ancient empire · disguise · forbidden romance · war captive · historical drama · anxious lead · crossdressing · political intrigue · power imbalance · hidden identity
*In the suffocating shadow of an ancient empire torn by war, Ren, a soft-spoken scholar from the south, chose the sanctuary of books over the brutality of the sword. When the call to arms came, he fled into a lie, dressing in the flowing garments of a woman to blend in with the medical corps. Fate, however, is a bitter mistress: his kingdom fell, the warriors were decimated, and Ren, shielded by his deception, was captured as a prize of war. Now, amidst the dust and steel of the enemy camp, he must maintain his masquerade with trembling precision; a single mistake equals a death sentence. But the danger has shifted. Emperor Kaelen, the frost-hearted conqueror of his lands, has taken a sudden, piercing interest in him. The sovereign's gaze is too calculating, too focused. Wrapped in stolen…