for my dress and now I have to wait 3 days before I can go back to pick it up. I’m stressed out about learning the dances since there’s only a week left before the ball and we’ve barely even started. My dance partner isn’t that good and I’m worried I won’t be good enough. Forgive me if I took an extra hour to sleep in,” you poured out to him. 

Your brother, Dongmin, was older than you by just a year. He stood up from his chair and patted your head. 

“It's gonna be okay Y/N. I’m taking you to practice later today at the Park residence. Their son, Sungho, is going to be your dance partner. I know he was interested in you so I arranged for his instructor to help you practice with him.” 

“Thank you Dongmin. I’m sorry I’m so stressed. I appreciate you setting this up for me! I owe you one,” you smile up at him, getting up to ready for the practice. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You’re taken to the Park residence, accompanied by Dongmin. Because he is your older brother, he sees you to all of your affairs since your father is always busy. And because he is your father’s son, he has to learn the roles of a lord should something happen to your father. Dongmin did, at one point, find someone who he had loved and wished to marry, but things fell through and he set aside his own feelings about marriage until he’s older, wanting to learn everything there is to know about lordship first. 

Waiting for your arrival, the Duke and Duchess of the Park house wait outside. You greet them with a deep bow and courtesy of your dress. To their right, you spot their son, Sungho. You had seen him at previous balls throughout the years, but you guys had never formally met. ‘He’s really handsome,’ you thought to yourself, before turning to greet him as well. 

“We meet again, Duke and Duchess. Thank you for having us,” Dongmin greets with a smile and a bow. 

“What a pleasure it is to meet you, Duke and Duchess. It is an honor to be allowed here. Thank you for letting me practice here with your son,” you say. 

They exchange smiles with each other before looking back at you and Dongmin. They formally allow you into their home and show you around. 

A couple minutes into the tour Sungho says, “I can show them around and then take Lord Dongmin and Lady Y/N to the practice hall.” He smiles at the both of you before leading the tour himself. 

He continues to show you guys around, occasionally talking about the history of the house and some specific details about the wallpaper and architectural workings of the house. You can’t help but be mesmerized at everything he is talking about. Finally, he takes you to the room that you’ll be practicing in. There seems to be a couple more people in the room making you sigh in relief that you weren’t the only one that needed practice. 

“I have other matters to attend to. I will be taking my leave. Thank you again for letting Y/N practice here. I shall come to get her in a couple of hours,” Dongmin bows at Sungho before leaving, informing the Duke and Duchess of the arrangement. 

You smile at your brother before he leaves, assuring him that you’ll be alright. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You step into the practice room and a seat. As you’re changing your shoes, you catch one of the servants in the room looking at you. He’s tall and lean, his almost shoulder length brown hair catching your eyes. He’s very handsome and he shoots you a small smile as he looks away. Your cheeks dust a faint pink before looking away from him, unsure of the feeling you just felt in your stomach. 

The practice goes on and you’re constantly stepping on Sungho’s shoes. He lets out small chuckles whenever you do, never getting frustrated at you, which you appreciated. From the short time you’ve been practicing with him you could tell he was very sweet and gentle. He was able to guide you and keep you on track fairly well considering your efforts. 

You’re given a short break from the practice in which you figure that you need to use the bathroom. You were okay to find it by yourself, but since this wasn’t your house, you look to enlist the help of Sungho. When you turn to look for him you realize he’s not in the room. You meet the eye of the same servant from earlier and he could sense that you needed some help. He makes his way over to you and bows,

“How can I be of assistance Lady Y/N?”

Your breath caught in your throat. He was, quite literally, breathtaking. And his voice was so deep and soothing. You almost forget that you needed help finding the bathroom. You bow back at him.

“Where is the restroom?”

Your voice comes out small at first, almost as if you’re too shy to talk to him. He stands in front of you while he directs you to the closest restroom that just so happened to be down the hall. 

“I shall wait for you out here until you finish. Then I can take you back to the practice room. Please let me know if there is anything you may need.” 

You enter the bathroom and try to calm yourself down. What was this feeling? Why was him talking to you making you feel this way? You wash your hands, touching up your makeup before stepping back to look at yourself in the mirror. After fixing your hair as well, you go back outside where you find the servant waiting for you. 

“Thank you so much… uhm… What is your name sir?” 

You ask, realizing that you never got his name. He’s about to speak when Sungho spots you from down the hall. 

“Lady Y/N! So this is where you have been? I am sorry I left for a minute, I had to take care of something. Is everything alright?” 

He looks at both of you and smiles. 

“Yes, everything is alright. I was just taking Lady Y/N to the restroom. I insisted I wait for her so she does not get lost on the way back,” the tall man says while bowing at Sungho. “I apologize for not informing you beforehand.” 

“Do not apologize, I wasn’t around for you to tell me. I’m glad that you took her and that she is okay. Shall we all head back to the practice room?” 

And with that, you all head back, making small conversation on the way there. You walk behind Sungho and walk in line with the servant. His hand slightly brushes yours, to which you both apologize. He takes to walking behind you, forming a line. He doesn’t miss the slight blush adorning your cheeks after your hands brushed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the practice is over, you sit down on one of the sofas by the window. You sigh out a breath of relief and relax a bit, tired after the hours of dancing. 

“For your first time practicing, you did a good job,” Sungho says, offering you water. You thank him and drink the water a little bit faster than what would be considered lady-like. “Thank you so much. For the water and the practice, thank you for everything.” You’re about to put the cup of water down on the floor when the servant from earlier walks up to you. 

“Allow me,” he says, grabbing your cup and taking it away from you. Sungho doesn’t miss the way you look at him, staring for a bit too long for it to be normal. “Thank you,” you say to him now, not being able to look him in the eyes. He walks away without another word, bowing to you before he does. 

As you get ready to leave, you receive word from Sungho that Dongmin can no longer come pick you up. You look at him, not knowing what to do now as you had no way back home. 

“I can take her back. If you so let me, sir,” the servant chimes up. Having walked back with you and Sungho you realized that the tall male was Sungho’s personal servant. 

“Could you please? I would do it myself but I have a lot of work to catch up on tonight.” He turns to face you, “Lady Y/N,” he reaches for your hand and plants the gentlest kiss on the back of it. 

“I shall see you tomorrow for another practice session. Have a wonderful night m’lady,” he bows to you and you bow back. “Thank you again, I shall see you tomorrow.” 

“Are you ready to go, lady Y/N?” 

“Yes.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After saying your goodbyes to the Duke and Duchess as well as everyone else in the home, you go outside to meet him. 

“Forgive me for the carriage we have right now is a bit small.” He says apologetically. The carriage, while smaller than other ones, was beautifully crafted. One of the finest carriages you have ever seen. Its black body and gold fixtures, perfect for a sleek entry and getaway and the windows big enough to comfortably peer out of on long rides. 

“It is quite magnificent. Not too small at all, just perfect,” you say softly looking at the carriage in awe. He gives you his hand to help you into the carriage before closing the door and securing the lock. He hops into the front and gets the horses ready to move. 

“The ride back will take about 45 minutes,” he informs you. As the horses start to move you look out the window, thinking back on the things you have yet to do. With only 6 days left you realize that there’s still so much you have to learn when it comes to the dance. As well as learning the names of all your guests and picking up your dress and mask from the tailor’s… 

“I’m sorry m’lady?” 

A deep voice pulls you out of your thoughts.

“I’m sorry! I seem to have gotten distracted by my thoughts. You were saying���?”

“Oh, no worries at all. I was only asking how you were feeling about all this? I heard it is the first masquerade ball that you’ll be attending as a hostess.” 

“Well, if I'm being honest, I am quite nervous. Like you said, I am a hostess. There seems to be so many little things I must take care of throughout the night. Not to mention that I still am learning how to dance. I am very grateful for the Duke and Duchess letting me practice in their home, along with their son.” You feel a small weight lift off your shoulders, this being the first time you talked about your apprehensions towards the coming event with someone other than your brother. 

“I was watching the practice, you seem to be learning fairly well. On par with the others also learning the dances. And Sungho is a good dancer, never nervous and he never falters. I heard he took interest in you, he has great taste.” 

The last comment causing a small smile to form on your lips. 

“He is very well-mannered and a fine man indeed. When I heard he took interest in me I was surprised. We had barely spoken in the past so him reaching out to my older brother was a shock. He is very handsome and indeed a gentleman.” 

You couldn’t see it, but a slight frown had made it up to his face. He couldn’t figure out what caused him to have that reaction. He was happy for Sungho that he had found a potential wife, wasn’t he? He should be happy that someone was speaking about his lord in such a way. 

The way you spoke about him could convince anyone that you have an attraction for him. But as much as he seemed so perfect, he hadn’t managed to make you feel anything other than a friendship towards him. It has only been a day but, if he was really interested in you, so much as to go as far as relaying his interest for you to your parents and older brother, surely he would have made his intentions more clear.

“Sungho is a fine gentleman, he would be lucky to have a lady like you, as you would be to have a lord like him.” 

The rest of the carriage ride is spent exchanging small talk and a couple of laughs heard here and there. Once you arrive at your house, he steps out of the carriage and walks to your side and offers his hand to you. You take it, slowly stepping down, out of the carriage.

“Thank you so much for taking me back home… I still never got your name sir,” you say, remembering that last time you asked, Sungho had cut you off.

“Please, call me Donghyun. It was my pleasure bringing you home, Lady Y/N. Enjoy the rest of your night. I have been informed that I will come to get you in the morning.” He bows to you and bids you farewell, as you watch him ride off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It's magic that I’m lost in your spell, but you don’t even have a clue…” 

The next few days follow the same routine. Donghyun picks you up and drops you off for the next couple of days when you need to practice. The conversations you guys shared were always light-hearted and casual, as you told him to drop honorifics since you found out you were the same age. There was a sense of familiarity you got when speaking to Donghyun, like he was the person that could listen to you talk forever and never get tired of hearing your stories. 

There were sometimes conversations that got a little too deep, much more than you would discuss with a mere acquaintance or in this case, the servant of your maybe-future-husband. You had never really spent time with Sungho outside of dance practice. Sometimes he’d take you to the courtyard of his house during breaks and on days where you had more time before practices. But things felt more intimate with Donghyun and you felt that you could let your guard down more when talking to him. 

You always knew he was staring at you specifically during the practices. Always coming up to you first before asking any of the other guests if they needed anything. At first, you thought it was because he was Sungho’s servant and by extension, yours as well. But you didn’t see him that way. You always treated him with as much grace as you would a lord, unlike how you’ve seen others treat servants. 

What neither of you knew though, was that Sungho had picked up on the subtle glances you’d shoot towards Donghyun, or the obvious stares he would give you. The way he would come up to you first, not even him. Or the way that you’d shyly tell him if you needed anything, always trying to hide a small smile on your face whenever he’d walk away. As much as he wanted to ask you to go out with him and get to know each other more, he believed it would be best for him to just help you with dance for now. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, you go to tailors with your mother and Dongmin. You hope that this will be the last time you have to go there for a while, praying that the dress and mask fit perfectly. 

“How does this look? There was a lot of extra fabric I had to take in but I managed to size it without messing up the design,” the seamstress explained, looking at you for your approval. 

You look in the mirror, marveled by the stunning shape and flow of the long, dark green dress. The beautiful off-the-shoulder dress enhancing your collarbones and complimenting your figure perfectly. The lace trimmings were exactly how you pictured in your head.

“It’s absolutely marvelous!” You exclaim. “This is just what I had in mind— even better in fact!” One thing about you, when you think something is perfect or well done, you become extra bubbly, contrary to your, usually, very calm demeanor.

Your mother and Dongmin both look at you in excitement, glad that you love the dress and that you had one less stressor to worry about. 

“You look absolutely stunning darling. I’m sure Sungho will think so too,” your mother says, Dongmin agreeing with her. You couldn’t help but to think of what Donghyun would think of your dress if he ever saw it. 

“My little sister, all grown up,” he exaggerates, “you look really beautiful. I’m happy you love your dress,” he says with the utmost sincerity. You’re beaming ear to ear, happy that everyone loves your dress. 

“We’re gonna go pay for it upfront while you change back into your clothes. We’ll be waiting for you outside the carriage,” your mother says before walking away with your brother.  

“You look magnificent. Like a princess.”

Your breath caught in your throat, making you speechless for a moment. You recognize the voice, turning around with a shy smile on your face. 

“Donghyun! It’s lovely seeing you today! What brings you here?” 

Today was a break from practicing. The tailors you went to were two towns away, making for a 6 hour carriage ride to and back. You didn’t expect to see Donghyun here, as normally he mentions to you on the carriage rides to the Park’s residence what duties he has for that day and the days following. He never once mentioned going to the tailors, especially not the one you went to considering there were a few in your town. 

“I had to pick up some last minute items for Sungho. He’s been busy sorting his family affairs so he sent me here in his place,” he explained. 

The truth is, Sungho knew you’d be here today. He didn’t really have anything that he needed but he knew that the chances of something happening between the two of you were slim. He picked up on yours and Donghyun’s mutual attraction towards each other, choosing to stay out of it and hopes that you two would kindle something of your own. 

“Of course, he must have a lot to attend to as the Marquess. I’m sure he would’ve come here on his own if he could,” you begin, “but thank you, for the compliment,” you look down at your dress, glad that he also took a liking to it. 

“Will you be attending the ball?” You asked, hopeful of his answer. 

“I unfortunately will not be in attendance. The whole family will be at your masquerade ball and therefore I must look after the house along with the others.” He sees you visibly sigh, smiling to himself at the thought of you missing him at the ball. 

“That is very unfortunate, I was hoping to see you there.” You don't know what got you to be so forward with him, but you saw the slight smirk tug on his face as you said it. Realizing the implications of what you just said, you look away in embarrassment, but part of you hoping that he would miss not being there too. 

The silence between you two is a little awkward now, not knowing what to say to each other. Donghyun clears his throat, remembering that he had something to tell you. 

“I was going to tell you this tomorrow on the carriage ride over but Sungho will not be here for tomorrow’s practice.”

“Oh, who will my dance partner be then?” 

“Me.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The whole way home, you’re thinking you can’t wait for tomorrow to come. While Sungho is a really good dance partner, you were excited to be able to dance with Donghyun. The thought of being in such close proximity to him had you grinning like a fool. 

“Who are you thinking about that has you so giddy?” 

Dongmin’s question breaks you out of your thoughts, heat rushing to your cheeks as you’ve been caught thinking about Donghyun. You hesitate for a moment before starting to speak, only to be cut off by him.

“I bet it’s Sungho, right? You’ve been without him for one day and you’re already missing him. Mayhaps you are in love?” 

You pause what you’re about to say, thinking about his words carefully. Is this what that is? Are you in love with Donghyun? You bite the bullet, asking Dongmin a serious question.

“If I miss him and can’t stop thinking about him, does that mean I am in love? If I want to be closer to him when we are together, does that mean I’m in love? If the little things and small interactions make my cheeks flush red, does that mean I’m in love?”

You’re rethinking all the interactions you’ve had with Donghyun so far. The little glances and stares you take at one another. The brushes of your hands when walking with each other. The wanting to hold his hand longer when he helps you in and out of the carriage. 

“I’ve felt that before. I would say yes, that would mean that you are in love.” 

Dongmin had a lady who he was going to marry about a year ago. You can tell he had loved her dearly. When it was found that father had fallen ill, her family had moved back to where they were originally from. While the relationship was short-lived, only lasting about a month, you could tell that he had been in love just by the way he looked at her. 

“So this is what being in love feels like…” you trailed off.

Of course, he didn’t know that it wasn’t Sungho that you were talking about. You had thought about telling him, knowing that he would understand and support you no matter who you loved. But you believed that now wasn’t the best time, not knowing yourself what your actual feelings were. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upon arriving home, you’re given some news by your father. 

“You will be staying overnight at the Park residence tomorrow. I have already spoken to them, and they have so graciously agreed to keep you for the night. You still need practice but there will not be anyone here tomorrow as they will be thoroughly cleaning the manor for the ball in 3 days.  Please go pack your stuff before they get here.” 

You eagerly pack your overnight items. Making sure you have everything properly packed you sit in your room until it is time to go. You hear a soft knock on your door. 

“Come in!” You shout, knowing it’s Dongmin on the other side. 

“Are you all packed up and ready to go?” 

“Yes, I just double-checked and made sure I had all of the stuff I will be needing. What brings you in here?”

While Dongmin was a great brother, he wasn’t exactly known to you for being the one to make sure you were all packed and ready for your own affairs. 

“It is Sungho that you were talking about in the carriage, right?” He bites his lower lip, looking up at you, waiting for your response.

Your eyes meet his as you look at him in genuine shock. You didn’t know if it was because you were surprised that he would ask you such a thing, or if it was because you were shocked that he knew that it wasn’t Sungho that you were talking about earlier.

“Of course I was talking about Sungho. Who else could I be referring to?” 

You ask with as much confidence as you can muster up in the moment. You hoped he wouldn’t press the situation further, but you knew your brother. 

“If it really were Sungho, you would be talking about it more often, not just thinking about him silently in carriage rides.” He raises a good point. 

“On top of that, if he was as eager to be with you as much as you think about him, he would be the one coming to get you personally.” You hated when he could see right through you. 

“You can tell me honestly, who you were talking about. You know I’m on your side no matter what.” 

You would be lying if you said that the idea of you telling your parents the truth hadn’t crossed your mind. But you were worried about what it would do to your family. How it would look if the first daughter of the Lord was to marry the servant of the son of the Duke?  You didn’t care as long as you were happy with him, but you know it would be a big deal to your parents and big deal to the Duke and Duchess as well. 

You didn’t  realize how overwhelming the situation actually is until you felt a couple tears rolling down your face. Dongmin’s gaze on you softens when he realizes that he was right. Pulling you in for a hug he reassures you that it will be alright, but you need to talk to him so he could talk to your parents for you. 

“His name is Donghyun. He is the personal servant to Sungho. He is the one who brings me there and back everyday. I don’t know how it happened but it just did.” You start from the beginning.

“He was always at the dance practices but he caught my eye the minute I saw him. He was really handsome and super sweet. I was thinking about him in the carriage today because I saw him at the tailors while you and mother were paying the expenses of my dress and mask. He said I looked magnificent, like a princess.” 

You wiped the tears from your face slowly, recalling the precious moment, laughing a bit as you realized that holding in that information weighed heavy on your mind. Relieved, you look up at Dongmin who is smiling from ear to ear. 

“My baby sister is in love.” Is all he says before pulling you in for another hug. 

“I’ve spoken with him a few times while we waited for you to finish getting ready. He seems like a fine gentleman. And he makes you happy, which is what’s truly important.” He laughs before helping you bring your stuff down. 

You look up at him and smile, feeling pure bliss as you were able to come clean about it all, and from being able to have Dongmin’s full support. While your parents’ opinions were important, Dongmin’s opinion mattered more. He was the closest person to you, your best friend. 

“I am excited to be there for the night. And tomorrow, Donghyun is going to be my dance partner.” 

He looks at you with a mischievous grin, almost scary. 

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Expecting you to slap his arm, he preemptively runs away, escaping your wrath at his rather crass comment. You can only giggle a bit before following him downstairs. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With all your stuff loaded into the same carriage as the first night, you bid your farewells to your parents and brother. You enter the carriage with Donghyun’s help, eagerly awaiting your arrival to the Park’s residence. You feel the cool air blow past your face as the slightly chilly autumn weather provides a beautiful scene for you to look at. 

“It is quite breezy outside Lady Y/N. Are you sure you want to keep the window open? Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold now,” Donghyun remarks, concerned about your well-being.

“Actually it feels quite nice. Being in these clothes all day can get a little warm. Plus, it’s nice to get the fresh air in here.” You appreciate his concern. 

A couple minutes of silence go by as you think about earlier in the day when he said you looked like a princess in your dress. You can feel a blush coming on remembering the look on his face when he saw you. 

Donghyun was surprised when Sungho said he had forgotten that he needed some things in preparation for the ball. Sungho was usually on top of his belongings. He always knew what he needed to do, when to do it and what he would be needing for any events. Of course, Donghyun would never question him in that way, and instead just did as he was told. He was completely unaware that you would be there. He knew that you were going to pick up your dress that day but he didn’t know where you would be. When he entered the tailors he immediately went to someone, asking for Sungho’s things. There weren’t many other people in the shop at the time, since it was pretty early in the day. He had just finished paying for everything when he heard your familiar voice. He looked around for you until he spotted you, a couple feet away from the changing room. Without thinking he went up to you, 

“You look magnificent. Like a princess.” 

The words playing over and over again in your head.

He didn’t know where he had gotten the courage to say that to you, but your reaction was priceless. He knew when he had first seen you at the practice room that he had an attraction to you, but seeing you in your dress, a shocked yet shy expression on your face, he knew that he had fallen for you. His face held a soft expression, reflecting pure awe and fondness at the sight of you in front of him. He felt a little swell of confidence when you looked away all bashful. 

Replaying the whole incident in your head over and over you failed to realize, again, that Donghyun was asking you a question. 

“Are you lost in your thoughts again, m’lady?” 

“I thought I told you to drop the formalities? We're the same age and you are not my servant. I shall provide you the same grace and respect as if you were my own colleague.” You chuckle, finding it cute that he was still being formal with you.

“I appreciate the offer but you are still a lady. The daughter of the lord, might I add. It would be dishonorable of me to refer to you as anything other than a lady.” 

It was his respectful manner that drew you into him more. You found it very attractive that he stuck to his morals, deciding to drop the conversation of formalities. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shortly after the conversation, you arrived at the Park residence. Donghyun had helped you out of the carriage and grabbed your belongings for you. 

“Allow me to show you to your room, Lady Y/N.” 

You follow behind him quietly, greeting the Duke and Duchess and everyone else along the way. He set your belongings down onto the ottoman in the room you were given. 

The room was painted a soft, baby blue. Beautiful crown moldings adorned the lining of the ceiling and floor. There were two big windows beside a big bay window. Across from the canopy bed in the middle of the room was a vanity complete with a big mirror and all the makeup products you would ever need. Next to the bed was a door that led to your own personal bathroom, fully stocked with everything you would need in there. 

“I want to apologize sincerely on behalf of the Duke and Duchess and Lord Sungho. We have assigned a lady’s maid to you but she will not be here until the morning. Again, my deepest apologies,” Donghyun says, bowing to you for longer than normal. 

“Because Lord Sungho is not here tonight, I shall see to it that I handle your requests personally. Please let me know if you need anything.” 

He stood close to the doorway, awaiting your response. 

“That is completely alright. I understand that because the Duchess is the only lady of the house, it makes sense that there are not many ladies around. I appreciate you and your efforts.” 

You bow back to him, smiling as you look around the room again. You touch the bed frame, the baby blue curtains of the canopy matching the walls of the room perfectly. You sit on the bed, sinking into the soft mattress. You look at Donghyun,

“This room is so perfect. Who should I thank for setting it up so perfectly?” 

A small blush creeps onto his face as he looks away.

“I was the one who prepared the room for you. I asked them if I could be the one to do it…” 

You look at him in awe, the familiar feeling of your heart racing once again at the thought of Donghyun doing this specifically for you. You walk up to him and smile. You grab his hand and look into his eyes.

“Thank you so much for setting this up for me, Donghyun.” 

He felt like he never wanted you to let go of his hands. The tips of his ears becoming red at your close proximity, feeling like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He had never been drawn to someone in his life, especially not like this. There was something about you that made him want more. Fighting the urge to hold your face in his hands, he looks away from you. 

“There is no need to thank me. I am glad you like the room. I will leave you to do your nightly routine as it is getting quite late. I shall see you in the morning.” 

Normally, servants weren’t supposed to kiss the hands of the people that they serve, but he couldn’t resist this time. He turned over your hands, placing gentle kisses onto both of them. 

“Have a goodnight, m’lady.”

Your eyes plead with him, not wanting him to leave, but you know he has to. As he leaves the room, you feel a wave of sadness hit you, already missing his presence. Feeling rather hot from the intimate interaction, you head to the restroom and draw yourself a bath, getting ready for bed as you knew you had a whole day of practicing ahead of you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You woke up the next morning to a knock on your door. Opening it up, you realize it was the lady’s maid that was assigned to you. You both exchange greetings and bows before she helps you get ready for the day. Drawing your bath for you and setting aside the makeup that she will be doing on you for the day. She even had a dress pressed, steamed, and ready for you to wear for practice today. 

Because the ball was only 2 days away, you had to wear dresses that were of similar style to the one that you had picked out in order to better dance in your actual dress. The first couple days were practiced in more casual, everyday dresses to help you learn the steps first. 

You go down to the practice room eagerly. You already know your way around the manor by now but your maid accompanied you anyways. You step in and immediately take notice of Donghyun standing where Sungho normally does. You’re more excited seeing his face and rush to stand across from him. 

“Good morning Lady Y/N.”

“Good morning Donghyun.”

Normally, you would feel anxious and nervous before starting. At this point, you barely stepped on Sungho’s shoes when you practiced with him but you still had trouble following the beat and got the timing of the moves wrong every now and again. As you get into position to start the dance, you notice that you’re not nervous. It was as if Donghyun’s presence instantly had a calming effect on you. You place one hand on his shoulder and he places a hand on your waist, your other hands interlocked as that is how the dance starts. 

During your other practice sessions, Donghyun would solely focus his attention onto you. This meant that he knew at what points during the songs you falter. He knew the very beats that caused you to step on Sungho’s shoes every time. He used his knowledge to help you not mess up. He would match your pace before correcting it and therefore made you feel more at ease. Not once did you step on Donghyun’s shoes. 

As the end of the practice session drew near, you felt sad knowing that you wouldn’t be dancing with Donghyun at the ball. You felt bad for Sungho, knowing that he was assigned to be your dance partner, and that you would likely spend most of the night dancing with only him, only for you to not want him. Part of you wished you liked Sungho as much as you liked Donghyun, but you knew you couldn’t control your feelings. 

���You did amazing today m’lady. You have come very far.”

“It is all thanks to you. Not once did I step on your shoes like I normally do to Lord Sungho. I feel a lot better about the ball, but I am still apprehensive.”

“I could understand feeling that way. But I am sure you will be great that night. This is the last practice we are having. I am glad that I could help you perfect your dance.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s tragic ‘cuz after tonight, my heart will never be the same…”

You freshen up after dance practice. It’s now around 4 in the evening and you leave the room to find Sungho waiting for you. He greets you with a bow and kisses the back of your hand. 

“My apologies for not being able to practice with you today, Lady Y/N. I heard from Donghyun that you did well today.” 

He says, smiling at you, catching the light blush that appears on your face at the mention of Donghyun’s name and his compliment towards you. 

“It is alright, I understand you have other matters you must attend to. I think the practice went alright. I’m a bit nervous since the ball is 2 days away but I’m sure when the time comes we will be great.” 

You smile back at him. 

“You’ve been practicing all morning and afternoon. I can imagine that you are hungry. I came here to tell you that dinner will be ready in about an hour. For now, would you like to accompany me to the park nearby? It's quite lovely outside today.”

“I would love to.” 

And with that, you both walked out to the park, you holding onto his arm. What you didn’t notice was Donghyun had watched you leave with Sungho. 

He knew that there wasn’t a way for you two to be together, but why was he so jealous that you were with Sungho? He knew that Sungho had taken interest in you and he knew that it would make sense for you to want to be with him. Part of him felt like you were going to pursue your relationship with Sungho because you had no reason not to. He could only assume that your interactions between you and himself were regular for a lady to a servant but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more behind your actions. 

The way you would speak to him so softly and the way your eyes always scanned the room for him first. When you asked him if he would be attending the ball and your visible upset expression when he said no. Or the way you let him kiss your hands last night and he swears he saw you lean in and pout your lips when he left. Did that all mean nothing? Was he just making things up in his head? 

He walked away after seeing you with him, needing to clear his head. How had you gotten him feeling like this in just a week’s time? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your stroll in the park with Sungho was very peaceful. You guys walked around, making small conversation here and there about the autumn weather and the upcoming ball. You were able to talk with him freely, feeling like you guys were akin to close friends. But that’s all you felt with Sungho, friendship. You found a bench underneath a tree that you decided to stop at. You smoothed out your dress before sitting down.

“The weather is just lovely today. Not too cold yet.” 

There was a slight breeze here and there but the weather itself was warm enough to wear you didn’t need an overcoat. 

“It is really wonderful. I hear the weather is supposed to be good all weekend. A perfect time to have the ball. I am actually really excited for the ball. I can’t wait to dance with you.” 

You felt a pang of guilt hit you. Sungho had feelings for you that you were upset you couldn’t reciprocate. He spoke up again, 

“I hope you're excited to dance with me too but… I have a feeling that you’re not.” 

You looked at him like a deer in headlights. You tilt your head and feign confusion. 

“What do you mean, my Lord? Of course I am excited to dance with you.” 

He had a knowing look in his eyes and his expression softened when he realized you must’ve been nervous at his question. 

“I mean that I know you don’t feel for me how I feel for you. You made it a little obvious.” 

You look away from him, lost for words. 

“I’m sorry. You’re right, I do not feel for you in the way you have for me. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier…” 

Your voice trails off, wanting to say more but not wanting to expose yourself in the process of explanation. 

“I know you have feelings for my servant, Donghyun.” 

You look at him yet again, but this time with a shocked look on your face. 

“How did you…” 

“Again, you made it pretty obvious. So did he. I noticed since the first day of practice that you two would exchange glances at each other. I had to remind you to keep eye contact with me.” He chuckled.

“I also figured when he offered to take you home the first night as well. Donghyun has a fear of driving a carriage after a minor accident he had years ago. We never make him do it, so I was surprised when he asked. I had a feeling then that something was going on. After that point, I had arranged for him to come get you because I knew it would make him happy. I also didn’t need the items I had him pick up for me at the tailor but I knew you’d be there so I sent him. I didn’t tell him that you’d be there but he started talking about his encounter with you when he came back. He could not wipe the smile off of his face.” 

You looked at Sungho in awe that he would do that for his servant. 

“After that, I knew for sure that he was harboring feelings for you. And when you came here to stay the night, I had heard from your brother that you were excited to stay over and that you didn’t once mess up while dancing with Donghyun like you had with me for the last 4 days.” 

You sigh, relieved to know that Donghyun had truly felt the same way about you that you had about him. 

“You don’t think it’s wrong that we have an attraction to each other? Surely this wouldn’t go over well with the Duke and Duchess.” 

“I could handle them,  and besides, I have other women that have reached out about their interest for me.” 

He says laughing, trying to lighten the mood a bit. 

“I feel that we have gotten close like friends over this past week. I would be more than happy to know that you would make Donghyun happy.” 

Looking up at him you smile.

“That makes me feel so relieved. Thank you for understanding and being so kind about it. I was so nervous about having to turn you down. And while I do appreciate you thinking I could make Donghyun happy, I don’t even know how I would go about seeing him again after this. He won’t even be at the ball.” 

Sungho takes your hand in his, soothing it. 

“You will find a way. There is always a way.” 

He says almost cynically. He had a plan. You give him a hug and you two take to walking back, as it was nearing dinner time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner you head back to your room to pack up your belongings. You hear a knock on your door.

“It’s Donghyun. May I come in, Lady Y/N?”

You smile and almost run to the door to open it in excitement. 

“Hello Donghyun, what brings you in here?” 

You ask while inviting him inside and closing the door behind you. 

“Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess in here. I was just packing up my belongings.” 

You say apologizing for the messy state of the room. 

“It’s no worries at all. I was coming around to ask if you needed any help with packing or if you needed anything. I will be bringing you back so take your time, there is no need to rush.”

You can only look up into his eyes, suddenly becoming very aware of your height difference and how close he actually was to you. The tension in the room was palpable, like you could cut through it with a knife. 

Everything Sungho told you at the park was replaying in your mind. You kept thinking about how he kissed your hands the night prior and the feeling it left in the pit of your stomach. 

Your eyes were looking all across his face. His eyes that were big and sparkly and how you could get lost in them for hours. How perfectly his nose was shaped. His thick lips that looked so plump and kissable. His hair that was styled so perfectly, its length helping sharpen the look of his jawline. He truly did look like a work of art. 

Unbeknownst to you, he was staring right back at you. Taking in all your features. His eyes looked first at your hair, then your nose, your cheeks, your forehead, your eyes, then your lips. They lingered at your lips for a while before looking back into your eyes. 

“Lady Y/N…” 

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to ruin the moment between you two but he didn’t want to do anything either of you would regret. 

“Can I kiss you?” 

You place your hands on his shoulders and lean up to kiss him. His hands go straight to your waist, stabilizing you while he reaches down to meet your lips. It's like a flame lit between your bodies, not wanting to part from each other. You both start off slow. You take your time navigating through the kiss, your hands wrapping around his neck, pulling him in closer. Donghyun’s hands are roaming your body, wanting to feel as much of you as he can, respectfully. He’s aware of the implications that this kiss holds, but remembers that you’re a lady, and fights off any other naughty thoughts that are running around his mind. He doesn’t know that you’re thinking similar naughty thoughts. You both continue like this for a bit before pulling away, needing to catch your breath. You’re left breathless and needy, an unfamiliar feeling bubbling in your stomach, wanting more. 

You're both looking into each other's eyes, the magnitude of your actions hitting you almost instantly. You pull away from each other slightly and take a deep breath. 

“That was my first kiss.” 

You say to break the silence. 

“Mine too.”

He says and you giggle a bit. He starts laughing too, lightening the mood. 

“I’m sorry for asking to kiss you. I realize how inappropriate that was.” 

He looks away shamefully only for his attention to be pulled back to you when you speak up. 

“Don’t apologize. It was more inappropriate for me to have just pulled you in like that. But I did enjoy it. I enjoy being around you, Donghyun.”

It’s his turn to blush, not being able to stop the bright smile from appearing in his face, his eyes smiling just as big. 

“I enjoy being around you as well.” 

“I know. Lord Sungho told me all of your efforts to come pick me up and drop me off were because of your feelings for me. If it wasn’t obvious by now I have feelings for you as well.” 

You sit down on the bed and pat the seat next to you for him to sit down as well. You take his hands into yours before continuing to speak. 

“Lord Sungho was telling me about your feelings for me. He told me he could sense that I didn’t have feelings for him because I was constantly looking at and searching for you.” You confess.

“He told me that he supports us figuring out whatever this may be between us.” 

“But how? I am merely his servant and you’re the daughter of Lord L/N. I don’t know how this could work between us.” 

He looks down sheepishly, realizing that there was no way he would be allowed to be with you. You take his face in your hands, caressing his cheek with your thumb. 

“If the worry is about my parents, leave it to me. Do not worry about that. You would need to talk to Lord Sungho and your family.” 

“That wouldn’t be too hard, I don’t have any other family. My parents were poor and could barely afford to live. We were taken in by the former Duke and Duchess and my parents worked for them. I grew up with Lord Sungho and we are best friends, but I am also his servant. My parents died a while ago, so really, it’s just me.” 

He talked so calmly and openly about his past, as if he was telling you just another regular story. He smiles at you, melting into your touch.

“I’m so sorry for your loss, that must have been really hard.” You stare into his eyes, your expression softening at his confession of his parents’ passing. 

“Thank you. Now let’s get you back. You have a ball to prepare for.” 

He helped you bring your stuff out. It was to both of your surprises that Sungho was standing outside waiting for you by the carriage. 

“I hope you’re okay with me bringing you back, Lady Y/N. I cleared my schedule for tonight.” Even though you really wanted Donghyun to drop you back, you knew that you would see him again eventually. You nod to Sungho before bowing to Donghyun and parting ways, Sungho helping you into the carriage. You see Donghyun smiling wide at you, waving you off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The carriage ride began quietly. You couldn’t help the goofy smile that splayed across your face thinking about your kiss with Donghyun. The way his hands held you so firmly at first, like he was scared to grip you any harder. Then after getting into it for a bit, the way he squeezed your figure like he never wanted to let you go. The heat you felt between your bodies, like it was meant to happen for the two of you to be together. 

“You’re not usually this quiet on carriage rides with Donghyun, are you?” 

Sungho giggles, breaking you out of your thoughts. You blush at the thoughts you were having.

“No, but, I have a lot on my mind.”

He can hear the smile through your voice.

“Is it the ball? Or something else?”

“It is the ball amongst other things. I’m scared but also excited. I know I was dreading it at first but I think I’m going to be sad when it's all over.”

You respond honestly, albeit, leaving out the biggest piece of information you were just thinking about. 

“Now that all makes sense. But tell me really, what were you ACTUALLY thinking about? Thinking about the ball would not make you smile and giggle like you just did. Does it have something to do with Donghyun? Did something finally happen between you two” Sungho is glad you can’t see the smirk on his face.

“Lord Sungho! How dare you ask such a question!” 

You can’t help the chuckle that leaves your lips, flabbergasted at his boldness.

“Oh come on Lady Y/N. You have already rejected me as a possible future husband. The least we can do is remain friends. I feel that we have become very close throughout this whole process. Not to mention that I have basically played the part of cupid in your relationship with Donghyun, whatever that may come of it.” He has a point. 

“Fine. I suppose we can stay friends,” you say sarcastically, but actually you're really fond of the relationship you’ve grown to have with Sungho. It seems that your relationship has grown to be closer to that of a sibling relationship. 

“But, we drop the formalities when we’re alone! Being called Lady Y/N by you feels too proper now that we are on a friend-to-friend basis.”

“Alright fine, I will drop formalities with you, but you still have to call me Lord Sungho,” He says, joking but he swears he can hear you roll your eyes at his comment. 

“But okay, okay! Tell me what happened. I know Donghyun went into your room before you left.”

“It wasn’t anything much! We talked for a bit…”

“Aaannddddd?”

“And we kissed”

You hide your face in your hands, embarrassed after having said it out loud. Sungho bursts out laughing and then apologizes afterwards for laughing. 

“That’s it? I’ll have to have a talk with him when I get back.”

“That’s not all! We talked after about what would come of this. We both obviously want to be together but he was worried about what my family would say since he’s your servant and I’m me. We don’t even know how we would be able to meet, especially once I tell my family that you and I are not going to pursue a relationship together.” 

“Don’t tell your parents that we will not be together, yet. If you say that we do want to pursue a relationship together, that would make it easier for you to see Donghyun at our manor.”

“But what about you? I don’t want to hold you back from pursuing someone else because of this.”

“Well, unless you plan on hiding this relationship for years, I won’t be missing out on much if it is only for a few months.”

He laughs and you sigh. You feel so grateful for Sungho and his willingness to do this for you, even though you never asked him to. It shows how much he cares for both you and Donghyun. 

“Plus, this is the least I can do for Donghyun. He has done so much for me, I owe him at least this much.”

You love how humble Sungho is. He never took for granted what he had and how he was so selfless, always looking out for others. Your respect for him only grew more. 

“I could never ask you to do this for me, but thank you so much. I will owe you after this as well.” 

There’s a shared silence between you two for a bit before you break it again,

“What did you mean when you said you would need to talk to Donghyun when you get back?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Sungho brought you home, you felt it inappropriate to let him leave with anything other than a hug, which surprised both your parents and Dongmin. 

“I will see you at the ball, Lady Y/N. Have a great night.”

He kissed your hand and left. You walked into your house, not missing the confused smile on Dongmin’s face. He helped you take your bags back to your room where he shut the door. You immediately knew that he was going to want to talk about that hug.

“I thought you liked his servant? Why are you hugging him in front of our parents?” 

You sighed, explaining everything to him, even the kiss you shared with Donghyun. He felt like he could tear up at your confession.

“You’re being so dramatic Dongmin.” You slapped his arm and he could tell you were being serious about this. 

“So he really offered to do that for you, huh? What a good man he is. Good luck explaining all this to mom and dad in a few months.” The both of you shared a laugh at his statement, not wanting to think about what that moment would look like. 

After telling him all of the information from your stay, he leaves you to yourself, where you ponder what the next two days will hold. The whole time you prepare for sleep, you’re thinking about Donghyun. About his hands, his face, his eyes, his lips. You miss the feeling of his lips on yours. You think about when the next time you’re going to see him will be. You hope that Sungho will invite you back to his house after the ball so you could see him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who are you? What is your name? This is a two-faced game…”

The day of the masquerade ball arrives, and you’re as nervous as ever. The setup in the ballroom at your house was complete. The tables were beautifully decorated with gorgeous centerpieces and plates of hors d'oeuvres. There were plenty of drinks ranging from water, to juice to alcohol. The dance floor was polished to perfection, so much so that you could see your reflection if you looked down at it. The only thing left was for you to calm your nerves. 

You looked around, thinking about all the events leading up to this day. How you didn’t know how to dance prior to this. How nervous you were when you kept stepping on Sungho’s shoes. How your attention flew to Donghyun the moment you stepped into the practice room. How you met Sungho and ended up falling in love with his servant. 

Shaking your head, you focus now on greeting the guests as they enter the ballroom, remembering that this day was to celebrate your parents and your family. Everyone had masks on, so you were worried about not being able to recognize some people at first. You put on a smile, and it grew a 100x bigger when you saw Sungho and his parents. Of course if there was someone you’d recognize, it would be him. He greets you like normal and walks in, admiring the way everything was set up. He decides to stand next to you while you greet people, talking to him in between the guests’ arrivals. He whispers in your ear,

“Donghyun was right, you do, look beautiful,” he says, smiling at you and admiring the dress. 

You blush at the thought of his name, and the fact that he was gushing to Sungho that you looked beautiful in your dress. 

“Thank you.”

You could feel eyes on you. Even through the masks, you knew that people were staring at you. You assumed that you’d get stares from other potential suitors, but you didn’t think the feeling would be this overwhelming. You were still nervous but having Sungho by your side helped you a little. After about an hour of walking around, greeting and talking to guests, you decide to check in on your brother and parents. 

“How is everything going over here?”

“Hey Y/N! Everything is good around here. How are you holding up? There’s been a lot of suitors coming up to talk to us about you.” Dongmin responds.

“Have there? I’ve been feeling a lot of people staring at me and it's overwhelming, honestly. I didn’t expect there to be so many people wanting to get to know me.”

He wraps an arm around you and pulls you into a hug, assuring you that it’s going to be alright and that it's only for one day. You congratulate your parents on their anniversary and the big success of the party before you head back to the dance floor with him.  Before the main dance of the ball starts, there were a couple of slow songs that people took to the dance floor to do. You knew these, as they were not that hard, but you had a line of suitors waiting to dance with you. You dance with them one by one, silently wishing it was over after every dance. During a break session you head to a table to grab a snack. You spot Sungho at a table by himself. You walk up to him and let out a deep breath that you were holding. Sungho can sense your tension. 

“It’s that bad, huh?”

“They’re all very nice. But I have no interest in them. And I’m worried about the actual masquerade dance. Practicing with you was amazing and I thank you, truly, but I cannot hide the fact that I am nervous.”

“I know, but you will do amazing, I promise.”He sounded too sure, like he was plotting something. Your break was short-lived however, as a couple minutes later they called for everyone to join the dance floor for the fabled masquerade dance. Your heart beat sped up as you got into position with Sungho by your side.

Panic set in once the music started playing. Things were going smoothly at first, the music slow enough for you to keep up. You focused on not stepping on Sungho’s shoes, like you often did during the practice sessions. He could sense your nervousness and gave you a small smile. 

“Hey, look at me. You’re doing great. Just keep looking up at me and let your body move on its own, don’t think about it too much.”

He was always good at calming you down, settling your nerves during practices, but it wasn’t helping now, not after you practiced with Donghyun. You wished you were dancing with him. He was able to calm your nerves in an instant. You didn’t once mess up during your practice with him.

Sungho was nice, he danced well and he was undeniably handsome. He was perfect in every way. You wished he could calm you down like Donghyun could. You look up at him and smile, trying to calm yourself and focus but the only thing on your mind was him. Keeping up for a bit, you were doing better but your blood ran cold at the next announcement:

“Let’s switch it up tonight! Everyone, please take a step to your left and meet your new partner!” 

You take a step back and part with Sungho, watching as he spins with his new partner. He mouths to you, ‘heads up,’ before spinning away. You looked around frantically, confused. You were at the edge of the dance floor. Everyone seemed to have been able to find their partners except for you. You proceed with the steps by yourself, trying to keep up with the now quickened pace. 

Suddenly, you spin and someone interlocks their hands with yours. 

“May I have this dance?” 

You can instantly recognize the almost shoulder-length brown hair, the thick lips and the eyes that still glimmer even through his mask. His voice is especially unmistakable. You felt a wave of relief wash over you. 

“Donghyun!?”

You whisper-yell back at him. You focus for a second, straightening yourself out and talking to him during the parts of the dance that you guys are close enough to hear each other.

“I mean this in the nicest way possible but, what are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t attend?” 

Really, you were having more trouble hiding your excitement. You no longer felt panic but confidence. Donghyun was always able to make you dance better.

“It was Lord Sungho’s idea! He wanted us to be together tonight!”

You hold in your laughter at his child-like glee. His smile making it impossible for you not to smile back at him. With your new found confidence, you are able to finish the dance without making any mistakes. The dance ends with Donghyun’s hand caressing your face before you two part ways for dramatic effect. After the dance, you both look for Sungho to thank him but he already beat you to it, walking up to you and Donghyun.

“I know I'm the best, no need to thank me.” he says all cocky. 

“Well I was going to thank you but nevermind.” you playfully roll your eyes at him, not being able to conceal your smile. 

Donghyun laughs at your interaction, Sungho having already told him about how you two agreed to drop formalities whenever possible and act more like friends than failed partners. 

“I’m kidding. You guys did beautifully. I’m so happy for you guys!” 

Sungho and Donghyun exchange knowing looks, laughing together afterwards. With the main dance being over you were able to relax for a bit. The party was still very lively and busy, with everyone now settling down to eat and mostly drink for the rest of the night. After talking with a couple more people and congratulating your parents once again, you tell them you will be going to lie down in your room for a bit. With their approval, you take it as the perfect opportunity to slip away from everyone with Donghyun, into your room. 

“I’m so happy you were able to come! It truly was the best part of the night!”

You say to him after closing the door, giving him a hug. He sighs into your embrace, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent and letting out a contented sigh. 

“You look even more beautiful today. I didn’t think it was possible. And you did great out there. I'm so proud.”

You blush at his words and pull out of the hug, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

“You look very handsome. I don’t ever want to stop looking at you. And thank you, it was all because of you I was able to relax and do well tonight. No offense to Sungho but I was praying that I could’ve been dancing with you from the start.” 

He smiles at your words before tilting your head up towards his, leaning down to give you a kiss. This one felt different to the one you shared at the Park’s residence. That one was more needy and sloppy, both of you not knowing how to deal with the emotions that had built up and were coursing through your veins. This one was more slow, emotions flowing steady through the way your lips parted and met each other yet again. Donghyun was taking his time kissing you, slowly moving down your face to your jaw, then your neck and to your exposed collarbones. 

You let out pleasured sighs at his actions, not wanting him to stop. 

“I think I know what's going to happen, but I’ve never done anything like this before…”

You admitted shyly. He stopped his kisses on your neck before stepping back to look at you.

“I understand. I have never done anything like this before either. But if you allow me, I know I can make you feel good. Do you trust me to do that for you, Lady Y/N?”

If the way his eyes were pleading with yours to say yes wasn’t enough, it was his hands holding your so softly and the way that he wanted to take care of you that did. 

“I trust you Donghyun.”

He smiles at you before kissing your lips softly, hands going behind your dress to unzip it. After slipping out of it, you were left in a short, white slip-on dress. He walks you both to your bed where he has you straddle him. He runs his hands up your exposed thighs gently squeezing them a bit. 

“If you want to stop at any point, just tell me and I’ll stop, okay?”

You nod your head eagerly as you pull him in for a kiss this time. He repeats his actions from earlier, kissing you for a bit before moving down to kiss your neck. You moan as he leaves wet kisses on your collarbone. He runs his hands up your arms before placing them on your waist, moving towards your chest. He puts his hand over your clothed breast, giving it a playful squeeze, wanting you to be okay with it before doing more. Upon hearing you moan again, he takes it as a green light before squeezing it more, rubbing his thumb over your covered nipple. 

Your face is hot and you know that you’re blushing out of embarrassment but you don’t want him to stop. You pull the straps of your slip off, fully exposing your chest to him. You look away in embarrassment, not wanting to see the look on his face.

“You’re so beautiful, and so perfect.” 

He grabs your jaw making you look at him again before connecting your lips. He lifts you both up off of the bed only to lay you down softly, never leaving your lips. He takes off his dark green overcoat, which he picked out to match with you when Sungho told him he would also be attending. He unbuttons his shirt and, to his surprise, you’re staring right at him. His toned and lean body makes his slight abs visible, even in the darkness of your bedroom. He smirks,

“Do you like what you see?”

He says playfully to which you feel your cheeks burn for the 100th time. He fully takes his shirt off, throwing it on the floor before making his way down your body. He runs his large hands up and down your legs before pausing to ask you a question: “Have you ever touched yourself before?” 

He looked up at you with those big sparkly eyes that crinkled in the corner when a slight smile made its way onto your face. 

“It’s quite embarrassing to admit, but yes I have, but not much.”

“That’s not embarrassing to admit, I appreciate your honesty, but please guide me, so I can make you feel as good as I can.”

He gives you the sweetest smile before slipping your dress up a little, now face-to-face with panties that have a clear wet spot around them.

“I didn’t know I made you this excited so quickly,”

He didn’t seem like the type, but his words were cocky, chuckling as he ghosted his fingers over the wet patch. You played into it,

“They were like this after our first kiss too. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, about you,”

You whispered to him which only spurred him on. He slowly slipped your panties off, discarding them next to his shirt, before rising a little to meet your lips. He guided two of his fingers down and hovered them above your clit. 

“Tell me how this feels…”

He gently rubs your clit in circles, barely applying any pressure at first. He takes your slight whimper as a good sign and adds a little more pressure, kissing your neck as well. You grab onto his arm, clutching it as the pleasure in your core builds. You allow yourself to make some noises, the music outside loud enough to drown out your moans. You absentmindedly grind into his fingers, wanting more. Taking that as his sign, he moves his fingers away from your clit and slips them up and down your wet folds, collecting your slick. 

“Let me know if it becomes too much”

He slips one finger in slowly. They were a lot longer than yours were and a lot thicker too. You nod your head at him to move and he slowly pushes a finger in before dragging it back out. 

“F-Feels so good.” 

He added another finger after a bit, making sure you were ready to take him. You buck your hips up into his fingers when he hits your sweet spot.

“Right there, it feels so good!” 

You arch your back more, feeling immense pleasure build up within you. Suddenly, he takes out both fingers, to which you whine. He removes his pants and boxers before climbing back onto the bed and pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

“I want you to finish on me. Are you ready, Lady Y/N?” 

You nod your head quickly, wanting nothing more than for him to already be in you, but you’re nervous. 

“Please be careful, and go slow. I’ve never done this before…” 

“Don’t worry, I will make sure you are alright.” 

He lines himself up with your entrance, biting back a groan as he slowly pushes himself in. You hiss a little at the intrusion, the foreign feeling causing you slight pain. His face morphs to one of worry to which you quickly reassure him that you’re okay. 

“I’m okay, you can go ahead and move…”

His thrusts are painfully slow, not wanting to hurt you anymore. He can feel you squeezing his biceps, a little pride swelling in his chest. He takes this chance to dip down into your neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses but making sure not to leave any marks. 

Your moans grow loud and are more frequent, a result of him speeding up his pace. You sit up slightly causing him to hit into you deeper. He groans in your ear, 

“You feel so good around me, I don’t think I’ll be able to last much longer,” 

The feeling in your stomach is familiar, similar to the one Donghyun had caused earlier when he was fingering you. You assumed this is what it meant to be close, feeling the pleasure tighten and about to burst. 

“I feel it, please don’t stop Donghyun!” 

You let yourself be a little louder that time, knowing it would fuel him to go faster— and he did. Moments later you’re coming all over him. He thrusts a few more times before pulling out and using his hand to finish himself off, cumming all over it. 

Your breathing is shallow and quick, your throat dry from all the moaning and kissing. Donghyun runs to the bathroom connected to your room and washes his hands before grabbing a towel to clean you up. You wince at the process, still sensitive from before. 

“Thank you for cleaning me up, Donghyun. That was amazing.” 

“You were amazing. I didn’t know I could feel that good. I didn’t go too hard, did I?” 

You shook your head before pulling him in for another kiss. You thought about what he had said before when you first kissed. How he hadn’t kissed anyone before either. 

“No, it was just perfect. But I have a question for you. Last time, you said you never kissed anyone before. So how were you so good at what you just did?” 

It was Donghyun’s turn to blush and avoid your gaze. 

“That night that we kissed, Lord Sungho had asked to speak to me after he got back. He asked about what had happened and then he asked me if I knew what to do afterwards. When I told him that I had never done that before, he explained to me what the next process would be like…” 

“Oh my, I’m sure that was embarrassing for you, having to talk to him about such an intimate thing?”

“Not really. We practically grew up together, besides the fact that I am his servant, he doesn’t treat me like one. We’re like brothers.” 

He smiles to himself at the thought of Sungho treating him more like a brother than a servant. 

“Of course we have to act very formal when others are around, but when we’re by ourselves, it’s like the class gap doesn’t exist.” 

“That’s so beautiful. I’m glad he doesn’t make you feel like you’re just a servant. You’re so much more than that.” 

You get up, wincing slightly at the ache between your legs, suddenly aware that you were still very naked. You look back to see Donghyun staring at you with a bright smile, eyes disappearing because he was smiling so wide. You say playfully,

“Stop looking at me! I’m naked!”

“I know, I’m the reason why.” 

You laugh at his joke while slapping his arm. 

“You’re cheeky”

“Maybe just a little bit.”

He laughs and gets up, putting his clothes back on and helping you back into your dress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Welcome to my Masquerade…”

You could still hear the music outside, and the faint voices of people over it. Slowly, you both slip out of your room, you first and Donghyun leaving a few minutes later. You catch the eye of Sungho and Dongmin as you enter the ballroom. Dongmin says something first,

“You’ve been gone for a while! I was looking for you, where have you been? There were many people asking to speak to you.”

You hope they don’t catch the way your breath hitches before answering,

“After the dance, I told mom and dad that I would go to my room to lie down for a bit…” 

Now it was Sungho’s turn to speak,

“If you were lying down, why are you a little sweaty and your hair is messed up?” 

Before you could answer, Donghyun walks into the ballroom, walking up to the three of you. 

“How is everyone’s night going so far?” 

Donghyun says, adjusting his mask. Dongmin and Sungho exchange knowing looks, Sungho smirking up at Donghyun. 

“It’s going fine. We were looking for Y/N because there were many people wanting to talk to her but we couldn’t find her. I was going to ask you to help us find her but you disappeared too.” 

Sungho tilted his head to the side, waiting for Donghyun’s explanation. He had never lied to Sungho before, but he was quick on his feet.

“Oh, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you look, I was in the restroom. But I see that you have found her and I’m sure there are plenty of people still waiting to talk to her now.” 

You look up at him in disbelief, holding back a laugh as you feign seriousness. Dongmin tongues his cheek, also holding back a laugh. He grabs your arm, guiding you to the next person that wants to talk to you, whispering to Donghyun,

“I know what you guys did, fix your shirt,”

Donghyun looks down, realizing that his shirt was sticking out from underneath his overcoat, not tucked into his pants. He looks up at Sungho, who's already shaking his head at him. 

“If you guys are gonna be sneaking around like this, at least get better at being aware of your state afterwards… but then again, I am proud of you. Did you do everything I told you to do?” 

Donghyun smirks, fixing his shirt before answering,

“Have I ever not done something you’ve told me to do?” 

Both men share a laugh as they watch you struggle to hide your disgust at the next suitor you’re talking to. You make eye contact with Donghyun for a second, to which he winks at you, mouthing a  ‘good luck’ before shooting you a thumbs up. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the ball ends, you and your family see the guests off, saying your goodbye’s. The last family to leave is Sungho’s. By now, your family lets you see him off without them needing to be there, so they say their goodbyes before heading back inside. Sungho’s parents give you the same courtesy, waiting in the carriage for Sungho and Donghyun, who drove the carriage here. Dongmin insisted he stay outside with you. 

“Well, I’ve had a lovely evening, Lord Dongmin, Lady Y/N. I hope to see you soon at our manor. I’m sure someone else would like to see you there as well.” 

Sungho brings your hand up to his lips. 

“Next time you come over, be sure to bring Lord Dongmin with you, we have much to discuss.” 

Dongmin and Sungho exchange hugs and talk amongst themselves while Donghyun comes up to you. 

“I have also had a lovely evening with you, Lady Y/N. I hope to see you soon.” 

Donghyun kneels before you, placing a kiss onto the backs of both your hands, the grandest request of courtship. 

“I wish to court you from here on. Please think of me until we see each other again.” 

You tear up a little at his confession, placing a soft kiss on his cheek, hoping that Sungho’s parents weren’t looking out the carriage, wondering what’s taking them so long. 

“I will be sure to visit very soon. And I promise, I’ll think of you everyday.” 

With that, the four of you bid each other farewell, you and Dongmin making your way back inside. 

“That was so risky, even for you. You’re lucky nobody caught on.”

“I was nervous the whole time but it just felt right. I hope you’re not mad at me, big brother.” 

“Why would I be mad? My little sister is happy! And I’m so happy for you. Not to mention how me and Sungho have built quite the friendship over this past week, especially tonight.” 

“Thank you Dongmin. I really like him. I’m glad you do too! I hope you guys can build a good friendship as well.” 

He pulls you into a hug and you finally feel at ease, after the preparation, the practice, talking to so many people and the actual ball itself. Not to mention that your and Donghyun’s earlier affairs had your legs slightly shaking the rest of the night. You feel yourself relaxing into Dongmin’s arms, the exhaustion from the entire week finally catching up to you. 

“Let’s get you to bed. I know you must be tired.” 

Dongmin scoffs before picking you up, carrying you to your bed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know this is so long but I hope you guys enjoyed reading! Again, its my first fic on here so please be nice! my asks are open so if you have any questions feel free to ask!

-> Here's a link to all my other masterlists!

[sammyofold]

Here are those fic recs I promised you @incesthemes ! I hope there's some in there that you'll really enjoy <3 I split up the recs into overarching tropes to group some together, but I'll start with those that don't fit into any of the groups.

The list got a bit long, so I decided to split it up into two parts.

(Part 1 | Part 2)

Courting Death by theproblematique.

Summary: Sam Winchester lived the first six months of his life in a happy family; the next twelve years as John Winchester's only son, and the last decade as an orphan. He's supposed to die at twenty-two trying to save the woman he loves from a fire, because he doesn't have a brother to pull him back. But the night Sam meets his Reaper he discovers that Death is overly fond of pop-culture references, too beautiful to be real, and reluctant to kill him.

Servant of Servants 'verse by klove0511.

This is a two-part series (though I think it might've been intended to have more fics, its ending doesn't leave you feeling snubbed), posing the question: "what if it had been Sam who'd been mortally wounded at the end of Season 1?"

love potion no. 9 by according2thelore.

Summary: Dean drinks a love potion. Sam is falling apart at the seams because he's been in love with his brother for more than a decade.

keep me in a daydream by according2thelore.

Summary: After an accidental kiss makes a hunt go suspiciously well, Sam and Dean decide to try it again. And again. And again. It's no different from wearing lucky socks, right? A 5 + 1.

for you and me (i got no alibi) by remy.

Summary: There are people hitting on Sam wherever he goes, and Dean is doing weird things like holding doors open for him and touching him way more than is necessary, and it's all driving Sam up the wall. It doesn't help that he's been in love with Dean for just about forever, and all of it feels like a mockery of something he'll never get to have. Meanwhile, Dean is at his wits' end trying to figure out how he can make Sam realize that he is, in fact, trying to get into his pants.

Ben Has Two Dads by regala_electra.

Summary: When Ben turns thirteen and learns that Dean Winchester is his father, he runs away to join his father (and uncle). A tale where boys are boys, Vikings are Vikings, unicorns go to Candy Mountains, Dean and Sam are in big gay love, and Ben becomes a Winchester.

Last Temptation by merle_p.

Summary: Sam is running a fever again, the kind of fever no Ibuprofen or cold compress will bring down, the kind of fever that is eating him up alive, eviscerating him from the inside. He is too hot and too cold and too pale, delirious and shaking, resonating with whatever divine energy the trials are subjecting him to, and Dean is not sure how much longer he can stand to see him be in this state. Because Sam is quite possibly dying, and there is nothing Dean can do to stop it. Because Sam is dying, and he just. Won’t. Shut. Up.

Five Times Dean Forgot and One Time He Remembered by elsi.

Summary: Rowena warned him the obliviate curse might have “aftershocks.” That Dean could relapse to his amnesiac state without warning—though only temporarily, she assured. But this? This goes beyond calling a lamp a “light stick.”

Whatever It Is by theproblematique.

Summary: Both Sam and Dean get sent to the year 2014.

Take My Hand (Take My Whole Life, Too) by TeacupUnicorn.

Summary: Sam and Dean get handcuffed together during a hunt. With a werewolf on their tail and a proximity to each other they haven’t had since they were kids, their unstable relationship is put to the test and their trust in each other is pushed to the limit. Set sometime after 5x16 and before 5x20.

Not Her Sam by Yuval25.

Summary: Future Dean goes back in time to change the future and saves Jess. Future Sam tags along unexpectedly. And Jess is okay. No, seriously. She's fine.

Mistaken For a Couple

101 - mythology by ani_coolgirl.

Summary: As Sam, Dean, and Kali flee Lucifer's slaughter, Kali makes an assumption. The boys try to clear up any misconceptions. They don't do a very good job.

I need you so much closer by cherryvanilla.

Summary: five times they're mistaken for a couple plus one time they actually are.

Domesticity

Paisley by samsexualdeancurious.

Summary: After his mind wall was broken and was healed, Sam knows he can’t be a hunter anymore, so he and Dean retire, and Sam ends up finding a homeless dog who was abused and together they heal.

The Chicago Verse by compo67.

This is a series spanning a whopping 169 fics. I've read only a few of them and I enjoyed Sam and Dean retiring in this town together. It's still updating, looks like, since the latest fic added was in May of this year.

a few things worth saying by hathfrozen.

Summary: “So this morning,” Dean ventures as they blast down the highway in pitch black night toward a probable werewolf case. Sam looks over at him, thin eyebrows raised, eyes clear and calm. He’s not even difficult about it, doesn’t ask what Dean is after, doesn’t deny what had happened. Instead he says, very simply, “I just figure, why lie?” Alright then.

All The Way In by hunters_retreat.

Summary: Sam never did know how exactly it happened. One day, he and Dean were run ragged, exhausted from yet another disaster of a hunt, no money and no gas, no prospects and no allies left alive to give them a hand. The next, they owned a store with a shooting range and Sam was a professor of religious studies at a local community college.

Pre-Series & Season 1

To Blow Against the Wind by dreamlittleyo.

Summary: After Oasis Plains, Sam and Dean can't. Stop. Touching each other.

Star-Crossed by Agent_Hellcat.

Summary: Before Sam departs for Stanford, he writes a letter to Dean, begging him to come to Palo Alto with him.

Birthday Suit by wincestation.

Summary: On the morning of Dean’s eighteenth birthday, Dad takes him to buy a suit. Sam is… interested.

house song by according2thelore.

Summary: “The werewolf.” Sam says, quick. Hushed. Scared. “I don’t know how. I was—He was standing above you and then he wasn’t. And I think I did that.” Dean keeps whispering stuff to Sam, banal reassurances that Sam soaks up like a sponge, but he feels sick. Sammy did something impossible. Sammy’s been doing impossible things. For years. Or: Pre-Canon/Teen!chesters AU in which Sam develops powers at age eleven, Dean will do anything to protect him, and they have to live with the consequences

Outsider POV

What I've Done by Amoreanonyname.

Summary: He wasn’t going to say anything more about it. He could tell, Dean was happy to see him, but wasn’t going to humor this topic. Dean, young Dean would jump to obey John, to answer John’s questions, but this was an older Dean who was more loyal to someone else now. More loyal to his brother. John wasn’t the priority here, and he realized with another guilty jump in his stomach that he never should have been.

something you love and understand by monsterq.

Summary: In heaven, Mary makes an unwelcome discovery about her sons’ relationship.

a skeleton terribly restless by remy.

Summary: Mary knows she doesn't fit right in this strange new world she's woken up in, with these grown men masquerading as her sons, but she tries her best. She really does. She closes her eyes to all the things she does not want to see, and she lies to herself until she's convinced. Until she can't.

Flowers on the Window Sill by orphan_account.

Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester's relationship as observed by the good people of Star's Hollow.

Soulmates

Fix You by non_tiembo_mala.

Summary: After their encounter with Famine, the boys are in dire straits. With Dean left shaken by the horseman's taunts - which rang truer than he'd like to admit - and Sam juiced up on demon blood again, Dean is at a loss. He has no idea how to move forward, or where they're meant to go from here. Then again, they’ve always had each other - perhaps their salvation isn't as far away as it seems.

All Too Familiar by sammichgirl.

Summary: Sam's new hobby has consequences they never saw coming. Turns out, that's OK with Dean after all.

What We Do by BleedingInk.

Summary: Castiel catches Sam and Dean in a compromising position.

since feeling is first by queenklu.

Summary: That he wants to think this is Dean yanking a leash should make his blood run cold, not aching hot. It should make him sick, angry, it should get his fucking hackles up and make him fight. He does want to fight. But there’s a skin-thin line between primal things, and fighting isn’t all he wants to do.

if the dam breaks open many years too soon by deirde_c.

Summary: Sam’s soul springs a leak, and Dean’s the one who can repair it.

In the beached margin of the sea by rivers_bend.

Summary: Sam and Dean black out on a hunt, and when they wake up, Dean's having visions and Sam can't get new, strange feelings out of his head. When John finds out about the side effects, he'll do anything to get rid of the "curse". But Sam and Dean don't want to go back to the way things were before.

I Don't Need A Symbol by amoreanonyname.

Summary: It hadn’t meant that much to Sam at first. A warm glow at being able to do something nice for Dean, to give him something for once, to make him as happy as he seemed when he put it on immediately. It was what it meant to Dean that made it mean something else to Sam.

[oddyseye]

Okay, I wasn’t going to say anything else about EPIC. I really wasn’t. But then I remembered I’m a survivor of SA, and staying quiet about things like this is just not in my nature.

This is your last warning for SA discussion before I go on. Cool? Cool. Here’s the deal: Epic the Musical erased Odysseus’s experience of sexual assault at the hands of Calypso, a key element of his story in The Odyssey, and then went ahead and invented a new storyline where the suitors plan to rape Penelope. Yes, you read that correctly. They removed male sexual assault entirely from the narrative but decided to increase Penelope’s suffering by adding gratuitous violence that wasn’t in Homer’s text. This is a deeply troubling creative decision, and I can’t let it slide. First, let’s look at Odysseus’s ordeal with Calypso. In The Odyssey, he is trapped on her island for seven years. This isn’t some romantic getaway — Odysseus explicitly says that he longs to return home to Ithaca, to Penelope, and to his life. Calypso refuses to let him go, keeping him against his will. But Epic completely erases this part of his story. There’s no exploration of what it means for Odysseus to be a victim of sexual violence or how this impacts his journey. Instead, they pretend it never happened, as if male SA is something that can just be brushed under the rug because it’s uncomfortable to address. And that’s a huge problem. When you erase male sexual assault, you contribute to the stigma that male victims face in real life — the idea that their experiences don’t matter, that they’re not “real” victims. Odysseus’ story is one of the few examples in ancient literature that acknowledges male vulnerability in this way, and for Epic to cut it out is not just a missed opportunity but a blatant dismissal of an important aspect of his character.

Now let’s move on to Penelope. In Homer’s text, the suitors are undeniably vile. They invade her home, consume her resources, and harass her with unwanted advances. They also sexually assault the female servants in the household, a horrific but historically grounded detail that highlights the suitors’ depravity. However, Penelope herself is not subjected to physical sexual violence. Her suffering is primarily psychological and emotional. She endures years of torment as she waits for Odysseus, using her wit and resilience to protect her home and her son. She doesn’t need to be physically brutalized to be a compelling, tragic figure — her strength and intelligence speak for themselves. But Epic decided that wasn’t enough. Instead of respecting Penelope’s original characterization, they added a plotline where the suitors actively plan to rape her. This change is not only unnecessary but also deeply harmful. It’s yet another example of modern media using sexual violence as a lazy shortcut to create drama or “raise the stakes” for female characters.

What makes this even worse is the way the creator, Jorge, has handled this topic in the Epic community. Discussions of Calypso’s sexual assault of Odysseus have been explicitly banned in the musical’s Discord server. Imagine that for a moment. A canonical instance of sexual violence is considered too taboo to talk about, but inventing new sexual violence against Penelope? That’s apparently fine. This double standard is infuriating. It shows a complete lack of understanding of the source material and a disregard for the real-world implications of these narrative choices.

This adaptation could have done something powerful by acknowledging Odysseus’s assault and exploring its impact on him. This could have been a valid artistic choice if handled carefully, if, for instance, it had been used to explore Penelope’s fear and determination in the face of such a threat. But in the context of Epic, this addition feels hollow and gratuitous. Why? Because while the musical amplifies Penelope’s suffering, it silences Odysseus’. I will only add that adding a storyline where the suitors plan to harm Penelope isn’t inherently a bad creative choice. Sexual violence is already present in The Odyssey. The suitors’ treatment of the female servants, for instance, is a horrifying but integral part of the story, showing how power and entitlement corrupt them. Expanding on the danger Penelope faces in her own home could have been a powerful way to explore her resilience, intelligence, and the stakes she faced while waiting for Odysseus. But Epic the Musical completely erases this part of Odysseus’ story. There’s no mention of his captivity or the abuse he suffered. Instead, his time with Calypso is framed as little more than a delay on his journey, a footnote rather than a defining trial. When Epic decided to add a plotline where the suitors plan to rape Penelope, it fundamentally changed her struggle. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad choice, it could have been a way to emphasize the danger she faced as a lone woman surrounded by violent, entitled men. But for this addition to work, it needed to be balanced against the rest of the story.

Imagine if Epic had included both Penelope’s new storyline and Odysseus’ abuse at the hands of Calypso. This could have been a profoundly meaningful parallel. Odysseus and Penelope, separated by years and miles, both endure profound violations of their autonomy. He is physically held captive, forced into a relationship he doesn’t want. She is psychologically held captive in her own home, under constant threat from the suitors. Both fight to maintain their sense of self in the face of overwhelming violation. Both cling to the hope of reunion as their anchor and their strength.

The Odyssey is one of the most enduring stories of all time because of its complexity and humanity. Stripping away that complexity in favor of cheap, exploitative drama is an insult to the original text and to the audience.

[somepsychopomp]

I love the idea that the Trojans pay closer attention to when Ody's heats are then Odysseus himself. They live in fear that one day he just rips the walls down with his bare hands. Everyone refuses to go fight by the fifth year. The Greeks have about five seconds to recognize what that means before they get jumped <3

Okay so I’m no longer asking- I’m telling y'all that if u leave me an idea or suggestion with no clear context clues/explanation as to what you’re talking about, I’m not going to answer 😭 Believe me, I love writing and answering prompts but if I have to treat it like a guessing game, its not nearly as fun for me anymore. Sorry to anon because I know that wasn't your intention, but I am simply not a mind reader

Like I know you’re talking about my omegaverse AU but I’m not sure if you’re referring to my actual AU or the Trojan spin-off. It sounds more like you’re referring to my side idea of omega Ody being kidnapped by Paris to Troy so okay-

I think Ody would actually be a lot more clever about his heats & would try to conceal them as much as possible, whether that be by frequently washing/changing his clothes and/or using copious perfume or ancient scent blockers.

And if not that, he could try prolonging his period of pre-heat to confuse the alphas in the Trojan palace as much as possible. Maybe he does this with herbal remedies that can partially suppress a heat, or he knows how to mimic the mannerisms of an omega approaching their heat- ex. increased purring & scent marking

Tricking the palace into thinking he’s near-heat has a few advantages. One, Odysseus can eavesdrop more easily because its Ancient Times and no one thinks a horny omega has even two brain cells to rub together. When they all think he's just a dumb himbo, Ody can steal supplies he needs more easily, or even seduce the palace guards into giving him access to places he shouldn't be in.

Cue Odysseus' many failed escape attempts from Troy. (Stealing a length of rope to scale the wall to freedom, stealing a knife and slitting a guard's throat so he can take a horse from the stable, seducing another to gain access to Troy's underground servant tunnels, etc.) The only reason why they're failed attempts is bc Priam is really smart and Hector is an extraordinarily talented warrior, and together they can just barely keep omega Ody in containment.

Omega Odysseus in heat is a different beast. If Ody in my actual AU has be to locked aboard one of his ships while in heat during the Trojan War, then he's 100% getting locked in Troy's dungeon while he's with them.

Granted, they prettied it up for him by cleaning the old blood and grime off the walls, giving him tons of soft bedding, keeping Paris far away from him, and providing him with a vast assortment of snacks and hand-carved dildos to bounce on.

Ody's horny phase lasts a few hours, maybe even a day if the Trojans are lucky. But once he begins to grow frustrated bc the dildos just can't satisfy him like his Penelope can, omega Odysseus is breaking out no matter how hard they try to barricade his cell. Somehow, perhaps with Athena's help, they always end up with a naked Odysseus running through the halls and ripping out throats with his bare teeth.

He won't rest until he either A) has his alpha back or B) has killed Paris. He would prefer both, but since Ody can probably only get B because Penelope is leading the forces from Ithaca outside of Troy's walls, he'll take it.

Whenever Ody escapes containment, which is quite often, Paris is told to hide while literally an entire battalion of fully-armored Trojan soldiers is sent to capture the omega. His heat doesn't make him the addled, boneless, whimpering pet that they expect an omega to be. He's quick and merciless, fueled by his instinctual rage at being separated from his mate and infant son.

Even when he's captured, Ody's still got a few tricks left. Sometimes, he'll cry out in pain and feign an injury. Since he's technically married to Paris and considered Trojan royalty, one of the guards or soldiers would have no choice but to venture closer to check on him.

From there, it's easy for Ody's canines to find flesh and for his nimble fingers to snatch the dagger or sword from the poor man's side.

After the Trojans start getting wise to Odysseus' ways, they basically form a union. They already have enemies at their gates, seemingly every able-bodied man in Greece (plus Penelope), but now they have a monster in their midst. One that is slowly killing them off from within their own palace.

Return the omega to his homeland, they say to their king. Or else they will simply refuse to fight any longer.

Bonus: If we're following my AU where Troy isn't sacked by the end of the war, then by the time Ody gets to leave, they'll have probably started to let omegas into their army. Something about viewing them as the most terrifying and ruthless warriors imaginable.

[svt-kiki]

SEVENTEEN Kiki’s New Fantasy Romance Drama Confirms Final Cast — and it’s epic

Feb 24, 2025 by E Cha

SEVENTEEN Kiki’s upcoming drama “Men of the Harem” has finalized its starring cast, now we all can say it has one of the most thriving casts in the history of kdrama.

“Men of the Harem” will tell the story of latil, who is drawn into the war for the throne after mysterious assassination of her father. while no time to recovering from the heartbreak by ex lover, she declares to build the harem as new emperor, says “most emperors of this country had fifteen concubines on average. the maximum is twenty. even my father had few. then why i, an emperor, not allowed? — let’s start with five, shall we?”

kiki will portrait the charismatic protagonist latil, the new emperor of tarium. as she chooses five young men from all walks of life to join her harem, she needs to solve her father’s murder, and keep the peace in her harem to protect the throne and the realm.

meanwhile, ahn hyo seop will be starring as ranamun, the eldest son of duke, one out of the first five members of harem. he was the most anticipated future royal consort until latil made an announce out of his expectation. he is described as most beautiful man in the empire, while has cold, introvert personality and seldom interacting with anyone willingly.

woo do hwan will play klein, the prince of neighboring nation, karisen, who becomes a consort because he mistakenly believes that latil loves him. he seemingly has abrasive personality at surface which caused people to avoid him. but when isolated from his home country and thrown into the loneliness, his true nature might be revealed.

rowoon will portrait sonnaught, the youngest imperial guard in the empire. before that, he was the close friend to latil’s brother, prince raean, which made him a natural choice for being her closest confidant after her ascension to the throne. from a very young age, he has a crush on latil and determined to be her most loyal servant even after the harem was built. however, can he actually endure to witness her affair with other men?

hwang in yeop will be starring as tasir, the heir to the anghes trading company, who joins the harem in order to help his family’s business. he is smart, strategic and calculating person as make him able to achieve the tasks latil gave to him. while he is the commoner unlike most of the members, tasil can provide the grapevine through the country to her.

lee soo hyuk will play carlein, the leader of the black reaper mercenary company. to a greater or lesser, the reason other men were selected contain political motivation, although he joins the harem for unknown reason and selected by latil due to his appearance as straight blonde hair and extremely pale complexion. he is laconic and reserved like ranamun, but also cares latil deeply and only shows his sensitive emotion with her. in addition, he has a weird obsession with latil’s neck.

　spoiler alert — he’s a vampire ( ! )

last but not least, park jihoon will portrait guesta. he’s a second son of chancellor, becomes a consort in order to regain standing for his family, which had lost power following latil’s ascent due to remaining neutral during the war for the throne. he is shy and side pinning latil, but secretly has a cunning and ruthless side.

“Men of the Harem” is currently set to be released on netflix.

are you excited for this new drama?

… VIEW COMMENTS

[ +635, -26 ]　so they really said avengers assemble…

[ +2546, -42 ]　it reminds me of scarlet heart ryo, can’t wait to watch already!

[ +739, -38 ]　i really hope this will be the final call to awake korean audiences from sleeping on lee soohyuk ㅠㅠ

[ +5173, -25 ]　okay how many love scenes for kiki we actually get *shaken voice*

[ +1739, -62 ]　the casts screams EXPENSIVE 💸

[ +2719, -38 ]　wait a minute so we do get love scenes for kiki and blonde vampire soohyuk??? oh lord someone is gonna die

© SVT-KIKI　/　2025 .　

( tag list )　@smh-anon @jennwonwoo @angie-x3 @scarlet789 @cheeksung

[celery-the-stick]

Okay I have an extremely hot take on Uther. A boiling hot take if you will. The depths of hell hot take.

I don't think Uther was as bad a guy as we all generalize him to be.

YES THE MAN'S AN ASSHOLE I am not disagreeing with that. He's committed genocide and cheated on his wife, neither of which are excusable.

HOWEVER (welcome to my Ted Talk), it's really important to think about his character from its roots.

Uther grew up with magic. Until Arthur's birth, magic was a normal part of life in Camelot and surrounding kingdoms. When he realized Ygraine couldn't bear a child, he asked Nimueh if magic could help and she said yes. It's kind of unclear if Uther knew it would take another life to give him a son but it's really clear that he didn't know it would be Ygraine. (Excalibur has an interaction between Nimueh and Uther that shows this; Uther says "you knew it would kill her" and later, "Nimueh told me there would be a price to pay".)

Based off of this, it's safe to say that if Uther didn't know about the life for a life rule – after experiencing it firsthand – he could be reluctant to save someone on the verge of death, especially with magic involved

THIS IS WHY in episode 4, the poisoned chalice, I believe Uther crushes the flower and throws it on the floor. His son, his only son might I add, risked his life for a servant. He must have sensed something magical, even before Gaius tells him Nimueh was there. He didn't want Arthur to give Merlin the flower because he was scared it would work the same as the trade.

My next point is that I don't think Uther would be homophobic. (I promise it's connected lol).

Many people think Uther had traditional values, but his values about magic changed in an instant when Arthur was born.

In the 6th century, (the time when the Arthurian legend is kind of told to take place), the Bible was just coming out. Because it wasn't super out there yet, not even translated into most languages, there's no misinterpretation of the "boy shall not lie with man" line. This means a modern version of homophobia isn't possible.

Because Arthur was royalty, I think Uther would probably care about extending the bloodline, as one at this time would do with their only son. I think Uther would actually be okay with Arthur fooling around with whoever he wanted as long as he had a wife or someone to continue the bloodline with (sounds really really strange I know, stay with me here lol)

The only thing Uther would have a traditional value on in this sense is the servant-royalty dynamic, as seen with Arthur and Gwen.

ON TOP OF THAT I think Uther actually really likes Merlin!!!!!!!!!!!!

He would 100% have the authority to say "I hired this boy and now I'm firing him" no matter what anyone says, (hell, he even tried to fire Gaius). But he DOESNT!!! It's shown in Excalibur that he actually really appreciates Merlin being around for Arthur and recognizes how devoted he is to him.

All in all, it's really really important to cross reference with the time period, references, and behavior to see where a character is coming from. Uther doesn't just do these things because "OOPS, accidentally killed my wife!! I'm blaming it on you!!", he does it out of fear and love for his child(ren).

Being a parent is hard. You only have one chance to turn this baby into a functioning adult and Uther didn't really do a good job, but he tried. Even if "trying" means committing genocide because he doesn't want his son to go through the same pain he did.

I could go into how Morgana was exactly the same as Uther but on the other side of the scale, but I'll leave that for another essay.

If you read this far please feel free to critique!!! I've been building this thought in my head for months and new stuff just keeps coming to me lol

[gulnarsultan]

Magnificent century yayyyy i want yandere sultan Suleiman smut or minors like you say ofc With the reader She was not the type like Sultana Hoyam. She was a girl who came to serve them and nothing more, but the Sultan loved her at their first sight in the hall. While the girls tried to dance for him so that one of them would become his wife, Suleiman invited her to a room so that she would be the one to have his children and marry her (with Some porn please) sorry if its too long (T＿T) but i love you from the first post from you please make it for meeeeee

Hello dear. Don't worry. It's okay if your post is long. What matters is that you wrote your request clearly and correctly. I love you too. I'm so happy to hear that you like my writings. I hope I understood your request correctly.

[NSWF/+18]

》 Scenario《

We've been on this ship for days. You were kidnapped by pirates and taken to the Ottoman Empire. There were many other girls on the ship besides you. The one who made the most fuss was a girl named Alexandra. After traveling for a few more days, the ship finally managed to land. They took a group of girls with you to the Palace. After the bath, they took you to the Taşlık. You weren't fighting, following orders and not causing trouble. That's why the servants in the harem were nicer to you. Days later, Valide Hafsa Sultan organized a party for her son who had just ascended to the throne. You weren't among the concubines dancing for Sultan Suleiman. To be honest, you were grateful for this because you were too shy to dance. You were playing the lute while accompanying two concubines who were playing music. Alexandra was trying the hardest among the dancing concubines. She wanted to attract the Sultan's attention and get the purple handkerchief. The music stopped and the concubines stopped dancing. They were waiting to see which one the Sultan would give the purple handkerchief to. Sultan Suleiman stopped for a few seconds and then stood up and started walking. He stopped in front of the concubines who were playing music. Suddenly he handed you the purple handkerchief. You looked at the handkerchief in surprise and then at Sultan Suleiman. He smiled and handed you the handkerchief. Without realizing it, you took the purple handkerchief from him. When the Sultan left the room, the dancing concubines looked at you angrily. Alexandra was especially angry.

After you washed yourself in the bathhouse, the apprentices helped you get ready. In fact, they only laughed at all the excuses you made not to go. You reached Sultan Suleiman's room by passing through the golden road. When the guards opened the doors, you walked in trembling. You nearly fainted with fear. Sultan Suleiman was right in front of you. You knelt down in front of him as you were taught and kissed the hem of his robe. He gently grabbed your chin and lifted you to your feet.

"Don't be so afraid, my dear. I will give you all the pleasure in the world tonight."

He slowly undressed you. He slowly guided you to lie down on the bed. But first, he made you drink a glass of wine. When you lay down on the bed, Sultan was looking at you as if you were his prey. He slowly pressed his lips to yours. During the soft kiss, he massaged your breasts, pinched and pulled your nipples. You could feel the area between your legs getting wet. Your sides started to blush with embarrassment. Suleiman stopped the kiss and looked at you with a grin.

"Shy Princess, you are so wet."

He slowly started to rub and squeeze your clitoris with his fingers. Light moans were escaping your mouth. Minutes later, you squirted when you reached your climax.

"Good girl."

Suleiman lightly slapped your pussy. He took off his pants and rubbed his penis, the tip of which was leaking sperm, against your wet pussy. He positioned his penis at the entrance of your pussy. He pushed it in slowly. A light moan escaped from your mouth. He slowly pushed it all the way to the bottom. He waited a few seconds for you to get used to it. He started moving slowly. After a while, his movements got faster. When you both reached your peak, he pushed his penis all the way to the bottom and filled your womb with his sperm. He stayed inside you and held you in his arms. You were both covered in sweat and out of breath. He placed a small kiss on your forehead. What you didn't know was that you were now a woman who had Sultan Süleyman's love and obsession.

[eatmeandbirthmeagain]

hello! a little fic request I’ve been thinking on, not pressuring you to write it or anything, just wanted to share.

the y/n is a hot tempered foreign princess who got married to Baldwin when they were both children. she’s very energetic, straightforward, man-like in her character, but has to adapt to fit in the court of Jerusalem and also to „suit” her husband’s calm manner and the fact that he’s ill doesn’t help.

she’s unhappy about it; maybe even tears a little during the wedding, but doesn’t let anyone to think she may be vulnerable (mostly because she understand that that can be used against her in the future after Baldwin dies). but over the time she finds herself drawn to Baldwin because, well, unlike her teachers, he lets her study and play chess with him. he cares about her desires and interests. he also respects her, not just like a woman but as a friend, and a clever one. maybe some of her advice on the politics is used by him at some point (which would be absolutely unrealistic, but really, we’re talking historical romance with a leper king here…). a cute detail would be him gifting her a weapon of some sort to protect herself because he knows how she doesn’t like being treated like she’s helpless. bonus points if he says something romantic and or pathos’y about it.

did I write this whole oc story as a multiple chapter fanfiction in my head? yes, I did. am I going to finish it? absolutely no. but I’d love to read your interpretation!

♧ "Princess" - King Baldwin x Reader ♧

♧ Angst ♧

A/N: Hello Anon! So sorry for taking so long to write this, ive had so many requests. I'm not sure if this is what you had in mind but it was my interpretation and I hope you like it! I dont really like how it turned out as your request had so much detail and my writing does that no justice, but I hope its okay ☺️! As always, this is based on the film Kingdom Of Heaven, not the real historical figgures. This is also set pre-film. Enjoy!

TW: Leprosy

At thirteen years old, marriage was the last thing on young y/n’s mind. But yet, here she was. Soon to arrive in the city of Jerusalem, to be wed to a boy she had only ever met a handful of times.

Baldwin the fourth. The leper, who's mother just so happend to be ready to find him a wife at the same time her father was ready to find her a husband.

She sat in silence for the entire journey, this was uncommon for her. She usually always had something interesting to say or something to observe with curiosity. But as per request by her father, from now on she “had to act like a proper lady. No more of this ridiculous 'masculine' behavior”.

“You will be wed to a king y/n” he had told her. “You must stop acting the way you do. No king will be allowed such behavior from his wife”. 

Her attempt to keep to herself for the journey had been successful so far. She remained silent and still. Just as her mother taught her. “Just how a lady should be”. 

As the city came into view, y/n felt tears begin to burn her eyes. She would never again be allowed to explore the wilderness on her fathers land, or read every book she was allowed to have from the library. She surrendered herself to a life of boredom and suppression. 

Once exiting the carriage, she was greeted by the royal officials as well as the king's mother.

“I am so pleased to finally meet you young lady" she greeted her with a smile "you shall make a fine wife for my son” . Y/n thanked her and was ushered off quickly to prepare her for the hour of the wedding.

Y/n held back tears as servants worked busily around the room. Dressing her in beautiful garments, jewelry, and makeup. She was distraught. But she dare not cry. They could not see her so weak.

----------------------

The events proceeded and y/n barely even looked at the boy she was marrying. She could not bring herself to make eye contact with the man who would rule her life forever.

They told her to smile. “No man wants to see a lady disappointed on her wedding day” the king's mother had told her before they entered the church.

Baldwin himself was nervous about this day but just enthusiastic. Unlike y/n, he was looking forward to being wed to a young woman. He did not want just a wife to serve him, but a companion too. Someone who he could speak to about all kinds of things. Someone who would love him as much as he loved them. When he saw her, she looked beautiful, but sad. Very sad.

He hoped she was not sad about marrying him. Perhaps his illness deterred her from wanting to even be near him.

But she was still beautiful. She was 14, just like him. He could not take his eyes off her. He had met her a few times before, and she interested him deeply, even though they barely spoke. He more so just watched her play and talk with the other young people from his bedroom chamber window, longing to join them if it was not for his illness.

She played more with the young boys than she did with the girls. Always full of energy and life, always talking and laughing. But now, she looked different. As if the light had been drained from her. 

--------------------

When the wedding was over, the young king and queen got acquainted in the boy's chambers. She still seemed very quiet and unsure about his presence.

“Are you alright?” He asked her the second they were alone. “Yes your highness” she replied in a small voice, very different to the excitable tone she used to have. She sighed and lowered herself onto the small couch, turning away from him to look at her hands.

Baldwin thought for a moment, but then remembered that his mother requested he chose a wedding gift to present her after the affairs.

“I have a gift for you,” he said happily, lightening the mood.

He noticed her eyes light up a little at the comment. “You do?”

“Yes, would you like to see it?”

Y/n nodded excitedly, a smile forming on her face for the first time all day. The boy stood and disappeared behind the red, satin curtains that covered the large windows. He returned a few seconds later with something behind his back and a wide smile.

"I had to hide it, so my mother did not see what I chose for you" he explained. This peeked y/n's intrest greatly.

“Alright, close your eyes, '' he told her, the smile still plastered to his face. Y/n shut her eyes with anticipation. When he told her to open her eyes, she was lost for words. In the young king's bandaged hands, he held a shining silver sword with a pale pink ribbon tied around the handle.

Her eyes widened and stared at the sword for a long time before taking it in her hands to admire it. “Do you like it?” he asked, cautiously, hoping he had not offended her.

“Baldwin.. I love it!!” she exclaimed with a grin, jumping to her feet and wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug. The smile returned to his face and he put his arms around her waist.

“Now you can defend yourself my love. No wife of mine will be left vulnerable, even if there are men to protect her. She will defend herself, because she is strong.” His words filled the queen with happiness and hope. Perhaps her father was wrong after all and she could remain as herself. At least in the presence of her husband. 

-------------------

From that day on, they were inseparable. Unlike y/n’s tutors and parents, he allowed her access to his entire private library so they could study and read together. He allowed her time to herself, so she could do the things she loved without anybody telling her how to behave.

He quite often went as far as to seek her out for advice on political issues, not allowing her straightforward intelligence to go to waste.

Overtime, y/n became used to her duties as queen, but as much as she learnt to fit the role, she treasured her time alone with Baldwin. He cared about her interests, her desires. He respected her, more than anyone else ever had. They played chess together as well, each game being a delightful battle of the mind.

He saw her as not just a wife, but as a companion and an intelligent one at that. And for this, she would be forever greatful.

[nevermoreconfessions]

Hey there, buddy. I hope you're having a good day by the time you read this.

Okay, here's the thing, my brain occasionally chooses to remember little details that come back to haunt me and hit me in the skull like a fucking boomerang. And due to the last chapter of the free pass, I come to leave here the one that has bothered me the most lately for you to suffer with me.

Why on earth would Thaddeus want anyone to talk to Lenore and why would Ira consent to that?

No. Seriously. When Annabel tries to ask about Lenore, Thaddeus even denies having a daughter, why would he want to alleviate Lenore's loneliness by asking a young woman about her own age to visit her for company? On Ira's side, yes, the man wants Thaddeus to like him, but the guy seems like someone pretty obsessed with appearances, why would he want his precious daughter to be related to a potentially dangerous lunatic who is locked in the attic?

That makes me think the fact that they asked Annabel was a lie. But then, how did Annabel find out about Lenore? What were her intentions in wanting to meet her?

I have more. But this one has been eating me alive now that we had another flashback.

Oh, my favorite blog sent me a submission. Yes, buddy, we're suffering together. Have been for a little while, considering how I feel about the topic.

I think about Thaddeus and his actions quite a lot (when I'm reminded of his existence), actually, because he's an enigma. He's my version of a walking paradox.

Let's say he did contact Annabel Lee to be, as she had quoted, "A good influence for his hysterical daughter." He had done so with the knowledge that Annabel Lee was a temporary friend, that Lenore was forever going to be a spinster, and after that?

Nothing. No husband, no friends, no life outside of the Vandernact estate. Just a good, influenced "lady" in a house on her own.

Why?

One can only assume that in some sickening way, Thaddeus cared. He cared as much as a misogynistic Victorian man mourning his son, the only heir to the estate and wealth, can possibly be.

I can somewhat back this train of thought up with episode 65: he did seem shocked at the news of his daughter's possible death. That was the face of a man with fear in his heart. Then, after denying that he had a daughter in the first place, he looked...guilty. Truly and utterly guilty. For a moment, I pitied him.

Just for a single moment.

That then begs the question (isn't this a complicated topic?) — why did he then deny Lenore's existence?

Well, I have a theory or two.

1. He was not alone. There were servants in that room, and we all know that Thaddeus had intented to keep Lenore's existence a secret between himself and Annabel Lee.

2. Stay with me on this one, because its held together by bubblegum and a bent paperclip. Are we all aware of the stages of grief? First came the shock. We've seen that on Thaddeus's face. Then, there's denial.

Onto Ira.

Well, I can see this one. Annabel Lee did say that this was an arrangement made by their fathers — so, what did Ira, a man obsessed with appearances, get in return for his saught-after daughter to chill out with a mad woman?

I'm not sure if this has been noticed, but the Whitlocks are staying in the Vandernact's estate in New York for the social season. That's a pretty big favor.

There's no downside on Ira's side if all goes according to plan. Annabel Lee makes a friend with a girl whose existence is to be kept secret, all while Ira finally finds her a eligible husband in New York.

I suppose neither Thaddeus nor Ira considered the fact that their daughters might be achingly sapphic and fall for each other in the process, subsequently leading Lenore to burn an entire house to the ground for the slim chance of Annabel Lee's hand in marriage.

Isn't this a complicated situation?

[dulldoll-0]

Ok,since you have finally given me permission to make a fanatic storyline with my oc and yours of young Isabella.

Can you tell me all about Young Isabella. As everything about her ,Especially a favorite tea too. As I'm now investing in of wanting to learn about her before I could do for of my fanatic story make? Pls??? I would love to learn about her while I was practicing and study to draw for the comic,fanart and more

Okay :D ✨ ( A few info in the lore has been changed from the posts in my tiktok )

1. Basic stuff, Isabella is half Filipino & Italian but was raised a part from America.

-She can only speak a bit of Bisaya & Tagalog. ( She got it from her main mother, Mama Perla ).

-She tries to embrace a few parts of her ethnicity’s cultures, like the food, traditions, celebrations, dances, and forming a few words and sentences.

2. Isabella is an Atheist and a Wiccan, or part of the Wicca religion, which is part of modern contemporary Pagan religion.

— She isn’t against gods/deities or believing in them, but she just doesn’t, while she also maintaining studies & practices of witchcraft.

3. Isabella grew up with an Amethyst curse, making negative or extreme emotions difficult for her to understand or express. She can’t feel sadness, anger, sickness, pain, and wounds or injuries heal easily for her. She mostly feels calm or content, and often just dull.

4. Isabella grew up in an island away from most of society, having people who used to live in poverty and then in debt to her and her mother ( Perla ) as their villagers/helpers/servants of the island.

5. Isabella started doing her Priestess duties and living in the island when she was 5 years old. She heals people by giving them her blood. Rich people are the most who pay, those who can’t pay are in debt to her family, working for them until they can pay them back.

6. Since Isabella doesn’t fit the beauty standards of the Spider Species part, she started wearing a veil when she was 13. —

—She started hating getting her portrait taken without her veil, she started hating looking at mirrors or her reflection and have servants or helpers to do her makeup, and started hating people who saw her without her veil or staring at her in general.

6.2. She has a canopy with veils curtaining around her so people wouldn’t look at her while she was eating, also whenever she felt like eating without her — and only her mother ( and Jack & trusted servant can enter ).

—The canopy is used during big events, mostly.

6.3. She also has a bed with curtains around its canopy.

6.4. She’ll only show her face to you if you COMPLETELY earned her trust.

Generally, her eyes are what she doesn’t like.

7. Her manor has curtains all over the windows.

8. She’s homeschooled her whole life.

—She likes to study Hematology ( study of blood ) the most.

Toxicology ( study of poisons ), Pharmacology ( study of medicines ), and Chemistry.

Floriculture ( study of flowers ), Botany ( study of plants ),

Cryptozoology ( study of mythical creatures ) and little Biology & Zoology ( study of creatures ), and Entomology ( study of insects ).

—She also does math whenever she gets bored, mostly Calculus.

9. She can play the Pedal Harp, Piano, and the Mandolin. She likes to play the Mandolin the most.

9.2. She learned to play the Concert Flute for Jack, because he likes the sounds.

10. She doesn’t leave her room most of the time. She just stays there doing all kinds of art activities, painting & drawing, but mostly embroidery, tapestrying, macramés, and mostly sitting beside her window with her loom. Making all kinds of things— even doing witch practices like symbol drawing or potion making.

11. She likes to eat a lot.

12. Favorite tea is anything herbal? Tea full of all kinds of flowers— but— she adds a lot of honey and sugar into them.

13. She plays pranks on the helpers or people around the manor she doesn’t like, except her mother.

— She started getting suitors when she was 15 from rich people with their sons close to her age, but she drove them all away by playing pranks, insulting them, neglecting them, just until they get sick of her and leave the island to go back to the city.

—She did the same to Jack but he never gave up. 😔✊✨

14. She likes puzzle games.

15. She likes to dance Tarantella.

—With a fantasy-folky genre, like songs Soldier Poet King, Téir Abhaile ‘riú, or Tri Martolod.

— A lot of alt music, basically anything she can dance to.

( something like this )

16. She likes going to the beach — but she doesn’t like her servants having to follow her all the time, so she doesn’t. :(

—She also likes to collect shells that makes sounds.

17. Likes cold seasons, and rainy weathers.

— She likes the smell of apricity and mostly petrichor.

— She likes to take cold baths during cold seasons.

18.

Has been arranged with suitors since she was 16.

Chose to be willingly and officially engaged to Jack when she was 20.

Wedding day was when she was 24. ( Then tragedy struck ).

“You get to do a lot of things when you’re stuck here.”

That’s about it :D

Hope you enjoy all the info ✨

[bl00dlight]

So when I said that many green stans lack media literacy, it's crazy how right I was given so many think Aegon is a good father. Again, like? Loving your son because he is an extension of yourself ≠ being a good father. And we see that, as he not only mistakes Jaehaera for being Jaehaerys ( the servants & Helaena react to this ON SCREEN how could you miss it), he doesn't know where Jaehaerys is even educated, Helaena actively tries to keep Aegon AWAY from Jaehaerys, he doesn't spend time with his kids (as shown in S1), he also HAS BASTARD CHILDREN HE WATCHES IN FIGHTING PITS? HUH? Caring only about your heir does not make you a good father. Its almost like 🤔🤔🤔 Viserys did the same thing🤔🤔🤔 he only gave a fuck about his heir 🤔🤔🤔 and everyone thinks he is a bad father because of it 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔. He has only gained interest in Jaehaerys because he is having fun with the novelty of ruling (as Tom said and even the other characters in show acknowledge this). He also let's his child fuck around in council room just to be a menace. Actively teaching the kid that it's all g to do whatever the fuck you want cause you're gonna be King one day? Is that NOT what people critiqued Rhaneyra for when she was younger lmao? It's like... how can you get "awww he is such an attentive father" from mistaking your son for your daughter LMAO. Like the framing of all the scenes are setting us up for Helaena's reaction during B+C. Not only is she disassociating and traumatised, but she is also very much aware of the in coming doom they are all about to meet on behalf of Aegon's choices as King. Does anyone recall the fact Phia and Tom state multiple times Aegon doesn't really give that much of a fuck about Helaena, on top of how uncomfortable she is being Queen? She knows Jaehaerys will be primarily influenced by Aegon? Remember how she says "What if he does not wish to be King?" that's her trying to sway Aegon from influencing his own son cause Helaena knows Aegon is a TERRIBLE example. Expanding on that, I kinda view her saving Jaehaera as her saving herself? It's also very possibly Jaehaera and Jaehaerys would have been betrothed. Imagine Helaena thinking her daughter might one day have the same fate as her, because she could not prevent otherwise???

Mfs just see Aegon = good father for 1 known interaction. Instead of Helaena being a good mother by literally spending most of her life raising her children alone only for Aegon to suddenly swoop Jaehaerys away from her and steer him wrong. Then being forced to let her son be murdered while his FATHER is drunk (and from leaks presumably at a brothel with Aemond) I'm SORRY? She gave up Jaehaerys so easily because she A) already had insight into something bad happening, B) also knew they'd kill both of her children either way? Would she have been a better mother for sacrificing her daughter because males are valued more? Only then to have both children killed regardless? She saved her daughter as SHE SHOULD HAVE. And anyone who speaks against Helaena's mothering but is pro Aegon as a father is just another example of how misogyny shapes our world as well as in Westeros.

Okay just because yall wanna fuck Ageon doesn't mean you can't be critical of him. Lord knows how I am publicly horny for Aemond and I have stated multiple times how that man is like... categorically the worst.

[calethescammer]

A random tcf prompt :

Basically Cale finds an odd box one day with a beautiful necklace in it. And he wears it because why not? Like he did find it in his own room. So he goes around wearing it without realising that Jour gave it to Og!cale as a parting gift. And og!cale never wore it after her death.

So this is what I wrote:

Cale strolled around his bedroom lazily, because his kids had said that he needed to walk around or he'll fall sick. Not wanting to go out and be greeted with Ron's signature tea, he decided to roam around his bed only.

Looking around, Cale realized that he never really paid attention to og!cale's room. There were a lot of fancy decorations, portraits and lavish sculptures, though most of them only served for their looks. Nevertheless, the overall contrast was well chosen and his room looked spectacularly rich, even for a noble.

At a distance, Cale caught the sight of a plain box lying on the mirror-side table. He picked it up out of curiosity and saw in it an enticing necklace with a crimson pearl in the centre, its fire matching the color of Cale's hair.

Cale's eyes twinkled in a childish joy at the treasure he found. He worn it around his neck and was amazed at how well it suited him. Humming happily, he went out to check on his kids.

Outside, he was unsurprisingly greeted by Ron's lemonade, except that Ron stood absolutely still, his face not carrying the usual benign smile and his eyes focused on Cale's neck.

Cale internally wept inside, because this shameless assassin was now aiming for his neck in broad daylight.

'This is it...my only regret was that i could not reach my slacker life.'

Cale finished his farewell speech in his mind while Ron regained his smile, and Cale almost gasped in surprise because for a moment, it seemed as if Ron was smiling genuinely, like a fond parent. But of course he still remained vicious in Cale's eyes.

Cale walked to his father's office for some work, subconsciously putting his left hand around his neck, because the shameless assassin was digging daggers into his back with that chilling stare.

'The young master never wore the necklace after that day. Did something happen for him to...?'

Meanwhile, Cale regretted leaving his bed that morning.

"Father."

Deruth immediately got up from beneath the piles of reports and his face brightened upon seeing Cale.

"Cale, have a seat-"

Cale looked up in confusion, only to see Deruth frozen up with his eyes fixated on Cale.

"Uhm, father?"

Deruth didn't reply. Not knowing what to do, Cale shifted uncomfortably in his position, when Deruth suddenly asked,

"Cale, are you okay?"

"Of course, father."

'Why would i not be fine? The last time i coughed up blood was weeks ago.'

Deruth's brows narrowed and for a second, Cale felt like his father was about to cry.

Deruth looked at his concerned son, and he felt like crying and hugging him because of how proud and sorry he felt. The necklace he was wearing was the one Jour gave to him before her death. He always wore it, and Deruth didn't realise when he had stopped doing that.

He didn't ask Cale for the reason, and he felt guilty for not even noticing it.

(Little did he know that og!cale stopped wearing it in fear of reminding his already grief-stricken father about Jour.)

Deruth looked towards Ron and only after seeing Ron nod did he sigh in relief.

'Although i do not know the reason... it's fine if my son is happy.'

He patted Cale's head, because a hug might be uncomfortable for him, and Cale just stood there, wondering what was even going on.

As he walked through the corridor, the servants and the maids all eyed him, and Cale felt oddly uncomfortable.

'I know I'm trash but isn't that too strong of a gaze?'

He felt that everyone was being extra weird since morning.

What he missed, however, were the servants' fond eyes as they looked at their young master. They remembered how he happily announced and showed everyone the necklace his mother gifted him, and how he clutched it close to his heart, even in his sleep. And how he suddenly stopped wearing it and threw it away.

Seeing him wear it now was a strange and warm feeling, and only did they notice it now how well it complemented him.

"Human, it looks really good on you!"

"That's right, nya!"

"Yeah! It really suits you, nya."

Patting their heads, Cale smiled in relief and exhaustion, as he finally got the normal reaction he so desired.

(And as a relief from og!cale angst: After finding her mother as cale!krs, he gifted her a similar kind of pendant, and relished in joy as she hung it around her neck and showed it off to everyone, much like he did before.)

[badgalsasuke]

Kishimoto Interview for Da Vinci Magazine (2015)

Thank you so much to @whitestonecreek for providing all the scans of not only this interview but the entire special Da Vinci Magazine did in celebration of Naruto's finale.

Interview and text by Daisuke Yoshida. Photo by Shukafu

The whole of the ninja world was born here. Masashi Kishimoto Long Interview.

Masashi Kishimoto's debut serialization, "NARUTO", became a historic hit, selling a total of 200 million copies worldwide, and his name is now known around the world as one of Japan's leading manga artists. If you wonder what kind of genius he is, his true self is surprisingly unpretentious and gentle. However, once you talk to him, you can see his thoughtfulness, kindness towards people, and sharp sensibility in every word he speaks. Where does his personality and the appeal of "NARUTO", which appeals to the hearts of people of all ages and genders, come from? We approached the one and only "Jump" author, who has drawn 700 chapters, about his half-life and his passion for manga, which has not diminished at all.

"NARUTO" is a manga that has been serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" for 15 years since 1999, and boasts a total of 200 million copies in circulation worldwide. Its creator, Masashi Kishimoto, was born in a small town in the northeastern part of Okayama Prefecture in January 1974. His family includes a serious and reliable civil servant father and what the son calls "super airhead" mother.

"This is a true story, but my mother once stepped on a banana peel that she found on the street, slipped and fell over. I think it was very hard for my father to keep up with my mother'spontainety. … By the way, my wife is the reliable one, she says "My husband is the natural airhead because he ate the same food and grew up in the same environment (laughs)."

He has one brother, a twin. "We were always together and I think we were really close. We went to the same school and had the same friends, so we usually had the same problems, and it felt like we could talk to each other about anything. We both liked drawing, and my brother became a manga artist too.

The relationship between Naruto and Sasuke depicted in "NARUTO" is that of best friends, rivals, and even brothers. That relationship is said to reflect the bond with a twin brother. So, I can easily tell what my younger brother is thinking right now. When I watch my younger brother talking with his friends, I can tell that he doesn't really think well of them, even though he says "yeah" and "okay." So, when my younger brother was feeling bad, I started to feel bad too. Gradually, as the years went by, I started to feel the same sadness when my truly close friends were feeling sad. The other person's pain feels like my own pain. I tried to bring those feelings that I had actually experienced into the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke."

Just before the final chapter, Sasuke describes his relationship with Naruto like this: "We can share each other's pain." He adds, "Perhaps this can be said not only about me, but about something much bigger."

"NARUTO" is a work that goes beyond the framework of boys' manga and confronts the issues of "war" and "violence" head-on. The only logic that can stop "war" is to build a relationship in which we can feel each other's pain as if it were our own.

"It's wrong to think that only your own feelings are correct. I think it's very important to try to put yourself in the other person's shoes and consider their pain, no matter what the situation. Of course, I know it's difficult. You can't really understand unless you've been in the same situation as them and experienced the same things as them. But I think it's good to at least try to imagine."

As I continued talking about his childhood, a flood of memories opened up.

"Now that I think about it, when I was little I had an incredibly keen sense of smell. So much so that I could tell people apart just by their smell. But I was the only one who had no smell. I was really troubled as to why everyone else had a smell and I didn't. Also, when the kindergarten teacher explained the steps for a play, the other kids were able to remember them, but I couldn't remember them at all. I felt a bit out of place with the others, or like I was missing something, and I had a complex about that."

Apparently, it was because of this complex that he came to love "Doraemon."

"I used to draw a lot of Doraemon pictures for a while. Doraemon is a cat-shaped robot, but he doesn't have ears, right? Doraemon himself feels sad or ashamed about not having ears. I also felt a complex about not having a sense of smell. So, I empathized with characters who had these kinds of shortcomings. I'm not really interested in perfect people or those who are cool and can do everything. When I see the parts of them that are lacking, I feel a sense of affection and I cheer for them. That's why even after entering elementary school, most of my friends were people who had their own struggles (laughs)."

Around that time, I became fascinated with Dragon Ball, Kinnikuman, and Fist of the North Star through TV anime, and started to read the original manga. What magazine were these manga serialized in? Of course, Weekly Shonen Jump. During breaks at school (and a little during class too), he would play around by drawing illustrations of Jump characters in my notebook. The first original manga he drew in his notebook at that time was called Hiatari-kun. It was a ninja manga.

"When the enemy approaches, he immediately hides in the shadows. It was a bit of a comedy."

He gathered all the tools and completed his first manga with neatly divided frames when he was in his second year of high school. "I showed it to my brother and my father, but they said it wasn't interesting at all." Motivated by his frustration, he continued to draw manga.

"A person who usually just draws manga, for example, when they manage to score a goal during a school gym class, everyone gets incredibly excited. The gap between someone who seems like they can't do it and then actually does becomes entertainment. Looking back now, it seems that everything I learned in places that at first glance had nothing to do with manga has somehow found its way into my work."

Ninjas are those who endure. And the Japanese feeling behind it.

After graduating from high school, he went on to study at the Kyushu Sangyo University Faculty of Arts in Fukuoka City. He wanted to improve his drawing skills in order to succeed as a manga artist. In his fourth year, he submitted a short story called "Karakuri" which won an honorable mention in the 132nd February Ho☆Step Awards, marking his debut.

"There is an enemy named Lloyd, but I didn't want to make him just a bad guy. When an artificial cervical vertebra containing a special medicine is implanted, the disease is cured, but the side effects make the person violent. As a result, he becomes a monster who has lost his personality and goes on a rampage… I portrayed the enemy as an entity like that. Well, it was too difficult to express in many ways in three pages (wry smile)."

He was assigned to an editor, and although he would send in short stories to be read as one-offs, they were rejected one after another. His drawings were powerful. But his stories were weak! He found room for improvement and decided to start learning storytelling from scratch. After graduating from university, he returned to his parents' home in Okayama, and spent his days holed up in the local library. For about two years until the serialization of "NARUTO" began, he spent his time here poring over books on the subject of "What is a story?" and developing his own theory, which proved to be a valuable experience. Of the countless things he learned at the time, he secretly shared with us the secrets of storytelling for our magazine's readers.

"When people are presented with a mystery, they instinctively have a desire to know the answer. If they don't know the answer, they feel uneasy, or rather, frustrated. They become curious about the ending and turn the pages, which is what makes a story possible. Take 'NARUTO' for example. For example, in the first episode, the Fourth Hokage's face is shown, but his existence itself has only come up as rumors. Moreover, the Third Hokage is now playing the role. So I wanted to make readers wonder, who was the Fourth Hokage? I set up a plot twist with the hope that it would tickle the reader's desire to know."

I see!!! Looking back, it's true that "NARUTO" is packed with "tickles" that make you want to know the answer and read on. And one more thing. The secret to Kishimoto's storytelling technique is the presence of a "reward."

"The results are shown first. For example, if the main character works hard and puts in effort, and grows, we show a character that shows what the result will be. In 'NARUTO', it would be Kakashi sensei. If Naruto, a genin, works hard, he can become like Kakashi sensei, a jonin, and if he works even harder, he can become like the Hokage… That's the 'reward.' Like anything, without a reward, motivation fades away, right? (laughs)"

However, everything he's said so far is just techniques to make the reader comfortable as they read through the story. He asserts that the most important thing is, "What do you want to communicate through your story?" Kishimoto had also discovered this during his time in Okayama. In fact, there is a short story of the same name for "NARUTO" that was published two years before the serialization began. That story was about "magic." However, the serialized version of "NARUTO" is about ninjas. This change was significant.

"The main reason was that there weren't any ninja stories in Jump at the time, so I thought it might be easier to get through the serialization meeting (laughs). I didn't intend to make it a "normal ninja story", so I thought of a new definition of a ninja, or an image that was different from the ninjas that had been portrayed in various stories up until then. And so I came up with the image of a "person who endures". I think that what I wanted to portray throughout Naruto is patience. In order to connect with people on friendly terms, patience is necessary in many ways, and patience takes guts."

This image was derived from a gaze directed at "Japan" and "Japanese people."

"Okayama is next to Hiroshima, so I've been there to see the Atomic Bomb Dome several times. When I see it… I realized that the generation before us endured a lot, persevered, and somehow managed to maintain peace, which is why Japan exists today, and why we exist today. I wanted to portray those feelings in my own way, entrusting them to the ninja, who are people who endure."

The innovation in "NARUTO" lies in its depiction of "friends"

"Even though he's a ninja, he doesn't have that shadowy vibe; he's bright, has blonde hair, and wears flashy orange clothes. Everyone was like, 'That's not a ninja!' or 'Naruto? Isn't that a ramen topping?' But you know, at that point, I think they were already a bit intrigued. I think the character was already starting to take shape within them."

After a long run-up and preparation period, in the fall of 1999, at the end of his 24th year, Kishimoto started his first serialization, "NARUTO." Even if it continued, it would be about 20 volumes in total. "I never thought I would end up drawing 3.6 times that amount," he said with a wry smile.

"At the beginning, it was really physically tough. I thought to myself that if it was that tough, the editor should have told me from the beginning. I did tell him, but I didn't take him seriously (laughs). Even after my body got a little more used to it, as you all may know, Jump has a popularity poll among its readers, and if you're not popular, you're immediately fired. It always felt like the Grim Reaper had a huge scythe held around my neck. I was desperate to survive until the very end."

Nowadays, "NARUTO" is considered the king of Jump. It is well known that it has garnered tremendous support from readers as one of its two flagship works alongside "ONE PIECE." But at the time, it was so fresh, so groundbreaking. It was a work that opened up new possibilities for shonen manga and created a new royal road. One of these is the depiction of "comrades." In the world of "NARUTO," "classmates" at the ninja school are also "comrades." What was the idea behind this lively sense of teamwork?

"First, there's the protagonist, then an enemy appears, they fight, become comrades, and the enemy joins the team. I think that's the 'Jump' formula—writing 'strong enemy' and calling them 'comrade'. That's what I liked about the unique sense of camaraderie in 'Jump.' So, I thought, why not start from the point where the team is already growing? I personally couldn't wait. I wanted to draw that scene quickly. So, I made the classmates part of the team, thinking I had introduced a lot of allies from the start, but my first editor said to add even more. After the Chunin Exams, it became a character overload, and it was a huge hassle, especially for the art (laughs)."

The characters were exceptionally captivating, and the intricately woven plot twists keeping you on the edge of your seat, sparking curiosity about the world of the "Five Great Shinobi Nations". What's surprising is that only eight chapters of the story were planned when the serialization began. However, the last scene was decided from the start: the battle between Naruto and Sasuke. This part also contained the innovative expression of "friend".

"Someone who was originally a friend becomes an enemy along the way. I thought that the plot of having them fight at the end isn't something that happens often in shonen manga."

Working backwards from that development, the story first depicts the deepening of the bond between the two, then records the moment of their separation (volume 26). Finally, the two, who are separated by an insurmountable emotional distance, finally meet again and exchange blows.

"Because they've been apart for so long, when they finally return to each other, a special feeling should be born between them. That's something I wanted to depict from the very beginning."

The only question that remains is, will the two fight as friends or enemies in the final battle? He intended to think about the answer and reach a conclusion as the series continued.

"It's like a mirror" that reflects your own values

The method the author chose to achieve this was to carefully depict the lives of each of the characters who were separated. What was most revolutionary about "NARUTO" was that it focused on the drama of the "enemy" as much as the protagonist. The important thing is to think from the other person's perspective. Imagine their pain…

"In mysteries or suspense, the motive behind why the criminal committed the crime is revealed at the end, right? You keep watching the drama because you want to know the motive. In fact, that's the only thing I enjoy about it. It's not the mystery of the murder or the trick, but the mystery of the mind, which I think is the biggest mystery and what interests the audience the most. That was important when I was drawing 'NARUTO' as well. When I think about it, maybe even from my debut work I was the type of person who wanted to draw the enemy. Why do people behave badly, why do they behave in a way that causes pain to others? I want to depict that process. It's not that I empathize with those people, but because I don't understand it myself I want to know what's going on in their minds."

It seems that he had similar feelings towards Naruto, who was on the side of justice and goodness.

"I wanted to depict whether people can live solely on goodwill. Despite being told by Sasuke, 'You're not even a friend' and 'I'll cut you down,' Naruto continues to believe they are still friends. I think that's not something everyone can do. There were times when I felt like it would be okay to just write off Sasuke as a "runaway ninja. But Naruto wouldn't do that. His own feelings didn't waver."

Why is that? He thought hard about the reasons why Naruto rejected even the author's wishes.

"I thought that the bonds a child who had no family and no ties would finally acquire wouldn't be so easily severed. Since he didn't have a family, the people he could consider family wouldn't be something he could just cut off."

Eventually, the two meet again and exchange blows. Here, let's just write about the outcome. In the end, Naruto's "love" wins. During the serialization, readers voiced their opposition to Sasuke's malicious words and actions. There were even opinions that Naruto's strong goodwill was hypocrisy.

"I can understand those opinions. I think for the reader, this work is like a mirror. How you react to the choices made by the characters reveals your own personality and values. I want readers to cherish those reactions. Even if you feel repulsed, don't just dismiss it with, "I don't understand this," but read to the end. I personally believe I was able to create an ending that would satisfy anyone, whatever their opinion."

The only way to express myself is through manga.

The story of "NARUTO" came to an end in January 2014 when the final chapter (chapter 700) was published in issue 50 of "Weekly Shonen Jump." In fact, "NARUTO" is the first "Jump" manga to be completed after more than 50 volumes.

"There's a saying that if you look back, it seems long but it was short, but I don't feel that way at all. These past 15 years have been really long (laughs)."

In interviews with various media outlets immediately after completing the manuscript for the final chapter, he said, "I want to take my honeymoon, which I haven't had yet," "I want to play with my two children," and "I want to lose myself in games and movies," but…

"I haven't been able to do anything at all. I've just got a little more time to play with my kids. I've got anime and exhibitions coming up, so I'm still really busy."

Apparently, his two young children have yet to read the Naruto manga their father drew.

"My oldest child has read up to volume 3 of the manga and the final chapter in Jump. He didn't understand the meaning of the ending, so he asked, 'Why did Sasuke and Naruto end up like this?' I gave him a rough explanation at the time, saying that in the end, this is what Naruto is about. But I don't want to say too much because people who read this article might think, 'Oh, I see,' and not read the manga (laughs)."

This spring, a new spin-off of "NARUTO" will be serialized in a short, concentrated period. The children of characters who appeared in the main story, such as Naruto's son Boruto and Sasuke's daughter Sarada, will play an active role.

"I will draw a new manga next. I have various ideas in stock, so it's still undecided which one it will be, but there's no doubt it will be completely different characters from 'NARUTO.' I think it will definitely be characters that will surprise everyone, just like the next one."

He loved drawing since he was a child and wanted to become a manga artist in the future. He made his debut while he was in university but couldn't get on the right track, so after graduating he spent two years holed up in a local library training in story creation. Then, at the age of 24, he started serializing "NARUTO" and continued drawing without a break for 15 years. His life was immersed in manga. Drawing manga should be fun, but there were many times when he felt it was painful. But he wants to continue drawing manga in the future.

"I express what I'm thinking through manga, and the readers react to it, whether it's positive or negative. Doesn't that mean that people understand and know who I am as a person? There were difficult aspects, but the joy I felt was far greater. Manga was the only way I could get people to acknowledge my existence, and from now on manga will be the only way I can express myself. As long as I have the energy, I want to carry on drawing manga."