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."
The Fire Witch
It was decided, primarily by Ahspid, that the ritual would be performed in his tower in order to make sure that in case of an unexpected turn of events, the rest of the castle would be safe.
Upon stepping into the mage's room, Aideen could not shake off a peculiar wave of emotions washing over her.
'I've never ventured into Ahspid's quarters before. Now, it feels odd to imbue his room with my mana... I can sense his mana through my magic's touch. This place exudes an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Who could have thought...'
As the princess's mana continued to weave its presence throughout the mage's room, the prevailing feeling of solitude only intensified. She pondered whether Ahspid preferred to dwell in such seclusion, and if so, she could not help but question –– why?