Prologue

"You never really cared about me in the first place. You just used me as one of your tools for revenge, right Psyche?" a sad torn and broken man said in front of the lady who was drinking wine inside the library of the Killford dukedom.

Instead of answering, the Lady just smirked at the man's reflection from the large window she is facing. While the man faced her long-backless dress making him see her pale body.

"Shouldn't you worry more about your fiancée than just a mere stranger like me?" Psyche had finally said with a sigh with gorgeous features

His blonde hair shining brightly gold at the rays of the sun, striking his figure like a perfect piece in the in place. His ocean blue eyes seeking for an answer, pleading that the lady in front of her was just lying or angry for the moment.

"Stranger? Psyche we're family, you're my sister! Yet you made me fall in love with you!" the blonde-haired boy - who was Aiden Killford, the young master of the Killford dukedom as well as the younger stepbrother of Psyche, said with bursting anger looking at her with seriousness but immediately controlled himself seeing how determined Psyche looked for a moment.

She thought that for the first time her younger brother, who was an easy-going kid on the outside that has many friends, could not contain his emotions in front of her

Comparing herself with Aiden surely makes her remember how the Priori in the Killford household adopted her secretly. She was homeschooled, taught by a private tutor until the day of her introduction to the noble society. She never went to the academy after being adopted due to the trauma and her ‘supposed to be illness’ that made her gain some psychological issues

"Why did you think I made you fall in love with me, Aiden? Please stop with those delusions of yours. You knew from the very beginning I can't love" Psyche burst in anger right in front of him. Throwing the glass containing wine on the wall as it was shattered to pieces. Staining both the floor and wall while she breathes heavily making the window on her back as her support

‘This day will be long enough for the both of us’

He thought as he tried to come near her to explain further but her expression says 'Stay a meter away from me or else you'll not like what I'll do next'. Even if breathing heavily, she still manages to portray that venomously gorgeous meaningful look on her face

‘Why do you even look more gorgeous now that you're angry?’ Aiden sighed with his thought. He gave up coming near her, staying unmoved in his previous position while intently looking at her gorgeous silhouette

"I knew it but I just can't help falling for you, you knew when I'm hurt, you say hurtful words to me but when I think about them they're your advice. You always protected me from the shadows. So tell me, who will not fall in love with those actions of yours?" Aiden confessed with a desperate look. The scenario only made Psyche put her hands on her temples massaging them gently. With the sudden words she heard, she was feeling a little bit off. Trying to calm her nerves, she sighed for a long minute while looking around to search for a chair inside the place

"What made you think I did that all for you? You just said it earlier. I just USED you," Psyche said, emphasizing the word ‘used’. Finally finding a seat near the shelves, she looked at Aiden seriously. Though, the moment he said those words coming from her mouth, he felt useless. He felt himself being compared to a toy that was already used. He felt like that, useless to her with no more additional use.

"No, I won't give up. Even if you use me or anything as long as I'm on your side, I'm alright with that," Aiden said pleading his way towards Psyche

He continuously looked at the lady who was sitting like a goddess that had cascaded from a long time ago when he was just eleven years old.

Looking back on his past, he remembered how he was captivated by the sight of the lady who resembled so much like his father and him. She has golden blonde hair and ocean blue eyes making her part of the Killford household through a secret adoption.

He remembered the time when the lady was just 13 years old being adopted in the Killford household. There was no Duke or Duchess to assist her in the house only Aiden's guardian. Just like what had happened to Psyche, his family was also murdered disguising it as an accident.

In Ferius time, when he was still alive as the duke of Killford household, he proposed to the emperor about prosecuting the corrupt and greedy officials and nobles of the empire. However, because of this, his enemies grew bigger as they started to get nervous with the duke’s sudden announcement. Yet, later on before it got to be passed as a law, Duke Killford together with his family were brutally assassinated in a nearby forest. On a snowy night that no one will expect them to be attacked

Even before proposing the said idea, the Duke already had many enemies that's why his death was never an accident, to begin with. Aiden Killford - being the child, who will succeed the throne, saved until the last breath of Duke Ferius and Duchess Romina - the only bloodline that survived the attack, unknowingly to the assassins

That night, everything seemed peaceful but not with the Killford family marking the night as the beginning of their demise.

Aiden - the child who had the bloodline of the duke survived - saved by his parents. Until the last breathe of the two, they protected him. However, they left him in the dark forest, on a hard snowfall that night, until the duke’s attendant – whom the assassins thought was dead – rescued him. The attendant miraculously survived the attack but he was all bloodied and wounded. Yet, he still managed to keep Aiden away from any danger returning him to the Killford household on that cold winter night

Aiden remembered the night that they were supposed to return to the Killford household. It was after going from their countryside estate but it became the reason for their family's tragedy. Maids and butlers were shocked on the news of the accident about the Duke and the Duchess. The news created ‘pretend’ grievance on the emperor but to the innocent people of the empire their grieve were real, regarding that it was the tragedy of the Killford family – about the righteous duke and gorgeous kind-hearted duchess

Knowing Aiden, the only successor of the Duke who had survived in the tragedy, the emperor appointed him his guardian. He appointed a Guardian who will assist Aiden and the Killford household for the time being. The guardian was no other than the attendant of the late duke, who also survived and rescued Aiden that night, had a name - Grindel. He was the one that became Aiden’s close friend making him feel positive emotions than negative ones.

Upon arriving at eleven years old, Psyche came to his life. The young woman that made his heartbeat beats faster for the first time. He felt like she’s the definition of a goddess. He felt paralyzed from their first meeting. He felt like his world suddenly stopped and they were the only two people in it. However, it was easily crush upon hearing Grindel say that she’ll be officially his sister – especially the semblance she had with the duke

"You'll only be hurt in the end, Aiden. You have a fiancée who deeply loves you. I don't want to ruin that," with a calm voice, Psyche said observing the change from Aiden – her foster younger brother

She reminisced the time when they were still young when. The time she got adopted into the Killford household she became like someone else. She continuously hates the nobles and everything. She hated them because she knew they were the reason for her real family’s demise. Another reason why she can’t speak normally to Aiden was the reality that she always saw Grey - her real younger brother – on him.

She acted ironically with her hate on the nobles towards Aiden. Instead of being gentle, she is being rude with her advices. She always avoids him but watches from the shadows. She always stays silent even though she wanted to talk to him. These characteristics of her made Aiden more curious about her for a long period

Aiden at first when Psyche was introduced at him as his sister, he can’t believe. He said words that he didn’t meant and regretted the moment he knew about what she experienced. After knowing those, he became kind to her – but she’s the opposite of that.

After becoming a young adult, Aiden had discovered that the tragedy of his family on that snowy night. The tragedy that was well-planned and not just a mere accident on the road. That discovery made him felt hatred for the first time to the noble society. He realized, being the successor of his father's title, they had many known enemies within the empire. He knew this the moment he understood how society works

"It's alright, Psyche. I just said those words to take out a piece of baggage in my heart. It’s making me feel heavy so I blurted them without thinking. Please forgive me for saying those and acting impulsively sister," a calm relieve voice was heard inside the place. Sighing, he walked where Psyche was. Although, not knowing what she’ll say or act he braced himself to walked towards her.

As soon as Aiden went near her, he knelt and took one of Psyche's hands gently kissing the back of it.

"You knew from the very start that we do have the same enemy. We do have the same plot of revenge. However we just kept it a secret until now," Aiden with his voice so softly said to her while looking intently after kissing the back of her hand. Yet, after his kiss, he never let go of her hand.

Psyche, instead of being angry to what Aiden did, it only made her smirk widely

‘Finally, my plan to exact revenge is just around the corner. Even though I never expected this to happen, eventually time will still make it because of his unusual behavior I have been observing for a long time’

"So you already knew mine from the very beginning. Can you tell me more about yours?" Psyche asked curiously. She’s now interested with the turn of events

Aiden instead of being shocked portrayed the same smirked Psyche had. The same venomous smirked that will bite each of their enemy's head.

"I should call you Psyche when we're alone," with a serious voice, Aiden intently looked at her. though, Psyche only nodded with a wide smirk

"Call me whatever you want as long as you want me to use you," the words were meaningful after she said those. Yet, Psyche wasn’t even bothered about it.

Now, her hand Aiden was holding earlier sneaked to his face. Caressing his soft white cheeks but for a matter of seconds, Psyche’s face went nearer. When her face was only few inches away from him, she immediately took the gap and kissed him.

"And there's one more condition to that, make the daughter of the Maxwell family or your fiancée fall deeper in love with you" that being said Psyche's soft lips had brushed against Aiden's for a second time. However, she immediately moved away after doing that

Aiden can't process what just happened. His sister - his secretly adopted sister - whom he thought had no feelings towards her, suddenly brushed her soft sweet lips to his. For a moment, he felt thrilled about it

‘I can't believe this will happen, my heart's beating faster than before just like the first time I met her. Psyche, what are you trying to do to me? You said you can't love but you made me want you more’

"That's just to seal our deal, no more no less," Psyche said standing up from her seat and was about to take a step forward when Aiden's other hand stopped her. He holds her wrist gently as he stands in front of her seriously while breathing heavily for the moment

"And this is the seal for my contract as well," Aiden said and in just a swift movement, his lips were already on hers. He kissed her gently and possessively

Psyche was about to hit him, struggling with the kiss but before she could even do that, he already stopped her. Her hands that were ready for the move were already at her back. Their kiss lasted for a while as Aiden was savoring the tastes of their lips

After a long while, Aiden finally breaks their kiss. Both of them were breathing heavily as the heat was about to warm their bodies, if he hadn’t immediately break away from his hungry action. Upon doing so, Psyche had lost her balance and was about to hit the floor if Aiden hadn’t caught her in time. His hands on her waist, their faces became near for the second time, their eyes were both wide. Those were their expressions

Psyche didn’t know what she’s feeling for the moment. What happened had surprised her whole being. She now realizes Aiden’s feelings were deep. So deep, that she can no longer consider him as her younger brother - like he's Grey

"You also need to learn more self-defense and training if you wanted to defend yourself first, sister," Aiden whispered to her ears making her hot. However with slow breathes, she calmed herself and fiercely glare at him. Yet, seconds later she smirked and returned the same force of tease after hearing him say, ‘sister’

"Would you mind teaching me how, brother?" with a teasing voice, Psyche began moving her hands thatwere clinging to his neck a while ago to his chest. Creating circular shapes while smirking her way to him

"But first things first, care to explain your plans before I leave, Aiden?" Psyche said stopping what she's been doing earlier and moved aside breaking Aiden’s hug.

"With pleasure, Psyche," a glad and dangerous voice came out from Aiden’s mouth, an irony to his expressions.

After saying those wards, he started walking to the large table with books behind. He started drafting his plans on the paper while Psyche followed from behind.

‘The start of revenge will soon be tasted by those disgusting greedy nobles’