Saved By The Mad Duke
Aideen Ruan, though a royal princess, was always unwanted due to the circumstances of her birth. Born blind to a hostage concubine, she possessed an intriguing beauty; however, her disability rendered her utterly useless to the royal family. Even when the struggling Count Crueder reluctantly agreed to take Aideen as his wife to secure the royal dowry, her life failed to improve. A year into their marriage, Aideen's inability to produce an heir sealed her fate. The princess was destined for exile to the Temple, consigned to spend the remainder of her days in isolation and abandonment. Contrary to her anticipations, instead of the Temple, Aideen found herself within the cold walls of Duke Tillian Valentine's castle. Duke Valentine, the last scion of the once-revered Valentine family that ruled the Kingdom before the "Fratricide Rebellion", now presided over the desolate Northern lands. Faced with fear and confusion, Aideen expected her life to perpetuate its cycle of misery, only to discover that Duke Valentine might hold the key to a new opportunity, a chance at a life she had never envisioned. "You bewitched my body and soul. Put an intoxicating spell on me, shackled my heart to yours with your magic. If I could exchange my eyesight with you, I would do it just to make you see what a man dying from love looks like."
A Wedding Dress, Of Course!
The 'Golden Shopping Pass' was a highly exclusive and expensive privilege. It functioned like a ticket, offering its holder the unique permission to enter any restaurant or boutique without the need to wait in line or rely on a personal invitation.
To obtain such a pass, one had to pay a substantial sum of money to one of the Royal Assistants, who, by the order of King Euris Ruan himself, oversaw the entirety of the Shopping District and all business conducted therein.
And Duke Valentine, a man purportedly living on funds allocated by the Palace, would typically be unable to afford such a luxury.
"How did you manage to get the Golden Pass?! I heard it costs quite a lot of money!"
The princess's expression reflected genuine curiosity with a touch of slight disbelief.
Tillian retrieved the glossy piece of paper from Aideen's loose grip, then concealed it within the jacket of his black uniform, and sighed,