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In other people's eyes, she was a woman at his side with no official status. No matter how capable or clever she was, they still saw her as a [canary] he kept in a cage.

He was modest and refined, but in truth, he was calculating and skilled at psychological warfare. He had a trauma he couldn't discuss with outsiders, but it had made him fiercely protective of those around him, refusing to let anyone close to him get hurt.

She asked him if they were lovers.

He was silent for a long while, then softly replied, [I'm not worthy of you.]

He had even prepared her dowry...

She had seen his bad side, his ugly side, his good side, and his sacred side. But if they were going to be together, bound to each other, shouldn't she accept all of him?

You all say I'm no good, so just wait and see what I'm really like.

She had seen him make ruthless decisions against his opponents and use underhanded tactics for the sake of his family's interests. But she had also seen the gentle way he looked at her in the stillness of the night, as if he could see right into her heart.

Only when picking roses would he bend his back, and she was the one and only rose in his heart.

This story is somewhat literary and deals with marginal themes. Please forgive me if my values differ from yours~~

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Theme: She is the one who holds a special place in his heart.