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."
Undress For Us, Will You?
Aideen slowly moved her eyes away from the last word of that bizarre tale and focused her empty gaze on the desk before her. The story indeed seemed like nothing more than a mere legend to her but it still left a strange and somewhat heavy residue inside her mind.
Perhaps she would have dismissed that lingering uneasiness altogether if it were not for Ahspid's words that returned to her consciousness, echoing the memory of the conversation they had several days ago.
'Ahspid suspects that King Yuraon was cursed by a witch too... Could it be just a coincidence?'
The princess was brought back to reality when the mage's slim and long fingers tapped rather loudly on the surface of the desk, asking for her immediate attention.
"Did something catch your attention, My Lady? That serious frown on your face will not do you any good in the future, trust me."