' wife ' . ] [ Some say I fall in love too quickly . The truth is , you are just too easy to love . ] Next , of course , were gifts . I scoured the land for rare flowers and exotic treasures . I even had my grandfather find me a pure white foal to send to him . I named her " Yearning , " and tied a small plaque around her neck that read : " My mistress says she's very fond of you ! " There was no response from Kaelen . But I told myself , at least he wasn't rejecting my gifts . And no rejection meant ... He wanted more ! My personal treasury was nearly empty . I even had to go to my father and request a " husband - chasing fund . " Eager to ally himself with the Azu- re Empire , my father gritted his teeth and approved it . But as time went on , even the live comments began to lose hope , advising me to give up . My own enthusiasm started to wane . One day , I was slumped by the window , listlessly poking at a peony in a vase . " Do you think , " I asked my handmaiden , " that he finds me ... too forward ? " " Or perhaps ... he prefers the company of men ? " Before she could answer , news arrived : The old emperor of the Azure Empire was dead . After a period of turmoil and political struggle , Kaelen officially ascended the throne . My courage evaporated . Flirting with a prince for his good looks was one thing . But flirting with the ruler of the Azure Empire ... that was a death wish . 4/6 09:02 09.02 Chapter 1 To save my own skin , I immediately ceased all my ridiculous antics . No more love letters , no more treasure hunting . The sudden stop felt stra- nge . But my treasury was empty anyway . It was the perfect time for a stroll out of the palace to inspect the businesses under my name . If I couldn't have a man , I could at least have a career . My shops were all located in the most prosperous districts of the capital , selling clothing , jewelry , and cosmetics for women . The storefronts were lavish , but the shops themselves were usually empty . The live comments immediately started offering advice . [ Princess , do a live stream ! Sell your products ! ] You're the most beautiful woman in the world ! Your face is the best advertisement ! ] [ Host parties ! Invite all the rich nobles with money to burn ! ] With their suggestions buzzing in my head , I got to work . I hosted flower - viewing parties and garden tours , sending out invitations to all the nobles , ladies , and their daughters . I made sure to only wear items from my own shops , while my handmaidens acted as saleswomen on the spot . When you're shameless , the money just rolls in . I offered discounts and exclusive VIP tokens . At the suggestion of the comments , I also host- ed special events for the wives of officials and noblewomen . They had money and time to spare . Sure enough , I was soon rolling in cash . I was so busy , I completely forgot about Kaelen . 4 One day , tired from inspecting my shops , I went to the capital's largest restaurant , The Azure Dragon's Hearth , for dinner . The restaurant specia- lized in cuisine from the Azure Empire , which I adored . Most importantly , not only did they have beautiful women to pour wine , but they also had handsome male companions . I ordered five at once . One to dance , one to sing , two to give me a massage , and the most handsome one of all to pour my wine and serve my food . Perfect . The handsome companion picked up a piece of fish , carefully removing the bones . Just as he was about to feed it to me , I overheard a hushed conversation from the private room next door . The accent was from the Azure Empire . " Since our new Emperor took the throne , he's cut taxes and funded water projects . He's even settled the refugees on the border . " " Compared to this Kingdom of Emberfall ... " The man lowered his voice. " On our way here , we saw starving people everywhere . Only the capital still maintains a facade of peace . " Another man sighed . " His Majesty is a brilliant ruler , but ... my brother is an official at court , and he says every day is like walking on thin ice . " " Lately , the Emperor's temper has been unpredictable . The tension in the court is suffocating ... " " Tsk , my brother's lost half his hair in the last two weeks . " My hand , holding my wine cup , froze . Kaelen ... I had been deliberately avoiding news about him , even ignoring the live comments . I hadn't expected to hear about him here . Why was his temper so bad ? He had tolerated all my shameless flirting without a problem . As I was lost in thought , the restaurant manager respectfully escorted a dignified , middle - aged man into my room . They both paused for a moment when they saw the scene before them , but quickly recovered , acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary . " Princess , " the middle - aged man said , bowing deeply . His posture was exceptionally deferential . " My name is Valerius . I am the owner of this establishment . I have long heard of your beauty , and to finally meet you today is ... a fortune of three lifetimes . " He placed a box , which seemed to emanate a faint chill , on the table . In the corner of the lid was a small but distinct insignia of a coiled drag- on . 5/6 09:02 Chapter 1 I recognized it . It was the mark of the Azure Empire's royal household . Only Kaelen could use it . " This is a rare fruit from the Southern Ridge that our establishment has recently acquired . It is called a ' Lychee ' . " " If you would deign to accept it , Princess , please consider it a small novelty to try . " His expression was perfectly natural . But my heart skipped a beat . 09.02 In one of my " love letters " to Kaelen , I had once mentioned offhandedly : [ I hear there is a fruit in the Southern Ridge called a ' lychee ' , sweet as nectar . I wonder if I will ever have the chance to taste it in my lifetime ? ] It was just a whim . I had almost forgotten about it myself . But Kaelen had remembered . I glanced at the handsome companions still preening around me , and a wave of embarrassment washed over me . Valerius lowered his voice , a hint of conspiracy in his tone . " If the Princess should require anything in the future , you need only come to the restaurant and find me . " He paused , his voice taking on a meaningful tone . " And if the Princess has any letters that need to be delivered to the Azure Empire , you may entrust them to me . " With that , they quietly excused themselves , taking the handsome companions with them . A warmth spread through my chest . Was he ... asking for more " love letters " on Kaelen's behalf ? After so long , my one - sided infatuation had finally gotten a response . The sweet scent of the lychees filled the air , and my " husband - chasing " spirit was rekindled . The live comments were even more excited than I was . [ Hahaha , the ' chasing his wife through the crematorium ' arc is about to begin ! He's so in love ! ] [ This Valerius guy did that on purpose , right ? The future empress ordered a bunch of boy toys , hahaha , he couldn't take it anymore !! ] [ Little princess , please pay attention to the male lead ! He's so pitiful . His dad just died , and yesterday his mom died too . He has no one left in the world who truly loves him . ] [ It's true ! I just switched over from the male lead's perspective ! ] [ Little princess , please , go to the border and see him ! He promised his mother he would bury her ashes in her hometown of Cloudhaven . He's on his way there now , holding her urn ... ] [ His dead parents and his broken heart ... this is when he needs you the most ! ] I shot to my feet . A wave of sympathy , heartbreak , and guilt washed over me . I claimed to like him , but while I was sulking over a little silence , this is what he was going through ? His father's death , the fight for the throne with his brothers , his mother's passing ... " Okay , " I whispered to the comments . " I'll go to him . " On the way back to the palace , the number of comments suddenly exploded . They were no longer the sparse , friendly messages I was used to . The tone was different , too , filled with malice and ridicule . The most prominent messages were all variations of : [ Kaelen went to Cloudhaven with his childhood sweetheart . Don't go and be the other woman ! ] Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!