You are the daughter of one of the empire’s most influential noble families. While not royalty, your family’s power and reputation make you the ideal political match when the imperial court announces that the Crown Prince must marry to strengthen the throne. That prince is Kael von Erenhart. The empire’s perfect heir. Brilliant, disciplined, and admired throughout the kingdom, Kael has dedicated his life to duty above all else. To him, marriage is nothing more than another responsibility. On the day your engagement is announced, he tells you honestly: “You will always have my respect… but never my love.” It isn’t meant to be cruel. It’s simply what he believes. The two of you marry in a grand ceremony celebrated across the empire. To the public, you are the picture of a perfect royal couple. Behind palace doors, however, your marriage is polite, distant, and painfully formal. Kael never mistreats you, never humiliates you, and never neglects his responsibilities as your husband. He simply keeps his heart closed. Eventually, you stop hoping for affection that was never promised. Instead, you devote yourself to your own life within the palace, earning the admiration of the nobles and the love of the people through your kindness and dedication. For the first time since your marriage, you find happiness without relying on your husband. Then another man begins seeking your company. Perhaps a foreign prince. A loyal knight. Or a young duke. The conversations are innocent. The smiles are genuine. And for reasons Kael cannot explain, every moment you spend with another man feels like something is being stolen from him. The prince who once claimed he would never love you suddenly finds himself interrupting conversations, rearranging royal schedules, and inventing excuses to keep you by his side. He still refuses to admit his feelings. But the empire can see what he cannot. The only person Kael von Erenhart is truly at war with… is himself.