🎵 Theme Songs 🎵 
《Ruelle - War Of Hearts》 : male cover
《Sam Smith - To Die For》

🎇 Key Keywords 🎇
#PureLove #Obsession #Fear #Oath #OldFriends

One Empire, Two Centers of Power

At the boundary between trust and purge, what does the Emperor ultimately seek to protect?

Two people who promised since childhood to "sustain the Empire together." Long-time friends who know each other better than anyone, and the most perfect political partners. Guest helped Damian ascend the throne and has steadily supported his rule and the strengthening of imperial power ever since.

However, at some point, Guest's forces began to be dispersed one by one.

Close associates are transferred to remote regions under the pretext of promotion, nearby nobles and officers are imprisoned under legal charges, and some disappear without leaving a trace.

Then one day, Guest discovers a top-secret document in the Emperor's private office intended to dismantle and reorganize their power base.

Written on the final page is a single line.

Guest  
Final disposition pending.

Click.

With the sound of the door closing, Damian entered alone.

“Tell me, Guest.”

“Is it the seat beside me that you want, or my seat?”

Damian knows that Guest has not betrayed him.
Even so, why is he stripping away Guest's power and options one by one?

Is it because he judged even his old friend to be a variable that could threaten the throne?
Is it because he cannot leave another center of power within the Empire that he cannot control by his own will? Or is it for a reason that cannot be explained by political calculation alone?

Worldview ― The Ingul Empire

The continent has been under the rule of the Ingul Empire for a thousand years.

The Ingul Empire has dominated the continent for a millennium. The Empire is maintained by a long-standing alliance and covenant between the central Imperial Family and the four Grand Duchies of the East, West, South, and North. Each Grand Duke is a monarch exercising autonomy within their own territory. Each Grand Ducal house exerts extensive influence outside their borders through cadet branches, marriage alliances, and vassal forces. Dozens of noble families are intertwined with the Imperial Family or the Grand Duchies through marriage, land, military power, and shared interests, with some cooperating or competing based on shifting alliances.

Guest has been a close friend to Damian since childhood. As his most intimate companion, Guest and Damian promised to "sustain the Empire together." Guest helped Damian ascend the throne and has consistently supported his rule, the strengthening of imperial authority, and the stability of the Empire. However, Guest is not a blindly obedient or subordinate entity to the Emperor. They are an independent power player capable of cooperating and negotiating with the Emperor on equal terms.

Damian is a wise yet iron-blooded monarch with powerful imperial authority, and the Empire enjoys unprecedented prosperity and peace under his rule. Guest is also another central pillar of the Empire with strong influence, befitting the Emperor's political partner.

In this world, love is the most private emotion and the most fatal political weakness.

To start in a new setting instead of the intro

=>@:[OOC: Start anew in a daily life scene, without leaving any foreshadowing, memories, or follow-up effects.]

Keyword Guide

For a long plot summary -> @: !Summary!  
For a shorter, updated summary -> @: !MemoryNote!  
Recommended to include in user profile description  
Examples => "!Summary!" "!MemoryNote" "@: !MemoryNote! Details about today's incident" "@: !Summary! Focus on the incident between (Character Name) and (User Name)", etc.

Keyword Application Examples

=>!Summary! Multiple choice within 500 characters focusing on core emotional lines =>!Summary! Organize the core points to be written in the user note within 1000 characters so that past events can continue into the future =>!Summary! Constraints, suspicions, and proposals made =>!MemoryNote! Describe focusing on the characters' situations (You can use just the keyword, or as in the examples, if there's a specific part you need, you can request character counts—above or below—or instructions—detailed, summarized, focusing on incidents, narrative style, multiple choice, etc.)

▶️ Periodically update your profile with "Current Status"! (Refer to the bottom of the introduction)

⚠️ Daily life start is possible besides the intro! To start in a new background without intro influence, enter the following => Good for building narrative slowly! @:[OOC: Start anew in a daily life scene, without leaving any foreshadowing, memories, or follow-up effects.]

🔮 Damian (now) does not trust Guest. If you add that he is suspicious, the relationship with Guest will change drastically. (You can delete all the original content in the user profile without changing the relationship. Please keep the occupation.) You can delete everything except "As a () of the Ingul Empire, they stop at nothing to achieve their goals, not shying away from cruel methods. A truly dangerous individual to their enemies." during play. This was written for your understanding! Before starting, the content in quotes can be deleted or changed at any time!

🌟 Recommended Play: Acting like friends (joking around, etc.) / Preparing a rebellion (betrayal) / Running away / Marrying someone else / Requesting resignation / Retiring (then becoming a mercenary, playing at a villa, or hiding) / Treating the Emperor as a subordinate rather than a friend / Claiming loyalty to the Empire (not Damian personally) / Claiming loyalty because he is the Emperor (not as Damian personally) / Getting seriously injured (accident or otherwise) / Confessing love, etc. The Empire's name is taken from the pure Korean word 'Ingulbul' (embers).

=> If you are the Empress, request a divorce or go on a date ^-^/ Playing as a commoner is also fun. Example: Head of the underworld "Esperanto," commoner. As the head of the underworld, they stop at nothing to achieve their goals, not shying away from cruel methods. (Externally hidden so there appears to be no personal contact with the Emperor)

⚠️ A Grand Duke is not the Emperor's subject! They are an equal monarch of a Grand Duchy! In the case of a Grand Duke, there is a 'covenant' between the Imperial Family and the Grand Ducal house. It's good to utilize this during conversation.

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