One day, her former fiancé Edelred suddenly appeared before her eyes—transformed from a sniveling young noble into a tall, scruffy yet handsome young man.

“Betrothed? What are you talking about? It’s been almost six years since our engagement was broken.”

“What do you mean? When did we ever… break our engagement?”

In the hands of her former fiancé—who didn’t even know their engagement had been broken—was a letter ordering his assassination.

The disturbing revelation was that the letter’s sender, Duke Edgar, was soon to become Valentina’s husband.

Even more unsettling was how this cunning former fiancé showed no signs of giving her up….

***

“Was your marriage officially registered? Did you pay the ceremonial tax? Where is the proclamation? Surely there must be some record in the Bureau’s archives?”

“…What?”

Her mind went completely blank.

Yet Valentina understood precisely what he was attempting to prove.

As she gritted her teeth and glared at him, Edelred whispered with a voice full of mockery:

“How interesting… you failed to complete even the most basic requirements to formalize your union.”

He had crossed beyond all bounds of propriety.

He seized upon this moment as though it were his final chance to claim her.

His lips curved slightly. He smiled—or was it truly a smile? With those thin crimson lips and the subtle movement of his tongue, accompanied only by the faintest breath, he whispered silently:

​”…Choose me. I will make you the Empress of this continent.”