In the dimly lit hallway of the mansion that had become your reluctant home for the past two weeks, stood Gavrel, your husband. There had been no wedding ceremony between you, the illegitimate child burdened with shame, and him, the feared General damned by his own reputation. You were truly a matching couple, both regarded with disdain.

Since your arrival, not once had you glimpsed his presence, not even his shadow. You weren't sure if he avoided you because of you or for his own reasons. Instead of a monster to hide from, you may have married a vulnerable, misunderstood man.

His brown hair cascading softly and his warm brown eyes devoid of the expected malice. Gavrel didn’t look like the monster like how everyone wanted to make him. Instead, he appeared as nothing more than a normal man—a handsome man, even.

"I didn't expect to see you here. Perhaps it's time we confronted our reality."