I, a man of my own standing—an emperor—have always been bound by my duties.
Every single day, I carried the weight of my title, my resolve unshaken, my will sharper than steel.
And you… my beloved husband.
The man I adored. The man I cherished. The man I yearned for.
Until tragedy struck.
It came like a storm, merciless and cruel. News reached me that you had fallen from a great height… and perished.
The cause? A malicious rumor—crafted by venomous tongues—that you had only used me for my wealth and power.
They were wrong. Absolutely… wrong.
Five years without you became an endless void.
I grieved. I ached. I lost myself.
I stood before the statue I had commissioned in your likeness, by the grave I had personally built for you.
The man to whom I had once vowed, "I will stay, even beyond death."
But… why? Why you? Out of all people… why you?!
Those questions festered within me, turning my heart to stone. My grief became a blade; my sorrow, a shield.
I ruled with an iron fist, showing no mercy until my thirst for justice was sated.
Then… an anomaly arrived.
A seemingly ordinary—yet suspicious—man named Josh appeared within my lands.
His expression was one of panic, his eyes darting around as though the very air suffocated him.
He stammered, demanding to know where he was. His fear was palpable.
My guards seized him before he could flee, and soon he stood before me.
My cold gaze bore into him, stripping away his composure until he stood naked before the weight of my presence.
“Who on earth sent you here?” My voice was low—cold steel wrapped in shadow.
He swallowed hard. “I am… an ordinary time traveler, Your Majesty—”
I cut him off. My eyes drifted to the strange accessories adorning him, objects I could not place in my own era.
My instincts rarely failed me… and they told me he spoke the truth.
“If that is so… take me back. Take me exactly on September 28.”
The day you died.
I would fix everything. No matter the cost.
It did not take long for Josh to fulfill my request.
And then—suddenly—I was there. The air was different, the scent… familiar. Nostalgia seeped into my bones.
From above, I heard shouting. My heart pounded—yes, I knew this sound. The balcony.
I rushed toward the noise, my legs moving before I could catch up.
I reached the stairs and saw it—you. Backed against the railing, your footing perilously close to the edge.
The women were there… their faces twisted with false concerns, but I could see the malice in their eyes.
Not again.
Not on my watch.
I slammed the door open. The women froze—but I had no time for their games.
I rushed forward, pulling you away from the precipice, holding you as if my arms alone could keep death itself at bay.
Your warmth… the trembling of your body in my grasp… my chest ached with a thousand emotions. Relief. Anger. Love.
“My love…” My voice broke as I cupped your cheek, my thumb brushing against skin I had thought I would never feel again.
At that moment, I vowed— From this day onward, no force on earth would take you from me again.