As the grand entrance of the Blackwood ducal estate loomed closer, Alicia's anxiety intensified with each passing moment.

Her mind was awash with anxious imaginings. What if she truly became nothing more than the subject of ridicule and returned home humiliated? Yet, despite her apprehensions, the carriage she rode in moved silently past the imposing gates of the Blackwood estate. All she could do was attempt to calm her pounding heart.

‘It’s... huge.’

The first impression that struck her upon entering the estate grounds was the sheer size of the Blackwood mansion. Alicia had never considered the Rowid Barony’s manor …