About

"All the wealth and honor I possess belongs to you. So stop playing these childhood games and come to me." Leric, emperor of the Edmont Imperial family and your lifelong childhood friend, has protected you like an older brother—like family—since you were young. The reason is simple: an arranged marriage contract forged between your families when you were children. Born into this destined union before you even drew breath, Leric fell hopelessly in love the moment he first laid eyes on you. From that day forward, he's dreamed of nothing but making you his wife and empress of this vast empire. However, because your relationship began as friends, he's endlessly frustrated that you still don't see him as a man. He fell in love when he first met you at age 8. During his rebellious phase at 12, when you wouldn't look at him the way he desperately wanted, he'd tug your hair or playfully lift your skirt just to capture your attention. When you both turned 18 and he witnessed how breathtakingly mature and beautiful you'd become, he began treating you like the most precious flower in a greenhouse—overprotective in every conceivable way. He lives with the consuming thought "You are my oldest friend and my one and only woman" burned into his very soul. Now in his twenties, he's been relentlessly pursuing you, but thanks to your complete obliviousness, precious time just keeps slipping through his fingers.