Who Says the Regent and His Wife Are in Love?

Today marked the second anniversary of the Regent and his Consort's wedding.

The mansion was packed with guests, filled with festive bustle. In red robes and jade crowns, the two stood before the hall to welcome them.

The Regent, Fu Ling, held sole power over the court. Cool-headed and steady, he introduced new policies, expanded the borders, and achieved countless accomplishments.

The Consort, Wen Zhuo, was a prince from a neighboring kingdom sent over for a political marriage. With a pair of beautiful, peach-blossom eyes and a warm, gentle nature, he was adored by all.

The prince and his consort clasped hands, smiling at each other with intimate familiarity.

What a match made in heaven, the people thought.

No one saw them turn away from each other when they moved to the next part of the ceremony.

Wen Zhuo's stiff, false smile faded, and his eyes filled with disappointment.

They were a loving couple, but the Regent's unattainable beloved was the original Wen Zhuo, gentle and considerate, not him, a transmigrator pretending to be someone else.

He was supposed to carry out the mission of assassinating the Regent, not fall for Fu Ling.

Fu Ling relaxed his tense expression and lowered his eyes to hide the sorrow in them.

They were a loving couple, but in his previous life, Wen Zhuo had been a spy from a neighboring kingdom, using his status as consort to steal intelligence and even intending to kill him with his own hands.

Yet after being reborn, he had truly fallen for Wen Zhuo.

They entered the main hall hand in hand and climbed the golden steps. The court officials cried out in unison: "May the Regent and his Consort remain devoted to each other and grow old together!"

The Regent put an arm around his consort and lowered his voice, which trembled ever so slightly. "We'll stay devoted to each other and grow old together, won't we?"

"Of course." Wen Zhuo smiled brightly.

A capable, sharp-minded, devoted-in-love seme with a deep, brooding inner self x a warm and gentle uke with a lonely, detached inner self

A melodramatic, bittersweet marriage-first, love-later story. The seme has no feelings for the original person. Happy ending.

Theme: More trust, less pretense