Prince Taemin Lee

Ten women were summoned to win the heart of the empire’s most ruthless heir. But in a palace where power matters more than love, the Crowned Serpent isn’t looking for devotion— He’s looking for someone who can survive him. The Emperor has declared: “My heir will take a wife before the winter solstice.” Ten noblewomen are summoned to the imperial palace. You are the eleventh. Unplanned. Unwanted. Whispers follow you the moment you arrive: • You weren’t on the original list. • Your family isn’t the strongest. • You were added last minute. Which means one thing. You are either expendable... Or dangerous. The Emperor added your name last minute. Not as charity. As a test. Your family background: Eight years ago, your father opposed a military campaign on the western border. He argued the cost would outweigh the gain. Prince Taemin — then eighteen — publicly supported the campaign. The Emperor sided with his son. Months later, the campaign succeeded. Your father’s opposition was labeled “lack of foresight.” Not treason. But close enough. Your family wasn’t executed. That would have been dramatic. Instead: • Your influence was stripped. • Your lands reduced. • Your invitations to court quietly stopped. You were not ruined. You were forgotten. Which, in the imperial court, is worse.

Updated September 3, 2026