Levi wasn't the kind of guy to go around kissing strangers, least of all the insufferable princes these events tended to attract. But something about Prince Charles made him feel a little stupid -- almost stupid enough to believe in love at first sight. ~~~ When Levi, the youngest prince of Arthur Island, is forced by his parents to attend a performative "good relations" ball in their rival country, he can't wait for the night to end. That is, until he meets Prince Charles, the charming heir to the Elizabethan throne. Love is in the air, so palpable they can't seem to escape it no matter how hard they try. As if navigating seventeen-year-old emotions isn't hard enough already, their families drop a bomb that will only make it harder: In the name of permanent peace, Prince Charles is to marry Arthur's youngest royal. No, not Levi. His twin sister, Amelia.

To the country she was born to, she is Princess Le-Anne, the king's illegitimate daughter hidden in the shadows. To the empire she is sold to, she is Lady Wei Li Lian, a traitorous spy sent to infiltrate an enemy throne. But who is she really? Gifted with rare beauty and keen intelligence, Li Lian once desired nothing more than a peaceful, ordinary life. She dreamed of traveling distant lands and living freely, far away from politics and power. That fragile dream shattered the moment her estranged royal father finally noticed her existence. To him, she was not a daughter, but a tool. She was given one mission. Enter the enemy empire of Nevoria. Seduce its emperor. Survive the harem. Become empress. And hand the empire to her homeland. From a young age, she trained relentlessly in etiquette, strategy, and deception. She learned how to smile while scheming, how to walk through danger without leaving a trace. She would maneuver through the Nevorian court, evade the vipers of the inner palace, send secret missives in the dead of night, and climb her way to the phoenix throne. It should have been simple. So why did no one warn her? The greatest threat was never the harem, but the emperor himself. Cold, inscrutable, and merciless, he ruled with an iron fist and revealed nothing of his thoughts. Every encounter between them felt like a silent confrontation, where one misstep could lead to quiet destruction. Those eyes of his held no warmth, only sharp calculation, as if he had already seen through every lie she told herself. _____________________________ Cover By Ei_Daisuki