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."
As Tillian entered Aideen's bedroom, he could not help but notice her disheveled state right away. Black ink stains adorned the flowing sleeves of her new dress and the surface of her desk. The crumpled papers and blotters were haphazardly scattered, revealing a poorly hidden mess. However, it was her unmistakably red and embarrassed face that truly betrayed her flustered condition.
"Your Highness? Is everything alright? Did I interrupt your practice?" Tillian inquired, genuine concern etched across his face.
Quickly shaking her head, the princess rushed to divert Tillian's attention from her emotional disarray.
"No, of course not, Your Grace! You did not interrupt anything important! Is something the matter? I heard we are having guests today."