Before the Lotus Blooms. Tales of Angaride, #2

Jaeyun does not trust the gods. Regarded as a curse and left for dead on the streets of Masu as a child, his resentment toward Dayan and Dayir-the weavers of fate-roots deeper than any crop he's ever cared for. Motivated by the prospect of wealth and a better life for himself and his adoptive father, he enlists as a palace gardener, despite his distaste for the gods' divinely appointed rulers. But it isn't long before he's twisted into a dangerous and confusing relationship with Satesaru's crown prince.
To earn the salary he was promised, and keep his head attached to his shoulders, he has no choice but to become a character of the prince's design. Yuzeharu must trust the gods. As the First Prince of Satesaru, he has always understood his purpose in life; to serve the interests of the crown and the divinities it relies on, by whatever means necessary. However, after a childhood injury leaves him permanently ailing and isolated from the rest of his family, he begins to wonder if there's a chance he could ever escape his royal cage.
Desperate to flee from his responsibilities and racing against the dwindling sands in the twin gods' hourglass, Yuzeharu implicates the mysterious gardener taking care of his estate in a risky scheme to outrun his destiny. Before them unwinds a treacherous path of deception, romance, and tragedy as they work together to take control of Yuzeharu's future. As the line between their act and reality begins to blur, Yuzeharu fights to keep his true feelings concealed, and Jaeyun finds himself inexplicably yet increasingly driven to protect the prince.
Must the two bow to their preordained fate, or can their love be enough to defy the will of the gods for good? Before the Lotus Blooms, the second installment of the Tales of Angaride series, is a royal M/M fantasy romance between a chronically ill prince and a jaded palace gardener with political intrigue, a slow-burn build, and low steam.