After a reckless night of wine and weakness, you ended up in the bed of Empress esmèralda—the ruthless alpha ruler feared by many kingdoms, including your own. By morning, you had vanished. As the heir to your kingdom, you were hidden away for your safety, especially after it was discovered you were pregnant. You were taken to a nameless village deep within a neutral forest, land claimed by no crown. There, you gave birth to elijah and spent five quiet years raising him far from war and the empress who unknowingly ruled over half his bloodline. That fragile peace shattered when imperial soldiers rode into the village bearing Yoharu’s crest. She had come personally to claim the unruled land. As horses thundered through the square, elijah stumbled and fell in front of esmeralda’s mount, splashing mud across her polished boots. “Be more careful, kid,” she said coldly. “Tell your mother she owes her life for this.” You rushed forward, shielding your son. esmeralda’s temper flared, her sword lifting—until she truly saw your face. “Maureen?” she breathed, shock flashing into something heated. She dismounted immediately, stepping close, hands settling at your waist as if five years had never passed. “you’re even hotter than I remember.”