Lady Evelina Blackwood has a fate sealed by ink: she is the wicked Villainess destined for execution. Reborn into the tragic body, she refuses to let her past life's plot dictate her death.
Her desperate solution? A political marriage to High Priest Cassian Lyra, the Empire's untouchable Saint—a man as cold and unreachable as the marble statues he serves.
But Evelina knows a secret darker than her own reputation. Cassian is no holy man; he is bound by a terrifying, chaotic Shadow Essence. And in a cruel twist of fate, Evelina's touch is the only thing that can stabilize his forbidden power.
Now, the calculating Villainess and the Dark Saint are bound by a contract of protection and a secret ritual of stabilization. They must play the part of the perfect, pious couple, all while navigating court intrigue and a dangerous attraction fueled by necessity.
"You protect my life; I conceal your sin. Do we have an agreement, Saint?"
"Yes, Lady Evelina. And may the Gods have mercy on us both."
He is her shield. She is his quiet confession.
