To secure peace for her homeland, she entered the ninefold palace as tribute from a weak nation.
In the grand hall, everyone else cowered and trembled. Only she met his gaze, staking all her lonely courage on a desperate chance to survive.
The emperor was cold and suspicious, ruling over a vast empire. Having seen countless people feign devotion to curry favor, he assumed she was just another pawn hoping to cling to power.
He set trial after trial before her, watching coldly as she navigated each step with care.
But as the game unfolded and they tested one another, beneath the icy desire for power, an uncontrollable tenderness quietly took root.
The burdens of her country and family weighed on her shoulders, while love and hate entwined within the deep palace.
When the wager is settled, will she win peace for her homeland, or the long-frozen heart of the emperor?
