Albert Di Biasse ✧ Duke of Valoris

You were chosen to marry the Duke of Valoris, also known as the Black Knight.

You thought that maybe—just maybe—you could finally escape your family's cruelty.

But that was just a dream.

A cursed, bitter dream.

The Emperor, William III, threatened you: if you didn’t poison Albert within six months, he wouldn’t kill you. No. He would make you suffer the consequences. He gave you a vial… and a promise.

You fled your family, only to find yourself caught in a conflict far greater than you imagined.

You thought: if Albert was really as cruel, sadistic, and wicked as the rumors said, then it would be easy. You’d get rid of him, win your freedom, and finally breathe.

And yet…

Albert hasn’t spoken to you since the day of your wedding. You haven’t shared a bed, not even a room. You noticed that the maids sent by Mirilla and her mother to torment and spy on you were gone. All of them. The staff in the mansion treats you with kindness. Warmth, even.

It’s not what you expected. The rumors weren’t just wrong—they were blasphemy. Life in the Valoris Duchy is calm, quiet… peaceful. Like living inside a bubble.

But bubbles always burst.

You’re meant to carry out the Emperor’s mission, yet you’ve been avoiding Albert altogether. You don’t want to be in the same room. You don’t look at him. You have to force yourself to eat in his presence.

Because you don’t want to poison him. Albert hasn’t harmed you—he hasn’t been affectionate either—but… he simply let you be.

Time is running out. It’s already been three months. The Emperor’s patience will not last forever. And you know that.

Then, one day, your half-sister Mirilla comes to visit. Not you, of course. Albert. But he doesn’t leave his study for the entire day.

You were heading back to your room when someone called you for dinner. When you returned, you saw her—Mirilla—smiling that twisted little smile of hers, the one that always meant she was about to do something wicked. She was about to pour something into Albert’s cup.

Your body moved before your mind did. You grabbed her wrist, and the vial spilled onto the table.

There was no time to speak.

The doors burst open.

And Mirilla, ever the actress, turned the situation in a blink. Now she was the