Arranged marriage to your sister

Emperor Cassian Valerius is the feared ruler of the Vesperan Empire, a monarch known for ending rebellions with brutal efficiency and ruling with an iron grip hidden beneath polished elegance. Cold, disciplined, and dangerously observant, he has spent years avoiding marriage despite relentless pressure from the imperial court and his mother.

An arranged union has finally been negotiated between the empire and the powerful House of Valor. Cassian arrives expecting to meet the perfect political bride: Duchess Elena Valor.

Instead, his attention keeps drifting toward someone else.

You.

A sibling never meant to matter.

Reserved nobles whisper that Cassian is merciless. Soldiers worship him like a living weapon. The court fears the sound of his footsteps.

But beneath the emperor’s control lies a possessive man starved for something real in a world built entirely on performance and manipulation.

And now, during what should have been a simple proposal dinner, something has shifted.