It was quite burdensome to treat the woman the Grand Duke had brought in such a manner. The butler distinctly remembered the Master taking meticulous care of her. Yet, ironically, the person who issued the instruction was also the Master. Thus, the butler tried his utmost to avoid encountering her. Since she tended to remain stationary in her bedroom all day, it didn't require much effort. Coincidentally, a strange spark ignited among the servants. The first malicious gossip

Vanessa was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected overly lavish treatment, yet this situation was, well, deeply peculiar. She felt a thick line being drawn, marking her as a third party completely disconnected from Declan. She had assumed he had left instructions, but apparently not. Embarrassed, she quickly waved her hands, more flustered than the butler. [Vanessa] "Ah, I—I already asked His Grace for permission. He said I could use the library before he left."

Vanessa sat leaning against the large bathtub, her eyes blankly absorbing the scene of the water filling up. The petals floating on the surface were a vivid crimson. They moved languidly with the ripples, appearing quite elegant. She playfully poked a petal, then dipped her finger into the water. Contrary to her expectation of a warm steam, the temperature she felt was lukewarm. She had been so distracted lately that she failed to notice the water wasn't steaming, unlike us

His gaze was profound. He watched her for a long time with eyes that evoked the image of a damp, murky swamp. Only when a sheen of cold sweat began to trickle down Vanessa’s spine did he finally withdraw his look. From the moment they cleared the tea table, boarded the carriage, and returned to the Grand Duke’s castle, he said nothing. It wasn't until her anticipation had shriveled into timid anxiety that he finally broke his silence. [Declan] "Alright, I understand." [Vaness

Under his escort, the carriage rolled on for quite some time. The place Declan brought her to was none other than a lake nestled deep within the forest. The scenery, where the pouring sunlight splintered through the gaps in the leaves, was exquisitely picturesque. A tea table had been set against the backdrop of the lake, where silvery spray danced over the water under the sun. This perfect setup was the work of the attendants following him. [Declan] "This is the only place

The atmosphere within the Grand Duke’s castle remained consistent, no matter where one turned. Just as the guest room where Vanessa had suffered through days of fever was steeped in shadow, Declan’s chambers were a study in obsidian gloom. The only variance was the bed’s canopy—opaque white drapes that stood out against the darkness. Yet, rather than brightening the room, they curated an air of clandestine intimacy, making the space feel even more enigmatic. It was desolate,

Just a week ago, her world had been flawlessly peaceful. She had a benevolent father, the warmth of the Count’s household, and a society that showered her with favor—perhaps due to her beauty, but favor nonetheless. It was a life without blemish, a wide-open road of endless promise. But the moment her status and honor crumbled, all that goodwill curdled into mockery. In less than a week, she had endured more ridicule and scorn than she could count. Even the knights, seeing h

The rhythmic thunder of hooves tore through the silence. A squadron of warhorses galloped furiously along the edge of the deep river. A haze of sand rose in their wake, swirling like a storm before vanishing into the dark abyss of the landscape. As if forewarned of their arrival, a massive black flag snapped violently atop the towering gate, welcoming the group. Adorned in its center was a long sword entwined with vines—the official crest of the House of Vinkart. From atop hi

Vanessa had spent the last few days surviving on meager sips of water and crusts of bread so dry they crumbled to dust, all while gauging the atmosphere of her prison. This place felt like the antechamber to hell itself. From what she had gleaned through eavesdropping, this was a clandestine slave auction hidden within Ingzella capital, and the people here were merchandise waiting to be sold. She was merely one among them. The cold iron shackles chafing her ankles are ident

The scenes from just before replayed sluggishly yet persistently in her mind. The sword swung by the knight, the blood spurting from her father’s neck, the metallic stench of gore that saturated the room, his body tumbling to the floor... By the time she realized her throat was tightening, her eyes were already red and brimming. Soon, the tears became streams, dampening the dark, dry floor beneath her. Father was dead. She would never again see the father who, just yesterday,

It had been a week since Declan returned to the Grand Duchy. From the moment Vanessa woke up that morning, she had been seized by an unshakable unease. Her mood was so visibly dark that her maid cautiously asked if something had happened during the night. Just as the maid suspected, her sleep had been deeply disturbed. In her dream the night before, her cozy bedroom was engulfed in roaring flames. She tried to flee, but something like a spiderweb bound her tightly from her

Throughout their repeated trysts, Declan had never once laid bare his heart. Was it only his heart he kept hidden? His eyes, always so consistently still, revealed not a single tremor, leaving her constantly wondering what thoughts occupied his mind. His enigmatic approach was always dangerous. Even keeping that in mind, Vanessa did not distance herself from him. Had he merely been after her body—and had she realized it—this relationship would have been severed long ago.

The preceding Grand Duke Vinkart had clung fiercely to life, driven by the desire for revenge against the blood relatives who had abandoned him. For that purpose, he cultivated the abandoned land and built his own army, making the North completely the domain of the Grand Ducal family. But such acute resentment likely faded with the passing of generations. Thus, gossips dared to speculate that the Grand Ducal house continued to serve as a fortress, protecting the Ingzella Emp

His deliberate steps cut through the night air, suddenly bringing him close to her. Strangely, the balcony she had deemed incredibly spacious seemed instantly full. This was surely due to the sheer presence of him. He stopped before the railing and lit his cigar. Vanessa knew well that staring intently at someone without cause could be rude, yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Though she only saw his profile, he exuded a powerful handsomeness even in the dimly lit

Vanessa Rohawk. Her fame was so widespread across the Ingzella Empire that it was said anyone who didn't recognize the name must be an enemy spy. In ancient times, the Rohawk family—who served the Goddess 'Lohodr' and carried her sacred name—had passed down the Goddess’ will through generations, though they were a house where female births were exceptionally rare. Vanessa Rohawk was the first girl born into that family in decades. That alone was a joyous event for the house,