Okjin's footsteps echoed in the quiet hallways of the Sylvaine Duchy as he made his way toward the meeting room. His thoughts were still clouded from the conversation with the elders. They had made it clear that he needed to marry, not just for personal reasons but to secure his political position. The matter of heirs had been raised, and the elders had alluded to his "condition"—though they hadn't been specific about what that meant. Okjin assumed they meant his supposed infertility. His lack of ability to produce an heir, in their eyes, was a significant concern, but nothing he couldn't handle.
It's just a marriage to strengthen my position, he told himself, willing his nerves to settle. It doesn't matter who she is. It's a formality—nothing more.
He had accepted it with a detached sort of calm. After all, Lirien had lived like this—bound by duty and appearances. Okjin could do the same. If this union offered political stability and a clearer path toward his goals, there was no reason to refuse it.
Most likely, he and his fiancé would adopt an heir. Their marriage would be respectable, if distant. In time, maybe they'd even grow to trust one another. A quiet companionship, perhaps—even a gentle fondness.
And yet…
Perhaps, in some hushed, unlit corner of his soul, Okjin longed for more. Not passion, not desire—but something warmer. Something sweeter. A hand to hold without suspicion. A voice that didn't calculate, but comforted. He had never known that kind of love—not in this life, nor the one before.
Still, he swallowed that longing whole, pressed it down into silence, and locked it behind rational thought. There was no room for such dreams in a world like this. No space for soft hope in a life built on borrowed power.
When he reached the door, he paused for a moment. The stakes of the meeting were high, but he had learned to compartmentalize. He could go through with this, just as Lirien would have done. He had no need for emotional attachment, just a political alliance that would give him access to the resources he needed. This would be a brief formality.
With a deep breath, Okjin reached for the handle and pulled the door open.
Inside, the room was just as grand as he had expected. The marble columns gleamed with silver accents under the warm light filtering in through the windows. But it wasn't the ornate and probably obscenely expensive interior decor that captured his attention. Instead, his gaze immediately shifted to the figure standing by the window seat, waiting.
Okjin froze.
His gaze caught sight of short ink black hair with red eyes underneath, calculating and fierce, with a flicker of surprise flashing by as fast as it came, making it seem an illusion or a trick of the light.
It was a man?
And not just any.
Sebastian Vaeloria.
In the cursed novel Okjin read; Sebastian was a charismatic playboy and the heir to the wealthiest noble family in the Elyssian Empire surpassing even the other duchies and rumored to possess more wealth than even the royal family—the Vaeloria Family. As the future Duke of Vaeloria, he is known for his incredibly sharp wit and his proficiency with his family's unique magical ability: Chains of Dominion—the power to command metal and forge inescapable chains.
Born into a loveless household, Sebastian was raised by parents trapped in a marriage of convenience, their only concern being wealth and power. To them, he was nothing more than a pawn to further their ambitions. Deprived of genuine affection, he sought solace in intimacy and pleasure, using fleeting encounters to fill the void left by his neglectful upbringing. Yet, no matter how many lovers he took, the emptiness never faded. He ran into the female lead on his way back from one of his "nights out" and she caught sebastian's interest the plot furthering their relationship.
In aristocratic circles, Sebastian is infamously known as The Velvet Devil. His mastery of Chains of Dominion and his unique skill, Devil's Ledger, ensures that no debt goes unpaid, no bargain is ever broken, and those who dare defy him find their very fortunes, memories, or even souls weighed against the price of their betrayal. Whispers say that making a deal with him is akin to signing a contract with the devil himself—inescapable, binding, and always in his favor. Yet, despite the fear he commands, nobles and merchants alike still seek him out, drawn to his irresistible charm, unparalleled influence, and the undeniable power he wields.
Okjin's heart skipped a beat for all the wrong reasons.
The room seemed to narrow, and he found himself struggling to process what he was seeing. The man who had walked into the room was everything Okjin had heard about—and more. Sebastian's presence was immediately captivating, his every step exuding an undeniable confidence. His jet black hair glistened in the light, his features sharp and chiseled, and there was something both playful and dangerous in his red eyes as he looked directly at Okjin.
Sebastian's eyes ran over him, his gaze lingering far too long. He stepped closer, and the smile that tugged at his lips was equal parts amusement and intrigue. Okjin blinked, his mind racing.
Wait… Okjin's thoughts scrambled. This… This is my fiancée?
He felt the room grow colder, his mind in chaos as he tried to make sense of what was happening. The elders had arranged a marriage, but they had never specified that his fiancée would be a man. His heart pounded in his chest, and his mouth suddenly felt dry.
Did they think that because I'm infertile, they could simply marry me off to a man? Okjin's mind spiraled with panic and confusion. Why would they choose him?
Sebastian continued to approach, his smirk deepening as he closed the distance between them. Okjin stiffened, feeling suddenly trapped. Was this some kind of sick joke? He had assumed the marriage would be a formal arrangement with a woman, someone who could help him fulfill the role the elders had planned for him. But this?
The man standing before him, looking down with an almost predatory gaze, was not what Okjin had expected—not in the slightest.
Sebastian paused a few steps away, studying Okjin with keen interest. He tilted his head slightly, as if considering him more closely.
"Well, aren't you a sight," Sebastian said, his voice smooth, his tone playful. "I must admit, I had no idea the heir to the Sylvaine Duchy would be so... ethereal." he said while reaching out for lirien's hand and kissing the back of it.
Okjin couldn't think of a response. His mind was a whirlwind of confusion. What is happening? He screamed internally, unable to find his voice. This man— Sebastian—was supposed to be his fiancée?
Sebastian's gaze softened, and his lips curled into a smirk. Without warning, he reached out and cupped Okjin's chin gently, tilting his head slightly upward.
"Hmm," Sebastian murmured, his touch light but deliberate. "You look like you're deep in thought. I'd hoped for a more enthusiastic greeting, Lirien."
Okjin's breath hitched, and a flush spread across his face. He jerked back instinctively, his heart racing. Inwardly flustered and shocked by the boldness of the touch. He tried his best not to show how affected he was.
"That's inappropriate." he stated, calmly pushing away the insulting hand; expression cold.
The red ears peeking out from his tufts of white hair seemed to give him away, though. If Sebastian's amused expression was anything to go off of.
Sebastian chuckled softly, his eyes never leaving Okjin's face. "Is it? But we're going to be married, aren't we? Fiancés are supposed to be familiar with one another."
"Not like this," Okjin quickly retorted. "This is a mistake. You've got it all wrong." His face was calm as if set in stone, but his body refused to relax, caught in the confusion of the moment. His shoulders tense with panic and confusion.
Sebastian's eyes glittered with amusement, clearly entertained by Okjin's subtle flustered reaction. "Ah, a little shy, are we? I didn't take you for the coy type."
"I'm not coy," Okjin snapped, trying to back away, but finding himself unable to escape from the trap of the wall and Sebastian's gaze. "This arrangement is a mistake. I don't even know they picked you."
Sebastian leaned in just a little closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Well, I'm glad to be your first mistake, Lirien."
Before Okjin could reply, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"Enough, Sebastian."
Jeremiah stepped forward, his face tight with anger. His fists were clenched at his sides, his jaw set with a deep, simmering fury. The change in atmosphere was palpable, and Okjin was relieved for the interruption, though he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, his amused smile never fading. "Oh, what's this? The ever-protective Jeremiah stepping in? I had heard you ran to the Sylvanines after the ruin of your household. Who knew that the son of a disgraced count could look so charming in a butler's uniform? Don't worry, I'm just getting to know my fiancée."
Jeremiah's gaze was cold as he stood between them, his body rigid with tension. "You're crossing a line."
Sebastian's smile widened, but it took on a more biting edge. He made no further move. " I'm crossing a line? You're standing before two future dukes. Know your place. You're nothing more than a relic of a ruined house. Don't presume to act familiar with me—or with Lirien."
He leered at Jeremiah's form "You are not to refer to me by name or I shall have your tongue cut." Sebastian spat acid whilst smiling like he had just given Jeremiah a cup of sugar.
With a final glance at Okjin, Sebastian turned on his heel and walked toward the door. "I'll be waiting outside, Lirien," he said, his voice low with a certain dark promise.
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Okjin standing there, feeling more bewildered than ever.