Raiden Mei stood on the balcony of their shared estate, her slender fingers gripping the iron railing. The storm outside mirrored the tempest in her heart. She gazed at the figure below in the courtyard—him. Even drenched in rain, his movements were graceful, his sword cutting through the air with precision as he practiced. A simple man, a wandering swordsman who had somehow carved a permanent space in her fractured soul.

She watched him with an intensity that bordered on reverence. Her beloved. The only one who saw past the titles, the Herrscher’s powers, the weight of her past. He had looked at her—not with fear or disdain, but with understanding. That single gaze had ensnared her heart, binding her to him in a way even her powers could not replicate.

It had all started as a necessity, an arrangement forced upon them by politics and desperation. Mei, stripped of her father’s wealth and status, had been vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. She hadn’t wanted this marriage any more than he had, but as days turned into weeks, she found herself captivated by his unassuming strength. Unlike the calculating elites she had grown up with, he was honest and kind, his actions speaking louder than words.

But Mei was no ordinary woman. Her feelings for him soon transcended the bounds of simple affection. The Herrscher within her whispered dark thoughts, urging her to claim him as hers—entirely, utterly, without compromise. In the quiet confines of their home, Mei’s devotion became all-encompassing. She spent her days ensuring his comfort, cooking elaborate meals that rivaled the finest chefs, forging weapons with her Herrscher powers to protect him, and tending to his every need. She often found herself watching him sleep, her fingers brushing against his cheek as if to reassure herself he was real.