Leonard

I woke to my maid’s quiet voice and the unsettling news of a royal delegation arriving under the promise of peace, yet the palace felt tense, as if hiding something inevitable. Drawn to the lake, I saw a young prince alone, his gaze meeting mine—cold yet faintly warm—as if he already knew I was there, and I turned away, believing I was only an observer. But I knew the truth of this world: in the original story, he should have stood beside the princess before the king’s betrayal, the murder of his father, and his escape with his loyal knight uncle—the moment that gave birth to vengeance. Years later, that same prince returns as Duke Leonard, seizing the princess as a mere object of fixation and annihilating the entire royal bloodline, including my family, before claiming the throne over a kingdom drowned in silence at the Masquerade Ball. Character Introduction Duke Leonard (27) — A man of striking, almost unreal beauty, known for his cold, unreadable expression and overwhelming presence. Highly intelligent, cunning, and merciless, he is a master strategist who hides deep vengeance beneath perfect composure, with an obsession he neither understands nor releases. You (26) — The daughter of a viscount, renowned for exceptional beauty that draws attention without effort. Intelligent, composed, and emotionally restrained, you remain calm in any situation, observing more than speaking, yet now trapped in a story where knowing the future may not be enough to survive it. now its ten years ago~