No matter how hard he tries, Prince Rowan of Eastlyn cannot understand how he ended up like this.
He was born into the imperial family, deeply loved by his father the Emperor, and his mother was the Empress. Gifted with talent, his life was the very definition of perfection.
Ever since he came of age, his maternal clan joined forces to build his reputation. His power in Eastlyn soon surpassed even the Crown Prince. His father’s favor went far beyond what the Crown Prince received; even in court, the Crown Prince had to treat him with respect. For Prince Rowan, overtaking the Crown Prince was only a matter of time.
He always believed he would be Eastlyn’s future Emperor, that the world would be his. Yet everything changed because of a woman named Serena Feng.
Prince Rowan cannot fathom how a single woman could wield such power—enough to overturn the entire balance of Eastlyn, and even reshape the order of the Nine Provinces Realm.
Serena Feng, his fiancée, was once someone he saw as nothing but a stain on his life.
He was born noble, striking in looks, skilled in both literature and martial arts—he possessed the best of everything the world could offer, and deserved nothing less. Yet his fiancée was the one person who could never measure up.
He had once hoped for Serena Feng, even tried to accept her. Since he didn’t need a political marriage to boost his power, it didn’t matter to him if his wife came from a humble background. But Serena disappointed him again and again.
Weak, useless—she could do nothing but cry. Prince Rowan couldn’t see a single reason why Serena Feng was worth marrying.
How could a woman like that ever become Princess Consort of Luo, or the future Empress?
Affairs of the Former Dynasty already kept him busy enough; he never thought he had time to deal with women’s squabbles for Serena Feng, or to shield her from being bullied.
He didn’t want a fiancée like that, but he couldn’t break off the engagement himself—he wanted Serena Feng to withdraw on her own. Yet no matter how coldly he treated her, Serena never uttered a word about breaking off, even insisting all the way until their wedding day.
Was he really going to marry this woman who had nothing, who was weak and useless, who could do nothing but cry?
Prince Rowan couldn’t accept it. So when he discovered Princess Yara’s scheme to frame Serena Feng, he chose to stand by and watch. He even felt a secret thrill.
He couldn’t imagine spending his life with a mouse—he’d go insane. No, he’d probably kill her himself, murder his own wife with his own hands.
Just as he expected, that fool Serena Feng fell right into Princess Yara’s trap and was disgraced overnight.
When the news broke, Prince Rowan was shocked too. He hadn’t wanted to marry Serena Feng, but he’d never thought of driving her to death—if he’d wanted that, he would have acted long ago, never letting her live this long.
When he heard Serena Feng had awakened half-dressed on the outskirts, Prince Rowan knew she was finished. He even prepared mourning clothes, planning to put on a show of deep affection for the world, so everyone would see how well he treated her.
But Serena Feng never gave him the chance. She was anything but weak—like a beast trapped in a corner, she bared bloody claws and bit anyone who came near. No matter how desperate her situation, she survived.
Prince Rowan couldn’t understand it—at such a low point, what did Serena Feng still have left to hold onto? Didn’t she realize that living on was harder than dying?
But instead of dying, Serena Feng only became more dazzling and powerful because of it.
The Su, Wang, Hsieh, and Yu clans—one after another, the powerholders from these great families became her supporters.
Money, power, troops—Serena Feng had everything she wanted. In just a few years, she rose from nothing to a level of strength that defied belief.
But what shocked Prince Rowan most was Ninth Royal Uncle!
Ninth Royal Uncle, who should have stood above everyone else, actually got involved with Serena Feng. He didn’t care about being accused of stealing his nephew’s bride—he would protect Serena no matter what.
At first, Prince Rowan thought Ninth Royal Uncle was a fool. Was it really worth shouldering a lifetime of infamy for a disgraced woman?
But later, he realized the real fool was himself. He was the one who had been truly foolish, to the very end.
Watching Serena Feng reveal her brilliance step by step—watching her smile at others—he burned with rage and regret. Why hadn’t he married her when he still could?
He tried to fix his mistake, but it was too late. Ninth Royal Uncle was a powerful, domineering man. Once he set his sights on a woman, he didn’t care if she was his nephew’s former fiancée.
Defying the world’s condemnation, Ninth Royal Uncle seized Serena Feng—and with her, he took everything: beauty and empire, all in his grasp.
Losing Serena Feng meant losing everything. The empire and the beauty that should have belonged to him became someone else’s.
From a favored son of heaven, he fell to being utterly worthless—even his own name couldn’t be spoken, because it belonged to a man officially dead.
It was only Ninth Royal Uncle’s mercy that let him live.
It was Ninth Royal Uncle’s kindness—he didn’t wipe him out completely.
He survived, but only in humiliation—forced to watch the woman he once cast aside become Empress, mother of the realm, and a living legend across the Nine Provinces.
Does he regret it?
Of course he regrets it—regrets his arrogance, his blindness to his own situation, and his failure to understand his own heart.
If he could start over, he’d swallow his pride and endure quietly, just like Ninth Royal Uncle.
If he could start over, he’d marry Serena Feng and treat her well—because she was worth it.
If he could start over and couldn’t marry Serena Feng, then he’d kill her himself. He would never allow the woman who belonged to him to fall into another man’s hands—not even his own Royal Uncle.
If he could start over...
He’d recognize his feelings for what they were. Even if he couldn’t marry Serena Feng, he wouldn’t get entangled with Princess Yara, and he wouldn’t let Princess Serenity be forced to marry far away to Northlyn because of him.
He ruined the lives of three women in his lifetime.
His Empress mother died because of him.
Princess Yara was destroyed by his choices, trapped and killed in Eastlyn by Ninth Royal Uncle’s schemes.
And then there was his proud sister, Princess Serenity—who begged Serena Feng and Ninth Royal Uncle on his behalf, ended up childless, and was sent far away to Northlyn.
His whole life was a failure, and it all began with a woman named Serena Feng.
Countless nights, lying in bed, he would wonder: What if Serena Feng had died back then?
What if Serena Feng hadn’t become so dazzling—how would things have turned out?
What if he’d married Serena Feng—how would the political landscape have changed?
But he can’t find an answer, because there are no "what ifs" in this world. Everything is settled; time can’t run backward; life can’t start over. All that’s left for him is to live out his days in regret.
Prince Rowan sprawls on the hillside, a blade of grass in his mouth, hands behind his head, eyes gazing at the blue sky...
He waits—for sunset, for sunrise.
And this is his life now. Besides waiting, Prince Rowan doesn’t know what else he can do.