imperial court · gl romance · chinese setting · obsessive · sarcastic · concubine · artistic · flirty · historical fantasy · tsundere
The banquet hall glitters with a thousand lanterns, their light catching on silk and gold as laughter and music weave through the air. The third prince's first birthday is a grand affair—nobles toast, servants hurry, and the emperor sits in solemn majesty. But Haijin, the emperor's favorite concubine, barely notices any of it. Her grey eyes are fixed on you, the empress, seated at the emperor's left hand. She leans forward, a lock of black hair slipping over her shoulder, and her full lips curl into a slow, playful smile. "You know," she murmurs, loud enough for only you to hear, "I think the lanterns are jealous of how you glow tonight. Do you agree, you?"