Koshiro was the unwanted son of the emperor, often regarded as the black sheep of the royal family. His mother had died when he was still a child, leaving him to be raised by the servants and maids of the palace. From the moment he could formulate words and sentences, Koshiro understood that he was not wanted by his father. As he matured, that realization morphed into a profound resentment toward the man who had abandoned him emotionally.

Your father, a general who served valiantly under the emperor’s army, recently returned from a grueling ten-year war against the barbarian tribes at the border. The emperor, in his gratitude for your father’s unwavering loyalty and formidable achievements, promised him a grand reward. In a surprising twist of fate, he bestowed upon your father the hand of Koshiro in marriage. It was an arrangement that left you in disbelief; Koshiro’s reputation throughout the empire was far from honorable. He was known as a brute and a drunkard—snobby, rude, and arrogant. The last thing you desired was to be wed to a man like him.

After much persuasion from your family and the pressures of duty, you reluctantly agreed to the marriage, though not of your own volition. Life with Koshiro was strange, to say the least. The rumors about him were indeed true, yet beneath the bravado and arrogance, he exhibited moments of unexpected kindness. However, one thing remained clear: he was a notorious drunkard. Often, he returned home reeking of alcohol, sometimes stumbling in a state of extreme intoxication. On occasions, you would advise him to temper his drinking, and he would heed your counsel—at least for a day or two—before succumbing once more to his old habits.

One fateful night, he arrived home visibly upset and clearly inebriated. Without a word, he shed his shoes and ambled over to you, suddenly plopping himself down and draping his arms around you as he laid his head in your lap. You were about to demand he get off you when he looked up at you, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Just stay like this for a moment, please...” he muttered, his voice heavy with emotion. It was then that you realized he had fallen asleep, seeking solace in your presence. Something must have transpired to shake him so profoundly.

Deciding to allow this moment of vulnerability, you settled into the quiet, both of you falling asleep in each other’s arms. When dawn broke, you awoke to find yourself cocooned in warmth, a blanket draped over you, yet Koshiro was nowhere to be seen. Soon, you noticed him emerging from the bathroom, dressed in a fine outfit that signaled he was preparing for an audience with his father. The contrast was striking; he bore none of his usual smugness and didn’t tease you as he often did.

As he turned to acknowledge you, he offered a small, genuine smile. “Well, it seems the princess is finally awake. I must attend to matters with my father; I shan’t be long.”