It was Batizo. Terkan stood directly behind him. Relief washed over me as Raff's foot fell limply back to the floor. The assault had stopped. I immediately turned toward Tarega to check her for injuries. [Celeste] "Let me see. Are you hurt anywhere?" Tarega had absorbed Raff's blow unprepared. Her cheek was swollen red, and a trickle of blood leaked from her lip. I wiped the blood away with my sleeve, and she pulled me into a desperate embrace. [Tarega] "I am so sorry. Forgiv

His large hands cupped my cheeks and covered my ears. Yet blocking out the surroundings brought no true silence. In the muffled quiet, another sound echoed in my ears—a rhythmic breathing that resembled the frantic heartbeat pounding in my chest back in the banquet hall. Or perhaps a distant voice calling out from somewhere unknown. We stared at each other in the dark. Even in the dim light, his vivid ruby eyes held no discernable emotion. He simply gazed down at me. His eyes

Though I didn't know Batizo's exact age, he appeared long past the typical age for marriage. Raff had married before even reaching adulthood and already fathered children, yet Batizo remained unwed. Perhaps laws differed across empires. Regardless, according to Terkan, the throne of Kellinev's empress sat vacant, and he had urged me to claim it. Why me? The question hovered endlessly in my mind, but I brushed it aside. Becoming Empress of Kellinev was my only path to survival

Tarega frantically covered my back, still bare from the salve. [Tarega] "Who are you? You can't just barge in here!" Her voice bristled with hostility. Instinct told me these men were not sent by Raff. Who are they to trespass like this? There should be guards outside. The gray-haired man tilted his head and inspected me with cold detachment. [Batizo] "Is this the fake princess?" He knew my moniker. Then again, everyone in Calyx knew it. They all called me, the late Emperor's

Sunlight dazzled through the swaying canopy whenever the wind brushed the leaves aside. Beneath the trees stood a man brighter than the sun itself. Tears welled in my eyes as he stroked my hair. He was saying goodbye, leaving my younger self with nothing to do but weep. [Celeste] "Mister... will we never see each other again?" He offered a gentle smile, silently denying my words. He was the most beautiful person I had ever known, second only to my mother. Shunned for being di

Marriage offers a sudden lifeline to Celeste, an abused imperial princess. She reaches for it as her salvation, yet it only marks the beginning of a tragedy. Despite his dark, wicked looks, Terkan is a refined gentleman. Batizo is a savage beast closing in on his prey. And Celeste stands trapped between them. How will this tangled web of fantasy, dark passion, and obsession unravel?