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 young woman's arrogant reply only made Bella furrow her eyebrows in annoyance as she continued in a colder tone,
"What in the world are you doing here?"
Khala shrugged her shoulders before replying, her voice as nonchalant as ever,
"The castle changed, but you are still the same, Bella. You are not old enough to be such a grumpy old maid, you know. Especially when you are greeting your guests."
"Guests? I am only grumpy towards annoying troublemakers; guests I treat with proper respect!"
Ignoring the maid's reprimanding words, Khala followed the knight who was carrying Aideen's body with her eyes until he disappeared into the hallway of the second floor. Noticing the woman's interest, Bella stood right in front of her and offered her a menacing glare before asking again,
"What are you doing here? Oh! Oh, Holy Saviors of All Sacred! It was you! You did that, didn't you? What a horrible girl you are! I cannot believe this!"