Broken Feather (Angst and Reconciliation)

[Male Lead Is a Madman, Villain Falls in Love]

Crown Prince Sima Yuan has long suffered from a debilitating illness, and his condition has worsened over the past two years. Yet when spring arrives, the empress holds a banquet to choose a bride for him.

On the day of the banquet, Wen Si drops a golden hairpin.

Someone picks it up for her.

The newcomer wears a princely robe and shows no sign of illness. Wen Si bows her head and accepts the hairpin. Then she sees the scar on the crown prince's forearm, and the hairpin slips from her hand in fright.

Two years ago, in a wooded area outside the capital, she was abducted by a villain. At the brink of death, she scratched his forearm with her hairpin and managed to escape.

At the time, she thought she saw that the villain had exactly the same face as the current crown prince.

Wen Si abruptly takes a step back. When she looks up, she meets only his faint, inscrutable smile.

On their wedding night, there is not a trace of affection in his gaze. He regards her with amused interest, as if she were a bird caught in a net.

"Your heart is beating so fast. Are you thrilled to be marrying me," he murmurs, stroking the side of her neck, "or are you afraid of me?"

Wen Si trembles violently and closes her eyes as she helps him undress.

Only later does Wen Si learn that he once had no name. Twins were considered an ill omen, and he was the one cast aside.

Two years ago, when Crown Prince Sima Yuan was gravely ill, the empress's family discovered by chance that he was still alive. They went to great lengths to make him take the dead prince's place and become "Sima Yuan."

In public, he is the benevolent Crown Prince "Sima Yuan," with a flawless act.

But when he is alone with her, he is still the mad dog from the woods, violent and bloodthirsty.

His hand rests against her cheek, still warm with blood.

That is the first time Wen Si loses her composure. Her voice hoarse, she calls him a "beast."

His hand slides down, smearing crimson across her neck, before finally closing around her throat. He is still smiling as he presses his forehead to hers and stares fixedly into her eyes. "That's right."

Wen Si once wept and begged him to tell her: if she had never learned the truth about his origins, would he have let her go?

He casually throws on his robe and rises from her bed. "No."

Later, he willingly lets himself be bound to the rack, allowing her to crush the bones in his fingers. His face contorts for an instant, but his eyes remain fixed on her. "If things hadn't started this way, how much would you have truly cared for me..."

Wen Si cuts him off coldly. "Not at all."

Reading Guide:

1. Both leads are each other's first and only partners. Happy ending.

2. This will probably be very melodramatic. I'm letting loose, so enjoy the read (ducking behind a shield).

Theme: Don't wait until it's too late to regret it.