What If I Turned the Palace Yard Into a Trap

Minseo maps palace training grounds for a living, and one bad design has turned her safest court yard into a place that can kill. She keeps a scholar's seal in her satchel, a half-empty bottle of perfume on her nightstand, and the habit of checking exits before she checks faces. That careful life cracks when Ara steps into her work and into her chest at the same time. Ara is the one person Minseo should not want, because the court already has plans for her. Minseo wants the truth, revenge, and one quiet place where Ara can stand beside her without fear. The person who taught her everything is gone, and the scent left behind will not stay buried.