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."
True Partners Grow Together
"There is no need for pretentious courtesy or sensibility. I am blind therefore I am limited in my abilities. However, I am no princess, I am no queen, and I am definitely no damsel in distress. The moment I set foot in this place, I became one with it. You called me Aideen Valentine, and this is who I am now. I am a Valentine and a descendant of a great lineage.
I might not look like I am capable of doing a lot, but for someone like His Grace, I am willing to do anything to help him become more powerful, and he will do the same for me. This is what true partners do –– they grow together. In everything."
Aideen felt like she used all the powers she had, both magical and physical, to utter these words without stuttering, but she still had to make an enormous effort in order to stay tall and not betray her frightened state by either a change in her breathing or any movement on her face.