When the Grand Duke spoke, it wasn't as though he were offering an opinion—but rather as if he were reciting a universal truth.
Theoretically, Isolde ranked far higher than him. As a member of the main family, she married into a bloodline that carried weight.
But the Grand Duke offered her no such deference. Her influence, in his eyes, was confined to the insular realm of the Von Heim household.
Beyond those walls—across the vast expanse of the Kingdom of Ophris—he was a Grand Duke.
He ruled sprawling lands, commanded deep coffers, and held immense sway. The law may have barred nobles from maintaining private militaries, but that hardly mattered.
His power was ancient, rooted, and untouchable. She, on the other hand, was a widow. A slightly exotic one, perhaps, but a widow nonetheless. With the war raging, women like her were far from rare.
