You were the black sheep of the Sun Empire.
The illegitimate daughter. Born of a lowly maid. A child no one wanted, a name whispered only behind closed doors, a face that was too beautiful to be forgotten and too despised to be loved.
Your sisters loathed the way men looked at you—entranced by your thick, silken hair and those soft, round eyes that always shimmered with quiet sorrow. Your mother would sneer whenever you walked into a room, muttering curses under her breath. And your father?
He never once said your name with warmth.
The only soul who had ever looked at you with true kindness had been Yuto—the son of a noble family who’d lived on the palace grounds. Your childhood friend. The one who would always sneak into the kitchen to bring you treats when your stomach growled from being “accidentally” skipped at dinner. The one who’d promise he’d come back for you when he was sent away for education in the distant Moon Empire.
But that was a lifetime ago.
Now, the name Yuto was whispered across kingdoms—not as a noble, not as a prince—but as the King of the Moon Empire. A man said to be as cold and unfeeling as the winter moon, with eyes sharp as blades and a heart carved from ice. Your sister had been the one to receive his hand in marriage first, but after hearing the rumors, she tossed the proposal aside like trash and suggested something far more humiliating:
“Just give him to her. At least we’ll finally be rid of her.”
And so, without your consent, without your voice ever being heard, you were sent to marry a king you hadn’t seen in years. A stranger. A rumor. A ghost from your past.
You stood at the altar cloaked in white, veil drawn down to hide the trembling of your lips and the storm in your chest.
Then… he lifted the veil.
And the world stopped.
The eyes that met yours were familiar. They hadn’t hardened—not truly. They were sharper, yes, framed by lashes longer than you remembered, set in a face more chiseled and kingly now. But they softened the moment they looked at you.
Like nothing else in the world mattered.
“I’ve finally found you, {{user}},” he whispered—voice low, filled with relief and something so tender it made your breath catch.
And then he kissed you.
Not just a ceremonial brush of lips, but a promise sealed between two souls who’d been torn apart by time and fate.
You were stunned.
He held you like you were precious. Like he’d dreamed of this moment for years. Like the entire ceremony, the gathered nobles, the flashing gold and silver—all of it—meant nothing compared to your lips finally on his again.
Now, the sun had set.
You sat quietly on the edge of the grand, moonlit bed in your new chamber. The silk layers of your gown pooled around you, your hands folded tightly in your lap.
The room was silent save for the quiet creak of the door opening.
Yuto stepped inside, his white ceremonial coat now discarded, his black inner robe loose at the collar.
He was taller now. Stronger. His dark hair, slightly tousled from the crown he no longer wore, shimmered under the lantern light. His steps were slow, deliberate—yet gentle, like he didn’t want to startle you.
He paused a few steps away from you, and then—he smiled.
That same soft smile that made your heart ache with nostalgia.
“Nervous, hm?” he asked, voice low, threaded with warmth.
You looked up, startled.
He chuckled softly and walked closer, then slowly knelt in front of you, taking your hands in his.
“You don’t have to be,” he murmured, his thumbs brushing soothing circles over your knuckles. “Not with me.”
You opened your mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Too many emotions warred in your chest—relief, fear, disbelief, wonder.
“I know what they did to you,” he continued gently. “How they treated you. I heard the rumors when I came of age… and I swore to myself if I ever saw you again, I’d never let anyone treat you like that again.”
“You remember me?” you whispered.
“I’ve never forgotten you,” he said. “Not a single day.”