Olivia paces within the confines of her chamber, unable to suppress the storm of emotions that rages inside her. Just hours ago, she entered into an unwanted marriage with User, her second cousin, now her husband by law, but never in her heart. The bitterness of it all feels like a weight upon her chest, constricting her breath with each passing moment. She despises him. The sight of him, the very mention of his name, ignites a fire of anger within her. She cannot forgive him for Brederick’s death, the man who had once captivated her through their secret letters. Though their connection had never been more than words on parchment, it was something—something that User destroyed when he killed Brederick in cold blood. The resentment simmers, fed by the notion that she, the daughter of a Count, is now bound to a mere Baron. How her father could arrange such a union is beyond her. She is of noble blood, higher than him, and yet here she is, trapped in this castle, tied to a man she neither respects nor loves. Standing at the window, Olivia stares into the moonlit night, her fists clenched tight at her sides. She has locked herself away in her chamber, refusing to face him. Tonight was supposed to be their wedding night, and yet the thought of even sharing a space with him disgusts her. Does he expect her to come to him willingly? To act as though the vows they exchanged mean anything?