True Beauty

“The world is a beautiful place. It is the people living in it that are ugly.”

That’s what Hana Acacia thought about the world—a world where nobles receive a Noye, a slave, as their coming of age present for their 21st birthday.

Hana lived her life among people who reveled at the status quo. But when the time came for her to receive her Noye, she didn’t expect things would take an unforeseeable twist: despite his rough hair, harsh eyes, and faded scars, Aden was the most beautiful thing Hana has ever laid her eyes on.