Almond – illustratör

With the Faith Council of Saints established and the way cleared to begin the grand tournament of the Saintly Trials, the stage is set for the ultimate confrontation between Carolina and her sister Flora. Although Carolina has always been overshadowed by Flora, now that she wields the power of Divinity and enjoys the support of her husband and loyal companions, she’s determined to cast off her sister’s looming influence once and for all. Meanwhile, Flora, her pride at stake, will stop at nothing to preserve her image and honor her mother’s legacy. In this grand finale, which sister will emerge as the one true Saint?

Lady Carolina Sanchez has spent her entire life believing she is the “Sanchez family disgrace,” a notion constantly reinforced by her elder sister, Flora. In public, Flora is a model of kindness and gentility, always coming to her baby sister’s defense...but behind closed doors, she heaps abuse on Carolina, leveraging Carolina’s perceived shortcomings to suit her own ends. When Carolina is sent to the neighboring Malcosian Empire for a political marriage to Prince Edward Ruby Martinez, she expects to disappoint her new family too. But, to her surprise, her husband-to-be and her new in-laws seem to genuinely adore her! Can Carolina escape the anguish of her past and rise to the occasion as Edward’s imperial consort? She just might, especially if she’s quite as powerless as she assumed...

In the grand empire of Malcosias, Lady Carolina Sanchez has found herself living a life far from what she imagined. Her new husband is unexpectedly tender, her in-laws surprisingly warm, and her enemies...closer than she ever anticipated. With the Founder’s Day Fete—a glittering event where she and Edward will proclaim their marriage—fast approaching, Carolina must navigate palace politics, masked threats, and an assassination attempt that has left her shaken. Her only shield is her impulsive bodyguard, Owen, who seems as ill-suited to the task as he is brash. But as dangers begin to close in, Carolina can’t help but wonder: Why was Owen chosen to protect her? Was it fate, mere coincidence, or something far more dangerous that placed him by her side?

After surviving several assassination attempts, Carolina finally makes it to her wedding day. Being the first royal marriage in decades, the ceremony is a grand and beautiful affair set to be broadcast across the empire. But when Prince Edward refuses to consummate their marriage and leaves on a months-long quest to exterminate mana-beasts, old insecurities rear their ugly heads. Though Flora is worlds away, her dark shadow continues to loom over Carolina’s consciousness.

But then, Prince Edward sends Carolina surprising news: the mana-beasts have seemingly disappeared, but nobody can figure out why. This allows the newlyweds to finally go on their honeymoon, but it’s to be spent in Count Kissinger’s domain—a situation that leaves Carolina’s handmaiden, Marisa, less than thrilled. Can Carolina use this opportunity to rewrite her story and prove her life can be different from before? And what truths might she uncover about her ever-loyal handmaiden along the way?

Lady Marisa Kissinger is said to be the most beautiful woman in all of the Malcosian Empire. Yet, instead of living as the pampered wife of a powerful aristocrat, she serves as a personal handmaiden to the royal family. It’s a mystery that has long plagued Princess Carolina Sanchez’s mind, and on her honeymoon, she may finally uncover the truth. How did Marisa''s greatest fears lead her to where she is now?

Though Carolina is always concerned with others, she might do well to turn some of that attention inward. The secondary purpose of this trip was to retest her magical ability—something she’s supposedly always lacked, unlike her sister, the family’s golden child. Ever since she set foot in the empire, inexplicable miracles have followed. Now, it’s time to determine whether those were mere coincidences—or if there’s a higher calling for the so-called “Sanchez family disgrace.”

Following an eventful honeymoon, Carolina returns to the capital with Teodore and Edward. Her aim now is clear: restore Prince Gilbert’s health and resolve the brewing Malcosian succession crisis. As a newly revealed bearer of Divinity, only Carolina can cure the ailing prince and restore balance to a fractured empire. But to protect her, that gift must remain secret—and secrecy within the court breeds suspicion. As Carolina grows closer to Gilbert, whispers of scandal begin to circulate, led by the cunning Lady Monica Arendt, daughter of the ambitious Duke Arendt and a noblewoman with her sights set on the throne. Her goal? Marry Prince Gilbert, worm her way into the royal family, and seize control of Malcosias. But that ambition puts her on a collision course with Carolina. Tensions flare, hearts are tested, and the empire’s future is put on the line as Carolina must prove not only her power but her right to stand at the center of it all.

Divinity. To Carolina, it is her chance to finally matter, but to others, it’s a means to seize power. Archbishop Mills, the corrupt leader of the Celestian Church, devises a plot to abduct Carolina and harness her gift for his own sinister ends. His goal is to become the next high pontiff and claim absolute dominion over the land. A swift warning from Carolina’s father, Duke Sanchez of Celestia, alerts the imperial family—and in a bid to protect her, they propose a bold plan: introduce a new system of Sainthood modeled after Carolina’s homeland. At its heart is a grand tournament to decide a single true Saint to guide the world: the All Saint. But this plan is complicated, and the archbishop is already making his move. Can the empire protect Carolina before he strikes? Or will she fall into the hands of darkness, losing her newfound home, her family, and the love of her life?