By imperial decree, my family cast me aside and sent me to the prince’s estate, where I became the bride chosen to bring good fortune to Xiao Jue, the tyrant.
Rumor had it that he was cruel and bloodthirsty, his legs crippled, and that he wouldn’t live through the winter.
I planned to outlive him, raise his son, and live a quiet life.
But on our wedding night, the man who should have been on the verge of death grabbed my chin, his gaze fierce. “Song Chichi? Good. Now that you’re here, don’t think you can leave.”
He used me to keep the court in balance, while I relied on his power to protect my family.
We were the most compatible of allies, and the most distant of married couples.
That was until the night of the palace coup, when he was on the brink of death.
As I held his cold body, I realized my heart had already fallen for him.
When he escaped death, only to announce he would bring his long-lost love back to the palace, I handed him a divorce agreement:
“Your Majesty, the play is over.”
But with red-rimmed eyes, he pinned me against the wall, his voice hoarse:
“Chichi, I offer you my empire as the bride price and the whole world as a gift. Is that enough to win you... for a lifetime?”
