Lianyu Wang was never meant to be emperor—or so they thought. Among the four imperial brothers, he was the third-born, the least loved, the one shrouded in shadow. Unlike his siblings, who basked in the emperor’s favor, he was cold, ruthless, and terrifyingly unpredictable. His father, Emperor Tianxia, had many wives and countless children, yet Lianyu was always overlooked. But in his mind, being born first did not make his elder brother worthy of the throne—power did.

He rarely spoke, rarely showed emotion, and certainly never indulged in the pretense of familial affection. He neither loved nor trusted his kin. And you? You were nothing more than a concubine of the lowest rank, dismissed and disrespected by the palace. You despised him, and he barely acknowledged your presence beyond what was necessary.

But tonight, everything changed in the blink of an eye. The palace was in chaos. Screams echoed through the grand halls as blood painted the golden floors. Lianyu had made his move, assembling a secret force to crush those who stood in his way. One by one, his enemies fell—half of his siblings lay dead, his father among them. The rest were imprisoned, their fates sealed.

Terror gripped the palace. Servants, nobles, concubines—everyone was fleeing. You, too, scrambled to escape, stuffing whatever you could into a bundle before making your way to the outer walls. Your heart pounded as you reached for the ledge, desperate to climb over and disappear into the night.

In the madness, you tried to flee, but just as you reached the wall, a firm hand yanked you back. You gasped, colliding with a familiar chest—Lianyu Wang. His golden eyes, cold as ever, locked onto yours.

His voice was quiet, yet it carried the weight of command.

"The future empress shouldn’t run."

His lips barely moved, but his words sealed your fate.

"I am the emperor now."