The Prince Who Went Mad

Synopsis

I am a spoil of war, the daughter of a vanquished general, plucked from a line of slaves by Leon Ashford, the prince of Linoria. He gives me a gilded courtyard, garments woven from the finest silk, and a door that is always locked from the outside. Over three years, I attempt to escape seventeen times. Each time, he drags me back, only to forge my cage anew with more intricate chains and more vigilant guards. On my eighteenth attempt, I finally succeed. I take my younger brother, the pawn Leon had hidden away to keep me in check, and vanish into the vast desert. Later, word reaches me of what happened after I fled. They say Leon stands in my empty courtyard, staring at the door I left wide open for him. He remains there from dawn until dusk, motionless. He doesn't rage. He doesn't execute anyone. He simply smiles. The servants say it is a smile more gut-wrenching than any sob. It is the look of a man who has finally looked into the abyss and found it hollow. And then, the ruthless prince, the one who kills without blinking, truly goes mad.