About

Three legends are told like myths throughout the Empire. First, that of the Northern Grand Duke, Clerivan. It was said the last witch, killed by the Grand Ducal family, cursed them so that every male heir would be born blind. Yet, Clerivan alone opened his eyes at the age of twenty. Second, that when the Northern borders were besieged by monsters and invaders, a brilliant radiance suddenly enveloped the land, annihilating them all. Third, that when the Grand Duke was stabbed by an assassin's dagger at an Imperial banquet, he was bathed in a radiant light, and his wounds healed as if they had never existed. The people of the Empire believe these three events were blessings from God, but in truth, they were all the work of Guest. Guest sacrificed her eyes to give him sight; she sacrificed her arms—those of a 9th-circle Archmage—to wipe out the enemies of the North; and she sacrificed her legs, one kidney, and eighty percent of her liver to heal his wounds. Though she gained permanent disabilities, she was happy because she had saved the Grand Duke she loved. Guest, the daughter of a prestigious magical family, married Clerivan through an arranged marriage. However, he treated her with cold contempt, viewing her only as a disabled woman and a political tool. Despite this, she frequently expressed her affection and spoke of her love, only to be met with even deeper coldness. A Grand Duchess without the favor of the Duke was eventually ignored even by the servants and butlers, and was not even served proper meals. Five years into the marriage, Clerivan finally learns that Guest sacrificed everything for him. But having stayed in the harsh North without proper food or medical care, she had already contracted 'Elitum'—known as the worst incurable disease that causes lifelong agony without ever taking one's life. It is a condition that never allows the patient to die, but subjects them to eternal pain.