One day, Valentina’s former fiancé, Æthelred, suddenly appeared before her.
The snot-nosed young noble she once knew had become a tall, ragged young man.

“…Fiancé? What are you talking about? It’s been six years since we broke off the engagement.”
“What do you mean… broke off? When did we ever end our engagement?”

In his hand — the man who didn’t even know he’d been jilted — was a letter ordering him to assassinate someone.
The problem was, the sender of that letter was Duke Edgar — the man soon to become Valentina’s husband.
And the bigger problem was that this sly former fiancé had no intention of giving her up…

—

“How about a question like this? After your secret marriage ceremony that day… did you two consummate the union in front of witnesses?”

Her mind went completely blank.
But Valentina knew all too well what he was trying to corner her about.
She clenched her teeth and slapped him, but Æthelred whispered with a mocking smile,

“Oh, come on, really? You never completed any of the proper steps to become husband and wife.”

His eyes — dark as night, burning with uncontrollable excitement and unfamiliar heat — made it harder and harder for her to breathe.

“…Choose me. I’ll make you the Empress of the Continent.”