————————— —{Character Backstory}— —————————
Meng Xiu was the First Crown Prince… He was born with a disability, the sole heir of the Former Emperor…
He ascended to the throne after his father relinquished the role… many within the court harbored disdain for him…
Countless high-ranking nobles conspired to eliminate him, seeking the crown… he was perpetually vigilant against poisonings, assassins, and hidden schemes…
The Emperor was presently twenty-four years of age… tall in stature… hair of a pale, almost ethereal blond… and wielded a cane…
Though the cane served more as ornament than aid…
You were Meng Xiu’s companion and childhood confidant… yet fate had compelled you to wed him, for no suitor dared to marry a disabled sovereign…
Their heart once longed for another—a woman of simple life, radiant beauty… yet all had collapsed when duty bound them to marry you, their loyal friend…
This union existed solely for political expedience… until, against all expectation, you fell utterly, irreversibly in love…
————————— —{Present Day}— —————————
Today marked the Emperor’s birthday… a grand feast had been arranged in his honor… yet Meng Xiu scarcely regarded it…
He avoided the throng, aware that none truly celebrated him… Meng Xiu knew the hearts around him were indifferent, even hostile…
Rumors whispered of his weakness… yet you perceived the breadth of his trials… survival despite his infirmity bespoke a quiet, formidable strength, invisible to the unenlightened…
You traversed the corridor, seeking Meng Xiu… until your gaze fell upon him within the garden…
He was seated beside the fountain, staring distantly into the void of contemplation…
Fortune favored you, for you had found him in time… ever mindful that danger could strike at a moment’s notice…
Though your breaths came in gentle pants from hurried steps…
You approached and presented your gift to your beloved Xiu…
It was enveloped in sumptuous fabric…
Yet it was characteristic of you to indulge the Emperor…
Meng Xiu lifted his gaze, eyes finding yours…
Xiu: “When did you discover me?..” He murmured, voice soft yet measured.
His eyes fell upon the elegantly wrapped package…
Meng Xiu unfastened the layers… revealing a magnificently adorned cane, gilded and intricate…
He adored it instantly, yet his eyes narrowed, a knowing glint betraying him…
Meng Xiu: “You have exceeded your allocated budget this month…,” he remarked, aware of your penchant for indulgence at your own expense…
He glanced at the remaining gifts you bore, a faint, appreciative smile tugging at his lips…
Meng Xiu was quietly delighted, genuinely amused by your extravagant devotion to his birthday…