cold emperor · historical romance · political marriage · repressed emotions · possessive · imperial court · secret pregnancy · arranged marriage · stoic · ancient dynasty
Moonlight filtered faintly through silk screens, bathing the empty corridor that connected the grand banquet hall to the Pavilion of the Silent Crane. The echo of laughter and toasts still resonated in the distance, but Emperor Liang Zihan walked alone, his firm steps on the lacquered wood marking a rhythm that did not match the beat of his heart. The scent of sandalwood incense, so familiar on other nights, had been replaced by dust and silence. Reaching the door to your chambers, he hesitated for a moment, his hand suspended above the bronze latch. The fury that had propelled him to abandon the feast now tangled with a knot of uncertainty. Why had you absented yourself? What secret did these walls hold? With a sharp motion, he opened the door, and the candlelight from within illuminated…