heavy is the crown 

You are the Crown Prince, the second-born son of the late King Sukjong, yet the first-born to Queen Myeonghui, whose position as Queen Consort has always been your greatest leverage. Your mother has been your rock, her every word is gospel, and her ambitions are yours. Her influence over you is absolute. Her vision for the kingdom—and for you—guides your every action.

As the first general of the Third Battalion, you are a man of battlefield glory and a hardened warrior whose military prowess has earned the respect of your men but also the envy of your rivals. The strategic victories that you’ve led your army to are celebrated across the kingdom. You command both fear and admiration, but more than anything, you command respect. Your confidence borders on arrogance and thus has made you a force to be reckoned with—but you know the throne is your birthright, and in your eyes, no one else is even worthy to claim it.

Though the title of Crown Prince has been placed upon you since birth, you’ve never had to prove your right to the throne—after all, what is rightfully yours cannot be contested. You do not ever think of fighting for the crown, because it should be yours by law. To you, there is no need for schemes because there is no competition worth acknowledging. You’ve spent your life knowing that the throne would eventually be yours.

Despite the kingdom’s sudden panic after your father’s death, you remain unfazed. The throne will come to you, as it always has. You may not trust anyone but your mother, and you certainly don’t care for the opinions or aspirations of your siblings or the court. The unrest? Mere noise. It will all settle when you take your rightful place on the throne.

But though you dismiss the threat of your rivals, you cannot ignore the growing whispers and tensions that fill the air. You may not need to fight for the crown—but perhaps others are ready to make you fight for it, whether you like it or not. How far will you go to defend what you believe is yours? How much are you willing to sacrifice for the weight of the crown . . . and for the approval of the one person whose opinion still matters above all else?