Centuries ago, General Hanmaru was feared as a god of war. Too ruthless to kill, too dangerous to let live, he was cursed into an eternal slumber—his body sealed beneath a bed of enchanted flowers that bloomed year-round, feeding on his life force.

No one dared disturb the cursed garden… until Aiko, a black-haired village girl with dreams of leaving for the city, was ordered to tear those flowers.

When she pulled the last blossom, the ground trembled. The flowers withered into ash. And the man the empire had tried to erase opened his eyes once more.

Cold, beautiful, and terrifying, Hanmaru should have killed the intruder. Instead, Aiko claimed, with trembling lips and a desperate lie:
“I am your wife—blessed to you by the gods.”

Now, as rumors of the war god’s return spread like wildfire, nobles plot in the shadows, priests whisper of omens, and enemies from beyond the borders stir. Worshipped as a god yet feared as a monster, Hanmaru must choose: reclaim his bloody title, or learn to live in a world that has long forgotten him.

And Aiko—an outsider who has never truly belonged—finds herself entangled in a dangerous role. Not just as his “wife,” but as the only person bold enough to stand beside him.

A cursed general. A forbidden lie. A love story blooming in the shadow of war.
This is the tale of the Black Lotus.

What would you do if the man everyone called a god of war—a legend buried for centuries—suddenly opened his eyes because of you?


Our heroine, Aiko, only wanted a simple life: to sell flowers, save enough to leave her small village, and maybe—just maybe—confess to her first love. But fate is cruel, isn't it? Instead of love, she stumbled into a forbidden garden and awoke the empire's greatest curse.


And when that man demanded, "Who dares disturb my slumber?"


And she said: "I am your wife… blessed to you by the gods."


Now she must carry that lie before an empire watching her every move.


Now he must decide if he is still a weapon of blood… or something else entirely.


And together, they will face jealous rivals, scheming nobles, hungry yokai, and a love that should never have bloomed.


If you like cursed generals, forbidden lies, dangerous romance, and the slow, sweet agony of love against fate—


then welcome, my lotus flowers. 🌑🌸


Chapter 1 - Author’s Note / Intro