Evandria Gravewood lay curled on her bed, her face buried in silk pillows. The room was silent except for the soft, broken sound of her sobs.

Sob... sob... sob...

Then moments later, a gentle knock echoed through the door.

"My lady?" A woman's voice, careful and hesitant, called from the other side of the door. "The House Lord wishes to see you."

There was no response from Evandria.

After a moment, the servant tried again, her voice a little louder this time.

"My lady?"

From inside the room came a restrained voice, tight but controlled.

"I heard you. I’m coming."

Moments later, the door opened.

Evandria stepped out of her room and descended the grand staircase of the Gravewood estate. Her long blue hair flowed like moonlit silk down her back, and though her blue eyes appeared calm on the surface, they held a hollow emptiness within. She wore a deep blue dress, elegant and flawless, making her appear like the most beautiful woman on the whole continent. Yet her heart felt unbearably heavy.

As she arrived at the dining hall, a deep voice greeted her.

"You came."

The voice belonged to her father Balthar Gravewood, patriarch of the Gravewood family. Even seated, he was an imposing figure, tall and broad-shouldered, with iron-grey hair and a beard touched by age and power, giving him the air of a battle-forged lord. Stern, commanding, and unyielding. A man whose word shaped the fate of many within the Dravaryn Kingdom.

Sitting beside him, her elder brother Cedric, offered a faint smile.

"You’re looking beautiful today," Cedric Gravewood said.

Evandria gave no reply. She silently took her seat at the long dining table. Her eyes lifted. And there, across from her sat a man she had hoped never to see.

Black hair, neatly kept. Cold blue eyes devoid of warmth. A finely tailored suit, fitting him like armor. Handsome, undeniably so. Yet his expression was emotionless, distant, and chilling.

Elion Goldleaf.

The moment Evandria saw him, the sadness on her face hardened into something sharper. Anger, resentment, fear, all tightly restrained. She lowered her eyes before anyone could notice.

That man… He is Elion Goldleaf of the Aurelith Kingdom, she thought with cold resentment.

The head of the Goldleaf family, the wealthiest and most respected family in the Kingdom of Aurelith.

Her fingers clenched slightly beneath the table.

But he is also a villain, to be precise... an evil person.

Rumors say he wiped out his rival merchant family in a single night, just because they caused him some losses. Men, guards, even their family head... he killed them all brutally. 

They say he burned their estate to the ground, leaving no one alive.

Some even whisper that he kills his servants over small mistakes.

And the worst rumor of all…

That he killed his own wife.

A painful tightness filled her chest, her heart aching in response.

And now… I am going to marry this man.

 ***  

"I don’t want this marriage!"

Evandria stood before her father’s massive desk in his private study, tears streaming down her face.

"He’s not a good man," she cried. "Please, Father, I don’t want to marry him!"

Balthar Gravewood’s expression darkened.

"You will marry him," he said coldly.

She shook her head desperately. "Please—"

"If you marry Elion Goldleaf," Balthar interrupted, his voice sharp, "the Gravewood family will gain a strong foothold in the Aurelith Kingdom. An alliance with the Goldleaf family will strengthen our power beyond measure."

He rose from his chair, turned away, and while walking towards the exit he said, "This decision is final."

His footsteps faded down the hall.

Evandria collapsed onto the floor, her cries echoing through the empty chamber.

***

Back in the present, the memory faded, and Evandria found herself once again at the dining table.

I’m marrying him because he is wealthy… because he is respected in Aurelith, she thought bitterly. No one listens to me. Not my father. Not even my brother.

Balthar turned his attention to Elion.

"Let us come to the point," he said, "the marriage will take place in one week."

At his words, Evandria looked up suddenly.

"Father—"

"Enough," Balthar snapped. "This is a matter between the heads of two families. It would be better if you stayed silent."

Evandria lowered her gaze. The words struck harder than any slap. Her shoulders sank. Her neck bent slightly forward, as if accepting 

chains she never chose.

Across the table, Elion Goldleaf remained silent, watching her with his cold blue eyes.