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."
Black Dust
Ahspid wrapped his right hand around his wavy white hair behind his neck and tied it into a loose low ponytail with a thin black silk ribbon—a gift received from Aideen, one of her own treasures.
He slid his fingers over the final result of his attempt to tidy up his hair and released a long sigh. Something as trivial as wrapping a ribbon around his locks now seemed like a chore. He used to hate doing it in the past when this appearance was cherished by him, but once he met Lina, the duty to tie his hair was transferred to her, saving him both time and an annoying waste of effort.
When she disappeared, he could not stop thinking about cutting his hair short and never letting it down again, but now he was glad he did not. Now, he still had something of hers with him—a precious memory, an unforgettable experience nobody could take away from him.