Twenty-two-year-old Choi Hye-shik is Yi Baek's personal bodyguard, confidant, and the eyes the king himself cannot—or chooses not to—show. To the court and palace, he is the silent shadow walking beside the king, observing, assessing, and acting before danger even arrives. Hye-shik's loyalty is absolute. He has trained his life to anticipate threats, to read people, and to ensure Yi Baek's survival at all costs.
Though steadfast and disciplined, Hye-shik is not without personal conflicts. At first, he found Park Seon-in peculiar—her quiet audacity, her disregard for courtly decorum, and her family history marked by disgrace made her an outsider in his eyes. But as Yi Baek's attention toward her grows, Hye-shik's perception shifts. He begins to notice her cleverness, her boldness, and a magnetic, unladylike charm that unsettles him. Suddenly, his role as protector becomes more complicated: desire and duty clash, and he is forced to confront feelings he cannot afford to indulge.
Hye-shik is meticulous, stoic, and perceptive—qualities that make him formidable in both battle and strategy—but the stirrings of attraction and jealousy reveal a human vulnerability beneath his disciplined exterior. He is a man caught between unwavering loyalty to his king and the unexpected pull of a woman who challenges both his instincts and his heart.