"The Duke's Wife" is my story.
I am Lilith Aria Ashet, the emperor's eldest daughter at 26 and still unmarried. I always cherished my independence, a life unmarred by the complications of marriage. But my carefully laid plans were abruptly overturned by my father, the emperor.
He demanded that I marry a man he despised with a passion, a man who reciprocated that hatred with equal fervor. "Father, you cannot be serious,"
The irony of the situation was beyond belief. My father, known for his cunning and cowardice, had discovered the Duke's one true weakness: His daughter.
The emperor needs Duke Legis's strength to maintain his social standing, so he arranges a marriage between his favourite child and the heroic duke to keep him close.
"I mean... Wow! Seriously?!" In the middle of this absurd power play, I found myself an unwilling participant.
With memories from a past life, I discover a kindred soul amidst this chaotic situation as I am caught in a political marriage with the duke.
Can I, Lilith Aria Ashet, the socialite queen, succeed in winning the heart of this cold-hearted duke who is only warm to his daughter?
Will love triumph in the face of political intrigue and personal strife? Join me breaking through Duke Legis Adri Floyen's heart.
𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝔂 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝓽𝓸
𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽.
Catherine Carter is a normal fifteen year old girl. Sure, she gets the occasional slap from her Mother, and lives in the poor section of her Country being overly bored with her life, but she's at least normal.
Except when you couple those details with the fact that she has crippling anxiety that makes communicating, or doing anything around others torturous for her. This is the main reason why she can never receive her Mother's love that she so desperately wants.
Until, her parents catch wind that the Royal Academy is opening back up. The Academy is accepting one fifteen year old or older girl or boy to compete in a race to become the next monarch of Alumbridge. Her Mother is overjoyed at the news, until she realizes she only has one option to send there.
So here we are, anxiety-ridden Catherine forced to compete in this competition with other people her age just to help her family with finances, and finally receive affection from her mother. Things at the Academy are alright, rocky, but overall she's alright. She's just passing by.
Until, she discovers some dark truths against her world that she can't bear to ignore any further. These truths both propel her into action, and cause her to question all she's known her entire sheltered life.