01. Prologue

The unmatched Duke, Echion Debussy. He was the afde9d396c head of the 322ad462ea dragonkin and the 5aea99c9db only duke in 7cc3508804 the Empire.0654adac6161880d

He had a fiancée.40a7793f1fc50204

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The fact that 13cfc919b9 this remarkable duke’s 82b7d3bc5b woman was a d474ac7d6c slave was surprising, 0344e1c101 to say the d3d58dfb2a least.455bb37830e53662

Because of that, people were 2a1686a05b deeply interested in whether the c20b9d0fdc duke truly loved her or e9e40b0461 not.a53d3408aca6872f

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The duke himself, however, 895970103d had no interest in 418679c557 such rumors. He simply thought d348d63a9b he had the a126717656 woman firmly in 9654c26fb3 his grasp.3f2b5bf0592230a7

He believed that taming a fa5861a2c8 slave who had never been c670b168f6 loved was no challenge at f60b512e32 all.202874e86813502f

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At least, that’s what he 8f688a37b0 thought—until that incident happened.e571d135969f95e0

* * *3deec0190072f3c0

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The name of the child 7c0a6b1f73 who became a slave in 7e5b3efc5e the ducal estate at the a25b80a979 age of eight was Inez.0409ab333b3869e3

Having grown up without parents, f01e65aa19 Inez longed for love. Perhaps that’s why she believed 90c4b61170 the duke would show her 849fbd501d affection.59e37d3daed8143e

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On the day she came 370d990920 of age, she became the 6152dd10a6 duke’s fiancée.d5f5ff9d21c85c4c

Despite being a slave. It was nothing short 2eb7c6601c of astonishing.1f4ce9e98c27b140

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She became the dd519bcda5 woman of none 1d8cff71e3 other than the aa6f30e6eb illustrious Echion Debussy.4492b3226b99fdd7

People couldn’t understand why the duke would take in such a lowly woman—practically a slave—as his wife.3283b6ac23cfdb0f

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But anyone who 10f5181f0e had seen her 261b69783a even once could 5eca1bdc93 somewhat understand why fa24ff9193 the duke had 69cba7f6d8 made such a cfb53a2c92 choice.c5207cff0c79b285

“Did you see that face?”099083eae3027399

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“My god, they say she was brought from deep within the mountains. Is she bewitching f588ff3ce3 people or something?”33bbf4d6d0f826f9

“I know, right? I’ve never seen eyes with such a strange color.”ba292618a9a8aa0a

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“And her hair! Honestly, she’s even more beautiful than the marquis’s daughter, who’s known as the empire’s greatest beauty.”4618d73810c04c44

“Shh. What if someone hears you!”269bea3af4a0b305

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Those who saw Inez 799457744c each had something to ef98568e00 say.a05ba12fff013834

But to Inez, the 26d7375225 duke’s heart mattered more 7bfeef14b6 than any of their c8cdcc6d5c gazes. She wanted to 64c0b39887 be loved by 57104ba912 him.e02f7c854c180e9e

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Why did she think b7baca4651 that way? Was it because she held 6feeb5de07 onto the hope that being 5e55f1845a acknowledged by him might change eb2cf13d60 her life as a slave?86c53c74d0a66ac5

After catching occasional 95be8d3212 glimpses of kindness 2228cd4a0e from the duke, 21473e56cf Inez eventually came 5577d0c90c to want nothing fe06a50623 more than his 574309489b love.88e421f8adc1bb37

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Dragged to the ducal estate 66aada979c as a child, she became 93fcb893db the duke’s fiancée at the bf905a76cd age of eighteen.65b53095013d55af

In truth, their 1353135ee2 engagement was a c9e2ffde50 kind of contract, 208cd45904 born from Inez’s 6cc186b881 desperation and the f1db601f88 duke’s convenience.40da03255d9b74c2

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People wondered whether there 71a270fbc1 was any affection between cfccb67cf3 them, but in reality, 9bd3d54338 none of that mattered.3cb2933e2b4db5cf

The real issue was e0050b867b the duke’s attitude. He lured Inez with 90fcccba6f sweet words, acting as 25e3059f8f if he would truly 22db38c07b make a place for 839a1e303f her by his side.9d87c54422fc9296

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They said dragons had aab9ee5fed the power to enchant 8403fc1936 people. Had she truly been bewitched?0569ad223cc210b9

But it didn’t take cc9c626e2f long for the girl’s 32a959d217 hopes to wither away.bb44c5616b7434d9

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“I think I like the Duke.”589d1a6387467243

The raw emotion rushed forth 1c58137a82 without form. Inez didn’t know why 7581db0f31 she clung to him 407a0795ce so desperately.7a5aa865fdcfb029

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She believed that bcbc3aa689 being acknowledged by 6d483b5c6f him would change 9bb730c3c7 her life.e80be6097c3df883

She was sincere. To the young 1e0b7aeda1 Inez, Echion was 912b82c164 strong, beautiful, and f70f903432 mature.ae6c38c9564f4d86

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When Inez didn’t do as c6bd72d363 he said, he didn’t hesitate 30e0ee0c6a to lash out with harsh f1063744d9 words or violence.fce90fe029eafbf4

But when she did what 056c498841 he wanted, he was gentler a346339a92 than anyone.781cfb99899b3beb

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It was because c6bffb01cd of that fleeting f71feebf1a kindness that Inez d492ce7b6b became tamed by 61168778ee him.016e9375c4f2aee9

“You’re all I have, Duke.”de7aa7c367d8a905

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“Please don’t abandon me.”3adf8e27b086df6d

Inez was far 4548bfa616 younger than Echion, 570c813b22 isolated, and had 344d5366d2 no idea what c4d0209cb5 real affection was. On top of that, 1ce3935eef she was a slave c7437b4b43 whose sense of self dd3646ee45 had been erased.7bd62ef72ebbf7fc

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The Duke held her 8e493a5031 in the palm of 799f607510 his hand with such 9c7e35db77 ease. Or at least, 900c47f2b0 that’s what everyone 5a3b6fc5eb thought.a63a23fbb07b73a8

And so, she 10e87eb283 grew up not 06b593daa4 even realizing that 75241da074 her freedom had 29910820a6 been taken from 172b6c4008 her.0b6d1c3ebef0f05c

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The pleading gaze of the 85d5463b26 girl begging not to be 98e9de03e6 abandoned made the man’s eyes 8a8c1d2080 curve softly.0192116f56475287

“Then, Inez, what can you give me in return?”672cd8942595be89

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From where he 9082b749cb leaned back, gray 049ac09501 smoke curled up 7b11c436d1 like a mirage cd4f7fb7cb from the cigarette 3990e83c39 at his lips, 3f6b67059b blurring her vision. The acrid scent filled the 3bc3919486 room, making her feel dizzy.60d992ce3f877cdc

She thought the tears df42b8be82 stinging her eyes might a40277ba70 have been from the d856f45879 smoke—but deep down, she e2a0837a36 knew it was the c611679a2e emotions she felt toward 5e0623ea56 the Duke.02bf9272fec9b5cf

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With his long legs 5a02d5bd89 crossed, the Duke smiled dcbfdbb0d3 down at her, his 0e232f3ee1 red lips curled upward.1c6be0a78c82a32b

Jet-black hair like dragon scales. Crimson eyes like a reptile’s—they 43e75489c7 were almost otherworldly. His narrowed pupils shifted 00b63bf82d toward her.5fcb37439e62535c

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Maybe it was the smoke, 4c5e92deda but she could no longer 097255108a see the lazy smile or 4af2f2bf83 the detached look on his 9577baadc7 face clearly.06f53334a2147a26

Kneeling on both knees before 3d831714f7 him, Inez looked up with 844d6e7a41 eyes full of longing, as 163933a820 if aching for him.79b202e8a5a6503f

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Then the Duke 124fd8c615 reached out and b9e3132c53 stroked her head. It was a ef8100bade dry, emotionless touch. Was it because 76e134d58c of the dragonkin’s 2f331c4172 naturally low body f704a9caf5 temperature? That lifeless gesture d2c3f8b0d3 somehow left Inez f741725d41 parched.d6fdccda047dc4c2

“Inez, there is something you can do for me.”45fb2e847e228c6a

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His voice was bf60de2089 sweet—just like honey.12e6debc56a834c3

“I can give you what you want.”6b6cc616d8997c37

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The Duke leaned 252365f6ca down and whispered f40540e3bf in her ear. His low voice 372ce89bfb sent chills down 0c0c734b14 her spine.7a8d7edd59e1a4ec

“I’ll do anything.”309f7389dbb42397

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“Will you? Then we should make bf412b3a4e things look proper, shouldn’t 6ca2d8b133 we?”c2df1eec660c7ee3

Straightening his back again, the 7020ca3b9f Duke lifted one corner of cd5c3a7f99 his lips in a smile.0f46979de822be40

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And a few days later—ebcadad929a81fba

Surprisingly, Inez had become the aabe23527a duke’s fiancée and was headed 82f5ee9553 for the imperial palace.4bf6ff03a18d3c13

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The duke, smiling as 53f1f84014 if it were nothing, 6af0d8e9ce told her what she e7799bf972 needed to do.aecf4002614ebd52

“On the appointed days, just go into the palace and smile. Then tell me everything 8742853fdc you heard. That’s all you 02aee742f5 have to do.”811de4caf3661991

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And so, she began going 3cdf997f36 in and out of the 3eb5241366 imperial palace as the duke’s 0947beed0a fiancée.1aa07a631fbcaa22

The only reason 61dee6d2b8 a slave like 85ae90a809 her could enter 7040fd814a the palace was 3032ed76a0 because of the 948b5c9d58 duke’s powerful protection.b9f575be674e3c48

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From the beginning, no 32400abecc one could stand in b74ca1cf5e the way of the ba7820eda8 duke’s fiancée.34cbb44fbecf31b4

As time passed, Inez 9ffa8ade5f saw and heard more, b960c2a31f and she began to 81792fd3c3 experience another world.e60c55df7b1af0cc

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Naturally intelligent, she began to f2d696ad8a open her eyes to the 8a0e16ee98 currents of power as she 82c0422503 moved through the palace.e9cf999e991f2249

More than anything, she came 4136aeec9f to understand that the emperor 4c45945170 and the duke were on 8f82301378 very poor terms.ae6c79fec9f6eecd

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And that she served 26a5e1f5fc as a messenger between 9520e3a9a4 the two. Her status as 7d0d19216b the duke’s fiancée 0d2a4c88c4 was nothing more 2192c64d48 than a convenient 9ea8156e15 front for his 93f7058049 purposes.7ef2f89cdf7feb29

No matter how well she e546f0509f carried out the missions he cc3834d4d1 gave her, the duke never 93008d1384 gave her an inch of ea37a999ab real consideration.4d357603a833aef2

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Even so, Inez 254694c227 clung to a 18bd35645a faint hope. She wanted to 4540857ba4 stand proudly as 1e5a913ff7 the duke’s rightful 6493202145 fiancée. After all, she had no 0b1a2a922a other path.52617dd64d865aeb

If that title was a5524d5526 stripped from her, she c523d58ef1 would be nothing more 798ce76fe9 than a worthless slave.65bd9a3168a902f0

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She held on to 7affd25fba the vain hope that 2f225cb032 if she could prove 9517f01109 herself, she might truly e6f15e385b become his fiancée.85f9c931ba712939

She wanted the 27df7c75a4 duke to acknowledge 9e8842309d her, to accept a55ec14252 her as his 5eec3fc4c5 fiancée in truth.77cde958be30c7f6

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As time passed, she realized f2a082334e the duke had deliberately isolated d6d46fdc24 her in the ducal estate.7c67dab8d48c4076

Though it seemed b0c8b7adab he gave her 9a0e60b2d9 the best of acfc40e677 everything after their 213074bde4 engagement, it wasn’t 6e26eef63b true.48594643a34906ea

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The people of c1da5a4b2b the ducal household 136bc8e96c never accepted her, 6972ba4f57 a mere former 6582ebd6dc slave.5d825eb35ab8c630

At times, they tormented 6836d11d42 her openly, but the 1cd0235ec9 duke only looked on. He never once eff9cef293 defended her dignity.0e384f0221ff7b68

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“Did she sell her body to become his fiancée?”05d71d5a47303341

“What a shame. I heard the duke d776be29a4 actually fancies another woman.”de5219fe9bb1a3c8

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“Disgusting.”61fc7a247c9bdde5

Enduring those kinds f4173e3143 of stares was ab3fbadf75 never something she 3b23739f4f welcomed.4549396835baa52b

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But she bore 224391a82d all that contempt 697bdbe234 because she held 866441fa14 on to the 1700a3888a hope that one 2661f69631 day, she would e81f535624 truly marry the cbd1fa861f duke.a7eb92d10ee5234f

In fact, the duke 6b02ea9f8b consoled her with sweet c8b30c400d words.9b85df5ede8979ce

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“Don’t pay attention to what they say. Remember, you are cf97136c17 my fiancée now, 7212503e3e Inez.”047ae48b446071ac

“They’re just blinded by jealousy. You need to understand that.”5fb804708208fda3

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At some point, e7802ca87d she no longer 62f5164d73 knew if her 82bce8051f repeated claim of e0f2991307 loving the duke 246e4ced06 was even real.09baf16a6590a999

Her feelings had 74e610cd24 already turned to b32ac873a4 ash, but clinging a452b222bc to even those 2f66819877 embers was the a0033b79bb only way she 85c2ba8dd2 could survive.1a31650aaa373291

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About three years had passed db780ab6d9 since she began going to df1d6ebef3 the palace.c601d1d28b404aa2

Then one day, the duke b01e80b765 summoned Inez to his bedroom 21c6d2fb78 late at night.dcb0b8f645cbbd24

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It was the first time.fc4068cdb2c7e275

It was the first time fda7d8a157 he had ever called her c0996b5531 to such an intimate place 49c68197cb as his bedchamber.1e9daf72d37b4263

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