The Frail County Princess Picks Up a Loyal Puppy

[Sickly, unworldly commandery princess x insecure, stubborn, loyal slave]

A short, healing 1v1 romance

Commandery Princess Yun Jin of Ning'an is the laughingstock of the entire capital: a peerlessly beautiful mother, a brilliant father, an uncle with power over everyone, and no one who cares about her.

Her life is peaceful and stifling, like a stagnant pool whose end is already in sight.

Everyone tells her to just put up with it.

"Your health is poor. Where could you go if you left the capital?"

After hearing it so often, even she starts to believe it.

Then, during the Lantern Festival, she finds a slave in the bustling streets.

Dressed in black and covered in blood, filthy from head to toe.

Yun Jin takes pity on him. The commandery princess's residence can afford to feed one more person, after all.

She never expects the young slave to be so capable. He can build walls, raise horses, and even work as a guard, taking back-to-back day and night shifts. He's practically born to be worked to the bone.

The other people in the residence clutch their chests in dismay, grateful only that he can't be in two places at once, or they'd all be out of work.

Yun Jin thinks this peaceful life will go on, until an imperial decree of marriage changes everything.

The longing for freedom buried inside her begins to stir again, urging her to escape.

Then the quiet young guard who has always stayed by her side suddenly speaks.

"Princess, do you want to leave?"

"Don't worry. I will protect you forever."

"In any role you wish."

Content warning:

The male lead's status won't change much. He's just a lowly slave with no connections or backing.

No court intrigue, just the little everyday moments of a cat and a dog.

Theme: The meaning of life is to run free