“I think I'd miss you even if we’d never met,” Azrael whispered as his fingers trailed the side of her face, leaving an alluring warmth.
Anna’s throat became dry, “We shouldn’t have met then―”
“No,” he said, “Even if it means losing everything, I would rather have you.”
They were destined to fall from the start. A forsaken bond. A hopeless cause. And yet, in that stolen moment, Anna didn’t care anymore, neither did he.
* * * 
Anna is a human in a world where her kind is treated like dust, while Azrael is the demon duke infamous for his ruthlessness and bewitching looks.
On a fateful night, her life gets entangled with him. Azrael takes her as his fiance, however, theirs is a relationship formed over a contract; a marriage of convenience.
In a land where the hatred between humans and demons runs deeper than blood, she can not let her guard down. 
Anna harbors no feelings for the handsome duke, nor for his kind. Though that doesn’t stop her heart from stuttering whenever he’s near, nor the ghost of a familiar fear to surge at the sound of his voice.
But he’s always near.
Telling her what to do.
Making her feel warmer, hotter than he should.
* * * 
To yearn for someone who is forbidden to you is a terrifying feeling. To burn from desire and never speak of it, to have a secret that is horrible to almost everyone, to hide something that could ruin everything.
This is a story carved in hidden desires, inked in blood, and sealed with a fatal sin. Will Anna make it out alive? Or will her heart lead to her downfall?

The Duke's Secret Sin

Anna was greatly inspired by the story of a lady with absurd demands, the lady who drove her husband to divorce. 


Hence, she decided to take a similar approach. Since she was not a demoness, she could not be too demanding and needed to appear innocent to not have her plan backfire. 


If he learned that she was deliberately trying to annoy him, only heaven knew what fate would await her. 


Her letter was simple and short; 'The feather is truly beautiful, I wonder how gorgeous the bird might be. Can I have one, please, Your Grace?' 


Emma was at a loss for words when they sent their letter. 


"You do know it's impossible to own a flamingo in our kingdom, right?" she was puzzled, "I thought I mentioned that only royalty can pet them. His Grace might be regarded highly but this...is a little too much." 


Victory Either Way