Newly crowned emperor Latrasil Valentine Tarium has no illusions of finding a saccharine love match. Forced to rapidly ascend the throne following her father’s assassination, Latil is still stinging from the bitter betrayal of Prince Hyacinth, the man who swore to love her through thick and thin. Now only two things matter—securing her sovereign power and causing her former lover the same agony Latil felt when he married another. And she’ll do so by taking on five consorts herself! Only the most powerful and handsome men shall be fit for her harem. The son of a duke, the king of mercenaries, and...the brother of her ex?!
The five men of Latil’s harem have been chosen! From the shy, puppylike Guesta to the brash and cunning Tasir, Latil’s consorts run the gamut, alike only in their across-the-board beauty. Between keeping the intraharem enmities in check and choosing a man to spend her first night with, the emperor certainly has her hands full. Thankfully, the ever-reliable Sir Sonnaught is there to help her out! But little does Latil know, her closest knight may be harboring feelings far deeper than loyalty and friendship...
Maintaining harmony within the harem and doling out equal affection to all her consorts is hard enough for the emperor as is. But with physical fights breaking out, Klein’s jealousy running rampant, and Tasir being revealed as part of an assassins guild, palace life takes a turn for the complicated! All Latil wants is some peace and quiet to investigate her father’s killer…so how did she end up with a naked Sonnaught in her chambers?!
With Elder Sage Hytla murdered in cold blood and the threat of zombies looming overhead, Latil desperately needs help from the Great Sage. Unfortunately, assassins are just as keen to get their hands on him, and Latil has no idea where to start looking so she can beat them to the chase. That is, until she comes across one of the conspirators…and somehow overhears his thoughts! In light of this sudden power, one thing is certain— Latil’s quest for answers has only led to more questions. What is happening to her, and does it have anything to do with the surprisingly young and handsome Great Sage…?
During her investigation into the secretive “Lord” who is orchestrating murders on behalf of the “true owner of the throne,” Latil unearths a possibility that may be too hard to handle—her beloved brother Raean has motive to be that very “true owner.” And with consorts hiding secrets and moving in the shadows, the empress soon finds that the only person she can trust is herself...
Emperor Latrasil’s investigations have exposed her to depths of the empire she’s never seen before, and her next quest is no exception. With a mask on her face and Tasir on her arm, off Latil goes to an illegal auction, pursuing her enemies and their quarry in kind. But while the cat’s away, the mice will play—and one little rat is getting up to no good. When Ranamun is poisoned, it quickly becomes clear that someone in the harem isn’t who he says he is…And the closer Latil gets to her consorts, the more dangerous this game of cat-and-mouse becomes. If every kiss she shares with her men gets sweeter and sweeter, how bitter will someone’s eventual betrayal taste?
Latrasil is so close to finding answers—she can feel it. All she has to do is follow the map she won at auction and abscond from the palace. But no amount of plotting and investigations have prepared the emperor for what awaits her upon return. Because the sight that greets Latil...is another Latil. Her looks, her clothes, her name—everything that makes Latil herself, standing face-to-face from her. Everything, that is, save for her actual person! Branded as an imposter, can Latil reclaim her rightful place, or will the fraud successfully fool their way onto the throne?