ilhwa.

the story

1.
It has been wee hours of the morning in the summer of 1838, just after the clock struck twelve and the loud cries of young little Seonhye were heard through the Chae and estates. Despite mama and papa being in favour of having sons, they welcomed their daughter in with warm hugs and kisses. Seonhye, the third child of the Chae household, was born.One could say Seonhye’s childhood was devoid of warmth and love from her parents, not because they hated her but because they were mainly fixated on the male descendants in their family. Particularly her mother, who had immersed herself in grooming the male lineage in her family in hopes that they would succeed in the future and elevate their family’s position some day.Seonhye and her sisters were no different, despite the age gap between them, they were not spared from the duties of making the family proud. As a result, Seonhye had been conditioned to be the ‘perfect wife’ in the future, a walking embodiment of obedience and virtue, one with proper upbringing and manners who would take care of managing household matters and raising children.

2.
It all started at the tender age of six, when Duchess Chae first enrolled the young lady in a seodang to receive a proper formal education and to acquire skills in sewing, cooking, weaving, and etiquette. She had believed that only by providing the best for her daughter and only if her daughter had a proper set of skills would any man take her in as a prospective bride in the future.at ten, apart from attending classes at the seodang. To further enhance her prospects of marrying into a good household, her mother sent the young lady to additional classes in musical arts. By sixteen, Seonhye was well versed in three instruments: the gayageum, the geomungo, and the danso.There was no doubt that the moment Seohye had turned legal, barely turning the ripe age of twenty-one, her mother had pushed for her debut during social season. “Time waits for no one! We must make haste while you are young and attractive.” Unfortunately for her, her first tormenting dance went entirely south the moment Seonhye found out the duke she had been dancing with was twice her age.Needless to say, she was nowhere to be found at the social debut gala after the first dance.Despite her failed attempt at the social gala, by the end of her first social season, it was said that the Chae’s second daughter was no longer available. Months passed after that, but with her current engagement not announced to the ton, rumors started spreading like wildfire that the youngest Chae daughter was available once more. By the end of 1860, her engagement fell through, with Seonhye requesting for it to be dissolved.

3.
Her failed engagement only disappointed her mother further, who then pushed her to pick up more skills, this time dancing, which Seonhye begrudgingly followed through. Then, following her brother’s footstep, was the birth of juk! juk! juk! a small food shelter that provided meals for the poor and homeless. This served as a distraction for the young lady who went through her first heartache.For many years that followed, despite being marketed by her mother as the perfect wife any man could have, luck was never on Seonhye’s side, with one or more proposals being rejected by her. The lady had devoted herself to building up her small, thriving organization for the better, with little to no interest in settling down.Unfortunately, all until now.

₊˚⊹ 𓆉 house of the black tortoise 𓆉 ⊹˚₊

head of the family: duke chae seongyeom
family members: duchess dowager chae (npc), chae seonah (npc), chae seonhye, chae hangyeom

the chae family, a yangban clan hailing from pyeongchang, once known to be one of the best in producing renowned scholars, scientists and strategists. for years, their significance in the royal assembly, and generally, in the midst of yangban, have faded in name and influence due to a couple of generations of sons unable to pass (often making attempts to bribe) or unwilling to take the civil state exams. the late duke chae had rescued them from teetering to lower ranks, slowly clearing their tarnished title. his son, the current duke, however, hard carried their family name as he climbed the ranks, passing first in the civil state exam, and now holding the role of deputy minister of the minister of justice.

the timeline

juk! juk! juk!

₊˚⊹ᰔ juk! juk! juk! ᰔ⊹˚₊

a non-profitable organisation that primarily feeds the homeless people. juk3 doesn't discriminate, you could be yangban or cheonmin, or you're simply hungry, come over and help yourself to a bowl of heart warming juk!

▹ operating hours:
0600 - 2200hrs ; daily
▹ Location:
Outer City, Hanseong.
▹ owner: chae seonhye.
▹ helpers:please reach out to chae seonhye if you would like to work for the establishment.

*plotting in progress

• 1859: love at first sight.
• 1860: the realization.
• 1864: up in flames.
• 1869: the seollal gala.

• 1859: love at first sight.
• 1860: the realization.
• 1864: up in flames.
• 1869: the seollal gala.

ʏᴇᴀʀ 1859: ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀᴛ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ꜱɪɢʜᴛ.You could say that the first time chae seonhye met cha kiwoon, it was love at first sight.Cha kiwoon was the icy winter breeze that quelled seonhye’s scorching sun.It was the year 1859 when they first met each other at the queen’s yearly social gala. unlike her sister, Seonhye, was not a fan of such opulent events. But with her sister, who had just gotten married not too long ago, her mother had all the time to focus on the now legal young lady of the chae household. While seonhye didn’t see the hurry in finding an eligible man to spend her lifetime with, her mother had an entirely different plan. barely twenty-one then, she had already decided that seonhye would find a man, one with a good household background, preferably a man whose house held some political background that would benefit their own household. After all, it was never about finding a man seonhye loved; she was nothing but a pawn in her mother’s little game.after the first dance with a random viscount; presumably twice her age — seonhye’s mother had lost her in the middle of the introduction—the young maiden fled the scene as soon as she heard the last beat come to an end, bowing her head in a haste before the man could even catch his breath or start a proper conversation. Despite leaving one shoe behind as she ran out of the grand hall and the desperate calling of her name that followed right behind her, seonhye ran and ran, down the halls and towards the exit.alas, she saw the entrance—her freedom! never in her life has she sprinted so fast in her life. But it’s that exact moment, just as she thought she had finally found some peace, that she steps on the hems of her own chima and fumbles over it... rather ungraciously.seonhye is all ready to fall face flat on the ground, but her saving grace comes in the form of a man who promptly catches her in his arms, his nice, strong arms. seonhye spends some time to regain proper footing, but immediately as she looks up at her savior, she’s enthralled by the looks of him, her eyes tracing down to his pair of focused, yet amused eyes, down to the soft curvature of his nose, and those lips, those…rather invit— those lips. swallowing hard, seonhye snapped out of her thoughts, blinking once, then twice, only to realise that she had been staring at him rather rudely the entire time. “i am so sorry, sir..uh..?” all while being in his embrace.That night, seonhye learnt the name of the very charming male who saved her from her very embarrassing fall and swept her off her feet, literally and physically.It was none other than cha kiwoon, the viscount of the cha household.for an entire month after their rather fateful encounter, the viscount stayed in her mind endlessly. kiwoon’s cold, stoic demeanour drew seonhye in, like a moth to its flame. then, twenty-one year old seonhye had never fallen in love before, but romance novels were one of her favourite genres, it was indisputably safe to say that seonhye was well acquainted with the descriptions of fluttering feelings when having butterflies in one’s stomach and the quickening heartbeat that accompanied the thoughts of a beloved. and kiwoon, kiwoon was the sole person who stirred such an emotion within her, the one who ignited a fire that burned brightly in her heart.It was then that seonhye knew, undoubtedly, that her heart had belonged to the viscount. she had fallen in love with him, and it wasn’t just a mere moment of fleeting fancy.
And it was to no one’s surprise, just days after coming to terms with her feelings, that her father, duke chae had sent a proposed engagement to the duke of the cha household.

• 1859: love at first sight.
• 1860: the realization.
• 1864: up in flames.
• 1869: the seollal gala.

ʏᴇᴀʀ 1860 : ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴAmidst the somber atmosphere during the late earl and countess cha’s funeral, kiwoon and seonhye found themselves reunited for the first time in many months apart. for the longest time since the agreement of their engagement between their families, the cha(s) had chose remained silent — all until now, stood beside kiwoon, was the future vicountess.despite their whispered promise of engagement to one other, as they both stood side by side, they were nothing but a two mere strangers — a shadow of the couple seonhye had once envisioned them to be. Their smiles both strained and their actions devoid of any present warmth. At least on seonhye’s part, it was a facade, a mask to hide the heartache and emptiness within her.There was never an ‘us’. only ‘you’ and ‘i’.A few days after the funeral, coming to terms with the ache in her heart, seonhye sought out her parents. with knees on the ground, tears staining the wooden floors as she cried, each word uttered with sorrow and desperation.“we have to break the engagement.”she pleaded, her fingers white from holding onto her chima too tightly.
“i cannot do this, umma, appa. i can’t marry a man who will not love me the same way i love him.”.

• 1859: love at first sight.
• 1860: the realization.
• 1864: up in flames.
• 1869: the seollal gala.

ʏᴇᴀʀ 1864: ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ꜰʟᴀᴍᴇꜱ.in the summer of 1864, as the night hung heavy in darkness, thick smoke bellowed ominously from central hanseong. young lady chae who had been in a deep slumber then was startled awake by her lady-in-waiting, chunseok’s urgent pleas, “my.. lady! the shelter..” she pointed towards the huge orange flames that illuminated the hanseong’s darkest sky. “we must make haste now!”arriving at the scene, she was greeted by the intense flames that devoured the wooden structures in hunger, taking the thatched roof and paper windows along with it, leaving nothing but charred remnants and ashes in it’s wake.helpless with the engulfing inferno, seonhye stood transfixed, watching as her cherished establishment she had dedicated her life to over the years crumble before her eyes in a matter of minutes, there was nothing left, nothing to save, nothi—and then, it dawned to her.“the storage, chunseok, I must save the storage, the rice and the ingredients.” Seonhye turned to her lady-in-waiting with much urgency, handing her overcoat to chunseok. She remembered the joy her establishment had brought to the children and adults who visited, only fuelled the need for her to save whatever she could at this point. “find seongyeom oraeboni if i do not come out in a while.” with a final look, she gave the lady a small squeeze of her arm. “please.” seonhye pleaded before running into the blazing building, leaving her lady-in-waiting screaming in desperate cries.Navigating through burning corridors— the only route to the storage located right at the back of the shop— seonhye braced herself for the worse as she ignored crackling flames and the blistering heat that seared through her hanbok; her only main goal being to save whatever she could.however, she never made it there.seonhye could barely recall what happened at the scene prior to her regaining consciousness in her own estates. Except that she was in tremendous pain and every single inch of her body hurt.“my lady!” is the first thing she heard the moment she bad fully opened her eyes, followed by the loud clank of what she assumes is a bowl of water dropping onto the wooden flooring, then the comforting presence of chunseok, who rushed to her side. how seonhye missed her comforting presence so very much.In a struggle to lift herself up, a searing bolt of pain shot through her left shoulder, pulling a desperate cry from the young marchioness’s lips. Seongyeom, who happened to pass by, then rushed into her room, eyes filled with concerned as his heart pounded with fear for his sister’s well-being had informed her that she had suffered a broken left shoulder, a fractured to her right ankle and multiple burn wound from the harrowing event that happened three days prior. As he paused, he words hung heavy in the air as he continued explaining that had taejoon not found her unconscious body beneath the pile of slow burning debris in time, would she have lost her life and he would have lost a sister.

• 1859: love at first sight.
• 1860: the realization.
• 1864: up in flames.
• 1869: the seollal gala.

ʏᴇᴀʀ 1869: ʟᴜɴᴀʀ ꜱᴇᴏʟʟᴀʟ ɢᴀʟᴀ.In the resplendent halls of the royal palace, the gala unfolded like a scene from a painting, with walls adorned with intricate silk banners, decorations, and lanterns that hung high above, casting a soft glow upon the arriving guests. Dressed to their nines—ladies in their most vibrant hanbok, hair tied up and adorned with fancy flora pins, and men in their neatly pressed hanboks—mingled upon themselves, sharing laughter and polite chatter that echoed through the building.Amidst the opulent event, whispers of interest fluttered behind the silk sleeves of ladies from the noble ton, Chae Seonhye, one of the subjects amongst them.“Have you heard? Duchess Dowager Chae is looking to marry their last daughter to a duke twice her age?” One lady murmured to the other, eyes darting upon the mentioned lady, who had just walked through the doors alongside her siblings. “It’s said that her mother is determined to betroth her this season before she gets too old and useless.”With a disappointing look on her companion’s face and a shake of her head, the lady whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. “Poor marchioness, Chae. Imagine being bound to someone old enough to be her father’s age if he were alive.”“Lady Chae’s predicament is quite the talk of the town, isn’t it? She deserves better than to be bartered away like a piece of unwanted property her mother thinks she is.” Despite standing far away, the hush and harsh whispering don’t escape the Marchioness’ ears. “How can you be so sure she isn’t unwanted? She has been through a few courtships and has a fair share of suitors; clearly, no man has asked for her hand in marriage; there must be something wrong with her.” A random man chimed in with a tone so judgmental that it left an ick in her. “Whatever it is, it’s a pity; her spirit is too vibrant to be confined to such a fate. but she is, after all, a woman.” There was a pause in the midst of the chatter before another man spoke up. “Aren’t you looking for a concubine, lord h—“ Before the conversation could end, Seonhye walked away, extremely disgusted by the mere contents of it. How were they different from her mother, who talked about her like she was simply a piece of meat?A familiar traditional tune resounded throughout the halls, a signal commencing the night’s activities. Despite trying to make herself scarce, her supposed ‘betrothed’ finds her hiding, and on behalf of her, her mother readily accepts the duke’s hand for a dance. Unease gnawed at her as she held those calloused hands; however, she put on a gracious smile, her movements of practiced ease as she glided across the dance floor.Beneath her calm exterior, Seonhye’s skin crawled at the Duke’s lingering touch. In the middle of the dance, his fingers traced an unwelcome path along her waist that caused her to shudder and tense up. “You’ll make such a fine lady of my house and my wife; I believe we'll have plenty of children in the future,” he murmured, his voice dripping with desire and lust as he spoke the words that reeked of entitlement. "After all, I do not expect less of your child-bearing hips." But despite the alarm bells that rang in her head and the predatory gleam that made her skin prickle with unease, she maintained a calm composure, offering him a courteous smile. In that moment, Seonhye knew she had to extricate herself from this current situation.As the final beat of the music faded away, Seonhye seized the opportunity to flee from the Duke’s lingering grasp on her frame. With a soft apology, she gives him a graceful bow of her head and concocts a hasty excuse of needing to use the ladies while her eyes dart her surroundings, locating the exit.“my lady! lady chae!” Ignoring her name being called, she never once turned back, nor was she fazed by the disapproving glances directed her way. She needed something, someone, anyone to help her. Perhaps she just needed a scandal—one that would help her get rid of this possible betrothal.As Seonhye fled the scene, her heart pounded at the urgency of her escape, her eyes darting around the room for a possible route towards the exit while her mother’s men weaved through the crowd. And amidst the chaos, she spots a man, his back facing her direction, looking just as lost and uncertain. With a small lift of her skirt to ease her movement, Seonhye seized the opportunity to pull the male along with her out of the palace grounds.The sound of footsteps pursued them relentlessly as she navigated through the crowd with him. Spotting a narrow alleyway, she made a split-second decision to pull him along with her into its narrow confines. Pressing the man against the wall to make way for her and her puffy hanbok, she places her hand against the male’s mouth in fear of any protest he might make without sparing him a glance. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled in a soft voice, unfazed by how their bodies were pressed up against one another and their breaths mingled in the confined space between them.A couple of minutes felt like hours, and it was only when she heard the footsteps of her pursuers fade into the distance did she finally allow herself to relax, her shoulder slumping in relief.Seonhye then turned her focus back to the other. “I am so sorry..” she mumbled in a breathy whisper. removing her hand from his mouth, she’s met with a stoic, unimpressed, unamused look on his very familiar face. “Kiwoon?” she blurts out upon her initial reaction. “No, I mean, Viscount Cha... No wait, I meant Duke Cha.” Embarrassment flooded her entire being when she realized her mistake, heat rising to her cheeks. “...Oh, my, I'm sorry, Lord Cha. This was not my intention. I had... I got the wrong... person... I... uh..." Her words trailed off as she struggled to form a coherent apology, her gaze unable to tear away from his captivating presence. "I... apologise for this rude behaviour of mine.” She offers him a bow of her head, only for her forehead to hit his chest.An incoherent noise left her lips as she attempted to put a gap between them. “Again, i’m sorry.” Seonhye says nervously, an evident tremble in her voice while attempting to move along the walls to navigate her departure, before running away into the crowd for the night.

ooc & frames

i. Hello! you can call me hales or my fc, hae/aera/jae/hye, my timezone is +8. Please do not post anything on my walls. my english isn't the best, but i'm trying! please refrain from nit-picking on my grammar and minor stuff.ii. plot > wing, please drop me a pm for discussion. I'm open to most genres, however, my preferred ones:
✦ angst.
✦ fluff.
✦ romance.
I will not write sm*t but i'm open to any sexual implied plots given the nature of the rp. Please do take your time to read my character's profile, likewise, I will do so too. I do not expect you to appear with a plot, we can always come up with something together. If you have my discord, feel free to drop me a pm there.iii. I prefer third pov over first pov, please do not hesitate to use your own preferred pov though. The length of my replies vary from semi para - multi para, hardly novella. I do not mirror replies. The speed of my replies will depends on my muse, if there are plots that interest me more than the other, it's likely i will reply that first followed by chronological order. I usually take a couple of a week to half a week.iv. I'm a working adult and i work in a very busy environment. my health isn't the best as of late, therefore my energy level can get pretty low and can barely keep up, however, again, i'm trying. I usually lurk in the chat rooms or in rooms that doesn't require me to use much brain work but not do replies, please understand that i'm not ignoring you.v. that being all said, i'm open to being friends. not to toot my own horn but i'm pretty nice, I don't bite.