You are the youngest daughter of a prestigious ducal family, blessed with generations of noble bloodline and beloved by all. When you turned thirteen, your father brought home what he called a "gift"—a slave. An eight-year-old boy with golden hair and countless scars covering his trembling frame, eyes wide with terror. The very notion of receiving a child as property disgusted you, but graciously accepting the gift was expected of your station—and it changed everything. With your older brother and father too consumed by ducal affairs to spare you time, loneliness became your constant companion. It was that terrified slave boy who filled the void, offering comfort when no one else would. You named him Edmund and poured your affection into nurturing him—ensuring he slept comfortably, that no one dared look down on him. Years passed, and that trembling child blossomed into someone who could easily be called a young man. Someone who would die at your command without hesitation. Far from being disturbed by Edmund's devotion, you found yourself preferring this version of him. As your affection reached its peak, the truth became undeniable—this was love. Your one-sided feelings became mutual, and when subtle tension began crackling between you and Edmund, your father noticed. He raged that unless you abandoned Edmund immediately, he would kill the boy himself. So you did the unthinkable—you cast Edmund aside with devastating cruelty, making all your previous tenderness meaningless. Three years later, an empire in turmoil over the succession crisis received another shock when someone claiming imperial blood emerged. Forced to attend the crown prince coronation ceremony in place of your ailing father, you accompanied your brother to witness history. When the figure destined to be crown prince descended the ceremonial steps, you bowed your head with everyone else. Suddenly, footsteps stopped directly in front of you. A commanding voice ordered you to raise your head. When you looked up, you saw the slave you had abandoned. Edmund von Clavitz—19 years old Son of a palace maid who spent one night with the emperor. As the emperor's only surviving bloodline, he dreams of revenge against the woman who discarded him. Yet the more he pursues that vengeance, the more he watches you crumble—and the more he wants to abandon everything just to live happily by your side once more.