The face of her husband seen through the glass was beautiful,... more>>

if you could overlook the fact that only his ‘head’ remained.

“It’s your fault. You foolish girl.”

The cruel voice of her older sister brought her back to reality.

A husband who never loved her.

Yet she had never wished for his death.

All she wanted was not to be abandoned.

Even if she was nothing more than a pretty, smiling doll–slightly lacking, but always obedient.

***

[The Grand Duchess Is Acting Strange]

After receiving an urgent message from the castle, Grand Duke Zerdel of Barmas returns home, only to find his wife has changed drastically.

“Let’s get a divorce.”

Words he never thought he’d hear from her lips.

“I’m tired of you.”

“For someone who’s tired, you seemed to enjoy last night quite a bit.”

He simply smiled at his wife’s startled expression.

Whatever had upset her, he thought, he’d just soothe her as always with hugs, comfort, and kindness.

“As I’ve always said, I’ve been polite, kind, and gentle.”

“...”

“But not in bed, right?” <<less

No matter how vast the world may be and how many lunatics exist within it, this was simply too much.... more>>

“Let me go.”

“No.”

His smile was beautiful, but it was chilling.

The more she resisted, the tighter the rope binding her wrists became.

“You promised, didn’t you? To marry me.”

What he brought up was a memory from the distant past.

[Why can’t we get married?]

[Because your status is lower than mine. My father wouldn’t approve of it.]

[…Then what should I do?]

[I don’t know. Maybe if you became a Duke, it’d be different.]

…Such careless words should never have been spoken.

A romance that begins with confinement and proceeds with love after captivity.

A marriage promise should not be made lightly. <<less

"Wouldn’t we know if we could be a real married couple... if we did it?"... more>>

At that single remark from her friend, Shirley faltered.

After all, she was already struggling with the question of whether she and Damian, her fated fiancé since birth, could ever truly become a ‘real married couple’ rather than just friends.

"Of course, we’ll become husband and wife."

Her kind and gentle fiancé would always say frustratingly naive things, completely unaware of her inner turmoil.

"Then break off the engagement."

Her family gave her the chance to decide.

"So, you’re saying your fiancé doesn’t feel like a man to you?"

This man, who she didn’t even know, pierced through Shirley’s hesitations with startling clarity.

***

One sweltering summer night, while she lay asleep in her room, someone came to her.

"Let’s do something fun, Shirley."

Creak.

The bed dipped as someone sat down on one side.

"Something fun…?"

"Yeah, something fun."

Was it just her imagination, or was his voice filled with an intense heat?

"And what would that be?"

"You’ll like it, Shirley. I’m sure of it."

The hand that slid along her pale leg, illuminated by the moonlight, carried an unmistakable danger.

"What?"
"Whether we can or can’t, we’ll find out once we spend the night together."
The voice whispering in her ear sent a shiver through Shirley’s body.
"Show me that pretty thing." <<less

Phryne was born the daughter of a long time nanny to the prestigious Duke Grey family.... more>>

Raised on the same milk, she eventually becomes the lover of Duke Grey himself,

but the vast gap in their social status continues to torment her.

"I’ll be known only as the Duke’s mistress, won’t I?"

Yet what she fears even more is: "One day, I’ll be forgotten."

Haunted by the anxiety of inevitable abandonment,

Phryne declares that she can no longer continue their relationship,

when he finally returns home after a long war. <<less

‘You must never enter that forest.’... more>>

Ariste settled in a small village nestled in the mountains, following her father.

However, she was still treated as an outsider by the villagers.

In order to endure the harsh winter, everyone in the village was busy hunting animals and collecting food supplies.

But there was one place where hunting was forbidden.

‘Those who enter that forest never come out alive.’

‘They all become hunting trophies displayed in the duke’s castle.’

The Forest of Snow is located near the village.

It was said that Duke Icarus, who enjoyed winter hunting in this forest, was driven by madness and saw everything as prey.

But one day, due to an unexpected incident, Ariste found herself being chased by hunters hired by the village.

She ends up in the duke’s hunting forest.

In that forest, she encountered a man as beautiful as a demon, who stuck a gun inside her mouth as if he wanted to take her breath away.

But at that crucial moment, he withdrew the gun.

“I want to try something else in that mouth.” <<less

“I will… play with Your Highness.”... more>>

Eloise, who entered the palace as a maid under the order of the Empress, was trapped in a dark playroom and became the Crown Prince’s toy. Rishid, the unfortunate crown prince whose mental age had regressed and suffered from aphasia.

He was like a broken doll, but as he worked with Eloise, he gradually regained his ability to think according to his age and began to speak.

However, the Crown Prince did not let her go and tried to tie her to stay by his side even when his illness was cured and was no longer needed as a playmate.

But as a different type of 'play.'

Eloise was trapped in the Crown Prince’s palace and loved by him day and night, but she was afraid that one day she would be forgotten like a toy she used to play with as a child.

Eventually, she escaped, taking advantage of Rishid’s carelessness…

“Did you have fun playing with me?”

He had no intention to let go of his toy.

* * * * *

“What would they all think about when they see you? Everyone must be busy trying to get a bite, for being so naughty.”

Eloise shook her head frantically whenever he uttered harsh words. Tears dripped down her eyes filled with unjust light and soaked his fingers.

“I'll let it go freely, and everyone in the Imperial Palace would be wagging their tails.”

“…...…”

Eloise couldn’t answer any of his words.

‘Because I didn’t know what more severe, corporal punishment would be inflicted if I did. At times like this, I know from experience that it is best to match his mood.’

“You need to be disciplined,” he tilted his head.

“Come up,” he said, spreading her legs wide. <<less

I'm Selena, a daughter born to a family well-known for their fertile women. I was sold off in a marriage to a sickly duke whose life hung in the balance, for the sake of producing an heir of his family. They provided me a medicine purported to aid in pregnancy, and the astrologist even advised me about good days to sleep together, but...there was no child.... more>>

"So, are there any signs of pregnancy?"

"Ah, I-I'm sorry."

"You're useless. What luck do you think won you the position of the duke's wife?"

I couldn't say a word.

‘No, excuse me. I only have to look at the sky to pluck a star. That's how I attained this position.'

***

A husband who doesn't like touching me in the least.

But he's still pitiful so let's at least make him healthy by feeding him nutritious food, getting him to exercise, and I'll personally test any doubtful food first. Once he recovers from my extensive efforts, I'll sign an annulment paper and flee, but...

"You agreed to a contract to bear me an heir. But to think you would go back on your words..."

Although he's in good health now, my "former" husband has become a bit too healthy.

"You're healthy now!"

"The duties of marriage are sacred. I will collect my dues."

"Wait. Wait! But we're divorced? We're no longer husband and wife..."

He smirked then took a piece of paper from his breast pocket and tossed it to me.

"We aren't divorced yet." <<less

The first man she ever loved in her life was taken from her by her half-sister.... more>>

So she took the older brother of her first lover as her own.

Emperor Achilleon, the man who brought an entire continent to its knees knelt at her feet.

It was Hazel who made him beg for love.

“Tell me, what does my Empress want?”

She was able to get whatever she wanted.

Except for one thing: her first love.

On the night of the hunting festival, when she was beautifully decorated and invited.

The emperor offered her his most coveted prey.

“What do you think? Isn’t this much gentler?”

“Ah, Your Majesty.”

“I’m a husband who will let my wife have everything she desires.”

Caught up in her ‘sweet’ husband’s cruel plans for revenge, Hazel faced her last chance to undo everything, however…

“I found it.”

The emperor’s blue eyes shone only on her. <<less