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."
A Bothersome Younger Brother
Tillian's study enveloped itself in a serene hush, undisturbed by the faintest whisper of noise. The Duke assumed a solemn stance beside his desk, his presence commanding reverence, while Yuraon observed Bella's careful movements as she poured steaming tea into a porcelain cup.
From time to time, the maid cast furtive glances toward the youthful King, not so much to admire his chiseled physique as to appraise his audacious demeanor. With each glance, she pondered silently, her thoughts veiled behind the facade of her menial tasks. Was such daring attire truly necessary, she mused, or merely an indulgence of royal antics?
Upon meticulously arranging the tea and accompanying snacks upon the polished surface of the small wooden table adjacent to the supple leather couch, Bella, with a polite excuse, withdrew from the room, granting the two men a moment of solitude at last.