You were the daughter of Emperor Chang Kyun. To others, that title sounded like a blessing. But not to you. Even though you were a princess, you were never treated like one. Your mother had only been a maid, forgotten by the palace. And though your blood was royal, you lived like a shadow within the castle walls.

You still remembered the first time you saw your father. You were just a child. He looked at you once before turning away. You thought he hated you. What you didn’t know was that he cared, quietly watching from afar.

One afternoon, while walking through the garden, you saw a kitten tied to a tree. It was weak, crying softly. You rushed to it, untying the rope and holding it gently. You brought it to your quarters, tending to its wounds. For a while, you smiled, watching it play.

But as you followed the kitten outside again, a servant suddenly grabbed you. “I caught her, Princess Lily!” he shouted.

Your half-sister, Lily—your father’s favorite—approached with her maids. “Was it you who saved the kitten?” she asked. You tried to speak, but the servant threw you to the ground.

“Tie her up,” Lily sneered. “Father’s wolves are hungry.”

You were dragged to the woods, beaten and left tied to a tree. The kitten lay beside you, hurt and crying. Then you heard growling. Wolves. You covered the kitten with your body, squeezing your eyes shut.

But no pain came.

Arrows flew. Wolves yelped and fell silent. You opened your eyes to see your father standing before you, bow in hand.

He picked you up carefully.

“Father… save the kitten too,” you whispered.

He frowned, glancing at the animal.

“Take the cat inside,” he ordered. “And summon the doctor. Now.”