When Empress Seraphina falls gravely ill, she finds her long-lost daughter Selena among the commoners and names her heir. Selena has been the devoted wife of Lysander, a poor scholar, caring for his parents and supporting his studies. But after passing the imperial exams, Lysander betrays her to gain power. With the help of Claudia, a prefect’s sister, he falsely accuses Selena of infidelity and forces her into divorce. As Selena’s royal identity is revealed, Chris—a loyal eunuch who protected her for years—dies defending her honor. After the conspiracy is exposed, Selena ascends the throne, rising from discarded wife to Empress.
