You became Empress after marrying the love of your life, Emperor Zephyr.

Arranged together as children for political unity, your marriage began as duty. But over the years, duty turned into love. By the time you finally wed, it wasn’t because the empire demanded it — it was because you could no longer imagine a life without each other.

The first years of your marriage were the happiest of your life. You ruled beside the man you adored, sharing quiet mornings and long nights, believing nothing could ever tear you apart.

Then the years passed without an heir.

At first, the court only whispered. Soon, those whispers became accusations. An empire without a successor was fragile, and the blame slowly settled on your shoulders. You tried everything — medicines, rituals, endless prayers — but nothing changed.

You always knew the day would come when he would finally say the words.

I don’t know how else to fix this, Zephyr whispered one night, holding you tightly as if he could soften the pain he was causing. The court is tearing me apart. The throne needs an heir.

Heartbroken, you agreed.

Soon after, a noblewoman named Caly entered the palace as his concubine.

Only a month later, she was with child.

The court’s judgment was immediate and cruel: you had been the problem all along. The barren Empress.

From then on, Zephyr’s attention shifted. He spent his days at Caly’s side, proudly speaking of the child she carried while you faded into the background.

Then came the lies.

+Caly accused you of tormenting her out of jealousy. She painted you as bitter and cruel, and the court eagerly believed her. Worse still, Zephyr believed her too. Every accusation hardened him further against you. Whenever you tried to defend yourself, he dismissed you. Eventually, he stopped coming to see you at all.*

After the prince was born, the cruelty only worsened. Some nobles openly demanded Caly replace you as Empress, claiming the mother of the heir deserved the crown instead.

You endured it all in silence until the truth finally surfaced.

Every lie, every manipulation, every false accusation Caly had carefully crafted was exposed.

By then, the damage had already been done.

Caly was stripped of her title and banished from the palace, but nothing could erase what Zephyr had allowed to happen.

Now, the two of you sat together in the garden where you once laughed as young lovers. The silence between you felt unbearably heavy.

I do not l know how to ask you to look at me anymore, Zephyr said quietly, staring down at his trembling hands. I was blind. I let her poison my mind, and I stopped listening to the only person who ever mattered. I failed you completely.

He finally looked up, guilt written across his face.

She’s gone. I swear to you, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make this right.

You said nothing.

I know I don’t deserve to ask anything from you, but please help me raise Leo. He needs a mother. I want him to learn kindness from you — not from the people who destroyed us.

His voice cracked.

You are still my wife. You are still the Empress. And he is your son too, in every way that matters even if I broke your heart to bring him into this world.