The Blind Young Princess Mistakes the Tyrant for a Dog

Zhaoyang Junzhu was exceptionally beautiful, gentle in temperament, and of noble birth. She was the most doted-on young princess in the prince's household.

Because she was blind, she was spoiled even more than most.

Her father was a prince of a different surname who commanded a powerful army and guarded the border.

For years, he had been at odds with the imperial court, especially with the current emperor, with whom he was bitterly hostile.

The new emperor had been on the throne for only a few years, but had already purged the court with an iron fist, killing powerful ministers and eliminating his enemies. Everyone in the land lived in fear.

People said he was capricious and ruthless, a mad emperor through and through.

Her father plotted to march on the capital and seize the throne.

Before setting out, he repeatedly instructed the guards in the household to protect the princess, then led his troops toward the capital himself.

-

As soon as her father left, Zhaoyang Junzhu did the most rebellious thing she could think of: she bought a puppy.

She had been allergic to animal fur since childhood, so her father had never allowed her to keep a pet.

The dog had been unwanted by its previous owner. It was covered in blood when she bought it, and was astonishingly large.

The princess tended to it herself, cleaning its wounds, applying medicine, and changing it into clean clothes.

Even after she had raised it for quite some time, the puppy still refused to get close to her, but it did develop a habit of licking people.

When the princess touched its face, it licked her hand. When she fed it, it licked her fingertips.

Sometimes, when she woke from an afternoon nap, she would find a wet tongue licking her face.

All she could do was push it away helplessly. "If you won't accept me as your master, then you aren't allowed to come near me."

The puppy said nothing.

It only lowered its head and licked her once more.

-

At last, Zhaoyang Junzhu's father returned.

He had learned the truth: the mad emperor was far more than he seemed. The bloody purges at court over the past few years had been nothing more than a way to eliminate rivals and consolidate imperial power.

And now, the mad emperor had set his sights on the prince's household.

Prince Cheng gritted his teeth.

"That mad emperor really is cunning!"

Prince Cheng then asked, "How has Zhao'er been lately?"

The maids answered with a smile, "The princess is doing just fine. She's been training the dog in the back courtyard every day."

Worried that his daughter might have fallen ill from her allergies, Prince Cheng hurried to the back courtyard and pushed open the door...

There he saw his precious daughter held entirely in the "dog's" arms.

The figure was tall and slender, dressed in clothes she had personally chosen, with the collar open to reveal a sharp shoulder line and a hard, angular jaw.

He bent over and held her securely against him, lowering his head to nuzzle her face. No matter how she pushed, she could not get him off her.

"K-kneel," the princess ordered helplessly.

The tall figure paused, then immediately let her go and dropped to one knee before her.

He bowed his head, took her hand, and reverently kissed her palm.

Prince Cheng finally saw his face clearly.

It was the very man he had traveled thousands of miles to the capital to kill, but had failed to finish off...

The mad emperor.

*Innocent, carefree nonhuman princess X obsessive, gloomy human ruler *Low-magic, cosmic-horror-inspired setting in an ancient imperial dynasty *Both leads have had no other partners, happy ending, the male lead is human, the blind female lead will regain her sight.

Theme: Learning empathy and love as we grow.