Plot:
Female lead is a princess, or at the very least some member of the royal family.

The male lead? (or antagonist, I don't think I got far enough to tell) kills her entire family and ends up installing her as his puppet Empress?Queen?/Female ruler .

If I remember right he is a duke, or some sort of high-ranking official.
Other members of the cabinet don't know she is a puppet queen and just thinks that they always agree on topics because he is super loyal or something like that.

I remember it being kinda trashy, but I don't remember if it was straight smut or not....

Thanks!

Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?