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."
Write Your Name For Me
The uncomfortable silence inside the Duke's study magnified every single move, making it thunder through the room with unusual volume. The cluttering of cutlery resonated like the clanking of swords and spears, while every movement made by both Tillian and Aideen sounded like the rustling of dry branches and leaves against the harsh wind.
It was unbearably awkward, and that awkwardness was almost palpable.
Though determined to resolve their unnecessarily complicated situation at first, once the princess entered his study and took a seat across his desk, Duke Valentine found himself at a loss on how to proceed.
At last, with a quick and generous sip of red wine to fuel his dying courage, the man cleared his throat and began,
"So, Your Highness... Stanis tells me you are showing quite a noticeable progress in your studies. How is it going? Is it hard? Do you enjoy your lessons? Because if that imbecile is giving you a hard time or refusing to––"