Azphira Tales

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,

Hot, ragged breaths burst between her lips. The frantic gasps were the cost of running without a single break since she had fled the castle. Because she had never made a habit of physical conditioning, her thighs were rigid, screaming as if they would tear, and her knees throbbed with a searing, buckling pain. Her bare soles, long since free of the discarded shoes, were a mess of scraped, pricked, and bleeding wounds. But she could spare no glance for her injuries. Her vision

Every day she reflects upon is a day she regrets. She was named Vanessa Rohawk, after an angel. Her dazzling beauty was also that of a celestial being. When she suddenly falls into ruin, accused of treason overnight, the one who appears before her is Grand Duke Vinkart—a man she had never dared to hope for. "Vanessa Rohawk. Will you come with me?" He is salvation, light, and love. She swears that as long as she can stay by his side, she can endure any hardship, that even deat