Barbara’s father threatened to send her to a convent if she didn’t marry quietly. Once there, she would never be able to leave and would have to spend her life serving the poor. For a noble lady, it was practically a death sentence.

Yet even at this point, Barbara refused to give up.

She chose one from the list of candidates her father presented.

「Gustav Mücke.

Second son of House Mücke.

Currently managing a territory far from the main family territory.」

At first glance, it seemed like a decent match.

He came from a ducal family trusted by the ferocious Emperor and was even managing his own territory.

But the key word here was ‘far.’

Gustav’s older brother was already the young duke. This meant the Duke, reluctant to disperse the family’s power and wealth even slightly, had sent his second son far away.

In short, Gustav was the neglected child. That’s why he was pushed as a candidate for Barbara, who had missed her prime marriage years.

Barbara chose him without hesitation.

“I’ll marry Gustav Mücke.”

“A-are you serious?”

Her father asked repeatedly. He had expected her to stubbornly refuse, so this sudden change of heart surprised him.

“Yes, I will. But on one condition: we must stay in the capital for at least a year after marriage.”

“W-well, alright. I suppose the territory is quite far…”

He was both pleased and somewhat disappointed.

But he couldn’t afford to be picky anymore. Barbara had long passed her prime marriage years, and every noble in the capital knew she was hopelessly infatuated with Werner.

Perhaps that’s why none of the other candidates were particularly suitable. Some were as old as her father, while others were looking for a third wife.

He had once hoped for a dependable son-in-law like Werner. That’s why he had left his daughter to her own devices, and now this was the result.

As a father, he felt somewhat guilty. In the end, he approved Barbara and Gustav’s marriage.

All without knowing his daughter’s ulterior motives.

Barbara knew that Gustav was quite close to Werner, having observed Werner for so long. She had even befriended his dead wife to see him more often, so why would she hesitate to marry his friend?

And she wanted to provoke Werner this way.

‘You’ll miss me when I’m gone, won’t you? When you see me standing beside your friend. You’ll feel the sting of losing something precious you never realized you had.’

Barbara viewed her own marriage merely as a tool to stimulate her unrequited love. In short, she was out of her mind.

Meanwhile, Gustav, who had been far from the capital, only learned of this situation right before the wedding.

His bride had been so infatuated with Werner that she had acted like the mistress of his house.

Naturally, he refused the marriage.

“Father, I absolutely cannot marry that woman.”

“Why not?”

“She’s a woman whose unrequited love tormented my friend. Such feelings won’t fade quickly. How could I build a happy home with such a woman?”

“I don’t care about your happiness.”

“…Father.”

“If you marry into the Count’s family and provide stronger support for your brother, that would be ideal. All I care about is the family’s welfare.”

He dismissed Gustav’s opinion outright and forced him to marry. At that time, Gustav had no power and had no choice but to obey his father.

“This is already a declining marriage. I won’t leave you anything. I cannot divide the great House Mücke even slightly.”

Gustav had heard this statement so often since childhood that it was engraved in his ears.

“For someone like you, a Count’s daughter is an exceptional opportunity. Consider it a blessing and treat Barbara well.”

This was how their marriage began, with such admonitions.

At this point, Gustav still retained some innocence. Since they were married anyway, he hoped to build a happy home if possible.

He did his best for Barbara. He believed that if he showed enough sincerity, she would eventually settle down.

But contrary to his hopes, Barbara grew increasingly frustrated. Despite all her efforts, Werner showed no reaction whatsoever.

She even constantly questioned Gustav about Werner whenever she had the chance. She asked what he liked, what he disliked, and even if he had other women besides his two wives.

When Gustav naturally refused to answer, Barbara threw tantrums and refused to eat. Then her father stepped in.

“Is this how you plan to disappoint me? How long have you been married that you’ve driven my daughter to refuse food!”

He bowed his head to his father-in-law in apology and even went so far as to divulge information about Werner as Barbara wished.

Then one day, a decisive crisis struck their already precarious marriage.

News of Christine’s pregnancy.

Barbara completely lost her mind. Her obsession grew worse by the day, and Gustav was thoroughly disgusted.

Once, he was awakened in bed by a strange sound. He woke to find Barbara standing by the window in the middle of the night.

She was muttering incessantly while staring at the moon.

“She died once, so why not die a second time?”

At first, he didn’t understand what she meant. Then he remembered that Werner’s first wife had died from postpartum complications after giving birth to Zenos.

Barbara was reciting a curse, hoping that Christine would also die in childbirth.

That was the moment.

Gustav felt something snap inside him. He no longer cared about family or anything else.

He immediately jumped out of bed and left. From the next day, he used a separate bedroom and treated her as if she didn’t exist.

Of course, Barbara didn’t care. Gustav had never been within her sphere of interest to begin with. For both of them, marriage was like t*rture, and their home had become a prison.

Eventually, Gustav broke the condition of staying in the capital for at least a year and returned to his territory, while Barbara remained alone in the capital.

Both sets of parents scolded him, but after seeing Barbara’s state, they quickly fell silent.

About five months after the couple had begun living separately.

Werner returned after a long time, and a grand party was held at his house.

After retiring from the navy, Werner had become even busier as he ventured into maritime trade.

Barbara, excited to meet him after so long, dressed up extravagantly. She dyed her hair blacker than ever before, but failed to attract any attention.

The party guests were too busy admiring the items Werner had brought back from foreign countries for his pregnant wife.

An aquamarine brooch, said to calm the sea god’s wrath, captured everyone’s attention. The brooch came as a pair with a clip in the center that could connect them.

This allowed them to be worn together or separately for various styles.

The Duke of Mücke showed particular interest. He questioned Werner thoroughly about where he had purchased it and who the craftsman was.

Next was a hair ornament made of alternating top-grade rubies, known as ‘pigeon’s blood,’ and pearls arranged in a feather pattern. Even Barbara had to gasp in admiration.

The final gift Christine received was ‘the world’s smallest dog.’ Despite being a fully grown adult dog, it was barely distinguishable from a mouse.

At that time, it was fashionable among noble ladies to keep unusual pets or pedigree dogs, and the competition over who had the better one surpassed that of jewelry or dresses.

Moreover, no matter how unusual or well-bred, having the title of ‘world’s’ something was the ultimate status symbol.

As astonishing as its size was its price. Werner said he had paid diamonds equal to the dog’s volume.

While telling this story, Christine blushed and smiled shyly. Even Barbara had to admit she looked beautiful.

‘I’ve lost.’

She felt she could finally see the end of her obsession with Werner.

Barbara realized that no matter how black she dyed her hair or how beautifully she dressed, she could never compete with Christine.

Christine’s beauty didn’t come from her appearance. It was the radiant energy that only a woman who is truly loved could emit.

‘Gustav…’

For the first time since their separation, she thought of her husband.

And she smirked. A friend far inferior to Werner, and herself, who couldn’t even be compared to Christine.

‘Perhaps we’re a fitting match for each other after all.’

Barbara began downing alcohol. She wanted to drown her sense of defeat in the rising intoxication.

She needed to use the bathroom but was too drunk to walk properly. Just then, a masked man approached her.

“You’re the wife of the second son of House Mücke, aren’t you?”

With her reason impaired, Barbara laughed, asking why he was wearing a mask when this wasn’t a masquerade ball. The man behind the mask laughed along with her. Though she couldn’t see it, she could feel it.

“Barbara, I’ve heard all about your unrequited love.”