The Substitute Bride

The Story

Maid Evelyn spends a decade pining for Duke Alistair before her fleeing sister forces a desperate substitution. The marriage brings relentless abuse and a false frame that leads to a fall from a tower and the loss of her twins. She stages her own death to vanish from his life. Returning as a High Alchemist, she uncovers her sister’s liaison with a dark mage. Evelyn finally rejects Alistair, discarding his ring in the process. She sails away, leaving him behind as she reclaims her freedom.