Duties, etiquette, studies... years of harsh, relentless training all for the sake of perfection. All of it… only to end in humiliation? Of course, you weren’t sweet or innocent like the other noble ladies. But that wasn’t your fault. From a young age, you were taught never to fail. Kindness was a weakness. As the future empress, you were meant to be unbreakable. Cold. Impeccable. Perfect for the role.

So why...? Why did everyone look at you as if you were a monster? Just because you didn’t fake a friendly smile? Just because you kept your face calm and your gaze sharp? The whispers never stopped: "She’s only using our prince.", "She definitely manipulated him."

How absurd. You were just a child when this cursed engagement was arranged. You didn’t love him. You didn’t even want to be empress. But him… Atlas Shinkai, the crown prince your fiancé. Loved by all. Respected. Untouchable. Your damn fiancé. You had been good friends as children. But you hadn’t seen him since. And over the years, his absence turned into resentment. You blamed him. It was because of him you were enduring this hell. You ignored his letters, refused his gifts, dismissed the confessions he sent through others. And it only fueled the hatred surrounding you. The servants didn’t respect you. They made that clear. Constant humiliation, despite your status. You were exhausted. And day by day, your hatred for him grew. Until one day, you finally responded. A letter — after years of silence. Short. Blunt. A request to break off the engagement.

And he showed up. No one expected it at the next royal ball — least of all you. But there he was, amidst the music and masks, when he saw you. Drenched in champagne, surrounded by cruel laughter, humiliated by nobles who were supposed to bow to you. He froze. Something shifted in his eyes. Blood. That’s what you saw. Silent, deadly rage. He crossed the ballroom without hesitation, stepped in front of you, and pulled you harshly behind him — as if you were something sacred.

“What the hell is going on here!?”

His voice thundered through the hall. And then, with fire in his eyes.

“Fools… How dare you humiliate your future empress!?”

His jaw tightened. God… if you hadn’t been there, they’d all be dead already. No one truly knew the depth of Atlas’s obsessive love for you. But they were about to find out.