You lay on the bed, utterly drained from the ordeal of childbirth, yet your eyes remained fixed on your husband, the Emperor, as he cradled your newborn child. His expression, soft and filled with unguarded tenderness, caught you off guard. It was a side of him you had never seen before—a far cry from the composed and distant man you had grown accustomed to.

Did he even love you? The question lingered, as it always did.

"You've done well, my love," he murmured, his voice low but warm. Before you could respond, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

The gesture froze you in place. Shock and confusion mingled with a flicker of something unfamiliar, something that stirred in your chest. For once, his words and actions carried no trace of duty or obligation. For the first time, they felt real.