Introduction:
The Dragon Court is ruled by the king, while five great noble houses hold seats on the Royal Council. Lucian, Duke of Redflame, has no blood relation to the king and possesses no legitimate claim to the throne. Yet Lyra Ashbourne, heir to the Skyfire Legion, has long been regarded as his intended political bride. On the eve of the royal hunt, Lyra accidentally overhears Lucian conspiring with his childhood sweetheart, Vera. Their plan is to hire a fake lover to publicly ruin Lyra's reputation, then force her into marriage by presenting Lucian as the only man willing to "save" her honor. In return, Lucian intends to seize control of the Skyfire Legion. Lyra does not expose them immediately. Instead, she decides to turn their own scheme against them.The next day, the fake lover appears before the entire court with forged love letters and even claims to know the exact location of a distinctive dragon scale hidden near the base of Lyra's wing. Lyra first exposes Lucian's true motive— using marriage as a way to take control of her family's military power. Then she asks King Caius to reveal the current color of the hidden scale. His answer is immediately confirmed by examination records from Lyra's female physician, proving that the fake lover could not possibly have seen it. With the lie exposed before the entire court, Lyra makes an even more shocking declaration: Caius is the man she truly loves.
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