Even when she had sensed her love was a snare, the feeling had remained unshakable. Even with the poisonous doubt that Declan was the informant who had orchestrated her family’s ruin, Vanessa had been unable to cast him out. She loathed herself for it—for being so pathetic, so stubborn, so desperately loyal to a ghost. But the heart was a lawless thing; it didn't take orders. To stop loving him meant excising every memory they had built, erasing every vibrant sensation and

[Vanessa] "...Declan." [Declan] "Did that knight attempt to kidnap you?" His voice was a low, velvet rasp against her ear as he tightened his grip on her narrow waist. The moment she was anchored against him, the Vinkart knights moved with lethal efficiency. They swarmed Elliot, the air erupting into a chaotic symphony of grunts and the heavy thud of bodies hitting stone. Vanessa flinched, her heart leaping into her throat. She tried to lurch toward the struggle, but Declan’

Vanessa flinched at the sound, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Could it be? She hurried to the glass door, her fingers trembling with the guilt of a child caught in a forbidden act. She threw the bolt and pulled. A violent gust of wind rushed into the room, whipping her hair across her face. As the strands cleared, she saw a massive silhouette standing on the stone balcony. Even though she’d been expecting him, seeing him perched there stole the brea

Columns of numbers marched down the parchment, followed by a dense, clinical explanation. It was a ledger of soldiers. In the Ingzella Empire, no noble house—save for the Imperial Family—was permitted to maintain a private army exceeding a specific count. Steel was power, and power was the only thing that could tilt the world on its axis. To preserve their reign and prune the seeds of rebellion before they could take root, the throne had enacted a draconian law: a strict lim

Elliot had always been a statue in her presence—unflinching, stoic, a man who could take a blade to the chest without so much as a grimace. But now, his face was a contorted mask of agony and rage, as if he were being forced to swallow hot coals. Vanessa stared at him, bewildered by the venom in his voice when he spoke of her marriage. Thinking he didn't understand how she had survived, she rushed to explain. [Vanessa] "When I was at my lowest, the Grand Duke came for me. He

[Garten] “A pleasure to finally meet you, Your Grace. Indeed, the rumors did not do you justice—you are breathtaking.” One of the envoys finally snapped out of his trance, stammering through a belated greeting. Vanessa offered a thin, polite smile in return, which only served to make several men at the table flush a deep, visible crimson. Declan watched the display, a dark, mocking laugh curling in the back of his throat. He was reaching his limit with the way men reacted to

Carter might have been born without a lick of intuition, but lately, his instincts regarding the Grand Duke were sharpening—specifically regarding the poisonous undercurrent flowing between the Duke and the Crown Prince over the Grand Duchess. The romantic rivalry that had sparked before the wedding had not flickered out; if anything, it had transformed into a silent, savage war. The tension was so thick it made Carter’s skin crawl just to be in the same room. And now, the ai

The light in her eyes fractured. She looked like someone who had walked into a glass wall she hadn't seen coming—stunned, breathless, and utterly broken. She shook her head, the movement frantic. [Vanessa] "What... what are you talking about? Why? Why would you..." She had never even suspected he felt this way. How could she, when he had shared her bed so consistently? Despite his constant excursions to hunt monsters, he always returned to her. He always claimed her. She ha

Helia rose abruptly, her wine glass clutched tight. The movement was sharp enough to draw every eye in the ballroom. [Cotton] "He-Helia? What are you doing? You aren't going over there yourself, are you?" Lady Cotton caught the murderous glint in Helia's eyes and tried to pull her back. She had been content to cause trouble from the shadows, but seeing Helia prepare for a direct assault made her blood run cold. If a rift formed between the Count and the Grand Duke, the fallo

Declan knew exactly how to starve her of affection, only to feed her just enough to keep her longing. He seemed to have an uncanny sense for the exact moment her loneliness peaked, reappearing just in time to offer the very comfort she found impossible to refuse. That night, after she had finally drifted into a fitful sleep fueled by isolation, Declan returned late. Vanessa stirred as warmth seeped into her side. Her heart, which had initially frozen in a startle, thawed in

Vanessa licked her parched lips, the unexpected confrontation sending a fresh jolt of adrenaline through her veins. In the suffocating silence, she let his question grate against her mind. How ironic, coming from him. This was the man who had coaxed her with honeyed promises of protection, only to cast her into the bowels of a slave auction. Now, he had the audacity to be curious about her journey to the Duchy? [Vanessa] "The Grand Duke was... instrumental in my survival."

Vanessa felt a jolt of panic. She had been laboring under the foolish delusion that because the woman was projecting her hostility from a distance, she wouldn't actually approach. But the brown-haired lady shattered that assumption, marching toward her with predatory intent. Click. Click. Despite the din of the crowded ballroom, the sharp, aggressive strike of the woman's heels rang out like a warning bell in Vanessa’s ears. There was no reason to be terrified of someone sim

The wedding preparations began while the world was still draped in early morning shadows. Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to a life of languid solitude, Vanessa had to be practically guided into the bath in a state of half-slumber. The warmth of the water was a siren song luring her back to sleep, but the maids’ touch—brisk and borderline frosty—snapped her awake. She had no more desire for their assistance than they had to give it, but since she couldn't prepare h

Vanessa stood between his knees, her fingers gently combing through his tousled obsidian hair. As she brushed back the slightly stray locks, his forehead was revealed—a feature so flawless it seemed almost unfair. Below it, the deep-set eyes and the sharp, elegant bridge of his nose unfolded like a masterwork painting following the path of her fingertips. [Declan] "How many days are left?" [Vanessa] "Pardon?" [Declan] "Until our wedding." Declan, who had been accepting her to

Julian’s gaping mouth vividly displayed just how shocked he was. Declan, thinking he wanted to shut that mouth for him, coolly nodded his head. At an unexpected point, with an even more unexpected name popping up, Julian couldn't form words and just opened and closed his mouth like a fish. From Carter to Julian, the reactions of those around him expressing 'astonishment' were identical, as if scripted. So, he couldn't help but ask. [Declan] "Is it that surprising?" [Julian]

Carter stared blankly at Vanessa. Her emerald eyes, which had looked devoid of vitality earlier, now glistened with a sharp clarity for the first time. Looking closer, he noticed her knuckles were bleached white from the force of her grip on the book she was hugging. Perhaps that was why, despite her healthy complexion, she appeared pale. He felt a pang of guilt for making her wait like that. So, Carter racked his brain quickly. Did he order an investigation regarding the R