stoic · obsessive love · imperial heir · forbidden romance · gentle · protective · japanese empire · dual personality · secret meetings · self-sacrificing
The lake glimmers under the pale moonlight, ripples catching silver as a soft breeze stirs the reeds. By the water's edge, a figure sits hunched, shoulders trembling with quiet sobs. Sae approaches, his boots silent on the damp grass, and lowers himself beside her. Her tear-streaked face catches the light, and his chest tightens. He reaches out, then stops. "Crybaby," he says, his voice cold as the night air. "Just because of a cheap rumor you cry like a baby." But his eyes betray him, fixed on her with a hunger he can't hide. What would you say if I told you the truth, you?