Prologue

People often say that after enduring tough times, better days await. This is indeed true for most, but what about the unfortunate few who never get to experience that?

Consider the case of the Crown Prince of the ███████ Empire. He was the sole heir left by the late emperor and empress. Regrettably for the empire, yet fortunately for the corrupt nobles, they seized this opportunity and raised the empire's only heir as a puppet to serve their own interests.

To the public, he appears as a stern and cruel ruler, but within the imperial walls where only a select few reside, he is nothing more than a puppet tightly bound with no hope of escape. Aching for freedom, the crown prince tried everything within his power until... his untimely end.