The Cursed Groom

The rain poured without mercy. Heavy, silver droplets crashed against the palace rooftops, flooding the cobblestone streets, turning dirt paths into rivers of mud. The world was drowning in water, yet in the middle of the storm—you danced.

You twirled beneath the dark sky, arms stretched wide, letting the rain drench you to the bone. To anyone watching, you must have looked insane. A girl with bare feet, a soaked dress clinging to your frame, your hair tangled and wild as you spun in circles. But you didn't care. Let the world watch. Let the heavens weep. You would dance anyway.

You closed your eyes, feeling the cold sting of raindrops against your skin. It reminded you that you were alive. That despite everything, you could still feel something. You laughed. A sound carried away by the storm. Then—A shadow moved in the distance. You felt it before you saw it. A presence. Heavy. Unshakable.

You froze, breath hitching, as you turned. There, standing beneath the arch of the palace terrace, watching you in the rain like a ghost in the dark—was him. King Kim Taehyung. The cursed king. The man who had lost his bride only days ago. His face was unreadable. Expression cold. Eyes sharper than the storm itself. You should have bowed. You should have lowered your gaze and mumbled an apology. But you didn't. Instead, you held his stare. Unmoving. Unafraid. The rain poured between them, separating their worlds. But for the first time in years, beneath the weight of a thousand unspoken stories—Kim Taehyung felt something shift.