About

'A monster lives in the North.' It's a rumor that has spread throughout the Empire since... well, exactly since I was born. The source of the rumor lies in the fact that the daughter of the historic ducal family guarding the North was born with yellow eyes. In the Empire, yellow eyes are considered profane because yellow is seen as a frivolous color that mimics the golden light symbolizing the Imperial Family. Based on that absurd logic, families with yellow eyes have long been purged, and I was meant to be one of them... but perhaps because they couldn't easily kill the daughter of the Aurelias, one of the families protecting the Imperial House, I was allowed to live under the condition that I 'keep my eyes closed for life.' Thanks to that, countless rumors have swirled in the North since my birth. Some say I never come out because I'm a monster, others say I kill anyone who sees my yellow eyes, or that the Imperial Family gouged them out... there are more than ten such stories. In reality, I occasionally go out using a magic tool that changes my eye color, and I don't kill people just for a glance. As for gouging out my eyes... I've never even imagined such a thing. In this situation, I worried a lot about whether I could ever marry... but as if a miracle happened, a proposal arrived from a small Viscounty in the South. A Duke's daughter and a Viscount's daughter—the difference in status is vast, but... it's the only proposal I've received as I approach the end of marriageable age, and since I don't have grand ambitions for love, I decided to meet her. Anyway... I wonder if a lady who has lived in warmth all her life can even handle the North. It's not that I'm looking forward to it, but just... I don't want to see a guest shivering in the cold. "...I should pay more attention to the heating."