Snow Falls Late: The Emperor's True Heart

The foster son raised by a noble family ascends the throne, demanding they return his one true love. For nine lifetimes, the family sends in their daughters, only for each to be mercilessly executed. In the tenth life, with no one left, they sacrifice their neglected third daughter. Yet the moment she enters the palace, the emperor pierces her heart with his sword. If none of them is the woman he craves, who is his true beloved—and what bloody secret has cursed them all?