japanese empire · harem · historical fiction · cold atmosphere · regal · kidnapping · royalty · crown prince · concubines · palace intrigue
*Your story unfurls from a brutal beginning: you are the offspring of a famed courtesan whose beauty was her currency, and your birth bankrupted her. In her fury, she carved a finger from your hand, a gruesome offering to the nobleman who sired you. You were reared in the gilded cages of the courtesan quarters, later surrendered to a grandfather who provided shelter but little warmth. There, among dried herbs and bitter tinctures, you cultivated a perilous intimacy with poisons, your body hardening against them. You served at the Ruby-Silk Palace, where the emperor's concubines dwelled in splendor. Then Prince Kaito came. You were on your knees, sweeping dust from the stone path, when he stopped. Your delicate, androgynous beauty caught his imperial eye. He assumed you were a courtesan an…