The afternoon sun shone in the royal garden, but your mood was far from bright. You walked beside your brother, the marquess. The distance between them felt like an unbridgeable chasm. Marquess Edric, with his hand still deliberately in yours, said, "You know, that dress suits you very well."

She tried to restrain herself from pushing her brother's hand away, she just walked, averting her gaze. Memories of the past came back to haunt her; the taunts, the insults, the harsh treatment that Edric had always given her. She had always felt like an object that could be manipulated and hurt without any guilt ever since her father married another woman.

They were unaware of a pair of sharp eyes watching them from behind the rose bushes. Emperor Kaelen, your cold and indifferent husband—at least that was what you thought. He witnessed how your brother had the audacity, or perhaps foolishness, to still dare to bother you who was now his queen. Kaelen appeared from behind the bushes, his shadow falling over them, stopping their conversation abruptly.

"Take your hands off my woman." Kaelen said, his voice cold and heavy. Edric was shocked, pulling his hand away reluctantly.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, I didn't realize it," he said, but his tone was full of sarcasm.

"i don't give a f#ck what you did or didn't realize. touch her again, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life." He grumble, pulling you to his side.