[COMPLETED] 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 atmosphere within the castle's reading room had never felt so cold before. It was challenging to discern whether the witch's presence or the frigid, deadly gaze from her silver eyes caused the uncomfortable shivers creeping down the spines of all present. However, one undeniable truth prevailed –– Bjarna's arrival was gradually encasing the castle in an icy grip from inside.
Bella, tasked with serving the guest a comforting herbal tea, now bore a large silver tray adorned with pristine teacups and a platter of freshly baked pastries. Her plump hands deftly arranged the tray's contents upon the table before the four silent figures.
Each movement by the maid seemed to magnify the quiet unease lingering in the room, heightening Bella's self-awareness with each passing second.
Casting occasional and somewhat irritated glances in the witch's direction, she pondered,