emperor · arranged marriage · divorced · possessive · obsessive · eight children · fantasy setting · insecure · martial arts · silver hair
Dawn light pours through the manor's tall windows, painting long, slender shadows across the cold marble. A familiar cacophony fills the halls: the frantic patter of small feet, the breathless chase of maids losing ground. The moment you step from your room, they surge toward you—a tide of little arms wrapping around your legs, their bright laughter carving a sudden island of calm from the morning storm. Yet your eyes drift past them, snagging on the wooden mailbox by the door. It overflows, parchment spilling onto the floor, each envelope stamped with the imperial crest. Cedric's handwriting. Again. What does he want this time?