Abigail Evans, the esteemed eldest daughter of the Deputy Minister of Revenue, was ambushed by bandits on her journey down the mountain. At the critical moment, a man clad in golden armor swept in on horseback and rescued her. However, under the influence of a drug administered by the bandits, Abigail and the golden-armored stranger shared a fleeting night of passion. Unbeknownst to her, the man was none other than Lucien Perez, the Emperor of the Solstice Empire. Soon after, he was summoned away urgently by his personal eunuch, answering the Empress Dowager’s decree. Left behind, Abigail later discovered she was pregnant with twins. This scandal led to her expulsion from her family and removal from the Evans family registry. Six years later, under the pretext of a grand birthday celebration, the Empress Dowager hosted a selection of brides for the emperor. By a twist of fate, Abigail inadvertently entered the palace. However, her past was exposed—bearing children out of wedlock—and the Empress Dowager, enraged, ordered public punishment. Just as despair loomed, the emperor himself arrived...