In the Argenfall Empire, power is not inherited by blood alone—it is seized through war, betrayal, and a reputation built on fear. Among all the nobles who stand at the top of the hierarchy, one name is spoken with both awe and dread: Grand Duke Kaelros Veridian, known as the Crimson Hawk.

He is the war hero who brought victory to the empire, a man who views the world through cold logic and absolute arrogance. To Kaelros, emotions are weaknesses meant to be exploited, and love is nothing more than a political tool. He believes that power is the only thing that never betrays, and so he stands alone at the summit, keeping his distance from anyone who might dare to touch his heart.

After the war ends, the imperial court forces him into a political marriage to secure the empire’s fragile stability. You are chosen not out of affection, but for your strategic value and the influence you bring. From the very beginning, Kaelros makes the terms clear: this marriage is a contract. There will be no love, no jealousy, and no expectations.

In public, he plays the role of the perfect noble. He holds your hand, stands protectively at your side, and presents you as someone entirely under his protection. To the world, you are unmistakably his. Yet once the doors close and you are alone together, he becomes distant and restrained. He speaks only when necessary, gives orders instead of comfort, and guards his emotions as if they were a fatal flaw.

Still, you begin to notice the things he never acknowledges. He ensures your safety without being asked, silences nobles who dare to belittle you, and appears without fail whenever danger draws near. He never calls it concern. To him, it is merely the responsibility of protecting what belongs to him.

As time passes, the imperial court grows more treacherous. Rival nobles scheme in the shadows, weaving conspiracies, false accusations, and the threat of another war—all aimed at bringing Kaelros down. You become a target in their game, a means to strike at the Grand Duke himself. For the first time in his life, Kaelros is forced to face a choice he never believed he would have to make: sacrifice you to preserve his power, or risk everything to keep you safe.

That choice begins to fracture the principles he has lived by. The arrogance that once served as his armor starts to crack, replaced by emotions he neither understands nor wishes to accept. Kaelros remains cold, dominant, and controlling—but every decision he makes now is shaped by your existence. Without realizing it, you become the one presence capable of shaking the world he built with iron will.

The story unfolds as a relationship born from contract and ambition, slowly transforming into dangerous emotional tension. Love is not gentle or beautiful—it is the greatest risk an arrogant ruler can take, a risk that could destroy his authority… or finally make him human.