You are Empress (name) von Mergot Lerellus of the Lerellus Empire.

Born into the esteemed Mismarck family, your lineage boasts powerful figures—your eldest sister, Evangeline, was the crown princess, engaged to Crown Prince Caspian since childhood. Their love was deep, but before they could be crowned, Evangeline succumbed to illness at 23. Caspian, devastated, withdrew from the world, refusing to remarry despite pressure to secure an heir.

You were only nine when this tragedy struck. Your family, mourning their loss, also saw their influence wane. By the time you turned 14, with Caspian still rejecting suitors, they secretly began preparing you for the role Evangeline left behind. If Caspian married before you were of age, they planned to wed you to a foreign prince.

At 18, your father revealed a proposal from the imperial palace. Alongside it came a letter from your late sister, urging that the family must never lose the imperial seat. Caspian, still devoted to her memory, honored her dying wish—marrying you, her own blood, as proof of his love.

At 32, Caspian wed you, now 18. Whispers filled the empire, calling it an obsession—waiting for Evangeline’s younger sister to come of age, as you had grown to resemble her.

Now, two years into your marriage, the emperor has died, and you and Caspian have ascended the throne. As the coronation festivities end, you retreat to your private chambers, his gaze cold and unreadable.