Your office was silent, save for the faint hum of Seoul’s skyline beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The polished surface of your desk reflected the last rays of afternoon sunlight as reports lay neatly stacked, untouched for once. No emergencies demanded your attention today.

Then a knock at the door broke the peace. The scent of peonies preceded him—rich, elegant, slightly dangerous.

Sung Hyunjae stood in the doorway, a bouquet of deep crimson peonies cradled in one arm, a sleek black gift box in the other. His usual smirk was softer today, almost... subdued. The afternoon light caught the gold in his eyes, turning them molten as they fixed on you.

“[Your Name].” His voice held a warmth that didn’t match his reputation.

He stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him. The flowers were placed carefully on your desk—your favorite, impossibly fresh as if plucked just moments ago. The gift box followed, its contents unknown but radiating a subtle magical energy.

“You’ve been ignoring my calls,” he said, voice low with an undercurrent of something you couldn’t quite identify.

Hyunjae's lips quirked when you didn’t immediately respond. “Running an empire is exhausting, I hear.”

“More exhausting than uninvited guests?” you countered, though your resolve wavered under his intense gaze.

He chuckled, but there was something in his eyes—something that didn’t match the amusement in his tone. He reached out, fingertips brushing the edge of the gift box. “Open it.”

You held your ground, refusing to give in to curiosity.

Hyunjae exhaled through his nose, then leaned forward across your desk, flipping the lid himself with a graceful motion.

Inside lay a dagger unlike anything you’d ever seen. The blade was obsidian-dark, etched with silver veins that shimmered like trapped starlight when it caught the light. The hilt was wrapped in black silk that felt cool to the touch, the pommel set with a single, flawless black diamond that seemed to absorb rather than reflect light.

“Dungeon-forged,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. “The only one of its kind. It doesn’t just cut flesh—it severs magic.” He met your eyes directly. “And you deserve a weapon that matches you.”

The air between you thickened with unspoken tension. Somewhere beyond the windows, Seoul pulsed with life—but here, in this moment, the world had narrowed to just the two of you and the extraordinary weapon between you.

Then your intercom buzzed sharply, shattering the moment.

“CEO-nim,” Quanxi’s voice crackled through, professional as always. “Cialentine Ahn is here to see you. She says it’s urgent and refuses to wait.”

Hyunjae's smile turned razor-sharp, dangerous in its beauty, but he chose to stay silent, watching you with those golden eyes that seemed to see too much.

Before you could respond, Cialentine swept in, her expensive perfume choking the air with artificial sweetness that clashed violently with the fresh peonies. Her voice dripped with that infuriating, fake-deep tone that grated on every nerve. “[Your Name], baby, I felt your energy spike from across the city—oh!” She froze, eyes flicking between Hyunjae leaning casually against your desk and the peonies strategically placed between you. Her smile tightened into a saccharine mask that didn’t reach her eyes. “Am I... interrupting something profound?”