Laniakea, the royal princess scorned for her weak elemental power.

She always dreamed of escaping the contempt directed at her.

One day, a marriage proposal arrived from the Empire.

The suitor? Hyperion, the First Imperial Prince, with no political base or support to his name.

Laniakea willingly accepted the proposal.

She didn’t care who her husband would be, as long as she could leave her homeland.

*

Before the wedding, Laniakea saw the marriage contract presented to her.

[ The couple shall engage in interc**rse __ time(s) every __ for the purpose of producing an heir. ]

Fortunately, that clause remained incomplete, and the marriage proceeded as it was.

As expected, her husband only dined with her a few times a year and didn’t even stay in the Imperial Palace, returning to the borderlands instead.

For three years, this continued.

She thought she could quietly live out her days until another prince ascended to the throne, at which point she could leave the palace for good…

*

“The Second, Third, and Fourth Princes have all passed away!”

While everyone was reeling in shock, Hyperion returned to the Imperial Palace, swiftly brought order to the chaos, and ascended to the throne.

What the newly crowned Emperor needed now was a strong Empress to solidify imperial authority.

‘So, he’ll divorce me and remarry someone from a powerful family.’

That’s what she assumed…

“You summoned me…?”

“Yes. Because there’s something I must ask of you.”

With a resolute expression as if he’d made up his mind, Hyperion spoke seriously, causing Laniakea to swallow nervously.

‘The moment has finally come.’

“I know what you want. Don’t worry. I’m willing to comply with Your Majesty’s wishes.”

“…Is that so?”

She had no doubt that they were both thinking the same thing.

“Let’s sign the divorce agreement right away.”

“Let’s have a child right away—son or daughter, it doesn’t matter.”

It was then that Laniakea realized.

Her husband had something entirely different in mind.

Night descended upon the Imperial Palace.

The noise of the day had died down, leaving only the rhythmic footsteps of those still working and the guards on patrol.

This quietude was soon broken by hurried sounds.

At the sign of someone entering the main palace, everyone nearby lowered their heads in deference.

There was no need to look closely to identify who it was.

A tall and broad-shouldered man with striking features illuminated by the flickering lights—a man who was none other than Hyperion, the master of this palace.

Hyperion swiftly passed through the people bowing their heads to him.

It was only after the sound of his footsteps had completely faded that the maids exhaled their held breaths and slowly lifted their heads.

They whispered as they watched the receding figure of Hyperion, who had already entered the palace.

“He returned to the main palace again tonight.”

“Indeed. His Majesty must be so busy with all the meetings.”

Since last week, the great lords from various regions had started visiting the palace one after another.

It was an important occasion for them to personally meet the newly crowned emperor and swear their fealty. During this period, it was customary for the emperor to remain in the Imperial Palace.

However, unlike his predecessors, Hyperion always returned to the main palace after each meeting.

One of the maids, staring blankly at the now-empty spot where the emperor had disappeared, murmured.

“The empress must be truly blessed.”

“Indeed…”

Anyone residing in the main palace knew it.

The newly crowned emperor and empress shared their marital chamber every night.

Of course, those working in the palace could neither speak of nor spread what they saw and heard. After all, wasn’t it the golden rule for palace workers to live as if they had no eyes, ears, or mouth?

But even without saying a word, the elderly maids in charge of the bedroom gave away the truth, quickly carrying away the tightly rolled-up bed sheets to the laundry every morning.

In fact, this was a cause for celebration in the empire.

With the imperial couple’s harmonious relationship, news of an heir was bound to come soon.

Blushing, the maids hurried off, thinking that the emperor and empress were likely working toward that very goal tonight as well.

* * *

The steady sound of footsteps echoed softly through the corridor. Hyperion, suddenly conscious of the noise, gave a wry smile.

Even he thought his steps were unusually quick—so quick that, had someone been beside him, they might have asked what he was in such a hurry for.

Despite being aware of this, he couldn’t bring himself to slow down.

The maids responsible for maintaining the bedchamber lowered their heads as Hyperion approached.

“The empress?”

“She retired to the bedroom right after her meal.”

At the maid’s reply, Hyperion’s lips curved slightly.

But as everyone had their heads bowed, no one noticed. Not even Hyperion himself.

“Leave.”

At the emperor’s command, the maids bowed deeply once more and hurriedly left, descending the stairs. Now that he had arrived, no one else would remain on this floor.

When Hyperion had first issued such an order, the chamberlain had voiced concerns about safety.

“Your Majesty, if we do so, it could pose a security risk…”

“I believe I can manage to protect the empress on my own. Everyone else can stay below.”

Hyperion had responded curtly.

Realizing his misstep, the chamberlain had bowed his head in shame. If an enemy existed that Hyperion couldn’t fend off, the other knights of the palace wouldn’t stand a chance either.

From that point on, no one was assigned to guard the bedroom door.

Hyperion opened the door to the bedchamber. The warm air inside, mixed with the scent of aged wood, the freshness of well-dried linens, and an indescribably sweet fragrance, enveloped him all at once.

Among these, Hyperion focused on the last scent.

It was the fragrance that lingered most strongly in his arms each morning when he woke.

“Lania.”

He stepped inside and softly called his wife’s name.

Her full name was Laniakea, but not long ago, he had started calling her by the shorter version.

It was a pet name that only he used within the palace. That exclusivity made the name even more endearing.

“Lania?”

After passing through several doors and entering the bedroom, he looked at the empty room and called his wife’s name again, seemingly taken aback.

Whenever he arrived, Laniakea would always come out to greet him personally.

But now, she was nowhere to be seen in the room.

She had supposedly finished her meal and gone to the bedroom…

Just as an unsettling thought crossed his mind, he noticed the door to the study connected to the bedroom was ajar.

The lights inside were brightly lit as well.

Hurrying over, he saw Laniakea seated at the desk in the study.

Seeing her, Hyperion exhaled a faint sigh of relief and approached her.

“Lania? What are you doing here?”

He thought she would notice him and rise in surprise when he called her name like that.

Contrary to his expectation, however, she merely lifted her head to look at him, without even offering a greeting to acknowledge his arrival.

Instead, she suddenly stood up and spoke.

“I… have something I need to tell you.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Laniakea clenched her fists as she noticed Hyperion’s expression stiffen slightly at her words.

‘I can do this. I must do this!’

Hadn’t she resolved herself countless times before he arrived?

Yet, seeing that stern look on his face caused her courage to falter slightly once again.

‘But I can’t let this continue.’

For a long time, she had felt she needed to say something, but every time, his concerned expression stopped her before she could begin.

But now, she had reached her limit.

Today, she had to tell him everything she had been thinking.

“You have something to say? What is it?”

His voice was polite, yet it made Laniakea shrink back even more.

Because she knew just how important her words would be to him.

As she hesitated, Hyperion let out a short sigh and stepped forward, standing directly in front of her.

Then he spoke first.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Pardon?”

“I wanted to have lunch with you today, but the documents Marquis Sorrel brought were riddled with errors, and I had to have a lengthy discussion with him about them. Tomorrow, I will make sure to have lunch with you.”

“Oh… I see…”

Now that she thought about it, it was true that they hadn’t been able to eat lunch together today.

Hyperion, as though considering it a grave mistake, even looked slightly despondent.

“Thank you for understanding. Let’s return to the bedroom now. I’ll take a quick wash and be back.”

As he said this, Hyperion began quickly undoing the buttons of his shirt.

Hearing the soft popping of buttons, Laniakea snapped out of her daze and hurriedly spoke again.

“No, that’s not what I wanted to say, Your Majesty.”

“’Your Majesty’?”

At the formal address, Hyperion’s hands paused. Lowering his head to meet Laniakea’s gaze, he softly murmured.

“Didn’t we agree yesterday, Lania?”

He emphasized her name, and Laniakea hesitated before replying with difficulty.

“Y-yes… R…Rion.”

When the name “Rion” escaped her lips, the stiffness in Hyperion’s expression eased.

But unlike him, Laniakea turned beet red, unable to lift her head.

Calling him “Rion” had brought back vivid memories of yesterday, ones she had been desperately suppressing all day.

“U-Um! I called you Rion, but why do you keep licking—ah, agh!”

The mere thought of what Hyperion had done to make her say “Rion” was enough to send a wave of heat through her body, pooling between her legs.

“I’ll be quick.”

Hyperion, as if understanding, gently ran his large hand down her back. The sensation spread like lightning through her entire body.

If this continued, it would be the same as always.

He would return after washing up, and they would climb into bed together, fulfilling their marital duties.

Duties that, no matter how much she tried to rationalize as necessary for the empire and the emperor’s heir, always left her mortified.

The same endless nights, until dawn broke.

‘I can’t let that happen!’

Laniakea bit her lip hard. She couldn’t back down any longer. Today, she had to speak up.

She stepped away from his embrace, where she had almost instinctively sought comfort.

Then, she picked up a paper from the desk, the one she had been staring at all day before Hyperion arrived, and held it out to him.

“This is…”

Hyperion’s eyes widened as he realized what Laniakea was handing him.

At the same time, she shouted.

“L-Let’s rewrite this!”

Even though she had practiced countless times throughout the day, her voice trembled terribly.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Laniakea shouted again.

“Let’s rewrite our marriage contract! Starting with this clause!”

The place she was pointing to read:

“That over there is the imperial palace of Nirvanan, known as the heart of the continent, Princess,” said the lady-in-waiting.

At her words, Laniakea looked at the massive structure beyond the window.

The heart of the continent.

Some might think the nickname arrogant, but anyone who laid eyes on the palace for the first time would readily agree.

The imperial palace of the empire was that immense and magnificent.

The lady-in-waiting seemed to expect Laniakea to marvel at the sight.

Laniakea Priatra.

A princess of Priatra, a kingdom nestled in the Gigantes Mountain Range at the far eastern edge of the continent.

Having lived in such a remote place, it was natural for her to be amazed upon seeing the empire’s palace for the first time.

‘It’d be impossible to explore this place on foot.’

That was Laniakea’s honest impression of the imperial palace.

Of course, she couldn’t voice such a thought, so she instead put on a suitably impressed expression and replied with a mix of astonishment and admiration.

“It’s truly beautiful. Far more splendid than I imagined.”

Perhaps dissatisfied with Laniakea’s relatively subdued response, the lady-in-waiting hastily began elaborating further about the palace.

This gate was built during the reign of the first emperor, that garden was created by the orders of the empress of a certain emperor, and so on…

Only half-listening to the explanations, Laniakea absentmindedly took in the sights of the palace passing by the window.

This was to be her new home, but she felt no particular emotion toward the place.

* * *

The carriage carrying Laniakea entered the inner palace.

Even within the inner palace, there were over ten enormous, mansion-like buildings.

The carriage stopped in front of the largest and most opulent of them all.

“We have arrived at the Empress’s Palace.”

The empress’s palace.

At those words, Laniakea’s throat tightened.

Her arrival in the empire as a princess from a small kingdom was entirely due to the empress’s will.

Two months ago, a letter arrived at the royal house of Priatra bearing the name of the empress of Nirvanan.

The royal family was so stunned they repeatedly confirmed whether the messenger truly came from the empire.

It was understandable. Priatra was a small kingdom, tucked into a corner of the continent, insignificant in the larger geopolitical landscape.

Nestled deep within the treacherous Gigantes Mountain Range and lacking any valuable resources, it was a land no one coveted.

Still, Priatra was relatively well-known among the kingdoms of the continent.

It was the oldest surviving kingdom, and its royal family claimed descent from the fae who were said to have once inhabited the Gigantes Mountains.

As proof, Priatra’s royals were born with the light silver hair and green eyes said to be characteristic of the fae. Their beauty was so striking that it left a lasting impression on all who saw them.

If beauty were all they had, they would have been trampled by other kingdoms long ago, as beauty is a universally coveted asset.

But Priatra’s royals also inherited the power of the fae.

Most of the royal family could wield elemental magic, a near-extinct art, and its potency was immense.

The downside was that their powers only worked properly within Priatra’s territory.

Conversely, this meant that within Priatra, they were mightier than any other royalty or nobility. This strength had allowed Priatra to survive for over a millennium.

They lived quietly among themselves, so a sudden letter from the empire was shocking.

The royal family quickly opened the empress’s letter. Though it was long and filled with flowery language, the content was simple.

The empress of Nirvanan wished to wed Priatra’s third royal princess, Laniakea, to Hyperion, the first imperial prince.

The room fell silent as everyone exchanged glances, immediately understanding the empress’s intentions.

The empress wanted to attach a powerless and insignificant bride to the first prince, who had no support or backing.

Otherwise, she would not have specifically chosen Laniakea among the king’s three daughters.

Laniakea Priatra, the weakest of Priatra’s three princesses.

Unlike her sisters, who were hailed as incarnations of the first king due to their overwhelming elemental magic, Laniakea was no different from an ordinary human.

The only elemental spirits she could summon were the lowest rank, and even then, she couldn’t summon more than one at a time.

Her appearance also differed from her sisters’ perfect silver hair. Laniakea’s hair was platinum blond with a golden sheen.

To outsiders, it might have been considered beautiful, but within Priatra, it was whispered about as a tainted, dirty color.

Thus, she was the princess who always stood quietly in a corner during royal banquets before leaving unnoticed.

Her groom, Hyperion, was similarly positioned as an ambiguous figure in the empire.

Hyperion’s mother was the former empress, who passed away when he was young. The emperor remarried, and his new wife became the current empress of Nirvanan.

The empress bore three more sons. With three new heirs, the emperor cherished her deeply. As the emperor aged, her influence grew.

When Hyperion turned eight, the empress sent him to a remote monastery, citing his poor health as a result of mourning his late mother.

Having been sent to the outskirts, Hyperion only returned to the palace last year at the age of twenty-five.

In the meantime, all his political foundations were dismantled, and the empress solidified her control.

Now, no one believed Hyperion could ever ascend to the throne.

Nevertheless, the empress wanted to ensure there wasn’t even the slightest possibility left.

That’s why she sought a seemingly excellent, yet ultimately powerless, marriage partner for Hyperion.

And that partner was none other than Princess Laniakea of Priatra.

When this marriage was decided, Laniakea wondered what she could do about it.

Of course, rejecting the marriage was never an option. Priatra couldn’t refuse the empire’s request.

Above all, Laniakea decided to accept the marriage because of her family.

When she saw her parents and sisters looking delighted at the prospect of finally getting rid of the family’s disgrace, Laniakea realized it was time for her to leave.

‘Once I’m married, I’ll be able to leave Priatra.’

To Laniakea, her family had always been less than strangers.

While outsiders at least maintained some semblance of respect toward her as a princess, her parents and sisters constantly treated her as a source of shame for the royal family.

From a young age, Laniakea had dreamed of leaving the palace that treated her as defective—or, better yet, leaving Priatra altogether.

But how?

It was customary for members of the Priatra royal family to marry domestic nobles. Royals who didn’t marry were confined to the palace for life.

And yet, out of nowhere, a marriage proposal arrived from a foreign land—willed by the empress of the empire, no less, someone Priatra could never refuse.

Laniakea thought about the circumstances of her prospective husband, Prince Hyperion.

A prince with no power or influence, who only returned to the imperial palace once or twice a year at most. Someone unlikely to welcome this marriage.

Surely, even if she went to the imperial palace, he would keep his distance.

And when one of his younger brothers eventually ascended the throne, he would likely relocate outside the palace.

Naturally, Laniakea would follow him to a remote territory of the empire.

‘If that happens… I might be able to live quietly.’

Hyperion would surely be dissatisfied with this marriage as well. He might even demand a divorce before they left the palace.

Of course, there was always the possibility he might unexpectedly find her appealing.

‘Even so, it’s still better than marrying one of Priatra’s nobles.’

The noblemen of Priatra had already begun speculating about who might marry Laniakea, who was now of marriageable age.

Although not as stunning as her sisters, Laniakea’s beauty was still enough to ignite their desire.

And because she was treated as the black sheep of the royal family, they laughed amongst themselves, confident she wouldn’t complain no matter how harshly they treated her.

Unlike her powerful sisters, Laniakea wasn’t someone they feared.

Thus, the noblemen of Priatra salivated over her like hungry wolves eyeing an unclaimed piece of meat.

“If the third princess bears several children, one of them might inherit strong blood. An heir capable of using elemental magic—that would be incredible.”

Hearing such comments whispered in a corner of the banquet hall, Laniakea vowed to escape Priatra no matter what.

‘This is my chance.’

Laniakea resolved to go to the empire. To live quietly, unnoticed, in a corner of the imperial palace.

* * *

“You’ve traveled a long way. It must have been exhausting,” the empress said warmly to Laniakea, who stood before her.

Though the empress was the mother of three adult princes, she didn’t appear her age.

However, despite her youthful and beautiful face, her sharp gaze—more astute than that of seasoned statesmen—made Laniakea tense.

“Not at all. I was so busy admiring the beauty and grandeur of the empire along the way that I hardly felt tired,” Laniakea replied politely.

The empress smiled at her response.

“These are things you’ll see every day from now on. You’ll grow accustomed to them soon enough.”

From the outset, the empress spoke to Laniakea as though addressing a subordinate.

Although the royal marriage hadn’t yet taken place, and despite Laniakea’s position as a representative of Priatra, the empress showed no regard for such formalities.

“We’ll also be seeing each other often, so there’s no need for such stiffness.”

This was no accidental behavior.

As the center of the imperial palace, where intrigue and power struggles were rampant, the empress wouldn’t make such a mistake.

From the beginning, she was sending a clear message to Laniakea.

You have no choice in this marriage, and Priatra holds no power here.

“Looking at you now, I can see that the legends of Priatra weren’t exaggerated. Don’t you all agree?”

The empress glanced at her ladies-in-waiting, who nodded in agreement.

They were quietly astonished.

Everyone had heard of the beauty of Priatra’s royal family, as famous as their strength.

But rumors had it that Laniakea, the third princess, was the least impressive of her siblings.

They hadn’t expected much. Yet the moment Laniakea entered the empress’s palace, she captivated all eyes.

Her bright platinum blond hair shimmered like captured sunlight, and her green eyes resembled the lushest greenery of summer.

Her features were so symmetrical and refined that they bordered on perfection.

At that moment, a knock at the door interrupted.

Upon the empress’s permission, an attendant entered and whispered something to her.

The empress’s expression shifted to one of surprise.

“The First Prince is here? Already?”

Dismissing the attendant, the empress turned to Laniakea.

“Princess, you’re aware of the marriage contract, aren’t you?”