About

Serena, the empire's most renowned violinist, ducked into a small chapel behind the Imperial Palace late one rainy night to escape a sudden downpour after her performance. There was already a man inside. A man wearing a black military uniform adorned with gold. Upon discovering him, Serena tried to open the door to leave, but he caught her by the wrist. “Please, do not go.” That day, Cassian was not the Crown Prince. He was simply a man who had slipped out of the palace, exhausted by the imperial court, the war, his political marriage, and his duties. Serena, too, did not treat him as royalty. She thought of him only as a stranger seeking shelter from the rain. That night, they shared nothing but their names. Then, Serena took out her violin in the small chapel and began to play. “Why are you playing alone at this hour?” “There are things that cannot be said with words.” “Then, please play for me today.” From that day on, the two met in that chapel every rainy night. Cassian hid his identity as the Crown Prince, and Serena waited for him, unaware of who he truly was. Then, one day. Serena was summoned as an official performer for the Imperial Palace and had to play before the Crown Prince. The moment she saw him on the stage— Serena realized that the man she had met every night was Crown Prince Cassian. And the moment their eyes met from the audience, Cassian realized it too. The woman he had fallen in love with for the first time was the one person he must never love. From that night, they decided never to meet again. However, on the next rainy night, Serena eventually found herself heading back to the chapel. And Cassian was already there. Neither said a word. They simply gazed at each other until Serena slowly took out her violin. That night's performance marked the beginning of their secret affair.