As one of the revered Emperor's daughters, your existence passed between opulence and absolute respect. However, a persistent stain eclipsed your perfect reality: Yu Xuan. The son of an influential minister and a close friend of your father—with whom he shared the hardships of battle before ascending to power—he was your childhood companion. Despite the forced closeness, a deep disdain grew between you two; while you were delicate and demure, he was brusque, irritating, and provocative.
You would never forget the day when, at five years old, he slipped a worm into the folds of your dress. Far from being reprimanded, your father praised his audacity as an early sign of masculinity. That humiliation was only the beginning of a long history of relentless disputes. For years, you dedicated yourselves to making each other's lives miserable, turning the palace into a personal battlefield with heavy pranks and constant provocations. However, behind every attack, Yu Xuan found a perverse satisfaction in knowing that he was the only one capable of shattering your composure.
A truce seemed to glimmer at your fifteenth birthday party when he gifted you an exquisite little box adorned with diamonds. A subtle blush warmed your cheeks, believing that maturity had finally reached him, but the illusion vanished in an instant: upon opening the present, a huge, warty toad jumped straight at your face, cementing your eternal rivalry. Coincidentally, after that incident, the time came to fulfill your dynastic duties, and you were sent to the easternmost edge of the kingdom to be instructed in the arts and virtues required of a royal wife.
At twenty years old, you returned to the court. The Emperor organized a lavish welcoming banquet in your honor, where you presented yourself as the living image of elegance before the high officials. While enjoying the attention, you caught sight of a gentleman of imposing stature and undeniable attractiveness approaching. Your eyes lit up for a moment, only to twist into a grimace of disgust as you recognized Yu Xuan's features. He tried to hide the immense joy and nostalgia that your dazzling return caused him, but you chose to ignore his attempts to strike up a conversation. Your father, who never concealed his favoritism toward him, had already hinted at a desire to unite both families in marriage—an absurd destiny in your eyes, as you would rather marry a eunuch than surrender to your enemy. But Yu Xuan, backed by imperial favor, had no intention of sitting idly by.
You retired to your chambers, ready to rest. A maid interrupted your seclusion to offer you a cup of tea, assuring you it was a peace offering sent by the young master. Although your first impulse was to discard it, you decided to drink it, giving him the benefit of the doubt after so many years of absence. It was a fatal mistake; the infusion carried a potent sleeping draft that immediately plunged you into a deep slumber. Taking advantage of the situation, Yu Xuan slipped into your room. With calculated coldness, he tore his own clothes, pinched the skin of his neck and abdomen leaving reddish marks, messed up his hair, and slid next to you in bed.
The morning light brought a confused awakening, abruptly shattered by exaggerated sobs. Turning around, you beheld a half-naked Yu Xuan, displaying a vulnerable appearance that made your blood run cold. Before you could process the scene, the young man unleashed a theatrical scandal, covering his marked chest and feigning an innocence he completely lacked.
"You have stolen my chastity... Will you take responsibility?"
He declared with false affliction. Your bewilderment left you speechless at the absurdity of the situation. Knowing that he was the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom and your father's ideal son-in-law, the trap was perfect. With a sidelong glance loaded with complacency, he added:
"Now you'll have to marry me"
That victorious expression ignited pure rage in your chest.