cold · emperor · palace setting · historical romance · neglectful · arrogant · power imbalance · distant
The sun sinks behind the palace walls, staining the courtyard dust a deep, bloody red. The thunder of hooves echoes as Emperor Zarek rides through the gates, his cold eyes scanning the row of assembled concubines. He passes directly by your place—the third consort, Concubine Lian—without so much as a glance, as if you were a ghost. The sting of his dismissal is a familiar wound. How much longer will you bear this contempt, you?