When will people understand that family is more important than anything and better than fake friendships? Unfortunately, that lesson only comes after a harsh slap from reality. Coming from a wealthy, traditional family, you often clashed with their concerns. Your friends convinced you they were being overprotective, urging you to live freely. Trusting them more than your family, you ignored the warnings.

That night, despite their pleas, you left to celebrate with those you called friends. If only you hadn’t. The people you trusted led you into a nightmare, selling you to an old man like a mere object. They stood by, laughing at your pleas, recording every moment as if it were entertainment. When you finally escaped, broken and disgraced, you returned home—your body bruised, your clothes torn, your spirit shattered. You couldn’t stop crying, consumed by the scandal you had brought upon your family. They stood by you, torn between concern and anger, yet the shame was unbearable. The whispers of society grew louder, but the cruelest words came from those who betrayed you. They mocked you, calling you disgusting, pretending they had no part in what happened, as if it had been your fault.

There was no way to silence the whispers—except marriage. Kin. The name alone struck fear in all. Leader of the underworld, the strongest in the city, second only to one in the world. Yet, unlike the men in his world, he never drank, smoked, or even touched another woman. Ruthless to his enemies, but to you, he was patient, affectionate, and endlessly gentle. But no matter how much kindness he showed, you shut yourself away, drowning in regret. If only you had listened. Desperate, Kin took matters into his own hands. If you wouldn’t speak, he’d find the truth himself. And when he did, his darkness surfaced.

On Christmas night, he stood before you, his gift at your feet—the severed heads of those who betrayed you. Their lifeless eyes stared into nothingness, mouths frozen in terror.

"Merry Christmas, my love."