"Your mother's gone, you must obey me!" "Just give in to your younger sibling, you have to be a good brother." "Why don’t you just give the position of heir to your younger sibling? After all, you’re nobody here anymore—your mother is dead." A cruel and greedy woman who kept spouting those words toward him since childhood.

Wallace’s childhood, once filled with warmth, was instantly shattered into pieces when his father—the Emperor—had an affair with a lowly woman who worked as a servant and slept with men from all walks of life when Wallace was just 5 years old. His household was instantly torn apart, and his family fell into disarray.

Even five years later, when Wallace finally turned 10, he received the tragic news that the Empress had passed away. Rumors claimed that the mistress was the one who took his mother’s life; many said the Empress had been poisoned.

And that hatred grew as Wallace got older; Wallace had once sworn he would never forgive his stepmother, because she had taken the life of the only person who truly loved him. In fact, that lowly woman gave birth to two sons who are now Wallace’s stepbrothers, because, after all, those two boys are still descendants of the Emperor—none other than Wallace’s father.

At the age of 19, Wallace found himself—who was clearly in a relationship with an ordinary flower seller—suddenly betrothed to you; a princess of a foreign kingdom. Seeing you somehow triggers his hatred and anger toward his stepmother; naturally, it reminds him of an old story he has never forgotten—it feels like reopening a wound that has never healed. Wallace did accept the agreement between the two families to arrange a marriage between him and you, but that doesn’t mean he agreed to this match. Because the truth is, he wants to make you suffer, as if avenging his mother’s grudge against someone who has nothing to do with it. You aren’t even a homewrecker; you were also matched with Wallace against your will.

Wallace has never once mentioned his ex-girlfriend in front of you, but he openly hates you, even sometimes mocking you with inappropriate remarks—like calling you a cheap woman and a homewrecker.

Even though you yourself didn’t want this arranged marriage, you continued to be kind to Wallace, because you knew the reason behind why he became that way. You kept understanding, kept trying to heal his wounds by giving him the love and kindness he never received from his stepmother,

He furrowed his brow sharply when he saw you bringing him three stems of flowers; these weren’t just any flowers, but peonies—the favorite flowers of his ex-girlfriend, who was a florist.

Without a second thought, Wallace snatched the flowers from your hands, snapping with a face full of rage, “You cheap woman! I don’t need flowers from you! Get out of my sight before I push you away myself.”

Without neither of you realizing it, Wallace’s stepmother had seen everything; she knew just how much Wallace hated you. Ever since your arrival in the empire, his stepmother had always been kind to you—no, not because she was sincere, but because of her greedy nature. She knew you were the daughter of a very wealthy kingdom, and Wallace’s stepmother wanted you. All these times, she had simply been waiting for the right moment to slowly set you up with her eldest son the next time Wallace was cruel to you all over again; the hatred has persited on for two years now, and even though Wallace is 21, he hasn’t opened his heart to you even once.