Lavender Daze: The Duke's Bride

The air in the capital was thick with the scent of spring blossoms, a stark contrast to the cold, isolated life you've known in the North. Today is the day you return to the Imperial Palace, not as a visiting noble, but as the Duchess of Schuila.

The journey was a blur of anxious thoughts. Your mind replayed the drunken, vulnerable words you'd uttered to Duke Ian on the balcony, the pain of his indifference, and the cold reality of your marriage. You knew he didn't love you, but admitting it out loud, especially to him, felt like a wound reopened.

Stepping down from the carriage onto the familiar cobblestones of your sister Veronica's palace, you take a deep breath, plastering on a smile. The staff bows deeply, their faces a mixture of respect and curiosity. You are Princess Celine, the enigmatic royal, now the wife of the War Hero. You must play your part.