LOGINOn the balcony of the banquet hall, Roselyn stood gracefully beside the Pontifex. Her pink gown, adorned with crystal sequins, shimmered beautifully each time fireworks exploded across the Northern night sky.
A genuine smile graced her lips as the noble ladies from the Capital praised the beauty of the festival.
However, every few seconds, her brown eyes glanced to
"Grand Duke, make me your concubine."The blunt sentence instantly froze the air inside the room. Behind the thick, pitch-black veil, Vivianne’s blue eyes trembled with a faint despair.Her gaze was locked straight onto only one man."You have lost your mind, Sister-in-Law." Kaelus's voice sounded as cold as the ice freezing at the peaks of the Valthorne mountains."I cannot turn a blind eye to what happened, Grand Duke," Vivianne replied, trying to suppress the tremor in her voice. She stepped forward, letting her long black gown sweep across the cold castle floor. "Many people saw us that night, and now disgusting rumors have spread throughout the entire territory."“I cannot find a single sane reason why I should marry the wid
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!The violent pounding slammed into Kaelus’s consciousness like a sudden bolt of lightning on a silent night."Kaelus! Please open the door!"Kaelus opened his bloodshot eyes. Forcing his weak, exhausted body to rise, he walked unsteadily toward the wooden door.They were separated only by a thin wooden partition, yet it felt as though an abyss stretched between them.Eden glanced briefly at Kaelus from the dimness of the room, waiting for an order with an anxious look on his face.However, Kaelus shook his head. He could not bring himself to face Roselyn while he felt this filthy."Please
Kaelus remained motionless in the darkness. His back rested against the edge of the table.The room was painfully quiet. And the scent of tuberose still clung heavily to his open shirt."Master," Eden called from a few paces away, without drawing closer.Kaelus was reluctant to answer. His head was still throbbing violently. The effect of the potion had not completely faded, leaving behind only a fraction of awareness. Slow, yet agonizing.And once he was fully conscious and remembered everything, a wave of disgust consumed him.As if the trace of Vivianne's breath still lingered on his chest, he clenched his fists tightly.‘Damn it! Why must it be like this?!’
On the balcony of the banquet hall, Roselyn stood gracefully beside the Pontifex. Her pink gown, adorned with crystal sequins, shimmered beautifully each time fireworks exploded across the Northern night sky.A genuine smile graced her lips as the noble ladies from the Capital praised the beauty of the festival.However, every few seconds, her brown eyes glanced toward the empty entrance of the balcony.‘Kael... what is taking you so long?’ her mind whispered anxiously.Just as the final firework roared and left a thin, silvery smoke in the sky, everyone clapped.Unfortunately, until the end of the show, the man she had been waiting for never appeared.
A beautiful symphony resonated throughout Valthorne Castle. The night of the grand celebration had finally arrived.Ever since Kaelus survived the recent deadly incident, the sympathy of the noble factions had begun to shift in his favor.They turned out in full attendance, willingly sailing for days toward the most frozen territory in the Hera Empire just to answer his invitation.“I was a bit worried that no one would show up, Kael,” Roselyn murmured, sitting on the throne beside her husband.“I am surprised as well, Rose. Usually, we do not invite outsiders.”“Isn't this a good thing? We can open new business ventures with the capital nobility. I am going to mingle and speak with them. W
The journey of several days through the thinning blizzard had now given way to the scenery of Fosteriana, a town on the southern border.Here, the wind blew warm, and wild tulips had begun to bloom. However, the beauty of Fosteriana did not soften the tempest raging within Vivianne’s breast.The crestless carriage finally ground to a halt in front of a sprawling mansion. As she stepped inside, the servants immediately bowed in respect, preparing to carry her belongings.“Welcome, Lady Valthorne,” they greeted her. “We have prepared a private sauna for you. The hot spring will help wash away the fatigue of your journey.”"No need," Vivianne commanded flatly, her black fur cloak still draped over her shoulders. "Prepare a small carriage







