Paradisus Valentinae

One day, her former fiancé, Edelred, suddenly appeared before her.

The snot-nosed noble boy had turned into a tall, scruffy young man.

“An engagement? What on earth are you talking about? It’s been nearly six years since we broke it off.”

“What do you mean? When did we ever… break it off?”

In the hands of her former fiancé, who didn’t even know he had been rejected, was a letter ordering him to assassinate her.

The problem? The sender of that letter was none other than Duke Edgar, the man soon to become Valentina’s husband.

The bigger problem? This cunning ex-fiancé had no intention of giving her up.

***

“Have the two of you formally registered your marriage or paid the marriage tax? What about a proclamation? At the very least, did you leave any record of it with the Secretariat?”

“…What?”

Her mind went blank. But Valentina knew all too well why he was pressing this point.

Grinding her teeth, she glared at him, but Edelred only whispered mockingly, his voice dripping with amusement.

“Ah, seriously… What’s this about? You haven’t completed a single step to become an official couple.”

He was beyond control. He was obsessed with this moment, as if it were his last chance to see her.

His lips moved.

He smiled—or was that a smile? The subtle movement of his thin, red lips, the flicker of his tongue, and his faint breaths conveyed a silent whisper.

“…Choose me. I’ll make you the Empress of the continent.”