Hae-eun struggled to maintain her stance as the man in front of her overpowered her. Gritting her teeth, the freedom fighter stepped back before swiftly knocking the man back with a swing of her wooden sword. Quickly gaining momentum, she cornered her sparring partner in between the walls of the barracks of the training grounds. Before the muscular man knew what was happening, he was already pinned to the ground with the wooden sword grazing his neck. It was a clear victory for the petite woman.

“Good job.” A voice called out from behind, followed by a clap of hands.

Hae-eun glanced behind her, flicking the sword away from the man and resting it on her shoulder. Dae-hyun smiled widely as he strode up to them, his badges gleaming against the hot mid-morning sun. He looked proud of his new sister’s win.

With a slight sigh, Hae-eun turned back to her partner and helped the young man up. They smiled and bowed to one another before she waved goodbye, handing her wooden sword to the butler. Hae-eun followed the burly and tanned captain to his office, humming as she stared up at the bright blue skies. Her long black hair swayed in the cool wind as she and Dae-hyun headed back to the mansion.

It had been twelve days since she had been taken in by Dae-hyun and nearly two months since her arrival to the future (58 days, to be exact). Hae-eun now had a new identity as Kang Hae-eun, the adopted sister of the Captain of the Royal Guards.

The freedom fighter was content with her new identity. Though, she had hoped to keep her family name of Min. Despite her pleas, the emperor refused, stating that this was all for her protection... Including her securement as a candidate for the Empress Selection process that was to take place within three months’ time.

Hae-eun blanched at the thought of her abrupt agreement with the emperor. The Empress Selection… Why did she agree to such an arrangement…?

~~~

~~A Week Prior~~

“I want you to become the next empress of the Korean Empire.”

“What?! Are you crazy?!” Hae-eun blurted out before she quickly covered her mouth. “I-I mean…”

Hyuk let out a boisterous laugh as he wiped his joyful tears. Now that was something he didn’t hear everyday. Dae-hyun’s shoulders shook uncontrollably, as he tried his best to not laugh out loud. Hae-eun’s response was hilarious, and a welcome change to the stiff and suffocating court.

“Pfft. Ahem. Why? Do you not wish to gain my trust and stay within the palace? Or was I mistaken?”

“...You’re not mistaken but… How can I be an empress?! I’m an outsider—”

Ah… She clamped her mouth shut as she avoided Hyuk’s curious gaze. In her flustered state, she had almost let it slip that she was from the past! Hae-eun could feel the emperor’s intense stare boring into her skin. She gulped. How was she going to get out of this mess?!

“... Outsider? I thought you said you don’t remember anything… Were you lying?”

“No! I… I meant it as a way to express how I feel right now. I’m like an outsider as I do not know anything about my life or what I had been doing before… But I do remember that my name is Min Hae-eun…”

“... So suddenly?” Hyuk raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk on his face. She was a horrible liar.

“I… Yes?”

“Huh. Well? Are you willing to become my empress or not?”

Hae-eun gulped as she was forced to shake hands with the emperor, sealing their little arrangement.

~~~

Hae-eun sighed, shaking her head at the memory. How in the world was she to become an empress?! Did that emperor think it was an easy task?! It was an impossible idea! What if this was all a ruse to get her killed? The liberation leader shuddered at the thought. She should have never agreed to it!

Noticing a gaggle of maids off in the corner, Hae-eun glanced over at them, curious about what they were talking about. She smirked, realizing that they were gossiping about her in hushed tones. As soon as they made eye contact with their new mistress, the maids scurried away in shame.

Ever since she had been adopted into the military powerhouse of the Kang family, the freedom fighter had been the center of attention. She didn’t mind—every rumor circulating about her would all work in her favor during the trial of Park Yong-joon’s unlawful imprisonment and kidnapping of the new lady of the House of Kang.

Shaking her head, Hae-eun was about to call out to Dae-hyun when a bloodcurdling scream erupted behind her.

“I AM THE FUTURE EMPRESS, NOT HER!”

**NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**